Category Archives: White Wines

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY DEAN’S LIST 2011, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

18 Saturday Mar 2017

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

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2011deanlistchardonnay1

Cost: $25.15
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Country: Canada
Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.

Not the typical commercial produced Chard so I give this Dean List Chard an A

Description: Bright old gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features medium toasted oak, butter, lemon, pineapple, orange, clove, oak spice and on the nose. Medium= body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: I like the Dean’s List report card on the label. What’s interesting is that on the label the aging potential is listed to 2014. However, on the winery web site, they have the aging potential of 2018, with which I agree.

Drink now or in the next 3 years on its own or pair it with Honey and Clove Glazed Pork Chops.

Tasted: 3 February 2017

Top Pick

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

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

MIGRATION CHARDONNAY 2013, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States

18 Saturday Mar 2017

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

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migration

Cost: $34.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Duckhorn Wine Company
Alcohol: 14.1 % Alcohol/Vol.

Classic RRV Chard, love it

Description: Bright yellow gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features medium toasted oak, butter, lemon, tangerine, peach, peaches & cream corn, fresh dill, lemon meringue, and apple blossom on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note:

Drink now or in the next 7 years on its own or pair it with Poached Corvina Seabass.

Tasted: 13 February 2017

Top Pick

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

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

LCBO: 396309

CAMBRIA BENCHBREAK CHARDONNAY 2014, Santa Maria Valley, California, United States

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, White Wines

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cambria_benchbreak_chardonnay_2014_web

Cost: $24.99 CI
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Black Beard’s, Cayman Islands
Country: United States
Region: Santa Maria Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery
Alcohol: 14.5 % Alcohol/Vol.

Good balance between oak, fruit & acidity

Description: Bright light yellow gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features light toasted oak, butter, lemon, passion fruit, pear, ginger, oak spice and Eater Lily on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity, a long length and the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Winery is Certified Sustainable

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with Old Fashioned Linguine with White Clam Sauce.

Tasted: 13 February 2017

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

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

DRY CREEK VINEYARD DRY CHENIN BLANC 2015, Clarksburg, California, United States

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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dry-creek

Cost: $20.95
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Clarksburg, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Dry Creek Vineyard
Alcohol: 13 % Alcohol/Vol.

Good balance between oak, fruit & acidity

Description: Bright straw in colour with an intense nose. This wine features orange, sugar snaps, pineapple, honeydew, kiwi, limestone and honeysuckle on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: Nice detail on the front label

Drink now or in the next 3-5 years on its own or pair it with Crispy Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Tasted: 20 February 2017

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

Best Buy

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

LCBO: 994442

NOVELLUM CHARDONNAY 2014, IGP Pays d’Orc Roussillon, France

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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novellum

Cost: $17.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Roussillon
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Novellum
Alcohol: 13 % Alcohol/Vol.

Unoaked but has subtle nuances that make it smooth with some complexity

Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features orange, lemon meringue, pineapple, Spy and Golden apples, coconut cream pie, macadamia nuts and white flowers on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: No wood was used; instead the wine was aged on Viognier lees to give it more substance.

Drink now or in the next 3-5 years on its own or pair it with Broiled Chicken stuffed with macadamia and camembert.

Tasted: 24 February 2017

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

Best Buy

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 390781

POUILLY-FUISSÉ “SOLUTRÉ” 2013, Ac Pouilly-Fuissé, France

03 Friday Feb 2017

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

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pouilly

Cost: $33.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Pouilly-Fuissé
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Jean-Pierre & Michael Auvigue
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.

Classic Fuissé that strikes a good balance between fruit & oak

Description: Gold in colour with a medium intense nose. This complex wine features mild toast butter, lemon, green apple, pear, white peach, clementine, honeydew melon, hazel nut, chalk, flint and smoked peat moss on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: In order to bring out the essence of this wine, don’t over chill.

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with Trout with Brown Butter and Almonds.

Tasted: 16 December 2016

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 278960

WYNN COONAWARRA ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2015, Coonawarra, Australia

02 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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wynn

Cost: $17.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Coonawarra
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Wynn
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.

Impressive Pouilly-Fuissé style from down under at a good price

Description: Light gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features light oak, lemon, green apple, honeydew melon, white peach and flint both on the taste and the nose. Medium body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: Might want to decanter as the wine expresses itself when it opens up.

Drink now or in the next 3 years on its own or pair it with Chicken Fricassee.

Tasted: 28 December 2016

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 468728

AU CONTRAIRE CHARDONNAY 2014,Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, White Wines

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au-contraire

Cost: $18.99 (CI)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Jacques Scott, Cayman Islands
Country: United States
Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Au Contraire Wines
Alcohol: 13.8% Alcohol/Vol.

An interesting RRV Chard, in that it tastes better a day later

Description: Bright gold in colour with an intense nose. This wine features medium to light oak, lemon, grapefruit, coconut custard pie, marzipan, apple, pear and brown sugar on the nose. Medium body with mild tannin, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Overtly citric with too much brown sugar on the nose

Interesting Note: The taste was better a day later as the overtly citric flavours had been muted out.

Drink now or in the next 3 years on its own or pair it with Four-Cheese Perogies with herb-butter sauce.

Tasted: 1 January 2017

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LES MARMITONS GASTRONOMY CHARDONNAY 2014, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

27 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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gastronomy-chard-1

Cost: $19.15
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Niagara Teaching Winery
Country: Canada
Region: St. David’s Bench
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara Teaching Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

I love finding unique treasures, especially in Canadian wines, and this wine is one of them

Description: Bright straw to gold to in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This wine features light oak, lemon, Golden Delicious apples, pineapple, clementine, clove, butterscotch, honey & apple blossoms on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: Although this wine was aged sur lie in barrel oaks for 14 months and had malolactic fermentation, the wine tastes better in smaller Chablis style glass than the larger Montrachet larger glassware.

Drink now or in the next 4 years on its own or pair it with Pan Seared Lemon Sole.

Tasted: 16 January 2017

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

WILLIAM HILL NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY, 2014 Napa Valley, California, United States

27 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in White Wines

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william-hill-chard

Cost: $28.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Napa Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: William Hill Winery
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.

A pleasant Chard

Description: Bright gold to in colour with a medium intense nose. This wine features toasted oak, lemon, green apples, pineapple, clementine, butterscotch, ginger, oak spice & apple blossoms on the nose. Medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or in the next 4 years on its own or pair it with Baked Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs.

Tasted: 21 January 2017

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

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

LCBO: 988840