PENFOLDS THOMAS HYLAND, SHIRAZ, 2008, AUSTRALIA

26 Thursday May 2011

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611210_web

Cost: $19.95
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Category: Red Wine
Appellation:
Country: Australia
Region:
Format:
Producer: Penfold Wines
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “In the late 19th century, Thomas Hyland, son-in-law of founder Christopher Rawson Penfold, helped shape Penfolds into Australia’s most famous name in wine. This top-notch Shiraz pays homage to that Aussie pioneer with its aromas of ripe black cherries, plum, chocolate, and hints of smoke and oak. The palate features more ripe berry-fruit flavours, leading to seductively silky tannins and lip-smacking acidity. A fine match for roasted vegetables and portobello mushrooms with a splash of fine balsamic vinegar.” (LCBO description) 

These are my personal tasting notes:
Penfolds doesn’t disappoint on this Shiraz. Dark ruby with med+ intensity. The nose shows plums, boysenberry, blackberry, vanilla bean, mocha, dark chocolate, smoked ham, white & red peppers. Taste is dry, med tannins, med acidity, full body, balanced & med+ length. This med+ complex wine has taste similar to the nose & you’ll experience some heat from the 14.5% alcohol. Drink on its own or with grilled steak.

Tasted 11 May 11.

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10, (bought this for $16.95 which would put it at 10/10). Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 611210

DE BORTOLI DEEN VAT 4, PETIT VERDOT, 2008, Australia

26 Thursday May 2011

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222265_web

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Petit verdot
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Australia
Region:
Format: 750 mL
Producer: De Bortoli Wines
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Dark, almost opaque ruby to purple in colour. Med+ intensity showing light oak, carnations, loganberry, plum & smoked sausage. The taste is dry, med+ acidity & tannins with long length. The wine is a little astringent and needs to go with food. The taste shows pomegranate, blueberry, loganberry & plums. Med oak & smoked sausage rounds out the palate. Give this wine 3-5 years of cellaring to mellow it out.

Tasted: 25 May 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5

LCBO# 222265

FOG HEAD HIGHLANDS, Highland Series, CHARDONNAY, 2009, Monterey County

20 Friday May 2011

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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158568_web

Cost: $17.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Vintages
Country: United States
Region: California, Monterey County
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  Delicato Vineyards
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium minus gold in colour with medium+ intensity. On the nose there’s medium minus oak and toast, lemon tart, meringue, apricot, apple, peaches & cream corn, wet stone and light nutmeg. The taste is dry, med+ acidity, med to full body, med+ length and balanced. The taste is similar to the nose. The alcohol is well hidden considering it’s 14.5%.  This chard is smooth, with no bitter after taste.  Drink on it’s own or with snow crab with drawn butter.

This is a Best Buy wine.

Tasted: 19 May 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

LCBO#158568

CASTILLO DE ALMANSA RESERVA, 2006, Spain

11 Wednesday May 2011

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270363_web

Cost: $11.95
Grape Variety: Tempranillo, Monastrell & Grenache
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Spain         
Region: Almansa
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bodegas Piqueras
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description:Med+ intensity of purple to ruby in colour. Highly aromatic showing purple lilacs, dark cherry, vanilla, Christmas cake, Bramble fruit pie, cloves & pine, sambuca & sandalwood . On the palate; medium minus tannins, med acidity, med to full body, balanced with a med+ length. Similar to the nose, there‘s Bramble fruit, Christmas cake, pine, vanilla, dark cherry, fig and plums. I simply love this wine as it’s easy to drink, very pleasant too on the nose and the taste, you can drink on its own or pair with grilled pork chop with sautéed shallots and oyster mushrooms, and it’s only $11.95! (LCBO has it often on sale for $10.95).  

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: 10 May 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#270363

LIBERTY SCHOOL, CHARDONNAY, 2007, Central Coast

08 Sunday May 2011

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960120_web

Cost: $17.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: California, Central Coast
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Treana/Liberty School
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description:Lots of mango, pineapple & peach. Med+ intensity, med+ body. Very interesting chard. Light oak & toast. Meringue on the palate, mandarins, peach, lemon cany, pineapple, green apple & lots & lots of mangos. Well balanced with good acidity. Drink on it’s own or with food. Best with flavored food like seasoned talapia. Med+ complexity. Nice to see a California Chard not overly high in alcohol.

