Canadian Wine Guy

Stopped by Penelope’s last night for a greek meal before TIFF. When in a Greek restaurant, drink Greek. So this time we chose this wine. It’s dark in the glass and mild on the nose. On the mid pallet there are some mild varietal cab fruit flavors with a finish on the lighter side of medium. Some tannins and Oak are present. Alcohol is well under control. This is not a bad wine at all and went well with the roast leg of lamb I had. I would give it an 87-88. Sorry not sure which year they served.

From the LCBO web site:
DOM HATZIMICHALIS CAB SAV
LCBO 538074 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 17.00 Wine, Red Wine, 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Made in: Attica, Greece By: Farma Atalantis Agr S.A.

Tasting Note
Ruby red colour; fruity cassis nose with berry fruit flavours; full bodied with ripe cassis flavours and good acidity with light tannins in the earthy finish.

Serving Suggestion
Souvlaki, gyros or roast beef

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With my usual preconceptions in mind I grabbed this Merlot. I am always on a quest to find that perfect Merlot that fits into my prefabbed mould. The color on this wine is reasonably dark. On the bouquet … there it is Merlot. Hmmm I’m getting excited! On the mid pallet Merlot, plums … on the finish there are definitely some Merlot flavors but they are really over powered by the 14.5% alcohol. After some breathing the alcohol dominance was dieing down, but sadly so was the distinctive Merlot flavors. This wine MIGHT be better in a year or so when the alcohol becomes more integrated but I’m not so sure. I would give this an 88-89. On day two of this being opened the yummy Merlot flavors are there and some of the alcohol is passing so that bodes well. Seems some more bottle aging is in order. Try again in a year or so … I think I will go back and grab some more.

From the LCBO web site:
BALLAST STONE MERLOT 2006 Currency Creek South Australia Ballast Stone is not a name chosen lightly. In the 1800s ships used ballast stones to keep them seaworthy. When they arrived in Australia the stones were off-loaded to make room for goods such as grain and wool. The Ballast Stone winery buildings were constructed with the stones left behind. Filled with plum blueberry and cherry aromas this dry flavourful full-bodied and ripe wine is an excellent choice for your cottage barbecue. 127555 $16.95
Featured 8/29/2009

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I’m on a roll with Sauv blancs. I quite like them. I find them very food friendly. They go quite well with creamy sauces and can cut through grease/fatty foods. With the rating this one got I ran out and got it. You should too … The wine is typical pale in color. With lots of grass, and nectarines on the nose. In the mouth the wine is smack on varietal. It’s lemony, grassy and quite nice. On the lighter side of medium on the finish. If I actually had to choose I would say the Stella Bella recently reviewed is better in that it is a longer wine. But why would one choose when you can have both! 89-90.

From the LCBO web site:
SEIFRIED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008 Nelson South Island Seifried Estates is the winery that initially brought the Nelson region to the attention of the wine world. Their Savvies continue to impress. TASTING NOTE: Pale straw color. Grassy aromas of overripe lemon apple and grapefruit custard follow through on a crisp entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with nectarine sauteed pepper onion skin and yellow pepper notes on the refreshing lively finish. Very nice. Score – 91. (Tasting panel www.tastings.com Jan. 22 2009) 957670 $17.95 Featured 8/29/2009

Lamia primitivo 2007 igt rosso cantina terravecchia puglia

Primitivo is the Italian name for the Zinfandel grape common in California. There is a style difference in that Zinfandel’s are field blends of many different grapes whereas Primitivo is not. This particular one is not available in the LCBO we had it at Terroni’s while having lunch. The wine is deep ruby in color. Bouquet is classic Primitivo/Zinfandel. On the mouth the wine is fairly typical strawberry but not overly jammy. On the finish this wine is slightly harsh (more so right out of the bottle). I would recommend decanting this one for 1/2 hour to an hour. It is a moderately fruit forward style with some tannins on the medium fininsh. 88-89 or so. Not a bad wine at all.

