Reviews of these wines to follow.

They serve 3 ounce and larger to allow you to taste a few. They even have flights you can order. The staff are reasonably knowledgeable about wine.

If your out and about for a game at the ACC be sure and check it out. I found it quite interesting. The food is average but it’s a neat idea. Support it so it doesn’t go away!

Menu
Various Hors d’œuvre were served along with THIRTEENTH STREET JUNE’S VINEYARD CABERNET ROSÉ 2008 . I didn’t really think much of this wine. It wasn’t terrible, but not to my tastes. I’m really not a rose person, and a bubbly Rose is even less to my tastes.

· Braised rapini with a poached mini egg over a pickled garlic sauce
13TH STREET PREMIER CUVÉE BRUT 2004. I quite enjoyed this Brut which is made in the traditional champagne style. Lots of Chard flavors, just the right amount of bubbles. I’m not a big Champagne person but I enjoyed this one and would have it again. I would give it a 89 or so.

· Elk ‘PHO’ – Carpaccio of elk over braised cabbage with raw mushrooms and horseradish surrounded by spicy broth
Funk Vineyard Riesling 2007 (Not available in the LCBO right now). This is a quite nice semi sweet Riesling with a good varietal structure to the wine, some honey, some apricot. The sweetness was about right for a food friendly wine.

· Juniper scented risotto with hot ricotta and smoked prawns
Gamay Noir Sandstone Old Vines 2007 (Not available in the LCBO). This was quite an interesting wine. It was quite a fruit forward Gamay with some tannins and structure on the finish. There’s a fair bit of sweetness to the wine so one would need to be careful with the food pairing. This particular pairing was not bad but frankly I would have reversed the Riesling and the Gamay. I would give this one an 89-90. I quite enjoyed it.

· Crispy duck breast over celery root puree and mulled wine sauce
Meritage 2006. I must admit I am not a big fan of Meritage blends. This one was not bad displaying only a little of that “Niagara terroir” to it. I would give it an 87 or so. The fruit in it was fairly well done and the Niagara tannins were well under control. Medium in finish the wine seemed to go Ok with the duck.

· ‘Smores’ shooter

· Lemon almond cream cake with mascarpone mousse and a warm sage emulsion sauce
13 Degrees Below Zero Riesling 2008. I have to admit again, I am not a big fan of Ice wines. This one was pretty good to my tastes. It was not as sweet or syruppy as some. They were well under control. It made a nice finish to the evening.

All in all it was a nice evening, very well done by the whole crew at The Stop and Peter did a great job of giving us just enough information about the wines and the winery! He was very enthusiastic about what he does, was very knowledgeable and stopped by each of the tables during the evening to discuss the wines, the winery and anything else that might have been on our minds!

About The Stop Community Food Centre:
Located in the Davenport West neighbourhood in Toronto, The Stop works to increase people’s access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality.

The Stop’s Green Barn is a satellite site of The Stop located in the Artscape Wychwood Barns at St. Clair & Christie. It includes a year round greenhouse, sheltered garden, bake oven, compost demonstration project, community kitchen, a classroom and a weekly farmers’ market.

None of these wines are currently in the LCBO, not even a different year from what was tasted.

The event was run as a blind tasting to add some fun!

We started the evening with a cab from Marietta Cellars $20 or so. This is a very interesting wine in that there is no year on the bottle. They blend grapes from different years into the bottle to craft the wine. I am told this is called an “NV” or non-vintage wine. I have run into a few times but not all that common. The wine was dark in color with a dominant tobacco smell that persisted. On the mid pallet there were lots of dark dried fruits, cherries, prunes etc. On the finish the wine was light with a hint of dryness that built on the tongue. One would not confuse this with a Napa cab, very unique experience!

For the rest of the tasting we first did Pinot Noirs and then onto cabs. Pinot’s can be quite interesting. Bouquet’s of earthy notes, barnyard, and the like are not uncommon. Rustic tastes are also quite common.

First up was a 2006/2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir.

It was quite surprising how different the 2005 and 2006 were. The 2006 was the typical light color while the 2005 was dark enough to be confused as a cab. The 2006 was $35 and the 2005 was $38.

On the nose the 2006 was earthy and rustic. On the mid pallet there were lots of lovely subtle fruits. On the finish the wine was moderately complex with just a hint of tartness. This was my favorite of the Pinots.

The 2005 had quite a barnyard smell on the nose. Not unpleasant, not atypical. On the mid pallet this too was a fruity wine with medium finish and a rustic taste. The wine had a funky finish to it that was not all that nice. It was also not as long as the 2006. This wine was my second least favorite of the pinots. Amazing what difference a year can make!

Next up are the 1997 and 1999 Sokol Pinot Noirs. The 1999 was an Old Vines. They 97 went for $35 and the 99 Old Vines went for $120.

The 1997 had a very unpleasant bouqet which reminded me of a bathroom. Yuk. The wine tasted better than it smelled, but not a whole lot. This one earned the least favorite Pinot in my book. The wine was rustic on the mid pallet and really not a great finish. I suspect my taste buds could not get past the nasty smell.

The 1999 displayed prominent wood on the nose. Quite smooth on the mid pallet but the fruit had all but dissipated (for my tastes). On the finish the wine had a slightly bitter tart taste that fought a bit with some of the mid pallet sweetness. I actually wondered in my mind if this one was past it’s prime. For the smoothness this was my second favorite of the Pinots.

Now onto the Cabs!

First up is the Wineglass cellars 1998 cab which retailed for $69.50.

The wine was quite mild on the nose. On the mid pallet are some subtle cab flavors with cherries being dominant. On the finish this is a smooth easy drinking food friendly cab. This will not be mistaken for a boisterous Napa Cab. This is a well made, wine that has aged very well. This one netted my “best of the night cab”!

