Just wanted to do a bit of catch-up here.
2009 Chateau La Garde
Just a general impression, no notes as I was busy giving my annual wine seminar to the Scandinavian Canadian Club while pouring and serving this 
It had bits and pieces of sweeter herbs, but mostly ripe plum and berry fruit. Still plenty of life left, but what I’d see as a representative 09, a little more flush than usual in Bordeaux. Quite good.
2013 Forest Grove Coury Old Vines Semillon
This was some find in Seattle—grabbed it in part because less than 700 bottles were made. And boy, I sure wish I’d grabbed the other bottle in the store. White fruit and lemon zest nose adds touches of floral and mineral. And this is pretty dynamic in the mouth, full of energy, ginger bits and plenty of controlled white fruit and crisp apple with a steel/mineral end and long, long finish. I’d love to see how this ages and I very well imagine that an aged bottle can give the best older Hunter Valley examples a run for their money. Very, very good.
2012 Chateau Montelana Chardonnay
Only had the barest sniff and taste of this (served as I was talking about the history of wine and the Judgment of Paris), but it seemed to have plenty of solid character and length, maybe a little subtler than in times past (though this has never been an overt wine)—but that could just be its youth hiding some of what it has. Seems to have requisite quality.
2013 Pearl Morissette Cuvee Metis
A combination of 50% pinot, 50% Cab Franc, this version is drinking much more richly, velvety and ripe than I remember with a lot of up-front red berry and cherry fruit. Not sure where it’s headed from here, ought to be interesting to track.
2005 Tollot-Beaut Savigny les-Beaune Les Lavieres
My last of a 3-pack of these, I decanted for 2 hours. Wise choice. The bouquet and the palate are very harmonized right now, with a remarkable purity and vibrancy of red raspberry and wild strawberry fruit with herb and earth accents showing the flag. It also now shows very good flow and balance, some of the snappiness I can find in young Savigny being traded in for more pure fruit and back-end length. Excellent, and not sure it’s not showing its very best right now.
2012 La Chablisienne Chablis Montmains
I haven’t been on board with the co-op’s work in a while, but this has been very nice and so it was again today. Showing (for me) the vintage’s slightly riper and rounder tendencies, there’s still some slate, stone and length that reminds you you’re in Chablis. This appeals because it’s drinking quite well right now, also works extremely well with cheeses, we found out.
2014 Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 Sparkling
“Very pale pink; aromatic, orange and lavender nose; off-dry, spicy, orange, peach and redcurrant flavours with lively acidity. Moscato d’Asti style. Light and delicious. Score - 90. (Tony Aspler, tonyaspler.com, A Wine Lover’s Diary, June 8, 2015)”
I’m not sure I have anything to add. I think I miss spiciness on the nose, but Aspler’s note is otherwise bang-on—an uncomplicated but very pretty drink with the orange notes coursing throughout. I did like this version a good deal better than the 2013. Chill it for sure, though.
2009 Chateau Coutet Barsac
I gave this just a small hour’s decant, enough to release the aromatics, and this is seductive stuff. The Coutet lime gets overtaken in this version by some melon and tropical fruit, both on nose and mouth. In the mouth, especially, there’s a “feel”—short of glycerin, but having some unctuous moments—umami maybe?—that still sits within the context of just-fine acidity and raciness. I think this will be one of the most interesting Sauternes vintages to track over time. I’ve left a little bit of this to revisit over the next day or two.
2008 Coyote Run Riesling Icewine
A very nice bring from Tran, my friend Nick was quick to note that there was a curious almost animale side to this that got me immediately thinking about the foxiness that can show up in aged Vidal. By no means was this offputting here, but it was very different from your more recent vintage-style icewines here in Ontario. There’s a particular oiliness on the palate and only the merest glance of apple as you pass to more pit fruit style and almost this combo of earthy and bourbon teasing the finish. Not at the end of the day something lovable, it does not at all lack for interest.
2013 Sojourn Reuling Pinot Noir
I do love this stuff. Really do. Right now, it’s a fantastic bouquet that takes priority, with marvelous interweaves of lightest cola, cocoa dust, expressive strawberry and damson plum and plenty of baking spices. It continues to grow and fan out in the mouth, even from my last taste about 6 months ago, with the splendid velvet feel of an Erich Bradley wine along with the multifaceted presentation that Reuling fruit gives it. A richer style, but such quality. Dad loved this too and it’s a testament that people who tried it yesterday also liked it a lot—after a small quantity had been in a half-bottle for almost 9 days.
2006 Chateau Musar White
This is a straggler from the recent west coast trip, had in Vancouver with the wonderful Indian food at Vij’s. It was super stuff, so very unique—hard to remember the precise aromas and flavours now, but it had great vibrancy, energy and “rhythm” if you will, as we drank it and tried it with various dishes. Slightly chilled did a lot of good for this and it has a sparky front mouthfeel combined with a smooth and long back. Worth trying if you can find it.
Sante,
Mike