Rodney Strong are doing some wonderful things. My two favorite Merlots are the Rodney Strong and the Two Tone Merlots! Here we have their Zinf. Zinf’s as I have mentioned a couple of times in California are more often than not field blends. What this means is intermingled in the fields are a variety of different grapes. What this means is that season to season and vineyard to vineyard the Zinf’s can vary significantly. A lot of people only think of the Pink Zinf when they hear Zinfandel and that’s a shame because it means they have yet to experience a Red Zinf. This particular Zinf leans more towards the cab side. It is a lovely wine. Deep red in color with a nice bouquet. On the mid pallet there are some lovely fruit flavors going on with some jammyness and the petite syrah coming through. On the finish there are lots of well under control oak flavors leading to a wine on the higher side of a medium finish. This is a lovely wine. I would give this a 91 or so. I’ve had it since July of last year and it is aging well. I wish I had bought a case! The 2006 is in the LCBO now, I will have to give it a try! As you can see they have kicked the price up a bit …

From the LCBO web site for the 2005 vintage:
RODNEY STRONG KNOTTY VINES ZINFANDEL 2005 Sonoma County This wine won a Gold medal with a score of 95 from the judging panel at the California State Fair Wine Competition 2007. An elegant, well-structured Zin, it features ripe blackberry fruit balanced by a seam of acidity and gentle tannins with spicy white pepper and herb notes. 363358 (D) 750 mL $24.95
Featured 7/19/2008

From the LCBO web site for the 2006 vintage:
RODNEY STRONG KNOTTY VINES ZINFANDEL 2006 VINTAGES 363358 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 26.95 Wine, Red Wine, 14.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Rodney Strong Vineyards

Release Date: May 2, 2009

Description
Tony Aspler also gave this wine 4 stars (out of 5). (www.tonyaspler.com, Sept. 1, 2008)

Tasting Note
This is a delicious Zinfandel in a modern and food-friendly style, a style I can imagine fitting well into bistro cuisine. The fruit is forward and generous but restrained and complex, while the refreshing texture is soft with some tanginess. You can drink it with the predictable grilled red meats, but it also goes nicely with chicken or pork. Score – 4 Stars (out of 5). (Rod Phillips, Vines, Jan./Feb. 2009)

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A few weeks back we did a week long trip to Prince Edward County. While not strictly a wine trip we did hit a whole bunch of their wineries. I have written up our trip, the tastings and experiences we had during the week. The post would be a bit too long for here so if your interested feel free to stop on by my write up!

This wine is quite pale in color. The bouquet is spot on New Zealand style grassy sauv blanc. On the tastes the wine has lovely rich lemon/grassy flavors. You could close your eyes and believe you are drinking a Kim Crawford which for me is the benchmark. On the finish the wine is on the lighter side of medium with a bit of tartness but just a touch. All in all a very enjoyable wine. 95 seems REALLY generous but I would say a good solid 90. Very well done. We paired it with BBQ pork and it went well. I will be tripping back to grab some more for sure!

From the LCBO web site:

STELLA BELLA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008 Margaret River Western Australia TASTING NOTE: The winemaking team led by Janice McDonald know exactly how to extract the best from high-quality sauvignon grapes. It has a fragrant and flowery bouquet a lissom palate offering passionfruit kiwi fruit and redcurrant flavours has vibrancy and thrust with a long clean finish. Drink now with poached scallops Score – 95. (James Halliday www.winecompanion.com.au Top 100 2008) 108159 $19.95
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I enjoy Barbarescos. They are big wines with a lot of character. This one is no different. I have had it since January of this year and it is aging well. The wine is lighter in color not as light as a pinot noir but a similar color. Fairly mild on the nose you get mislead into thinking this is going to be a mild wine … On the mid pallet this is a big wine with lots going on at different levels. It’s a medium finish. Unlike some Italian wines that scream of dried grapes this one has a lovely flavor. I really enjoyed this wine and give it a 90-91. If you like your wines big and bold you will like this. We paired it with an Italian sausage and a mushroom risoto and it went well!

