With wine, it's good to be kind

I have two “acts of kindness” to tell you about, one an opportunity to taste some less familiar Ontario wines with Mary Ledlow of vinaissance.com, and the other, the first releases of Campbell Kind Wines, an initiative of Steve Campbell, President of Ontario’s Lifford Wines & Spirits.

With Mary, I tasted wines from Flat Rock Cellars and Frog Pond Farms in Niagara, and Trail Estate wines in Prince Edward County.

Flat Rock is a deservedly popular label in our stores, with half a dozen examples on our Vintages shelves. It includes a range of Chardonnays from $16.95 to $19.95, with the Unplugged Chardonnay 2018, $17.95, released at the end of October, getting an excellent review from winecurrent.com, which admired its balance and charm, saying it is “well textured and brimming with flavour” – 91.

With Mary, I tasted the Twisted White, $17.95 in Vintages. This Riesling/Gewurztraminer/Chardonnay blend is delicate yet well-balanced, with a floral nose and ample pear/grapefruit flavours. It has a pleasant mouthfeel and a hint of minerality on the finish. 

The 2017 Twisted Red was an altogether new experience. Last produced in 2012, this version contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. With red fruit detectable on the nose, the wine displayed good balance, depth, and length with peppery notes and dark fruit. It is terrific and versatile. 

The 2017 is no longer available, but the 2018 has now been released. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon predominantly with Pinot Noir in support to soften it up and contribute to the aromatics. It is $25.15 at the winery.

Ed Madronich, the President of Flat Rock Cellars, is also the “Ed” of the Shawn & Ed Brewing Company in Dundas, Ontario. Their lager is easy and sound, but, with the exception of Ottawa, there is none to be found north of Barrie (except the 3 bottles in Sioux Lookout!).

Frogpond Farm was the first winery in Ontario to be certified organic. Stylistically, the wines are lighter than one might normally anticipate, but that first impression is belied by the long, on-going flavours that appear to be a Frogpond trademark.

The 2017 Frogpond Gamay Noir, $16.95, is pale ruby in colour and impresses with mulberry and soft ripe plum. It could almost rival a rosé, but has a lot more pep.

The 2016 Cabernet Franc, $18.95, is earthy, with a purple tinge to the ruby red hue. The raspberry/ blackberry fruit is fully ripe, with no green notes, and the wine carries a hint of pepper and light tannins. It has good persistence.

Chambourcin is a hybrid grape not to be found anywhere in the LCBO, except in one blend that I know of. The Frogpond Farm 2016, $15.95, is currently sold out, but keep an eye open for future releases. A lighter red, this had a soft mouthfeel and bright cranberry tones, along with decent acidity. It is significantly easy to sip, and very satisfying.

Finally, I tasted wines from Trail Estate. Simply put, the wines were intriguing and distinctive, and they are good. Winemaker MacKenzie Brisbois worked with Norman Hardie for 11 years, before she took responsibility for the wines at Trail.

The production is small, currently, but the wines truly stand out. The 2017 Unfiltered Chardonnay, $35, has an earthy, yeasty nose, and on the palate impresses with a dry and nutty character. When it opens up, it is round and smooth, rich and original. It underwent wild fermentation – no yeasts added – and halfway through went into oak barrels, with only 22% new. 

This took gold at the 2019 winealign National Wine Awards. You want to try to once because it is so distinctive, and then you want to try it again and again because it is so good.

The Trail Estate Baco Noir 2017, $28, is now sold out, but get in line for the next release. This edition had a deep royal purple colour to it, with clean, vivid flavours and loads of sour cherry fruit. Soft tannins make their impression on the after-taste. The winery calls it “a rustic wine with aromas of dusty leather, hay and candied apple.”

As you could notice, most of these wines are not available at the LCBO. If you are interested in trying them, or, as a licensee, would like to add something distinctive to your lists, contact Mary Ledlow at vinaissance.com, and she would be happy to facilitate your purchases.

Campbell Kind Wines

Steve Campbell takes our responsibility to the environment to heart. To that end, he conceived of Campbell Kind wines. Working with top-notch producers around the world, he has come up with a line of sustainable, carbon zero wines. Since 2005, Lifford has planted over 90,000 tress across Canada in conjunction with Tree Canada, and the carbon footprint of the Campbell Kind line of wines, including their packaging and shipping, will be offset here in Canada.

