Category Archives: White Wines

BYRON 2010 CHARDONNAY, Santa Maria Valley, California

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, White Wines

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Byron Chard

Cost: $28.59 (Cayman Islands)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Blackbeard’s Cayman Islands
Country: United States
Region: Santa Maria Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Byron Estate Winery
Alcohol: 14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium to medium+ nose.

Positives: Medium toasted oak featuring light butter, lemon meringue, tangerines, pineapples, and nutmeg. Full body with good acidity a long length and the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years and pair it with angel hair pasta with pepper scallops.

Tasted: 28 June 13

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

FIVE ROWS PINOT GRIS 2011, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Non LCBO Wine, White Wines

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Five Rows

Cost: $ Can’t remember
Grape Variety: Pinto Gris
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: St. David’s Bench
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Five Rows
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep straw with a pink tinge (looks like light bronze) in colour and a medium+ nose.

A very nice, crisp Pinot Gris made in the Alscasian style.

Positives: This wine features green apples, pear, almonds and peach. Medium body with high acidity and a good length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: I recommend visiting this small winery at St. David’s as they have a great assortment of cheese and bread to go with their wines.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years. Pair it with seared scallops on wilted greens.

Tasted: 23 June 13

Score: 9+/10,

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

RAVINE VINEYARD RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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Ravine Chard

Cost: $24.00
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Ravine Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Ravine Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light gold in colour with a medium intense nose.

The taste is more expressive than the nose.

Positives: A well-integrated Chard balancing the oak, fruit & minerality. Medium toasted oak, light butter with lemon, green & golden apples, pink grapefruit, melon and limestone. Medium body to medium+ with good acidity and a very long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair it with lemon/pepper grilled tilapia.

Tasted: 13 June 13

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

SEGUIN-MANUEL CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET “VIEILLES VIGNES” 2010, AC Beaune, Côte-d’Or, France

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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Seguin_Manuel_Chassagne_Montrachet_web

Cost: $57.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: France
Region: Chassagne-Montrachet
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Sequin-Manuel
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Straw with light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positives: An expressive wine featuring lemon, peach, pineapple, flint, green apple, grapefruit and limestone. Medium body with high acidity a long length.

Negatives: A touch too sour on the finish

Interesting Notes: Coming to LCBO July 6

Drink now and suggest pairing this with wahoo escovitch.

Tasted: 13 June 13

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

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

LCBO: 330209

BURROWING OWL CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Non LCBO Wine, White Wines

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Burrowing Chard

Cost: $24.90
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Burrowing Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Ravine Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

I don’t know if I like it or dislike it? I tried this a day later and I liked it. Needs time to open up.

Positives: Medium+ toasted oak with light butter, lemon, flint, pink grapefruit, peach pit, and limestone. After a day the wine opens up to feature mangos, golden apples, and cantaloupe. Medium body to medium+ with good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair it with lobster.

Tasted: 13 June 13

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

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

TAWSE QUARRY ROAD CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Ontario, Canada

30 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Canadian Wines, White Wines

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Tawse

Cost: $34.95 (Clearance Price $24.50)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: Canada
Region: Vinemount Ridge, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tawse Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ straw in colour with a medium to medium+ nose.

Well balanced & made in the Mâcon style.

Positives: Oak is well integrated and features white roses, mandarin, grapefruit, verbena, fennel, lemon grass, lemon rind, green apples, pear and limestone. Medium body with above average acidity for a Chard and a very long length. Don’t over chill.

Negatives: A touch too sour on the finish for me.

Interesting Notes: I used the large warmer or Meursault style Chard glass and the smaller traditional Chard glass and each one were slightly different and I couldn’t decide which one I liked best.

Drink now on or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with creamy seafood risotto.

Tasted: 28 May 13

Score: 9+/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Clearance price 9+/10) Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 111989

FLOR DE VETUS VERDEJO 2012, DO Rueda, Spain

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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Flor de Vetus

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Verdejo
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: Spain
Region: Rueda
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Bodegas Vetus
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium straw in colour with an intense nose.

A good alternative to Sancerre at half the price or Oz Sauvignon Blanc at the same price.

Positives: A great summer wine that features a lot of citric and stone fruit with an added minerality at the end. Medium body with refreshing acidity and a fairly long length.

Drink now on its own or pair it with sushi.

Tasted: 17 May 13

Best Buy

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

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

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

LCBO: 320259

 

JEAN PAUL BRUN BEAUJOLAIS BLANC 2010, AC Beaujolais, France

18 Saturday May 2013

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Jean-Paul_Brun_Beaujolais_Chardonnay_web

Cost: $23.65
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Agent
Country: France
Region: Beaujolais
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Jean Paul Brun
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Lots going on with this Chard from lightly smoked toasted oak with a buttery creaminess, lemon, green apple, persimmon, apple crumble pie, peach and limestone on the finish. Medium to medium+ body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Notes: I like the old style label. Thank you Carol Ann from WineAlign for the opportunity to taste this wine.

Drink now on or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with lobster in butter sauce

Tasted: 17 May 13

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

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

KENDALL-JACKSON GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2009, Santa Barbara/Monterey County, California

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in White Wines

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KJ

Cost: $27.95 (Clearance price $22.40)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: United States
Region: 51% Santa Barbara County, 49& Monterey County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kendall-Jackson Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Kendall-Jackson produces solid Chardonnay’s from the entry level to their high end, and is probably one of my top 10 go to Chards.

Positives: Nicely balanced Chard that has medium buttered toasted oak with oak spice, cloves, lemon, crème brûlée, Easter Lilly, butterscotch, marshmallow, pineapple, peach, orange, apple crumble pie and a touch of limestone. Full body with good acidity and a very long length. Nice to see a quality Chard being under 14% alcohol.

Negatives: None

Drink now on or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with steamed lobster with drawn butter.

Tasted: 10 May 13

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9/10 (Clearance price 9.5/10) Total: 18+/20

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

LCBO: 59576

PALMIRA LARNER VINEYARDS MALVASIA BIANCA 2010, Santa Ynez Valley, California

12 Sunday May 2013

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

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Malvasia

Cost: $35.95 (Clearance price $28.80)
Grape Variety: Malvasia
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: United States
Region: Santa Ynez Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Palmina Winery
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium straw in colour with an intense floral nose.

Can’t miss wine that one must try. So easy to drink that one can drink 2 bottles in one sitting and not realize it.

Positives: A perfect summer sipper featuring Ylang Ylang, lychee, peach, anise, lemon, orange, pink grapefruit and fennel on the finish. Medium body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Notes: A cross between Viognier, Muscat and Gewürztraminer. Malvasia is predominantly grown in Italy, but this rare find in California is a gem.

Drink now on or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with Cayman style Wahoo Ceviche.

Tasted: 11 May 13

Top Pick

Score: 9+/10, Value: 8.5/10 (Clearance price 9/10) Total: 18/20

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

LCBO: 289157