G. Marquis graciously sent me another couple of wines to try this spring – G. Marquis The Silver Line Chardonnay 2011 (VQA Niagara-On-The-Lake) and G. Marquis Silver Line Ice Rosé Méthode Classique (also VQA Niagara-On-The-Lake). The Chardonnay is value priced at $16.95 and as my wife has been drinking a lot of Chardonnay these days, I was happy to try this one. The sparkling Rosé came in at $29.95, and includes a dosage of icewine which differentiates it from most other sparkling wines.
A nice, easy drinking Chardonnay
First the 2011 Chardonnay: Bright medium yellow-green colour. Nose of melon, lees, light tropical fruit, citrus and some sweet spices. On the palate, lots of fresh fruit with sweet red apples, pineapple, and light lemon. Cinnamon, light clove and a hint of white pepper contrast the butterscotch & vanilla notes from the 6 months in oak. It has nice acidity and the citrus provides a quite fresh finish, with a medium-long butterscotch finish. Some would say this is a simple Chardonnay not meant for any long-term aging, but given the price point, it is a pretty good value for summer sipping. Note that the Chardonnay is currently on sale for $14.95 ($2 off) until June 23rd, making it a great wine to have on hand for company.
A refreshing opening for any meal!
We decided to open the Ice Rosé sparkling wine when we had a bunch of friends for dinner. It went perfectly with the light appetizers we started the dinner with: A light salmon hue to this wine hides the fairly strong fruit nose wrapped inside. On the nose, candied cherry and raspberry with a hint of kirsch liqueur and a slight mineral undertone. The palate surprises with fairly dry citrus & sour cherry notes and a touch of sweetness from the icewine dosage only momentarily at mid-palate. An easy drinking aperitif or accompaniment for appetizers or cheese.
As noted, these wines were provided free of charge for review. You can see my sample policy here for more details.