Author Archives: Twilight Wines

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

CARPENÈ MALVOLTI CUVÉE BRUT PROSECCO SUPERIORE NV, DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy

14 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Sparkling Wine

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Prosecco

Cost: $15.95
Grape Variety: Prosecco
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Carpenè Malvolti
Alcohol: 11% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light straw in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose and a fine mousse.

Easy drinking Prosecco that’s DOCG and well priced. Can’t go wrong with this one.

Positives: This sparkling wine features pear, apple, pistachio, peach and limestone. Medium minus body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: The winery was started in 1868 by Antonio Carpenè producing his Prosecco.

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with ceviche.

Tasted: 14 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO: 727438

MARQUÉS De MURRIETA RESERVA 2006, Rioja, Spain

12 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Marques

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Marqués De Murrieta
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium light ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A classic Rioja Tempranillo for under $25

Positives: This wine features cedar, sandalwood, pastrami, plum, Allspice, dark cherry, dark chocolate and some leather on the finish. Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 12 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO: 209148

IN SITUA CHARDONNAY/VIOGNIER 2011, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

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Situ

Cost: $15.95 (Clearance price: $12.80)
Grape Variety: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viognier
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Aconcagua Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vina San Estaben
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Good Chard at the clearance price

Positives: This wine features medium toasted oak, lemon, green apple, apricot, peach and pineapple. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Bitterness and sourness on the finish.

Interesting Point: One would think that the Riedel Chardonnay/Viognier glass would be the perfect stemware for this wine; nope. The glass accentuated the bitterness/sourness. Instead I used the larger Chard glass.

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with calamari.

Tasted: 9 Sept 2013

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (clearance price:9/10) Total: 17+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 311746

TAR & ROSES TEMPRANILLO 2011, Heathcote/Alpine Valleys, Victoria, Australia

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Tar

Cost: $20.50
Grape Variety: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Heathcote/Alpine Valleys (Victoria)
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tar and Roses
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium to light ruby with a touch of garnet in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A nice surprise having a Tempranillo from Australia that tastes like it was from Spain.

Positives: This wine features cedar, sandalwood, lots of sour cherry, blackberry, licorice, rose petals, cloves, rosemary and sage. Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the 5 next years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 6 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 280198

SIMI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, Alexander Valley, California, United States

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Red Wines

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Simi

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Alexander Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Simi Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Nothing exciting about this wine.

Positives: This wine features lots of cedar, blackberry, cocoa, blackcurrant, graphite, turmeric and leather. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: Too much oak.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 5 Sept 2013

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 25221

CHATEAU ST. MICHELLE CHARDONNAY 2011, Columbia Valley, Washington St., United States

06 Friday Sep 2013

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St. Michelle

Cost: $18.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Columbia Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Chateau St. Michelle
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light gold in colour with a medium intense nose.

Easy drinking Chard

Positives: This wine features light oak, medium toast, lemon, green apple,ginger, peach, pineapple, and cinnamon. Medium+ body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: Bitterness on the finish.

Interesting Point: I prefer the 2010 to the 2011, and unlike the 2010, this vintage fares better drinking from the larger Chard glass.

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with lemon pepper grilled cat fish.

Tasted: 4 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: 232439

ARTADI BRUT 2007 CAVA, Traditional Method, Álava, Laguardia, Spain

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Non LCBO Wine, Sparkling Wine

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Artadi

Cost: $24.95 (Clearance: $18.75)
Grape Variety: Viura
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages Private Import
Country: Spain
Region: Álava, Laguardia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Artadi Winery
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium straw in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose and fine mousse.

A unique experience and a rare find in Ontario — this Spanish sparkling made out of the Viura grape which also taste’s like a vintage Champagne at 1/3 of the price.

Positives: This sparkling wine features yeast, brioche, baked apples, lemon candy, peach, pear and limestone. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Only available at Crossroads LCBO (Weston & 401)

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

Tasted: 3 Sep 2013

Best Buy

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

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