The Wines 

Our tasting will feature eleven wines and your admission secures you a tasting portion of each.  (Unlike our holiday party it will not be possible to purchase additional samples).   You will start with the reception Champagne:  Laherte Freres ‘Rose de Meunier’ Extra Brut.  Consistently rated 93 or 94 pts by Galloni you can “…expect a taut, vibrant, yet also weightless style of Rosé. Red berry, mint, white pepper and chalk notes are all finely cut in this super-expressive, inviting Champagne.

The core of the tasting is nine wines from France (Provence, Bandol and the Loire), Spain, Sicily, Israel and South Africa.   The full list is below.  The most notable wine is probably the rare & very hard to find Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva 2011.  This is not your typical rosé, savoury and crying out for food.   In the  words of Luis Gutiérrez on jancisrobinson.com on the 2000, “Don’t expect to find bubble gum, cherries, strawberries or any other berries (or any fruit as a matter of fact) in this wine. Think more about autumn forest, mushroom, truffles, incense, flint, petrol, brioche, nuts, old woods….”  This will likely be quite the talking point in the tasting.

The French contingent is headed by the
Clos Cibon Cotes de Provence Chateau Cibonne Cuvée Marius Rosé, 2017.  The epitome of Provenale Rosé,  Josh Raynolds on Vinous gives it 95 pts, saying “… palate [of] vibrant red currant, bitter cherry, orange pith and candied lavender flavors that steadily deepen on the back half, with no loss of energy. The mineral and floral notes drive a strikingly long, incisive finish that shows excellent delineation and lingering pit fruit”.  

We also have two wines from the excellent Domaine Ott: their top cuvée Ch De Selle and their second wine by.Ott.  You can decide which you prefer(and which is the better value!).  From Bandol we have the Hecht & Banier Rosé.  Josh Raynolds says “it is medium weight, fleshy yet firm and dry, with more character than the pale colour suggests. The length is very good to excellent.”.   The French line up is completed by Reverdy Sancerre Pinot Noir Rose 2019. 

Supporting the  Viña Tendonia from “les autres pays”  we have wines four wines.  From Spain we have the Viña Tondonia headlined above   From South Africa we have the Ken Forrester Petit Rose, (Grenache and Viognier).   This is in the delicious red fruit end  of the rosé spectrum.  Italy is represented by Filipo Grasso – Ripiddu Etna Rosato DOC 2018, Sicily This volcanic wine is made from Nerello Mascalese.  Expect notes of tangerine sea spray and herbs.   Finally we have Ashkar Rose Blend 2019 , Israel. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, it is also in the fresh, floral, citrus strawberry style

For dessert wine we have a unique offering from Ontario: Pearl Morissette Hecate 2011 a fortified Cabernet Franc wine. They describe it thus “ This is a fortified wine that was aged for 10 years in barrel and it drinks like a delicious cross between a port and a madeira. Spicy and concentrated with fruit that has a chocolate tinge to it, as well as whiffs of sultry southern herbs and orange peel.”

Here is the full line-up

Laherte Freres ‘Rose de Meunier’ Extra Brut, Champagne
Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva 2011, Rioja Spain
Cibon Cotes de Provence Chateau Cibonne Cuvée Marius Rosé, 2017, France
Domaines Ott, Cotes de Provence, Château de Selle Rosé 2020, France
Domaines Ott, Cotes de Provence ‘By.Ott’ Rose, 2020, France
Hecht & Bannier Bandol Rosé, 2020, France
Reverdy Sancerre Rose, 2019, France
Ken Forrester Petit Rose, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2020
Filipo Grasso – Ripiddu Etna Rosato DOC, 2018, Sicily
Ashkar Rose Blend, Israel, 2019
Pearl Morissette Hecate, Niagara, 2011

In addition, we will be serving tapas to highlight the food friendliness of these wines

The Info

Date:  Wed, June 22
Time:  7:00 pm
Location:  Berkeley St Theatre (Canadian Stage),  26 Berkeley St, Toronto (SW of Eastern & Parliament)
Price:  Members $129  including HST & gratuity, Guests $149

CLICK HERE to sign up    Limited to 80 attendees