Canadian Wine Guy

I’ve been on a roll of good chards lately … This is another one. Pale to slightly golden in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely varietal apple and pear. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice toasty vanilla notes and some nice acidity. The fruit on this one is nice and expressive. A well made, not over oaked shard. I wuold give it an 88-89. Very nice for the price. Full bodied and rich.

14 Hands Chardonnay 2014 — VINTAGES#: 468546
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich
14 Hands is named for the small but resilient wild horses that were once found throughout the Columbia River Basin. This Chardonnay has a soft caramel and oak undertone that supports the leading apple, citrus and mineral tones. Crafted in an easy-to-enjoy style, this is fresh and long with a creamy mouth feel. (VINTAGES panel, Feb. 2016) $18.95

Release Date:December 10, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 13.5% Made in: Washington, USA By: Chat Ste Michelle Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry

Dark in color with a nice red cherry nose. On the mid palate this is a lovely smooth cab sauv with lots of nice red cherries to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice smooth tannins along with some nice dryness that builds and lingers in the mouth. There’s a nice bit of complexity to this wine. It’s a more subtle well made cab yumm. I would give it an 89+. Very food friendly. We paired it with steak and it went REALLY well 🙂 I would agree with the LCBO’s description of full bodied and smooth. By the way, I had the 2012 at Quinns and it was equally as yummy.

From the LCBO web site:
St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 — VINTAGES#: 671164
STYLE – Full-bodied & Smooth
This is a deeply coloured, nicely rich yet quite well structured cabernet – as are so many 2013s from California. It has a classic, lifted nose of blackcurrants, herbs, dark chocolate and some oak sheen. It’s full bodied, fairly dense and still youthfully tannic but it is balanced. The length is very good to excellent. Good value in the overpriced universe of California cabs. Score – 91. (David Lawrason, winealign.com, July 20, 2016) $29.95

Release Date:December 10, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 14.6% Made in: California, USA By: Kobrand Corporation Sugar Content:13 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:XD – Extra Dry

Th Californians are making great strides at dialing down the oak on the chards and letting the fruit shine through. I submit this as an example. Pale to golden in color with a mild varietal nose. On the mid palate the chard fruit shines through with some lovely apple and pear. On the medium length finish the wine displays some lovely smokey, oaky notes along with some spicy notes. This is a lovely smooth varietal chard. Not over baked. It’s nice crisp and dry. I would give it a solid 89 which for the price is a great deal!

Sterling Chardonnay 2013 — VINTAGES#: 330233
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich
PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:November 12, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 13.5% Made in: California, USA By:Treasury Wine Estates Sugar Content:5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:XD – Extra Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich Varietal:ChardonnayDescriptionFounded in 1964, Sterling is both one of the foundational properties in Napa Valley and one of the first to work with Chardonnay. Their 2013 is sourced from sites in the southern reaches of the Napa Valley, and features fruit from cool-climate locations in Carneros. You can expect this to offer the bright and balanced acidity typical of these sites. It will be a great match for buttered shrimp. #22.95

Pale in color with a lovely rich nose of apple and pear. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely apple and pear along with some nice vanilla. The medium length finish displays some nice acidity. I would give it an 88 or so. A lovely varietal chard. Not over baked. It’s an essential so readily available.

Beringer Chardonnay — VINTAGES#: 84988
Beringer Chardonnay
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich
Founded in 1876, Beringer is California’s longest continually operating winery. This Chardonnay is vivid and focused with tropical fruit, lemon, pear, toasty spice and zesty acidity. Creamy and round, this will be ideal for buttered lobster. $22.95

Release Date:April 1, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 14.1% Made in: California, USA By:Beringer Vineyards Sugar Content:5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich

Garnet in color with a nice expressive varietal nose, lots of soft red fruits and rustic notes. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some nice red fruits and rustic notes just the way a pinot noir ought to be! On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice smooth tannins and acidity. I would give it an 88 or so.

