Author Archives: John Galea

ARGENTO MALBEC

When you need an inexpensive quaffing wine to go with dinner there are lots of choose from, not all of them great. This wine is quite dark in color mild on the nose for a Malbec. On the mid pallet … Continue reading

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STONELEIGH MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR

This is another wine from the from the New Zealand Wine fair. I’ve had a couple of the Stoneleigh’s before and enjoy them their chard and their Sauv Blanc . This one is pale in color, mild on the nose. … Continue reading

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STONELEIGH CHARDONNAY

Another wine from the New Zealand Wine fair. I’ve had a number the Sauv Blanc before and enjoyed it. This chard is darker in color and is mild on the nose. The bouquet is smack on varietal chard albeit a … Continue reading

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Gumfields 2007 Pinot Noir

I was at the New Zealand Wine fair last night. I was amazed how many kiwi’s (that what New Zealanders refer to themselves as) there were serving wine at the event!. New Zealand in case you don’t know specializes in … Continue reading

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FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2009

Generally speaking I do a fair bit of research before I buy a wine. There’s a lot of plunk out there and only so much money! I decided to take a flyer and try this one with no information. The … Continue reading

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CHÂTEAU DES CHABERTS CUVÉE PRESTIGE 2007

Another one from the Churchill Cellars portfolio tasting. The wine is dark in color mild on the nose. In the mid pallet the wine has some of the varietal Provence sweet red berry flavors but not over the top. Some … Continue reading

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CHATEAU DE GOURGAZAUD AC MINERVOIS

Another one from the Churchhill wine cellars annual tasting event. This wine is dark in color mild on the nose. On the mid pallet are some very nice dark fruits cherries/blueberries and the like. The wine is medium in finish … Continue reading

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WENTE MORNING FOG CHARDONNAY

Another one from the Churchill wine cellars annual portfolio tasting. One of the things that I like about this event is they do a great job of documenting the wine you are tasting. They tell you the price, the LCBO … Continue reading

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VIU MANENT RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007

I tasted this one at the Churchhill wine cellars annual portfolio tasting event. The wine is dark in color, with a definitely varietal cab on the nose. There is a hint of smoke and wood on the nose as well. … Continue reading

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MITOLO JESTER SHIRAZ 2008

Our guests Jim and Katherine brought this wine over for dinner and it made a brief appearance in our glasses 🙂 The wine is dark in color with a mild nose to it. On the mid pallet the wine is … Continue reading

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ROBERTSON WINERY SAUVIGNON BLANC

Last night I attended the Church Hill cellars annual portfolio tasting. The event carried a lot of reasonable wines. I enjoyed a number of them. I will be blogging about a number of them over the coming weeks. A number … Continue reading

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Smoking Loon 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

I was at my sister’s 50th birthday party last night (Happy Birthday Sis!) and one of the guests brought this one by. It is mild on the nose, deep in color. On the mid pallet are some lovely deep and … Continue reading

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2006 Tin Roof Merlot

We stopped on by The Old Mill Inn and Spa here in Toronto last night. I love the ambiance of this place. It just feels wonderful. Lamb was on my radar so the 2006 Tin Roof Merlot looked like a … Continue reading

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SEBASTIANI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

This one came on my radar as one of the 90 under 20 release. My local product consultant Adil raved about it so I gave it a try. The wine needs some breathing and is a bit on the young … Continue reading

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CASA LAPOSTOLLE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009

This wine is quite pale in color, grassy on the nose. On the mid pallet are some green pineapple with lots of zest going on. I might even get some grapefruit. On the finish the wine is on the medium … Continue reading

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DELAS FRÈRES LES LAUNES CROZES-HERMITAGE 2007

This wine presented me with some challenges for how to write it up. The initial thought was to put yuk and leave it at that. Then the thought crossed my mind, that perhaps, that might not be helpful. So I … Continue reading

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GHOST PINES WINEMAKER’S BLEND CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

I love cabs. They are one of my favs and California make some of my favs. This one is dark in color with some lovely dark fruits coming through. On the mid pallet are some flavors to match the nose. … Continue reading

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LAMMERSHOEK CHENIN BLANC 2008

I’ve enjoyed this wine in the past so I gave it a try again. The wine is pale in color with a nice semi sweet smell of honey on the nose. On the mid pallet are lovely semi sweet tastes … Continue reading

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FRESCOBALDI CHIANTI

Ah Thursdays at the Keg. Sarah took care of us this week and she enjoys reds and likes this one. I decided I would give this one a try. The wine is dark in color mild on the nose with … Continue reading

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ZUCCARDI Q TEMPRANILLO 2006

This wine is quite dark in color, mild on the nose. Nothing particularly distinctive jumping out at me. On the mid pallet are some tobacco, so deep dark berry flavors, and the like. On the finish the wine has some … Continue reading

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ALAMOS MALBEC 2008

I’ve had this one for a number of years and it is consistently good. The wine is dark in color mild on the nose with some oak and some dark berry smells. On the mid pallet are some well balanced … Continue reading

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Santa Julia Reserva Chardonnay 2008

A while back I did a write up on a number of Chilean Sauv Blancs that I tasted at the Chilean wine event. At the event I tasted a number of Chards but did not find too many I enjoyed. … Continue reading

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GEMTREE VINEYARDS TADPOLE SHIRAZ 2008

Sometimes you need to go off the reservation and choose a wine from some rater you’ve never heard of before. That was my though when I grabbed this one. What the heck. The wine is deep in color with a … Continue reading

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GIORDANO VESPERO 2005

Ratings are a subjective thing. There are raters that I find I align with very well, and raters whose tastes are very different than mine. The key is finding the difference. Gord Stimmel and I taste VERY differently. That’s just … Continue reading

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Castillo de Almansa Tempranillo

Tried this one at the Keg last night. The wine is quite deep in color mild on the nose with the typical black fruits coming through and a hint of oak. On the mid pallet are some very nice fruits … Continue reading

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