2006 Edmeades Zinfandel

Posted on February 16, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

Mrs CWG was tasked with getting something from our local LCBO vintages section last night. With a planned dinner grilled rib-eye and truffle infused garlic mashed potatoes she came back with this Mendocino County red. Edmeades is a small producer from the Sonoma region. As I like good Zin’s (well who does not like good wine, maybe better put I really like zinfandel’s) I was excited by this wine for it’s possibilities and the $21.95 price tag. Not since the 2003 Rabbit Ridge have I found a Zin under $25 that I was truly happy with. Zinfandel‘s are so uniquely Californian if I were to be asked what I equate Napa/Sonoma too it would not be the Cab Sauv, Merlot or Chardonnay’s but this bold grape and the love reds that come from it. With that little preamble let’s jump into the tasting!

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

Edmeades 2006 Zinfandel

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2006 Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay

Posted on February 15, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

A belated Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers. I recently said during my Cockfighter’s Ghost review that I could recommend 3 to 4 Niagara based Chardonnays that were better then the Pooles Rock wine I thought I’d try and add to that list by trying several $15 to $20 ones. This is the first of many reviews to come of wines from the region. Last night was Chardonnay night, we served a three course meal of seared scallops over baby greens, 40-clove garlic roasted chicken and homemade apple pie. Not only did Mrs CWG and I have a fridge full of chilled Chards but our guests brought us a TAWSE 2004 Chard as well, quite a nice treat. This was the first wine we launched into (in fact I used some of it in the chicken recipe). At $16.95 you will find this wine in the Vintages section of the LCBO. It is the table wine offering from Flat Rock Cellars, a winery that was founded in 1999 on the Jordan bench, just outside of St-Catherines. The winery does some much higher end Chardonnays and just like it’s top of the line brother, this wine was also from the Twenty Mile Bench vineyards. Flat Rock uses the Stelvin concept screwtop on 100% of it’s wines. While most hardcore wine enthusiasts believe this is a sin, more and more wine knowledgeable folks are appreciating this. It really takes the guessing out of the possibility of “corked” wines and provides consistency while doing so. While I miss removing the cork from the wine, I do not miss broken corks, tainted wine (corked) or cork fragments, so I guess you can say I have converted to the dark side! Well let’s move on to the tasting of this wine!

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

2006 Flat Rock Chardonnay

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Happy Saturday

Posted on February 14, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

This is not a wine review, just a quick hello and a few pictures. We are having dinner guests over tonight and I have been a busy bee (with the super helper in Mrs CWG cleaning up after me). Apple pie (all from scratch) is ready and the 40-clove garlic chicken is simmering as I type. The second picture while not looking overly attractive is in fact garlic, chardonnay (Flat Rock, more to come on that) and some Remy Martin X.O. (sadly had no V.S. or V.S.O.P.). Weird stuff to post about but hey, enjoy the pictures and the rest of your Saturday!

CWG Apple PieGarlic, Cognac and Chardonnay boiling away!

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TENUTA COPPADORO COTINONE 2005

Posted on February 13, 2009 by John Galea

Ok, I’ve got a deal for you! For $20 I will give you a deep purple color liquid whose taste can best be described as sucking on a bunch of wood chips! Are you lining up for the opportunity? This seems like one of those wines that was designed to please Robert Parker who loves Oak. For me, take a total pass on this wine and move on …

Check LCBO stock

TENUTA COPPADORO COTINONE 2005
IGT Daunia

TASTING NOTE: Tenuta Coppadoro’s 2005 Cotinone is a blend of equal parts Aglianico, Montepulciano and Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French oak. It is a plump, powerful wine endowed with generous dark fruit, licorice, sweet toasted oak and earthiness. It offers outstanding length, finessed tannins and a fresh, vibrant personality that leads to me to think it will drink well to age 12 or so. Score – 90. (Antonio Galloni, www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008) (D) 750 mL $19.95

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CHÂTEAU LA GORCE 2005

Posted on February 13, 2009 by John Galea

Like Mr CWG I too prefer Bordeaux over Burgundy. I just find them more complex and rewarding. I must admit to more recently exploring Bordeaux’s. This example is lovely especially for the price. It’s a bit harsh and bitter out of the bottle, a good 1 hour worth of breathing did a world of good and did not compromise the flavors at all. There is a lot of Oak on this one, almost too much. Some fruit and a medium to long finish. I quite enjoyed this one. Well worth my $20!
Check LCBO stock.

CHÂTEAU LA GORCE  2005
AC Médoc 
(Raoul Fabre & Fils)
Château La Gorce is a grand 19th century estate in the Médoc. Founded in 1821 by Madame La Gorce, the estate’s namesake, it is now owned by the Fabre family who have worked hard to restore the vineyards and improve the quality of the wines since taking ownership in the 1980s. Their efforts have been rewarded with a number of accolades including a Gold Medal for this 2005 vintage at the Paris Concours Général Agricole in 2007. Packed with ripe blackberry fruit flavours and sweet spice notes, this medium full-bodied blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot is an exceptional value.    (XD)            750 mL    $19.95
From winecurrent.com: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot; it’s a knock-out from the get-go. There are gorgeous notes of coffee, spice, pepper, violet and floral perfume. Full bodied and firmly structured, there’s a good backbone of acidity alongside 13.5% alcohol and flavours of red cherry, cassis, blackberry, nutmeg and clove. At under $20 this is a no-brainer—load up the trunk! (LG) Rating 4.5/5

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KIM CRAWFORD KIM’S FAVOURITE SP CHARDONNAY 2006

Posted on February 13, 2009 by John Galea

This is another middle of the road chard. Quite good. Slight bit of butteryness, slight bit of oak with a bit of fruit. Nothing stunning but quite palatable. For the money I would choose others, but finishing the bottle was not a problem! 

Check LCBO Stock 

KIM CRAWFORD KIM’S FAVOURITE SP CHARDONNAY  2006
Gisborne, North Island 

TASTING NOTE: An extrovert Chardonnay surfeit with charm. 2006 Gisborne Kim’s Favourite Chardonnay has a lifted nose, more malic than the Doc’s Block with another well-delineated palate with lively green fruits: apple, kiwi and a touch of pink grapefruit on the finish. Score – 89. (Neal Martin,www.erobertparker.com, April 2008)      (XD)            750 mL    $24.95
From winecurrent.com: This is a powerhouse wine, with great concentration on the nose. It’s both sweet and spicy in aroma, with plenty of toasty oak along with copious amounts of ripe tropical fruit. The palate is rich, creamy and full bodied. It’s a completely different style compared to Crawford’s signature Marlborough-region Sauvignon Blanc. This is big and rich enough to work with grilled steak or lamb. (MT)  rating 4/5

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Subscribe Service

Posted on February 13, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

If you look to the right you will now see a “subscribe to” service, apparently I never bothered to activate this before, oops!

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2006 Cockfighter Ghost Unoaked Chardonnay

Posted on February 13, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

Alright here goes, a bit of background on this wine. Mrs CWG and I had this on our recent trip to Australia. We picked up at a local Sydney bottle shop and went to have a Vietnamese dinner. I did NOT enjoy this then, really it was a tad plonkish and really lacking anything special. “So why CWG are you about to review this” you ask? Well with an odd work day I asked the better half to grab something new from the small vintages section at the Market Street LCBO, all I said was get something interesting between $15 and $25, surprise me. Well either there was something in the name of the wine that intrigued her (cough) or she was in the mood for a Chardonnay. Lo and behold here we are talking about a wine we already failed on the diametric opposite side of the Earth, oh joy! Let’s give this the proper clean slate and move forward, shall we? Pooles Rock Wines (note their website appears to be down) is the producer of this Chardonnay that hails from the Hunter Valley region in New South Wales Australia. Unlike most of the Aussie wine regions that dot the southern portion of the country, the Hunter Valley is north of Sydney on the East Coast. Worth the drive up or down if you are in Brisbane. So with all that said how did it do on attempt number two? Read on for the tasting review!

