Canadian Wine Guy

Sometimes a wine really takes you off guard. This one did for sure. I find it amusing that it’s called not just old vine but ancient vines. Not that either term has any legislated meaning. Moving on … Dark in color, right out of the bottle the wine displays some odd earth notes, reminiscent of a pinot noir. At first right in the front of the mouth you are hit by some strong sugar content, and some rich strawberry notes. Very atypical of a Zinf. This dies down quickly (like within 10 mins) and evolves in the glass into a deep rich varietal Zinf. The wine has some firm tannins on the finish along with some peppery notes. This is a big wine. We paired it with a filet mignon and it held it’s own nicely. It’s a lovely wine. I would give it an 89 or so.

From the LCBO web site:
CLINE ANCIENT VINES ZINFANDEL 2011 VINTAGES 719211 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 19.95
Made in: California, USA By: Cline Cellars
Release Date: Aug 17, 2013
15.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Smooth Sugar Content: 8 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
This Zinfandel comes from dry-farmed vines planted over a century ago, and the concentration and complexity of the wine attests to its impressive heritage. Notions of tilled earth, dates, dark cherry, raspberry pie and mincemeat delight the senses. On the palate it’s juicy and voluptuous and wears its robust build gracefully. Well balanced throughout, with great, almost Port-like complexity on the finish. Drink over the next 5 years with pulled pork or barbecued ribs. (VINTAGES panel, June 2013)

I stopped by Jack Astors and this one was on the menu. Pale in color with a mild minerally nose. On the mid pallet the wine has some subtle peach and pear notes along with minerality to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine has some nice mouth grip with citrus flavors living on nicely in the mouth. This is a well made smooth, food friendly Pinot Gris that for the price is not a bad deal. I would give it an 89 or so. I forgot to take note of the year of the wine, sorry about that …

BERINGER FOUNDERS’ ESTATE PINOT GRIGIO LCBO 45641 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 16.95
Made in: Region Not Specified, USA By: Beringer Vineyards
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Light & Crisp Sugar Content: 6 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
Pale lemon yellow colour with green tints; aromas of apricot, apple sauce, and citrus; dry, light-bodied and fresh, with flavours of lemon zest, pear, and a slight nuttiness on the finish.

Pale in color with a with a mild nose of apples. On the mid palate the wine displays some solid apple flavors along with some firm acidity. On the long finish the wine displays some varietal chard flavors but the strong acidity is dominant. The wine lingers nicely in the mouth. I would give this an 88 or so. Not a bad wine, but there are better ones for the money.

From the LCBO web site:
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CHARDONNAY 2011 VINTAGES 232439 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 18.95
Made in: Washington State, USA By: Chat Ste Michelle
Release Date: Aug 31, 2013
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich Sugar Content: 4 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry

Description
Not content with merely being the oldest winery and in Washington State, Chateau Ste. Michelle has garnered extensive critical acclaim for the consistent excellence as well as the uniqueness of their wines. This Chardonnay expresses the intense flavours and aromatics one expects from the hot days and cool nights of the Columbia Valley.

I had this wine at Rodney’s Oyster bar. Garnet in color with a mild rustic nose. On the mid pallet are some light red berry notes, some strawberry comes to mind. On the lighter side of medium in finish the wine has some light mouth grip along with some tannins. This is a smooth well made lighter pinot. We paired it with raw Oysters and it went very well. I would give it an 88-89. The wine is $14 a bottle at the winery, sadly not in the LCBO. Trialto reps Parducci in Ontario if you want to buy a case.

From the Winery’s web site:
Tasting Notes

Our Pinot Noir offers aromas of juicy, ripe raspberries and strawberries. Its berry flavors are full and rich on the palate, picking up a hint of cedar in the finish.

I had a small sampling of this wine when we were at Rodney’s Oyster bar. I previously had the Cab Sauv from these guys and enjoyed it. Pale in color with a lovely grassy nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays grassy notes to match the nose along with some citrus. The wine is medium in length on the finish with some nice mouth grip. I would give it an 89. Rep’d in Ontario byRogers and Company.

