Very pale in color with a lovely varietal nose with grassy notes. On the mid pallet this is a bold lovely New Zealand style sauv blanc with grassy notes to match the nose along with some nice citrus flavors to round out the mouth. Medium in length, the crisp acidity lingers nicely. I would give this a solid 89-90. Lovely. Available by the case from Vinexx for $24 a bottle. Yumm
Dark in color with a nose of dark berries. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely nice dark berries to go along with the nose. This is a varietal fruit forward Shiraz with loads of dark berries. The wine is medium in length. I would give it an 88-99. Very nice. Available by the case from Vinexx for $89 a bottle.
Another one from my wine meetup group at Earl’s. Pale in color with a nose of minerality. On the mid pallet the wine is a lovely dry crisp wine with some nice citrus notes coming through along with minerality to match the nose. The wine is medium in length on the finish with some lovely mouth grip. It lingers pleasantly. Another lovely food friendly wine. Earl’s picked well. I would give this a solid 89. It’s sadly not available in the LCBO. My search shows its $12 at the winery in the US.
From winery’s web site:
Tasting Note: Fragrant mango, white peach and Asian pear notes swirl in the glass. A refined Pinot Gris with vanilla bean, green apple and minerality. The crisp citrus finish is clean and shows balanced acidity. Varietal blend: 100% Pinot Gris
Oak: 100% Stainless Steel Fining: Bentonite, PVPP Aging: 5 months
Pale in color with a mild nose of peach. On the mid pallet the wine displays some mild peach to match the nose along with some minerality. The wine is on the lighter side of medium in length. I would give it an 88 or so. It would a quite food friendly wine. The wine is $17 a bottle available from Vinexx.
Pale in color with a mild nose with some nice minerality coming through. On the mid pallet the wine displays mineralty as well as some citrus notes, lime and the like. On the medium length finish the wine displays some lovely mouth grip with the acidity from the citrus notes lingering nicely. This wine reminded me of a sauv blanc. I would give it an 88. Which for the price is a pretty good deal.
From the LCBO:
DOMAINE DE PELLEHAUT BLANC, VDP COTES DE GASCOGNE LCBO 319665 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 13.25
Made in: Southwest, France By: Maison Sichel
11.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Light & Crisp Sugar Content: 5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Tasting Note
Pale lemon-green; intense aromas and flavours of white flowers, peach and gooseberry with a light grassy note; aromatic and flavourful with a zesty, mouth-watering finish.
From the winery:
TASTING:
A pale yellow color, limpid and brilliant, a nose of yellow fruit: apricot, peach who reveal their mouth under the tastiest and most demanding aspects. The sweetness of this wine will make the perfect companion for appetizers, entrees and desserts.
GUARD:
Wine to drink within 2-3 years after the vintage.
SERVE:
Serve 10 to 12 ° C as an aperitif, with foie gras and fish sauce.
GRAPES:
A base 80% Gros Manseng accompanied Chardonnay and local varieties
VINTAGES AVAILABLE:
2013
RECOMMENDED PURCHASE PRICE:
6-8 €
PROFESSIONAL OPINION:
Wine Guide – Official Selection winemakers of France
This wine has a golden color with green highlights. Nose, meanwhile, shows expressive, evoking exotic fruits, including pineapple and lime. Mouthing, while flexibility is based on a vivacious zest and clementine citrus. Freshness and roundness are waiting for you. Nice balance.
Wines and wine-Thierry Perardelle journalist, sommelier
Appreciated terrace with some appetizing delicacies, this wine not too sweet nor too generous arises well on the register of sweetness, fades aromas of exotic fruits and citrus.
A Côtes de Gascogne soft balanced, nice and price alléchant.A enjoy an aperitif on the sweet and sour shrimp, exotic dishes, foie gras, blond desserts (peaches, pears, apricot, pineapple …).
Another one from my meetup group at Earls. Dark in color with a nose of red berries and cherries. On the mid pallet the wine matches the nose with some red berries coming through. On the medium length finish the wine displays some lovely super dry pucker power with red berries living on in the mouth along with some oak noticeable. I would give it an 89-90. Quite nice.
