PONDVIEW CABERNET MERLOT RESERVE 2016, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

16 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $24.95 (Sale price: $18.71)
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pondview Estate Winery
Alcohol:  14.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Quality Ontario red wine that is smooth, delicious & has a beautiful smoked flowery bouquet/aroma

Tasting Note: Light ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, smooth tannin & average length finish. Wine features cherry, blackberry, raspberry, mulberry, plum, cedar, vanilla, and violets & smoke on the nose.

Interesting Point: Great value at the sale price.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 2-3 years on its own or pair it with Mongolian Beef

My Opinion:  Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: April 16, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE PINOT GRIS 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

11 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, Rosés, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $18.95
Grape: Pinot Gris
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Very interesting Pinot Gris that was fermented in neutral French oak barrels, and skin soaked giving the wine that copper colour. Taste is refreshing.

Tasting Note: Copper in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & average length finish. Wine features clementine, green apple, pink grapefruit & pear.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4 years on its own or pair it with Jerk chicken wings

My Opinion:  Recommended

Tasted: April 11, 2020

13th STREET WINERY ESSENCE PINOT NOIR 2011, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

10 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in 13th Street Winery, Canadian Wines, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, Red Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $44.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: 13th Street Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Classic quality in the Burgundian style

Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with mild tannin, high acidity, an intense nose & long finish. Wine features sour cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, wild mushrooms.

Interesting Point: Chill this pinot to 15 C, and use a balloon style stemware.

Pairings: As this wine has high acidity & will still age well over the next 7-10 years, it needs food to really complement it so pair it with rabbit Cacciatore.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: April 9, 2020

CASILLERO DEL DIABLO RESERVA PRIVADA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017, DO Maipo Valley, Chile

02 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in Recommended, Red Wines

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Cost: $19.95 (Sale price until April 26, 2020: $16.25)
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Casillero del Diablo
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Classic Chilean style Cab with lots of blackcurrants

Tasting Note: Deep ruby in colour with medium to high tannin, good acidy this wine features blackcurrants, plum, blackberries, spinach leaves, turmeric, cassis, cedar, vanilla & peppermint.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with Asiago cheese.

My Opinion:  Recommended

Tasted: April 2, 2020

LCBO: 570754

GUILLAUME AURÈLE VIOGNIER 2018, IGP Pay D’OC, France

29 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $14.95 (Clearance price: $12.00)
Grape: Viognier
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Southern France
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Alma Cersius
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Not complex but an excellent valued Viognier showing bright fruits & just pleasant drinking

Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour this wine features apricot, peach and honey.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with Bouillabaisse & Rouille.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Amazing Buy at the clearance price

Best Buy

Tasted: March 29, 2020

LCBO: 380741

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES BLANC DE BLANC 2015, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

29 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Recommended, Sparkling Wine

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Cost: $34.95 (Clearance price: $24.50)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Château des Charmes
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

An aged Blanc de Blanc with freshness

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with a fine mousse featuring baked bread, lemon, pear, green apples, vanilla and white honey.

Interesting Point: Bottle aged of this wine on the lees for a minimum of two years and disgorge each bottle just before it leaves the winery. I preferred this wine in slender Champagne style glass vs the larger mouth stemware. The wine shows more complexity.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with shrimp tempura.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy at the clearance price

Tasted: March 29, 2020

LCBO: 423111

JEAN-LUC COLOMBO LE PAVILLON DES COURTISANES CAIRANNE 2016, AOC Cairanne, France

27 Friday Mar 2020

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Cost: $21.95
Grape: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Category: Red Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Cairanne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Jean-Luc Colombo
Alcohol:  14.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Not a complex wine but it’s rich in flavour & substance, plus it’s priced reasonably

Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour this wine features bramble fruit, plums, thyme, white pepper, graphite, black tea & violets on the nose. Full body with good acidity and firm but not aggressive tannin.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with Tomato Sauce Base, Mozzarella, Double Smoked Bacon and Sausage, Topped with Prosciutto and Basil Pizza.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: March 27, 2020

LCBO: 120717

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE MERLOT 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

27 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Recommended, Red Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $18.95
Grape: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A simple, juicy, easy drinking yet elegant Ontario Merlot with a nice price tag

Tasting Note: Ruby to purple in colour this wine has light tannin and features plum, blackberry, mulberry and vanilla.

Interesting Note: As of this review, this wine is only available pre-release to Wine Club Members.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with pepperoni, mushroom & tomato pizza.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: March 23, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY LES MARMITONS GASTRONOMY UNFILTERED PINOT NOIR 2017, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

26 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Red Wines, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Elegance & taste at its Best. Styled in the classical Burgundian Pinot. Currently, one of the best Canadian Pinot Noir I’ve tasted & all this for under $25.

Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour this wine features cherry, fraise du bois (wild strawberry), mulberry, Champagne mushrooms, earthy, tobacco leaves, All Spice and peat moss on the nose.

Interesting Point: The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Westcott Vineyard on Vinemount Ridge, a blend of the Burgundy clones 777 and 667. The fruit was allowed to ferment spontaneously, aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, then bottled by hand with no fining or filtration.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 5-7 years or pair it with seared duck with blueberry.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy and Top Pick

Tasted: March 26, 2020

KEW BARREL AGED BLANC DE BLANC 2014, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

22 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $29.95 (Clearance Price: $24.00)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kew Vineyards
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A rich vintage Blanc de Blanc Champagne style at a quarter of the price of those made in Champagne

Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with fine mousse this wine features buttered toast, brioche, yeast, lemon tart, cooked apples, Anjou pear, peach, roasted almonds and ginger.

Interesting Point: I saw this sparkling wine at Toronto LCBO at the clearance price and grabbed all 4 bottles.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 8-10 years or pair it with crispy octopus.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: March 22, 2020

LCBO: 438994