From the winery’s web site:
Our 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect convergence of the varietal’s unique qualities. All of the fruit comes from our home here in Sonoma County, specifically Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley. Layers of soft mineral, honeysuckle, guava, mandarin, and lemongrass fill the nose. On the palate, flavors of honeydew melon, white peach, and Meyer lemon surround a good structure and a vibrant core acidity. Expect a mouth feel that is supple with a finish that lingers, tempting you for more.

I love Zinfandels. A lot of people only know them as pink blush wines. But then they are missing the best that Zinfs have to offer. A deep rich fold fruit forward wine. Well some of them anyway. This one is dark in color with a lovely nose of dark berries and some oak. On the mid pallet the wine matches the nose with dark berries and some lovely fruity notes. Not sweet at all. Not jammy as some are. On the long finish the wine displays some firm tannins and a bit of a peppery note. The wine has some lovely mouth grip. I would give it a solid 89-90. It’s a bit young and should improve nicely in a year or two as it softens. Yumm. Pair it with steaks lamb or other hearty meats!

From the LCBO web site:
NAPA CELLARS ZINFANDEL 2011 VINTAGES 126607 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 21.95
Made in: California, USA By: Napa Cellars
14.9% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Smooth Sugar Content: 8 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine displayed some mild varietal red berries, cherries and the like. On the mid pallet the wine displays some mild red berries to match the nose. On the medium length finish the wine displays some smooth tannins and some nice dryness. I would give it an 88-89.

From the LCBO web site:
GROVE STREET CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 VINTAGES 161190 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 18.95
Made in: California, USA By: Vintage Wine Estates
Release Date: Aug 17, 2013
14.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Smooth Sugar Content: 7 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
This sunny, approachable Sonoma Cab serves up ripe raspberry and cassis, with bramble and graphite complexity. Good typicity and value here. Still a bit of grip on the finish; you could cellar this one 3-4 more years, though it’s drinking very well now. Pair with blackened lamb. (VINTAGES panel, June 2013)

About 5 years ago I decided to try a little experiment and put away this chard. To see if it would keep, and maybe improve. Last night curiosity got the best of me and I pulled it out of the cellar. When I put this on the counter I didn’t give my GF any hints of what was unique about it. She looked at it and then mused … “It’s old” 🙂

Out of the fridge the nose is exceptionally mild. Giving away nothing of what’s to come. Golden in color with a thicker texture to the wine. On the mid pallet bam, there we are a lovely buttery rich, creamy California style chard. It’s creamy in texture and round in the mouth. A glass of happy. The wine is medium in length leaving some lovely mild caramel notes. The nose opened up as it warmed as did the wine’s depth. I would give this a 91 and would say the wine improved nicely. I am not sure how much longer this might keep. We paired it with grilled scallops and it went perfectly. For me scallops and a California style chard is a perfect match! I have a few other chards in the cellar can’t wait to try them out. If your going to do this, IMHO oaked chards will do better than unoaked.

From the LCBO web site (for a different year):
J. LOHR RIVERSTONE CHARDONNAY (V) VINTAGES 258699 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 17.95
Limited Time Offer Was: $ 18.95 Now: $ 17.95 Save: $ 1.00 Until Sep 15, 2013
Made in: California, USA By: J Lohr Winery
Release Date: Apr 18, 2013
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Sugar Content: 8 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Description
This is a super-popular Chardonnay from the coastal region of Monterey. It’s bursting with banana, mango, grilled pineapple and smoke flavours. Delightful with grilled salmon steaks, butter chicken, or smoky prawns with green-mango salad.

Tasting Note
Deep yellow colour; ripe apple, pear, melon & vanilla aromas; dry, medium to full-bodied; creamy texture & peachy, oaky notes on the palate; well-balanced with a long finish