There were two flights the first of which consisted of two commune Burgundies versus his Triomphe chardonnay; the second two grand cru single vineyard Burgundies against his Triomphus chardonnay. Southbrook's Triomphe line is one level up from the regular and Triomphus one more of Triomphe.

All participants have extensive tasting experience and relatively unbiased.

After individual results were submitted Redelmeir revealed the wines. The first flight consisted of the following wines:

Meursault Les Narvaux 2002 Domaine Vincent Girardin $ 52.95 75/100

Puligny-Montrachet 2002 Chartron et Trebuchet $ 57.95 78/100

Triomphe Chardonnay 2002 Southbrook $ 19.95 88/100

In the first flight the clear winner, at least according to my palate, was Southbrook's Chardonnay 2000 with its deep golden colour, concentrated apple/pear aromas wafting out of the glass, and luxurious creamy texture. Its full body has enough extract to carry the high alcohol level. Vanilla undertones and lively acidity make this wine eminently enjoyable with refined food like lobster thermidor, or boiled lobster with drawn butter, planked wild salmon, or a fine bouillabaisse.

The Burgundies paled against the luxurious, pure and deep fruit flavours of the Triomphe Chardonnay.

The vintages pitched against each other were rated the same on at least vintage charts.

In the second flight the winner with a minute edge was Chassagne Montrachet Caillerets 2000 due to its fine nuance. The line up consisted of the following brands:

Corton, de Brailles, Grand Cru, 1999, Domaine Chandon $ 185.00 88/100

Chassagne-Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru, 2000, Domaine Jean Pillot $ 130.00 94/100

Triomphus Chardonnay 2000 Southbrook $ 49.95 93+/100

Obviously the terroir in Chassagne-Montrachet gave the slight edge. It was a very well made Chassagne-Montrachet with exotic fruits on the nose, medium-body, refined texture and elegant balance. The wine was silky smooth, buttery and possessed a long aftertaste. One could say it was a textbook grand cru chardonnay from Burgundy. Triomphus Chardonnay 2000 had a beautiful old gold brilliant colour, exuding aromas of bananas. In the mouth the first impression was an abundance of layered fruit, full body (14 percent alcohol) and balance. This is a silky smooth and substantial wine without a hint of vanilla with a very long and satisfying aftertaste.

When you factor in prices, however, the choice becomes clear. (Chassagne-Montrachet $ 130.00 versus $ 49.95 for the Triomphus). It is gratifying to note how far Ontario wineries have come, in a short 30 years, to challenge well-established small estates in Europe. Admittedly Bill Redelmeier buys the best fruit he can find regardless of cost and pays particular attention to barrel aging, blending and bottle aging before release, but the estates against which he pitched his wines are some of the best in Burgundy.

Ontarians and Canadians seem to think that locally produced wines, regardless of the source, are inferior. This perception is by and large wrong, particularly when it comes to chardonnay, riesling and ice wines.

Now he consults and writes to increase wine, beer and liquor awareness. He conducts seminars and would be pleased to consider your requests. To peruse the list of his published books and order please contact him at hirayrberberoglu_3@sympatico.ca

Hryar Berberoglu www.littlefatwino.com