February 17th, 2010 Chuck Posted in Italy, Sangiovese | No Comments »
January 17th, 2010 Chuck Posted in Canada, Merlot | No Comments »
November 29th, 2009 Chuck Posted in France, Shiraz | 1 Comment »
| At first sip you can tell this is a french wine without even trying. The LCBO gave this wine a nice writeup but I’ll disagree with it. They saw plenty of blackberry, fruit and spice, I didn’t. They also mention it’s ‘very drinkable tonight’, while I’d cellar it for 2 years. |
| At least it’s 13.5% Alcohol/Vol. |
| Tip: If your buying syrah/shiraz, go Aussie (Penfolds), then Californian (Cline) |
| Taste |
oak, heat, red berry |
| Smell |
oak, resin, greens |
| Food |
well done grilled red meat |
| Sweetness |
extra dry |
| Price |
$14.95 |
| LCBO# |
104752 |
| Score |
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October 31st, 2009 Chuck Posted in Red Blend, USA | 3 Comments »
| Everyone loves choices, with this wine you can choose to buy it in a: bottle, large format bottle, funny jug with a ring handle and even a box. America #$@% YEAH! |
| This wine conjures up memories of a previous review: Charles Shaw Merlot 2007 |
| Tip: price listed is for the 1.5L bottle, don’t buy what you can’t drink within 2 days. |
| Taste |
cherry, plum, vanilla |
| Smell |
vanilla, cherry, plum |
| Food |
cold cuts |
| Sweetness |
off dry |
| Price |
$13.45 |
| LCBO# |
00070813 |
| Score |
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October 16th, 2009 Sean Posted in Italy, Pinot Grigio | 1 Comment »
| We eat with our eyes, and shop with them too. A lot of fuss has been made online about the shape of this bottle. Well the bottle is cute, and reminds me of VOSS Water from Norway, which if you like trends than this is right up your alley. However, I’m more interested in what is in the bottle, as you should be too. I had major issues with this wine, so much so that I had to pickup a second bottle and recruit two regular wine drinkers (thanks Dana & Lauren) to provide a second opinion. |
| Seeing as the bottle is very non-traditional, I was surprised to find a stopper in it. This was just the beginning of what was becoming an awkward experience. The next item at issue was the smell. Pinot Grigio is known for a subtle, slightly floral or citrus leaf scent. The key to that last sentence was the word ’subtle’. I was greeted by an aggressive burnt wood scent, which seemed to be competing with Lemon Pledge. My volunteer tasters both noted the strange aroma, and were somewhat baffled by it. Finally we tasted. The first sip was, shall we say…unpleasant. But, this is where things begun to change. The second and third sips improved to the point where the wine became enjoyable. To describe the first sip, we settled on comparing it to the aftertaste of eating a sour candy, which to some isn’t always a bad thing.
We are careful when we encounter a wine that doesn’t live up to our expectations, especially those receiving a lot of media attention, but this just isn’t a winner in our books. Especially for the price.
Your thoughts and comments on this wine are much appreciated! |
| Tip: chill well |
| Taste |
green apple, lemon, citric acid |
| Smell |
burnt wood, chemical |
| Food |
seafood |
| Sweetness |
off dry |
| Price |
$13.50 |
| LCBO# |
669226 |
| Score |
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October 10th, 2009 Sean Posted in Merlot, USA | No Comments »
| Only in America? This merlot came to us for $1.99. Often called two-buck-chuck, this wine is mostly found at Trader Joe’s in the United States. One thing is certain, we have never encountered two-dollar wine in Canada…god bless America. |
| First thing is the colour, yeah thats right I spelled it with a “u”. Get over it. Great dark purple, with light edges. We were actually surprised as this wine is not offensive, easy drinking and generally “not bad”. Does that make it a California Cab? Hell no. But, if your having a group over or making large quantities of Sangria. |
| Tip: chill slightly |
| Taste |
cherry, strawberry, berry jam |
| Smell |
vanilla, strawberry, cherry cola |
| Food |
cheese nachos, cheddar, cold cuts |
| Sweetness |
off dry |
| Price |
$1.99 |
| LCBO# |
0 |
| Score |
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August 16th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Canada, Chardonnay | No Comments »
| This crisp, fruit forward chardonnay from Prince Edward County is a good choice for a Sunday lunch |
| Varietal Composition: 59% Chardonnay; 41% Chardonnay Musqué |
| Release Date: March 1, 2009 |
| Taste |
golden apple, floral, light oak |
| Smell |
white grapefruit, golden apple, pear |
| Food |
fish, salad, goat cheese |
| Sweetness |
dry |
| Price |
$17.95 |
| LCBO# |
132928 |
| Score |
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June 21st, 2009 Chuck Posted in Italy, Sangiovese | No Comments »
| Here’s a great example of a Super Tuscan done right. This IGT wine is only IGT because it bent the rules slightly but it was worth it. A very close cousin to chianti, this bottle will pair well with any Italian food or bbq’d red meat. Overall it’s nice and round, medium to full bodied with smooth tannins. |
| Blend is: 60% sangiovese, 25% merlot and 15% syrah |
| Tip: tulip glass |
| Taste |
dark cherry, chocolate, cigar box |
| Smell |
plum, cherry, warm spice |
| Food |
grilled red meat, ravioli |
| Sweetness |
dry |
| Price |
$19.80 |
| LCBO# |
27797 |
| Score |
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May 25th, 2009 Sean Posted in Special Features | 3 Comments »
I’m in sunny California this week and of course had to check out Trader Jo’s to see what the wine situation is out here. California Merlot for $1.99 – nope that isn’t a typo – one dollar and ninety-nine cents. Of course I purchased a bottle and
Read the rest of this entry »
May 3rd, 2009 Chuck Posted in Italy, Red Blend | No Comments »
| At first glance this bottle looks like something shampoo would come it, but once on the table with the cap off, it feels kind of futuristic. Overall this is a pretty good wine, a little bit more than the lower end reds but it’s worth the extra 3.50. Overall it’s a dry, medium bodied wine with soft acidity and ripe tannins. |
| 4-Way Blend (quatto means four in Italian): Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. Surprisingly, the pinot really does shine through. |
| Tip: tulip glass |
| Taste |
strawberry, spice, light oak |
| Smell |
red berry, raspberry, white pepper |
| Food |
veal marsala |
| Sweetness |
dry |
| Price |
$13.95 |
| LCBO# |
78048 |
| Score |
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April 7th, 2009 Sean Posted in Events | No Comments »
I’ve just been informed that On April 11, 2009 our Ontario readers are in for a big treat. The Tangley Oaks Merlot (2005 Vintage) returns to the LCBO. You might remember the rave reviews we gave the 2003, if not click here. We haven’t tasted it (yet) but I’m being told that it’s equally as good as the last batch. However, one thing has changed. Read the rest of this entry »
