Liberty School Zinfandel 2006

April 2nd, 2009 Chuck Posted in USA, Zinfandel No Comments »

When I tried their 2005 Cabernet I made a mental note to remember the name Liberty School. I’m glad I did.
Their label sums it up nicely: “fruit-driven, soft and approachable”. The tannins are present but not overpowering which lets the drinker enjoy it on it’s own or paired with food.
Tip: Released on Jan 17, 2009
At a Glance
Taste dark ripe berry, warm spice, vanilla
Smell dark ripe berry, warm spice, cherry
Food beef, steak, sausage
Sweetness dry
Price $17.95
LCBO# 41095
Score 5




Hillebrand Artist Series Meritage 2007

March 22nd, 2009 Chuck Posted in Canada, Red Blend 1 Comment »

After seeing this bottle time and time again in the LCBO magazine I decided to give it a taste. It’s a fairly typical blend, nothing stands out too much. You’ll find it Medium-bodied with soft, drying tannins and moderate acidity.
A blend of three classic grape varieties: 52% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, which undergo traditional red wine making.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste ripe berry, leather, spice
Smell black cherry, strawberry, vanilla
Food pasta, bbq
Sweetness dry
Price $12.95
LCBO# 56390
Score 3




Two Oceans Pinot Noir 2007

March 8th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Pinot Noir, South Africa No Comments »

This value pinot from Two Oceans from South Africa is a pretty good find as far as value pinots go. The medium to light body is a nice change from the typical big reds we often find ourselves drinking by default.
You may taste some subtle spice such as cinnamon/clove.
Tip: tulip glass, chilled
At a Glance
Taste smoky, cedar, ripe red berry
Smell strawberry, smoky, cherry
Food pasta primavera, hamburgers
Sweetness dry
Price $9.95
LCBO# 61598
Score 2.5




Remo Farina Valpolicella Ripasso 2005

March 1st, 2009 Chuck Posted in Italy, Valpolicella 1 Comment »

This DOC Italian ripasso was received very well by everyone at the table. The re-passing (ripasso) technique involves a second fermentaion on the leftover grape skins of Amarone giving it a deeper colour, fuller body, aroma and flavour. Also watch for hints of perrer and ginger.
Grapes used: Corvina 65%, Rondinella 20%, Molinara 5%, altri vitigni (others) 10%
Tip: Release Date - Nov 8, 2008
At a Glance
Taste black cherry, anise, light oak
Smell black cherry, plum, tar
Food red meat, cheese, portobello mushrooms
Sweetness dry
Price $16.95
LCBO# 999946
Score 5




B&G Partager Rouge

February 26th, 2009 Chuck Posted in France, Red Blend 2 Comments »

Here is a nice example of an easy drinking French ‘Vin de Table’. It’s: non-vintage, very smooth, mild tannin, not complex, very drinkable and very affordable.

Blend consists of: Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah
Tip: comes in a 1L bottle
At a Glance
Taste soft berry, tart raspberry, light toasted oak
Smell soft berry, strawberry
Food red meat, medium cheese
Sweetness dry
Price $9.95
LCBO# 130674
Score 3.5




Penascal Tempranillo 2005

February 19th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Spain, Tempranillo No Comments »

This Spanish tempranillo is what I’d imagine you’d find on most people’s table in Spain, it’s good table wine and the price is just right.
Although the wine is not very complex, I do like the firm tannins in play.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste blackberry, oak, tea
Smell blackberry, vanilla, spice
Food lamb, stew, sausages
Sweetness dry
Price $8.95
LCBO# 343434
Score 3.5




Rosehall Run Pinot Noir Cuvée County 2007

February 14th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Canada, Pinot Noir No Comments »

Making pinot noir is tough (it’s not called the heartbreak grape for nothing). Making a GOOD pinot noir is tougher. Making a GREAT pinot noir for under $20 is what Rosehall Run has done with their 2007 VQA vintage.
While drinking you’ll notice that for a medium-light red, this pinot has a long finish. Coupled with the balanced acidity it also acts as a palate cleanser making this vintage easy to drink for wine aficionados and to be aficionados alike. Enjoy this wine slightly chilled and on the first day you open it. While drinking now, the winemaker assures it will developer further over the next five years.
Tip: Release Date - March 1, 2009
At a Glance
Taste raspberry, vanilla, mild oak
Smell raspberry, strawberry, lees
Food duck, game
Sweetness dry
Price $18.95
LCBO# 0
Score 4




