Cost: $29.95 (Clearance price: $24.95) Grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc Category: Sparkling Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Format: 750 mL Producer: Steller’s Jay Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Beautiful made with elegance. 93/100
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity & fine mousse, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Light yeast, brioche, green apples, lemon zest, pear, white peach, strawberry, toasted almonds & fresh cut carnations on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point:
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Lobster risotto.
Cost: $15.95 Grape: 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 25% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre Category: Red Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: France Region: Corbières Format: 750 mL Producer: Bonfils Vins & Château Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Top notch Corbières; fruity & spicy. Score: 95/100
Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, blueberry, mulberry, plum, licorice, black & white pepper, fennel, olives, leather & violets on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: New label for my favourite Corbières, although I prefer the previous one as it was more classic. See my review of their 2016 vintage.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with PENNE ALLA VODKA Sautéed prosciutto with caramelized onions and tossed in a rosé sauce from Fat Cat Pizza restaurant St. Catharines.
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Syrah Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Not complex but well-made wine at a great price that features dark fruit & spiciness. Score: 95/100
Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with foaminess around the perimeter, good acidity, medium+ intense nose, round tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Mulberry, plum, tamarind, black & white pepper, vanilla,
Negatives: Should be labelled Syrah not Shiraz as it’s not styled in the Australian way.
Interesting Point: The foaminess, which looks like soap, doesn’t seem to affect the wine & expect it’s due to the wine being Unfiltered. From Dr. Vinny from Wine Spectator: “Foam, and bubbles in general, are caused when the surface tension of water is decreased, which is how soap creates so many bubbles. Let’s assume that there isn’t soap in your decanter (but you should be sure you are rinsing them out thoroughly, just to be certain). That means there is something in the wine itself that is affecting the surface tension of the wine or the rinsing water.
There are two sources of surface-tension reduction in wine. The first is a protein that’s present in tannins. I tend to notice the foam phenomenon much more often in red wines than in whites, and there are more tannins in reds. Alcohol (ethanol) also has an effect on surface tension. So, you can expect a tannic, high-alcohol wine to yield the most foam among still wines.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Ribeye Steak.
Cost: $18.99 CI Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands Country: United States of America Region: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California Format: 750 mL Producer: Pedroncelli Alcohol: 13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Probably the smoothest, beautifully Cali made Chard I’ve ever tried, & this is not a complex wine nor a high-end Chard. Lastly, it’s under 14% alcohol. Score: 97/100
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon meringue, mango, Honey Crisp apple, clementine, peach, honeydew melon, dill, nutmeg, light oak spice, vanilla, honeycomb & Easter Lily on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: I find that Dry Creek Valley wines are one of my favourite with white or red wines.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-4 years on its own or pair it with New England Lobster Dip
Cost: $16.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Australia Region: Padthaway, Clare Valley Format: 750 mL Producer: Wakefield Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Nice balance between unoaked & oaked Chard with a price that hard to beat for the quality. Score: 92/100
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon-limes, green apples, peach, pear, pineapple, mango, orange peel, dill & vanilla.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: I like the temperature gage on the back label that helps people to get the correct temperature to drink this wine. 1st time I’ve seen that on a wine label.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with butternut squash soup.
Cost: $18.95 Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon Category: Red Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: United States of America Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State Format: 750 mL Producer: Drumheller Wines Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Beautifully made with a nice blend of fruits & spice without one overpowering the other, which all leads to a silky-smooth finish. Score: 95/100
Tasting Note: Medium to dark ruby with a garnet tinge in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Crème de Cassis, ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, plums, tamarind, cola, turmeric, cassis, Allspice & graphite.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this in the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with braised wild boar shanks with sweet soy sauce & Star Anise.
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: United States of America Region: Carneros, Sonoma Valley, California Format: 750 mL Producer: Fleur de California Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Nicely balance between lightly oaked, citric, creaminess & under 14% alcohol with a price that makes this a really great value for the quality. Score: 94/100
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, Granny Smith apples, pear, pineapple, clementine, dill, ginger, meringue, honeycomb & vanilla.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: A blend Chardonnays from the estate vineyards with fruit from two other Sonoma Carneros sites. Whole-cluster press, followed by cool fermentation, and six months aging in French oak barrels. Prolonged yeast contact in oak and lees stirring (batonnage) added texture. (Winery notes)
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 -7 years on its own or pair it with Greek chicken kabobs marinated in olive oil, lemon and tarragon served with Tzatziki and warm pita bread.
Cost: $17.95 Grape: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Francesa Category: Red Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Portugal Region: Douro Format: 750 mL Producer: José Maria da Fonseca Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Juicy, spicy with earthy notes. Quality wine at a great price. 94/100.
Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, blackberry, mulberry, red currants, black & red peppers, Shitake mushrooms, basil, cassis, licorice & leather.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: This is the entry level Domini to José Maria’s premium wine Domini Plus, which is one of my favourite red wines.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Chanfana
Cost: $19.95 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Sparkling Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: France Region: Alsace Format: 750 mL Producer: Cave de Beblenheim Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Subtle flavours with elegance. 94/100.
Tasting Note: Rose gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Light brioche & yeast, strawberry, cherry, Fuji apples, clementine & vanilla custard.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Strawberry, Tomato & Fennel Gazpacho.
Cost: $22.95 Grape: 55% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz, 15% Sousão Category: Red Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Portugal Region: Douro Format: 750 mL Producer: Quadrus Alcohol: 14.0 % Alcohol/Vol.
Beautifully made with bramble fruit & spiciness. 91/100.
Tasting Note: Medium+ ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Black cherry, raspberry, loganberry, blackberry, licorice, nutmeg, black peppercorn & cedar.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years on its own or pair it with smoked brisket
Twilight Wines 