Meiomi Pinot Noir — VINTAGES#: 130138
STYLE – Full-bodied & Smooth
A decadent and popular take on Pinot Noir is crafted by Joseph Wagner of the family behind Caymus. Loaded with chocolate, dark cherries and berries, it’s a generous wine with soft tannins. Enjoy tonight with baby back ribs, grilled salmon or rib-eye steaks. $23.95 WAS $26.95 SAVE $3.00

Release Date:April 1, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 14.5% Made in:California, USA By:Copper Cane LLC Sugar Content:12 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry

This is a general list product. I love pinots, certain foods just pair perfectly with them, like salmon, duck etc … This one is garnet in color with a mild rustic nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice soft red berries along with some nice rustic notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice firm tannins, acidity and a hint of pepper. This is a bigger pinot. For the price it’s a BB Bargoon! I would give it an 88 or so. The fruit is not as expressive as some but good none the less.

From the LCBO web site:
Mirassou Pinot Noir — LCBO#: 185249
STYLE – Light-bodied & Fruity
pale ruby colour; raspberry, sour cherry and touch of vanilla in the nose; dry light to medium body; soft cherry and cranberry flavours, soft, smooth finish $14.45

Alcohol/Vol 13.5%Made in: California, USA By: Mirassou Vineyards Sugar Content:14 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style:Light-bodied & Fruity

Golden in color with a nice apple and pear nose, spot on for a chard. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some lovely chard fruit coming through, apple and pear. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice butterscotch and vanilla. A spot on California chard. We paired it with pan seared scallops, yum it went well and complemented the meal. I would give it an 88-89.

From the LCBO web site:
Sterling Vintner’s Chardonnay — LCBO#: 669242
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich Medium deep yellow straw colour; aromas and flavours of apple, pear and oaky vanilla; dry, medium to full bodied, well balanced with good length. $16.00
PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:January 1, 2001
750 mL bottle Alcohol/Vol 13.5%Made in:USA By:Sterling Vineyards Sugar Content:4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:XD – Extra Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich Varietal:Chardonnay

Dark in color with a mild red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some red berries along with some strong herbal notes, maybe even green pepper. There’s noticeable sweetness. On the lighter side of medium in length the fine is definitely more fruit forward with minimal tannins and acidity. This is not a great cab, I would give it an 87-88. In some ways it reminded me of a Zinf. Not bad enough to return the bottle but if I had more I would take them back.

From the LCBO web site:
The Show Cabernet Sauvignon — LCBO#: 383885
STYLE – Full-bodied & Smooth
Medium ruby in colour; aromas of plum, raspberry, black currant, white pepper and vanilla; the palate is dry and full body with flavours of rich black fruit, spice and a touch of vanilla. $18.95 QUANTITY
PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:October 21, 2014
Alcohol/Vol 13.9% Made in:California, USA By:Sutter Home Winery Sugar Content:11 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style:Full-bodied & Smooth Varietal:Cabernet Sauvignon

Golden in color with a nice apple/pear nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some rich apple and pear coming through, lovely chard fruit . On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice butterscotch and creamy notes. The wine is definitely a little thicker in texture than some. It is a well made not over top oaked California style chard. Very nice and right up my alley. I would give it an 89 or so … This wine has been consistent in price and quality for quite while now, no easy feat in the wine industry! We paired it with some nice pan fried lake perch and the richness of the wine complemented the simplicity of the perch. Yumm!

From the LCBO web site:
Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay — VINTAGES#: 369686
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Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich
One hundred percent barrel-fermented Chardonnay with the richness one wants from California. Plenty of sunny fruit and lively freshness. Creamy and round with notes of buttered toast and tropical fruits. Try with char-grilled corn on the cob, or with grilled chicken. $19.95

PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:April 1, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 13.5% Made in:California, USA By: Jackson Wine Estates International Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich Varietal: Chardonnay Description: One hundred percent barrel-fermented Chardonnay with the richness one wants from California. Plenty of sunny fruit and lively freshness. Creamy and round with notes of buttered toast and tropical fruits. Try with char-grilled corn on the cob, or with grilled chicken.