Carmen Merlot 2007

February 6th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Chile, Merlot 1 Comment »

So far in 2009, Chile has not been able to hold a torch to it’s previous growth years which showed excellent wines at even better values. Hopefully this will turn around soon.
After reading the label that the people at Vina Carmen decided best represented this vintage, I was expecting a hit. I was wrong…actually their label mislead me. Specifically when they prepared you for a finish showing “soft tannins and a lingering fruit finish” I didn’t taste either and the finish was far too hot.
Tip: chill more than usual
At a Glance
Taste dark berry, vanilla, oak
Smell black cherry, cola, spice
Food burger
Sweetness dry
Price $10.90
LCBO# 248625
Score 2




Domaine des Aspes Merlot 2005

January 31st, 2009 Sean Posted in France, Merlot No Comments »

I don’t drink a lot of French wine. There I said it. I’m also willing to bet you don’t either. Probably because the France section of the liquor store is a scary place. But in my quest for great wines under $20 I came across Domaine des Aspes a few years ago.
This is the first red from them that I have tried (the whites are terrific). This is an easy going Merlot with lots of character, nice even black fruit. Does not need food to shine, also a crowd pleaser. I picked up a case and stashed it in my collection for everyday wine.
Tip: Released on Jan 10, 2009
At a Glance
Taste black berry, cedar, plum
Smell dark berries, black cherry, wild raspberry
Food beef stew, grilled vegetables, light pasta
Sweetness dry
Price $14.95
LCBO# 951665
Score 4
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Hillebrand Trius Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

January 16th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Canada No Comments »

Once again my favourite brand doesn’t disappoint! The 2007 vintage will surely be a crowd pleaser due to it’s well balanced palate and nicely integrated tannins.
This cab has an excellent nose but a bit more depth and structure on the palate and this would be an incredible bottle. Watch for subtle hints of cedar and spice on the finish.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste dried fruit, medium oak, red berry
Smell cassis, smoky oak, blueberry
Food pasta, aged cheddar
Sweetness dry
Price $14.95
LCBO# 587956
Score 4.5




Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

January 4th, 2009 Chuck Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile No Comments »

This is the 2007 vintage of the site favourite 2005. Once finding such a great wine you hope that subsequent years will be on par or better, but this vintage reminds us that grapes and wine are living, breathing, unformulated works - the weather changes from year to year, as does the soil and grapes, making the recipe change and so on.
With all the above said, this is still a good wine, just not as great as previous vintages. You can tell it spent a bit too much time in the barrel and didn’t taste as refined as it could be. Well worth a try if you particularly like french or ontario reds.
Tip: drink a bottle and cellar the other for 1 or 2 years
At a Glance
Taste oak, medium berry, eucalyptus
Smell blackberry, oak, black tea
Food beef, sausages
Sweetness dry
Price $14.95
LCBO# 694208
Score 2.5




Hillebrand Trius Cabernet Franc 2004

December 20th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Cabernet Franc, Canada 1 Comment »

The Trius line is, in my opinion, the most consistent line of products in the general list. The cab franc being no different, but it is VERY different than your usual dull and overly herbaceous cab francs.
Watch for a hint of clove in the finish.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste blackberries, sweet oak, plum
Smell currant, smoky oak, sweet jam
Food beef, mushroom dishes
Sweetness dry
Price $14.95
LCBO# 587964
Score 3.5




Fontanafredda Barbera Briccotondo 2006

December 12th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Barbera, Italy No Comments »

This value barbera coming from Piedmont, Italy is a medium bodied acidic red that proves the time tested fact that Italian wine always matches Italian food. I had this wine with a plate of pasta and meatballs and the wine’s acidity matched the acidity in the tomato sauce perfectly. On that note, if you don’t usually like Italian reds, this isn’t for you. There was also a hint of eucalyptus in on the palate.
The 2006 vintage was on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 in 2007 with a score of 90 points
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste sour cherry, raspberry, oak
Smell cherry, tea, oak
Food pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs
Sweetness extra dry
Price $15.95
LCBO# 72348
Score 3.5




