I am using a 5-star rating system, which appears at the end of each review; here’s the key to the stars:
5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good … 3 = Average
Key: Wine colour indicators - Red are red wines, Yellow are whites, etc.
The Foci … Toronto Film Fest Bubble (TIFF) and 90+ Wines (N+W)
The Skinny … Not all 90+ wines are worth your hard earned dollar, but there are a few, and there is also a Viognier from New Zealand you’ve just gotta try and a Zin that’s killer, both for under twenty bucks.
Argentina …
Los Clop 2009 Reserva Malbec ($16.95 - #186650) – boysenberry, blueberry, blackberry, with a touch of vanilla and spice. (****) – N+W
Australia …
Nugan Estate 2010 McLaren Parish Vineyard Shiraz ($24.95 - #072603) – shows more than the usual Shiraz: ripe dark fruit with hints of red licorice, cocoa powder, vanilla, cherry with a white and black pepper mix on the finish. (****+) – N+W
Canada (Ontario) … click wine name for full review
Calamus 2011 Riesling ($16.95 - #158642) - *** 1/2
Cave Spring 2009 CSV Riesling ($29.95 - #566026) - ****+ (N+W)
Henry of Pelham 2009 Estate Pinot Noir ($24.95 - #268391) - ****
Henry of Pelham 2012 Cabernet Icewine ($39.95 / 200ml - #672402) - *** ½+
Chile …
Montes 2011 Alpha Pinot Noir ($19.95 - #143214) – firm with fruit, black cherry, white pepper and hints of violet. (****) – N+W
France (Bordeaux) …
Chateau Haut Selve 2009 ($20.95 - #738120) – juicy and silky yet with dusty elements; this wine has good stuffing for mid-term aging. (****+) – N+W
Chateau Larrivaux 2009 ($22.85 - #192880) – nice dark fruit with vanilla, mocha along with good length. (****)
Chateau Roland la Garde 2009 ($17.85 - #193078) – dark berry, dark chocolate, smoke and spice. (****)
Chateau Tour St. Bonnet 2009 ($19.85 - #189910) – tobacco and spice wrapped red raspberries and strawberries with hints of oak, spice and firm tannins. (****)
France (Burgundy) …
Jean Marc Brocard 2011 Sainte Claire Vieilles Vignes Chablis ($24.95 - #329995) – almost salty with lemon, floral and apple. (****)
France (Loire) …
Domaine du Bois Bruley Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2011 ($17.95 - #344911) – Sauvignon Blanc which is toned down from the New Zealand style; grassy with an orange peel finish. (*** ½+)
France (Rhone) …
Domaine Fontaine du Clos 2011 Reflets de l’Ame Vacqueyras ($20.95 - #343392) – liquid red licorice dipped in chocolate and covered in blueberries. (****)
Domaine le Grand Retour 2011 Plan de Dieu ($13.95 - #224592) – ripe, juicy and ready with cherry, blue and black berry. (****+)
Perrin 2011 Peyre Blanche Cairanne Cotes du Rhone-Villages ($17.95 - #650960) – elegance of fruit, sweet cherry, vanilla and silky tannins. (****+) – N+W
Pierre Amadieu 2011 Romane Machotte Gigondas ($24.95 - #017400) – lush, plush and deliciously drinkable; plenty of black and red fruit along with chocolate, hints of spice and pleasant linger on the finish. (****+) – N+W
Germany …
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Urzigen Wirzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2011 ($24.95 - #336396) – balanced sweetness with nice floral, mineral and fruit all coming together. (****) – N+W
Italy (Piedmont) …
Inalto 2007 Barolo ($39.95 - #344713) – licorice, cherry kirsch and spice. (****) – N+W
Michele Chiarlo 2012 Nivole Moscato D’Asti ($16.95 - #942888) – tropical fruit loaded with pretty, floral and melon; a true summer delight. (****)
Italy (Sicily) …
Mandrarossa Cartagho 2009 ($19.95 - #346593) – dark and spicy (*** ½+)
Italy (Tuscany) …
Falchini Vigna a Solatio Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2012 ($16.95 - #994012) – baked fruit with a flinty apple core. (*** ½)
Fonterutoli 2010 Chianti Classico ($24.95 - #977629) – cherry, mocha, coffee, dried cherry and oak spice. (****) – N+W
Villa I Cipressi Zebras 2006 Brunello di Montalcino ($45.95 - #270595) – shows finesse in all its earthy-dried-fruit glory. (*** ½+) – N+W
Italy (Veneto) …
Farina 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella ($35.95 - #995910) – coffee and cigar box with nice elegant fruit and a meatiness on the finish. (****)