From the LCBO web site:
FREEMARK ABBEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 VINTAGES 904532 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 39.95
Made in: California, USA By: Freemark Abbey Winery
14.4% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Firm Sugar Content: 7 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Darker in color than the usual pinot with an earthy nose even some mint coming through. On the mid pallet the wine has some soft red berries coming through hit quickly by some firm tannins and acidity. The wine is medium in length on the finish and the acidity along with some rustic notes linger in the mouth and even build nicely. The fruit on this one is a bit on the milder side but it has some nice complexity. I would give it an 88 or so. $21.45 at the winery.
From the LCBO web site:
THE GOOD EARTH CABERNET FRANC 2011 VINTAGES 350751 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 21.95
Made in: Ontario, Canada By: The Good Earth Vineyard And Winery
Release Date: Aug 17, 2013
12.4% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity Sugar Content: 4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry
Tasting Note
A pretty good effort here from the 2011 vintage in Niagara with classic red fruits, herbs, cedar, leather, sweet cherry pie and spice notes on the nose. The ripe and savoury red fruits on the palate are joined by sage and other dried herbs and is delivered along a racy spine of acidity. Great food wine for spicy dishes and game meat. Score – 88. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, June 4 , 2013)
Pale in color with a very mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine is very mild at first and then starts to build displaying some lovely lime and citrus notes. The finish on the wine is on the medium length. This isn’t a bad Sauv Blanc but nothing amazing either. I would give it an 88-89. Not in the LCBO but available at the winery in the US for $12.
from the Winery’s web site:
Tasting Note: Bright aromatics of lime, jasmine bloosom and cantaloupe. A refreshing palate of grapefruit, passion fruit and limeade. Hints of citrus linger on the finish with balanced acidity. Varietal blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Alcohol: 13.1% Vineyards: Willard, Oasis,and Sagemoor Oak: 100% Stainless Steel Fining: Bentonite Aging: 2 months
Back in 2011 I bought this at the winery. It is one of only two Niagara wineries growing Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is an Italian grape used to make Barolo, and Barbaresco’s. Ridgepoint being the other. in 2012 we were at the winery and they told us that they had run into financial difficulty and had to sell off their Nebbiolo for cash flow. I hear now Alvento is out of business. The web site is still up but the phone rings and rings. Sad. A truly unique experience lost. Slightly garnet in color with a mild nose of red berries and some oak. On the mid pallet this wine displays some almost dried berry notes, and red berries. This wine lives in the finish as all good Nebbiolos do. Bam there it is some super dry pucker power backed by some nice acidity. This is a big wine, with lots of mouth grip on a long finish. The complexity is lovely and smack on varietal. I would give it a solid 90. I paid $34.90 for it and it was worth it to have a unique part of Niagara’s heritage. I’m sad to see them go 🙁
Dark in color with a lovely nose of red berries and jammie notes, more towards strawberries. On the mid pallet the wine is fairly subdued with some light red berries coming through overwhelmed almost immediately by form acidity, big tannins and pepper. This wine definitely lives in the long finish. Leaving behind some nice dryness, some lovely complexity and noticeable oak. For me this wine is way too young. Either age it or let it breath. As it did breath even in the half an hour I had the glass it was starting to open up to allow some of the fruit to shine though. For now I would consider it an edgy wine. I’d give it an 89 or so due to the lovely complexity and dryness. Make sure you have this with something hearty or you won’t be tasting the food. Sadly not in the LCBO. $17 in the US at the winery.
From the winery’s web site:
Winemaking: The third cool growing season in a row for our vineyards included a lower yield and delayed ripening. We harvested the grapes over the last week of September, before the rain. The resulting fruit retained well developed
flavor, outstanding balance and deep quality of fruit. During fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, the cellar crew performed daily pumpovers—extracting color and flavor from the skins. The wine was aged in American oak barrels for 12 months. A touch of Petite Sirah (10%) adds layers of color, structure, and tannin to our Zinfandel. Tasting Notes: Our Mother Clone is a classic Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. Aromas of raspberry and allspice lead to Bing cherry and strawberry flavors framed by subtle black pepper spice. Well integrated flavors with well balanced
acidity and warm toasty oak are a hallmark of our style. 14.8% Alcohol
Pale in color with a lovely nose of vanilla and some minerality. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely vanilla notes to match the nose along wine some nice crisp minerality. This is a lovely well made smooth chard. The minerality makes it even more of a food friendly wine. We paired it with seafood fettuccine alfredo and it went well. I would give it an 89+. Sadly hardly any left anywhere in Ontario.