Pillitteri Cabernet Merlot 2006

December 6th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Canada, Red Blend No Comments »

This red VQA is pretty bold, the meritage has a big aroma that at first all I could smell was matchsticks, but after opening up it moved more towards a tobacco scent.
The blend used to create this vintage was: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. I wonder why the Franc didn’t get top billing over the Merlot? It’s presence is greater in the juice and palate.
Tip: decant this for a about 10 minutes
At a Glance
Taste smoky, violet, blackberry
Smell tobacco, leafy, plum
Food pasta with tomato sauce, cheddar
Sweetness dry
Price $12.95
LCBO# 349191
Score 2.5




Farnese Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2007

November 27th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Italy, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2 Comments »

Farnese comes out with another great value wine, this time it’s a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This vintage is a medium-full bodied wine that’s fruity but still has those typical Italian tannins to maintain it’s structure.
Post a comment if you detect a hint of licorice in the palate like I did.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste dark ripe berry, oak, raisin
Smell raspberry, vanilla, raisin
Food salami, crown roast, bbq
Sweetness dry
Price $7.55
LCBO# 621912
Score 3




Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel 2005

November 8th, 2008 Chuck Posted in USA, Zinfandel 1 Comment »

Take the best notes from Cabernet and Shiraz, add some zip, and you have a great Zinfandel. This old vine release from Ironstone has excellent concentrated fruit flavors and incredible depth. The high alcohol is very well balanced and not at all overpowering. Flavours and aromas are big and chewy.
In Ironstone’s case “Old Vine” means the grapes were hand selected from vineyards that are over 45 years old.
Tip: 90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah
At a Glance
Taste cassis, blackberry, chocolate
Smell cassis, chocolate, oak
Food beef fajitas
Sweetness dry
Price $16.95
LCBO# 951889
Score 4.5




Fish Eye Shiraz 2005

November 1st, 2008 Chuck Posted in Shiraz, USA No Comments »

Different name, different label, different light green bottle…different thoughts of what shiraz is supposed to be. That said I’m not surprised at what I got: a shiraz with no pop. A proper shiraz should have blackberry, pepper and leather notes to it. But they’re nowhere to be found in this vintage.
Take this for what it is: an easy, medium-light bodied summer sipper. If tasted blind, you’d guess merlot.
Tip: you’ll want to chill this shiraz more than a typical one.
At a Glance
Taste medium berry, cherry, raspberry
Smell medium berry, hint of oak
Food grilled vegetables, sandwiches
Sweetness off dry
Price $9.95
LCBO# 35113
Score 2




Gray Fox Merlot 2007

October 25th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Merlot, USA 3 Comments »

Seems like we’re having a bit of trouble finding a good house merlot. For such a popular varietal, you’d think we’d have more luck…maybe this varietal is suffering from market saturation.
This particular budget merlot has a light-medium body with medium-light fruit content. It didn’t seem very refined and felt rushed out the door.
I much prefer their Gray Fox Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Tip: balloon glass
At a Glance
Taste cherry, sour berry
Smell cherry, alcohol, geranium
Food club sandwich
Sweetness dry
Price $7.95
LCBO# 527507
Score 2




Ubuntu Shiraz 2006

October 17th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Shiraz, South Africa No Comments »

I’m trying to work out if this wine is popular to younger buyers due to it’s price point or the high alcohol content…maybe (probably) both. Still, the wine is not a bad buy. It doesn’t however stick to the main characteristics of shiraz and I’m finding that new world wines (especially from South Africa) aren’t a fan of abiding by old (good/proper) standards. 2 stars as the night’s first bottle, 2.5 stars as the night’s second bottle.
What does Ubuntu mean? Ubuntu is an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others’, or ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste black cherry, tangy oak, light spice
Smell raspberry jam, cedar, vanilla
Food bbq ribs
Sweetness dry
Price $9.45
LCBO# 665281
Score 2.5




