Category Archives: Best Buys

Recommended wines considering the price, usually under $25, where it’s from, the winery and the varietal.

THE BLACK CHOOK VMR, 2008, McLaren Vale, South Australia

28 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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The Black Chook Vmr 2008, Mclaren Vale, South Australia Bottle

Cost: $12.95
Grape Variety: Viognier 84%, Marsanne 8%, Roussanne 8%
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Australia
Region: McLaren Vale
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Galvanized Wine Group
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light yellow with medium+ intensity. The nose has a nice bouquet of wild flowers, peach, orange rind & smoked toasted Pine nuts. The taste is dry, good acidity, medium+ length, medium body & balanced. Definitely Viognier on the taste with peach, orange rind, smoked apple, nectarine, some vanilla & toasted Pine nuts. This wine has an addictive quality that you just want to go back & keep drinking. Lucky the alcohol is not above 14%. Drink now on it’s own or pair it with roasted sweet orange pepper & grilled French cut pork chops. Delicious.

Best Buy.

Tasted 27 July 2011.

Score: 9+, Value: 10/10. Total: 19+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 186338

VILLA SANDI PROSECCO, NV, Veneto, Italy

23 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Sparkling Wine

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Villa Sandi Prosecco, Doc Treviso Bottle

Cost: $13.95 (on sale $12.95)
Grape Variety: Prosecco
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: LCBO, General List
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Format: 750 mL
Producer: La Gioiosa S.P.A.
Alcohol: 11.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light straw colour with a full mousse on it’s head. Medium+ intensity showing some yeast, lemon, peach, pear, apple & some minerality. Taste is dry with med acidity, med body, long length, especially for a Prosecco & balanced. The taste is as the nose. This is a lovely Prosecco with way more character than a lot of Proseccos out there especially in the same price range. Almost taste like a light Champagne. What I also like is that this Prosecco comes in 500 ml, which is great if you just want to have A couple glasses & not waste the rest.

Best Buy

Tasted 23 July 2011.

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Score: 19/20.

LCBO#: 249722

STLTO MERLOT-MALBEC, 2009, Abruzzo, Italy

23 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Stlto Merlot Malbec 2009 Bottle

Cost: $11.95
Grape Variety:
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Feudi San Pio Inc.
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: This wine surprised me considering the label that had to be done by a female. Oh wait it was! Usually these labels are designed as a quick pick-up marketing to get the consumer to buy, but not really a quality style wine. This one is! It has dark ruby in colour with medium intensity on the nose. The nose is pleasant with light oak, blackberry, cherry, raisins, blueberry & cola notes. The taste is also pleasant with similar notes as the nose. Medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, medium length & body. This wine is balanced & easy to drink on it’s own or try with chicken with rum & cola sauce or if you’re being more conventional it pairs well with BBQ lamb chops. Drink now or cellar for 1-2 years.

Best Buy. Good complexity & quality for a wine under $15.

Tasted 21 July 2011. Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 10/10, Score: 18.5+/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

VEUVE AMBAL BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE, NV, Burgundy, France

18 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Sparkling Wine

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Cost: $15.95
Grape Variety:
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Veuve Ambal
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with fine mousse & plenty of them. Medium intensity showing classic champagne notes of baked apple, biscotti, pear, lemon & white flowers. The taste is dry, good acidity, long length, medium+ body and balanced. Taste shows lemon, apple, pink grapefruit & pear. The nose is more complex than the taste. This sparkler is refreshing to the taste & would pair with nicely with classic champagne dishes of caviar & oysters.

Best Buy.

Tasted 17 July 2011.

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:#209619

SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS TRIOMPHE, CHARDONNAY, 2008, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario VQA

18 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, White Wines

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Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Chardonnay 2008, VQA Niagara On The Lake Bottle

Cost: $18.10
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-On-The-Lake
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Southbrook Vineyards
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “LCBO Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 28 mg/L of free sulphur.”

Bright gold in colour with medium+ intensity that shows medium minus oak & toast, lemon, fresh Macintosh apples, mango, pineapple, honeydew flower & fortune cookies. Taste is dry, medium+ acidity, med body, long length & balanced. The taste is more complexed than the nose as the flavours come in layers. The initial taste shows lemon & pink grapefruit, followed by apples & pineapple then you get hit by a wave of lemon meringue pie, finishing of with lemon zest. If you have different style of wine glasses such as Riedel, use cold climate Chard glasses instead of the big California Chard glasses. Drink now or in the next 2 years. Drink on it’s own or with Sea Bass infused with a Chardonnay sauce.

Best Buy.

