“…you won’t go wrong with anything that has the name Tawse on the label.”
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As previously reported, we’re big fans of Tawse Wine and Spirits, located in Vineland, Ontario, in Niagara wine country. In our experience, their wines range from very good to excellent, and we make a point of paying a visit every time we’re in the neighborhood. Many of the wines are most age worthy, as these two clearly show.
When Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan visited a few weeks ago, I suggested that he bring along something that we could open along with an 11-year old Pinot Noir we’d been saving for several years, and he upped the ante with a 13-year old from his cellar. As I said, we’ve been fans of this producer for some time, but still, I wasn’t prepared for just how good these two were.
2012 Tawse Twenty Mile Bench VQA Pinot Noir Cherry Ave. Vineyard, 13.5% alc.: The clean ruby hue has yet to show any change in color from age, and likewise, the nose is still giving expressive black cherry, earth and some underbrush without any secondary nuances as of yet. Big, rich and intense in the mouth, all black cherries and berries, accented with some earth, underbrush and a little rhubarb. Medium-full bodied, and still structured for some years yet in the cellar. Very impressive for its intensity and depth of fruit. Still on the way up, but it opens nicely with air. Find this wine
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2010 Tawse Vinemount Ridge VQA Pinot Noir Lauritzen Vineyard, 13% alc.: A little lighter in color, and only slightly less intense than the ‘12 Cherry Ave. Rich and concentrated, with a solid core of black and red cherry fleshed out with some briar, bramble and a little earth underneath it all. This has more depth and intensity than many Pinot Noirs, and it can age for at least five more years. Chef Kerr thinks that this is the more approachable of the two, and that may be so, but these are both well-built Pinots that have yet to peak. Find this wine
Unfortunately, you may have a hard time finding these two particular bottlings, but you can get your hands on younger models. (The 2019 Cherry Ave. is currently selling for $49.99 CA.) We’ve never had a bad wine from these folks, so I feel confident in saying that you won’t go wrong with anything that has the name Tawse on the label.
Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo
