Inky dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some mild dark fruits, but where this wine lives is in the finish where it displays some strong coffee notes. There some nice dryness and complexity from the firm tannins and acidity. I would give this wine an 88 or so. Not available at the LCBO but $29.95 from the winery. The wine is made from 100% Syrah and 100% Lake Erie fruit. It saw 20 months in older French and American Oak. They only made 330 cases of this wine.
Verdejo is the white grape in the Rueda region of Spain. I recently attended an event hosted by the Spanish Wine Society in Toronto focused on this varietal. This was one of the stars of the night. Pale in color with mild nose. On the mid palate the wine is crisp and dry. There are some nice green flavors, and herbaceous notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice green tartness and acidity. A very food friendly wine. I would give it an 88 or so. Sadly, not yet in the LCBO.
Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some mild plum notes backed almost immediately by some firm tannins and acidity. The wine is medium in length. I would give it an 88 or so. I think it’s a getting a little old. Some of the fruit has faded, and is overwhelmed. It’s $34.95 a bottle.
Pale in color with a mild grassy nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice grassy notes along with some nice citrus. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice lively acidity that builds nicely in the mouth. It’s a milder smooth sauv blanc. I would give it an 88 or so. Another one from the general list.
From the LCBO web site:
Giesen Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough — LCBO#: 308270
STYLE – Light & Crisp Pale lemon colour; intense grassy and gooseberry aromas with hints of citrus and herbs; herbal and melon flavours with a citrus finish. $14.95
Alcohol/Vol 12.5% Made in: New Zealand By: Giesen Wine Estate Canterbury Ltd. Sugar Content:3 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Pale in color with a mild grassy nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some nice grassy and citrus flavors coming through. On the medium length finish the citrus lives on nicely in the mouth along with some nice lively acidity and some pink grapefruit. I would give it an 88 or so, which for the price is a bargain. The LCBO keeps getting rid of the good, and inexpensive Chilean sauv blancs. Grab this one while you can. But remember they are made to be drunk young and cold!
From the lcbo web site:
Casillero del Diablo Reserva Sauvignon Blanc — LCBO#: 578641
Style – Light & Crisp ›
Pale straw colour; pronounced aromas and flavours of melon, green pepper, white pepper and grapefruit; light, crisp and juicy. $11.95
Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: Chile By: Concha Toro S.A. Sugar Content: 4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry
Last year I attended the German consulate’s wine event and was thrilled to discover some German Pinot Noirs. Locally they are referred to as Spatburgunder. This is one of those, but from this years event. Garnet in color with a lovely varietal rustic nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice rustic notes to match the nose along with some soft red berries. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice acidity and dryness. A very nice pinot indeed and it would be very food friendly. Sadly not in the LCBO yet, $21 a bottle.
This is a wine from a recent German wine event I attended. The lone Sauv Blanc at the event. Pale in color with a mild nose with some nice grassy and citrus notes. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with grassyness and citrus coming through nicely. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice lively acidity with the lemon notes living on and building in the mouth. This is a softer gentler, well made sauv blanc. It would be very food friendly. I would give it an 88 or so. Sadly not in the LCBO but lists for $5 Euros in Germany.
From the winery’s web site:
Sauvignon Blanc
Savignon Blanc was first proved by documentary evidence in 1970. This type of grape comes from the southwest of France. Savignon Blanc belongs to the high-quality wines. It is a cross-breeding from a Traminer x Chenin Blanc, an old white type of grapes from the 9th century. Our Sauvignon Blanc wines have a strong flavour of herbs, grass, gooseberries and green fruit. As a high-quality wine it goes well with fish, seafood and pasta.
Pale to golden in color with a mild nose of pear/apple. On the mid palate the wine displays pear/apple, some lovely fruit along with a hint of vanilla. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice tart acidity, it’s nice and dry. The trend is definitely moving away from heavily oaked chards and this one fits into that category. The winemakers notes say “Partially matured with French oak to produce a balanced, integrated wine”. I don’t think it spent much if any time on the lees. This wine is a bit of a conundrum. If you like unoaked chards (I don’t) it’s not a bad wine, and the mild oaking is hardly noticeable, but then again, if the unoaked fans were who Wolf Blass were targeting why bother with oak. For oaked chard fans (like me) the wine misses the mark. I would give it an 87-88 only because it’s not really my style of chard.
