Andrew Hunter
|
Followers (22)
|
|
|
Following (8)
|
Reviews (319)
|
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.
http://torontowineguy.blogspot.com/
Reviews
Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva 2001, Doca
Spain$31.95
92
Fantastic Rioja. Had this with a mixed paella and it was just perfect. Dense dark berries, great oak, a nice smoky/leathery tang, good acidity and smooth tannins with some bite left. A great food wine. Will buy more to cellar for a few years.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2004, Napa Valley
California, Usa$83.00
tried this at the tasting booth.
A nice wine for sure...there's some interesting complexity in there that will probably show itself even more in a few years but nevertheless it's not worth the price they want for it. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
In a few years this should be very good indeed. but still...
as far as I'm concerned any bottle over $50 should make you say "oh wow...". If it can't do that, what's the point??
This should be a $40 bottle of wine. (and indeed IS south of the border)
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Château Du Trignon Le Bossu Gigondas 2007, Ac
Rhône, France$27.95
89-90
Dense, brooding wine with a nose of ripe fruit and some tar. Dark berry flavours. Concentrated, but also sort of simple.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Gaja Sito Moresco (375 Ml) 2006, Doc Langhe
Piedmont, Italy$32.95
93+
An outstanding Gaja. Sure you could spend $400 on a bottle of Sperss or another of his culty Barolos but this "Super-Piedmont" is a way to get a taste of his quality without having to pay rockstar prices.
Grab a half bottle for your next rib steak or hearty pasta and make sure to vigorously decant for at least an hour first!
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Château Lyonnat Emotion 2008, Ac Lussac Saint émilion
Bordeaux, France$19.95
Fairly complex nose. Dark and concentrated. Full bodied. Stewed, dark fruit, quite ripe. Some pepper, spice and mint. Smooth, dry tannin. Good balance. I liked this, it's a good wine but not quite worth the price.
3.5 Stars
Bouchard Père & Fils Gevrey Chambertin 2010
Burgundy, France$54.95
Big nose of cooked strawberries and a slight earthy funkiness. Tangy raspberries on the palate. Dry tannins. Medium body. Dry with a long earthy finish. Not quite worth the price but a nice wine.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Domaine Du Vieux Télégraphe La Crau Châteauneuf Du Pape 2009, Ac
Rhône, France$99.00
This did not thrill me as past vintages have but it's still a fine wine, if not really worth the price. Boozy nose with some xmas cake and herbal notes. A bit tarry. Dense, ripe fruit with some herbal, minty, anise flavours. Warm and heady. A little too hot maybe. Long tart finish. Very young, this needs time.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Señorío De P. Peciña Reserva 2001, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$29.95
I think i'd have rated this higher a few years ago. This has aged well but it has thinned out quite a bit. Nice brick colour. Nose has developed into an elegant bouquet of roses, tobacco and wood. A savory wine, not much fruit left at all.
It is a nice example of an aged Rioja but overall I'd say this is juuust past it's peak.
Well worth trying, but drink it now, and not with anything that will overpower this delicate old gal. Don't treat it like a young Rioja.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Coudoulet De Beaucastel 2010, Ac Côtes Du Rhône
Rhône, France$29.95
I've been stocking up on these each vintage since 2005 and they've never disappointed. They taste great young and age beautifully for years.
The '10 has a big ripe nose of raisins, thyme, bay leaves, alcohol, dark, stewed berries, some mint and anise. Very nice.
Full bodied, luscious mouth-feel. Concentrated fruit and pepper. Some sweetness here but this is a bright, yet herbal and earthy, wine with some tart sourness and crisp minerality. Long, warm, heady finish. Tannin and acid in perfect balance.
Still young and vigorous. Perfect with my lamb stew. Drink or cellar.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Cono Sur Viognier 2008, Colchagua Valley
Chile$9.95
87+
Probably the best valued white at LCBO. We drank this with a pile of Indian food and it was fantastic. I bought a whole bunch more to have at the ready. Much more flavor than similarly priced Rieslings or Chardonnays (to compare apples and oranges). Citrusy, (bitter apricots?) some nice spice and a slightly musky-sour thing (in a good way). Has some body to it and a good finish. Really good all-round white.
3.5 Stars
(0)G