CRANE LAKE BRUT SPARKLING WINE, NV, METHODE CHAMPENOISE, California

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

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Crane Lake
 
Grape Variety: Chardonnay blend
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location Drank: American Airlines business class
Country: USA
Region: California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Crane Lake Winery
Alcohol: 11.5 %

Description: Pale straw in colour with fine mousse & a medium+ intensity.

I was surprised that American Airlines had a decent sparkling wine in business class that was produced in the Methode Champenoise.

Positives: This dry & crisp sparkler features lemon, baked apples, Anjou pear, brioche, chalk & a slight yeastiness. Medium body with good acidity & a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: I like that AA uses glass instead of plastic cups to to serve their wines.

Drink now or over the next 2-3 years on its own or pair it with a Spanish omelette.

Tasted: 12 March 2013 (Happy Birthday to me!)

Score: 8.5+/10

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

GHOST PINES CHARDONNAY WINEMAKER’S BLEND 2010, 61% Sonoma, 22% Napa County, 17% Monterey County, California

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

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Ghost Pines
 
Cost: $19.95 (on sale for $17.95 until April 1, 2013)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO General List
Country: USA
Region: Sonoma Napa & Monterey County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Louis M. Martini Winery
Alcohol: 14.0 %

Description: Light gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intensity.

Really nice to drink, not too creamy, not too citric, and not too oaky, just right, and being under $20, priced just right. Actually better than just right as I would pick this as a $30-$40 Chard.

Positives: Medium toasted oak, with vanilla, lemon, green & MacIntosh apples, slight apple pie, pear, cashews, pineapple, cantaloupe, sweet corn & limestone. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Louis P. Martin is the son of Napa pioneer Louis M. Martin.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with snow crab legs and drawn butter.

Tasted: 11 March 2013

Best Buy

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9+/10 (sale: 10/10), Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 308122

LOUIS M. MARTINI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, Sonoma County, California

11 Monday Mar 2013

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Louis Martini
 
Cost: $18.95 (on sale $16.95 until 1 April)
Grape Variety: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO General List
Country: USA
Region: Sonoma County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Louis M. Martini Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ nose.

Positives: An easy drinking wine featuring cedar, boysenberry, bramble pie, mocha and tobacco. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidy and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with lamb chops.

Tasted: 10 March 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+ (9/10 sale price), Total: 17.5/20

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

LCBO#: 292151

ROBERT MONDAVI CHARDONNAY NAPA VALLEY 2010, Napa Valley, California

11 Monday Mar 2013

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RM 1
 
Cost: $25.95 (on sale for $23.95 until March 31, 2013)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO General List
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Robert Mondavi Winery
Alcohol: 13.5 %

Description: Light gold in colour with a medium intense nose.

Overall I was disappointed in this Chard because its just an okay wine from a good winery, a really good appellation and it tastes more like a $15 wine.

Positives: No new wood detected. Chard features lemon/lime, unripe pineapple, green apples, honeydew melon and limestone. Medium body with good acidity and average length.

Negatives: Not much here, good crispiness but lacks fruit.

Interesting Point: Don’t over chill in order to maximize the fruit that is present.

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

Tasted: 7 March 2013

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 310409

FIRESTONE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010, Santa Ynez Valley, California

11 Monday Mar 2013

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Firestone
 
Cost: $19.90 (On sale for $17.90 until April 1, 2013_
Grape Variety: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Category: Red Wind
Location Bought: LCBO General List
Country: USA
Region: Santa Ynez Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: The Firestone Vineyard
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intensity on the nose.

It’s so nice, nay great to find a quality California Cab for under $20 in the LCBO general list. And what makes this even better, for a short time its $2 off. Can’t go wrong with this wine.

Positives: This Cab features cedar, cassis, blackberry, ripe tamarinds, boysenberry, dill, chocolate, turmeric, plums, graphite, peppercorn, cinnamon, arugula and some leather on the finish. Full body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch of heat on the finish from the 14% alcohol, which makes me think it may be higher.

