Author Archives: John Galea

2009 Casa-Dea Pinot Noir

Posted on October 27, 2011 by John Galea

I was thrilled to see Prince Edward County Wines at the recent Sip and Savor event. I did a week long trip to the county and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I would go back in a heart beat! The whites tend … Continue reading →

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2010 Lindemans Bin 95 Sauv Blanc

Posted on October 25, 2011 by John Galea

Pale in color, with lots of citrus and lemon the nose. On the mid pallet are some lovely citrus, lemon and a hint of zest. The finish is medium in length and builds nicely as you sip. A very food … Continue reading →

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2009 Blackstone Winemakers select Chardonnay

Posted on October 22, 2011 by John Galea

Pale in color with a mild chard varietal nose. Nothing immediately jumping out at me. On the mid pallet the wine on first drinking is a very mild chard. Some nice vanilla, some oak, some caramel. The mildness of these … Continue reading →

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2010 Jackson Triggs Black Series Sauv Blanc

Posted on October 20, 2011 by John Galea

I enjoy Sauv Blancs. I find them very food friendly. There are lots of good ones for VERY reasonable money. Some good ones from New Zealand are smooth and elegant, some inexpensive ones from Chile are edgy and bold. With … Continue reading →

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2009 Wildass Stratus Riesling

Posted on October 18, 2011 by John Galea

This wine comes from the Niagara on the lake region. Pale in color, on the nose is some minerality consistent with wines from this region. On the mid pallet are some apple juice flavors, slightly sweet but not too much. … Continue reading →

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LUIGI BOSCA SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2008

Posted on October 16, 2011 by John Galea

I’ve had the Luigi Bosca Malbec for a number of years and it has been consistently good, and a good deal to boot. This one is dark inky in color, with lovely dark, rich berries on the nose. On the … Continue reading →

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2009 CHATEAU PEY LA TOUR

Posted on October 12, 2011 by John Galea

Another from the iYellow Bordeaux after work party. My least favorite of the evening. Dark in color with red berries on the nose. A blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot. On the mid pallet are red and dark berries with … Continue reading →

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2009 CALVET SAINT-EMILION

Posted on October 6, 2011 by John Galea

This is another wine from the iYellow Bordeaux after work party. It was my second favorite of the night. Dark in color with nice red berries coming through on the nose. On the mid pallet the wine has some nice … Continue reading →

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CHÂTEAU FERRAN BLANC 2007

Posted on October 4, 2011 by John Galea

This was the only white from the iYellow Bordeaux after work party. This wine is a Sauv blanc. As usual the French do a great job of controlling the laws but a terrible job of labeling wines that the average … Continue reading →

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CHÂTEAU DE PANIGON 2005

Posted on October 2, 2011 by John Galea

I tasted this wine at the iYellow Bordeaux after work party. They held the event at Eight Wine Bar. I’ve been a couple of times before and enjoyed it. They had 5 wines for the tasting. For me, a good … Continue reading →

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Cellaring Zinfandels

Posted on September 29, 2011 by John Galea

Managing a wine cellar takes some learning. The first thing to do when starting to setup a cellar is figuring out how you are going to capture the data. Capturing data at the time of purchase will save you a … Continue reading →

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ALDERBROOK OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2002 Dry Creek Valley

Posted on September 25, 2011 by John Galea

I’ve had this one in the cellar since 2008 so figured it was time to give it a try. On the nose are some nice dark berries and a hint of alcohol. On the mid pallet are some lovely dark … Continue reading →

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2006 Kacaba Meritage

Posted on September 23, 2011 by John Galea

This was the third of the wines I tasted on my visit to the winery. Dark in color with lots of dark fruits on the nose. On the mid pallet are some nice dark fruit rich flavors. The cab sauv … Continue reading →

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LCBO Blogger contest

Posted on September 21, 2011 by John Galea

As you may have heard the LCBO are running a blogger contest. I’ve submitted one of my write ups from my trip to Prince Edward county. Stop on by and vote for me if you feel so inclined! My trip … Continue reading →

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Kacaba 2008 Cab Franc

Posted on September 21, 2011 by John Galea

Cab Franc for me is a signature grape for Niagara. They can do it very well. They can also do it very badly. Cab Franc in France is more often than not heavily blended. In Niagara as well as other … Continue reading →

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2008 Kacaba Pinot Noir

Posted on September 19, 2011 by John Galea

I first tasted the Kacaba wines at a tasting event at the Brickworks and was impressed. I was down in Niagara this past weekend doing some mountain biking in Short Hills Provincial park so I made a point of stopping … Continue reading →

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SANTA BRIGIDA COLLI DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE 2001

Posted on August 16, 2011 by John Galea

In the continuing quest to insure I don’t let another bottle sit too long in the cellar and waste it I cracked this one. I’ve had it since 2007. The wine is dark in color with a lovely nose of … Continue reading →

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CLOS DE LOS SIETE 2005

Posted on July 28, 2011 by John Galea

I’ve had this one in the cellar for the last 4 years and decided it was time to give it a whirl. The wine is dark inky in color. Mild black berries come through on the nose. On the mid … Continue reading →

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2003 30 Bench Cab Franc

Posted on July 24, 2011 by John Galea

Managing a wine cellar means keeping an eye on the expected life of the wine to insure that you don’t keep it so long as to be past it’s prime. I brought out a 2002 Peter Lehman and discovered to … Continue reading →

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NAPA CREEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009

Posted on July 5, 2011 by John Galea

When I hear Napa Cab my taste buds get started. Yum. This one is dark in color with a slightly sweet nose with some cherries and dark fruits coming through. On the mid pallet the wine starts out with varietal … Continue reading →

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2009 Vineland Estates Chardonnay Musque

Posted on June 27, 2011 by John Galea

This wine came to us from the Vineland wine of the month club. The wine is pale in color with a nose of candied fruits. On the mid pallet the wine is sweet with some apricots and honeysuckle coming through. … Continue reading →

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PETER LEHMANN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2002

Posted on June 22, 2011 by John Galea

I’ve had this one in the cellar for quite a while and opened it with great expectation. On the nose the wine displays some varietal cherries on the nose but quite mild. The wine is dark in color with no … Continue reading →

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Kacaba 2008 Meritage mini review

Posted on June 4, 2011 by John Galea

I tasted this one at the Salut wine festival at the Brickworks. Dark in color with lots of black berries coming through on the nose. On the mid pallet are some lovely blakc berries to match the nose along with … Continue reading →

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2007 Hidden Bench Chard

Posted on May 28, 2011 by John Galea

I previously review my visit to the winery and was impressed. When I was over in the LCBO I saw this one and grabbed it. To be honest I thought at the time I was grabbing the one I tasted. … Continue reading →

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DEVIL’S LAIR FIFTH LEG SEMILLON SAUV BLANC

Posted on May 27, 2011 by John Galea

Fifth Leg recently had a launch party here in Toronto so I stopped by. This wine is pale in color with a grassy nose. Surprisingly the Semillon was unnoticeable in the bouquet. On the mid pallet the wine is smack … Continue reading →

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