From the LCBO web site:
WILLIAM HILL CHARDONNAY 2011 VINTAGES 988840 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 27.95
Made in: California, USA By: William Hill Estate Winery
13.6% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich Sugar Content: 8 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Pale color with a mild nose with some traditional chard notes coming through. On the mid pallet the wine displays some mild pear notes along with some butterscotch coming through. On the medium length finish the wine displays some acidity and the chard fruit lingers nicely. This is a nice chard. I would give it an 88-89 or so, but given the price this one IMHO is not worth the money.
From the LCBO web site:
MER SOLEIL RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2011 VINTAGES 958975 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 34.95
Made in: California, USA By: Charlie Wagner
Release Date: Mar 15, 2014
14.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich Sugar Content: 12 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry
Tasting Note
Rich style of Chard from the Santa Lucia Highlands sporting coconut cream pie, banana and ripe pear. Nice use of oak here, while impressively bright acidity brings balance. A tasty choice for lobster tail or turkey pot pie. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2013)
Another one from my meetup group at Earls. Dark in color with cherries (from the cab) and plums (from the Merlot) coming through. On the mid pallet the cab is dominant with cherries coming through. There’s also a hint of strawberries coming through from the Zinf. On the medium length finish the wine displays some noticeable mint notes along with some acidity and some nice dryness. I would give it an 88-89. Not in the LCBO but $19.95 at the BC liquor store 🙂
From the BC liquor Store’s web site: The 2011 vintage uses varietals (Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) aged separately before contributing to the blend, aging in oak barrels. Bright and red plums find a nice dark chocolate finish with some cinnamon, black pepper and anise. The wine is dry in style, medium bodied, and has ripe tannins. Enjoy this fruit forward wine alone or with grilled steak.
Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the first thing that hits me is woody notes, oak or cedar. The fruit on this wine is quite subdued. We paired it with lasagna and frankly it overwhelmed the wine. On the medium length finish the wine displayed mild tannins and some dryness. This is lighter tempranillo. I would give it an 88 or so. Be careful what you pair it with or you won’t be tasting it at all.
From the LCBO web site:
LACRIMUS CRIANZA 2009 VINTAGES 359968 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 18.95
Made in: Rioja, Spain By: Rodriguez Sanzo
Release Date: Mar 15, 2014
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity
Sugar Content: 7 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Tasting Note
Aniseed and raspberry nose on a rustic style with a chewy, savoury, meaty palate with herbal notes, liquorice, strawberries and morello cherries. Characterful. Score – 5 Stars (out of 5 (Gold Medal)). (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2012).
I tasted this one as part of my wine meetup group at Earls in Mississauga. Very pale in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely mild peach notes. Subtle at first but it builds very nicely in the mouth. The wine has some almost “thickness” to it from a texture point of view. On the medium length finish the wine has some nice tartnes as well as acidity that linger nicely in the mouth. This is a very food friendly wine and an absoloute bargain for the price. I would give it an 88-89. Yumm.
From the LCBO web site:
MIRASSOU PINOT GRIGIO LCBO 274480 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 13.95
Made in: California, USA By: Mirassou Vineyards
13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Light & Crisp
From the Winery’s web site (not for the year I tasted):
Our 2011 Mirassou California Pinot Grigio reveals intense aromas and flavors of white peach, baked apples, and juicy pear with notes of citrus. The sweetness of the bright fruit flavors balances nicely with the crisp acidity. This versatile wine pairs beautifully with spicy dishes as well as grilled poultry or seafood.
The grapes for our 2011 Pinot Grigio were selected from vineyards along the Russian River Valley with a portion from the Lodi Delta. Both regions have characteristically cool evenings and mornings, which allowed the grapes to retain their great natural acidity. The 2011 growing season began late because of an unusually cool and wet spring, contributing to this wine’s excellent, crisp acidity.