Interesting Point: Like the classy label.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 9 March 2013

Best Buy

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9.5+/10 (10/10 sale price), Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 292128

RAYMOND RESERVE SELECTION CHARDONNAY 2010, Napa Valley, California

08 Friday Mar 2013

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Cost: $22.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO VINTAGES
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium+ intensity on the nose.
 
Positives: Easy drinking & delicious Chard, some would say soft, is not overly complex, but has lots of mango, pineapple, peach, toffee, creme brûlée and a limestone finish. The wood is nicely integrated. Full body with good acidity & a long length.
 
Negatives: The 14.5% alcohol gives it a little bit of heat on the finish.
 
Interesting Point: Worth the $5 extra to buy this over Raymond’s entry level Chard that I reviewed on June 16, 2012.

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with lobster and drawn butter.

Tasted: 7 March 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO#:716928

DOMAINE PORTET FONTAINE SHIRAZ/CABERNET/MERLOT 2010, Yarra Valley & Heathcote, Australia

08 Friday Mar 2013

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Fontaine
 
Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: 50% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO VINTAGES
Country: Australia
Region: Yarra Valley & Heathcote
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Dominique Portet Winery
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium intense nose.

How nice is it to find an Aussie wine under $20 that is under 14% alcohol and doesn’t taste like I just ate toasted bread with grape jelly.

Positives: There’s a lot going on in this easy drinking wine. Light cedar, boysenberry, blueberry, blackberry, cassis, cinnamon, cloves, raspberry, cherry and speck, just to name a few. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or in the next 2 years on its own or pair it with venison

Tasted: 7 March 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO#: 281410

PIERRE AMADIEU ROMANE MACHOTTE GIGONDAS 2010, AC Gigondas, Rhône Valley, France

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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PA Gigondas
 
Cost: $23.95
Grape Variety: Grenache & Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Gigondas 
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pierre Amadieu
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Description: Deep ruby in colour with a muted nose.
 
Now this is an easy drinking wine!

Positives: Cedar, cassis, blackberry, plum, thyme, rosemary, white and black peppers and bay leaves. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity and a fairly long length. The 14.5% alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: Muted nose

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with rack of lamb.

Tasted: 4 March 2013

Best Buy

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

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

LCBO#: 17400

FESS PARKER VIOGNIER 2010, Santa Barbara County, California

04 Monday Mar 2013

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Fess Parker Viognier
 
Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Viognier
Category: White Wine
Location Bought: LCBO VINTAGES
Country: USA
Region: Santa Barbara County
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Fess Parker Winery
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

This wine straddles between very good and excellent.

Positives: Light oak with a creamy texture featuring lemon, peach, apricot, honeysuckle, honey, wildflower, pineapple, pear, peach pits, & lemon grass. Medium body with good acidity and a long finish.

Negatives: A touch bitter on the finish, and a little hot from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Point: ” His name may be fading into the past, but in the ’50s and ’60s, Fess Parker was hugely famous for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on television. He turned his earnings on shows like that and others into this highly successful winery. He died in 2010.” LCBO

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with French cut pork chops stuffed with cheese and sundried tomatoes.

Tasted: 3 March 2013

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

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

LCBO#: 297523

McKINLEY SPRINGS SYRAH 2006, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State

03 Sunday Mar 2013

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

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MCKINLEY_SPRINGS_SYRAH_web

Cost: $27.95
Grape Variety: Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States
Region: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
Format: 750 mL
Producer: McKinley Springs
Alcohol: 14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Opaque in colour with medium+ intense nose

Positives: Simply delicious, one of my favourite Syrah’s in a long time. A complex wine featuring cedar, sizzling bacon, boysenberry, ripe tamarinds, cinnamon, sage, oregano, anise, dark cherry, dark chocolates, prunes, arugula and lots of peppers and peppercorn. Full body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch hot due to the 14.9% alcohol

Interesting Notes: “The fancifully named Horse Heaven Hills appellation is a wild, barren, arid and windy region on the north bank of the Columbia River. McKinley Springs opened in 2002, but the vineyards were planted in the early eighties.” David Lawrason

Drink now or over the next 5 years and pair it with Brisket.

Tasted: 2 Mar 13

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9.5/10 Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5+

LCBO: 199794