Category Archives: Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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

CHÂTEAU DE CRUZEAU BLANC, 2007, Pessac-Leognan

25 Thursday Aug 2011

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Château De Cruzeau Blanc 2007, Ac Pessac Léognan Bottle

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Sauvignon blanc
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Pessac-Leognan
Format: 750 mL
Producer: André Lurton
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: 1st off just want to let you know that this is so far my favourite Sauvignon Blanc. Gold in colour with medium+ intensity. The nose has beautiful aromas that has a prominent note of guava followed by gooseberry, hay, lantanas, chalk, green apple & passion fruit. The taste is dry, medium+ acid, medium body with long length & balanced. This wine has been on it lies for 10 months prior to bottling that is evident by the creaminess of this wine. Guava dominates the taste. Other notes are as the nose with addition to edamame, pear, pink grapefruit, dry apricot & golden apples. This an exceptional Sauvignon Blanc for its price considering the complexity. The wine isn’t bone dry like a lot if Sauvignons. Drink now on it’s own or pair it with Sea Bass with white wine sauce on a bed of couscous.

Tasted: 30 July 11

Best buy & top pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 966010

STREWN THREE TERROIR, 2006, Niagara Lakeshore VQA

02 Thursday Jun 2011

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $28.75
Grape Variety: 48% Cab Sauvignon, 48% Merlot & 4% Cab Franc
Category: Wine
Appellation:
Country: Ontario, Canada
Region: Niagara Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada
Format: 750 mL bottle
Producer: Strewn Inc.
Alcohol: 12.8%
Description: Medium minus garnet to ruby in colour. Med+ intensity. The nose is simply delightful. Med oak with cherry pipe tobacco smoke, dill, black olives, strawberries & oyster mushrooms. The taste is dry, med+ tannins & acidity, balanced, long length & med body. On the palate there’s med oak, Bing cherries, strawberries, raspberry, dill, Macintosh apple, pencil shavings, leather, steamed artichoke & slate. This wine is simply marvelous & I especially like that it’s under 13% alcohol, which is good on it’s own or with tenderloin steak.

This is a top pick & an excellent representation of Niagara wine.

Tasted 1 June 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 468918

EMERI PINK MOSCATO, NV, SPARKLING WINE, AUSTRALIA

26 Thursday May 2011

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

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222190_web

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Moscato
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Australia   
Region:
Format: 750 mL
Producer: De Bortoli
Alcohol: 8.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Pale pink in colour with high intensity in the nose, this wine is off-dry sparkling wine that shows vibrant fruits of strawberry, raspberry, and fruit cocktail. A little bit of lemon gives nice acidity on the finish that rounds off this sparkling with a clean finish. With only 8% alcohol this wine is easy to drink by itself or with breaded calamari. This wine is similar to a rosé prosecco, but with more body and less alcohol. Priced accordingly, I put this sparkling wine in my top pick.

Tasted: 18 May 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8/10, Total: 1.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#222190

CASTILLO DE ALMANSA RESERVA, 2006, Spain

11 Wednesday May 2011

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270363_web

Cost: $11.95
Grape Variety: Tempranillo, Monastrell & Grenache
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Spain         
Region: Almansa
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bodegas Piqueras
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description:Med+ intensity of purple to ruby in colour. Highly aromatic showing purple lilacs, dark cherry, vanilla, Christmas cake, Bramble fruit pie, cloves & pine, sambuca & sandalwood . On the palate; medium minus tannins, med acidity, med to full body, balanced with a med+ length. Similar to the nose, there‘s Bramble fruit, Christmas cake, pine, vanilla, dark cherry, fig and plums. I simply love this wine as it’s easy to drink, very pleasant too on the nose and the taste, you can drink on its own or pair with grilled pork chop with sautéed shallots and oyster mushrooms, and it’s only $11.95! (LCBO has it often on sale for $10.95).  

