Category Archives: White Wines

Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2008, Napa County, California

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2007, Napa County Bottle

Cost: $64.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: Napa County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Newton Vineyard
Alcohol: 15.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Golden yellow in colour with high intensity on the nose.

Positives: Too much to write about but here’s a summary to this complex wine. Medium toasted oak, buttery, cream corn, creme brûlée lemon meringue pie, roasted marshmallows, apple pie, caramel & cashews. Full body, alcohol is well integrated, good acidity & very long length.

Negatives: 15% alcohol. Interesting Things: Don’t over chill it & use the larger Chard wine glasses.

Drink now or cellar it for another 5-7 years. Drinks well on its own as a meal or pair it with lobster & drawn butter.

Tasted: 12 Jan 12

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 1537

WOODBRIDGE BY ROBERT MONDAVI CHARDONNAY, 2010 California

10 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Cost: $11.95 (on sale $9.95)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: United States
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Robert Mondavi Winery
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Easy drinking California Chard showing light toast & oak, lemon, apple, peaches & cream corn. Medium to full body, good acidity, balanced & moderate alcohol.

Negatives: A little tartness on the finish.

Interesting Things: I always like when Californian Chards are under 14% alcohol & this one is 13%. Not a complex wine but will satisfy those that like unoaked to oaked Chards. It’s priced nicely & LCBO usually has this wine on sale a handful of times a year.

Drink now on its own or pair it with rotisserie chicken.

Tasted: 9 Jan 12

Best Buy

Score: 8.5, Value: 9.5/10 (sale: 10/10)

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 99408

WILLIAN FEVRE CHABLIS CHAMPS ROYAUX, 2010 Chablis, France

08 Sunday Jan 2012

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William Fèvre Champs Royaux Chablis 2010, Burgundy Bottle

Cost: $21.55
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: France
Region: Chablis
Format: 750 mL
Producer: William Fevre
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light straw colour with a hint of green & medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Refreshing wine with lots of minerality, lemon, green apples, pink grapefruit,  steely, grassy notes & honeydew melon. Medium minus body, good acidity, long length & balanced.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Things: This wine is a good alternative for anyone wanting an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

Drink now on its own or pair it with my favourite oysters, Raspberry Point from PEI.

Tasted: 7 Jan 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 276436

J. LOHR RIVERSTONE CHARDONNAY, 2010 Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, California

08 Sunday Jan 2012

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Cost: $18.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: J Lohr Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “Bright medium-yellow Chardonnay with an enticing toasty/fruity nose (particularly apricot, apple and cranberry). Dry and quite clean with pretty oak tones surrounding the fruit. Medium-full bodied with a medium finish. An ideal Chardonnay for grilled herbed chicken or smoky prawns with mango salsa.” LCBO

Bright gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Tropical flavours of pineapple, mango, orange, bananas, honeydew melon & lemon with medium oak & buttered popcorn. Full body, good acidity, balanced with medium+ length & moderate alcohol.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Things: If you want a good drinking buttery Chard with moderate alcohol & under $20, you can’t beat this wine. Drink from new world Chard glass & don’t over chill it.

Drink now on its own or pair it with steak & lobster. Chris Ruth’s Steak House comes to mind.

Tasted: 5 Jan 12

Best Buy

Score: 9+, Value: 9.5/10. Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 258699

LOUIS JADOT BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY, 2010 Burgundy, France

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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Cost: $18.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Maison Louis Jadot
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “Long-time Jadot winemaker Jacques Lardière is not one to rest on his laurels. Even with this terrific-value Bourgogne Chardonnay, he creates a wonderfully versatile wine. Aromas of almond, toffee apple, lemon, pear and toasty oak are prominently on display. Dry, richly textured with a long finish, it is a textbook example of how well oak and fruit flavours can mingle. A fine partner for roasted vegetables and chicken breast.” LCBO

Light to medium+ gold in colour with medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Lemon/lime, grapefruit, limestone, light oak & pear. Medium bodily, high acidity & medium length.

Negatives: A lot of tartness & taste is muted.

Interested Things: Chill it to ice wine temperature to dull the tartness.

Cellar it for 2 years to see if the acidity comes down. Pair it with lemon pepper cat fish.

Tasted: 3 Jan 12

Score: 8/10, Value: 7.5/10, Total: 15.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5

LCBO#: 933077

SIBLING RIVALRY WHITE VQA, 2010 Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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Henry Of Pelham Sibling Rivalry White 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula Bottle

Cost: $13.95
Grape Variety: Riesling, Chardonnay & Gewürztraminer
Category: Still Table Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Henry Of Pelham Family Est. Winery
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ straw in colour with medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Lychee, peach, pear & apricot on the nose. The taste is similar as the nose with additions of pink grapefruit, lemon & limestone. Medium body, high acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: Too much tartness on the taste.

Interesting Thing: Don’t over chill this wine as it will dull the aromatic notes.

Drink now & pair it with spinach salad with raspberry dressing. Good palate cleanser.

Tasted: 3 Jan 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

LCB0#: 126144

2011 in review

02 Monday Jan 2012

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,300 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 38 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

PAHLMEYER CHARDONNAY 2009, Napa Valley, California

02 Monday Jan 2012

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Pahlmeyer Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley Bottle

Cost: $79.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pahlmeyer
Alcohol: 14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Lemon gold in colour with medium to medium intensity in the nose.

Positives: Wow! The taste just keep coming in waves. Medium toasted oak with lots of butter, butterscotch, lemon meringue pie, apple, ginger, limestone, peach, mango, tangerine, pineapple, Jicama, naseberry & lemon grass on the finish. The wine is highly complex, full body, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: High alcohol.

Interesting Things: This is my wife’s wine of choice for our New Years Eve dinner & I wholeheartedly agree.

Drink now or cellar it for another 5-7 years. Drink on its own or pair it with roasted hens.

Tasted: 31 Dec 11

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 147454

RABL KAMPTAL RESERVE VINUM OPTIMUM GRÜNER VELTLINER 2009, Langenlois, Austria

02 Monday Jan 2012

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Rudolf Rabl Reserve Vinum Optimum Grüner Veltliner 2009, Dac Kamptal Bottle

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Grüner veltliner
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Austria
Region: Langenlois
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Weingut Rudolph Rabl
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright gold in colour with medium intense nose.

Positives: One of the better Grüner Veltliners you will find featuring pear, white pepper, lime, grapefruit & slate. Medium body with good acidity & long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair with grilled scallops wrapped in bacon.

Tasted: 24 Dec 11

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 216473

FLAT ROCK CELLARS RESERVE CHARDONNAY, 2007 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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

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Cost: $35.20
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Canada
Region: Twenty Mile Bench
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Flat Rock Cellars
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright gold colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: What a nice wine showing lemon/lime, ginger, apple, medium toasted oak, buttery biscuit, roasted marshmallow, mango, pineapple & limestone. Medium to full body, good acidity, long length, balanced & complex. Not your typical Ontario Chard having tropical notes with medium alcohol & I love that.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: 1. Use the larger Chard glass that would go with California or Australian Chards. I tried it in a cool climate Chard glass & the bitterness really came out. 2. Screw cap. 3. I like the minimalist label.

Drink now or cellar it for another 2-3 years. Drink on its own or pair it with lobster & drawn butter.

Tasted: 21 Dec 11.

Top Pick, Price Not Withstanding

Best Buy on sale price of $24.70.

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9/10 (sale price 10/10) Total: 18.5/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 198812