Next up was the Januik 1999 Cab which retailed for $64.95.

The wine had quite an earthy note to it. If I had not been told, from the bouquet, this wine smelled a whole lot more like the Pinots we had tasted. Chris said “vegetal highlights”. Yup I could go with that. On the mid pallet the wine also had more of a rustic pinot like taste. Finish was mild. This was my second least favorite cab. It wasn’t nasty by any means, just not what I expect from a cab.

Pepper bridge 1999 cab which retailed for $65 was next up. Their Merlot is in the LCBO but not the cab. And a whopping 5 in the whole province of Ontario …

On the nose I got some strong alcohol/petrol smells. No idea where this came from. Happily the wine tastes better than it smells! On the mid pallet this is a lovely smooth wine with a nice finish with tannins in control. This wine has aged well. This was my second favorite cab!

Last up is the Hedges 1999 cab which retailed for $85.

The wine is quite mild on the nose. On the mid pallet are some fruit masked slightly by a tartness. This wine is quite long and dry and builds in the mouth. This was my least favorite cab but even this was not bad at all!

The event was held at the University of Toronto Faculty club!

Unlike some events there is no one book that shows you all the wines at the event for you to make tasting notes for. Frankly it would be HUGE. Couple that with the fact that literature of what you are tasting really varies booth to booth and this is not an easy one to end up with notes for. So be sure and take along something to write on and with.

I really wish more of the booths would provide a simple sheet with what was being tasted at the booth, is it in the LCBO (and if so the LCBO number) and the price. Preferably with somewhere to write tasting notes. Sounds simple enough.

I enjoyed myself and will comment on a few of the wines in this and future posts, but in the end, my summary was that I really didn’t find anything that was earth shatteringly good, or earth shatteringly bad. That said with so many wines being tasted it is a matter of what you choose to taste as to how your experience will be!

Onto a wine! This one was one that stood out for me. This is a well made middle of the road chard. It has been well crafted with balance in mind. On the mid pallet are some lovely chard fruit flavors. On the finish is a bit of oak, some creamyness and medium in length. This is clearly a wine that is responding to the critics that have been going at the overly buttery/creamy chards! Very nice wine. I would give it an 89-90. Finesse is a word that comes to mind for this wine! I woud prefer if it a little longer but quite good none the less!

from the LCBO web site:
GEMTREE CITRINE CHARDONNAY 2008 VINTAGES 138305 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 17.95
Wine, White Wine, 13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : D
Made in: South Australia, Australia By: Gemtree Vineyards

Release Date: Oct 24, 2009

Tasting Note
Shows sophisticated use of winemaker inputs; fresh and crisp, with oak perfectly integrated and balanced; long, clean finish; well-priced. Drink [until] 2012. Score – 92. (James Halliday, www.winecompanion.com.au, Aug. 2008)

What winecurrent.com had to say:
Gemtree Citrine Chardonnay 2008 McLaren Vale South Australia
13.0% alcohol Gemtree owned by the third-generation-growers Buttery family have been following bio-dynamic principles since 2008. This is flavourful and deftly balanced. Aromas and flavours abound with yellow peach pear honeydew melon lemon-lime tang and spiced yellow plum among them. The prudent barrel treatment, only 30% aged in oak is perfectly integrated while the lively finish is crisp and refreshing with tangy citrus and spice flavour. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour pick up a few. (Vic Harradine) (138305) $17.95 Rating 4.5/5 from Winecurrent
Featured 10/24/2009

Shiraz and Syrah are two different names for the same grape. The difference between the two is the style in the way the wine is made as well as the different flavors imparted into the wine by the terroir.

Shiraz tends to be more of a fruit forward style of wine with quite a peppery, tannic finish to them. Sometimes the tannins and pepper can be quite dominant.

Syrah on the other hand, when on it’s own (the French often blend Syrah) ends up being a smooth, refined wine without the edgeyness on the finish.

The difference between the two is most evident when the wine is young. As the wine ages I discovered at this event, the peppery, tannic finish dominant in a Shiraz integrates more fully into the wine and the line between a Shiraz and a Syrah virtually disappears. This is the first time I’ve had a well aged Shiraz and I was impressed with how smooth it can become. I had always believed there was no point in aging Shirazs beyond 5 years. Man was I wrong. These were lovely. The oldest tasted was a 1999 and all of the wines we tasted were still tasting VERY well. Managing a large cellar isn’t easy and it would be a crying shame to have a wine go bad before you get to it! Clearly the cellar masters are doing a great job!

This particular event was a blind tasting.

Onto the tastings. We started the evening with two chardonnays as the reception wine.

Reception wines

YALUMBA WILD FERMENT CHARDONNAY 2008 $17.95
The wine is pale in color with some mild sulphur on the nose. Not to the point of smelling a match (which I have had before), but it was there. The wine is quite mild in flavor, some slight butteryness, some varietal chard flavors with a mild finish. There is a bit of sulphur tastes to the wine as well. All in all this was an Ok wine, but nothing great. I would give it an 87-88 ish.

Check LCBO stock

CHATEAU ST. JEAN CHARDONNAY 2007 $19.95
The wine is a lovely Californian style chard with some butteryness, some creamyness and a finish that builds nicely in the mouth. At first the wine seems light in flavor until it starts to build. After a few sips you are really appreciating the depth and complexity of the wine. This is a very well made chard. Be sure and try a few sips of it on it’s own (without food) to fully appreciate it. I would give it a 90 easily. Yummy. Of the two this was my favorite and the crowd also preferred this one. As an interesting side note, this winery is owned by Fosters, an Australian company.

