STLTO MERLOT-MALBEC, 2009, Abruzzo, Italy

23 Saturday Jul 2011

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Stlto Merlot Malbec 2009 Bottle

Cost: $11.95
Grape Variety:
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO General List
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Feudi San Pio Inc.
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: This wine surprised me considering the label that had to be done by a female. Oh wait it was! Usually these labels are designed as a quick pick-up marketing to get the consumer to buy, but not really a quality style wine. This one is! It has dark ruby in colour with medium intensity on the nose. The nose is pleasant with light oak, blackberry, cherry, raisins, blueberry & cola notes. The taste is also pleasant with similar notes as the nose. Medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, medium length & body. This wine is balanced & easy to drink on it’s own or try with chicken with rum & cola sauce or if you’re being more conventional it pairs well with BBQ lamb chops. Drink now or cellar for 1-2 years.

Best Buy. Good complexity & quality for a wine under $15.

Tasted 21 July 2011. Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 10/10, Score: 18.5+/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

MISSION HILL FIVE VINEYARDS, CABERNET SAUVIGNON & MERLOT, 2008, Okanagan Valley, BC, VQA,

23 Saturday Jul 2011

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Mission Hill 5 Vineyard Cabernet Merlot 2008 Bottle

Cost: $16.45
Grape Variety: Cabernet/merlot
Category: Red
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley, BC
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Mission Hill Vineyards Inc.
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark ruby in colour with medium intense nose. The nose shows cedar, blackberry, turmeric, cassis, anise, pencil shavings, all spice & raspberry. The taste is dry, med+ tannins with med+ acid. A bit astringent & linear. Med+ length & med+ body. Taste is similar as taste with addition of leather & tobacco leaves. This wine needs to be paired with something that has a lot of protein, like steak. Try BBQ rib-eye.

Tasted 22 July 2011.

Score 8/10, Value: 7/10, Total: 15/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5

VINA QUEBRADA De MACUL, DOMUS AUREA, 2006, Maipo Valley, Chile

22 Friday Jul 2011

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Cost: $47.99 (on sale for $29.95)
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: Chile
Region: Upper Maipo Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Vina Quebrada de Macul
Alcohol: 14.8% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Deep cloudy garnet with medium+ intensity on the nose.  The nose is very unique and may not appeal to everyone as it has strong black current and mint that dominate. In the background there are current preserve, espresso and apricot. The taste is dry, medium tannins, medium+ acid, medium+ length, balance and medium to full body. The taste is ribena with alcohol, which you do get the heat from the 14.8% alcohol. Mint, as with the nose dominates. Secondary taste is similar to the nose. The lack of fruit suggest that this is ready to drink now, but the fruits may be dormant the wine may still be sleeping, so in another 2 years maybe the fruits will awaken. This would pair well with rack of lamb. The Wine Spectator gave this a 92, but it doesn’t rank that high for me, maybe 89. This wine is not for everyone.

Tasted: 22 July 2011

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8/10 (9/10 on sale), Total: 16,5+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3.5

LCBO#906123

PIRRAMIMMA ACJ, CABERNET-SAUVIGNON, SHIRAZ, PETIT VERDOT, 2005, McLaren Vale, Australia

21 Thursday Jul 2011

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Pirramimma Acj 2004, Mclaren Vale, South Australia Bottle

Cost: $49.00
Grape Variety: Cabernet-sauvignon/Shiraz/Petit Verdot
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Australia
Region: McLaren Vale
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Malesco Wine Broker
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “This limited release wine is named I’m honour of the founder, Alexander Campbell Johnston, who in 1892 purchased a small holding of rich farmland near McLaren Vale. He named this land Pirramimma, an aboriginal phrase meaning ‘The moon & the Stars.”

First off, love the pewter label. Secondly, it’s a screw top. Dark ruby-garnet in colour with high intensity. Beautiful complex nose showing cedar, plums, briar pie, menthol, white & back pepper, turmeric & dark cherry. The first thing you notice is the heat from the alcohol, followed by the mouth feel that this isn’t a bold & big wine, more medium to full, then the fruits show up followed by the menthol & lastly other notes such as dark chocolate, anise & Macintosh apples. The length is very long, I stopped timing at 2 minutes & I was still tasting it. The wine has good acidy with medium+ tannins, balanced & it’s drinkable now or will cellar for another 5 yrs. WS rated this 91 & I concur. If it wasn’t for the high alcohol thats very up front I would rate this a 95. Try This with tenderloin steak on the BBQ.