From the LCBO web site:
CASTELLO DI NEIVE BARBARESCO 2005 VINTAGES 674044 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 23.95 Wine, Red Wine, 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Piedmont, Italy
By: A.A.Cantine Del Castello Di Neive

Release Date: Jan 17, 2009

Tasting Note
The 2005 Barbaresco offers up an attractive array of rose petals, cherries and raspberries in a delicate, feminine expression of Nebbiolo. The tannins tend to slightly dominate the wine’s balance, but that is to be expected at this level. This is a lovely and very pure, elegant Barbaresco. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017. Score – 89. (Antonio Galloni, www.erobertparker.com, Oct. 2008)

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We sampled this one on our recent visit to Prince Edward County. I am working on a write up of all the wines and wineries we visited while we were there. At Lacey they were only tasting one because they had sold out of everything else. Most of the wineries in this area are quite small. The region is growing fast and there are a number of quite different terroirs in the area. Like a number of the wineries in the area this one is not available in the LCBO. The price is $20

Here’s a list of some of the wineries in the area

This particular wine is a very young, very fruit forward Baco. We tasted a number of the Bacos in the area and they are similar. Quite sweet. The color was a deep inky black. There was a slight dill smell off the wine. The wine has a very light finish. The alcohol is quite well integrated. As a whole it reminded my quite a lot of the deep fruit flavors that come from Welches grape juice. This wine might improve with aging but I doubt it. I would give this wine an 87 or so …

Stay tuned for more wines from “The County”.

I picked this one up just because it looked interesting/different. Something I had not had before. The description is quite accurate. I did get Apricot off the tastes just as the description below says. This is a very Reisling like wine of the Kabinett style. A lovely easy drinking wine. 91 is a bit generous but 89 easily.

From the LCBO Web site:
SCHMELZ FEDERSPIEL GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 VINTAGES 119578 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 20.95 Wine, White Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Austria, Austria
By: Weingut Famalie Schmelz
Release Date: Jul 4, 2009

Tasting Note
Pale green-yellow. Apricot and crushed green peppercorn along with a hint of lemon thyme on the nose. Taut and minerally in the mouth, with firm acid spine framing the apricot, yellow apple and subtle tobacco flavors and extending the finish. Quite appetizing. Drink now to 2013. Score – 91. (Peter Moser, International Wine Cellar, Nov./Dec. 2008)

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Once again it was time to crack into the cellar. I’ve had this one since June 2007. A while back I had the misfortune of trying a number of well aged Cab Sauv’s at the Society for American Wines annual cab event and fell in love. I came to totally appreciate the subtle nuances a well aged cab can bring to the table. I am now spoiled into knowing when tasting a young cab sauv how much better it can be with patience … Ah it was easier when I was naive … I do again digress … 🙂

I cracked this one again on our holidays (yes we were in a wine region and I brought along wine, get over yourself people:) ). I was amply rewarded. The wine is aging very well. It is integrating nicely … this is a lovely and smooth cab sauv from California. Yummy. Deep on the color, lovely cab bouquet with a medium finish. The tannins and alcohol are becoming so well balanced. What a bargain if you have the patience and space. I would give this a 91 as well. Maybe even a little better. Ok here is a test for you folks. Grab three of these. Make some notes on what you tasted. What did you like what didn’t you. Now put the other two away out of site and set yourself a calendar entry in 1 year and 2 years from now. Crack them … See for yourself if it makes a difference. Nothing special, throw them in a cupboard out of sight … Remember not all wines age. Most are made in a “drink now style” so look at the write up and watch the careful wording when choosing wine to age.