Palazzo Maffei Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore 2010 ($17.95 - #338913) – coffee, smoke, toast and cherry; but it’s the coffee that keeps coming back. (****)
Riondo Castelforte Corvina 2010 ($14.95 - #230649) – plenty of cherry and blueberry with the merest hint of white pepper. (*** ½+)
New Zealand …
Thornbury 2010 Pinot Noir ($24.95 - #329706) – black cherry, rich smokiness with nice oak and spice. (****)
Two Rivers of Marlborough 2012 Convergence Sauvignon Blanc ($24.95 - #277707) – herbaceous but with more umph, along with mucho citrus pith on the finish. (*** ½+)
Waimea 2010 Viognier ($19.95 - #325969) – almost too good for words, really shows what Viognier is capable of: floral, orange zest, spice and nice acidity replay on the finish. (****+)
Portugal …
Guadalupe 2010 Red ($13.95 - #336313) – good buy in an easy sipper with its easy silky palate that has some complexity on the finish. (*** ½+)
South Africa …
Excelsior 2012 Chardonnay ($12.95 - #339911) – fresh, clean and rather tasty along with apple and lemon pith; good value in an everyday quaffer. (*** ½+)
Spain …
Barco de Piedra 2011 Tinto ($17.00 - #336289) – nice cherry, raspberry and vanilla. (****)
Breca 2010 Old Vines Garnacha ($19.95 - #329086) – stunning and delicious: plum, cherry, cassis, blackberry, chocolate along with a mineral chalkiness, but mainly juicy, pure fruit and spice. (**** ½) – N+W
Diego Zamora Licor 43 ($38.95 - #263780) – hedonistically delicious, pair with a dollop of heavy cream and prepare for a party, and a headache the next morning. (**** ½)
Finca La Emperatriz Viura 2011 ($15.95 - #342766) – pleasant and tropically tinged all the way to the finish; apricot, pineapple and hints of vanilla on the mid-palate. (****)
Ramon Bibao 2006 Reserva ($19.95 - #281097) – dried fruit mixed with fresh fruit and balancing tannins. (*** ½+) – N+W
United States (California) …
Belle Glos 2011 Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir ($44.95 - #652883) – deep, rich and fruit driven with plum, black cherry, vanilla and cinnamon; also with elements of spice and acidity waiting in the wings. (****)
Beringer 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($49.95 - #091058) – silkiness on the tongue, deliciously dark fruit driven. (****+) – N+W
Mer Soleil 2010 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($34.95 - #958975) – caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, but almost fruitless, and there is a market for this. (*** ½+)
Michael David 2010 Petite Petit ($24.95 - #213017) – intense with chocolate and white pepper along with a smoky sweetness. (****)
Pine Ridge 2012 Chenin Blanc / Viognier ($21.95 - #673756) – playful with apple, peach pit, and some floral notes for good luck. (*** ½+)
Plume 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($31.95 - #287367) – chocolate, plum, currants, vanilla, clove, it’s all in there with silky tannins; pretty wine. (****+)
Simi 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.95 - #025221) – chocolate, blackberry and vanilla. (*** ½+)
Sivas-Sonoma 2011 Chardonnay ($21.95 - #339671) – subtle vanilla, green apple puree and hints of tropical with good acidity and a spiced finish. (*** ½+)
Villa Mt. Eden 2008 Antique Vines Zinfandel ($19.95 - #256719) – cherry-cola, vanilla, licorice, sandalwood, with silky tannins; really intense, the way good Zin should be. (****+)
If You Can Afford It – wines worth their high price …
Aldegheri 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($51.95 - #987305) - **** (N+W)
Billecart Salmon Brut Rose Champagne ($91.95 - #724559) - **** (TIFF)
Kistler 2011 Les Noisetiers Chardonnay ($76.95 - #251223) - ****+ (N+W)
Louis Jadot 2010 Beaune Boucherottes 1er Cru ($52.95 - #121319) - ****+ (N+W)
Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne ($62.95 - #814723) - ****+ (TIFF)
What I’ll Be Lining Up For – August 31, 2013 …
Breca 2010 Old Vines Garnacha ($19.95 - #329086) – Spain
Domaine le Grand Retour 2011 Plan de Dieu ($13.95 - #224592) – France
Villa Mt. Eden 2008 Antique Vines Zinfandel ($19.95 - #256719) – United States
Waimea 2010 Viognier ($19.95 - #325969) – New Zealand
Happy Shopping
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