Dark in color with a nice nose of black berries. On the mid pallet the wine displays some nice blueberries to match the nose backed almost immediately by firm acidity, tannins and pepper. This wine is way too young. It got better as it breathed and the fruit was far more enjoyable. If you buy this now be sure and decant it. For now I would give it an 88-89 I bet even a year would make a huge difference. Not available at the LCBO but it is locally carried by Lifford for $16.95 a bottle in cases of 12.
Ever wondered what the LCBO do at the end of a vintages listing with the one or two bottles that have been hanging around? Well they sell them through their web site in what they call “Bin Ends”. You buy them online and then they ship them to your local LCBO for you to pickup. Very handy. And you can get some bargains. This one was worth $60 and I picked it up for $45. I had previously tasted it at The Society for American Wines annual cab event. California cabs are by far one of my favorite wines! I cracked this one as part of New Years Eve celebration and paired it with a rack of lamb. It went exquisitely!
Dark in color with rich nose of cherries that invites you in! The mid palle matches the nose with deep rich cherries and jammy notes. It’s got some lovely dryness on the medium length finish along with some supple tannins. This is a lovely wine. I would give it a solid 91. Yummy. I still have one more of these! Yay!
From the LCBO web site (from when I bought it. Keeping detailed records of what’s in your cellar is paramount to proper cellar management!):
CHAPPELLET SIGNATURE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 VINTAGES 704254 | 750 mL n/a Price: $ 45.00 reg $60 N/A, , 14.5% Alcohol/Vol. Release Date: Jan 28, 2009 Tasting Note Young, deep, direct and promising, this cassis-scented bottling offers aromas that are still in the nascent phase of development. Not surprisingly, the wine is tight and tannic on the palate, but it is also well-focused and awaits some patient cellaring to open up and reveal its full, layered personality. Three or four years of patient cellaring would seem to be a minimum with a decade not being that much out of order. Score – 90. (Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wines, Aug. 2008) BOUGHT 2/14/2009 BIN ENDS SALE
Here’s the LCBO listing (for a different year)
CHAPPELLET SIGNATURE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 VINTAGES 704254 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 68.95
Made in: California, USA By: Chappellet Vineyard
Release Date: Feb 2, 2013 14.9% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content: 4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Tasting Note
Another terrific Signature Cabernet from Chappellet. This has primary blackberry and cherry-jam flavors, with an additional note of toasty oak. The tannins and acids are excellent, lending structure to the richness. The result is a wonderfully-complex Napa Cabernet that should develop over the next six years. Score – 93. (Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, July 2012)
Pale to golden in color with a mild nose with some vanilla coming through. On the mid pallet this is a lovely varietal California style chard with vanilla and some citrus coming through. The wine has a slightly creamy mouth feel to to. On the medium length finish the vanilla lives on nicely. This is a smooth well made chard. We paired it with sea scallops and it went well. This is by no means a big chard, more of a subtle one. I would give it an 88-89, but at $28.95 this is no bargain. For half the price I think I would go with the Sterling Vintner’s chard.
From the LCBO web site:
LA CREMA CHARDONNAY 2012 VINTAGES 962886 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 28.95
Made in: California, USA By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Dec 7, 2013
13.9% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Sugar Content: 3 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Description
The Sonoma Coast region has become recognized as one of the premiere appellations for Chardonnay. Cooling ocean breezes and morning fogs provide the conditions necessary for the development of ripe grapes while maintaining bright acidity. This classically styled Californian Chardonnay consistently delivers notes of toast, citrus and ripe fruits with a crisp acidity. A perfect match for roasted chicken or pork with a creamy lemon sauce.
I enjoy Okanagan wines so when I saw this one at Harper’s Landing as part of my Wine Meetup group. Dark in color with a mild nose. There is no hint whatsoever of what’s to come. On the mid pallet the wine displays some mild red berry fruits and some some cab franc noted backed quickly by big bold firm tannins, strong peppery notes and some acidity. The wine has a long finish that lives on in the mouth for quite a bit with some nice dryness and complexity. This is a typical Okanagan wine. A little more ageing might give you more of a chance to enjoy the fruit as the tannins die down. I would give this wine a solid 90. Make sure you are pairing it with something hearty or not a chance your tasting anything other than the wine. Yummmmmmmm. The wine is not available at the LCBO but is $50 at the winery.
