Category Archives: Non LCBO Wine

JOSÉ MARIA da FONSECA & VAN ZELLER, DOMINI PLUS 2005, Duoro, Portugal

29 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $42.99 CI
Grape Variety: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Jacques Scott Wines)
Country: Portugal
Region: Duoro
Format: 750 mL
Producer: José Maria da Fonseca & Van Zeller
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Blood ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: This is one of my favourite wines. When I travel to the Caymans I always try to pick up a few bottles as the LCBO doesn’t sell it. Sad, very very sad. A complex wine made from grapes normally used to make Port. It features cedar, plums, raisins, blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, MacIntosh apples, anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, thyme, red & black peppers, and some earthiness. Medium to full body, medium to medium+ tannins with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Not sold in Ontario!

Interesting Point: The bottle is heavy with a unique shape that I like.

Drink now or over the next 2-3 years on its own or pair it with a rack of lamb.

Tasted: 24 Sept 12

Top Pick

Score: 9.5, Value: 9.5/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 5

FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO FALANGHINA 2010, DOC Campania, Italy

25 Saturday Aug 2012

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Cost: $24.99 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: Falanghina
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Jacque Scott)
Country: Italy
Region: Campania
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Feudi Di San Gregorio
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.
Positives: Feudi Di San Gregorio makes my favourite Falanghina. A nicely crisp wine featuring notes of peach, lemon/lime, tangerines, a touch of mango, pink grapefruit and limestone. Medium minus body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: Feudi Di San Gregorio is one of my favourite Italian wineries. Their labels feature mosaics that are very beautiful. Lastly, the Falanghina grape is one of Italy’s oldest grape brought from Greece and used by the Romans.

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

Tasted: 24 Aug 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

BERINGER NAPA VALLEY VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY 2008, Napa Valley, California

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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Beringer Chardonnay 2008, Napa Valley Bottle

Cost: $21.99 (Cayman Islands)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Jacques Scott)
Country: United States
Region: Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Beringer
Alcohol: 14.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in the colour with a medium+ intensity.

Positives: Toasted oak, buttery, lemon zest, tangerines, light smokiness, roasted marshmallows, peach, cashews and limestone. Full body, good acidy and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: LCBO Vintage did carry this Chard.

Drink now on its own or pair it with lobster and drawn butter.

Tasted: 20 Aug 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

MICHEL PICARD GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 2009, Burgundy, France

12 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines

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Cost: $29.99 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Tortuga)
Country: France
Region: Gevry-Chambertin, Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Michel Picard
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium minus ruby in colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: Lots of spice going here with cinnamon, nutmeg, sandalwood, peppercorn along with cedar blackberry and blueberry. Medium body, low tannins, high acidity and a short length.

Negatives: Unfortunately the taste falls short of the nose. The wine is astringent.

Interesting Things: Michel Picard is a well known producer of fine French wines.

Drink now or over the next 5 years & pair it with roasted red peppers.

Tasted: 11 Aug 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3.5

 

 

ACADIA “A” CHARDONNAY, 2008 California

12 Sunday Aug 2012

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Cost: $18.99 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Jacque Scott)
Country: United States
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Acacia
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: This is not your big commercially produced plain Jane Chardonnay from California. In fact, it’s quite restrained, simple but eloquent showing light toasted oak, butter, spice, lemon, apple & nutmeg, peach. Medium+ body, good acidity and a good length.

Negatives: A little heat which makes me think this may be higher than the stated 13.5% on the bottle.

Drink now on its own or pair it with chicken Parmesan.

Tasted: 11 Aug 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

SANTA ANA SPARKLING EXTRA BRUT NV, Maipú, Argentina

11 Saturday Aug 2012

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Cost: $17.99 (Cayman Islands)
Grape Variety: 80% Chardonnay 20% Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands (Blackbeard’s)
Country: Argentina
Region: Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, Mendoza.
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bodegas Santa Ana
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Yellow in colour with fine mousse & a medium intense nose.

