Buyer’s Guide to Vintages September 13th Release

The Harvest is On and Ontario’s Outlook is Awesome

By David Lawrason with notes from Megha Jandhyala and Sara d’Amato

Vintages’ first September release has traditionally featured Ontario wines, a nod to the harvest and the beginning of a new wine year. This edition brushes up on some history and features Niagara’s wine establishment, fittingly as the years pass with Inniskillin now 50, and Cave Spring turning 40 next year. There is now a deeper confidence and consistency that only experience and vine age can infuse. We bring you some wines that nicely express this in our Ontario section below.

Meanwhile, the essential seasonal farm workers have been in the vineyards picking the less-ripe grapes, during one of the finest weeks of weather this summer. These early grapes with higher acid are destined for sparkling wine. This week they will move into the earlier ripening grapes for still, table wines — Burgundy varieties like chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir and gamay that are in Ontario’s wheelhouse. The 14-day forecast is looking smart — daytime highs around 20C-plus with modest rain and, fingers crossed, no tail-end hurricanes. If the pattern holds through mid-October, the later-ripening Bordeaux varieties — cabernet and merlot — should also do very well.

It has been a very good growing season so far, warmer and drier than normal. You may remember our cool spring lasting well into the May two-four weekend, which also meant a late start for the grapes. This shortens the growing season and creates less room for weather gloom during the summer and fall. But Mother Nature has actually dished up on a silver platter this year.

There was some concern during the sweltering “feels like 40” days of late June and July that vines would go into self-protecting drought dormancy and delay ripening. I discussed this with Cave Spring winemaker Gabe Demarco, who said their Beamsville Bench/Escarpment vineyards have ripened “slightly late, but pretty much normal. The berries are also a bit smaller, so quantity will be on the light side of normal.” This bodes well for quality and flavour concentration

“There should be no problem with phenolic (flavour) ripeness” he continued, and “we should be looking at another excellent vintage. The weather pattern has been very similar to 2024.” That was a large vintage resulting in a surplus, but the quality is excellent, with fine weather into October creating what has been called an “exceptional year for Ontario reds” by the Vintners Quality Alliance.

Business-wise the outlook for Ontario is very positive too. Sales of Ontario wine have skyrocketed since the Trump tariffs came into being in March, and U.S. wine was pulled from the shelves. John Szabo sized up the triple-digit percentage increases in his article attached to the August 2 release.

And on the governance front, the picture has also brightened for the Ontario industry. As recently recapped by NiagaraThisWeek.com, the government is spending $175 million over five years to double to 50% the quantity of Ontario grapes allowed in international domestic (non-VQA) blends, with the subsidy keeping the price of those wines low, in the $10 range. One hopes quality might also improve.

Meanwhile, the large Vintages release reveals that there is still lots of global competition. Of the 120 wines on this release, only 20 are from Ontario. That said, for context again, Ontario doesn’t grow enough grapes to supply the Ontario market if Ontarians only drank 100% Ontario VQA wine. Not by a long shot.

We have tasted many of the imports and present our recommendations below in ascending price order. Though not recently tasted or reviewed, I point you to a pair of five-star Ontario values — Thirty Bench Steel Post Vineyard Small Lot Riesling 2021 and Le Clos Jordanne Villages Chardonnay 2022.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages September 13th: Ontario

Cave Spring Estate Grown Chardonnay 2023, Ontario, Canada
$21.95, Cave Spring Cellars
David Lawrason – Tasted among other chardonnays from Burgundy at twice the price, this acquitted itself very well. It is ripe, substantial and flavourful yet well-structured and elegant. It is medium bodied, almost creamy and warming, with fine acidity.

Henry Of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2023, Ontario, Canada
$34.95, Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery
David Lawrason – This top-end chard from the Speck Bros, from 40-year-old vines, is understated and demure — aiming for finesse and hitting that mark. The nose shows fine, very well integrated apple, lemon, a touch of hazelnut, spice and vanillin. Super fine texture.

Tawse Grower’s Blend Cabernet Franc 2020, Ontario, Canada
$29.95, Tawse
David Lawrason – The excellent 2020 vintage in Niagara has been very kind to cabernet franc. This finds very good varietal purity, richness and balance, and it is now showing some maturity with leather and graphite notes around raspberry jam, fresh herbs and oak and spice (re-tasted Sept 2025).

Westcott Estate Pinot Noir 2021, Ontario, Canada
$31.95, Westcott Vineyards
Megha Jandhyala – This sustainably made pinot noir from the Niagara Escarpment is beguiling, its flavours manifold, all of them integrated and in harmony. The palate too is in equilibrium — supple, silky, and succulent.
Sara d’Amato – Sourced from both the Home Farm Vineyard and Butlers’ Grant, this spontaneously fermented wine is complex and engaging, unfolding with tender red fruit, a hint of iron, and earthy undertones, lifted by gentle spice from 22 months of aging in French oak. A fine thread of salinity and a silky, creamy texture meet refined tannins.

