Tasting - Gabbiano Chianti

Name: Gabbiano Chianti
Variety: 90% Sangiovese, 10% red berry vines
Region: Chianti
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $8

Winery Review: A very natural wine making process, in which the alcoholic fermentation is followed naturally by malolactic fermentation in steel casks.  The ageing period of the wine before the bottling is brief, without passage in wood: in this way, the wine maintains and displays all the organoleptic characteristics of the grape, along with great freshness. It is a young, enjoyable wine that does not require ageing, which should be drunk in the first two years of life.

My Review: This was my first venture into Tuscany and the Chianti region of winemaking. The wine was a ruby red color. The nose was fairly aromatic with red fruit, raspberries, and spice. The taste had notes of red and black fruit with a slight oakiness coming through (despite not touching oak in the winemaking process). Nothing about this wine really stood out. It had a medium body with a short finish. It was unoffending and slightly acidic. I paired this with Chicken Piccata. It was a nice pairing but a better wine would’ve been a better choice. Not a bad wine but not for me. 

Tasting - Peller Estates Ice Wine Vidal

Name: Peller Estates Ice Wine Vidal
Variety: 100% Vidal Blanc
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Country: Canada
Year: 2005
Price: $60 for 375 mL

Winery Review: An exceptionally well-balanced Icewine exhibiting sophistication and elegance. The clean fruit flavours of peach, pear juice, tangerine and a drizzle of honey excite the palate. Lemon drops, apricot and candied citrus peel linger through on the finish. Best enjoyed through 2018.   Serve chilled at 8 to 10°C in small white wine glasses, 1 to 2 oz per person. Enjoy before a meal, chilled with your favourite vodka and a couple of frozen grapes for an amazing Icewine Martini. During a meal with pâté or with foie gras for a mouth sensation. Also a wonderful companion to Indian curry dishes and spicy Asian cuisine. Serve with the cheese course which may include Saint Andre, 3 year old Canadian cheddar or creamy blue cheeses. After a meal with fruit based desserts of mango, pear, quince, sweet citrus and tropical fruits; crème caramel; crème brûlée; custards; and syllabubs.

My Review: This was a wonderfully splendid wine, one of the best I’ve ever had. I was able to try this because my aunt had forgotten she had it in her fridge and let me have it. It was an unopened 50 mL individual (half of a half) tasting but wow did it leave an impression. The wine had a goldish, possibly pinkish hue to it. The nose was very aromatic. It had a dominant peach or stone fruit smell. It seemed to me that this could be a fruit liqueur; it had that kind of nose to it. As for the taste, my palate detected peach, apricot, and honey. It was super silky smooth. I couldn’t taste any alcohol really. It finished short. Boy, was this a delight. I’ve grown to like Vidal Blanc as my white wine variety of choice (along with few select others) as I’ve haven’t had a bad one yet in my limited experience. This was my first Ice Wine though and I was impressed by it. While the product is certainly worth the price, this wine is out of my range. Bottom line, fantastic wine and would love to drink again.