05 Wednesday May 2021
Posted in Not Recommended
Cost: $19.95 (Sale price: $17.95 until May 23, 2021)
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Stoneleigh Vineyards
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Awful; like eating rotten beets. Score: Not worth scoring.
11 Thursday Mar 2021
Posted in Not Recommended, Red Wines
Cost: $13.95
Grape: Grenache Noir and Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: France
Region: Côtes Du Rhône
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Cellier Des Dauphins
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
A simple wine with ripe fruits & spice. Taste more like an Australian Shiraz. Score: 79/100
Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, mild tannin, a medium intense nose & an average length on the finish. This wine features: dried prunes, ripe tamarins, cloves, white pepper, sage & eucalyptus.
Negatives: Some heat coming from the listed 13.5% alcohol, plus too much ripeness.
Interesting Point: Use Bordeaux style wine stemware as when I tried with Syrah style one, the wine showed a lot of jammy cooked notes.
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next couple of years on its own or pair it with Lamb Steak in Mint Sauce
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: March 10, 2021
LCBO: 385385
03 Wednesday Mar 2021
Posted in Not Recommended, White Wines
Cost: $19.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Margaret River
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Robert Oakley
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
As 2017 was a great vintage, 2018 is very bad. Over ripened fruits across the board. 75/100
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & an average length on the finish. This wine features: marzipan, over ripened orange, over ripened papaya & over ripened banana.
Negatives: Over ripened fruits
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: March 2, 2021
LCBO: 350900
20 Saturday Feb 2021
Posted in Not Recommended, White Wines
Cost: $13.95
Grape: Viognier
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Alvi’s Drift
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Crisp & very dry not typical of what you would expect or want from a Viognier. Score: 85 /100
Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity, an intense nose, & a fairly long length on the finish. This wine features: lemon-lime, grapefruit & orange pith.
Negatives: Too much bitterness & very dry
Interesting Point: The bottle has a gold label on it “2019 Gold Wine Award in Excellent Wine at the Price”. All tasting is very subjective, but this one doesn’t even touch taste just price.
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next couple of years & pair it with Southeast Asian Grapefruit & Shrimp Salad.
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: February 19, 2021
LCBO: 18687
20 Wednesday Jan 2021
Posted in Not Recommended, Red Wines
Cost: $19.95
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Petit Verdot
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Cycles Gladiator
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
This is a simple but an intense, in your face Cab blend. However, the wine doesn’t know what it wants to be & therefore not worth the price point. Score: 84/100
Tasting Note: Dark ruby in colour with good acidity, an intense nose, smooth tannin & a long length on the finish. Wine features blackcurrants, raspberry, plum, black candy licorice & dates.
Negatives: A little too intense for me in a negative way as its emphasis the black licorice & sweetness that I don’t like
Interesting Point: “Inspired by the women’s suffrage movement, we drew our name from the 19th century French bicycle manufacturer, the Gladiator Company, and honor their iconic art on our wine label. The red-haired maiden soaring through the sky on her bicycle symbolized the new liberation of women from their homes after centuries of repression. Bicycles, as Susan B. Anthony praised, literally emancipated women from domesticity, allowing them to travel outside their households to work and vote.” Cycles Gladiator
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3-5 years & pair it with Blackstrap Molasses BBQ Beef Ribs
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: January 19, 2021
LCBO: 16481
09 Saturday Jan 2021
Posted in Not Recommended, Red Wines
Cost: $13.95
Grape: Petite Syrah, Zinfandel
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Mexico
Region: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: L.A. Cetto
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
I always like to find the positive in everything, no matter how bad it is, so this wine is better than turpentine. Score: Not worth scoring. Not Recommended
Tasted: January 7, 2021
LCBO: 983742
25 Sunday Oct 2020
Posted in Not Recommended, White Wines
Cost: $15.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Costers Del Segre
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Raimat
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Lots of orange pith makes this very linear. Score: 84/100
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with high acidity, a medium intense nose & a good length on the finish. Wine features orange pith, lemon & green apples.
Negatives: Too sour
Interesting Point: Organic wine
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next couple of years & pair it with grilled shrimp.
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: October 25, 2020
LCBO: 15413
23 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Canadian Wines, Not Recommended, White Wines
Cost: $16.95 (Sale price until Oct 1, 2020: $14.95)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Henry of Pelham
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Although there is a lot going on with this wine it doesn’t know if it wants to be a commercial California style Chard or a cool climate Chard. Score: 84/100
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with average acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, marzipan, peach, pear, green & yellow apples, ripe pineapple, orange, and passion fruit.
Negatives: There’s a touch of sweetness that has a lingering finish, plus I’m not a fan of marzipan.
Interesting Point: In a glass, I blended this Chard with Niagara Teaching Winery unoaked Chard, & it wasn’t bad, way better than drinking this Chard on its own.
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next couple of years on its own or pair it with slow cooked chicken with filled figs.
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: September 22, 2020
LCBO: 16792
11 Tuesday Aug 2020
Posted in Not Recommended, White Wines
Cost: $17.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: United States of America
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Columbia Crest
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Years ago, this wine was one of my favourite Chards under $20. Today, with still being 2106 vintage, it’s past its prime, in fact it needs to be put out to pasture. Score: 75/100
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with average acidity, a medium+ intense nose & an average length on the finish. Wine features lemon curd, butterscotch, cooked apples, banana, cantaloupe & lots of oak.
Negatives: Over ripe fruit with oak being at the forefront
Pairings: I wouldn’t drink this now.
My Opinion: Not Recommended
Tasted: August 10, 2020
LCBO: 462846
24 Wednesday Jun 2020
Posted in Not Recommended, Red Wines
Cost: $13.00 (Sale price until June 21, 2020: $11.50)
Grape: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: Spain
Region: Utiel-Requena
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vicente Gandia
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
I wish I could like this as it’s a great price for an aged Tempranillo. Unfortunately, the taste isn’t there. It’s just “blah”.
Not Recommended
Tasted: June 24, 2020
LCBO: 620989