Kew Blanc De Noirs 2020, Ontario, Canada
$32.95, Arterra Wines Canada
David Lawrason – From vineyards planted in 1975, this is a 100% pinot noir traditional method Blanc de Noir, aged two years on its lees. It shows a mild, fairly complex nose of baked apple crumble, straw and vague honey and nutty notes. It is light, fairly deep and even.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages September 13th: Import Whites

Marani Rkatsiteli 2023, Kakheti, Georgia
$13.95, Global Libations
Megha Jandhyala – Dry, zesty, and refreshing, this is a balanced example of rkatsiteli, a widely-planted variety in Georgia (one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world). The fact that it is inexpensive only adds to its appeal!

Fantini Calalenta Pecorino 2024, Abruzzo, Italy
$20.95, Profile Wine Group (Barrique)
Sara d’Amato – I might not reach Luca Maroni’s enthusiastic 99-point score stickered on the label, but I am happy to vouch for this peppery pecorino from Abruzzo’s stylistically broad IGT of Terre di Chieti. Salty, flinty and zesty — it will help you hold on to summer for at least another week. Succulent yet expressive, this unpretentious wine a lip-smackingly good value.

Nepenthe Pinnacle Grüner Veltliner 2020, South Australia, Australia
$23.95, Charton Hobbs
Sara d’Amato – A rare gem in these parts, this South Australian Grüner Veltliner hails from the cool climate of Adelaide Hills and is destined to win over a crowd without straining your wallet. Gregarious in nature, it is lithe yet expressive and brimming with spring blossoms, fragrant pear, and a dusting of white pepper. True to type and youthfully generous, it’s the perfect companion for your next spontaneous gathering.

Château Bel Air Perponcher Entre Deux Mers Réserve Blanc 2023, Bordeaux, France
$24.95, Christopher Stewart Wine & Spirits
David Lawrason – This is a classic Bordeaux sauvignon/semillon blend — very well made, complex and balanced with a generous, outdoorsy ambiance of meadow grasses and florals, grapefruit/lemon and sauvignon nettle. It is medium weight, a bit fleshy and warming.

Sommer Alte Reben Grüner Veltliner 2023, Burgenland, Austria
$27.95, Wine Alliance
David Lawrason – A delicious, classic, organically grown grüner that is both refreshing and substantial. The nose shows well integrated peach, lemon acacia/honeysuckle florality and a hint of white pepper. It is medium bodied, creamy and rich with well-sewn acidity.

Casal Di Serra Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore 2022, Marche, Italy
$27.95, Connexion Oenophilia
David Lawrason – A bright, polished and complete verdicchio from a leading producer of the region. Expect a lovely, lifted floral nose of peach-pineapple, fresh mint, tarragon and lemon blossom. It is medium-full bodied, broad with moderate acidity and proper 13.5% alcohol.
Megha Jandhyala – This is a lavish yet balanced verdicchio (a marquee variety in the Marche region of Italy), with abundant aromas and a gorgeously glossy texture. I would take it with me to dinner parties as a delicious and relatively unfamiliar treat.

Domaine Catherine & Pierre Breton Cuvée Chenin! épaulé Jeté Vouvray 2023, Loire, France
$29.95, The Living Vine
Sara d’Amato – We should all drink more chenin blanc not only as it is expressive, downright delicious, and is sensitively reflective of place, but also because it offers tremendous value. Here’s a cracker of an example, this “natural” style chenin blanc is clean and energetic without feeling acidic. It has a pleasant touch of bitterness, notable chalkiness and a mid-weight feel that is amplified by glycerol instead of alcohol.

Natasha Williams Lelie Van Saron Chardonnay 2022, Walker Bay, South Africa
$39.95, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
Sara d’Amato – It’s easy to fall for winemaker Natasha William’s Lelie Van Saron Chardonay — a name that translates from Afrikaans to “Lily from the town of Saron” — both a nod to winemaker Natasha Williams’ childhood nickname and to her hometown roots. It’s a study in purity and poise: a characterful, low-intervention white that channels coastal vitality into textural nuance, all the while remaining graceful and impeccably balanced.

