CUVÉE ALEXANDRE MERLOT 2011 APALTA VINEYARD, Colchagua Valley, Chile

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Cuvee Merlot

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: 85% Merlot, 15% Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Trialto Wine group
Country: Chile
Region: Colchagua Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 15% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium ruby in colour with medium intense nose.

A nice juicy merlot, but be careful as its listed at 15% alcohol

Positives: A complex wine featuring blackberry, blueberry, Allspice, tamarinds, vanilla, raspberry and some cooked spinach. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity, a long length and the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 7 years. Pair it with venison.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

Best Buy

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

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

CUVÉE ALEXANDRE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 APALTA VINEYARD, Colchagua Valley, Chile

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Cuvee Cab

Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Trialto Wine group
Country: Chile
Region: Colchagua Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with medium intense nose.

Positives: A complex wine featuring blackberry, leather, cassis, anise, turmeric, white pepper, Allspice, tamarinds, vanilla, raspberry, tobacco and some fresh spinach. Medium+ body with green tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch too green right now

Drink now if you decant for an hour or cellar it for another 10 years. Pair it with high protein food such as steak.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

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

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

CASA LAPOSTOLLE GRAND SELECTION CARMENÈRE 2011, Rapel Valley, Chile

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Casa Carmenere

Cost: $15.95
Grape Variety: 89% Carmenère, 6% Merlot, 5% Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Rapel Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Opaque ruby to purple in colour with medium intense nose.

The blend of Merlot and Syrah makes this wine smooth and delicious.

Positives: This wine features plum, red peppers, peppercorn, cassis, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, chocolate, white pepper and vanilla. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: The wine had double maturation of the grapes which is evident in the wine’s smoothness.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 2 years. Pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO: 168740

LAPOSTOLLE CUVÉE ALEXANDRE CHARDONNAY 2011 ATALAYAS VINEYARD, Casablanca Valley, Chile

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Cuvee Alexandre Chard

Cost: $20.75
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Casablanca Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light gold in colour with medium+ intense nose.

A nice balance between oak, fruit and minerality.

Positives: Light to medium toasted oak featuring lemon drops, pears, peach, buttered popcorn, a touch of honey and limestone. Full body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years. Pair it with roasted turkey.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 947937

CHATEAU DE SANCERRE 2011, AC Loire Valley, France

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Chateau de Sancerre

Cost: $23.95
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: Trialto
Country: France
Region: Sancerre, Loire Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Straw in colour with medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positives: A powerful Sancerre showing tropical fruits and minerality. Medium body with high acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or cellar it for another 5 years. Due to the high acidity this wine needs food to be paired with food such as Julian salad.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5/10 Total: 19/20

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

LAPOSTOLLE CASA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, Rapel Valley, Chile

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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L Casa Sauvignon Blanc

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 8% Semillon, 2% Sauvignon Gris
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Rapel Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Lapostolle
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Straw in colour with medium+ intense nose.

A nice change from the typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs

Positives: This easy drinking wine features pear, lemon, with some gooseberry & limestone. Medium body with good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 2 years. Pair it with red snapper ceviche.

Tasted: 11 June 2013

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 19/20

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

LCBO: 321554

TASTING WITH CHARLES DE BOURNET MARNIER LAPOSTOLLE

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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On 11 June 2013, I had the pleasure of attending a tasting event at Trialto with Charles de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle, 7th generation of the venerable Grand Marnier family with some of my friends that also write wine reviews on WineAlign . We tasted 6 wines; Lapostolle Casa 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau De Sancerre 2011, Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre 2011 Chardonnay, Lapostolle Casa 2011 Carmenère, Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre 2011 Merlot and Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a delightful evening of sipping great tasting wines and listening to Charles recollect his family history to us. My full review of the wines are listed on my web site Twilightwines.net

Some of the interesting facts are summarized below:

  • The first vintage in Chile was the Lapostolle Casa Sauvignon Blanc in 1994.
  • All their lines use organic grapes but the Cuvée Alexandre is also biodynamic.
  • The Casa line is meant to be drunk early and not aged, however they can age very nicely.
  • The Cuvée Alexandre line is intended to be aged for 10 years

Charles

Charles 2

Charles and me

Charles and Winealign

TARLANT ZERO BRUT NATURE NV, AC Marne River Valley, Champagne, France

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Tarlant_Zero_Brut_Nature_Champagne_web

Cost: $44.95 (Clearance Price $31.55)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Category: Champagne Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Marne River Valley, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tarlant Père & Fils
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with medium+ intense nose and fine mousse.

Not often can I say that Champagne is so smooth that it should have a warning on it, being easy to consume 2 bottles in one sitting, but this one should.

Positives: This easy drinking but complex Champagne features citrus, pears, brioche, yeast, almonds, ginger, wet hay, Magnolia and limestone. Medium body with good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Don’t over chill this, as you will not get all the nuances from this beautiful Champagne. Harvested in 2006 with reserve wines, 4 years on the lees and no dosage which means it’s dry.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years. Pair it with cheese, tomato, shallot omelet.

Tasted: 7 July 2013

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9.5/10 (Clearance price 10/10) Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO: 996264

RODNEY STRONG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, Sonoma County, California

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Rodney Strong

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Sonoma County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Rodney Strong
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positives: This easy drinking Cab features cinnamon & clove on the nose mingling onto the palate with cedar, blackberry, cassis, turmeric, blueberry, plum, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, cigar box and leather. Medium+ body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Rodney Strong wines are consistently good.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years. Pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 6 July 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 226944

FARNESE OPI MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO RISERVA 2008, DOCG Colline Teramane, Abruzzo, Italy

07 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Farnese opi

Cost: $29.99 (Cayman Islands)
Grape Variety: Montepulciano
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Blackbeard’s Cayman Islands
Country: Italy
Region: Colline Teramane, Abruzzo
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Farnese
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Very beautiful deep dark ruby to purple in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: This is a smooth wine featuring cedar, lots of pepper, dark cherry, licorice, chocolate, plums, cherry pipe tobacco, mocha, tamarind and arugula on the finish. Full body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: On a blind taste I would have said this was an Australian Shiraz.

Drink now or cellar it for another 3 years. Drink on its own or pair it with Domino’s thin crust pizza with mushroom, tomato and pepperoni.

Tasted: 30 June 13

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5