Category Archives: Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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

CLARENDELLE ROUGE 2015, AC Bordeaux, France

10 Thursday Sep 2020

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

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: 83% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Clarence Dillion Wines
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Impressive: If you want a $50 Bordeaux wine, but pay half the price, then this wine is it. Score: 95/100

Tasting Note: Medium ruby to garnet in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, round tannin & a long length on the finish. Wine features plum, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, pomegranate, blackcurrants, anise, licorice, leather, anise, pipe tobacco, Allspice & sandalwood.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Love the bottle: elegant & classic.

Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 yrs. on its own or pair it with Beef bourguignon.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: September 10, 2020

LCBO: 28837

CAMPILLO BLANCO FERMENTADO EN BARRICA 2018, DOC Rioja, Spain

10 Monday Aug 2020

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

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Cost: $18.95
Grape: 75% Viura (Macabeo), 25% Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bodegas Campillo
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

This reminds me of sitting outside at a restaurant on the waterfront in the Cayman Islands feeling the Caribbean saltwater breeze on my face & having some calamari with some Scotch Bonnet sauce. Score: 92/100

Tasting Note: Straw with a green ting in colour with good acidity, a low intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon-lime, green apples, pear, mango, white peach, vanilla, eucalyptus & limestone.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 4-6 of years on its own or pair it with calamari.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: August 9, 2020

LCBO: 657478

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE BRUT RIESLING, NV, Traditional Method, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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

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Cost: $26.95
Grape: Riesling
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Could this be the best traditional made Riesling sparkling wine in Canada? Well, I don’t know as I’ve never tasted every one of them, but in the ones that I have & lets include Blanc de Blancs sparkling wines in general & further add that’s it’s under $27, this is definitely one of the best. Score: 93/100

Tasting Note: Straw with a green ting in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lime, green apples, pear & limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: I just love the colour coding labels the Teaching Winery is using for their sparkling wines.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 7-9 of years on its own or pair it with cucumber gazpacho, especially the one from the Teaching Winery food truck’s chef; Tarun makes.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: August 9, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY TRADITIONAL METHOD ROSÉ, NV, VQA Niagara-On-The-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

02 Sunday Aug 2020

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

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Cost: $28.95
Grape: Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-On-The-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Niagara College Teaching Winery winemaker; Gavin Robertson, has outdid himself with his new traditional method Rosé sparkling wine, & I am putting it as one of Canada’s top Rosé sparkling wines that I have the pleasure of tasting.

Tasting Note: Pale salmon in colour with a fine mouse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features light yeast, strawberry, red apples, pear, kiwi & hazelnut.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: The Teaching Winery now has 4 sparkling wines (Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Rosé & Riesling. The Riesling sparkling I will be reviewing next Sunday), & I love the colour labeling of all 4 wines.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Cajun spiced fries, especially made by the Teaching Winery chef; Tarun, from his food truck now on the premise serving excellent food.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Score: 95/100

Tasted: August 2, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE CABERNET FRANC 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

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: $18.95
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

It infrequently happens when I give a wine under $19 with a Top Pick, (Price Not Withstanding), & this Cab Franc gets into that category as the wine exudes elegance with mouth-watering fruits, spice & beautiful fragrant violets on the nose.

Tasting Note: Light to medium ruby in colour with good acidity, an intense nose, smooth tannin & a long length on the finish. Wine features bramble fruit, red currants, plum, white pepper, arugula & violets on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Have it slightly chilled to 17-18 C in order to bring out even more of the freshness of the fruit.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with arugula & prosciutto wood oven pizza.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 29, 2020

ANTHONIJI RUPERT L’OMARINS BLANC DE BLANCS 2013, Méthode Cap Classique, Western Cape, South Africa

27 Monday Jul 2020

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

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Anthonij Rupert Wyne
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A delightful vintage Blanc de Blancs that is lip-smacking taut, zesty & crisp with fresh fruits & some stone minerality. If this was made in Champagne the cost would be 3 times as high.

Tasting Note: Medium straw in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon zest, pink grapefruit, pear, green apple, peach, orange & sandstone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Love the classic label & bottle etching.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with seared pork chops with spicy peach sauce.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 26, 2020

LCBO: 15681

GRUET SPARKLING BRUT ROSÉ NV, Méthode Champenoise, New Mexico, United States of America

19 Sunday Jul 2020

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

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Cost: $26.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: New Mexico
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Gruet Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Kudos to the LCBO to bring this sparkling to Ontario so we can experience wines from throughout the US & in this case, New Mexico. Let me just add, this is a wonderful Blanc de Noirs

Tasting Note: Pale salmon hue in colour with fine creamy mousse, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features brioche, light yeast, strawberry, Spy apple, pear, Rainier cherry & shale.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Their story is of French roots and American dreams. https://www.gruetwinery.com/heritage

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 7-10 of years on its own or pair it with spicy seafood paella.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: July 19, 2020

LCBO: 15686

ANGELS GATE MOUNTAINVIEW CHARDONNAY 2015, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

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

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Cost: $23.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Angels Gate Estate Winery
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Welcome Angels Gate to the Ontario wineries having excellent Chards & this one is complex, elegant with creamy buttery notes, not overtly oaky, good acidity & tropical fruit to balance it out

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features buttered toast, lemon, clementine, Fuji apple, peach, pineapple, mango, honeydew melon, caramel, honey, vanilla, oak spice, flint minerality & Easter Lily on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Thanks to my friend, Mike who recommended this wine.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4 of years on its own or pair it with crab Alfredo.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: July 15, 2020

LCBO: 116384

LOUIS BOUILLOT PERLE D’IVOIRE BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT, NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, AOC Crémant de Bourgogne, France

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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

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Cost: $19.95 (Clearance Price: $16.00)
Grape: Predominantly Chardonnay with Aligoté
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Crémant de Bourgogne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Louis Bouillot
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

LB consistently produces excellent quality Blanc de Blancs at a great price, and this bottle is no exception. “Full and rounded in the mouth, with a certain vivacity, and complex secondary aromas that evolve over time, delighting the taste buds” LB

Tasting Note: Straw in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features light toasted buttery brioche, lemon, green apples, Anjou pear, limestone and white roses on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Originally tasted Sept 25, 2016, and it has the same quality & notes as today.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 8-10 of years on its own or pair it with cranberry Pecan baked Brie.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: July 12, 2020 (Happy birthday to my mom turning 94)

LCBO: 48801

MAZZEI BELGAVARDO TIRRENICO 2016, DOC Maremma, Toscana, Italy

08 Wednesday Jul 2020

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

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Cost: $29.95 (Clearance Price: $24.00
Grape: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Alicante, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Maremma, Toscana
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Mazzei
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A great price for a quality wine full of flavour, structure & balance

Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, balanced tannin & a long length on the finish. Wine features sour cherry, blackcurrants, blackberries, plum, strawberries, turmeric, arugula, sage, cassis, leather & pencil shavings.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: “The Tyrrhenian Sea derived its name from the population of the “Tyrrhenoi”, better known as the Etruscans, who led by Prince Tyrrhenus landed on the coast of Southern Tuscany. This charismatic blend bears the name “Tirrenico” because its native vineyards overlook the sea and benefit from its breezes.” Mazzei

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 8-12 of years on its own or pair it with pasta with game sauce, white meat stews, baked vegetables.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: July 8, 2020

LCBO: 12093