SIMON DI BRAZZAN MERLOT 2010, IGT, Venezia, Italy

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines

≈ Leave a comment


Simon_di_Brazzan_Merlot_Riserva_IGT_web

Cost: $21.00
Grape Variety: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location Simon Di Brazzan Vineyard Winery
Country: Italy
Region: Venezia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Simon Di Brazzan Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium ruby to in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

A nice easy drinking wine.

Positive Notes: Good flavours featuring light oak, raspberry, plum, cherry, black tea and cocoa. Medium+ body with medium to Medium+ tannins, good acidity & an average length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or over the next 2 years and pair it with prime rib.

Tasted: 13 June 13

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

SPERLING OLD VINES FOCH 2010, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment


Sperling_Vineyards_Old_Vine_Foch_web

Cost: $26.00
Grape Variety: Marechal Foch
Category: Red Wine
Location Sperling Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Sperling Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby to garnet in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

In comparing this to their reserve Foch, this one is lighter in taste but higher in alcohol. If you had to choose, I would go with the reserve for the extra money.

Positive Notes: A flavorful wine featuring prunes, brambleberry fruit, figs and pastrami. Medium+ body with medium to Medium+ tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: A touch hot on the taste

Drink now on its own or over the next 3 years and pair it with venison.

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+

SPERLING RESERVE OLD VINES FOCH 2010, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment


Sperling_Vineyards_Old_Vine_Foch_web

Cost: $32.00
Grape Variety: Marachel Foch
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Sperling Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Sperling Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 14.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby to garner in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Unusual try a Fosch from BC rather than Ontario.

Positive Notes: Intense flavours of plums, dark cherry, mulberry, raspberry, pastrami, fennel & pomegranate. Medium+ body with good acidity & length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or over the next 3 years and pair it with venison.

Tasted: 13 June 13

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5/10 Total: 17.5/20

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

BURROWING OWL MERLOT 2010, VQA Okanaga Valley, BC, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment


Burrowing Owl Merlot

Cost: $30.00
Grape Variety: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Burrowing Owl Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Burrowing Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positive Notes: This merlot has nice juicy flavor featuring raspberry, plums, dark chocolate, thyme, sweet basil and vanilla. Full body with medium to Medium+ tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: A touch hot on the taste

Drink now on its own or over the next 5 years and pair it with beef Bourguignon.

Tasted: 13 June 13

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5/10 Total: 7.5/20

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

THERAPY VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2011, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment


Therapy Pinot

Cost: $21.99
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: Therapy Vineyard Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Therapy Vineyard Winery
Alcohol: 11.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

This doesn’t taste like a Pinot Noir, more like a cheap California wine that you can buy for $5. I believe Therapy needs therapy on this one!

Notes: Strawberry jam, cherry pie and milk chocolate. Medium body with average acidity & length.

Negatives: Too many to name.

Drink now on its own or pair it with BBQ pork ribs.

Tasted: 13 June 13

Score: 8/10, Value: 6/10 Total: 14/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

RAVINE VINEYARD RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Canada

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment


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

Posted by in White Wines

≈ Leave a comment


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

GRANT BURGE CORRYTON PARK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, Barossa, Australia

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Red Wines

≈ Leave a comment


Corryton

Cost: $32.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: Barossa
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Grant Burge
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium to medium+ ruby to in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A typical Barossa Cab

Positive Notes: Full flavoured cab featuring medium oak, plums, eucalyptus, cherry, black olives, red and black currants, licorice, espresso and slightly leathery on the finish. Full body with medium to Medium+ tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: Touch hot on the finish

Drink now on its own or over the next 5-7 years and pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 13 June 13

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO: 317834

LIRICA PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2007, DO Puglia Italy

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

≈ Leave a comment


lirica-primitivo-di-manduria

Cost: $17.95
Grape Variety: Primitivo
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Consorzio Produttori Vini E Mosti R
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

If you like Zinfandels but you find some of them overly jammy, or high in alcohol, this one will not disappoint you. And for a 2007 vintage at under $20, this is a really good buy. Also if you like Port but not the high alcohol and sweetness, then this one is for you.

Positives: Light cedar, prunes, dates, figs, dark chocolate, Allspice, blackberry & raspberry. Medium+ body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity with a good length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair with BBQ ribs.

Tasted: 14 June 13

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO: 326710

ALAMOS SELECCION MALBEC 2010, Mendoza, Argentina

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Red Wines

≈ Leave a comment


Alamos

Cost: $16.95
Grape Variety: Malbec
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintage
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Wines of Catena
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Plain Jane Malbec that will appeal to those that like their reds on the sweet side.

Notes: Prunes, blackberry, maraschino cherry in milk chocolate and blueberry pie. Medium+ body with low tannins and acidity with an average length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair with sweet & spicy BBQ pork ribs.

Tasted: 14 June 13

Score: 8/10, Value: 8.5/10 Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

LCBO: 322800