Cost: $74.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: United States
Region: Oakville
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Groth Winery
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark venous red in colour with a medium+ nose.

The nose is to die for. I could just sniff this all day long.

Positives: A complex Cab, and it should be for the money. Featuring cedar, blackcurrants, blackberry, star anise, turmeric, leather, plum, black cherry, blueberry, dark chocolate, mocha, and Allspice. Full body with medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch hot from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Notes: Thanks Carol Ann, from WineAlign, for the opportunity to taste this.

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

Tasted: 17 May 13

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 606517

Cost: $15.15 (Sale price $13.15 until May 26, 2013)
Grape Variety: Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon & Mourvèdre
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO General List
Country: United States
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 14 Hands Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A generic red blend that will appeal more to those that like a slight sweetness to their reds.

Positives: Although this is slightly sweet it’s not jammy. The wine features light oak, plums, black cherry cola, chocolate & ripe tamarinds. Medium to medium+ body average tannins and acidity with fairly long length.

Negatives: Too sweet for me.

Drink now on its own or pair it with BBQ chips.

Tasted: 15 May 13

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8/10 (Sale price 8.5/10) Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO: 226522

Cost: $38.50 (Clearance price $30.85)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: New Zealand
Region: Central Otago
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tarras Vineyards
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium minus garnet to ruby in colour with a medium intense nose.

Not a typical Central Otago due to its muted flavours, and I would have preferred this wine to be under $25.

Positives: Pine notes give to cranberry, pomegranate, cherry, mulberry, blackberry and earthly notes of forest underbrush & smoked ambers. Medium+ body with medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Decant for an hour and chill it to 15C.

Drink now on its own or pair it with seared tuna with tomato, scallop & chilly pepper couscous.

Tasted: 2 May 13

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

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

LCBO: 287219

Cost: $37.00 (Clearance price $29.65)
Grape Variety: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: France
Region: Haut-Médoc
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Chateau D’Arsac
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: A cloudy medium+ garnet to ruby in colour with a medium minus intense nose.

An easy drinking Bordeaux wine that is worth the clearance price.

Positives: This wine is more in the tertiary phase presenting soft oak, mushroom, sage, turmeric, thyme, fennel, leather, graphite, arugula with some blackberry, plum and dark cherry.  Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Chateau D’Arsac has an interesting concept by having a wine maker throughout the world carve out his/her knish by using their technique from start to finish, but the only constant is that it comes from the terroir of Chateau D’Arsac. This is Cuvée 3 comes from the Italian winemaker Andrea Franchetti, whose picture is on the label. On a blind I would have guessed it to be a Tuscan IGT wine.

Drink now on its own or pair it with Beef Wellington.

Tasted: 4 May 13

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

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

LCBO: 102301

Cost: $23.95 (Sale price $19.20)
Grape Variety: 75% Carmenere, 20% Syrah, 5% Carignan
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: Chile
Region: Cachapoal Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Santa Ema Vineyards
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep ruby in colour with an intense nose.

I feel the sale price is the proper price for this wine.

Positives: An intense wine featuring cedar, black currants, peppercorn, cherry, tamarind, leather, tomato leaf, sage & eucalyptus. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch hot from the 14% alcohol.

Interesting Notes: Santa Ema is a sustainable winery. Amplus is Latin meaning: important, honourable, eminent, & distinguished.

Drink now on its own or pair it with mustard crusted lamb chops with mint sauce.

Tasted: 1 May 13

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5 Total: 17.5/20

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

LCBO: 169987

Cost: $29.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: United States
Region: Wahluke Slope, Washington St
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Constellation Brands Inc
Alcohol: 14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium garnet in colour and medium+ intense nose.

Positives: A lighter style of Cab showing medium oak, mushrooms, black currants, spinach, leather, pencil shavings, turmeric, sage and an undertone of plums and cherry. Medium body with tight tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A little heat on the finish from the 14.3% alcohol.

Drink now on its own or pair it with Beef Stroganoff with Shitake mushrooms.

Tasted: 23 April 13

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

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

LCBO: 301358