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: 10 May 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#270363

RODNEY STRONG RESERVE, CHARDONNAY, 2007, Russian River Valley

08 Sunday May 2011

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210039_web

Cost: $34.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Long long finish. Complexed Chard. Lemon in the middle of the tongue, fortune cookies, lots of butter popcorn, butterscotch, cloves, spiced apple, Italian spices (fresh sage & dried oregano). Tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, peach, apricot & oranges. Nose & taste. High alcohol diminished my score. Goes well with a lot of foods as it’s very broad in tastings due to it’s complexity. Goes well with Italian wedding soup, red snapper, angel hair with garlic oil & sea scallops, grilled garlic pork chops & caesar salad (as long as the dressing is balanced & not over powering with garlic or anchovies)

My Top Pick

Tasted: March, 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8/10, Total: 17.5

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 210039

TERREDORA CAMPORE FIANO DI AVELLINO, 2008, Italy

05 Thursday May 2011

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Cost: $28.95
Grape Variety: Fiano Di Avellino
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Italy
Region: Campania
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Terre Dora Di Paulo S.S.
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: ‘Terredora is a relatively young property founded in 1994 by Walter Mastroberardino and his family. The estate farms over 150 hectares of vineyards in Campania, making it one of the larger producers in the region. The top wines are rich, flavorful and loaded with character.'(Antonio Galloni, www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)

I’m a big fan of Fiano. This has macadamia nut on palate & taste. Full body, med+ intensity, tropical fruits good mineralogy in limestone. Some orange rind & peach. Good acidity makes it food friendly such as crab with butter or by itself. Truly a treasure.

Tasted: March 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8/10, Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 905596

BERSANO COSTALUNGA BARBERA D’ASTI 2008, Italy

05 Thursday May 2011

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

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348680_web

Cost: $12.00
Grape Variety: Barbera
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Barbera d’Asti
Country: Italy
Region: Piemont
Format: Red Wine
Producer: Bersano-Antico Podere
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Med ruby color with med+ intensity. Sour cherry, smokey, cherry licorice mixed with earth tones on the nose. On the palate true Italian notes of sour cherry, red apple, some cherry licorice, red currants & pomegranate. Med body with a long finish. Med tannins, med+ acidity, balanced. Medium complexity. Drink now, on it’s own or with a veal sandwich. 

Best buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 348680

Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Barossa Valley, South Australia

30 Saturday Apr 2011

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48579_web

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Australia
Region: Barossa
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Treasury Wine Estates
Alcohol: 15.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: This is a typical Barossa wine, big & powerful. Visually it’s inky, opaque & purple to arterial red in colour. Med intensity on the nose that shows cedar, turmeric, anise, cassis, dark chocolate, plums, blackberry, pencil shavings, raspberry, cigar box. Complex nose. On the palate it’s dry, med+ acidity, med+ tannins, full body, long length, there’s heat from the 15.5% alcohol. Complexity on the taste. In addition to the notes on the nose, there’s dark cherry, leather, tar & spinach. This wine needs to be matched with something just as powerful, try porterhouse on the grill. This will be even better with 3-4 yrs cellaring, even though it’s a screw cap. If you drink now I suggest you decant first.

Tasted 29 April 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO# 48579

Stratus WILDASS WHITE, VQA, 2006, Niagara Peninsula

29 Friday Apr 2011

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

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2488_web

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Stratus Vineyards
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description:  Bright gold colour with med+ intensity. Beautiful nose showing lots of dill, Easter Lilly, honeysuckle, wet stone, ginger, orange marmalade & nectarines. The taste is dry with med acidity, med+ length, med alcohol & med minus weight. Dill dominates with Papaya, orange marmalade, nectarine, lemon, ginger, slate & light oak & butteriness. Nice to drink on it’s own or to have with snow crab & drawn butter.

Best Buy

Tasted 28 April 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#85100

EIKENDAL VINEYARDS RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2008, Wo Stellenbosch

27 Wednesday Apr 2011

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984773_web

Cost: $15.75
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Eikendal
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Light gold in colour with medium+ intensity. On the nose I got clove, guava, lemon tart, caramelized sugar, pineapple, peach, pear and light minerality. On the taste, dry, good acidity, balanced, very long length (I stopped timing after 2 minutes) & full body. I tasted guava, lemon meringue, peach, caramelized sugar (slightly burnt), pineapple, limestone, med toast and butter. Overall a medium+ complex wine and an amazing value.

This is a Best Buy wine.

Tasted: 26 April 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

LCBO#984773