Ironstone Vineyards Black Anvil Shiraz 2005 - $13.35
Style: R2
California
Wine of the Week for February 25, 2008
Wine of the Week for February 18, 2008
Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio 2007 - $11.95
Style: W3
South Africa
This is a "Wine of Origin", which means you’re getting a taste of the terroir. The nose shows delicate citrus and stonefruits aromas with nuances of floral and spice. Somewhat sweetish on the palate, with a refreshing acidity, lemon and grapefruit flavours, and a touch of apple at the close. Very good body and length -- and very good value. Try with cream sauces, pork or full flavoured fish. (LCBO 27128)
Style: W3
South Africa
This is a "Wine of Origin", which means you’re getting a taste of the terroir. The nose shows delicate citrus and stonefruits aromas with nuances of floral and spice. Somewhat sweetish on the palate, with a refreshing acidity, lemon and grapefruit flavours, and a touch of apple at the close. Very good body and length -- and very good value. Try with cream sauces, pork or full flavoured fish. (LCBO 27128)
Wine of the Week for February 11, 2008
Espiritu du Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - $10.95
Style: R3
Chile
Style: R3
Chile
The full black cherry colour hints at the richness here. Aromas include wood, dried strawberry and traces of plum and black currant. Approaching juicy, with a ripe dark berry flavours; smooth, almost creamy with a firm mouthfeel and tart acidity. Fairly full bodied with good length, it’s very good performance for a low-priced cab. Try with beef tenderloin, lasagne or anything garlicky. (LCBO 60657)
Canadian Made…
Peller Estates Heritage Cabernet-Merlot VQA 2006 - $11.60
Style: R3
Ontario: Niagara
Peller is one of Canada’s biggest vintners, and it’s good to see this kind of value coming from that quarter. Deep black cherry in colour, the wine shows delicate vanilla, black current and vanilla aromas with traces of roses and garrigue. Somewhat juicy with drying tannins, a solid backbone and dried berry flavours, and very good body and length. Not a stunner but solid character that would work well with grilled meats or robust cheeses. (LCBO 58628)
Wine of the Week for February 4, 2008
Herederos Marques de Riscal 2006 - $12.10
Style: W2
Spain
White wines from Rueda are a wonderful alternative to sauvignon blanc. Here you will find aromas of melon, grapefruit, lemon and a touch of passionfruit. There's loads of ripe grapefruit flavour on the palate, somewhat mouth-filling with a solid acid spine. Bright and cheery and an excellent value. Try with stuffed peppers, tangy cheeses or vegetarian. (LCBO 36822)
A New Frontier?
Muskoka Lakes Cranberry Wine "QC" 2006 - $13.05
Fruit Wine
Ontario
It's nice to see a real "fruit" wine on LCBO shelves. Lovely baked cranberry aroma combine with mulling spices and tea for a distinctive nose. Sweet and tart on the uptake with a nice citrusy/cranberry flavour and a crisp, dry finish. Light on the palate, with good length, and a unique choice that would go well with roasted poultry. (LCBO 609701)
Style: W2
Spain
White wines from Rueda are a wonderful alternative to sauvignon blanc. Here you will find aromas of melon, grapefruit, lemon and a touch of passionfruit. There's loads of ripe grapefruit flavour on the palate, somewhat mouth-filling with a solid acid spine. Bright and cheery and an excellent value. Try with stuffed peppers, tangy cheeses or vegetarian. (LCBO 36822)
A New Frontier?
Fruit Wine
Ontario
It's nice to see a real "fruit" wine on LCBO shelves. Lovely baked cranberry aroma combine with mulling spices and tea for a distinctive nose. Sweet and tart on the uptake with a nice citrusy/cranberry flavour and a crisp, dry finish. Light on the palate, with good length, and a unique choice that would go well with roasted poultry. (LCBO 609701)
Wine of the Week for January 28, 2008
Red Guitar Old Vine Tempranillo/Garnacha 2005 - $12.85
Style: R3
Spain: Navarra
Here’s two Old World grapes done in a New World style. The nose presents spice and oak off the top, followed by caramel, dark berries, sassafras, vanilla, and ginger aromas. The velvety smooth palate has just hint of sugar, with juicy raspberry flavours and light tannins. Fairly full bodied, and very good length, with a touch of bitterness on the close. An intriguing dance between traditional and modern tastes … and development in the glass is amazing. Try with any sort of roast, goulash or steak & kidney pie. (LCBO 54007)
Worth looking for...
Duque de Viscu 2004 - $12.85
Style: R3
Portugal Dao
I noticed a few bottles of this one at a couple of different Vintages stores. It shows intense garrigue out of the gate, settling down to rich ripe red berries and a hint of spice. Rich and juicy with "old boot" tannins, and tasting of blackberry, blueberry and raisin atop a firm acid core. Rustic but with loads of character and may even become more interesting over the next two years. (Vintages 546309)
Style: R3
Spain: Navarra
Here’s two Old World grapes done in a New World style. The nose presents spice and oak off the top, followed by caramel, dark berries, sassafras, vanilla, and ginger aromas. The velvety smooth palate has just hint of sugar, with juicy raspberry flavours and light tannins. Fairly full bodied, and very good length, with a touch of bitterness on the close. An intriguing dance between traditional and modern tastes … and development in the glass is amazing. Try with any sort of roast, goulash or steak & kidney pie. (LCBO 54007)
Worth looking for...
Duque de Viscu 2004 - $12.85
Style: R3
Portugal Dao
I noticed a few bottles of this one at a couple of different Vintages stores. It shows intense garrigue out of the gate, settling down to rich ripe red berries and a hint of spice. Rich and juicy with "old boot" tannins, and tasting of blackberry, blueberry and raisin atop a firm acid core. Rustic but with loads of character and may even become more interesting over the next two years. (Vintages 546309)
Wine of the Week for January 14, 2008
Drostdy-hof Chardonnay 2006 - $9.60
Style: W1
South Africa
Can an under $9 wine actually be good? Until Feb 3, the LCBO is offering a full dollar off this little gem. The nose shows tropical fruits, spiced apple, almond, and butter. A racy acidity supports green apple, baked lemon and toast flavours. Very good body and length, it's a bit young and nervous right now, but quite enjoyable. Just for fun, tuck a couple away to see what happens. A nice companion for ocean fish, pork or sea foods. (LCBO 343202)
There's been a lot of press coverage lately about the LCBO pushing the average price point on their store shelves. This doesn't mean that bargains will disappear, but it may make my job a bit trickier. What really concerns me, though, is that their stated mandate for VQA wines (i.e. actually Canadian wines) is a narrow price band - $10.95 - $13.95. That suggests that there will be more VQA wines for me to recommend to you, but based on past experience, I expect that this policy will translate to less choice, not more. We'll see...
Style: W1
South Africa
Can an under $9 wine actually be good? Until Feb 3, the LCBO is offering a full dollar off this little gem. The nose shows tropical fruits, spiced apple, almond, and butter. A racy acidity supports green apple, baked lemon and toast flavours. Very good body and length, it's a bit young and nervous right now, but quite enjoyable. Just for fun, tuck a couple away to see what happens. A nice companion for ocean fish, pork or sea foods. (LCBO 343202)
There's been a lot of press coverage lately about the LCBO pushing the average price point on their store shelves. This doesn't mean that bargains will disappear, but it may make my job a bit trickier. What really concerns me, though, is that their stated mandate for VQA wines (i.e. actually Canadian wines) is a narrow price band - $10.95 - $13.95. That suggests that there will be more VQA wines for me to recommend to you, but based on past experience, I expect that this policy will translate to less choice, not more. We'll see...
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