SIBLING RIVALRY WHITE VQA, 2010 Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by in Canadian Wines, White Wines

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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

RAVENSWOOD VINTNERS BLEND OLD VINE ZINFANDEL, 2009 California

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in Red Wines

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Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel (V) 2009, California Bottle

Cost: $17.95 (on sale $15.95)
Grape Variety: Zinfandel
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: United States
Region: California
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Ravenswood Lynn Rogers
Alcohol: 13.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “Ravenswood recognized early on that Zinfandel was an exceptional grape variety for fine wine production. With seductive aromas of spice, black raspberry, and mocha, their Vintners Blend Zin is ready for any occasion. Soft and round with lots of fruit and cocoa flavour, it’s terrific with spicy jerk pork, or barbecued beef ribs basted in a homemade sauce.” LCBO

Medium+ purple to ruby in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Notes of raisins, blueberry, mocha, allspice, raspberry & touch of vanilla. Medium body, good acidity, medium tannins & medium+ length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: This is not your powerhouse Zin with high alcohol, which will appeal to those that like Zins but don’t want it as the main course for dinner.

Easy drinking on its own or pair it with venison.

Tasted: 2 Jan 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 359257

2011 in review

02 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in White Wines

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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.

GOATS DO ROAM RED, 2010 Western Cape, South Africa

02 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Cost: $12.95 (On sale for $11.95)
Grape Variety: Shiraz, Cinsaut, Carignan, Mourvèdre & Pinotage
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Fairview Trust
Alcohol: 14.0 %
Description: “Immensely popular worldwide, this cheeky Rhône-style blend (Shiraz, Cinsaut, Carignan and Mourvèdre with a dash of the local Pinotage) has proven to be more than just a witty name. It’s a friendly, straightforward and fun wine featuring berry fruit and plum aromas with some pepper and leather in the background. A fantastic value and a great party wine! Lovely with rich meat-based pasta dishes.” LCBO

Medium+ ruby to purple with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: The nose shows carnations, plums, blackberries, pomegranate, star anise, sandalwood, eucalyptus & cherry pie. The taste is rich showing similar notes as the nose with plums being dominant. Medium to medium+ body, low tannins, medium acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: High alcohol that you can detect on the nose & taste.

Interesting Thing: The name is a take off Côte du Rhône and its style. Consistent year to year. Periodically the LCBO puts this wine on sale for $1 off.

Drink now on its own or pair it with lamb chops.

Tasted: 1 Jan 12

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9.5/10, Score: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO#: 718940

NICOLAS FEUILLATTE BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE 2003, Chouilly, France

02 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Champagne

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Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé Brut Champagne 2008, Ac Bottle

Cost: $56.95
Grape Variety: 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: France
Region: Chouilly, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Nicolas Feuillatte
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description:Copper in colour with medium to medium+ nose.

Positives: Fine mousse, clean, oxidative style of Champagne with orange rind, baked apples, strawberries & freshly baked Angel Food cake.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Note: A nice Champagne to bring in the New Year for breakfast.

Drink now on its own or serve it with spicy tomato and onion omelet.

Tasted: 1 Jan 12

Score: 9/10, Value: 7/10, Total: 16/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 267039 (Note: 2003 vintage is no longer in the stores, however you can find the non-vintage of this champagne.)

PAHLMEYER CHARDONNAY 2009, Napa Valley, California

02 Monday Jan 2012

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

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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

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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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

SANTA RITA RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2009 Maipo Valley, Chile

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Cost: $13.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Vina Santa Rita
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Description: Medium ruby in colour with medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Classic Cab Sauv notes of cedar, blackberry, anise, cassis, cloves, pencil shavings, leather, turmeric, tamarin & some tobacco leaf on the finish. Well balanced wine, medium+ body & length, good acidity & medium tannins.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: Santa Rita is a well established winery that consistently produces good wines at all their price points. This one is the second level on their pricing scale of wines found in the LCBO. Best part is they usually have sales a couple times of year. This ones on sale for $11.95 until the beginning of January. Nice thing about this wine is its ready to drink now & it taste as if you’re drinking a bottle double its price.

Drink on its own or pair it with any beef dish.

Tasted: 20 Dec 11

Best Buy (amazing buy at the sale price).

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 253872

SANDEMAN VAU VINTAGE PORT, 2009, DO Douro, Portugal

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Fortified & Desert Wine

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Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 2000, Doc Douro Bottle

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Port Blend
Category: Fortified Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Geo. G. Sandeman Sons & Co. Ltd
Alcohol: 20.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Opaque blood red in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Not a complex Port but very smooth showing dry fig fruit, raisin, plum, licorice & tamarin.

Negatives: None

Drink now & pair it with blue cheese or almonds & dark chocolate.

Tasted: 19 Dec 11

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 251090