BUYING GUIDE

recent vintages. A blend of Cabernet Sauv (38%), Petit Verdot (26%), Malbec (15%), Syrah (8%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Merlot (5%), planted by Richard Cleave in 1996 in the Phantom Creek Vineyard on Black Sage Bench. 18 months in 85% new French oak. Lifted red and black fruit with some toasty notes, a plush entry, supple and interwoven with cherry, mulberry, spice and cassis notes seamlessly wrapped in well-integrated tannins. (TP)

FRANCE CHATEAU PIBRAN 2014, AC PAUILLAC ($50)

Very deep garnet. Aromas of crushed blackberries, raspberries and cherries with some dusty oak. Lots more blackberry and blackcurrant on the palate, with juicy acidity and soft tannins. Classy wine. Drink to 2020. (RL)*

ITALY CRIVELLI RUCHÈ DI CASTAGNOLE 2018, PIEDMONT ($44)

Great texture, balance and length. Aromatic with a slight tart red fruit with an underlying ripeness. Approachable but with loads of character and flavour and long, juicy finish. (GB)

ELENA WALCH PINOT NOIR LUDWIG 2017, ALTO ADIGE ($55)

Bright ruby with alluring aromas of cherry and spice. Refined and very juicy with elegant tannins and a penetrating quality to the red berry and mineral flavours. Very well done. (GB)

PODERI ROSET BAROLO MONVIGLIERO 2013, PIEDMONT ($85)

Layered, structured, elegant, fresh and delicately powerful, all the elements in balance. Alluring pretty aromas, red berry, orange peel and spice. Super expressive and ethereal, but with staying power. From a tiny producer that flies under the radar. Seek this one out. (GB)

RECOMMENDED FRANCE GALIUS 2016, SAINT-ÉMILION GRAND CRU AOC ($39.25)

Full body, fresh acid and firm tannins with opulent notes of plum, cassis, cocoa and vanilla support the slightly elevated alcohol of 14%. A testament that it is still possible to find a well-made Bordeaux under $50 that offers typicity. A delicious pick for lamb lovers. (MB)

DOMAINE DE TRÉVALLON 2015, IGP ALPILLES ($88.75)

I have been following this producer for decades and 2015 might be one of the best vintages I have tasted. Firm yet elegant tannins with fresh acid and complex notes of cassis, plum, dried herbs and graphite that lingers and haunts the soul. This is what I would call a perfect paradox where ripeness of fruit is balanced by tension and energy. Just outstanding. Put in your cellars for a minimum of 10 years, if you can. (MB)

ITALY COLLE MANORA ALBAROSSA RAY 2016, PIEDMONT ($40)

Dark, bold and powerful. Packed with cherries, smoke, spice and wild herbs. Well balanced and brooding, but showing an incredible amount of freshness. (GB)

PODERI ROSET BAROLO 2015, PIEDMONT ($70)

Elegant, perfumed and approachable with silky tannins, slightly tart, juicy fruit, floral and spice. Alluring and beautiful. Although this will age well for several years, it is immensely enjoyable now. (GB)

SPIRITS LEGENT KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY ($45)

East meets West with this first-of-itskind bourbon that melds Kentucky distilling tradition and Japanese blending expertise. It has an amazingly forward citrus note akin to orange oil and lemon zest. Distinct floral notes (spring blossoms?), some chocolate, pine, and even herbal (cilantro, maybe?) components are also present. The more typical sultana, treacle and toasted nuts also appear. In the mouth, it is rich and super smooth, with citrus fruit (orange peel again), mild spice, and suggestions of fruitcake and caramel. Long and beautifully structured, belying its 47% AVB octane. A very unique addition to the bourbon world. (BTW, pronounced lee-gent.) (TS)

BEER & CIDER MUDDY YORK HABERDASHER HEFEWEIZEN, ONTARIO ($2.65/355 ML)

From East York in Toronto, the Hefeweizen took gold at the recent Ontario Brewing Awards, and no wonder. Soft in

texture, with a lightly creamy wheat body. Neither the banana nor clove derived from fermentation overwhelm this beer. The transition on the palate from sweetness to a small wheaty acid tang on the finish lends refreshment. (JSJ)

TOOTH & NAIL DISCRETION BIÈRE DE TABLE, ONTARIO ($2.75/355 ML)

Discretion refers here to the lower alcohol for the style. At 3.5%, it is a light quencher that features raspberry and hibiscus above a small body of arrowroot biscuit. The Belgian yeast character supports bright carbonation and a small amount of phenolic character on the back end. Deceptively complex for a low alcohol beer. (JSJ)

TOOTH & NAIL VIM & VIGOR, ONTARIO ($2.75/355 ML)

Vim & Vigor is the reigning champion of Ontario pilsners and worth a revisit here. While the individual hallmarks of a pilsner (floral hop top notes, healthy nearly powdery barley character, and peppery bitterness on the back end) are all present, its popularity is down to the progression of flavours and textures. It is sweet to bitter to dry in rapid-fire succession and leaves the drinker wanting more. (JSJ)