So we poured our glasses and we came up with different aromas. Mrs CWG blurted out peach while I hovered on green apple and honeydew. So it could be fair to say it had fruit on the nose (as one would expect for an unoaked Chardonnay). As we got more into the wine the words “rough” “acidic” came up. But as we began to get into dinner (we had chicken fajitas) the wine complimented well enough and actually softened enough so that we got more out of it. Buttery and flowery with a hint of pineapple seemed to be prevalent. Overall the wine did do better on this side of the globe but not enough for me to change my mind on it. Overall I’d not recommend this to anyone unless you wanted a good comparison of unoaked Chardonnays. For the price I can recommend at least 3 to 4 Niagara based Chardonnays that are priced similar or cheaper that will outdo this one. Do not be fooled by the clever name and label. Here is the LCBO link for reference.

I think to be fair to my palate and others this gets an 81 out of 100.

Mrs CWG says

Sorry for the selection, I should have returned it!

2006 Cockfighter's Ghost Unoaked Chardonnay

2006 Cockfighter's Ghost Unoaked Chardonnay

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2003 Cave Spring Cabernet-Merlot

Posted on February 12, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

As I was making a fusilli pasta last night Mrs CWG was going over my recent wine reviews and noted I had not reviewed any Canadian wines recently. Such a travesty needed correction, and thus we pulled this 2003 from the cellar and popped the cork! Cave Spring is a nice little winery in Jordan, Ontario, which is part of the Beamsville Bench area of the Niagara wine region. Cave Springs really is a must stop if you are doing a trip down to Niagara for wine tastings, besides being a great little winery it is somehow affiliated or partnered with Inn on the Twenty one of Niagara’s better Inns that has a tremendous restaurant (think wine tasting and lunch, mmm food and wine, wine and food, mmm). If you are ever considering doing a series of Niagara wine tours, make this part of the St-Catherines to Grimbsy leg (add in Henry of Pelham, TAWSE, Fielding Estates, and Hidden Bench just to name four more). Maybe one day I will put together a small series on where to go in Niagara since there is a great deal to see, taste and eat in the region! This 2003 Cabernet Merlot was purchased on one of our wine tasting trips in 2005 I believe (may have been 2006) and as I pulled it out I got a twinge of excitement as I have been looking forward to seeing if a few years on it’s side would help what I remember as a decent wine. So without any more dribble, on to the tasting!

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

2003 Cave Springs Cabernet Merlot

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2002 Joseph Drouhin Morey-Saint-Denis

Posted on February 11, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

Sitting around last night, Mrs CWG and I decided that we needed to coif a Burgundy and looking through our wine database we settled on trying the 2002 Joseph Drouhin. For those that know me know that I am more of a Bordeaux man, in fact there was some thought put into naming this the canadianbordeauxguy blog (but darned if that isn’t a mouthful!). Burgundy’s to me have always been a secondary choice. Of late though I have started to dive into them with great attention and this Drouhin win is no exception. If you are shopping for Burgundy reds it is not hard to find a plethora in the $30 to $60 range, this will lead to a great deal of pondering, searching or simply reading labels and hoping you are buying there right one. A hint for purchasing a Burgundy red blind look for a Grand Cru or Premier Cru as you will probably be getting a top tier wine. They are pricier but if you are spending $30 what is an extra 8-15 to get a Premier Cru? This wine in question is neither a Grand or a Premier but when buying it I was pretty confident of the quality, Drouhin is a large producer and I have had some of his other Burgundies before. The Drouhin site is one of the better websites for understanding the producer and drilling down to the details of the wine, it is very much worth reading. Enough on that, let’s move on to the tasting!

Removing the cork and decanting created the first split view between Mrs CWG and me in a long time. She simply did not like the smell, referring it more to the “sewer” portion of the aroma wheel where I quite enjoyed it and got more of a deep raspberry with a bit of a smokiness. Once the first few slurps were done Mrs CWG’s viewpoint changed dramatically. Raspberry with blackberries, vanilla and oak are very predominant here. The wine is a tad soft to start but finishes with a bit of oomphf. It is a good representative for a Burgundy, well rounded enough to please with soft and subtle tannins. To say this was easy to drink is an understatement, the wine disappeared before we knew it. I think that $39 is a tad much for this though when it comes down to it, but overall we enjoyed it, and that is what drinking wine is all about.

The subjective rating of the day for this wine was 88 out of 100. Good, enjoyable, nothing to write home to ma and pa about.