Check LCBO stock

Wines from the tasting

These wines were all brought out of the cellars of the Society for American Wines and the Australian Wine Society. Current vintages are available for some of them in the LCBO but not the specific year we tasted. Prices quoted are what they were bought for originally.

2002 Arrowood Sonoma County California $29.95
- chocolate/coffee on the nose
- smooth wine with lots of lovely fruit and a spicey finish
- this was the group’s 2nd least (tied with 2 others) favorite and my number 4

2001 Charles Melton Barossa Valley South Australia $45
- very mild and non descript on the nose
- very nice smooth wine, lots of fruit with some tannins on the finish
- more fruit forward than some of the other
- this was the group’s 2nd least (tied with 2 others) favorite and my number 2
Check LCBO stock on the current vintage now $47

2000 Henry’s Drive Padthaway South Australia $45
- very mild on the nose
- not a great finish to it at all
-this was the group’s 2nd highest rated wine but one of my least favorites

1999 Leasingham Classic Clare Valley South Australia $60
- slight mint on the bouquet
- smooth, well integrated with a lovely dry finish
- this was the group’s favorite wine of the evening and my number 5
Check LCBO stock on the current vintage now $51

2001 Macroste Wildcat Mountain Sonoma County California $30
- on the nose I got dishwater, maybe the glass was contaminated
- the wine tasted foul and had some fruit flavors. It might have just been this bottle. Others at the event enjoyed the wine. Others at my table also did not enjoy the wine but did not smell what I smelled.
- my least favorite wine and also the least favorite of the group
Check LCBO stock on the current vintage now $54.95

2002 Rosemount Hill of Gold Mudgee New South Wales Australia $24.95
- on the nose I got black licorice
- deep fruit tastes with some tannins and a nice finish
- this was the group’s 2nd least (tied with 2 others) favorite and my number 3

2003 Silver Stone Paso Robles California $49.95
- beautiful bouqet with some oak and coffee smells. Lots of cassis like smells! My mouth was watering just based on the smell. This was actually the first wine we started with and I was quite enthralled with the bouquet!
- lots of beautiful fruits, a lovely smooth wine with a medium finish. This is a well made wine that has aged extremely well. I would be thrilled to have some of these in my cellar! Of course at the price it ought to be good
- this was by far my favorite wine of the evening and the groups 3rd favorite
Check LCBO stock on the current vintage now $49.55

2002 Zacca Mesa Foxen Canyon Los Olivos California $25.60
- very mild on the nose with some petrol odors
- noticeable alcohol on the tastes some fruit with a medium finish
- this was the group’s 2nd least (tied with 2 others) favorite and my one of my least favorites as well

The event has a lot more general list wines in comparison to other events. This means there are a lot more simple wines which is a different but not bad thing. A lot more wines are below the $15 mark and only a few above $40. This sets the stage for expectations.

Event Summary

I started the event by focusing on whites. I don’t have a lot of experience with whites from Chile so this was a great opportunity. I discovered Chile make some lovely rich vibrant Sauvignon Blancs for very reasonable prices. I only found a few Chardonnays that were to my tastes. From a red point of view Chile have some Shirazs but they are much more a syrah than a Shiraz with little to no pepper on the finish. They really need to embrace the syrah. Chile also make a number of Cabernet Sauvignons. Their cabs are quite different than say a Napa cab and don’t have that distinctive deep cassis cherry flavor that Napa is famous for. There are lots of smooth well balanced cabs to enjoy. Chile is well known for there Carmenere. This is a grape well known to Chile and generally is a well balanced fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon like grape. I didn’t find one Merlot that I thought was good. There was food at the event but to be honest I was still full from lunch so I didn’t try any of it.

The event is fast and furious and it’s not possible to taste everything (at least not for me) and the reviews end up being mini reviews. I ended up tasting 44 wines. Some wines I have chosen would be be worthy of a follow up in which case I’d like to get a bottle and do a more thorough tasting.

Wines that stood out that are in the LCBO

Here are the wines that stood out for me that are currently available in the LCBO (that I could find listings for):
Cono Sur Viognier 2008 $9.95
- this was the biggest longest wine of the evening. For the price this wine is a bargain. Jump out and grab some of this and try it for yourself
- quite tart
- totally unexpected for a Viognier
- slightly vinegary on the finish
- worthy of a more detailed review

From LCBO Web site:
CONO SUR VIOGNIER LCBO 64287 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 9.95
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine 13.7% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Tocornal

Tasting Note
Pale gold colour; tropical fruit aromas with melon, peach and orange blossom notes; dry, medium bodied, with great acidity and flavours of grapefruit, peach, green apple and pineapple; good length on the finish.
Check LCBO Stock
More detailed review

Errazuriz Estate Sauv Blanc 2008 $11.90
- very New Zealand like grassy smell and flavor
- reminded me a lot of Kim Carawford at half the price!
- nice fruit med length
- best of show sauv blanc!
Full review

From the LCBO web site:
ERRAZURIZ SAUVIGNON BLANC LCBO 263574 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 10.40
Limited Time Offer Was: $ 11.90 Now: $ 10.40 Save: $ 1.50 Until Nov 8, 2009
Wine, White Wine, 13.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Errazuriz S.A.

Tasting Note
Pale straw in colour, this medium bodied white has fresh grassy aromas, with lots of citrus and green apple, the citrus carries through on the palate and the finish is dry and refreshing
Check LCBO Stock
More detailed review

Errazuriz Max Reserva Shiraz 2007 $17.95
- mild on the nose
- no pepper more of a syrah than a shiraz. Some cab flavors
- quite dry
- worth a more detailed review
From the LCBO web site:
ERRAZURIZ MAX RESERVE SHIRAZ LCBO 614750 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 17.85
Wine, Red Wine, 14.5% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Errazuriz S.A.

