Ingredients:
1.5L Red wine
1 to 1.5 cups rum (dark is my favorite)
0.5 cup white sugar
2 to 3 pieces of fruit, sliced into small slices (lemons,limes,oranges are best)
1 to 1.5 cups orange juice

Preparation:
Pretty darn easy: get a large jug, think capacity of minimum 2L but I’d do 3L, pour in the sugar, cut up the fruit and squeeze the juice a bit out of them and throw into the jug, pour in rum, pour in wine, pour in orange juice, mix well, refrigerate for 2 hours.

Voila!

The deep purple colour and strong cherry nose I noticed as I decanted this automatically got me worried that this red was simply going to be too young. Being a 2006 vintage that is not hard to imagine as well crafted Zinfandel’s can definitely be aged for years/decades. Once the sniffing began there was no doubt that black cherry was evident, what kinda of crept on us was a distinct chocolate scent that we were not expecting. With a couple good swirls of the glass and the mouth we dove into this wine. The wine is young, it’s bite is early and often but the flavours are outstanding. Despite the medium-large tannins we were getting a nice peppery spice, the obvious cherry and chocolate, but as well a hint of earthiness and something flowery (such an odd mix of aromas by this time I could not say what sort of flower…). I think with the tannins, the solid body/weight and very good fruit this wine is ideal for cellaring between 2 to 4 years, after that you will just get more of the same, but I’d buy a few, squirrel them away and be pleasantly surprised in a few years when you stumble on them. With a low price but a big feel I think you are hard priced to find a Zinfandel from California that give you the same “bang for the buck”, I am impressed with the wine-makers work here.

The subjective rating for this little gem is 89 out of 100 (I think we will snag two bottles and revisit this in 2011).

LCBO listing here.

Mrs CWG

I love chocolate covered cherries, so what is not to like about a wine with similar properties?

Edmeades 2006 Zinfandel

Immediately upon opening you will get hit with green apple on the nose. The initial sips bring out more apple, solid acids (hrmm) and a good amount of oak. As the wine warmed up (it may have been served just a tad too cold) it started to soften a tad and more fruit came out. Peach and apricot started to compliment the apple and tone down the oak. There was a slight bit of butter texture to the wine but overall the wine did not fulfill me the way I was hoping. I think it is even enough to drink now but in reality 1 or 2 more years might (stress might) smooth this out more. Tall in fruit with oak and some acidity, that sums this up pretty accurately. Would I stock my fridge with these? No, I simply did not enjoy this enough to make a regular table white, I think you can get better quality for similar money.

The “Subjective CWG Rating” for this wine is 83 out of 100.

Mrs CWG had nothing to add to this, for once strangely quiet!

2006 Flat Rock Chardonnay

The first thing we noticed upon decanting was a very candied nose, like preserves, rich in strawberry and raspberry. I do not remember my initial thoughts back from when we bought this but I was half expecting oak and earthiness (no idea why, just what I expected). As we got into the wine the raspberry jam stayed with us, but hints of oak, mint and cherry came out as well. Tannins were nice and even and overall the wine drank as if it was much more then the $16 or so we spent on it back in 2005. The LCBO has current the current vintage available for around that price, and I know there is a reserve offered as well so there is plenty of opportunity to get some of this wine in one vintage or another. Cellaring seems to have taken this from a decent wine to a very good, near great wine. I know that is shocking, but sometimes a wine can go down the right path with a few extra years to mature despite it’s bargain basement price. I think the good balance, excellent fruit and decent tannins make this a steal if you can find one.

Subjective rating of the Cab-Merlot is 89 out of 100.

Mrs CWG says

I wish we had bought a half dozen!

2003 Cave Springs Cabernet Merlot

After having enjoyed this wine I hold to the belief that you can lay down a good quality icewine for several years and you will be amply rewarded with a much different wine then what originally was bottled.