Category Archives: Recommended

LOUIS BOUILLOT PERLE NOIRE BLANC DE NOIRS BRUT, NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, Bourgogne, France

31 Sunday Jul 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Recommended, Sparkling Wine

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Cost: $18.00 (Sale Price until Aug 14, 2022: $16.00)
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Bourgogne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Louis Bouillot
Alcohol: 11.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A Blanc de Noir from Bordeaux made in the traditional method for $18, hard to say no to this sparkler. Score: 89/100

Tasting Note: Light straw in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Yeast, brioche, peach, pear, lemon zest, toasted almonds & toasted buttered bread.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Originally reviewed June 6, 2018

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with Sushi.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best buy

Tasted: July 31, 2022

LCBO: 464776

CHÂTEAU LA VARIÈRE CABERNET D’ANJOU CUVÉE DU ROSSIGNOL 2020, AOP Cabernet D’Anjou, Loire Valley, France

01 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, Rosés

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Cost: $15.99 CI
Grape: Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Rosé Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: Cabernet D’Anjou, Loire Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Château La Varière
Alcohol: 11.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A simple but pleasant semi-sweet rosé. Score: 87/100

Tasting Note: Pale copper in colour with medium acidity, medium nose & an average length on the finish. This wine features: Peach, Anjou Pear, papaya, lemon drop on the finish & orange blossom on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this now or in a couple of years on its own or pair it with spicy foods.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: July 1, 2022

DECOY CHARDONNAY 2018, California, United States of America

27 Monday Jun 2022

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $27.99 CI
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: United States of America
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Decoy Wines
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.

Balanced Cali Chard. Score: 88/100

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, kumquat, Mandarin orange, pineapple, golden apple, pear, butterscotch, vanilla, wet stone & lemon zest on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with jerk chicken

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: June 26, 2022

JOSEPH DROUHIN MÂCON-LUGNY LES CRAYS, AOC Mâcon-Lugny, Burgundy, France

21 Tuesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $18.99 CI
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: Mâcon-Lugny, Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Maison Joseph Drouhin
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Fresh and light with a very pleasant aftertaste. Score: 90/100

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, red apples, ginger, limestone & white flowers on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Aged in stainless steel vats for 6-8 months. Normally I would use a Chablis style glass, but I found that the Montrachet style worked better as it didn’t have a bitter peach pit taste.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 2-3 years on its own or pair it with vegetable & prawn wok

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: June 18, 2022

TORRESELLA ROSÉ PROSECCO NV, DOC Prosecco, North East Italy

18 Saturday Jun 2022

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

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Cost: $23.99 CI
Grape: Glera, Pinot Nero
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: Italy
Region: North-East Italy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Torresella
Alcohol: 11.5% Alcohol/Vol.

An excellent wine to pair with Asian foods. Score: 90/100

Tasting Note: Pale copper in colour with good acidity, a low intense nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Strawberry, tangerine, Pink Lady apples & spun sugar.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: “The glera off the skins for 7–8 days at a temperature of 16 °C, and the pinot nero on the skins for 6–7 days. The cuvée is assembled just before second fermentation and the percentage of pinot nero may vary from 10 to 15% depending on the vintage. The second fermentation and subsequent resting on the lees require at least 60 days in order to obtain a fine, persistent bead and more stable colour over time.” (Winery)

Pairings: Drink this now or in 2-3 years on its own or pair it with Bibimbap Bulgogi beef, marinated shitake mushrooms, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, topped with a sunny side egg.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: June 14, 2022

CHÂTEAU FUISSÉ SAINT-VÉRAN 2108, AC Saint-Véran, Mâconnais, Burgundy, France

14 Tuesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $26.99 CI
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: Saint-Véran, Mâconnais, Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Château-Fuissé
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Citric tropical notes followed by sour notes. Score: 88/100

Tasting Note: Light old gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach pit, pear, acacia, orange peel, hazelnut, sour dough, honey, vanilla & smoked notes on the nose.

Interesting Point:

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with trout with lemon, dill & butter.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: June 13, 2022

KEW VINEYARDS OLD VINE CHARDONNAY 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

09 Thursday Jun 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $23.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kew Vineyards
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Creamy style Chard with both citric & tropical notes. Score: 89/100

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, a low intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green & yellow apples, pear, pineapple, mango ginger, limestone, vanilla & oak spice

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with crab Alfredo

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: June 7, 2022

LCBO: 43874

VILLA MARIA PRIVATE BIN CHARDONNAY 2020, East Coast, New Zealand

30 Monday May 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $18.05 (Sale price until June 19, 2022: $16.05)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: New Zealand
Region: East Coast
Format: 750 mL
Producer: William Maria
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A crispness of citric fruit followed by some creaminess on the finish. Score: 89/100

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green apples, pear, pineapple, yellow pitahaya, ginger, vanilla & some smoke on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with rotisserie chicken.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: May 29, 2022

LCBO: 13293

FREI BROTHERS RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2019, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States of America

26 Thursday May 2022

Posted by in Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $26.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Frei Brothers
Alcohol: 13.9% Alcohol/Vol.

Nice to see a Russian River Valley Chard that has complexity yet under 14.5% alcohol. Score: 89/100.

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon meringue, green & yellow apples, pear, pineapple, cantaloupe, orange, ginger, buttered toast, butterscotch, vanilla & honeycomb

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: This may have gone by the commercially typical Cali Chard; flabby & one dimensional, but the cool winds in the Valley also bring out the citric notes which balances the warm climate & oak notes.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with Moroccan Olive Oil & Orange Chicken.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: May 25, 2022

LCBO: 317891

QUADRUS RED 2015, DOC Douro, Portugal

21 Saturday May 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Recommended, Red Wines

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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

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: May 18, 2022

LCBO: 15663