ROBERT YOUNG CHARDONNAY 2006, Alexander Valley, California

27 Saturday Aug 2011

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

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Cost: $46.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: Alexander Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Robert Young Estate Winery
Alcohol: 14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Yellow gold with a medium nose. Medium oak & toast follows lemon candy, creme brûlée, caramel, peach, nectarine, hazelnut, peaches & cream corn, limestone, pineapple, golden & green apples, mangos & orange. The taste follows the nose with the addition of lemon meringue. The taste is dry, medium+ acidity, full body, high alcohol (there’s a lot of heat on this Chard), very long length so much that I ran a mile & still could taste it, lol. The wine is balanced & very smooth even with the heat from the alcohol. This would be a perfect Chard for me if the alcohol wasn’t as noticeable on the taste. Drink on it’s own or with steamed lobster on the beach with drawn butter. Only one word describes this Chard & that’s yummy. Don’t chill it to much or you’ll loose the wines complexity. What’s great about this Chard from LCBO is that I got it for 30% off ($32.95). Drink now or it can cellar for another 1-2 years.

Tasted 26 Aug 11.

Top Pick.

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8/10 (reg price) or 9.5/10 (sale price), Score: 17.5/20 or 19/20 sale.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 670430

PETALO IL VINO MOSCATO, Italy

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Sparkling Wine

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Cost: $13.25
Grape Variety: Muscat
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Italy
Region:
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Distilleria Bottega
Alcohol: 6.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: This sweet Moscato comes from Bottega who is a fine producer of Italian wines. Their Prosecco is a best buy & reviewed earlier.

This sparkling is similar to Moscato d’Asti or a lighter, sweeter version of their Prosecco. The colour is medium straw with medium+ intensity with good mousse. Not a complex wine, but it wasn’t meant to be. Easy drinking sparkling wine that has a lot of fresh sweet peaches, some apricots, oranges & some lime. Drink on its own or with Gelatto ice cream. This also paired well with Bruschetta.

Tasted: 22 Aug 11.

Best Buy. Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18/10

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:# 588780

PIRRAMIMMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008, McLaren Vale, Australia

25 Thursday Aug 2011

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

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Cost: $24.95
Grape Variety: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO Vintages
Country: Australia
Region: McLaren Vale
Format: 750 mL bottle
Producer: Malesco Wine Broker
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Description: I don’t recall ever having a Pirramimma that I didn’t like, and this one keeps the streak alive.

Dark almost opaque ruby in colour intensity with high intense nose. The nose shows a lot Zin characteristics such as raisin, prunes, dates, figs, mocha, cherry tobacco pipe smoke, cedar, vanilla, blackcurrants, white pepper, violets & eucalyptus. The taste is as complex as the nose. The taste is more skewed to what a Cab is. It’s dry, medium+ tannins & acidity, full body & powerful with long length, high alcohol but balanced. Notes show cedar, raisins, plum, dark cherry, blackcurrants, dates, mocha, turmeric, leather, vanilla, black & white pepper, eucalyptus & some pencil shavings. This is a smooth wine with a velvet touch on your tongue. Love this wine. There are only 2 negatives. 1) Even though I love the nose, I want my Cab to smell like a Cab, and 2) The high alcohol. Drink now on it’s own or with grilled steak. Tasted 24 Aug 11. Best Buy & Top Pick. Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 9.5/10

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 730374

TOP BENCH RED, 2009, VQA Niagara Peninsula

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Red Wines

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TOP BENCH RED VQA

Cost: $13.95
Grape Variety: Merlot, Syrah, Cab Sauvignon & Pinot Noir
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Peninsula Ridge Winery has blended Merlot, Syrah, Cab Sauvignon & Pinot Noir. Pinot seems to dominate on site, nose & taste. I had a guest at Go Cooking (Hamilton Spectator), which I served this wine, and she said it so precisely describing this wine as “a lot going on, but it doesn’t know what direction it wants to go.” But she agreed that this is a good wine for the value.

The colour is medium minus ruby to garnet & medium+ intensity on the nose. The nose shows light cedar, cherry, rhubarb, cranberry, black pepper, forest with hints if a smoldering campfire. Taste is dry, medium minus tannins, medium acidity, medium minus body, medium+ length & balanced. The taste shows notes of cherry, rhubarb, cranberry, leather, pepper, light cedar, blueberry, plum & slate. This wine is easy drinking on it’s own or pair it with roasted duck.

