Archive for November, 2014

2012 Caves Saint-Pierre Vacqueyras, 11-14% alc., $12.99: I was quite impressed with the 2011 version of this wine when I happened upon it at our local Trader Joe’s last spring, so when I saw this one, I didn’t hesitate in picking a few up and bringing them home. I’m not sure that this new vintage is the better of the two, but I certainly can testify to the fact that it’s the brighter, more immediately accessible. Showing deep, dark color, it offers up nice, earthy black plum, black currant and blackberry on the nose, shaded with a little leather. There’s plenty more of the same on the palate, along with a good dose of iron-like minerality. This delivers pleasurable drinking right from the get-go, and gets better as it opens in the glass. Full bodied and structured for several years of cellaring, yet so good already, it’s hard to keep hands off. It’s a great choice to pair with all the usual culinary suspects, including grilled red meats, especially of the lamb variety, and a good hearty cassoulet, and, bottles we’ve enjoyed have also made for some excellent Red Wings and Red Rhônes mojo. At $12.99, it’s a QPR All Star, to be sure. (Click image to enlarge.) Find this wine

Imported by Latitude Wines, Inc., Danville, CA

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

Yet another high end release is on the books for this Saturday’s Vintages “Uncork The Finest”. This coupled with the amount of snow in the area means it must be Christmas after all. Several good to very good wines, but the board was in a bit of Scrooge mood as they were not as generous with the amount of wines sent for tasting as they were for the last release.

315200 HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE CARTE BLANCHE ESTATE BLANC DE BLANC 2009 Traditional Method, Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $44.95
Not presented at the tasting, but having the good fortune to taste this on a recent visit to the winery I can say to anyone wanting to pop a bottle of domestic bubby for the New Year, this will not disappoint. It has all the yeasty, straw and toasty aromas of a fine quality Champagne. The palate is dry, has superb acidity, with plenty of pear, mineral and bready flavours. Find this wine

361758 UNION FORTÉ 2007 Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 500 mL $16.95
One of a couple of Port style wines up for grabs and this is really quite tasty. It oozes aromas of sweet plum, black toffee, sweet cherry and apple skin. It is a Tawny style wine made from a blend of Cabernet and Merlot from the region’s excellent vintage of 2007. It’s chewy on a palate and benefits from the explosion of blueberry fruit, and creamy dark toffee texture. Find this wine

548677 MASI CAMPOLONGO DI TORBE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2007 Veneto, $101.95
Quite lovely, enticing aromas of marzipan, chocolate egg, cardamom, root beer, mocha and cappuccino abound. Quite dense on the palate, great fruit flavours, slightly sweeter than its cousin below, with damson, blackberry and plum, somewhat spicy, finishing with dried blueberry and dusty tannins. Find this wine

Read the rest of this entry »

While preparing this report, the following thought occurred to me; man, I’ve been doing these Red Wings-Red Rhônes for quite a while now! Sure enough, a quick check on the old site shows that our very first RW-RR was posted in October of 1997, 17 years ago. Here is the premise as originally stated at that time: “Come October, this taster’s thoughts turn to Red Wings hockey and big red wines from France’s Rhone Valley. While I never mind the Wings’ season extending into June, as it did this past summer, the same can’t be said for the enjoyment of the heavy traditional winemaking styles that are typical of the southern Rhone. There’s something almost oppressive about these wines, for me, when consumed between the bookend holidays of Memorial and Labor Days. With the first inkling of autumn, however, a magical change seems to occur, when they regain all of their considerable charm and appeal.” (Click image to enlarge.)
Read the rest of this entry »

Tis the season to be jolly and Vintages is releasing some of their finest in the annual “Uncork the Season” release. As always there are good wines and not so good wines. Hopefully I can take the guess work out of some of them for you.

A selection of my opinions from the “Uncork” release.

266551 ANTICA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Atlas Peak District, Napa Valley $53.95
Brimming with bursts of red jelly candy, cocoa, dried blackcurrant, licorice, tree bark, clove, anise and tar with luscious chewy fruit, featuring blueberry, plum and a touch of chocolate, well balanced, but firm tannins suggest time. Find this wine

652883 BELLE GLOS CLARK & TELEPHONE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013 Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County $44.95
Aromas of ripe red fruit, damson, black raspberry, rose petal, creamy cappuccino, Fry’s cholate cream and cheap dollar store style sweet licorice. The palate is forceful, punching out blackberry and Asian spice flavours to no end. Great wine, but, fans of silky fined tuned Pinot beware, this is the anti-Christ of Pinots. Find this wine

246629 MOLLYDOOKER THE MAITRE D’ CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 McLaren Vale, South Australia $29.95 $29.95
I must confess to not enjoying Australian wines as much as I used to, but if they were all made like this, I would be a born again Ozzie- ite. This is a monster, but a gentle giant that oozes with aromas of iron, currant, mineral, dusty pine and eucalyptus. Its palate is powerful, but impeccably balanced, boasting flavours of currant, blackberry, Moroccan spice and Mocha. Think this is good; wait until the next release for my notes on its way bigger and brawny brother. Find this wine

104299 THE PRISONER 2012 Napa Valley $49.95
Murky, showing notes of dried leaves, hazelnut, sweet oak and dark red fruit, this vintage is toned down from last year’s rendition, but the sweetness and the 15 plus level of alcohol both make their way to the surface . The blend of 46% Zinfandel, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, and a small amount of Charbono could be a fun wine to drink, but sadly the palate is globby and chewy with a finish of candy syrup and heat. Find this wine

Read the rest of this entry »