Tasted 10 July 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:#172338

SAN GREGORIO MANGA DEL BRUJO GRENACHE BLEND, 2008, Spain, Calatayud

01 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Cost: $15.95
Grape Variety: 65% Grenache, Tempranillo, Mazuelo & Monastrell
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Calatayud
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Bodega San Gregorio
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium+ dark ruby with a medium intense nose. This pleasant, and not overbearing nose, shows classic Grenache notes of medium oak tones, black currants, white pepper, spicy notes, raspberry, clove and liquorice. The taste is dry with medium tannins and medium acidity, long length, medium body and well balanced. The taste is similar to the nose having a juicy feel to it. Drink on its own or with lamb.  Drink now. Best Buy

Tasted: 1 July 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

LCBO#15073

SOELLNER TONI GRÜNER VELTLINER 2009 , Austria

26 Sunday Jun 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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Cost: $14.95 (on sale for $10.55)
Grape Variety: Grüner Veltliner
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: Austria
Region: Lower Austra
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Weingut Soellner
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Gold in the colour, with medium+ intensity. The nose shows citric flavours, grapefruit, melon, tangerines, light smokiness and some pepperness. The taste is dry, good acidy, med length, medium minus body and balanced. The taste is expressive, showing the same notes as the nose. This organically grown wine is a good representative of what a Grüner is and at the price it’s a Best Buy. This is a great wine to sip on a patio during the summer or to have with Sushi.

Best Buy wine.

Tasted: 26 June 2011

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

LCBO#184085

HARDY’S CHRONICLE NO. 3 BUTCHER’S GOLD, SHIRAZ SANGIOVESE, 2008, South Australia

11 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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219139_web

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Shiraz Sangiovese
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: South Austalia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Constellation Wines Australia
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby. Medium+ intensity on the nose displaying plums, cherry pie, med minus oak, bramble fruit, mocha, cigar box, red & white pepper & light smokey nose. Very pleasant. The taste is dry, med tannins & acidity, full body, balanced with a med+ length. The taste is similar to the nose with the addition of sour cherry. The high alcohol is well hidden & the usual jammy & cooked fruit typical of Australian Shiraz with high alcohol is not present due to the addition if Sangiovese, but still remember it’s 14.5% alcohol. Smart play by Hardy’s gives this wine a Best Buy rating. Good to drink on its own or pair it with roasted red peppers. This is drinkable now but will still age for another year or two.

Tasted 11 June 2011.

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10 Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:# 219139

THE LITTLE PENGUIN, 2010, CHARDONNAY, South Eastern Australia

11 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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Cost: $10.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: General List
Country: Australia
Region: South Eastern Australi
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Southcrop Wines
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: First off, let me say that The Little Penguin has been one of my Best Buy Chardonnays for quiet sometime and it’s nice that the 2010 doesn’t disappoint. You will find this Chard non offensive to those on the extremes, i.e. those that hate oak and those that love oak in their Chards. This is a medium style Chard, that easy to drink and best of all only 12.5% alcohol, which is basically unheard of in an Australian wine, especially a Chard.

Colour is bright gold, and the nose is medium intensity. It shows both on the nose and palate lemon & lemon tart, light oak and toast, golden delicious apple, banana, pineapple, melon & buttery popcorn that shows this wine has gone through malolactic fermentation (a second fermentation in the spring [Australia’s fall] that changes malic acid to the more pleasant and softer lactic acid. The taste is dry, medium acid, well balanced with a medium+ length. Drink on its own or with lobster and drawn butter.

Best Buy wine.

Tasted: 10 June 2011

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

LCBO#598904

YALUMBA Y SERIES, SHIRAZ VIOGNIER, 2009, South Australia

08 Wednesday Jun 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Yshirazviognier_web

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Shiraz/viognier
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Yabby Lake International Pty.L
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium to medium minus ruby in colour. The wine is less intense in colour than normally is seen in an Australian Shiraz/Viognier. The med+ intensity is governed by the flowery aromas from the Viognier. In addition, there’s plum, raisins, red & white pepper, fig, mocha, dark cherry, light oak, cassis & blackberry. Overall a complex nose for an inexpensive wine. Dry, medium minus tannins, med acidity, med length, balanced & med to med minus weight. The taste is smooth having similar notes as the nose, but with a little smokiness, some earth tones classic to it’s varietal & carmel apple. Pleasantly surprising having only 13.5% alcohol & not exhibiting the cooked fruit normally exhibited by inexpensive Shiraz from Australia. Easy to drink on its own & a good wine to bring to socials.

Best Buy

Tasted 7 June 2011. Score: 8.5/10, Value: 10/10 Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 624494