Mrs CWG wants to know where all the wine went so fast!

late edit: This wine could continue being cellar for at least 3 to 8 years, I missed that this morning!

Morey-Saint-Denis 2002

Morey-Saint-Denis 2002

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2000 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on February 10, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

We brought one of our 2000 Joseph Phelps‘ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons to friends the other night as I was thinking it was probably getting close to drinking time (we have/had two so why not try one?!). First off it was not close to end of life, and second this may be one of the top ten wines i have had in the past five years, and for sure top two in the past twelve months. So quickly, before you skip to the bottom to find out, I purchased this on one of my many trips to California and at last search I could not find these at the LCBO. Good news is the 2005 vintage can be found in fair quantities in the vintages section. Joseph Phelps Vineyards is one of my favorite Napa vineyards with almost all of it’s wine being produced from it’s own estate grown grapes. While not an inexpensive wine, this is for sure a bottle that will impress your wine snob friends no matter if they are Bordeaux or Piedmont leaning. Well on to the tasting (aka enough blabber):

Immediately upon decanting the nose bellows at you with licorice and vanilla, quite a nice surprise from the usual wood and cherry of Napa based Cabs. With a couple of swishes a bit of tobacco. The first couple of sips brought out the fruit, raspberry and cassis for sure. The balance and finish very much reminded Mrs CWG of our recent trip to the Brunello region and if you closed your eyes you may have thought you were drinking a wine from the region. After a while the wine finished opening up and without a doubt had become an excellent wine from start to finish, leading me to believe that at least two to five years of cellaring would allow this to change subtlety and for the better. It is my belief that if you can get a half dozen of these you would be pleasantly rewarded with a fine glass or three over the next few years. Definitely worth the price of admission!

Ratings are subjective (my common disclaimer), but I am putting this at a comfortable 90 out of 100.

Mrs CWG says

“bring back more CWG!!”

Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

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2006 Wyndham Estate Bin 515

Posted on February 9, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

Someone recently presented me with this wine to review and I thought I’d wait for an evening of relaxing to settle in to do a proper review, one where I had time to pull out the old notebook and give it the ‘top to bottom’. First off this is one of Wyndham’s new Bin series (to be released in Canada) that comes from the ‘birthplace’ of Australian Shiraz. George Wyndham planted Australia’s first commercial Shiraz way back in 1830 and I am sure we can use the phrase ‘the rest is History’. This, as well as the Bin 525, have been released here to compliment the successful Bin 555. Wyndham has done a nice job with the 500 Bin line, reasonably priced palatable Shiraz based wines, bringing the Australian wine-making strength to the common man. At $16.95 a bottle you will be treated to what Mrs. CWG refers to as “good bang for your buck.” On to the tasting!

Bin 515 is a blend of Shiraz and Viognier at a 92 to 8 % ratio. Viognier, as I think of it the grape of Languedoc, is mostly an ignored white variety to North Americans, but this very finicky grape is being used a great deal of late to work with Shiraz/Syrahs. Generally when blended with Shiraz it will soften the wine and add some lighter aromas to the nose. In this wine it is obvious. The first nose gives you sweet cherry and a hint of floral. The colour is a distant crimson and while this is only a 3 year old wine (remember the Aussies harvest 6 months earlier then the northern hemisphere) it already is seeing a bit of rust in it’s colour palate. On first taste the cherry disappears and a strawberry jam with plum comes out. One thing right away is noticed, even on first tastes, the wine is very evenly balanced, quite a treat for a sub $20 wine. As you get into the tasting the jam-plum disappears a bit and the wild berries with a hint of vanilla start to exhibit themselves. A nice side note to this wine is, unlike many mass produced Shirazs this wine is not killing your taste buds with oak, always appreciated here. Overall the wine surprised me, I was really nto expecting it to be so balanced from start to finish. While you could cellar this, I am not sure anything more then a year or two in bottle will help this wine, it is ready to drink now through 2011.

Rating this is of course subjective but I think it is solid enough to earn a mid 80s and will not disapoint you or your guests if you were to bring a bottle (or three), 86 out of 100.

Mrs. CWG is contemplating making this a regular table wine in the household.

LCBO Listing here.

Bin 515

Bin 515

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Monday Morning WHAT THE???