From the LCBO web site:
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay — LCBO#: 226860
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich Bright yellow gold; tropical fruit and citrus with toasty, buttery oak aromas; full-bodied with intense flavours; smooth, warm spice and a long finish.
WAS $14.95 $12.95 SAVE $2.00 Until May 22nd
Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: Australia By: Mildara Blass Limited Sugar Content:3 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich
Dark in color with lovely red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely red cherry notes to match the nose along with some prominent oak. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice spicy pepper along with some nice firm acidity and tannins. This is a very nice, very approachable cab franc. Niagara Cab Franc done right! Yumm. I would give it an 89-90. Very nice.
From the winery’s web site:
Reserve Cabernet Franc 2012
Varieties: Cabernet Franc (89%), Merlot (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (1%) Region: Niagara Escarpment Country: Canada Vintage: 2012 Alcohol: 13.5% Acidity: 6.75
It is the perfect sensory storm. This wine comes at you full on and envelopes you in a wave of flavours that leaves you drenched in luxury. The fine, firm structure of resolved tannins amply supports the lively dark berry notes while underpinning the broader tones of leather, coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The intriguing complexities of this wine are artistically interlace to give a wine of, shall we say it – epic depth, power and longevity. Winemaker: Brian Schmidt Retail: $50.00
I recently attended the New Zealand Wine event at the ROM. This one was one of the wines there. In chatting with a number of wine makers they are experimenting with processes such as leaving the wine on the lees as well as malolactic fermentation as a way of taking the sharp edge off of sauv blanc. A shame I enjoy that edgeness. Matches my personality 🙂 Why shouldn’t a wine be as acerbic as it’s imbiber 🙂
Pale in color with a nice grassy nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some nice grassy notes along with some nice citrus. On the medium length finish the wine’s acidity comes through nicely. It’s definitely a smoother milder sauv blanc but it does build in the mouth. I would give it an 88 or so …
From the LCBO web site:
Matua Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc — LCBO#: 619452
STYLE – Aromatic & Flavourful
pale straw colour; aromas and flavours of melon, gooseberry and pineapple, with citrus notes; dry, medium bodied, fresh, crisp and refreshing with lemon lime acidity; long and clean on the finish $16.95
Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: New Zealand By: Matua Valley Wines Ltd Sugar Content:7 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Aromatic & Flavourful
Dark in color with a nice cherry nose. On the mid palate the cherries come through to match the nose. This is a juicy cab for sure. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice tannins, dryness and complexity. I would give it an 88+ which for the price is quite good. The wine is a bit young and needs a bit of time to mature. Unlike me 🙂
From the LCBO web site:
Bogle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 — VINTAGES#: 904565
STYLE – Full-bodied & Firm
Aromas of blackberry, cassis and oak on the nose. The palate shows great purity of fruit, structure, length and drive. Grippy and youthful, this is a delightful, value-priced California Cabernet. (VINTAGES panel, Oct. 2015) $23.95
Alcohol/Vol 13.5% Made in:California, USA By: Bogle Winery Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:D – Dry Style:Full-bodied & Firm
Ok let’s do a little quizzing. Do you think reds or whites are the most age able wine? Hands up? Well to all you folks who said red ehhhh wrong. In fact Rieslings are some of the most age able wines. So I decided to do a little experiment. I bought this wine in 2008 and it’s been sitting in my wine fridge ever since. Now this is partly because I’ve gone off Rieslings. But none the less I decided to crack this one and see how it faired. Amusingly the label fell off some years ago so the wine outlasted the label 🙂 Golden in color with slightly sweet nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice rich apricots. The wine actually reminds me flavour wise of an ice wine. The wine is slightly thicker in texture. Not syrupy but noticeably thicker. On the medium length finish the apricot lingers quite nicely. This is a nice smooth almost dessert wine. There is a hint of petrol notes not uncommon in well aged Riselings. I originally paid $18 at the winery. I would give it an 88 or so. A nice experience all told!