On sale for $12.65 made this a best buy wine.

Tasted: March 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 960120

FONCALIEU LE VERSANT, VIOGNIER, 2009, Vins De Pays D’Oc

08 Sunday May 2011

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Le_versant_viognier_sm_web

Cost: $12.95
Grape Variety: Viognier
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Pays d’Oc
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Foncalieu
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: I found nothing exciting about it. Peach, a little nectarine, some tangerine. Balanced wine. Not bad for the price, but there’s better Viognier’s at this price range.

March, 2011

Score: 7.5/10, Value: 10/10, Value: 17.5/10

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5

LCBO#: 195016

RODNEY STRONG RESERVE, CHARDONNAY, 2007, Russian River Valley

08 Sunday May 2011

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

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210039_web

Cost: $34.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Long long finish. Complexed Chard. Lemon in the middle of the tongue, fortune cookies, lots of butter popcorn, butterscotch, cloves, spiced apple, Italian spices (fresh sage & dried oregano). Tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, peach, apricot & oranges. Nose & taste. High alcohol diminished my score. Goes well with a lot of foods as it’s very broad in tastings due to it’s complexity. Goes well with Italian wedding soup, red snapper, angel hair with garlic oil & sea scallops, grilled garlic pork chops & caesar salad (as long as the dressing is balanced & not over powering with garlic or anchovies)

My Top Pick

Tasted: March, 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 210039

MIKE WEIR WINE, CHARDONNAY (VQA) 2008, Niagara Peninsula

08 Sunday May 2011

Posted by in Canadian Wines, White Wines

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Pi_16133_1__web

Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: White Wine
Producer: Mike Weir Wine
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: “All net profits from the sale of Mike Weir’s estate wines go to his foundation (themikeweirfoundation.com), a charity he founded to help children in need. With its layers of pineapple, green apple, tropical fruit and toasty vanilla notes, this full-bodied, harmonious and long-finishing white will perfectly match a grilled chicken breast or salmon steaks. ” LCBO

These are my personal tasting notes:
Crisp chard with granny apples, lemon & dry apricot on the finish. Med complexity on nose & taste. Drink on it’s own or pair with BBQ pork. Bought it for $1 less, which makes better.

Tasted: March, 2011

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

LCBO#: 26

XANADU NEXT OF KIN, SHIRAZ, 2008, Margaret River

08 Sunday May 2011

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212662_web

Cost: $14.95
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Australia
Region: Margaret River
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Xanadu Wines Pty Ltd.
Alcohol: 14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Med+ deep of ruby to purple. Med+ intensity showing lots of berries, such raspberry, blueberry & mulberry. Sweet notes of vanilla bean, raisins,mocha & caramel apple candy, but no jammy over ripe fruit here. The taste is dry, med+ acidity, med tannins, med+ length, balanced & full body. As the nose, lots of berries & shows some white & red pepper. This is a med complex wine that’s easy to drink on it’s own or with food. I paired it with a veal sandwich that had both hot & sweet peppers & it was good. This Ausie Shiraz is part of the new re:invention of wine making happening in Australia, which is going away from flat, sweet, jammy & high alcohol wines. Thank goodness.

Best Buy

Tasted 7 May 2011.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 212662

STAG’S LEAP WINE CELLARS, KARIA, CHARDONNAY 2007, Napa Valley

08 Sunday May 2011

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54585_web

Cost: $37.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: United States
Region: Napa Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Fob
Alcohol: 13.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Now this is a well balanced Chard that I would have guest to be a Montrachet. Light gold in colour with med intensity. Complex nose shows med minus oak & toast, lemon, peach, limestone, Easter Lilly, honeydew melon & cantaloupe The taste is just as complex. Dry, med+ acidity, med body, long length & the alcohol is well checked. No bitterness from over toasting here. Easy drinking wine that shows as the nose with a lot more lemon. This is a food favourite wine that pairs nicely with lobster & drawn butter. Shows nicely now, but can age for another 2-3 years.

Tasted: 6 May 2011.

Score: 9/10 Value: 8.5/10 (I bought it on sale for $26.65 which would give a value of 9.5/10), Total: 17.5/20 (18.5/20 on sale).

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

LCBO#: 54585