From the winery’s web site:
2009 Quatrain
A Quatrain is a poem or stanza that is always composed of four lines. QUATRAIN is a similarly composed of four grape varieties:
Merlot 35%, Syrah 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Cabernet Franc 15%, all in perfect harmony.
The grapes were selected from the best blocks within our estates in Osoyoos and Oliver. They were hand harvested, hand sorted, and gravity filled in small lots to French oak fermenters. After extended maceration, the free run wine and a portion of lightly basket pressed wine was aged separately in a selection of 100% French oak barrels for 15 months.
The 2009 Quatrain is full bodied, yet soft and approachable with fine tannins and a round, fruit forward palate. Merlot and Syrah blend seamlessly and are from the finest parcels along the Black Sage and Osoyoos benches. Notes of plum, dark cherry, blueberries and pepper fill the glass, along with subtle hints of licorice, clove, tobacco and vanilla. This well-structured wine displays fine tannins and bright acidity to frame its exotic spice and ripe fruit notes.
Winemakers Notes
2009 Quatrain
35% Merlot, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc.
Hand harvested from Oliver & Osoyoos vineyards in October 2009
Fermentation & extended maceration in small French Oak Fermenters
Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months Alcohol: 13.5% | Dry
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/l
Bottled on September 29, 2011
This is another one from the stunning Paradiso Burlington winemakers dinner. Pale in color with a nice crisp nose. On the mid pallet the wine is a nice dry riesling. Nice and crisp. Some traditional honeysuckle as well as some green apple notes. The wine is on the medium in length on the finish. This is a very food friendly riesling. I would give it an 88-89. Quite nice, especially for the price $15.95. I like my rielsings dry and crisp, just like this one. they paired it with Confit Chicken Thigh with Aged Goat cheese and Duck Fat Fried Gnocchi which was delicous and paired really well. I never would have thought of putting the goat cheese on the chicken thigh but it really did work!
From the winery’s web site: Tasting Notes
Sourced from our younger block of Riesling, this wine displays delicate notes of citrus and green apple well balanced by crisp acidity.
From the LCBO web site:
GREENLANE ESTATE RIESLING 2011 VINTAGES 327247 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 12.75
CLEARANCE SALE Was: $ 15.95 Now: $ 12.75 Save: $ 3.20
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Greenlane Estate Winery
Release Date: Apr 13, 2013
10.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Aromatic & Flavourful Sugar Content: 20 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: M – Medium
Tasting Note
Lime cordial, apple, pear and peach aromas are all confidently on display, supported by a commanding beach-sand minerality. This no wilting flower, this exudes self assurance. Juicy, sweet-and-tangy lime shows the way for this complex, crisp Riesling. Very satisfying length to the mouth-watering finish. Perfect for fresh water fish, or grilled prawns with garlic. (VINTAGES panel, Feb. 2013)
This isn’t exactly a wine post but I thought I would share anyway. For those of you subscribed on my tech blog I apologize this is a cross post. Given the topic of wine I thought I would share 🙂
Everyone knows drinking and driving is a problem. So keeping an eye on your blood alcohol level is very important. In this post I am going to cover two methods. Neither is perfect. Neither is legal. Both of which can be used as tools. First off Alcodroid is an Android app. The way it works is you enter every time you take a drink. It’s flexible in that it allows you define whatever you want in terms of a drink as presets. This then calculates a blood alcohol level based on an algorithm. It takes into account your sex and weight. The program assumes you drink the whole thing the moment you enter it and then the blood alcohol level comes down from there. Of course this isn’t the way your body works but it is about the only way to do it. The program also keeps a running toll of what you have drank. It also can display statistics such as average number of drinks, number of dry (no alcohol) days and many other stats. The program is VERY well done. It also works fine under BB10 and fairly well even on the odd size screen of the Q10. How accurate the program is at tracking your blood alcohol level I can’t say, and remember this is not legally admissible.
