Andrew Hunter

Andrew Hunter
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Andrew Hunter is a musician and composer. He abandoned his career in film and television to raise his kids, make music and drink wine.

My love of wine started with underage sips at the family dinner table. In college I fancied myself a sophisticate as I drank Chianti with pizza, back when Chianti still came in wicker 'fiasco' bottles. (I miss those, great candle holders.) I admit to still having a soft spot for Mateus. Cheap, sweet wine in a chubby bottle was just fine. Back then all I knew about wine was that there was red, white and pink (and girls really liked that white zinfandel!). It was years later, when I started to frequent some of Toronto's finer restaurants, that vinous epiphanies began to occur. Sips of wine that caused quiet pause and an exclamation of, "oh...wow."

I began to read everything I could about wine. I built a cellar and started collecting bottles. My taste evolved from sweet, easy-drinking, fruit-forward wines to the more old-world styles of France and Italy. I tend to prefer wines that are understated and complex over the super-extracted fruit-bombs which seem to be increasingly fashionable. I'll generally take Bordeaux over Napa and Tuscany over Australia. But there are always exceptions!

I'm a huge fan of sweet wines. I rarely meet an ice wine or Sauternes that I don't like. I also get along very well with Port.

Riesling is my favorite white, along with Viognier, Gerwurztraminer and Santorini Assyrtiko. Chardonnay is my least favorite. No matter how much I spend or how great the pedigree, I have yet to be blown away. Somewhere out there is a really delicious Chardonnay. I'm still looking for it.

My busy life leaves little time for blogging but at the very least I review every wine I taste.

There's nothing more subjective than art...Except perhaps wine. At our wine club I'm always pleased when someone prefers the $12 wine to the $50 wine (unfortunately it never seems to be me). For all it's pretentiousness and hype wine is a just a drink, either you like it or you don't. There is no right or wrong. It's all about discovering what you like!

In my wine reviews I try to describe the wine in a simple, unpretentious way. My aim is to help the reader decide if it's a wine they might like or want to avoid.

Of course, I'll tell you if I like it or not, but also, unlike many professional critics, I write with the clear assumption that what you like and what I like may very well be opposite. It doesn't matter. I'll tell you if a wine is sweet and fruit-forward and or dry, tannic and savory and let you decide.

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Reviews

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2009, Central Valley Bottle
Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2009, Central Valley
Chile
$10.95

Savory, decent fruit, some drying, rustic tannin. Chill and decant; once it opens up a bit it's pretty good. Don't expect great fruit concentration or any complexity but you can't beat the price. A good Wednesday night Pinot Noir.

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Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2007, Sonoma County Bottle
Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2007, Sonoma County
California, Usa
$19.95

Nice zinfandel.

More like the Old Vine Cline than Ravenswood.

Plenty of lush fruit, some herb (thyme, basil/anise?) a bit of black pepper but not as much as I like in my zins. Full bodied and quite soft, but slightly spicy. Plenty of alcohol gives the impression of sweet heat. Good acidity and a mouthful of tannin keeps this from being too flabby.

A well balanced, easy to drink zinfandel that will please the crowd at a bbq party.

I wouldn't bother cellaring it, as I suspect it may 'devolve' and go from balanced to fat and flabby.

Drink now.

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Wonambi Shiraz 2007, Limestone Coast, South Australia  Bottle
Wonambi Shiraz 2007, Limestone Coast, South Australia
Australia
$13.95

(2009 vintage)

Very average, an ok sipper.

Not too sweet with decent acidity (a nice change for a cheap Aussie Shiraz which are often quite jammy and soft). In fact i would never have guessed this was even Shiraz. It has a bit of a green, leafy streak, like under-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Also a bright top end, like a sourish, almost lemony finish.

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Fortius Reserva 2004, Do Navarra Bottle
Fortius Reserva 2004, Do Navarra
Spain
$13.65

A far cry from the '99 Gran Reserva.

A bit of a chameleon; initially disjointed; woody, hot, acidic. Medium concentration of fruit, plenty of tannin.

An hour later it had softened. Better, but still nothing great and still out of balance...but better.

the next day it had "evolved" into a tangy, smoky, very Spanish tasting wine. Anise, raisin, sweetish but quite rustic.

My guess, however, is that it's chemistry is sound, and this could age well: The fruit has enough concentration to balance out some of the tannins and the acidity is good enough to hold it all together.

but why bother?

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Rocca Delle Macìe Chianti Riserva 2006, Docg Bottle
Rocca Delle Macìe Chianti Riserva 2006, Docg
Tuscany, Italy
$15.95

(2007 vintage)

Alcohol and bubble gum on the nose. Medium bodied with good fruit concentration and a streak of salinity (Which i noticed before i ate the pizza! And which this went very well with by the way).

Good Chianti for the price.

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Wyndham Bin 555 Shiraz 2008, Southeastern Australia Bottle
Wyndham Bin 555 Shiraz 2008, Southeastern Australia
Australia
$12.95

Initially nose was quite tight but opened up with aeration: Sweet fruit, confection (a hint of bubble gum?), a bit of rubber. Full bodied. Soft and sweet but with some savory, herbal and Christmas spice complexity. A good balance of fruit, alcohol and smooth integrated tannin. A soft, easy drinking wine that will please most. Very good wine for the price. Ready to drink.

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Castillo De Almansa Reserva 2006 Bottle
Castillo De Almansa Reserva 2006
Spain
$12.95

(2007 )

Very dark. Berries, baking spice, herbs and wood on the nose, some anise. Medium-full body. Fruity, oaky vanilla, good tannic balance. Well balanced. Great value.

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Hardys Stamp Series Riesling Gewurztraminer 2009, Southeastern Australia Bottle
Hardys Stamp Series Riesling Gewurztraminer 2009, Southeastern Australia
Australia
$9.95

Great value here. The Gewurz really shows on the nose but the Riesling really makes an interesting balance on the palate, making this less fat, and more versatile, than a pure varietal Gewurztraminer would normally be.

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Sterling Vintner's Collection Merlot 2007, Central Coast, California Bottle
Sterling Vintner's Collection Merlot 2007, Central Coast, California
California, Usa
$16.00

(2009 vintage) Pretty good valued merlot. Full bodied. Plush but decent tannins and wood which makes it not too sweet (which is refreshing for a new world merlot). I tasted it blind and guessed it was a $20 bottle. Not a huge merlot fan but I would recommend this one for merlot fans who prefer a bit of backbone in their wines.

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Rubens Valpolicella Ripasso 2007, Doc Bottle
Rubens Valpolicella Ripasso 2007, Doc
Veneto, Italy
$17.95

A decent ripasso. Earthy, plummy, nutty aromas, a slight fake-leather whiff. Full bodied, spicy, sweet, densely fruited, oaky with dry tannins. Good warm finish. A good wine at a good price. A small section of Ruben's dramatic "The Martyrdom of St Livinus" on the label. Cool.

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