Tasting Note
Dark purple in colour; aromas of spice, wood & cigar; full-bodied with flavours of black cherry & spice; tannic finish.
Check LCBO stock

Tarapaca Sauv Blanc 2009 $10.99
- mild light easy drinking not bad at all for the price
From the LCBO web site:
VINA TARAPACA SAUVIGNON BLANC LCBO 414185 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 9.15
Limited Time Offer Was: $ 9.90 Now: $ 9.15 Save: $ 0.75 Until Nov 8, 2009
Wine, White Wine, 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Tarapaca Ex Zavala

Tasting Note
Light yellow straw colour; aromas and flavours of gooseberry, herbs and green apples; dry, light- to medium-bodied with softer acidity; with a soft finish
Check LCBO stock
More detailed review

Santa Carolina Reserva Sauv Blanc 2009 $10.95
- mild bouquet
- slightly tart, nice finish worth a longer look especially based on the price
From the LCBO web site:
SANTA CAROLINA SAUV BLANC RSV LCBO 337535 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 11.85
Wine, White Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Santa Carolina

Tasting Note
Pale straw colour; fresh, green apple aromas with a hint of lime zest; dry, medium bodied with a lemony palate.
Check LCBO Stock
More detailed review

Santa Carolina Reserva Chardonnay 2008 $10.95
- med fruit slightly buttery and smooth, for the price this is well worth another look!
More detailed review of this wine
From the LCBO web site:
SANTA CAROLINA CHARDONNAY RSV LCBO 304022 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 11.85
Wine, White Wine, 13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Santa Carolina

Tasting Note
Pale straw colour; light toasty notes with peach and apple fruit; medium-bodied with toasty, tropical fruit flavours
Check LCBO stock

Valdi Vieso Reserva Chardonnay $17.95
- lovely smooth buttery california style chard. Quite good. Well worth another look!
- second best chard of the evening (there single vineyard was even more intense but not available)
From the LCBO web site:
VALDIVIESO RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2006 VINTAGES 981621 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 15.25
Wine, White Wine, 14.1% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : D
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Valdivieso S.A. Release Date: Dec 6, 2008

Description
A veritable fruit salad of flavours and aromas, this Chardonnay is packed with juicy pear, nectarine, banana and peach. Vibrant and inviting, it provides a flavourful counterpoint to chicken in cream-based sauces.
Check LCBO stock

Montgras Sauv Blanc Reserva 2008 $11.95
- mild bouquet
- nice fruit, lighter on the finish
From the LCBO web site:
MONTGRAS SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVA LCBO 58362 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 11.95
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine 14.2% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Montgras

Tasting Note
Pale lemon yellow colour with hints of green; intense fresh scents of citrus, gooseberry, and cut grass; light bodied, racy acidity, displaying flavours of lemon zest, grass, and green apple.
Check LCBO stock
More detailed review

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2008 $10.95
- varietal colors, bouquet and flavors
- light on the finish typical of a pinot
- bargain for the price!
From the LCBO web site:
CONO SUR PINOT NOIR LCBO 341602 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 10.95
Wine, Red Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Chile, Chile By: Vina Tocornal

Tasting Note
Ruby red colour; cherries, earth and berries with a touch of spice in both aroma and flavour; dry, light to medium-body, quite lively on the palate, with mild tannin and a rounded fruity finish.
Check LCBO stock

Other wines tasted

Anakena Single Vineyard Sauv Blanc 2008 $14.95 (not in the LCBO for now)
- smooth easy drinking varietal sauv blanc

Anakena Single Vineyard Carmenere 2007 $14.95
- quite nice not as fruit forward as some
- more cab like flavors
- worthy of a more detailed tasting when it comes out
- not available in LCBO for now

Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier $14.95
- quite good, tasty
- suppose to be coming out in January
- not available in LCBO for now

Anakena Single Vineyard Cab Sauv $14.95
- non descript light in flavor
- not available in LCBO for now

Carta Vieja G7 Reserva Carmenere 2008 $14.95
- not bad slightly tart on the finish
- some cab like fruit
- slightly oaky
- not available in LCBO for now

Carta Vieja G7 Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2007 $17.95
- this is a lovely California style chard. Slightly buttery, lovely chard bouquet.
- third best chard of the show!
- not available in LCBO for now

Vina Chocalan Malvilla Chardonnnay 2008 $23.45
- more Sauv blanc than chard, slightly tart not a great chard for the money
- suppose to be LCBO number 145524 but I could not find it

Concha Y Toro Trio 2008 Chard/Pinot Grigo/Pinot Blanc Blend $12.95
- got a 90 from Robert Parker
- slightly tart, more chablis in style than a california style
- suppose to be released in Feb

Concha Y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay $17.95
- Nov 7th release
- slight tart more chablis in style, no butteryness
- no secondary fermentation
- lots of fruit in the flavors!

