Author Archives: Twilight Wines

WHITE OAK CHARDONNAY 2010, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in White Wines

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White Oak

Cost: $27.25
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Russian Valley River
Format: 750 mL
Producer: White Oak Winery
Alcohol: 14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

This is quite an elegant and polished Chardonnay.

Positives: The wine features medium minus toasted oak, buttered popcorn, lemon, ginger, dill, peach, pineapple, clementine and nutmeg. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Slight heat coming from the 14.4% alcohol

Drink now or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with steamed lobster and drawn butter.

Tasted: 7 Oct 2013

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 945816

GOOD KHARMA CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario, Canada

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, White Wines

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Good Karma

Cost: $16.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Twenty Mile Bench
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Flat Rock Cellars
Alcohol: 13.4% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

An easy drinking Chard that would be great to take to a party.

Positives: The wine features medium minus oak, some buttered toast, mandarin, orange rind, apple, lemon, peach, pineapple and cashews. Medium+ body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: A portion of sales of this wine goes to the Ontario Association of Food Banks.

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with snow crab with drawn butter.

Tasted: 3 Oct 2013

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 356873

SPINIFEX PAPILLON 2010, Barossa Valley, Australia

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Spinifex_Papillon_web

Cost: $29.95 (Clearance Price: $22.25)
Grape Variety: Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan & Shiraz
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Barossa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Domain Jardin
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium ruby in colour with a slight cloudiness and a medium+ intense nose.

Full flavour wine that is truly enjoyable. Best Buy at the clearance price.

Positives: The wine is complex featuring cedar, plums, white & red peppers, strawberry, raspberry, cassis, cloves, cinnamon, basil, sage, dried leaves and mushrooms. Medium body and medium tannins with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with tenderloin grilled steak.

Tasted: 4 Oct 2013

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9/10 (Clearance price: 9.5/10) Total: 18+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

LCBO: 285205

COYOTE’S RUN RED PAW VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2010, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Red Wines

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coyote

Cost: $22.95 (Clearance Price: $19.25)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Coyote Run
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium to light garnet in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A very earthy Pinot, may not be for everyone.

Positives: The wine features some cedar, lots of mushrooms, cranberry, pomegranate, sour cherry and wet earth. Medium body and tannins with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch too tart Drink now on its own or pair it with veal Provence.

Tasted: 6 Oct 2013

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5/10 (Clearance Price: 8.5+/10) Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 79228

BERONIA ELABORACION ESPECIAL TEMPRANILLO 2010, DOCa Rioja, Spain

03 Thursday Oct 2013

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Beronia

Cost: $17.95
Grape Variety: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Beronia
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Easy drinking, full of flavour and in a word, marvellous.

Positives: This wine features cedar, sandalwood, dark cherry, licorice stick, candied caramel apple, cola, Montreal smoked meat and all the aromas of burning Autumn leaves. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Don’t get this confused with the entry level Beronia Tempranillo in General List for $11.90. It’s night and day, and frankly; pay the extra $7 as it’s well worth it.

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with sautéed lamb chops with herbs de Provence.

Tasted: 2 Oct 2013

Best Buy

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9.5 Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

LCBO: 723643

LA MONTECCHIA CA’EMO MERLOT/CABERNET 2009, DOCG Veneto, Italy

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Red Wines

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Caemo

Cost: $15.75
Grape Variety: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Format: 750 mL
Producer: La Montecchia
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A simple yet pleasant wine. The nose is more inviting than the taste.

Positives: This wine features cedar, sour cherry, blackcurrants, blackberry, radicchio, sage, oregano, leather and cocoa. Medium body and tannins with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: Slightly watery and a bitter note on the finish. However, the next day there was no bitterness.

Interesting Point: The owner of the winery is Count Umbero Capodilista whose family can be traced back to the late 10th Century.

Drink now on it own or pair it with pizza.

Tasted: 30 Sept 2013

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5+/10 Total: 17+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 316141

CHATEAU ST. JEAN PINOT NOIR 2011, California, United States

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Chateau_St._Jean_Pinot_Noir_2011_web

Cost: $19.95 (Clearance Price: $16.00)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: St. Jean
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep ruby with a slight garnet tinge in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A simple yet flavourable Pinot

Positives: This wine features cedar, cloves, cinnamon, cranberry, BBQ lit coals and autumn forest leaves. Medium body with low tannins, good acidity and a fairly long length

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next year on its own or have it with Thanksgiving dinner.

Tasted: 29 Sept 2013

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Clearance Price: 9/10) Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 308221

MER SOLEIL SILVER UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2011, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California, USA

30 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in White Wines

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Silver Chard

Cost: $28.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: California
Region: Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Mer Soleil
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

If you’re looking for a Chablis style wine you’re barking up the wrong tree. However, if you like a smooth Chard, unoaked, more on a late harvest style, then this one’s for you. I happen to like it. I have to confess, the only reason I bought this wine was I love the ceramic bottle. It’s a keeper.

Positives: This Chard is very tropical featuring pineapple, mango, honey, peach, sweet apple and lemon candy. Full body with good acidity, a long length and the alcohol is well integrated and surprising since it’s 14.5%.

Negatives: An un-oaked Chard having 14.5% and although I like the ceramic bottle the negative is that you can’t see how much wine is in the bottle.

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with oysters with honey vinaigrette and shallots.

Tasted: 29 Sept 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+/10 Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 220343

STONEY RIDGE EXCELLENCE CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada

28 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Canadian Wines, White Wines

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Stoney Ridge

Cost: $24.95 (Clearance Price: $20.25)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Lincoln Lakeshore
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Stoney Ridge Estates
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

This wine teeters on the 90 point scale, but ends up at 89

Positives: The nose is better than the taste. This Chard features medium to medium+ toasted oak, buttered popcorn, pineapple, dill, lemon, baked apple crumble pie and caramel. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Slight heat from the 13.8% alcohol.

Interesting Point: Although this has a lot of oak, I preferred drinking it from the cooler climate smaller Chard glass.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with snow crab with drawn butter.

Tasted: 15 Sept 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5/10 (Clearance price: 8.5+/10) Total: 17+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 254243

VILLA MORA MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO 2006, DOCG Umbria, Italy

28 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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VILLA_MORA_MONTEFALCO_SAGRANTINO_web

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Sagrantino
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Umbria
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Villa Mora
Alcohol: 15.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A wonderful & complex wine for under $20. Simply beautiful.

Positives: The wine features spiced oak, plum, dark cherry, fig, raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, leather, walnut, tobacco, cigar box, anise, cloves and cinnamon. Full body with dry tannins, good acidity, very long length and the alcohol is well intergraded and surprising since it’s 15.5%.

Negatives: At first you may experience some bitterness on the mid palate, but if you decant for 30 minutes to an hour it should dissipate.

Interesting Point: I describe this wine as a cross between a Napa Valley Cab and a very good Portuguese Douro Red.

Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with aged steak.

Tasted: 28 Sept 2013

Best Buy

Score: 9/10, Value: 9.5 Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

LCBO: 342394