Maison Louis Latour Marsannay Blanc 2022, Burgundy, France
$55.95, Mark Anthony Group
Megha Jandhyala – Understated yet statuesque, this Marsannay’s beauty warrants its price. It displays complexity, depth, and fidelity, as also impeccable poise and length. I would save a bottle or two of this in my cellar to share with those who appreciate the subtlety and charm of classic white Burgundy.
David Lawrason – An understated classic from the northmost AOP of the Cote d’Or, Marsannay, which always delivers tidy, slender whites and red. Yet it is so well balanced and integrated — absolutely seamless. Very classy.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages September 13th: Import Reds

Luzon Crianza Monastrell/Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Jumilla, Spain
$16.95, Christopher Stewart Wine & Spirits
Megha Jandhyala – I find this plush, warm blend from Jumilla cozy and comforting. At this price, and with cooler weather around the corner, I would make this crianza my house red wine.
David Lawrason – From a region near Valencia comes a smooth, deeply coloured ripe wine with lifted, almost candied, blackcurrant, heady peony florals and dried herbs. It is not quite as heavy as it looks with good acid and alcohol balance, and modest tannin.

Torre Zambra Madia Montepulciano D’abruzzo 2022, Abruzzo, Italy
$19.95, Marchands des Ameriques
Sara d’Amato – Abruzzo seems to be in on my mind as this is my second selection from the hilly eastern Italian region this week. This organic montepulciano is lightly earthy with briny, black olive and liquorice root flavours that mark the palate along with a hint of mint on the finish of good length. Charmingly rustic yet also modern, the tannins are youthfully grippy with present, but nicely integrated wood spice.

Olivier Coste Old Star Carignan Noir 2022, Languedoc, France
$20.95, Le Sommelier Inc.
Sara d’Amato – From his deep Languedoc roots, Olivier Coste delivers another lively carignan — dry-farmed, low-yielding and all the better for it. Certified organic and carbon-offset, it’s light on its feet and juicy with silky tannins and easy charm. A clean, upbeat red made for carefree backyard sipping.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate The Siding Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, South Australia, Australia
$24.95, Mark Anthony Group
Megha Jandhyala – Entry level cabernet sauvignon is rarely this lovely and true to form. I love the delicious core of supple dark fruit, refined notes of barrel spice, and generous yet well integrated flavours of savoury herbs and violets.

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago, New Zealand
$37.95, Insider Wine
David Lawrason – Tarras is in the Bendigo sub-appellation, one of the warmer sites in Otago, resulting in good weight and richness. The nose is a bit reserved but complex with shrubby notes, classic red cherry, vanilla and spice, The balance is excellent the texture is creamy, the tannins chalky and drying.
Sara d’Amato – This fragrant Central Otago pinot noir offers a good deal of fruit despite five years in bottle. Sourced from a warmer single vineyard site on terraces of Bendigo, it features lightly grippy tannins and well-balanced alcohol despite is substantial nature. Clean but characterful, showing some lightly leathery charm from bottle age.

Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat 2022, Uruguay, World
$40.95, Mark Anthony Group
David Lawrason – Bodegas Garzon is a spectacular, huge and ultra-modern winery about 20 kilometers from the Atlantic coast that has tamed tannat, the notoriously tannic and dense red grape of Uruguay. This still packs weight and tannin but the overall balance is excellent — ripe aromas of pomegranate, brown olive, raspberry, toasty oak and herbs.

Descendientes De J. Palacios Villa De Corullón 2022, Bierzo, Spain
$68.95, Woodman Wines & Spirits
Sara d’Amato – A welcome, special treat from Palacio’s Bierzo endeavor — his Villa de Corullón is sourced from multiple plots of old vine fruit, including contributions from some of Palacio’s top “grand crus” sites from around the village of Corullón. Organically grown mencìa is accented by the white palomino grape, alicante bouschet, and a dash of gran negro. A more generous vintage for this red that preserves aromatics. A terrific value for this small-lot given that the single-vineyard bottlings, whose fruit is incorporated in this blend, sell for hundreds of dollars.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages September 13th: Import Fortified

Lustau East India Solera Sherry, Jerez, Spain
$28.95, John Hanna & Sons
David Lawrason – This astounding value is a blend of oloroso and PX, each aged in solera for 12 years, then blended and aged another three years. It pours amber-mahogany with that almost eerie yellow green glow at the rim that appears in very aged wines. The nose shows rich aromas of dried fig, raisin, walnut, onion jam and tobacco-like spice. It is full bodied, almost hot (20%) but cooled by the significant sweetness. Chill.
Megha Jandhyala – There is so much flavour swirling in the amber depths of this splendid sherry, including rich notes of caramel, toffee, dried stone fruit, and toasted nuts. Sweetness is balanced by acidity and salinity. Paired with a dense dark chocolate cake, this sherry would be delectable.

And that is wrap for this edition. Tune in two weeks from now with a look at a release that features “Mature Wines.”

Cheers,
David Lawrason
VP of Wine

Use these quick links for access to all of our September 13th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.

Lawrason’s Take – September 13th
Megha’s Picks – September 13th
Sara’s Selections – September 13th

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