Cono Sur Merlot 2008 $9.95
- a mild wine with some varietal Merlot flavors
- some mild mid pallet fruit flavors
Check LCBO stock

Cono Sur Organic Cab Sauv/Carmenere 2008 $13.95
- not available at the LCBO
- the carmenere was dominant in the flavors
- fruit forward, slightly sweet

Cousino Macul Sauvignon Gris 2008
- not available in the LCBO
- this is not a blend but a unique grape
- green grassy smell
- wood, light on the fruit

Cousino Macul Don Matias Sauv Blanc $12.95
- not available in the LCBO
- smooth light slightly fruity
- varietal bouquet

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cab Sauv 2007
- smooth lighter on the finish slightly dry not a bad Chilean cab
Check LCBO stock

Estampa Reserve Carmenere/Cab Sauv/Cab Franc $15.95
- not in the LCBO
- totally non descript with a blend like this I was expecting a whole lot more. A disappointment

Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Shiraz 2007 $16.95
- more of a syrah than a shiraz, nice and smooth no pepper quite reasonable
- not in the LCBO

Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Camenere 2007 $16.95
- smooth non descript nothing special
- not in the LCBO

Luis Felipe Edwards Rosa Blanca Cab Sauv 2007 $13.95
- smooth easy drinking cab, lighter side
- not in the LCBO

Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva Malbec 2008 $12.95
- 14% alcohol which is quite noticeable
- lots of dried fruit flavors
- totally nice for the price
- not in the LCBO

Vina Maipo Gran Devocion Carmerere/Syrah 2008 $19.95
- not in the LCBO
- smooth easy drinking wine

Vina Maipo Reserva Merlot 2008 $13.95
- not at all varietal Merlot
- smooth easy drinking wine
Check LCBO Stock

Montgras Intriga Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $19.95
- yummy smooth deep cab, deep on the finish
- supposedly LCBO number 57901 but I couldn’t find it

Nativa Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
- Dec 5th release LCBO number 975359
- slightly bitter mild cab

Nativa Cabo de Hornos Cab/Syrah/Malbec $80
- smooth easy drinking wine but not worth the price

Nativa San Pedro 1865 Cab Sauv 2007 $24.99
- lovely and smooth worth another look, unfortunately not in the LCBO

Tarapaca Reserva Sauv Blanc 2009 $19.99
- not a whole lot better than the non reserve, not worth the extra money
- not in the LCBO

Santa Rita Medalla Real Chardonnay 2007 $18.95
- lighly oaked mild in flavor more of a chablis style
Check LCBO stock

Santa Rita Casa Real Cab Sauv 2005 $59.95
- smooth easy drinking but so not worth the money for my tastes
- not in the LCBO

Sena Arboleda Merlot 2007 $18.95
- not varietal non descript … yawn

Valdi Vieso Reserva Cab Sauv 2006 $17.95
- deep medium fruit
- dry not sweet at all, slightly bitter
Check LCBO stock

Valdi Vieso Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 $22.60
- even better than the one above, quite deep rich chard very yummy for the price. Unfortunately not in the LCBO
- best in show Chard

Vina Ventisquero Reserva Shiraz 2008 $13.95
- sweeter fruit forward wine not great

Vina Ventisquero Queulat Syrah 2007 $18.99
- lovely deep and rich syrah, shame it’s not in the LCBO

Vina Tabali Reserva Syrah 2007 $16.95
- slightly bitter not all that smooth definitely one of the more edgey syrah’s of the evening (but not in a good way)
Check LCBO stock

Vina Terra Noble Gran Reserve Carmere $16.95
- smooth easy drinking not fruit forward Carmenere
Check LCBO Stock

Last time around we were totally spoiled by Jason who took lots of time to talk to us, discuss the wines and generally show a passion for what he/they were doing.

This time around, unfortunately, the restaurant was booked for a large birthday party and we were relegated to the bar area as well as rushed out. I had even called to check if they were still doing the wine tastings and was told they were with no mention of the large party. I was not impressed. It’s good this was the second time, because if this was the first there would not have been a second

We arrived around 5:30 or so and already they were down to about 10 wines and they went fast. When one bottle is drank dry they stop serving it. We ate dinner there and again the food was alright but nothing amazing, maybe 2.5/5 stars for me.

Being relegated to the bar meant we had only the bartender to serve us. And while she was pleasant enough, she was by no means chatty and seemed to have little wine knowledge. It seems Jason is the only one there (at least the two times we have been) that has in depth knowledge of the wines. A shame. I like the idea of what they are doing.

In this venue I took some brief notes as well as pics of the bottles. The place is dark and the iPhone camera sucks so the pics are only so so, but then your not here to look at pictures are you. So consider these mini reviews of the wines. Most are not in the LCBO unfortunately.

Terre di chieti Pinot grigio 2007
Slightly bitter finish, some oak flavor 87
might be this one, can’t be sure

Pescaja
Strong apple flavor, and reasonably long not bad at all! 88. Not in the LCBO unfortunately. I would consider this the second best wine of the evening.
Pescaja

Norman hardie Pinot noir
We tasted this one at the winery in our visit and really didn’t like it. This time we got some mild dill on mid pallet, reasonable finish 88. It tasted much better this time, perhaps at the winery it was too young. Still wouldn’t be jumping out to grab one. Not in the LCBO.

7deadly zin 2007 Check LCBO stock $24.95
Lovely varietal zin not Jammy at all. Quite nice 89

Mission Hill Merlot 2006
Quite reasonable, varietal merlot with a slighlty bitter finish typical of Okanagan finish 89. Not in the LCBO.

Prospect winery Shiraz 2006
Really good, nice finish, only a little pepper. More of a syrah than a shiraz in style. There are even some cab flavors yum! 91 This was the pick of the litter for the evening. Not in the LCBO

2006 Flor garanacha old vines
Strong oak flavor, med fruit. Quite dry builds, 88. Not in the LCBO
More about the wine

Villa pilo 2006
Strong oak med finish some fruit 88
Sangiovese cab merlot blend
The winery

Mastroleo Negroamaro 2005
Strong Raisin, dried fruit flavor. 87 (not my tastes)

Map

Urban Spoon

They feature 20 wines by the glass for $3 for a 3 ounce tasting their recommended size. We had a meal as well which was good. We were attended to by Jason one of the managers their and he was very good. Quite enthusiastic about the wines and attentive.