When I originally bought this one I didn’t expect it to last longer than 2015 but find myself with two left. Dark in color with a lovely dark cherry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely dark cherries to match the nose. On the medium length finish there’s some nice coffee notes and dry velvety tannins. The wine is quite complex and there’s still lots of fruit left! I would give it an 88-89. A very nice wine and still has some legs. I paid $18.95 a bottle and it’s a bargain at this price.
Pale to golden in color with a lovely varietal nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely apple and pear along with some nice vanilla and butterscotch. The wine is medium in length on the finish. I would give it an 88+. This has been consistently good for a while now. The description of Full bodied and rich is accurate. Very nice.
from the LCBO web site:
Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2012 — VINTAGES#: 441071
STYLE – Full-bodied & Rich
The amazing 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast possesses lots of tropical fruit, honeysuckle, pineapple and tangerine notes. Half went through malolactic and the other half was blocked. With lots of minerality as well as a Chablis-like character, it is a major sleeper of the vintage. This beauty should drink well for 1-2 years. Score – 90. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Dec. 2013) $29.15
Release Date:February 6, 2016
Alcohol/Vol 14.2% Made in: California, USA By:Treasury Wine Estates Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Full-bodied & Rich
Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely varietal plum. The fruit on this one is lovely. On the medium length finish the plum lives on. I would give it an 88+. Sadly not in the LCBO but $32.95 a bottle.
From the winery’s web site:
Markham Vineyards Merlot 2013 – 750ml
91 Points from Wine Spectator & Double Gold Medal Winner 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!
According to Wine Spectator’s Tim Fish, “This is what Merlot is all about in California.” While we pride ourselves on creating Merlot with a sensual, decidedly feminine side, our 2013 is more than built to age. Rich in boysenberry fruit and resplendent with briary tones throughout, this vintage will please those looking for something in which to sink their teeth. Ripe, boysenberry flavors are lush and layered seamlessly with vanilla, cola and cocoa powder. 750ml.
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
While we pride ourselves on creating Merlot with a sensual, decidedly feminine side, our 2013 is more than built to age. Rich in boysenberry fruit and resplendent with briary tones throughout, this vintage will please those looking for something in which to sink their teeth. Ripe, boysenberry flavors are lush and layered seamlessly with vanilla, cola and cocoa powder. The juicy texture compliments the chewy tannin finish in this young wine. We’re finding once we pour a glass, we’re not sharing so we have more for ourselves. Hopefully a civilized soul would consider sharing with friends and a
great meal, even if it’s something beautifully simple like burgers.
VINEYARD NOTES
A true Napa Valley blend of vineyards! Our Estate vineyards provide the backbone for the blend, totaling 50% of this bottling. Merlot from Oak Knoll gives sour cherry character while the Yountville components provide the classic Bing cherry aromas and flavors for which our Merlot is known. The
jammy notes come from blending in warmer up-valley fruit from Calistoga vineyards. Much care is taken to maximize the filtered light and allow the Merlot to hang freely within the canopy during harvest. This allows the fruit to mature and color evenly, leaving any vegetal hints behind. The wines are
sent to barrels as individual lots to mature, allowing for greater understanding of the direct impact of our viticultural and fermentation practices each vintage.
HARVEST NOTES
The 2013 growing season was perfect! Below average rainfall, early spring bud break, even fruit set and a hot summer. All of us in Napa Valley fast-tracked our summer bottlings to make room for an early harvest. However the month of August cooled enough to allow multiple vineyard visits confirming
that our white varietals had above average yields. This in turn was slowing down their arrival to the winery, meanwhile the small berry size on our red grapes had them rushing ahead of
schedule. We started crushing Merlot practically from day one. Fast & furious was the ultimate pace of the vintage from beginning to end!
