News & Reviews - OCTOBER 2006

Monday, October 23, 2006

Sommelier, Colleen Rivard, Owner of The Home AdVintage, which organizes custom wine tasting events recently tasted the Calamus Meritage and commented: "This gorgeous traditional "Bordeaux" blend is highlighted by rich aromas of prune, plum and baking spices, all confirmed on the palate by a full-bodied texture and ripe red fruit extraction (exceptional for the cool climate region)."

Long time wine writer, Billy Munnelly called the 2004 Chardonnay, "a pleasant, spicy/sweet sipper" and the 2005 Riesling "refreshing, citrussy, an excellent aperitif"

Vines magazine Editor, Christopher Waters declared the 2005 Pinot Gris "an attractive model with a pleasant rounded texture with appealing citrus fruit flavours", and the 2005 Riesling "has lovely richness on the palate...wonderful expression of Niagara Riesling"

The winemaking is in the talented hands of Arthur Harder who has extensive experience as winemaker in both the Niagara region and Europe.

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

The following reviews are taken from Larry Paterson, aka the little fat wino (www.littlefatwino.com).

• 2004 Cabernet Franc

  Appearance: Light ruby.
  Nose: Peppers, cassis, cherry, plum, spicy oak and something a bit earthy.
  Palate: Dry with good acidity, light to midweight. Clean refreshing but light attack, midpalate echoes the nose, light ripe tannins on a good clean finish.
  Conclusions: Not a modern styled wine with big alcohol, tannin, sweet fruit rather a light elegant cab franc which would serve well with lighter foods (esp white-wine foods). It may help to think of this as a somewhat heavier dry rose when you try to place it socially or at the table.

• 2004 Meritage

  Appearance: Medium/light ruby.
  Nose: Sweet oak, dark berries, bits of cassis, leather and cigar box. Complex and developing but not heavy.
  Palate: Dry with moderate acidity, midweight. Dusty tannins dominate on the attack, with the fruit and other flavours filling in the midpalate. Not as heavy as most modern meritage styles (lower alcohol than most) but the flavours are there and developing nicely. Long clean finish is still dominated by the tannins, but this should change in a year or three.
  Conclusions: This is not thoroughly modern Millie, rather a more austere/elegant wine that needs three years in a good cellar to show its stuff. If drinking now use it with a good cut of meat, made rare to medium-rare so that the tannins can meld into the food properly. Or have it with a cheese platter. Cellar for up to six years.

• 2005 Pinot Gris

  Appearance: Lemon.
  Nose: Melon, citrus, grapefruit and a slatey character.
  Palate: Dry with good acidity, light to midweight. Clean attack, nice white grapefruit notes on the midpalate, refreshing wine with a good clean dry finish. Light but interesting show of flavours on the finish.
  Conclusions: Clean food wine in the traditional Northern Italian style, with no traces of modern softness to detract. Try this with white meats or as an aperitif.

• 2005 Riesling

  Appearance: Light gold/green.
  Nose: Apple/pear with grapefruit overtones, some florality and the precursors of petrol.
  Palate: Just off dry with refreshing acidity, light to midweight. Lemony/grapefruit attack is very stimulating, fruit shows up midpalate, leading to a hint of baked apple on the long very dry clean finish.
  Conclusions: This is a food riesling, one that has enough character and flavour (but not heaviness) to cut across even rich foods, refreshing the palate after each sip for every bite of food coming your way. This wine should also age well for 8 to 10 years, developing the full range of riesling flavours in that time (properly cellared of course!) In the age of additive-driven oaked chardonnays riesling has become sort of secret well of inspiration for serious winos...

• 2005 Vidal

  Appearance: Pale lemon.
  Nose: Peach, honey, apricot, apple, spiciness and a bit of floral character as well.
  Palate: Off-dry with good acidity, midweight plus. Big flavours in the mouth are more than the nose advertises. Softness midpalate, rich flavours on the finish.
  Conclusions: Try this in place of that off-dry German wine with the English name you get at the LCBO, or try it with a moderately spicy stirfry. Drink before summer 2008.

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