Most of the wines are unfortunately not available at the LCBO. Here’s what we tasted. I only had my iPhone with me so sorry the pictures aren’t the greatest. When it got dark taking pics was impossible so I don’t have all of the bottles either …

Sibling rivalry 2008 white
Reisling is dominant (60%). Mild finish. Not a bad wine but nothing incredible for my tastes I’d say an 87. Well balanced, slightly sweet. A varietal Riesling, so might has well just been a Riesling for me.

Santorini Boutari 2007 87
Very Sauvignon blanc like with a med finish with some complexity 88 or so

First step chard 2008 (Aussie)
Middle of the road chard 89. All in all very nice. Nice fruit, oaks under control, slightly buttery.

Legends semillions
Honey on the bouquet slightly sweet 87.

Kaleido 2003 cab Sauvignon
Smack on varietal smell and tastes for a cab. Yummy 90! This one was carried in the LCBO for $14.95. Wow missed that bargain.

Torres temprabillo 2007 vina brava
Mild temprabillo slightly sweet 88, not great.

Carlos Basso cab sauvignon
Yummy cab 91

Kummer Schuster 2008
Fruit forward simple wine 87 strong oak

Peter Zemmer 2006 Pinot nero
Also fruit forward simple table wine 87

Aglianico topics 2006
Reasonably complex reasonably dry fruity slightly raisiny flavor 88

I have not had a chance to taste well aged Merlot’s before so I had no idea what to expect. Up front I had an opinion that Merlot’s do not age well.

So with all this up front onto the event! It was being held at the U of T Faculty club which do a good job and is a good venue for the event.

The event started out with two reception wines.

The first, a Fieldstone 2005 Merlot. This wine was 80% Merlot 20% Cab Sauv. The wine had a slight peppery taste to it with some Oak. $23.95 Quite a reasonable wine. All in all quite a nice Merlot.

The second reception wine was 100% Merlot this time also from Fieldstone. Coro Graziano 2005 from Mendicino $26.95. This wine was much drier than the first but had a touch of a bitterness to it. I believe it might have needed bit more breathing or it might have been a bit too young.

Neither of these wines are available at the LCBO.

Beringer 1995 Hill Mountain Merlot $76. My wine glass (or the wine itself) had a slight rubber smell off it. The effect did not continue into the wine which was a good thing. The wine was very nice. Classic Merlot flavors, slightly dry, with no perpperyness. Chris got some tannins off it and thought it might be very close to it’s prime. This wine was my favorite (in spite of the rubbery smell) and ranked as number 2 for the group. I would give it a 90-91.

Clos Pegase 1999 Merlot $46. On the nose I got quite a wiff of alcohol. I got a reasonable amount of oak on palette with some tannins. The wine had a nice bit of dryness to it and a nice finish. This was my number 3 (I would give it a 89-90) and was tied for 5th from the group.

Havens 1999 $34. This wine was all wrong for me. They blended in a cab franc with this one. I don’t get that. Cab Franc is such a big wine it dominated the taste. I could get some Merlot but it was elusive. In spite of that I found this wine a lighter Merlot with a light finish. I’d be hard pressed to give this an 88. This wine ranked number 4 for me and 4th for the group.

Bargetto 1997 $49. This wine is 100% Merlot. On the nose I got a lot of wood. On the tastes the oak was dominant (over done for my tastes). There was a strong alcohol flavor and it had a medium finish. I would give it an 87-88 and ranked number 5 for me and dead last for the group.

Merryvale 1996 $50. This wine had some cab sauv blended in. On the nose I got a very mild bouquet. I got a strong bitter alcohol flavor on the finish of this wine. I didn’t appreciate this one at all. I would say an 86-87 and my least favorite wine of the evening. It was number 3 for the group.

Quail Ridge 1997 $52. On the nose I got smoke and tobacco. There was a slight bit of bitterness on the finish of this wine. Chris got chocolate off the wine. I would give it an 87 and it was number 7 for me and tied for 5th for the group.

Shafer 1996 $56. This wine has some cab sauv blended in. Once again I had some rubbery smells off mine. I even confirmed this with a few folks around the table. It must have come off the glass. I found this wine had a slight bit of pepperyness to it, consistent with the cab suav blended in. This wine was the groups favorite!

Wineglass cellars 1999 $62. 100% Merlot. This wine was smack on varietal Merlot for me. All the usual plum tastes were there. I got a slight bit of bitterness to it and it through quite a bit of sediment. This wine was my second favorite but again tied for 5th in the group.

So all in all the event was excellent. I always seem to fall on the side of preferring a 100% Merlot. I appreciate the subtle gentle flavors of a well done Merlot. It’s a great opportunity to taste a lot of fine wines in a short period of time for a reasonable price. There were nibblies at the table that included pate, chesse and a few others. I am really enjoying the formal sit down, guiding tastings that SAW do!

I do not have a lot of experience with German wines so this was an excellent opportunity!

One of the first wines we encountered was something I had not had before Silvaner. This grape use to be the most planted grape in Germany and is similar to a Riesling. They are rated the same way as a Riesling Kabinett (least ripe, least sweet), Spatlese, Auslese (see below for more). In this event I was able to taste the various levels and get a mental handle on the various sweetness. As expected most of the wines were white but the Germans are also making some Pinot Noirs. So for me, here were the standouts:

• Weingut Jean Busher 2007 Silvaner Edition “S”. This wine had a very long finish for a white. Nice and complex with a bit of sweetness and strong minerality. Very good. I would give it easily a 90 or so.
• Binz and Bratt 2007 Pinot Noir/Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was spot on what I envision for a Pinot Noir. It had the usual earthy tones, light in bouquet and color easily a food friendly wine. I would give it an 88-89. We were told it was worth around $22.

Some of the Pinot Noirs exhibited the classic poor quality dill flavor. I’ve found this in the past in some Niagara wines (Peninsula Ridge for one). Some refer to this as “weedy”.