Pelee Island Merlot Cabernet 2006

October 12th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Canada, Red Blend 1 Comment »

This VQA wine has a medium bodied palate with moderate fruit from the merlot, but leans toward the oak barrel with prominent notes of vanilla. The menthol is a nice addition from the cabernet side of the blend.
If you were wondering, the bird on the label is the American Goldfinch.
Tip: tulip glass, room temperature
At a Glance
Taste oak, vanilla, menthol
Smell vanilla, strawberry, violet
Food burgers, hot dogs
Sweetness dry
Price $9.40
LCBO# 619411
Score 2.5




Masi Campofiorin 2004

October 2nd, 2008 Chuck Posted in Italy, Valpolicella No Comments »

This is the 34th vintage of this supervenetian comprised of: 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. This wine is made using the appasimento technique (double fermentation) and the result is a full bodied wine with soft tannins. There are hints of the following: resin, jam, violet and a tangy finish.
This wine will pair very well with a variety of foods including: red meat, sharp cheeses, osso bucco, wild mushroom risotto and veal parm.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste black cherry, oak, prune
Smell raisin, mulberry, light oak
Food red meat, steak, sharp cheese, veal
Sweetness dry
Price $17.45
LCBO# 155051
Score 3.5




Eastdell Estates Black Cab 2006

September 12th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Canada, Red Blend 1 Comment »

Probably the most interesting meritage I’ve ever tried, this VQA wine from Beamsville is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. People taking notes will notice that the Merlot has been swapped out for the Baco Noir, which is no doubt what gives this wine it’s funky edge.
Medium bodied, oak aging and the baco give this wine a really interesting, almost sweet and sour taste that keeps you guessing.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste vanilla, oak, tart blackberry
Smell sweet blackberry, sweet cherry, smoky
Food stir fry
Sweetness dry
Price $12.95
LCBO# 609875
Score 3




Corte Zovo Sa’ Solin Ripasso Della Valpolicella 2004

September 6th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Italy, Valpolicella 1 Comment »

This DOC bottle comes all the way from the birthplace of ripasso, Veneto, Italy. It’s a tannic, medium to full bodied wine that would go very well with heavy beef dishes.
Hats off any winemaker that can achieve such smoothness while having an alcohol content of 14.5%, learn from my experience…drink slowly. The price jump of 2 dollars from the 2003 vintage was sad to see, in Ontario: c’est la vie.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste rasin, cherry, black licorice
Smell blackberry, cherry, coffee
Food beef dishes, sheppards pie
Sweetness extra dry
Price $17.95
LCBO# 650713
Score 3.5




Canaletto Nero d’Avola / Merlot 2007

September 1st, 2008 Chuck Posted in Nero d'Avola, Red Blend No Comments »

This Sicilian red is a pretty good IGT find. It’s a medium bodied wine through and through with medium fruit tannins with a respectable length.
I learned something new when the winemakers comments read: each grape variety is vinified separately.
Tip: the nose outshone the palate, which nearly made it a 2.5
At a Glance
Taste plum, tea, menthol
Smell dark cherry, blackberry, strawberry
Food cannelloni
Sweetness dry
Price $13.55
LCBO# 29421
Score 2.5




Pasqua Volto Primitivo 2006

August 28th, 2008 Chuck Posted in Italy, Zinfandel No Comments »

High five to all the tree-huggers out there, this is my first bottle of wine in a PET (plastic) bottle, and surprisingly I didn’t hate it as much as I would have thought. Although I wouldn’t feel good about bringing a PET bottle as a hostess present, my favourite aspect of it was the smaller and lighter size of the bottle, while remaining to hold 750ml.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, although primitivo is genetically the same as zinfandel, it is not styled the same and doesn’t hold a candle to a California Zin. Maybe this skewed my option a bit due to the fact that I would love to find such a value priced zin, regardless, I found myself at a table with two others who thought the wine was quite nice.
Tip: tulip glass
At a Glance
Taste tart plum, sour cherry
Smell mulberry, blackberry
Food mushroom and parmesan pasta
Sweetness dry
Price $11.95
LCBO# 64121
Score 2.5




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