Positives: A delightful sparkling wine featuring lemon, apple, brioche, ginger, English cucumber and pineapple. Medium body, good acidity and a medium length.

Negatives: A slight wateriness is detected.

Interesting Things: A very good sparkling made in the Charmat method & 120 days under sur lie.

Drink now on its own or pair it with cheddar cheese flavoured sourdough hard pretzels.

Tasted: 11 Aug 12

Best Buy

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9.5/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4+

VILAFONTÉ SERIES M 2004, Paarl, South Africa

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Cost: $48.85 (Cayman Islands)
Grape Variety: 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 25% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands
Country: South Africa
Region: Paarl
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vilafonté
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: A rich complex wine featuring cedar, plums, bramble fruit, blueberry pie, cloves, anise, fennel, brett, dried sage, ripe papaya, espresso, cocoa, vanilla bean, tobacco leaves, bacon, black cherry & Christmas cake on the finish. Full body, good acidity and a very long length.

Negatives: A little heat from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Things: Decant for an hour and the 2004 is showing better than the 2006. (See my earlier review on the 2006)

Drink now on its own or pair it with rosemary & garlic seasoned rack of lamb.

Tasted: 7 Aug 12

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

TSARINE PREMIER CRU 2002,

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Champagne, Non LCBO Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $71.50 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: 78% Pinot Noir & 22% Chardonnay
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: À Reims
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Chanoine
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light yellow with a green ting in colour with a fine mousse & a medium minus intense nose.

Positives: A very smooth Champagne in which grapefruit dominates along with butter notes, rose petals, cloves, light brioche, limestone, baked apples, cinnamon stick & pepper. Medium+ body, good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: Tortuga had this champagne at 50% off, which is a steal. I love the bottle and the history of this Champagne house:

History:

The French language echoes through the palace corridors in Saint Petersburg, Parisian fashion is all the rage, interesting discussions take place on the major works of the age of enlightenment. At this period, Russian high society took a liking to French culture, and especially to its finest illsutration: champagne.

Introduced to the court of the Empress Anna Ivanovna, it quickly became the guest of honour at all banquets, especially at the table of Catherine the Great and the highest nobility in the Empire.

It is to pay tribute to this period in Russian history that Maison Chanoine, founded in 1730, created Tsarine Champagne.

Its exclusively designed, long, curved bottle bears certain similarities to the architecture of the great Russian monuments. Its emblematic colours, its rounded label and its evocative name are all redolent of the period of the great Russian dynasties.

Drink now on its own or pair it with cheese, mushroom, tomato, shallots & red pepper omelette.

Tasted: 5 Aug 12

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5+

RUSTRIDGE RACEHORSE RED 2005, Napa Valley, California

04 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines

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Cost: $29.88 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon 34% Zinfandel
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands
Country: United States
Region: Chiles Valley, Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: RustRidge
Alcohol: 14.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Plum, dark cherry, tobacco leaf, leather, pencil shavings and blackberries. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: This might be past its prime as the green notes dominate over the fruit.

Drink now and pair it with a heavy protein meal like steak.

Tasted: 2 Aug 12

Score: 8+/10, Value: 8/10, Total: 16+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3

CHATEAU FONTENIL 2000, Fronsac, France

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines

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Château Fontenil 2006, Ac Fronsac Bottle

Cost: $51.70 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: Bordeaux Right Bank Blend
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: Fronsac, Bordeaux RightBank
Format: 750 ml
Producer: M. et D. Rolland
Alcohol: 13.5%

Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Lots of blueberry followed by liquorice, blackberry, dark cherry, cloves, nutmeg, leather, bramble fruit, pipe tobacco and tobacco leaves. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: LCBO has the 2006 vintage (567404) in stock now.

Drink now on its own or pair it with grilled tenderloin steak.

Tasted: 1 Aug 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4+