So all in all it was a great time, for a VERY reasonable price!.

From my web page summary of Karen McNeil’s Wine Bible
In Germany wines rarely fully mature. As such German wines are very different from most countries. They are made to hit precision and finesse. If you want big and powerful do not buy German wines.

Germans do nothing to mold or shape wine and seek to highlight the natural flavours of the grape. They never use commercial yeast and do not age in new oak. They do not fine or clarify there wines.

• Reds account for only 18%. rarely blend
• Reisling is the best and most common grape
• red wines are most loved by Germans
• produces 3% of worlds production
• Wine legislation
  • QBA (Lowest quality)
  • QMP highest class. Chaptalization not allowed.
• there are 6 levels of ripeness for German wines (sweeter as they go up):
  • Kabinett (least ripe, least sweet)
  • Spatlese
  • Auslese
  • Beerenauslese
  • trockenbeerenauslese (made only in exceptional years)
  • eiswein (ice wine)
• some other useful terms: trocken (bone dry) and halbtrocken (dry 1.8% sugar)
• German wines live on the edge of ripeness so vintage charts are quite important. Far more important than other countries
• almost all of the 90′s were good years for German wines
• the high acidity of German wines mean they age well
• best wines come from Mosel Saar Ruwer

The event was very well done with a group of 14 (a full house for this venue). They provided a few foods to show how certain foods can complement and soften certain wines. I would definitely recommend these guys and will go again.

These guys are holding different country events as the year goes on. There next event is on Argentina. We were told they plan to do a BC wine event in the future. That would be awesome!

One of the things they did in this event was to taste items that are available (to some extent) at the LCBO. This is great! Means you can run right out and grab some!

I often get asked how did I find out about this event. Well I have a lot of different places I am subscribed to. But one of them is a newsletter called the The Juice.

Onto the wines. They tasted 4 whites and 4 reds. Steven guided us through a 3 hour long tour of New Zealand. His knowledge is extensive. I was in awe of how much detail he had about the country, the wines and vineyards. He had a formal power point presentation to guide us through the tasting. It was a sit down event. I was left wondering how many countries can this fellow possibly know in this much detail? Astonishing …

See the bottom for a complete list of everything you might ever want to know about New Zealand but were afraid to ask …

From a white wine point of view, right now, there are no single vineyard white wines coming out of New Zealand. They tend to blend grapes from many different vineyards to get the recipe they are looking for. Each area creating a distinctive flavor in the wines based on the terroir.

Cooper’s Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2008  $17.95

-          Steven intentionally did not choose the Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc which is considered the benchmark to show there are other (cheaper) Sauv Blancs from New Zealand

-          I found this wine quite crisp. Lots of classic NZ Sauv Blanc on the nose. Typical green apple flavors, some grassiness (which I often refer to as greenness) and some lemony flavors. This is quite a sharp wine with a long finish. Quite good for the price. I would probably give it an 88-89 and I would say was one of the best wines of the evening. This wine was not oaked at all. This wine is a vintages Essential. I will definitely buy this one.

-          Steven showed us using simple cheddar cheese how this wine would go well with anything fatty. The cheese improved the wine, softening it, and the wine improved the inexpensive cheese. He also told us he thought it would work well with something with a vinaigrette on it.

-          This wine is from Marlborough one of the largest growing areas in NZ. Steven informed us that Hawkes Bay make some of the best (in his opinion) Sauv Blancs.

Matakana Estate Pinot Gris 2007 $24.95

-          I found little bouquet to this wine. It was very light in color and taste. 20% of the wine was oaked and it imparted some subtle flavors to the wine. It also had a slight creamyness to it, likely also from the oak. It had a slight bit of acidity but all in all I found this to be a very light wine. I suspect part of the reason for this is the strong flavors from the Sauv Blanc above. Personally I think I might have appreciated this wine better if it had been served first. But then you can also pick away at an event and think of how it could have been better! For me this wine was missing the peachy flavors I look for in a good Pinot Gris. Overall I would not buy this wine. I would give it an 86-87 For me the benchmark in the Pinot Gris that had the peach in dominance was the Omaka also from NZ featured in the May 10^th release.

Sherwood Estate Riesling 2007 $14.95

-          I have got into the habit of reading the label on wines, and in this case it was a bad idea. This wine has sulphites added (something I avoid like the plague) and was fined using milk products. I find the milk products can leave an unpleasant odor on the wine. This wine is from Waipara. I found this wine very mild in bouquet, color and flavors with a slight effervescent tingle on the tongue. This is a very mild Reisling and for my money I would far rather buy a Canadian Reisling. So for me this one was a pass …

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 1996 (This year is not available at LCBO) $37.95

-          This was truly the highlight of the evening. Steven shared with us a 1996 Chard that he has been aging for a long time. He told us that when he opened it the cork disintegrated so this wine likely got a lot of access to air that it shouldn’t have. Interestingly enough Steven is a propend in abandoning the cork. He also shared with us that this wine is likely already past it’s peak. That said, I quite enjoyed it. He says the wine originally is a big bruiser. On par with a Californian Chard. It received lots of Oak aging and went through Malolactic fermentation. The wine had a more rich honey yellow color to it. It was very smooth and well integrated. You could really taste the subtle flavors that are there in spades in a good Californian style Chard and likely were there when it was young. Everything was there but very subtly and well balanced. Slighlty buttery, slightly Oaky, slight bit of fruit and a long finish. I was thrilled to taste a well aged Californian style chard! Steven informed us that some of the best chards in NZ come from Gisborne.