Tasted 20 July 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 72694

VEUVE AMBAL BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE, NV, Burgundy, France

18 Monday Jul 2011

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Cost: $15.95
Grape Variety:
Category: Sparkling Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Veuve Ambal
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with fine mousse & plenty of them. Medium intensity showing classic champagne notes of baked apple, biscotti, pear, lemon & white flowers. The taste is dry, good acidity, long length, medium+ body and balanced. Taste shows lemon, apple, pink grapefruit & pear. The nose is more complex than the taste. This sparkler is refreshing to the taste & would pair with nicely with classic champagne dishes of caviar & oysters.

Best Buy.

Tasted 17 July 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:#209619

STONELEIGH, CHARDONNAY, 2009, Marlborough, New Zealand

18 Monday Jul 2011

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Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2009, Marlborough Bottle

Cost: $16.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: Still Table Wine
Appellation: LCBO, General List
Country: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pernod Ricard Pacific Pty Ltd
Alcohol: 14.0 %
Description: Bright gold in colour with medium intensity. Light oak & toast with lemon, apple, light honeysuckle, lemon grass & limestone. The taste is dry, good acidity, med body, long length & well balanced. Similar to the nose with a slight creaminess. Shows all signs of a cool climate weather Chard & could be confused with a mid level Burgundian wine. Pleasant surprise from New Zealand. Drink now, goes well with snow crab & drawn butter.

Tasted 15 July 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

LCBO:# 288795

CAVE DE RASTEAU LA DOMELIÈRE RASTEAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2009, Rhone, France

18 Monday Jul 2011

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Cost: $15.00
Grape Variety: Grenache/shiraz/mourvedre
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Rhone
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Cave Des Vignerons De Gigondas
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Med ruby to purple colour with medium intensity on the nose. Light oak with egg plant, plum, mushroom & fig. You can definitely make out the Grenache. Taste is dry, med+ tannins & acidity, long length & a bit austere. Taste is similar to nose. Wine Spectator gave this a 90, but they didn’t try this bottle. Needs to go with food like vegetable lasagna.

Tasted 14 July 2010.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5

LCBO:#222927

SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS TRIOMPHE, CHARDONNAY, 2008, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario VQA

18 Monday Jul 2011

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Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Chardonnay 2008, VQA Niagara On The Lake Bottle

Cost: $18.10
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-On-The-Lake
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Southbrook Vineyards
Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “LCBO Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 28 mg/L of free sulphur.”

Bright gold in colour with medium+ intensity that shows medium minus oak & toast, lemon, fresh Macintosh apples, mango, pineapple, honeydew flower & fortune cookies. Taste is dry, medium+ acidity, med body, long length & balanced. The taste is more complexed than the nose as the flavours come in layers. The initial taste shows lemon & pink grapefruit, followed by apples & pineapple then you get hit by a wave of lemon meringue pie, finishing of with lemon zest. If you have different style of wine glasses such as Riedel, use cold climate Chard glasses instead of the big California Chard glasses. Drink now or in the next 2 years. Drink on it’s own or with Sea Bass infused with a Chardonnay sauce.

Best Buy.

Tasted 10 July 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO:#172338

CLOSSON CHASE PINOT NOIR ROSÉ, 2010, Canada

02 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Non LCBO Wine, Rosés

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Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Rosé Wine
Appellation: Closson Chase Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Prince Edward County
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Closson Chase
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Salmon in colour with medium+ nose intensity. The nose shows Provence characteristics of strawberry, rhubarb, minerality and cherry. The taste is dry, medium+ acidity, light tannins, medium length, light+ body and balanced. The taste is like the nose. As this is unfiltered, and personally I don’t recall drinking an unfiltered Rosé, you will find sediment at the end of the bottle so decant first. This wine went perfect with French cut pork chops stuffed with Mozzarella and sundried tomatoes on a BBQ. Truly yummy. Unfortunately, this wine is sold at the winery only.

Tasted: 30 June 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

ROSEWOOD ESTATES MERLOT 2008, Beansville Bench, Ontario VQA

01 Friday Jul 2011

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Cost: $20.00 (on sale $14.05)
Grape Variety: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Rosewood Estates
Alcohol: 13% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium dark ruby with a medium intense nose. Pleasant nose with no notes that over state the others. Light oak with raspberry, wild flowers, coco, vanilla notes, sweet cherry and Christmas cake. The taste is dry, medium tannins and acid, medium length, medium to light body and well balanced. Taste is similar to the nose. This wine is easy drinking and can be paired with an array of different food due to the easiness of the fruits, medium tannins and medium acidity. This wine is nice to drink beside the pool and enjoy during the summer days or night. For the sale price it’s a best buy, for regular price it’s a good buy. If it’s sold out at the LCBO, please visit the winery.

Tasted: 29 June 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3.5

LCBO#211896