Thursday’s Canadian wine tasting and seminar at Canada House was a great success. Lots of energy and enthusiasm, great people, and some lovely wines. Here are some of my favourites, that you should try if you get a chance.

Norman Hardie Chardonnay Cuvee L 2012 Ontario, Canada
This is a blend of Prince Edward County and Niagara fruit. It has an amazing nose that’s super-refined with toast, nuts and minerals. The palate shows broad pear, ripe apple and spice notes with lovely peach and toast complexity and a mineral/citrus core. Quite profound. 94/100

Tawse Estate Chardonnay 2011 Niagara Peninsula, Canada
With a taut, mineral nose and a fresh lemony palate this is a really impressive, linear Chardonnay with amazing finesse and some good reduction supporting the fruit. Stunning effort. 94/100

Benjamin Bridge Brut Reserve 2008 Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Fine, expressive and creamy with some toasty notes and keen acidity. Fresh and lemony with a hint of nuts and cream. Impressive. 92/100

Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Noir 2012 Vancouver Island, Canada
Leafy, fresh and appealing with juicy red cherry fruit and lovely poise. Really pretty with a fine, leafy, sappy edge to the elegant, light, red cherry fruit. 93/100

Le Vieux Pin Cuvee Violette Syrah 2013 Okanagan Valley, Canada
Violet, pepper and olive nose is really appealing. Fine, expressive, meaty black fruits palate with a sweet core of fruit wrapped in bright peppery notes. Very elegant style. 93/100

Hidden Bench Locust Lane Pinot Noir 2011 Beamsville Bench, Niagara
I really like this. It  has a fresh, nicely defined cherry and raspberry nose. The palate shows supple plums and cherries with a slight waxiness and some faint meaty notes as well as focused pure fruit and some grippy structure. This is already lovely but has potential for further development. 93/100

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