Archive for the Alan Kerr Category
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s April 30th Release – Tasting Notes
April 29th, 2011 | 
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Due to a change of date for the Vintages tasting, I was able to scribe a few notes on the next two releases. The focus this month is “All in the Family”, otherwise known as Aussie dynasties and their notable wines. Interesting to note, all but two of the Australian wines were in screw top bottles. Also featured in this release are bargain basement wines from Italy’s lesser known regions of the South.
THE FEATURED FAMILY VALUES WINES
225425 CAMPBELLS RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT Rutherglen, Victoria 375 ml $19.95
Dark brown colour, dried tangerine peel, huge mocha both on nose and palate. Quite spicy, some discernible, sweetness, but nicely balanced. Find this wine
917252 DE BORTOLI NOBLE ONE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON 2007 New South Wales 375 ml $29.95
Absolutely gorgeous, tastes like a first rate Sauternes. Aromas of guava, candied orange peel, vanilla and marmalade. Impeccably balanced, superb length on the mind blowing finish. Find this wine
CAMPBELLS BOBBIE BURNS SHIRAZ 2008 Rutherglen, Victoria $22.95
Nice fruit aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and creamy mocha. It carries fruit on the palate, but the sweetness is a little high for me. Find this wine
677617 D’ARENBERG THE TWENTYEIGHT ROAD MOURVÈDRE 2007 McLaren Vale $29.95
Earthy, tar, treacle, mocha, floral notes and a whack of pure ripe dark fruit. It has a spicy palate, showing cinnamon and nutmeg, great texture, velvety fruit and lively acidity. Find this wine
221994 DE BORTOLI DB RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2008 $15.95
Nice red fruit aromas, red licorice, a note of cedar, thyme lead to a palate of elegant, well balanced fruit and the perfect amount of acidity. Hard to find nice Pinot at such a price. Find this wine
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Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s April 16th Release – Tasting Notes
New Zealand takes centre stage in this, the second release of April. The release has no wines one would call outstanding, but there is one or two that are worth seeking out. Unfortunately, due to the next tasting coinciding with exam week at school, I will miss the next tasting. Thus no notes for the next two releases I am afraid.
Wines from the New Zealand release.
179754 AMISFIELD PINOT NOIR 2008 Central Otago, South Island $44.95
Appealing aromas of muddy wet barnyard combine with a layer of floral notes plus blackberry, plum and clove. It is a tasty, but young wine with intense flavours of cherry and plum, a touch of iron and red fruit jam on the finish. Find this wine
919837 CARRICK PINOT NOIR 2007 Central Otago, South Island $34.95
Dark and sweet, almost Shiraz like as it pumps out blackberry and spearmint aromas. It is spicy on the palate, laden with black fruit, quite tasty, but from being a recognizable Pinot. It has a full finish carrying plenty of mineral and a touch of mocha. Find this wine
214858 LONE KAURI RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2009 Marlborough, South Island $16.95
Red berry, a wisp of pig poo, some clove and clay on the nose lead to a tasty mid palate showing plum, red currant, and dark cherry, a touch of spice and rhubarb flavours on the finish. Find this wine
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s April 2nd Release – Tasting Notes
I was happy to get back to London, especially after missing the previous tasting that profiled some of Napa’s super stock, to taste the wines of Burgundy, which is the feature release. The secondary release is wines of South Africa and to be blunt, I found them more interesting than the Burgundies. So please read on. (Click images to enlarge)
Wine from the Burgundy release.
208496 VINCENT MORIN LACOMBE PINOT NOIR BOURGOGNE 2009 $16.95
Perfume and dark fruit, good concentration, a note of lavender, anise and steely mineral, all create alluring aromas to this top value Pinot. There is some tannin, but the silky unobtrusive type, blackcurrant takes pride of place on the palate and overall, the balance is spot on. Find this wine
124305 DOMAINE LOUIS MOREAU CHABLIS 2009 $22.95
Typical notes of wet stone and mineral combine with simple fruit aromas of apple, grapefruit zest and a touch of roasted nut. Nice clean fruit on the palate, mineral components increase, finish is decent, but disappears too soon. Find this wine
209502 DOMAINE TAUPENOT MERME GEVREY CHAMBERTIN BEL AIR 1ER CRU 2007 $79.95
Spicy with a touch of dried mint, black cherry, that is quite floral and perfumed. Good structure on the palate, a soft and creamy texture with plenty of red fruit, cranberry and dusty cedar. A pretty and elegant wine, showing a touch of tannin, but nonetheless, enjoyable now. Find this wine
210864 DOMAINE GILLE CÔTES DE NUITS-VILLAGES 2008 $24.95
The aromas of dark cherry, forest floor and blackberry are compelling to say the least. It has a pleasing texture, acidity is spot on, the dark cherry turns tart, but the tasty flavours of iron and mineral are duly noted. A nice wine, albeit short on the finish. Find this wine
210906 DOMAINE MARCHAND GRILLOT MOREY-SAINT DENIS 2008 $39.95
This almost looks like a Rose in the glass, very pale, with faint aromas of clove, cake spice, perfume, rhubarb and cola. Disappointing on the palate, so light, so lacklustre, I think the tasting panel, judging from their accolades, had a totally different wine than we did! Find this wine
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s February 19th Release – Tasting Notes
Global Cabernet Sauvignon takes pride of place in this edition of Vintages manual. In addition, there are a few wines for Passover and a couple of decent wines in the regular section of the release. It’s time for a barbecue perhaps in this spring-like weather we are experiencing.