Tasted 21 Aug 11.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

LCBO: #226811

TOP BENCH WHITE 2009, VQA Niagara Peninsula

25 Thursday Aug 2011

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Top Bench White 2009, VQA Bottle

Cost: $13.95
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & 10% gewürztraminer
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & 10% gewürztraminer with the Chard part aged sur lie in French & American for a year. Medium straw in colour with medium intensity. Gooseberry, light oak, lemon/lime, some fresh cut grass notes, apple, peach & melon. The taste is dry, medium acidity, medium minus body, medium length & balanced. The taste is more expressive than the nose elevating its notes to a higher level. Drink now on its own or with edamame.

Tasted 20 Aug 11.

Best Buy.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:# 226803

EMILIANA WINEMAKER’S SELECTION SYRAH 2009, D.O. Casablanca Valley, Chile

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Red Wines

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Cost: $18.95
Grape Variety: Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Chile
Region: Casablanca Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vinedos Emiliana S.A.
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Not impressed. Nothing negative, but nothing positive. That was what I thought when I first opened it 18 Aug 2011. I put the cork in the bottle & decided to open it the next day. The nose was like wooden fire in a clear cold snowy night with cherry kirsh, cola, blackberry, raspberry tea & chocolate mocha. The taste was just as good. It went from a score of 7/10 to 9+/10. Value: 9/10, Total: 18+/20.

Best Buy

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 212407

ROSEMOUNT SHOW RESERVE GSM 2006, McLaren Vale, Australia

25 Thursday Aug 2011

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

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Rosemount Show Reserve Gsm 2006, Mclaren Vale, South Australia Bottle

Cost: $34.95
Grape Variety: Grenache/shiraz/mourvedre
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Australia
Region: McLaren Vale
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Foster’S Wine Estates Americas
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: First off let me just say that I have not yet had a Rosemount Show Reserve wine that I didn’t like & this one doesn’t disappoint. Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium intensity on the nose. A complex nose that shows plums, dill, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, cedar, dark chocolate smoked bacon, black & white pepper & mocha. The taste is just as complex as the nose showing similar notes as the nose. Surprisingly with the high alcohol & being from Australia you would expect more prune or cooked fruit. However, the taste is old world, except for the heat. The taste is dry, medium+ tannins & acidity with a very long length. The wine has medium to full body & balanced. The wine is drinkable now but will age nicely for the next 5 years. Drink on it’s own or rack of lamb.

Tasted 17 Aug 11.

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value; 7/10, Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:# 583146

OPEN SOCIABLE SPARKLING, 2009 VQA,Ontario

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, Sparkling Wine

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Open Sociable Sparkling 2009, Ontario VQA Bottle

Cost: $13.95
Grape Variety:
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Canada
Region: Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Vincor International Inc.
Alcohol: 11.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Charmat method, this sparkling wine shows medium straw colour with medium nose intensity & fine mousse. The nose has a very nice Easter lily aroma along with green & red apple, peach, lemon & some minerality. Taste is dry, medium acidity, medium body, long length & balanced. Easy drinking that has green & red apples, lemon/lime, limestone & peach. Not a complex wine, just easy going. This sparkler was a pleasant surprise to me with no negatives. Drink on its own or pair it with Capresse salad.

Best Buy.

Tasted 15 Aug 11.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:# 224410

BLUE MOUNTAIN BRUT, NV, Okanaga Valley, BC, Methode Traditiomnelle, NV, Estate bottled

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $32.95
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Pinot Gris 
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Canada
Region: British Columbia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold with a touch if copper in colour with medium intensity & fine mousse. This sparkling smells & taste like fine Champagne, but at least half the price & it’s Canadian! This sparkling shows notes of baked apple, yeast, pine nuts, brioche, lemon and lime stone.

Tasted 5 Aug 11

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO:#206326

FATTORIA DEL CERRO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO, 2006 DOCG, Tuscany, Italy

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Red Wines

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Cost: $25.95
Grape Variety: Sangiovese
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Saiagricola S.P.A.
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Description: Medium ruby to garnet in colour with medium intensity. A pleasant nose that shows distinctive Sangiovese in cedar, oregano, sage, sour cherry, anise, lead pencil, milk chocolate & black peppercorn. The taste is dry, with medium+ tannins & acidity, & medium+ length. The notes on the taste are similar to the nose with addition of spinach leaf. The wine is very smooth & balanced. Nicely aged it’s drinkable now or for the next 2 years. Food friendly wine that will pair with any Italian dish with red sauce.

Tasted: 3 Aug 11

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO:# 180059