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

Tuesday October 27, 2026

PLEASE REFRESH THS PAGE TO SEE OUR UPDATES

About Vintage Assessments
our roots - check it out here
* * *
Vintages October 24


SEE UPDATED BUYERS GUIDE
LINKED SUMMARY SORTED BY AGENT WITH CASES


NEW ONTARIO OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
Note that our reviews/commentary are unpaid-for & unsolicited

WAYNE GRETZKY SIGNATURE CHARDONNAY 2023
#54681 $24.95 *** 90 BEST BUY

This tasty-toasty barrel fermented ready-to-enjoy blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Chardonnay Musque has a bright light yellow colour. The attractive bright nose has spicy, ripe, lemon-melon meringue along with minerally, vanilla notes. Dry, medium bodied, nicely textured, fresh, ripe, cantaloupe, lemon custard flavours with a llingering, bight, satisfying finish. This versatile, enjoyable, crowd-pleaser has 12.8% alcohol, 2.4 g/L residual sugar and a hefty 6.5 g/L total acidity plus a screwcap closure. Note that this was barrel fermented and aged sur lie for 12 months in 100% French oak barrels of which 25% were new.

REIF RESERVE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024

#360255 $19.95
*** 90 BEST BUY
This tasty ready-to-drink 2024 Gewurz has a bright light yellow colour and a gently spicy, faintly honeyed, floral, lychee-apple-pear nose. Dry, medium bodied, spicy, bright, harmonious, lychee-wintermelon flavours with a lingering, crisp finish. It has 12.5% alcohol, 2 g/L residual sugar and 5.8 g/L total acidity. Terrific with curries and Asian cuisine, it also works well as a chilled afternoon sipper with hors d’oeuvres and at Sunday brunch.
* * *
A Classic NEW RECOMMENDED 2023 Beaujolais
Mommessin Mary & Thomas Bachelder Beaujolais-Lantignié
Fresh, Bright, Raspberry-Plum *** (91-points)
$24.95 - Vintages #48377
This one-of-a-kind collaboration wine from Mommessin hits the spot. Bright medium purple colour with an attractive, bright, fresh, ripe, raspberry-plum nose. Dry, medium bodied, gently juicy, ripe, plum-crancherry flavours with a lingering, nicely textured, lifted, minerally finish. It is the first Beaujolais-Lantignié DOC I have tasted and a genuine winner at $24.95. This ready-to-drink distinguished effort from Thomas and Mary Bachelder has13% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar. Agent: UNIVIN
* * *
Site Search

Products, subjects & weekly article
Total History Search

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


WELCOME TO OUR NOT-FOR-PROFIT PAYWALL-FREE DATABASE
visit our search engine and discover
77,000+ LINKED SCORES/NOTES
click here to SEARCH
Note that our reviews/commentary are unpaid-for & unsolicited


Vintages October 10

SEE OUR UPDATED RELEASE BUYERS GUIDE

* * *

An Outstanding 2023 Single Cru Destination
Bachelder Lowrey Old Vines Pinot Noir
Elegant, Bright, Ripe, Cassis-Plum-Cherry
Vintages Oct 10 - $65 #361816 ***/***+ (95-points)
This exceptional, limited-edition St. David's Bench 2023 from old vines dating back to 1984 has a pale light red colour. Extremely elegant on the nose with floral roses, ripe plums, raspberries and cassis with some minerally, gently complex toasty notes. Dry, medium-plus bodied, nicely textured, fresh, perfectly ripe, just-picked, raspberry-cassis-plum flavours with some hints of frais de bois all followed up by a lingering, refined, very bright, vanilla-tinged finish. It has 12% alcohol and aged for 20-months in French oak. Comparable to some top Burgundies fetching $100+
* * * *
Vintages 2026 Buyers Guide

SEE ALL OUR 2026 BUYERS REVIEWS
UPDATED ON OCTOBER 15

* * *
Surviving 50 years at 6º C

Last Fall a single bottle of Ontario 1975 Chateau-Gai Gamay Beaujolais sold for a world-record $1,000 at a Waddintons auction. Three bottles of this 1975 were opened in October and were tasted by dozens in attendance at the CELEBRATION OF LIFE for winemaker Paul Bosc Sr. All 3 bottles stored at the ultra-cold temperature for 50 years were in perfect drinkable condition.
See Rick VanSickle's report.

 


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 2026
Contact Michael Vaughan at mbv@uniserve.com