Canadian Wine Guy

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

Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some nice black berries. On the medium length finish there are some tannins, some dryness, along with some noticeable acidity. This is a good wine but not a great one. Some breathing might help it out some. I would give it an 88 or so.

From the LCBO web site:
HESS SELECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 VINTAGES 25080 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 22.95

Made in: California, USA By: The Hess Collection
13.5% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity Sugar Content: 9 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
Lovely hints of black raspberries, roses and dark chocolate on the nose with a touch of black licorice; beautiful rich berry flavor with a hint of earth and smoke. (The Wine Buzz (Ohio), Aug. 30, 2012).

I tasted this one at the LCBO tasting bar. When I have mini review on the title it means I only had a small sample to do the tasting rather than a bottle to do a more thorough review. It also means I didn’t do a food pairing with it.

Dark in color with a mild red berry nose. On the mid pallet the wine displays some lovely red berries to go along with the nose. But this is whacked pretty quickly by some firm acidity. On the medium length finish the wine displays some tannins along with some peppery spicy notes. The acidity lingers in the mouth. I suspect some breathing or aging might give the fruit in the wine a fighting chance of being noticed. I would give this wine an 88 or so as it is right now. The description on the LCBO web site is so different than mine it makes me wonder if we tasted the same wine?

From the LCBO web site:
RODNEY STRONG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 VINTAGES 226944 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 19.95
Made in: California, USA By: Rodney Strong Vineyards
13.8% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Firm Sugar Content: 7 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

Tasting Note
One of the best-ever versions of this wine. Both elegant and complex in style, it is full bodied, well balanced, and very long on the finish, with modest tannins; truly Bordeaux-like (in the best sense of the term). It tastes of plum, cassis, cherry, vanilla, and toast. Drink: 2014-2016. Score – 4 Stars (out of 5). (Restaurant Wine Newsletter, July-Dec. 2012)

Dark in color with a mild nose. On the mid pallet the wine has some mild red berries, some cherry and the like. On the finish the wine is dominated by firm acidity, some tannins and some spicy notes. I would give it an 88 or so.

From the lcbo web site:
NAPA CELLARS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 VINTAGES 135145 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 25.95

Made in: California, USA By: Sutter Home Winery
Release Date: Jul 20, 2013

14.0% Alcohol/Vol. Style: Full-bodied & Smooth Sugar Content: 5 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry

Description
This returning Vintages customer fave consistently offers big-time Napa Cab quality with an approachable price tag. Expect classic cassis, chocolate and vanilla and a very long finish. Savour it over the next 4-5 years with beef enchiladas, or barbecued ribs in sauce.