Kim Crawford Pinot Noir 2007 $19.95

-          NZ is starting to get known secondly for their Pinot Noirs. This one is quite good and reminded me of some of the good Canadian Pinot Noirs like the Gravity Pinot from Flat Rock which is one of my favorites. This wine had a bit of oak, nice varietal flavors and a medium finish. I did not find this wine overly complex, but then again I don’t find Pinot’s complex. I found it had a slightly bitter (acidic) finish that would ease with some decanting. I would give this one an 87-88. I will likely buy one of these to give it a more thorough tasting.

Sileni The Triangle Merlot 2006 $18.95

-          This had a deep ruby color in keeping with a Merlot. The bouquet was quite mild. This wine has some nice tannins but for me this wine is more indicative of a Cab than a Merlot. I enjoyed the flavors but this was not varietal to my taste. Missing was the strong plum flavors that ought to be there dominant in a good Merlot. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a bad wine, just not a merlot. I would give this a 87-88. This is another one I will likely buy to do a more detailed tasting.

Gunn Estate Silistria Syrah 2004 $29.70

-          While the Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape the difference is in the style of wine making. The Shiraz being the peppery in spades finish while the Syrah is a smoother more integrated wine. This one is a Syrah for sure. There is some pepperyness, with a nice finish. Slight oakyness. A nice wine, but this one for me is really creaping up there in price. I (like a lot of people) have this magic $20 figure. And to be honest, once I get into this price range I prefer to experience more complexity which this wine did not have. So all in all I would give tis one an 88 but won’t be rushing out to buy it.

Matua Valley Matheson Vineyard Cabernet/Merlot 2002 (the only wine not available at the LCBO tasted)

-          This one had a deep color and slight bouquet. I tasted a very slight hint of dill which I have experience in spades (my word for the day it seems) at Peninsula Ridge. I did not really care for this one and would give it an 86-87

So all in all I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. There were a few other foods they gave us like a honey ham, and a salami but my notes failed me, might have had something to do with the imbibing. That and maybe having some fun distracting my note taking J

Here are some facts about NZ and their wines:

-          2008 was a good year for NZ

-          As mentioned above almost all of the whites and some of the reds are blends from vineyards from different parts of NZ. This lets them create exactly the flavors they are looking for and insures consistency. Each area of NZ has very particular flavors coming from the terroir

-          There are over 500 wineries in NZ today. They too went through a prohibition period but it was much longer than NA.

-          NZ has one of the highest average bottle price of any country (seem hard to believe when you consider some of the wines of France’s stratospherical prices!!). Either way their wines are not cheap. It is not an inexpensive place to grow wines. They have to irrigate otherwise nothing other than scrub would grow!

-          There is little to no local consumption of wine and most of it is exported. This is very different than most places which end up having some of the best stuff consumed locally!

-          From a white point of view 53% are Sauv Blanc and 15% are Chards

-          From a red point of view 12% Pinot Noir, 6% Merlot, 1.5% Cab Sauv

-          Did you know Pinot Noirs turn from green to red in about 3 days! And the grape is very vulnerable to bad conditions. This is often called the bad boy of grapes and is very temperamental.

-          Gewurztraminer is a difficult grape to grow and some years will yield little to no grapes at all!

Monday June 11: Wines of Germany
From 7-9pm @ Coupe Space (998 Queen Street East) with Jamie Drummond (Sommelier, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens)
“Fresh from his wine tour of Mosel, Rheinghau and Pfalz, Jamie shares obscure treasures from the oft-overlooked
vineyards of Germany. Jamie delights in bringing you surpirising gems in his trademark irreverent style.
Leiderhosen optional.” Cost is $75/person.

Tuesday June 12: Sip Ontario
From 7-9:30pm @ Fermenting Cellar (in The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street)
“Celebrating Ontario Wine Week is June 10 to 16, 2007. Amidst the historic backdrop of Toronto’s Distillery District you and your friends are able to explore premium VQA selections of more than 25 award-winning wineries and an extraordinary collection of Ontario Tourism’s Distinctive Getaway Chefs.” Cost is $50/person and you can order here.

Tuesday June 12: Chateau Leoville Barton
From 6pm @ Toronto Board of Trade (1st Cdn Place @ King & Bay)
The Toronto Vintners Club is hosting “A rare opportunity to taste 8 wines from Ch Leoville-Barton (1988 – 2002) from vintages rated good to excellent. Leoville-Barton is a “super 2nd” growth estate. Tasting has been opened up to the general public.” Cost is $80/non-member or $69/member.

Wednesday June 20: Energy Savings Group Wine, Whisky & All That Jazz
From 6pm @ Liberty Grand (25 British Columbia Rd, CNE Grounds)
“This cool combo of classic jazz, fine wines and rare whiskies is one of Toronto’s premier events. For those who are hip to collecting, there’s a fine wine auction with selections from some of the country’s best cellars. The evening features a lavish sit-down dinner in the Renaissance & Centennial Rooms followed by entertainment with Canadian chanteuse Holly Cole. ” Cost is $375/guest with proceeds going to Covenant House Toronto.

Thursday June 21: Summer Solstice Dinner
From 6:30pm @ The Boulevard Club (1491 Lakeshore Blvd. West)
Australian Wine Society “Once again we are celebrating this “Midsummer’s Day” at the Boulevard Club on Toronto’s waterfront. Our Cellarmaster has selected the wines and the Executive Chef has lined up a wonderful dinner. We meet at 6:30 outside on the deck overlooking Lake Ontario for bubbly and appetizers, then inside to the Solarium for a full four course dinner with wines. Wines will be matched with each course and a “sticky” with dessert to top off the evening. Last year we sold out very quickly, so book early.” Cost is $85/member or $95/non-member.

Note: If you wish to have your event listed at the Canadian Wine Guy site, use the contact page to drop me an email.