FERMENTATION & AGING
11 Days Skin Contact
100% Stainless Steel Fermentation
12 Months Barrel Aged 27% New Oak
VARIETAL COMPOSITION
83% Merlot
13% Cabernet Sauvignon
2% Syrah
1% Petite Sirah
1% Cabernet Franc
Another one from the general list. Pale in color with a nice crisp nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely green grassy notes along with some nice crisp minerality. On the medium length finish the lively acidity and lemon zest lives on nicely. I would give it an 88-89. Beautiful wine for the price and a very good year.
From the LCBO web site:
Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — LCBO#: 293043
STYLE – Aromatic & Flavourful
Pale straw colour; gooseberry, herbs and a hint of tropical fruit on the nose; dry and medium-bodied with a crisp finish. $17.95
Release Date:May 16, 1998
Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: New Zealand By:Pernod Ricard Pacific Pty Ltd Sugar Content:5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Aromatic & Flavourful
This is another one from the Austrian event. Pale in color with a nice crisp nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely crisp dry notes, nice minerality and some grassy notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice tart notes along with some nice lively acidity. A lovely food friendly Grüner. I would give it an 88+ For $15.95 a bottle it is a great deal. Sadly not in the LCBO.
I’ve had this one and it’s been consistent year over year. Inky dark in color with a nice nose of black berries. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice rich black berries to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice smooth tannins and some nice acidity. The wine is a very nice food friendly wine. I would give it an 88-89.
From the LCBO web site (for the 2012 vintage):
Clos de los Siete 2012 —VINTAGES#: 622571
Style – Full-bodied & Smooth › (57% Malbec, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Syrah; aged in second- and third-use French oak barrels): Bright red-ruby. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, blackcherry and dark chocolate. Dense, creamy and sweet, conveying an impression of elegance for all its volume. A very sweet, spicy blend with harmonious tannins and noteworthy length. Year after year, this wine from Michel Rolland is a terrific value. Drinking window: 2015-2022. Score – 91. (Stephen Tanzer, vinous.com, Jan. 2015) $23.95
Dark in color with a nice cab franc varietal nose along with some mild oaky notes. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice soft cab franc notes, and red berries. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice soft dryness and tannins and some acidity. It’s definitely a milder softer cab franc. I would give it an 88 or so.
From the LCBO web site:
Laurent Mabileau St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 2013 Cabernet Franc — VINTAGES#: 61192
STYLE – Medium-bodied & Fruity
If Bourgeuil is the sinewy, fruit-driven expression of Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley, then St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is its slightly lighter and more ethereal incarnation. This one offers sour cherry, earth and smoky notes and shows great balance throughout. There’s also a subtle mineral component on the palate and good tannic bite on the finish. (VINTAGES panel, April 2015)
$16.25
Release Date: December 12, 2015 Alcohol/Vol 12.5% Made in: Loire, France By: Domaine Laurent Mabileau Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra DryStyle: Medium-bodied & Fruity
Inky dark in color with a nice nose of black berries. On the mid palate the wine displays some mild but deep black berries to match the nose. Be sure to savor it before you swallow it because you get immediately whacked by bitter, harsh notes. I passed it through my aereator twice and even let it breath a bit. I’m not sure whether aging will improve this wine but for now it’s nasty. Slightly less so when paired with food. If I had more bottles of this I would return them. Very disappointing. In the past this was an excellent wine. I would give it an 86-87. Did I mention YUK?
From the LCBO web site:
Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2013 — VINTAGES#: 998476
STYLE – Full-bodied & Firm
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 Shiraz The Lodge Hill is redolent of eucalyptus, Chinese five spice, blackberries, black cherries and pepper hints, then fills the medium to full-bodied palate with a good amount of chewy tannins and plenty of spicy black fruit before ending medium to long in the finish. Drink: 2015-2019. Score – 90. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, erobertparker.com, July 2015) $24.95
Release Date:April 2, 2016 Alcohol/Vol 14.0% Made in: South Australia, Australia By: Negociants International Sugar Content:6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor:XD – Extra Dry Style:Full-bodied & Firm
I’ve been grabbing random wines from the general list of New Zealand section and I had not yet tried this one.
