Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 99

125388

RE D

125448

92 | Stratus

$49

2016 Niagara-on-the-Lake Red ^ A blend
of cabernets franc and sauvignon, merlot,
malbec, tannat and petit verdot aged two
years in French oak barrels (15 percent new),
this is a rich, meaty red built for a steakhouse.
Despite its size, the wine has clarity to the
flavors; the varying shades of red brought
by the different grape varieties create a
complexity that lasts, channeled by dense,
chocolatey tannins. § Specialty Cellars, Santa
Fe Springs, CA

DE S S ERT
125442

95 | Peller Estates

$85/375ml

93 | Peller Estates

$80/375ml

93 | Ziraldo

$89/375ml

2017 Niagara Peninsula Riesling Icewine ^
The grapes that Katie Dickieson ushered
through 2017's warm, wet summer enjoyed
a warm, dry fall, eventually making an
exceptionally opulent, lovely icewine. It's a
huge mouthful of flavor, filled with fragrant
notes of honey, apricot, candied orange and
lemon cake, and yet it feels airy, like a satiny
mousse. It's fresh and lasting, worthy of
showcasing on its own. § Terlato Wines Int'l,
Lake Bluff, IL
125443

125342

91 | The Foreign Affair

from Sandstone, a gamay vineyard dating to
1983. This 2018, from an amalgam of vineyards, may be lighter than previous vintages
thanks to September's incessant rain, but
it's totally delicious. It's light, grapey, fresh
and charming, with a slightly leafy note to
its wild-cherry flavor that adds a pleasantly
bitter edge. Pour it with a wild mushroom
risotto or polenta. § Esber Beverage Co., Canton, OH

$22

2017 Niagara Peninsula The Conspiracy ^
The name refers to the group of people who
helped owners Len and Marisa Crispino harvest their first wines; the inspiration is Amarone, the wine the Crispinos fell in love with
while living in Italy. A blend focused on cabernets franc and sauvignon with a bit of merlot and petit verdot, it's vinified in the ripasso
method. The result is a wild red, playing the
crunch and bright purple fruit of fresh, thickskinned berries off a gentle chocolatey richness. The spice and acidity keep it buoyant,
ready for osso buco or other rich, meaty
dishes. § Not imported.
125374

90 | 13th Street Winery

$25

88 | 13th Street Winery

$15

2018 Creek Shores Cabernet Franc ^ JeanPierre Colas waited until late October, when
the rain had stopped, to pick this cabernet
franc, from a single vineyard at the base of
the Niagara Escarpment. The ripeness the
grapes gathered over the long autumn reads
in dark tones of pomegranate and cherry,
with green herbal tones flitting around the
edges. It's gentle and spicy, with a subtle
chewiness that keeps the flavors firm and
lasting. For bistro dishes, whether rognons
or braised chicken. § Esber Beverage Co., Canton, OH
125373
2018 Niagara Peninsula Gamay (Best Buy) ^
Gamay has been growing in Ontario since
the 1970s; some of 13th Street's fruit comes

2017 Niagara Peninsula Oak Aged Icewine ^
Vidal, a hybrid created to withstand cold
climates, created this exuberant and
luscious wine. Its four months in oak barrels
contributed to the almost syrupy density of
its honey-wrapped apricot and pineapple
flavors. There are savory notes-ginger
root and pale, nutty barley-to balance the
sweetness, and a quiet acidity brings the
wine to a clean finish. § Terlato Wines Int'l,
Lake Bluff, IL
125372
2014 Niagara Peninsula Riesling Icewine ^
Donald Ziraldo opened Inniskillin, Ontario's
first winery since Prohibition, in 1975. Nine
years later, he and Austrian-born winemaker
Karl Kaiser produced the region's first
icewine, which would become the winery's-
and the region's-signature wine. Ziraldo left
Inniskillin in 2006 to run his own winery; this
is his first estate-grown icewine release, from
a vineyard he planted in 2007 to five clones of
riesling grafted on four different rootstocks.
The dark-orange hue of the wine is burnished
by age, as are the scents of caramel and
candied orange rind. The flavors follow
suit, taking on notes of honeyed walnuts
and spice, with a chocolatey richness. Fullbodied and complex, this would pair well
with chocolate desserts, as well as stand
on its own after dinner. § Esber Beverage Co.,
Canton, OH

90 | Inniskillin

$80/375ml

90 | Stratus

$45/187ml

2018 Niagara Peninsula Riesling Icewine ^
This is classic Ontario icewine, rich, soft
and bright in its sweet citrus flavors. It's
sweet enough to be dessert on its own, but
would also complement a marzipan tart. §
Constellation Brands, NY
125444
2018 Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Red ^ A
translucent red blend of petit verdot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, this is an
unusual icewine. With its vegetal notes and
black-tea tannins, it might be more useful to
think of it as a new dimension on red wine
than as a dessert wine. It is sweet, with scents
of roses and gingerbread, and ripe raspberry
flavors, but not too sweet to pair with glazed
duck; Rachel DelRocco Terrazas, the resident
bartender at W&S, also suggested pouring it
as you would a Pineau des Charentes: over
ice, as an aperitif. § Specialty Cellars, Santa Fe
Springs, CA n
https://www.foreignaffairwinery.com/collections/featured-wines/products/conspiracy-2017 https://www.mauderestaurant.com
Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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