Posted on February 9, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

Shockingly (note SARCASM alert) the City of Toronto is going to bump property taxes AGAIN this year. So in 2008 and 2009 they will have instituted their own land transfer tax as well as raised property taxes by 3.75 % and 4%. Couple this with the 20% property assessment raise over the next four years (5% per year) and you have to wonder what the politicians are thinking.

Want to solve the Toronto budget crisis? Cut back on special interest social projects, levy user fees Monday to Friday for 905 commuters to the downtown core (toll the inbound roads) and cut back Toronto City payrolls.

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D’ARENBERG THE STUMP JUMP WHITE 2007

Posted on February 8, 2009 by John Galea

My mother use to make something she called froja. She opened the fridge to see what odds and ends were left over and through them in a pan and added eggs to bind them altogether. In the end what you ended up was something that was uniqe every time. This wine reminds me of that concept. They have thrown Marsanne, Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Viognier and Chard into this one. What you have is a totally unrecognizable wine. Your incapable of picking out one flavor (or at least I was). What you have hear is a perfect wine to take to that dinner party where you don’t know the people at all. This wine will offend no one. And as usual, please no one either. If I had bought more than one of these I would take it back. For the price this wine is a major pass …

D’ARENBERG THE STUMP JUMP WHITE 2007
VINTAGES 922203 | 750 mL bottle

Price: $ 14.95
Wine, White Wine,
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content : D

Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: D’Arenberg Wines

Release Date: Jan 10, 2009

Description
This fresh and lively blend always boasts a bouquet that ‘jumps’ out of the glass. Look for floral, citrus, gooseberry and mineral notes. The 2007 vintage is comprised of 62% Riesling, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 8% Marsanne, 6% Viognier and 6% Chardonnay thrown in for kicks. It’s perfect for sipping on its own or with seafood canapés.

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INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER’S SERIES THREE VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY 2007

Posted on February 8, 2009 by John Galea

This is a lovely totally middle of the road Chard. With a medium amount of butteryness as would be expected from a California style Chard but well in check. It also has a nice bit of Oak. There is a slight floral off the bouquet and taste. I quite enjoyed this one. We enjoyed it with a pork chop and it went very well.

VQA ON Tour
INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER’S SERIES THREE VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula

TASTING NOTE: This flavourful, full-blown Chardonnay is a tasty sign of things to come from Ontario’s spectacular 2007 vintage. Toasty, buttery sweet apple flavours are accented by vanilla and toffee, all artfully integrated. Creamy-textured, refined and balanced with bright fruit and a well-measured use of oak, this long-finishing wine should evolve well with 2-3 years bottle age, or savour it now with smoked fish. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2008) Vintages 750 mL $17.95

From winecurrent.com: Sure it’s a long name, but this wine has a lot to offer once you’re done reading the label. The nose is full of tangerine and orange blossom, without the mineral aromas common to Niagara Riesling. It just might make you think you’re tasting an Alsatian wine. There’s plenty of mouthwatering acidity on a very light-bodied frame, and the finish is long and full of citrus character. It’ll be hard to beat as an aperitif or with most canapés. (MT) Rating 4.5/5

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Vintages In-Store Bin End Sale

Posted on February 3, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

A quick note:

Vintages (LCBO, Ontario only) is doing a Bin End sale (see link here) and at first glance there are a few very good deals:

LCBO #207944 CHATEAU DES CHARMES MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE BRUT 750ml $22.95(was) $18.90 (now) savings: $4.05 (17.6%)
LCBO #324822 DOMAINE DE BEAURENARD CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2005 750ml $46.95(was) $34.95 (now) savings: $12.00 (25.6%)
LCBO #650812 POGGIO SAN POLO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2003 750ml $65.95(was) $49.95 (now) savings: $16.00 (24.3%)
LCBO #68791 MARGUET PÈRE & FILS CHAMPAGNE GRAND CRU 2000 750ml $52.95(was) $39.95(now) savings: $13.00 (24.6%)

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Quick Note

Posted on February 2, 2009 by CanadianWineGuy

I have been travelling and then decided to come home with one nasty virus putting my non-sickness streak to an end. In the past few weeks we have had an excellent 2000 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon and a bunch of so-so mid/lower tier wines. Will try and get a review up of the JP Cab and a new recipe or two in the upcoming week. Till then, savour this picture of Super Bowl 2009 chicken stew with biscuits!!

