Wine of the Week for May 22, 2006

KWV Chenin Blanc 2005 - $7.45
Style: W2
South Africa

Don’t be put off by the low price here. This wine is a perennial bargain that seems to always deliver. The colour is rich lemon-straw. Upfront aromas show ripe lemon and apple with nuances of grass down deeper. The palate is somewhat laid back, but it's plenty tasty, showing ripe grapefruit, a touch of lemon and traces of apple and spice. Somewhat on the light side, but with good length. Good food candidates include seafoods, mild fish and schnitzel. (LCBO 18689)


Cellar of Shame – Where I pay tribute to the general free-fall in quality on LCBO General List shelves.

Banrock Station Shiraz Tetrapak - $13.90 (1000 mL)
Australia
It’s disappointing to see an otherwise good company put out something like this. There’s a bit of mineral and a trace of cardamom, but that is ruined by an over-riding aroma of wet cardboard. It’s grotesquely sweet even for a shiraz, hollow and remarkably tasteless. Not even suitable for party plonk.