ROYAL CITY EXHIBITION IPA, ONTARIO ($2.99/473 ML)

The enormous aromas of mango, pine and pineapple here are a reminder that the current trend for massively hazy IPA with little bitterness has not superseded all previous examples. The fruitiness emerges on the palate as passion fruit with a touch of caramelization, and the finish is short enough to make another sip appealing. An exemplary IPA and a real accomplishment for Royal City. (JSJ)

SKELETON CREW BREWING COMPANY KNUCKLEBONE IPA, ONTARIO ($3/473 ML)

Beer dates like fashion. Knucklebone IPA is no exception: it comes across as an American IPA of the first decade of this century. Although it is bracingly bitter, the malt and hops are in comparative balance here with a small amount of stone fruit coming out on top of the traditional pine and grapefruit. The malt runs through light caramel to toffee and sultana. Sometimes instead of reinventing the wheel, you only need to reintroduce it. (JSJ)

MATRON YEASAYER LAGERBIER, ONTARIO ($3.25/355 ML)

Founded by ex-Stone City staff, Matron has launched with only two offerings, but that fits into their ethos of making a finite amount of product. Yeasayer is nearly perfectly balanced between the pepper, white flowers and light citrus of the hop character and the sweetness of grain on the palate. A traditional take on the Helles for this standout start-up in Bloomfield, Ontario. (JSJ)

BEYOND THE PALE YUMMY, ONTARIO ($4.00/473 ML)

Founded early in the explosion of craft breweries in Ontario, Beyond The Pale has come into their own in the last several years, and Yummy is a great example of their work. The aromas in this hazy IPA are prominent white grapefruit and lime, reminiscent of a Paloma cocktail garnished with a wedge of pineapple. Dry without astringency and bitter enough to remind you it is an IPA after all. (JSJ)

PANIZA PILSNER, ONTARIO ($5/330 ML)

It has been a whirlwind of a year for Marcelo Paniza, who won the Henderson Beer Cup for his homebrew and a gold medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards for his Bock. This traditional German Pilsner with Northern Brewer and Saaz hops is his first commercial venture. At 5%, the balance falls just slightly to peppery bitterness. A promising sophomore effort. (JSJ)

MEANTIME LONDON IPA, UNITED KINGDOM ($6/330 ML)

At a period when there are a dearth of traditional English IPAs being produced, the fuggle and golding hop character is reassuringly like a late summer hedgerow, with herbal and citric flourishes in the aroma and on the palate. In combination with fruity, nutty malts, it is a fine reminder of the inspiration for the modern craft boom. (JSJ)

STONE CITY ALES ULTRA FINE DAY, ONTARIO ($6.00/500 ML)

Trend is king and Stone City Ales have been branching out into lager styles over the last few years. This take on a Helles lager features Mandarina Bavaria and Sladek, newer European hops varieties. The aroma features lime leaf, green pepper flesh and chrysanthemum with candied orange emerging on the palate as bitterness and a peachy, floral retro-nasal interest. Exuberant for the style. (JSJ)

BLOOD BROTHERS WHITE LIES RIESLING, ONTARIO ($8.00/500 ML)

There is infrequently anything subtle about Blood Brothers, from the voodoo-inspired taproom down to the individual flavour profiles of their beers. White Lies is no exception, leaning hard into sourness. The acidity here is bolstered by a lemon-lime hop character and slightly undercuts the sweetness of the Riesling grapes. On the whole, though, this is a fine afternoon refresher or aperitif. (JSJ)

GROVE BREWHOUSE WESTCOTT CREAM ALE, ONTARIO ($13.27/4-PACK)

As a style featuring hybrid fermentation, Cream Ale tends to feature oddball esters. Grove’s is no exception. The nose is somewhere between peach and green strawberry, and the robust, slightly husky grain character provides a slightly rustic finish with a retro-nasal hint of cucumber. Reminiscent of Genesee, the exemplar of the style. (JSJ)

WELLINGTON BREWERY UVB 76 NIKITA, ONTARIO ($4/355 ML)

Named for a Russian signal station, this radio sweetheart is an Imperial Stout by way of the freezer aisle: Strictly neapolitan. The nose is madagascar vanilla, dehydrated strawberry and hershey syrup, but the body is milkshake thick, leaning into bitter dark chocolate and a bourbon-barrel sweetness that lingers slightly longer than it would take that ice cream to melt. As novelty Russian Imperials go, this one is a winner. (JSJ)

FOLLY BREWING COMPANY FRESH MONEY, ONTARIO ($6/500 ML)

Of late, Folly has helped pioneer Kveik (individual strains of Norwegian farmhouse ale yeast) in the Canadian market. Fresh Money uses the Arset blend, creating fruity esters in the aroma somewhere between windfall pear and jackfruit. The body is crisp and clean, with a gentle grain character that takes a backseat to the fruitiness. A rounded and practical application of an esoteric Norwegian treatment. (JSJ)