Yumm Chicken Stew with Biscuits!

Yumm Chicken Stew with Biscuits!

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CAVE DE SAUMUR RÉSERVE DES VIGNERONS SAUMUR 2005

Posted on February 1, 2009 by John Galea

This is a smooth elegant wine with absolutely nothing distinctive going on. If your looking for a non-descriptive wine that will definitely offend no one (although it won’t please anyone either) this is the wine for you. The finish is very short. There’s some fruit flavors, with little to no oak. This wine given how bland it is would go with just about anything. I was underwhelmed as you likely have already gathered Won’t be running out to get more of this one.

CAVE DE SAUMUR RÉSERVE DES VIGNERONS SAUMUR  2005 AC  
TASTING NOTE: Very pure and elegant, showing purple flower and blue and black fruit notes, with a long, finely tuned, mineral finish. Deceptively concentrated. Drink now through 2008. Score – 90. (James Molesworth,www.winespectator.com, May 15, 2007) 
LCBO 750 mL    $15.95

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ANTINORI PÈPPOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2006

Posted on February 1, 2009 by John Galea

This is a lovely Chianti Classico. Lots of depth, nice finish, and nice fruit. Decant for about an hour to allow some of the acidic bitterness to fade. Nice tannins and oak on the wine as well. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it … Bang on varietal!

ANTINORI PÈPPOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2006 DOCG

TASTING NOTE: Delivers ripe blackberry and raspberry, with pronounced floral and mineral notes. Almost meaty in character. Medium- to full-bodied, with a silky texture and lots of flavor. Finishes long, with an almost exotic twist in the end. Lots to enjoy. Drink now. Score – 90. (James Suckling,www.winespectator.com, Sep. 30, 2008)

LCBO 375 mL $12.95
LCBO 750 mL $21.95

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CASTELLO DI NEIVE BARBARESCO 2005

Posted on February 1, 2009 by John Galea

When you are looking for a bigger wine but not quite up to a Barolo or not up to the price you can reach for a Babaresco. These wines are made from the same Nebbiolo grape as a Barolo but are cheaper and approachable earlier. A bit of breathing say 1 hour or so will help this wine immensely. I enjoyed the long finish, strong oak and complexity of this wine.

CASTELLO DI NEIVE BARBARESCO 2005 DOCG

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)

LCBO 750 mL $23.95

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ANGIÒ ARCHEO PRIMITIVO 2006

Posted on February 1, 2009 by John Galea

The Primitovo grape has been genetically linked to the Zinfandel. So the principle difference between the Italian Primitivo and the Californian Zinfandel is one of style. In California the Zinfandels are field blended with a number of other grapes giving deep rich, widely varying flavor and finish. In this Primitivo for the price you have a lovely wine. The finish is not particularly long and the oak is very well in check. You get the lovely Zinfandel fruit, but no jamminess and no Oak. I enjoyed the wine enough to go back and grab a few more. But don’t be expecting complexity as this is very much a simple wine. Also don’t expect this one to age well (I would guess, as there are little tannins to be found).

ANGIÒ ARCHEO PRIMITIVO 2006
IGT Salento

Primitivo’s renaissance is largely due to the discovery that it is identical to California’s popular Zinfandel. Primitivo, which means ‘first to ripen’, acquired its name when an observant 18th-century Puglian monk discovered that the grapes matured before other varieties. Primitivo and Zinfandel may share the same genes but they certainly have distinct personalities. This one has all the charisma of a southern Italian red: it’s mildly spicy, full-bodied, dry, balanced, and full of fruit. Delicious with steak frites or aged cheddar.

