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
Tawse Sketches Of Niagara Riesling 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$17.95
Very pale in the glass. Tight nose of citrus and a touch of petrol (always my favorite nuance in a riesling).
Just off-dry, VERY crisp citrus and TART green apple flavours. Sour gummy candies comes to mind. Bright acidity and long, sweet and sour finish.
An interesting style that would be a great match for just about any food that could use a squirt of lemon (or sour gummies). I cracked one open for my chicken cordon bleu. A decent match.
Overall, I like it. With the right food it's great. Otherwise, I find it a bit thin and too sharp. For this price I could do better in Germany.
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
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
Montecillo Reserva 2006, Rioja
Spain$17.95
(2007 vintage)
Bright red in the glass, Nice nose of sweet cherry. Low/moderate tannins. Good fruit concentration but with a slightly under-ripe green/leafy streak. I would not describe this as an honest Spanish wine. It's an easy drinking, commercially styled wine. Decent but pretty soft and simple for the price.
I have a 2006 that's been sitting around for a while. Curious to see if it's much better than this newer vintage as these reviews seem to indicate, and if the difference is due to vintage variation or a deliberate shift to a more commercial style.
3.5 Stars
(0)G
Coto De Imaz Reserva 2005, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$20.95
Deep red. Medium body. Fruity, woody and herbal. Some complexity. Lots of ripe tannin. Struck me as being a good, balanced wine but it lacked the concentration I would expect at this price.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Tyrrell's Brookdale Semillon 2011, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
New South Wales, Australia$24.95
I have some of Tyrrell's famous Vat 1 in my cellar, (ever listen to Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy"? It tastes like that.) I was very curious about their "base model" semillon.
Pale straw in colour with an almost greenish tinge, pretty.
Green apples, limes and a hint of riesling-like petrol on the nose. A slight whiff of dryer sheet.
Bright flavours of green grapes (duh) granny smith apples, star fruit and cider. Bright acidity, medium bodied with an impression of creaminess, like a child of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Long finish.
I drank this with a lobster risotto. Heaven.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Les Vignoles Terroirs Et Lieu Dieu De Loire Saumur Champigny 2009, Ac, Cabernet Franc
Loire, France$15.95
Fantastic deal on a really nice Cab Franc. Nice fresh, sweet nose of strawberry, mint, flowers and some baking spice. Mouth watering palate of sweet raspberries, tart cranberry some peppery spice. Really nice. Medium body, bright acidity, balanced tannin, nice finish. I bought a bunch of these, wish I bought more. This drinks well with all manner of foods.
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
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
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