Check LCBO Stock Note: Not the same year as this write up …

From the LCBO web site:
RODNEY STRONG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 VINTAGES 226944 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 22.95
Wine, Red Wine, 13.86% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D

Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Rodney Strong Vineyards

Release Date: Nov 8, 2008

Tasting Note
Garnet color. Baked berries, singed herb, and barnyard aromas. A round, silky entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body of berry, clay, and forest floor flavors. Finishes with a tangy cocoa powder and dried berry fade with dusty tannin. A very Bordeaux-like offering. Pair with stews and game. Highly Recommended. , Score – 88. (www.tastings.com, Feb. 25, 2008)

I’ve had this one in the cellar since October of last year. A while back I did a tasting of aged Merlots. To my taste buds I did not find that Merlots aged any where near as well as cabs. So with this in mind I reached into the cellar and cracked this one open I love this wine. It has that lovely deep plum that I have in my mind as a varietal Merlot. I am talking a pure or relatively pure Merlot rather than one that is blended. I find Merlot such a subtle grape it can be so easily overwhelmed. So with that I cracked this one on our holidays to make a special moment. I was not disappointed the flavors have aged well but I must say this wine will not last a whole lot longer. The lovely fruit flavors are starting to succumb to the oaks and the like. So maybe it is just as well I only have one left in the cellar … 91 or so …

Reach out and grab one for yourself and experience how California does Merlot!

Check LCBO stock Note this is not the same year as this article … Sadly almost nothing left in the whole of Ontario as I write this …

From the LCBO Web site:
RODNEY STRONG MERLOT 2004 VINTAGES 497933 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 22.95 Wine, Red Wine, 13.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Release Date: Feb 14, 2009

Description
If Filet Mignon is on the menu this Valentine’s Day, this smooth and succulent Merlot will be a match made in heaven.

Tasting Note
Concentrated, with intense aromas and bold flavors that include red currant, cherry, mint, spicy vanilla and toasty oak. With a generous finish. Nothing wimpy about this Merlot! Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. (Robyn Tinsley, www.wineskinny.com, Aug. 2006)

Just back from a week long vacation in the exciting new area for wines of Prince Edward county! Look for some reviews of the wines/wineries/Inns in future posts … For now:

A while back I spent three magical weeks in the south of France not far from Nimes. We got a real taste of this small new appellation. So when one comes up it brings up some lovely memories for me. When they talk about la garrique a fragrant herbaceous ground cover I can totally remember the smells. And of course getting my legs totally cut up biking around the sharp unbrush … I do digress …

So I bought this one. On opening the bouquet is quite mild, color is nice and deep. On the front of the wine there is not a lot going on on and them BAM … right out of Emeril Lagasse’s show it hits you … I have read before when they say the wine tastes like cigars or tobacco. This one is definitely that. It is hugely overpowering on the finish. After a day of breathing the wine has settled some and while the tobacco tastes are still there you can now taste the traditional sweet berry flavors of Nimes based wines. If I had more of these I would be taking them back. 86 or so. Very poorly made wine. No balance …

From the LCBO web site:
CHATEAU DE LA TUILERIE SYRAH/GRENACHE 2007 AC Costieres de N&icircmes (Chantal Comte Prop.-Recolt.) Surrounding the ancient city of N&icircmes the Costieres de N&icircmes is the most southerly appellation of the Rhone and borders upon the Languedoc region. This Mediterranean-influenced blend of Syrah and Grenache has good depth of black and red fruit flavours as well as peppery spice earth and garrigue notes. Try it with lamb tagine with fennel. 126128 $15.95

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Every now and then I get suprised by a wine. This is one of those. It is an inexpensive general list wine that is not bad. This is fairly a fairly varietal Tempranillo. The wine is slightly vinegary on opening but that passes quick. You are left with a wine that has some reasonable fruit, with some oak flavors. For 8.95 this is a good deal. The finish is on the lighter side of medium. This is not a big bruiser of a Tempranillo but quite good. I would give it an 87-88 or so … We paired it with Pizza with Shitake mushrooms. Grab one and let me know what you think …

From the LCBO web site:
PENASCAL TEMPRANILLO LCBO 343434 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 8.95
Wine, Red Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Made in: Rueda, Spain By: Hijos De Antonio Barcelo S.A.

Tasting Note
Light ruby red colour; very spicy, oaky and smoky nose; sour cherry notes on the palate, sour cherry fruit with hints of vanilla and spice, well-balanced with good length.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with lamb, stew or sausages

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