LCBO 750 mL $12.95

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SILENI CELLAR SELECTION PINOT GRIS 2008

Posted on January 21, 2009 by John Galea

This is a lovely wine with a good bit of acidity, some green apple flavors, and some oak. The wine for my tastes is more like a Sauvigon Blanc than a Pinot Gris. No real peach in the taste with a hint of an orange peal tangy/bitterness to it. I enjoyed the wine. Not bad at all! I wouldn’t run out and buy a case but I wouldn’t be rushing to take back any more of it I had either. This is the kind of wine you could easily serve to non wine lovers and would go well with a lot of different foods … 

SILENI CELLAR SELECTION PINOT GRIS  2008
Hawke’s Bay, North Island  

This Pinot Gris from the warm Hawkes Bay region is another notable bargain. The nose features lovely peach, pear and apple aromas. It’s just off-dry with a round texture and juicy fruit flavours beautifully balanced by a bright seam of acidity. Try it with Asian noodle dishes.

LCBO 750 mL    $15.95

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DOMAINE DES ASPES MERLOT 2005

Posted on January 21, 2009 by John Galea

If your expecting a California style Merlot with lots of plum on the tastes, then this wine is not for you. It is good, with a medium finish but terroir in this case is dominant and this for my pallette has more Cab Sauv than Merlot flavors. Not a bad wine, but I won’t be breaking into a jog to get more … 

DOMAINE DES ASPES MERLOT  2005
Vins de Pays d’Oc  

This Merlot from the south of France is popular the world over for its quality, elegance and value. The 2005 vintage was indeed good to all of France’s regions and shines through in this fresh and juicy wine. Look for layers of dark plum, black cherry, and earthy forest floor notes in this suave, medium-bodied Merlot. Serve with veal chops or a hearty helping of ratatouille.


http://www.lcbo.ca/lcbo-ear/ProductResultsController?&ITEM_NUMBER=951665     (XD)            750 mL    $14.95

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WATERSHED SHIRAZ 2004

Posted on January 21, 2009 by John Galea

As most of you know a Shiraz and a Syrah are the same grape, so what’s the difference? It’s all about style. For me Syrah tends to be a more elegant refined, smooth wine. A Shiraz tends to be a more edgey wine with lots of pepper on the finish. Each style has it’s place depending on your mood and what you are serving. Last night I cracked this one and served it with lamb chops marinated in red wine, herbs de provence, salt and pepper and a little franks hot sauce to kick it up a notch. The wine is much more of a Syrah than a Shiraz. This was a lovely smooth wine with lots going on in the mouth. Almost no pepper what so ever on this one. The finish quite mild but all in all I would say this was delicious. Definitely grab some. But it’s going fast, so act now, operators are standing by … James Halliday actually got one close. I’d give it a 90-91. Well worth the money!

WATERSHED SHIRAZ  2004
Margaret River, Western Australia  

In 2007, this Shiraz was awarded Gold by the prestigious Mundus Vini International Wine Academy.

TASTING NOTE: Spicy, savoury black fruit aromas; medium-bodied, complex texture from fine tannins throughout interwoven with fruit and oak. Drink [until] 2014. Score – 92. (James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au, March 2006) 

http://www.lcbo.ca/lcbo-ear/ProductResultsController?&ITEM_NUMBER=73767     (D)            750 mL    $19.9

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DONATIEN BAHUAUD MAISON DES PRINCES VOUVRAY DEMI-SEC 2007

Posted on January 12, 2009 by John Galea

This is a lovely smack on varietal Chenin. This one is a mild flavored one with a bit of sweetness and a bit of crispness.  I get a bit of that “Sauterne” like flavor. I had it with a nice peice of pan fried Cod and went well. Kanu  is still my fav Chenin but you can’t get that one anymore. I had been looking forward to a Loire Valley Chenin and I was not disappointed. I would recommend this one. Delicious. I will be grabbing a few more of this one for sure.

DONATIEN BAHUAUD MAISON DES PRINCES VOUVRAY DEMI-SEC 2007 AC TASTING NOTE: This Chenin Blanc has an impressive array of aromas including candied apple Asian pear melon and a chalky minerality characteristic of Vouvray. Off-dry with a medium full-body lovely aroma replays on the palate impressive length and a crisp balancing acidity on the finish. Off-dry Vouvrays are highly versatile food wines from cold cuts to white meat dishes to bloomy soft rind cheeses like Brie and Camembert. (VINTAGES panel Oct. 2008) 80499 $16.95
Featured 1/9/2009 Check LCBO Stock show image of bottle

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