Click images to enlarge.
WINES OF THE CABERNET SAUVIGNON RELEASE
212357 NAPANOOK 2007 Napa Valley $53.95
True left bank Bordeaux blend, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, loaded with mineral, iron, dried meat and rich dark fruit. Solid structure on the palate, but tannin is dominant and holds back the dense layer of fruit from presently showing its best. Find this wine
045476 SHAFER ONE POINT FIVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 Stags Leap District Napa Valley $79.95
Holy cow, pure blackcurrant, Dutch salty licorice, mocha, chalk and dusty cocoa are bold and enticing. A delight to drink, tannin is there, but the layers of dark and red fruits roll across the palate leaving a coat of tingly acidity. Superb concentration and balance with a creamy texture on the finish. Find this wine
671164 ST. FRANCIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 Sonoma County $28.95
Ripe with a raisin aroma, plenty of sweet blackcurrant, mocha and cigar box. Clumsy tannins and sweet fruit clash on the palate, oaky vanilla note on the finish. Find this wine
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s February 5th Release – Tasting Notes
According to the Vintages catalogue, 2007 was a banner year in Tuscany. Judging from what I tasted, for the most part at least, I have to agree. There is a secondary feature that showcases wines from Washington State and a couple of those are dandies too. And as the 14th of the month nears, what better way to please than cracking a bubbly or two! Please read on. Click labels to enlarge.
211599 LORNANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007 $15.95
Amazing nose of pure red fruit, hay, bay leaf, mocha and dried mushroom. It has a fleshy palate, but the balance is in perfect tune showing nice blackcurrant, a pleasing sweetness and just a faint layer of dusty tannin. Great price for a great wine. Find this wine
191361 LA MADONNINA CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2007 $22.95
Tight at first, but with some enticing the nose shows some wet earth, star anise, Dutch licorice, currant and kirsch. The palate has great structure, laden with blackberry and cola flavours along with gentle tannins that suggest aging will be beneficial. Find this wine
207795 LE CINCIOLE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007 $19.95
Wine of the Month: unfortunately sample was corked. Find this wine
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s January 21st Release – Tasting Notes
This mid winter release is uninspiring to say the least. It showcases the wines of Chile, not that Chilean wines are not stimulating, but my notes are minimal as palate fatigue took its toll. Anyway, please read on because as always, there is a gem or two to be found.
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s January 8th Release – Tasting Notes
Happy New Year and welcome to Vintage’s “Smart Buys” issue, one that puts affordable wines on the shelf to help relieve the stress after buying all those high end wines from previous releases. Is quality a factor with these bargain basement prices? In many cases yes, but nonetheless, trust me; there are a few gems that will make the trip to your local store on Saturday morning worthwhile.
Wines from the “Smart Buys” release.
467951 ALAMOS MALBEC 2009 Mendoza, Argentina $13.95
Always a bargain, no complexity, but plenty of black fruit flavours, a touch of mineral and gentle tannins. Acidity is lively and the finish is clean. Find this wine
016071 MONTES LIMITED SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON/CARMENÈRE 2008 Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile $14.95
Sweet aromas combine with Moroccan spice, black cherry, currant and dried herbs. Nice oomph on the palate, some tannin, but none to offensive and a balanced and juicy finish. Find this wine
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s December 11th Release – Tasting Notes
Click image to enlarge.
Back in business, and just in time for the concluding release of 2010 that is scheduled to hit the shelves on December 11th. Ouch, time does fly by, especially when one is having fun, and fun I had, as there are several great wines to be found. Those most notable are from the Golden State, Italy, Australia and Ontario. Happy holidays as we have to say now, and have a safe and wine-filled New Year.
Speaking of New Year, here is an array of fine bubblies, at all levels of pricing, which will fit the occasion nicely.
Tawse – Winery of the Year
Image: tawsewinery.ca
Ever since the first wines hit the bottle barely ten years ago, I have drunk and enjoyed the fine adult beverages produced by Tawse Winery in Niagara. Tawse is in the heartland of the Niagara Escarpment. As one ascends the incline on Cherry Avenue in Vineland towards the top of the escarpment, seeing the winery for the first time is impressive. It is a show stopper indeed. However, everyone knows that simply pumping large amounts of capital into a venture doesn’t guarantee an end product worth its salt. Most of us who have embarked on an escapade to a wine region have encountered multi million dollar facilities that can be fallacious and deliver mediocre wines with exorbitant prices to pay the bank for the monies borrowed on the building.
No Vintages notes for Oct. 16th
Sadly I was unable to get to London and taste the wines for this and the next release. However, I will have notes up shortly on some stellar Niagara Riesling grown on the Bench. Enjoy the fall.
Cheers
CZ