Pale in color with a nice grassy nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with some lovely grassy notes. On the medium length finish the wine displays some citrus, zest and some nice lively acidity. This is quite a nice food friendly sauv blanc. I would give it an 88+. For the price it’s worth giving it a try.
From the LCBO web site:
Riverlore Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc
—LCBO#: 417600 | 750 mL bottle
Riverlore Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
STYLE – Aromatic & Flavourful
Pale yellow green colour; aromas of ripe pear, gooseberry and fresh cut grass with notes of tropical fruit and lime; dry, medium bodied, richly textured, with balanced fresh acidity, flavours of gooseberry, ripe apple, fresh herb and tropical fruit, with notes of passion fruit and asparagus. $15.90
Alcohol/Vol 13.0% Made in: Marlborough, New Zealand By: Wairau River Wines Ltd. Sugar Content:2 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Aromatic & Flavourful
Sancerre is a region of the Loire valley in France. The wines are made 100% of sauv blanc. Pale in color with a nice crisp nose with some nice minerality. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice grassy notes along with some nice citrus. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice crisp acidity. It’s a very food friendly wine. I would give it an 88 or so. A nice wine but honestly for the money you can do better.
From the LCBO web site:
Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre — VINTAGES#: 542548 Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre
STYLE – Aromatic & Flavourful
Clear pale lemon colour; subtle aromas of citrus and mineral; extra dry with flavours of grapefruit, and lemon with minerally notes; medium length finish, drink now $25.95
Garnet in color with a lovely varietal rustic nose. On the mid palate the wine matches the nose with rustic notes, soft red berries and the like. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice acidity. I would give it an 88+. We paired it with BBQ salmon and it went perfectly. Very nice.
From the LCBO web site:
Whitehaven Pinot Noir — LCBO#: 245696STYLE – Medium-bodied & Fruity
Garnet colour with lively aromas of raspberry, cherry and hints of leather; spices follow through on the palate; dry, with medium body $24.10
Alcohol/Vol 14.0% Made in: Marlborough, New Zealand By: Whitehaven Wines Com. Ltd. Sugar Content:5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry Style:Medium-bodied & Fruity
I last reviewed the 2010 Vintage from this winery and enjoyed it. This one is garnet in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate this is a nice smooth pinot with some nice soft red berries and rustic notes coming through. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice acidity and tanning. I would give it an 88+. $25.95 This particular one isn’t in the LCBO, only the slightly lower stream non latitude is.
Pale to golden in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the displays some lovely apple/pear fruit. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice butterscotch and vanilla along with some mild spicy notes. The texture has a touch of creamyness to it. I would give it an 88-89 which for the price is not a bad deal at all. We bought it at the winery.
From the winery’s web site:
AGED IN OAK CHARDONNAY 2014
Details: Harvest started in the early morning hours of October 9th, 2014. As the sun climbed into the day the newly picked fruit started its journey to become the Aged in Oak Chardonnay. First undergoing a gentle destemming then being allowed to rest on its skin for 12 hours before a whole berry pressing. Next the juice was cold settled for 3 days before being racked and inoculated to start the fermentation. After the primary fermentation the wine was racked for it lees and transferred to a combination of eight new and second fill French oak barrels were the wine underwent a full malolactic fermentation, creating underlying butteriness to complement the fruits lively acid. The wine rested in these barrels with for 6 months before being racked, cold stabilized and finally bottled mid September 2015. Per bottle: $24.95
Tasting Notes: Enticing aromas of butterscotch, vanilla bean and Asian pear. The palate delivers with rich and creamy notes of Crème brûlée baked aplle and peach.
Food Pairing: With much freshness, this wine matches superb with seafood, both cooked and crudo. Try sweet rich crabmeat with butter, scallops (seared or ceviche!), and oysters on the half shell, raw or grilled. All things buttery or lemony will match heavenly.