In recognition of his environmental stewardship, York University awarded Campbell an Honourary Doctorate of Laws degree this year.

Still to be released are two Italian reds, but as of October 26, three wines, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc created by Steve Smith, a South African Syrah made by Bruce Jack, and a Spanish red crafted by Telmo Rodriguez were released.

Campbell Kind Wine Sauvignon Blanc 2018, $19.95, is from Marlborough, ground zero for great Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc. Steve Smith was one of the founders of Craggy Range, an elite |New Zealand winery.  The fruit is very expressive from the start, with a new-mown hay effect also detectable. Lime and mild grapefruit are satisfying keynotes here, and the wine finishes with a gently clinching citrus impact. Made from the fruit of older vines, the wine is less pungent than some, but this makes it even more accessible.

The South African Campbell Kind Wine Syrah 2018. $14.95, compares very favourably with the popular Porcupine Ridge Syrah, which often finds a spot on Top 100 Value lists. Mid-weight, it has earthy tones accompanying juicy dark fruit, with a peppery note on the finish. It is an easy sipper, but tastes even better when it has seen some air. About the Campbell Kind approach, Bruce Jack says it is a way of “living with purpose, living in harmony.”

Campbell Kind Wine Tinto 2018, $19.95, from Spain’s Ribera Del Duero region can be challenging initially, as it is suggested it will be better starting in 2020. That said, there is a lot going on here, with an earthy, licorice and leather impact veiled over the fruit. There is a lot happening in this glass, and decanting the wine so that it can breathe for a few hours makes sense here. Steve Campbell suggests that Telmo Rodriguez “is a modern guy looking backwards at the old varietals in Spain [in order to] make those in a fashion for the modern world.”

As for us drinkers, Campbell suggests that these wines an “opportunity to lighten our carbon footprint one sip at a time.” Enjoying wine, and being environmentally responsible all at the same time…how great is that!

November 9 Vintages Release

White

If you like trying different varietals, then you may want to consider these two Croatian examples, both with respectable reviews.

Ilok Cellars Classic Grasevina 2017, $14.95, has a mineral nose and dry peach and lemon flavours with a light floral note according to Tony Aspler, a leading Ontario wine writer. - 88.5

Lutjevo Grasevina 2018, $14.95, With a 90 from the Decanter World Wine Awards, this wine also displays that mineral tone with lemon and pear juice notes, a saline note, and a refreshing finish.

In Situ Chardonnay 2018, $14.95, from Chile is very tempting. Tim Atkin says “this lightly wooded Aconcagua white has subtle peach and pear fruit, good acidity and just a hint of nutmeg spice.” – 90.

Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2018, $19.95, is from Italy’s northern Alto Adige –Trentino region adjacent to the Dolomites and Austria, where precise Pinot Grigio can be a specialty. Of this 2018 version, robertparker.com reports “this is a textbook expression of Pinot Grigio with the exuberance and freshness of a balanced vintage. Citrus and dried grass define this 2018 Pinot Grigio, which sings loud and clear.” – 88.  

Rosé

Featherstone Rosé 2018, $15.95, is a winner from Niagara. winecurrent.com references a “river of tart red currant and cranberry robed in sharp spice with oodles of tang… medium weight with generous mouthfeel and a lingering lip-smacking finish.” 89.

Red

Confidencial Reserva  2014, $14.95, is a Portuguese prize which, if it lives up to earlier vintages – and it should – will be delicious. The Wine Enthusiast suggests that “wood aging has added sophistication to this already concentrated wine with black fruits to the fore and firm tannins.” -92.

Marqués  de Càceres Excellens Cuvée Especial 2015, $17,  is a Spanish Tempranillo which Tim Atkin describes as a dense and “concentrated wine with red plum and blueberry flavours, stylish French oak and some underlying chalky minerality.” -91.

District 7 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, $17, from California’s Monterey County and Central Coast will likely over-deliver. It scored 93 in the 2018 Harvest Challenge, and Vintages says it “boasts excellent balance and integration between the cherry and raspberry fruit and vanilla and oak spice tones.”

Submission Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, $19.95, is a tempting California comparison to the above mentioned District 7. Carolyn Evans Hammond of the Toronto Star seductively suggests “this wine draws you in with flavours of ripe mixed berries, café latte, smoked plum, milk chocolate toasted tobacco and vanilla cream. Elegant yet slightly brooding, this wine is a steal.” Relative to other wines of this type and in this price range, she scores it a heady 96.