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Wine Appreciation Through Education |
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Wine Appreciation Through Education |
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672 Chrislea Rd., Unit # 5 Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8K9 |
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Located just of highways 400 and 7, just 15 minutes north of Toronto, Cilento is a young winery (est. 1997) that has its sights firmly fixed on producing quality VQA wines. Their unique wines have won numerous awards and one -- the Chardonnay No Oak -- is the featured wine at Canada's House of Commons restaurant. I was invited by Martin Jordan to visit the winery boutique and sample a few of their VQA wines. The boutique and tasting room are welcoming, with rustic decor and easily navigable racks of wine. We hunkered down at the tasting bar and sampled ten wines in total, all of them excellent and nicely priced, too. Here are my tasting notes. |
| Chardonnay
No Oak VQA 1999 - $10.95 Mid lemony gold. Toasty, soft citrus, pear, and light sweet apple aromas. Very smooth and full on the palate. Lush and silky, with excellent acidity and just a hint of sugar. Very good body and quite long, fading to a pleasant tartness. An excellent wine and a terrific value. Selected as the house white wine at Ottawa's House of Commons restaurant. |
| Chardonnay
VQA 1999 - $10.95 Light citrusy-gold. Spicy oak aromas with hints of herbal, citrus, baked apple, and quince on the nose. Evidence of both French and US oak. More oak on the palate. Full and spicy with a pleasant acidic nip. Very good body with a long, oakey finish. All wines should be oaked this nicely. |
| Chardonnay
Reserve VQA 1999 - $29.95 Bright mid-gold. Lots of up-front spicy oak, orange peel, quince, and vanilla aromas. Very luscious oak and fruit on the palate. Very smooth. Soft oak helps rather than hides the fruit. Creamy with a slight sweet impression. Excellent full-ish body with long, smooth and well-balanced finish. Terrific...total class. |
| Pinot Gris
VQA 2000 - $13.95 New this year and only 35 cases produced. Very pale lemony gold. Aromas of jack pine and grapefruit with a gorgeous fruit nose. Lovely nip with subtle fruits on the palate. A bit delicate in body but quite long. Bright and lively -- a lovely example of this dry style. |
| Riesling
Reserve 2000 - $12.95 Bright, pale white-gold. Intriguing aromas of pine nuts, light petrol, lime, and pine boughs. Very dry and slightly tart, with lots of citrusy fruit flavours and a cleansing acidity. Very clean impression on the palate. Medium body and length. Wonderful nose. |
| Sauvignon
Blanc Reserve VQA 2000 - $18.95 Mid-toned greeny-lemon. Lively citrus, grapefruit, grapefruit peel, and slight nutty aromas. Sharp on the palate: lean and racy. Lots of citrus notes with an impression of sweetness. Good medium body and length. A bit austere: sancerre-like. |
| Baco Noir
VQA 2000 - $8.95 Inky dark garnet colour. Amazingly juicy fruits, very light oak, some plum peel, blueberry, dry cherry, and licorice. Very little tannin, juicy berry flavours and good acidity. Medium body; quite long and smooth. A best buy in adult-candy reds. |
| Maréchal
Foch VQA 1998 - $9.95 Bright mid-ruby. Lovely oak, dry cherry, suet, and green pepper on the nose. Lively tartness, fairly firm tannins, some plums and leather on the palate. Good body and length, with a slightly acidic finish. A very nice effort. |
| Cabernet
VQA 1997 - $9.45 (60% Cab Franc / 40% Cab Sauv) Bright ruby colouring. Aromas of sour cherries, cedarwood, and dill. Quite spicy, with firm tannins. Nice expression of fruit. Body is quite good, supported by the tannins. Long, slightly dusty finish. Nice now but would repay a year or two of cellaring. |
| Cabernet
Franc Reserve VQA 1999 - $12.95 Bright, deep garnet in the glass. Cedar, underbrush, crushed berries, a hint of oak, and slight vegetal nose. Lush, smooth, quite fruity with cherry notes. A bit tannic right now, but quite drinkable. Gutsy body and long, with a tannic edge. Quite jammy. Has a lot to offer. Buy one for now and another for next year! |
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Tasting Date: November 20, 2001 |