header


Welcome to this not-for-profit paywall-free resource database & website created by Michael Vaughan PhD
An Award-Winning weekly columnist for Canada's top newspapers including the National Post, Globe& Mail and Financial Times
Saturday July 12, 2025

About Vintage Assessments
our roots - check it out here
* * * * *
SEE UPCOMING VINTAGES CATALOGUE

SEE LINKED JULY 19 VINTAGES RELEASE
All 102 releases with detailed cases and agent information
plus our special agent summary

BUY & TASTE THIS RELEASE AT 1251 ST CLAIR W & KEELE ON JULY 12
click here to see the line up


* * * *
SEE JULY 5 VINTAGES CATALOGUE

JULY 5 LINKED UPDATED BUYERS GUIDE
* * * *
SEE PREVIOUS JUNE 21 VINTAGES RELEASE
INCLUDES LINKS TO DIGITAL EDITION & SUMMARIES

* * * *

TODAY'S Tasting Bar at Toronto Store 149
see 32-item updated July 12 tasting bar list now until July 18

A great Flagship store on Bloor West just east of Royal York
TASTE FREE DAILY FROM NOON TO FIVE

TASTE THE NEW DISCOVERIES

NOW UPDATED AT STORE 149

* * * *

Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc 2022

JUST-RELEASED BEST BUY AT $19.95
Ripe, Bright, Plum-Cassis-Raspberry *** (90-points) - #17290
To celebrate 50-years, this just-released 2022 features a one-time special $19.95 price vs the regular $29.95. Deep intense purple colour, it has an attractive, ripe, plum-raspberry-cassis nose with refined cedary notes. Dry, medium-plus bodied, bright, ripe, plum-cassis-black-cherry flavours followed up a lingering, well textured, gently toasty finish. Showing very well now, this crowd-pleaser was aged in French and American barrels for 14 months.
* * * * * *
A Brand-New Best Buy Ontario White

Norman Hardie Calaire 2022
NEW LCBO RELEASE - #10441 - $25.20
Bright, Ripe, Well Textured *** (91-points)
This just-released LCBO direct store order has a light yellow colour and a lovely, bright, slightly spicy, fairly complex nose showing mineral-driven ripe lemon-apple meringue. Dry medium-plus bodied, gently citrusy, lemon-apple meringue flavours with a lingering, mineral-tinged, lifted, floral finish. An inspired blend of 78% Riesling, 12% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Gewurztraminer, 3% Pinot Gris, 2% Muscat Blanc and 1% Chardonnay with 11.5% alcohol, 3 g/L residual sugar and 8 g/L total acidity with a screwcap closure.


WELCOME TO OUR PAYWALL-FREE DATABASE
visit our search engine and discover
73,000+ LINKED SCORES/NOTES
click here to SEARCH releases

* * * *
Vintages 2025 Buyers Guide
unpaid-for non-advertorial reviews

JUST UPDATED
2025 VINTAGES BUYERS GUIDE TO JULY 5
* * *
BEST BUY ONTARIO SPARKLERS
TOP SCORING BEST BUYS - EXPERTS BLIND TASTING
33 Ontario sparkling wines - June 5 annual COVII event

click here to see details of this excellent tasting

* * *
JUNE 21 RECOMMENDED BEST BUY
A REALLY COOL NEW BORDEAUX WHITE


Chateau de Fontenille Blanc 2023

Bright, Ripe, Yellow Grapefruit *** (90-points) - $23.96 - #140046

Bright pale yellow colour. Attractive, intense, fairly complex, slightly spicy, minerally, fresh cut straw nose with lots of yellow grapefruit notes. Dry, medium-plus bodied, well structured, ripe, faintly tropical, bright, grapefruit flavours with a lingering, well-textured, minerally, crisp, unoaked finish. This very tasty crowd-pleaser would be perfect with oysters, seafood and sushi. This at-peak blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle and 10% Semillon has 13% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar. Agent: Kolonaki Wines
* * *
A ONE-OF-A-KIND ARMENIAN ROSE
Taste it for free on Saturday at LCBO St. Clair & Keele from noon to 5 pm

Armenia Dry Rose 2024
JUNE 21 VINTAGES RELEASE - 437357 - $21.95
Elegant, Crisp, Plum-Berry-Cherry *** (89.5-points)
This NEW in Vintages extremely pale salmon-pink rose has an elegant, slightly minerally, gentle, ripe, plum-cherry-raspberry nose. Dry, medium to medium-light bodied and very slightly spicy, it has an attractive, bright, fresh, plum-blackberry-apple-cherry fruit flavours with a crisp, slightly minerally finish. This versatile, ready-to-drink, crowd-pleaser is made from the extremely ancient Areni grape which is named after the village located in southwest Armenia. They are grown at an astonishing altitude of 1,300 m and can be traced back 6,200 years. It has 12.5% alcohol and 3 g/L residual sugar with lot number L-A295 on the back label. Agent: United Stars
* * *

Article Archives
includes National Post, Financial Post, etc.
click here to see the archive of articles
 


Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
and/or quotation (electronic or otherwise) of anything that appears on this website.
Copyright Michael Vaughan 2025
Contact Michael Vaughan at mbv@uniserve.com