I went to the Gourmet Food and Wine Show last night which is running for the rest of the weekend. As in the past this is a great event. Plenty of different wines to tastes, a little bit of beer and a little bit of food. I recommend you eat before you go, and I recommend you plan to take public transit. This is a pay as you go event with the cost of tastings usually being related to the cost of the wine. We went through about $30 each worth of tasting tickets. Last night was the VIP event and the crowds were quite reasonable. Not all tables have tasting cards so make sure you take something along to write on and with. I spent way too much time in the French booth. If they were pouring anything stellar, I missed it Not for lack of looking I must add …
Here are a list of the wines that stuck out for me:
A lovely Merlot all though not totally varietal.
BERINGER FOUNDERS ESTATE MERLOT
LCBO 534255 | 750 mL bottle Check Stock
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine, 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Beringer Vineyards
Tasting Note
Ruby garnet colour; red berry aromas with light oak notes; dry, medium-bodied palate with fine tannins on the finish
A lovely slightly buttery classic California Chard. Yummy.
BERINGER FOUNDERS ESTATE CHARDONNAY
LCBO 534230 | 750 mL bottle Check Stock
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, White Wine, 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Beringer Vineyards
Tasting Note
Bright gold colour; spicy, toasty vanilla and tropical notes on the nose; full-bodied on the palate with forward apple citrus fruit and vanilla notes; well-balanced with a long finish.
A lovely Classic Californian Cab Sauv! A little on the price side. I am starting to sound like a sales person for Beringer!
BERINGER CABERNET SAUVIGNON (V) Check stock
VINTAGES 352583 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 36.95
Limited Time Offer
Was: $ 39.95 Now: $ 36.95 Save: $ 3.00 Until Nov 30, 2008
Wine, Red Wine, 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Beringer Vineyards
Release Date: Oct 11, 2008
Description
Grown in Sonoma County’s Knights Valley appellation, the concentrated grapes have produced sensual aromas of black plum purée, cocoa, blackcurrant, sweet cherry and cedar. Silky textured, the palate is loaded with sweet fruit and toasted oak flavours that are nicely offset by a lively acidity. It is medium full-bodied with a long, fruity and firm finish. An excellent companion to roasted leg of lamb with roasted figs or beef carpaccio.
This one is from just outside Prince Edward County. It is an inexpensive wine with a slightly tart flavour. I quite enjoyed it. A bargain for the price!
OAK HEIGHTS COVERT HILL WHITE VQA>
LCBO 104885 | 750 mL bottle Check stock
Price: $ 9.95
Wine, 11.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Oak Heights Estate Winery
This one was a lovely crisp very Pinot Grigio like wine for my tastes. For the price it is a bargain. It is apparently the number one Spanish White in Ontario.
RENE BARBIER CLASSIC WHITE Check stock
LCBO 332767 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 9.75
Wine, White Wine, 11.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Penedes, Spain By: Rene Barbier S.A.
Tasting Note
Pale straw yellow with a green tin; floral with citrus aroma; light body, crisp acidity, medium length finish, good quality wine
I don’t think this is the exact wine we tasted, but it was one of our favourites of the evening. This one is the reserve, the one we tasted was not. A lovely wine:
FALCOARIA RESERVA 2005
VINTAGES 80390 | 750 mL bottle Check stock
Price: $ 23.95
Wine, Red Wine, 14.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Ribatejo, Portugal By: Casal Branco
Release Date: Sep 27, 2008
Tasting Note
Soft and rich, this is powerful stuff. The texture is velvety smooth, the dark tannins very much second fiddle to the superripe fruit. Raisins and red fruits bring in some acidity, but even this fruit flavor is almost sweet in its richness. Drink now. Score – 89. (Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, April 1, 2008)
This one was also good but frankly the one above was better, more complex, longer finish.
ESPORÃO RESERVE RED (V) Check stock
VINTAGES 606590 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 24.95
Wine, Red Wine, 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Alentejo, Portugal By: Finagra
Release Date: Oct 11, 2008
Description
Since 1973 Herdade do Esporão has made several major investments in its winery and vineyards to become one of the the most infuential estates in the region. Made from a blend of Aragonês (a.k.a. Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon and Trincadeira, this dense, fruity, and charmingly rustic red is a great companion to any stewed, braised or roasted red meat dishes.
My most expensive wine of the evening was a Franco Conterno 2004 Barolo that was lovely. Deep, rich, classic Barolo. A lovely wine for $54.95. I didn’t get an LCBO number and can’t find it.
This one was lovely, but I wouldn’t pay the price:
SIGALAS SANTORINI 2006 Check stock
VINTAGES 74781 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 21.95
Wine, White Wine,
14.4% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Is. Of Santorini, Greece
Release Date: Oct 11, 2008
Tasting Note
Paris Sigalas’s wines could be compared to Corton for their intensity and structure, and, like great Corton, need lots of air. Give this several hours in a decanter and it begins to reveal hints of orange and chamomile, gentle notes on a powerful base of chalky minerality. If you open it now, pair it with rich foods, like monkfish with brown butter; better yet, put it in the cellar for a decade. Score – 91. (www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com, Aug. 2007)
Karen quite liked this one.
STERLING VINTNER’S MERLOT
LCBO 622837 | 750 mL bottle Check stock
Price: $ 16.05
Wine, Red Wine 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California/Californie, United States By: Sterling Vineyards
Tasting Note
Deep ruby colour; ripe blackberry fruit aromas; medium-full bodied with supple fruit and integrated tannins. Well balanced. Ample fruit throughout
For the price this one was quite good, but don’t expect it to taste like a Merlot:
CATALANS RAFALE MERLOT VDP Check stock
LCBO 526897 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 8.90
Wine, Red Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Roussillon, France By: Vignerons Catalans
Tasting Note
Deep ruby; black berries, sweet red peppers and spice aromas; red berry flavours, soft tannins, long finish
This one is featured this month. Parker gave it a 91, I would say more like an 89 but it was good. Had more of a fruit forward slightly raisin favor.
JUAN GIL MONASTRELL 2006 Check stock
VINTAGES 13656 | 750 mL bottle
Price: $ 16.95
Wine, Red Wine,
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Jumilla, Spain By: Hijos De Juan Gil
Release Date: Nov 22, 2008
Tasting Note
The 2006 Juan Gil is also 100% Monastrell but aged for 12 months in French and American oak. It was sourced from an estate vineyard with 45 years of age. This purple-colored wine offers superb aromatics of wood smoke, damp earth, violets, and blueberry pie. Layered, succulent, and long, it will evolve for another 2-3 years and be at its best from 2010 to 2018. Score – 91. (Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com, Aug. 2008)
That’s about it for today!
