Category Archives: Red Wines

LA MONTECCHIA CA’EMO MERLOT/CABERNET 2009, DOCG Veneto, Italy

03 Thursday Oct 2013

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Caemo

Cost: $15.75
Grape Variety: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Format: 750 mL
Producer: La Montecchia
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A simple yet pleasant wine. The nose is more inviting than the taste.

Positives: This wine features cedar, sour cherry, blackcurrants, blackberry, radicchio, sage, oregano, leather and cocoa. Medium body and tannins with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: Slightly watery and a bitter note on the finish. However, the next day there was no bitterness.

Interesting Point: The owner of the winery is Count Umbero Capodilista whose family can be traced back to the late 10th Century.

Drink now on it own or pair it with pizza.

Tasted: 30 Sept 2013

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 316141

CHATEAU ST. JEAN PINOT NOIR 2011, California, United States

03 Thursday Oct 2013

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Chateau_St._Jean_Pinot_Noir_2011_web

Cost: $19.95 (Clearance Price: $16.00)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: St. Jean
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep ruby with a slight garnet tinge in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A simple yet flavourable Pinot

Positives: This wine features cedar, cloves, cinnamon, cranberry, BBQ lit coals and autumn forest leaves. Medium body with low tannins, good acidity and a fairly long length

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next year on its own or have it with Thanksgiving dinner.

Tasted: 29 Sept 2013

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Clearance Price: 9/10) Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 308221

VILLA MORA MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO 2006, DOCG Umbria, Italy

28 Saturday Sep 2013

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VILLA_MORA_MONTEFALCO_SAGRANTINO_web

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Sagrantino
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Umbria
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Villa Mora
Alcohol: 15.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A wonderful & complex wine for under $20. Simply beautiful.

Positives: The wine features spiced oak, plum, dark cherry, fig, raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, leather, walnut, tobacco, cigar box, anise, cloves and cinnamon. Full body with dry tannins, good acidity, very long length and the alcohol is well intergraded and surprising since it’s 15.5%.

Negatives: At first you may experience some bitterness on the mid palate, but if you decant for 30 minutes to an hour it should dissipate.

Interesting Point: I describe this wine as a cross between a Napa Valley Cab and a very good Portuguese Douro Red.

Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with aged steak.

Tasted: 28 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

LCBO: 342394

MARQUÉS De MURRIETA RESERVA 2006, Rioja, Spain

12 Thursday Sep 2013

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Marques

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Marqués De Murrieta
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium light ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A classic Rioja Tempranillo for under $25

Positives: This wine features cedar, sandalwood, pastrami, plum, Allspice, dark cherry, dark chocolate and some leather on the finish. Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 12 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

LCBO: 209148

TAR & ROSES TEMPRANILLO 2011, Heathcote/Alpine Valleys, Victoria, Australia

06 Friday Sep 2013

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Tar

Cost: $20.50
Grape Variety: Tempranillo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Heathcote/Alpine Valleys (Victoria)
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tar and Roses
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium to light ruby with a touch of garnet in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A nice surprise having a Tempranillo from Australia that tastes like it was from Spain.

Positives: This wine features cedar, sandalwood, lots of sour cherry, blackberry, licorice, rose petals, cloves, rosemary and sage. Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the 5 next years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 6 Sept 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 280198

SIMI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, Alexander Valley, California, United States

06 Friday Sep 2013

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Simi

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Alexander Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Simi Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Nothing exciting about this wine.

Positives: This wine features lots of cedar, blackberry, cocoa, blackcurrant, graphite, turmeric and leather. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: Too much oak.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 5 Sept 2013

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 25221

GEYSER PEAK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008, Alexander Valley, California, United States

30 Friday Aug 2013

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Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Alexander Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Geyser Peak Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Now this is what I’m talking about! A quality California Cab that’s yummy and less than 14% alcohol.

Positives: This wine features cedar, pine cones, cloves, blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and some leather & pencil shavings on the finish. Medium+ body with medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with rib eye steak.

Tasted: 29 Aug 2013

Best Buy & Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO: 343467

LAILEY MERLOT 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

26 Monday Aug 2013

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Lailey

Cost: $25.00 (Clearance: $20.05)
Grape Variety: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lailey Vineyards
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A juicy Merlot of good quality

Positives: This wine features cedar, plums, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, star anise, cinnamon, forest greens, oregano, sage, and radicchio. Medium+ body with green tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Right now a little too green.

Although you can drink this wine now after decanting for an hour, it should mellow over the next 2-5 years. Preference would be to drink this with a rib-eye steak, medium-rare.

Tasted: 25 Aug 2013

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Clearance price: 9/10) Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 591396

SANTA RITA RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010, Maipo Valley, Chile

26 Monday Aug 2013

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Santa Rita

Cost: $13.95 (Sale price until Sept 15, 2013: $12.45)
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vina Santa Rita
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ bright ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Full flavoured wine but one-dimensional. However, you can’t argue with the sale price either.

Positives: Oak and pine mix with blackcurrants, menthol, blackberry, arugula and tobacco leaves. Medium+ body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with beef Wellington.

Tasted: 26 Aug 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Sale price: 9/10) Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

LCBO: 253872

CHAPEL HILL SHIRAZ 2010, McLaren Vale, Australia

25 Sunday Aug 2013

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Chapel Hill Shiraz

Cost: $26.95 (Clearance: $21.60)
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: McLaren Vale
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Chapel Hill Winery
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Quality wine that is well balanced at a reasonable price, and a best buy if you can get it at the clearance price.

Positives: This wine features well-integrated oak, plums, red & black pepper, blackberry, cinnamon, vanilla, fruitcake, espresso & licorice. Full body with medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Holy hot Batman! The 14.5% alcohol feels hotter than that.

Drink now or over the next 7 years on its own or pair it with peppercorn steak.

Tasted: 24 Aug 2013

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10 (Clearance price: 9+/10) Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 743989