The second device is a keychain sized blood alcohol meter called BAC Track. This device is handy in how small and portable it is. In the instructions it says clearly that you need to wait 20 minutes after eating or drinking anything before using it. I have found this to be VERY true. The number you get otherwise is just not reasonable. If you do, interestingly enough I find both these methods actually come up with VERY similar numbers! Wow.
I tasted this one at the Toronto Vintner’s Club. I had never heard of the grape before so had to look it up. Turns out it’s an Italian varietal. Pale in color with a slight green hinge. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely minerality along with citrus/lime notes. The wine is medium in length on the finish with some nice acidity lingering. It has some nice mouth grip. It is very Sauv blanc like for me. I bet it’s very food friendly. I would give it an 88-89. It’s $19.95 on consignment from B&W wines.
From B&W’s web site:
Tasting notes:
A pale green straw in colour, the Yalumba Y Series Vermentino 2011 has prominent aromas of jasmine and white nectarine, complemented by lashes of cumquat and sandalwood. The palate is fleshy and almost salty with grapefruit acidity and a textured finish, making this a very refreshing wine. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
90 points, James Halliday (Australian Wine Companion)
“Pale quartz; has a fragrant and flowery bouquet leading into a deliciously fresh lemon sherbet/lemon zest plate, and a bright finish. An amazing achievement to keep the yields under control in ’11.”
Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some light red berries. The wine is on the lighter side of medium in finish with some tannins. This is definitely a milder Chianti. I would give it an 88 or so.
From the CLBO web site:
VALIANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2008 VINTAGES 354019 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 17.00
Made in: Tuscany, Italy By: Tenute Piccini
Release Date: Jan 4, 2014
13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity Sugar Content: 5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Description
The 2012 Gambero Rosso guide awarded this wine 2 Glasses (out of 3), denoting a rating of Very Good to Excellent.
Tasting Note
Full-bodied Chianti Classico, with lots of ripe fruit and a milk chocolate and dark cherry character. Full and velvety. Drink now. Score – 90. (James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Aug. 17, 2011)
Dark in color with a nose of black berries. On the mid pallet this wine is dominated by alcohol and green notes. Some coco, some herbaceous notes, even some mint. The green notes linger in the medium length finish. This is an ok wine but not really to my tastes. I would give it an 88 or so. And really, if I had more, I’d return them.
From the LCBO web site:
CHÂTEAU HAUT BEYZAC CUVÉE O’PEYRAT 2009 VINTAGES 362020 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 22.95
Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Chateaux Et Cie
Release Date: Jan 4, 2014
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Firm Sugar Content: 4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Description
Gold Medal winner at the 2011 Concours de Bordeaux Vins d’Aquitaine.
Tasting Note
Wow. The 2009 vintage strikes again! Big, eye-opening Bordeaux with tons of dark fruit embroidered by cocoa powder and balsamic notes. Plenty of weight here, with big warm fruit draped over big structured tannins. Some red Bordeaux has you turning to E for ‘elegant’ in your thesaurus – this one will send you to P for ‘powerhouse’. Drink till 2020, particularly with steak and mushrooms in a red wine jus. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2013)
I’ve reviewed this one a couple times now, the last was the 2010. I find these wines can vary year to year so it’s worth doing it for different vintages. Pale to golden in color with a lovely varietal California albeit milder nose with some vanilla coming through. On the mid pallet the wine matches the nose with vanilla and some citrus notes. The wine lingers nicely in the mouth with a medium length finish. It is a smooth well made, not over baked, California style Chard! Yumm. I would give it a 89. We paired it with a seafood quiche and it went well!
From the LCBO web site:
KENDALL-JACKSON VINTNER’S RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2012 VINTAGES 369686 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 19.95
Made in: California, USA By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Oct 12, 2013
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich Sugar Content: 8 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry
Tasting Note
Rich notes of buttered toast, cantaloupe, mango, and banana cream pie. Creamy and round in the mouth, with plenty of sunny fruit tempered by impressive brightness and nicely restrained oak accents. A good choice for turkey burgers or crab cakes. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2013)
