Category Archives: Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

In addition to Best Buys, these are my top picks with no consideration to price

VAUCHER PÈRE & FILS FLEURIE 2020, AC Fleurie, Beaujolais, France

03 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $17.95
Grape: Gamay
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Fleurie, Beaujolais
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Vaucher Père & Fils
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Smooth like silk, now this is what Gamay is supposed to taste like & all at an amazing price. Score: 98/100.

Tasting Note: Light to medium ruby in colour with good acidity, light tannin, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Bing cherries, strawberry, raspberry, nectarines,

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Chill the wine to 15C & use a balloon style glassware. Fleurie is named after a Roman general, Floricum, rather than for any floral traits in the wine.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 2-4 years on its own or pair it with escargot.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: August 1, 2022

LCBO: 534339

LES VINS DE VIENNE JEANRAUDE LIEU-DIT CONDRIEU 2019, AOC Condrieu, France

22 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Highly Recommended, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $82.00
Grape: Viognier
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Condrieu, Northern Rhône
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Les Vins de Vienne
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Smooth, powerful yet elegant & delicious. Score: 98/100.

Tasting Note: Bright light gold in colour with good acidity, light to medium intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Apricot, peach, honeydew melon, Jonagold apples, Anjou pear, star fruit (Carambola), vanilla, & acacia & honeysuckle on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Ageing: 9 months on lees in French oak barrels and tuns.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 6-7 years on its own or pair it with pike quenelles in Crayfish sauce.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: July 20, 2022

LCBO: 21406

VENTOUX GRANDE RÉSERVE DES CHALLIÈRES 2020, AOC Ventoux, Southern Rhône, France

19 Tuesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Amazing Buys, Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $12.40 (Sale price until July 17, 2022: $10.40)
Grape: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: France
Region: Ventoux, Southern Rhône
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bonpas
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.


Best under $13 red I’ve tried to date. Smooth, elegant, light to medium body, nice balance of fruit & light spice. Score: 93/100.

Tasting Note: Light to medium ruby in colour with good acidity & medium intense nose, soft tannin & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Black cherry, raspberry, mulberry, black olives, thyme, baby spinach & vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: “The south-facing slopes of Mont Ventoux in the Vaucluse, which rises to 1,912 meters covering almost 6,700 hectares. The terroir is made of Limestone and marly scree.” Winery

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

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Amazing Buy, Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 18, 2022

LCBO: 20865

STELLER’S JAY MOUNTAIN JAY BRUT SPARKLING WINE 2017, Méthode Classique, VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

11 Monday Jul 2022

Posted by in Highly Recommended, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $29.95 (Clearance price: $24.95)
Grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Steller’s Jay
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Beautiful made with elegance. 93/100

Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity & fine mousse, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Light yeast, brioche, green apples, lemon zest, pear, white peach, strawberry, toasted almonds & fresh cut carnations on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point:

Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Lobster risotto.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy at clearance price

Tasted: July 10, 2022

LCBO: 264879

CHÂTEAU DE VAUGELAS LE PRIEURÉ 2019, AOP Corbières, France

10 Sunday Jul 2022

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Cost: $15.95
Grape: 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 25% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Corbières
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bonfils Vins & Château
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Top notch Corbières; fruity & spicy. Score: 95/100

Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, blueberry, mulberry, plum, licorice, black & white pepper, fennel, olives, leather & violets on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: New label for my favourite Corbières, although I prefer the previous one as it was more classic. See my review of their 2016 vintage.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with PENNE ALLA VODKA Sautéed prosciutto with caramelized onions and tossed in a rosé sauce from Fat Cat Pizza restaurant St. Catharines.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 9, 2022

LCBO: 154617

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY GASTRONOMY UNFILTERED SHIRAZ 2020, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Canada

08 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Not complex but well-made wine at a great price that features dark fruit & spiciness. Score: 95/100

Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with foaminess around the perimeter, good acidity, medium+ intense nose, round tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Mulberry, plum, tamarind, black & white pepper, vanilla,

Negatives: Should be labelled Syrah not Shiraz as it’s not styled in the Australian way.

Interesting Point: The foaminess, which looks like soap, doesn’t seem to affect the wine & expect it’s due to the wine being Unfiltered. From Dr. Vinny from Wine Spectator: “Foam, and bubbles in general, are caused when the surface tension of water is decreased, which is how soap creates so many bubbles. Let’s assume that there isn’t soap in your decanter (but you should be sure you are rinsing them out thoroughly, just to be certain). That means there is something in the wine itself that is affecting the surface tension of the wine or the rinsing water.

There are two sources of surface-tension reduction in wine. The first is a protein that’s present in tannins. I tend to notice the foam phenomenon much more often in red wines than in whites, and there are more tannins in reds. Alcohol (ethanol) also has an effect on surface tension. So, you can expect a tannic, high-alcohol wine to yield the most foam among still wines.”

Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Ribeye Steak.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 7, 2022

PEDRONCELLI CHARDONNAY 2017, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States of America

28 Tuesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Non LCBO Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $18.99 CI
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: United States of America
Region: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pedroncelli
Alcohol: 13.9% Alcohol/Vol.

Probably the smoothest, beautifully made Chard I’ve ever tried, & this is not a complex wine nor a high-end Chard. Lastly, it’s under 14% alcohol. Score: 99/100

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon meringue, mango, Honey Crisp apple, clementine, peach, honeydew melon, dill, nutmeg, light oak spice, vanilla, honeycomb & Easter Lily on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: I find that Dry Creek Valley wines are one of my favourite with white or red wines.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-4 years on its own or pair it with New England Lobster Dip

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: June 27, 2022

DRUMHELLER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018, Columbia Valley, Washington State, United States of America

05 Sunday Jun 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $18.95
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Drumheller Wines
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Beautifully made with a nice blend of fruits & spice without one overpowering the other, which all leads to a silky-smooth finish. Score: 95/100

Tasting Note: Medium to dark ruby with a garnet tinge in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Crème de Cassis, ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, plums, tamarind, cola, turmeric, cassis, Allspice & graphite.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this in the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with braised wild boar shanks with sweet soy sauce & Star Anise.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: June 4, 2022

LCBO: 551473

FLEUR CHARDONNAY CARNEROS SELECT 2018, Carneros, Sonoma Valley, California, United States of America

31 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Carneros, Sonoma Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Fleur de California
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.

Nicely balance between lightly oaked, citric, creaminess & under 14% alcohol with a price that makes this a really great value for the quality. Score: 94/100

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, Granny Smith apples, pear, pineapple, clementine, dill, ginger, meringue, honeycomb & vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: A blend Chardonnays from the estate vineyards with fruit from two other Sonoma Carneros sites. Whole-cluster press, followed by cool fermentation, and six months aging in French oak barrels. Prolonged yeast contact in oak and lees stirring (batonnage) added texture. (Winery notes)

Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 -7 years on its own or pair it with Greek chicken kabobs marinated in olive oil, lemon and tarragon served with Tzatziki and warm pita bread.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: May 30, 2022

LCBO: 311522

JOSÉ MARIA DE FONSECA DOMINI 2018, DOC Douro, Portugal

25 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $17.95
Grape: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Francesa
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro
Format: 750 mL
Producer: José Maria da Fonseca
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Juicy, spicy with earthy notes. Quality wine at a great price. 94/100.

Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, blackberry, mulberry, red currants, black & red peppers, Shitake mushrooms, basil, cassis, licorice & leather.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: This is the entry level Domini to José Maria’s premium wine Domini Plus, which is one of my favourite red wines.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Chanfana

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: May 23, 2022

LCBO: 452730