Chris Saunders
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Reviews (17)
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Computer nerd turned wine geek, Chris writes weekly tasting notes on wines available at your local LCBO. A little informative, a little provocative with a lot of panache - check out The Drunken Vine for a unique perspective on wine regions, vintages, and varietals available to you!
Reviews
Château D'aiguilhe 2005, Ac Côte Castillon, Comtes De Neipperg
Bordeaux, France$48.00
aromatically very interesting - cedar, leather, black licorice, cassis. beautifully balanced in the mouth - excellent structure, bright fruit. Black licorice, cherry with some actual cedar-like flavours. Finish is long and earthy, with a hint of the licorice returning at the end. Feels to me like there is still some work to be done in the bottle, I agree with Mr. Lawrason pick up this tremendous value and give it a couple of years in the cellar.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Alain Jaume & Fils Clos De Sixte 2005, Ac Lirac
Rhône, France$24.95
Inky sexy and dark. The nose is a beautiful mix of earth and perfume. Starts with some gamey aromas, and then moves on into cedar, blackberry, raspberry and a hint of blueberry. There is also something floral here that makes me think of warmer days. I think of blackberries when I take my first sip - not the kind you get in the grocery store, but cool, sweet and dense, picked from a bush in the back 40 somewhere. Silk turns to velvet as the tannins kick in, and there’s a really nice complexity here. I’m still thinking blackberry, raspberry, a hint of blueberry. The midpalate brings a little savouriness - roasted nuts, and some green and mineral notes.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2007, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$28.95
The wine is golden straw coloured in the glass. Deep rich aromas lift from the glass - campfire smoke, buttery popcorn, honey, baked apple and lemon. The wine is rich and luxurious on the palate, feeling heavy and silky. The acidity in this wine is refreshing, and the bonanza of peaches, pear, lemon rind and a dash of pepper and clove is very interesting. The flavours persist for some time afterwards, and the spicy oak influence is the main residual.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Le Clos Jordanne Talon Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay 2007, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Vinemount Ridge
Ontario, Canada$40.00
On the nose, bright aromas of pear, butter, baked apple and hints of citrus invite a sip. It’s a rich, luxurious wine on the palate, with striking acidity and minerality. The initial flavour profile is laden with citrus - lemon and white grapefruit - and then flavours of baked apple, hints of peaches and pineapple appear. This is a complex wine, as layers of minerality are available to the taster. There is a vivacious acidity keeping this wine from feeling overly buttery. The finish ebbs on the tongue, reminding the palate of the citrus flavours, baked apple and stone fruit, and finally slipping away leaving a distinct minerality behind. This is a complicated wine which will provide a great deal of pleasure to a great many people at this price point.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Thirty Bench Red 2007, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$24.00
Layers of ripe black cherry, cedar, spring daffodil, hints of dark chocolate and coffee leap from the glass. In the mouth its satiny texture gives way to raspberry and dark chocolate flavours. As the initial flavours disappear, the acidity and tannins seem to show up at the same time creating an interesting sensation of drying and puckering simultaneously. Flavours continue througout this transitory period, bringing dark ripe plums, spice cake, and black cherries. The finish is long and wonderful, with a raspberry pie, black cherry and nutmeg afterglow.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2006, VQA Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada$44.95
The nose is meaty; full of smoke, pepper, black cherries, and well done toast. A sip builds an interesting picture for the palate. The wine’s structure is very solid, with sturdy acidity and firm tannins. The initial impression is flavours of red cherry and raspberry. In short order the red fruit flavours become dried, and are joined by earthy black coffee, dark chocolate, raw almond skin, raisins and fresh fig. This wine feels tight, the flavours seem compressed. The dried fruit flavours and figgi-ness continue throughout an incredibly long finish. This is a wine built to age, and will be quite interesting given 2-5 years in the cellar.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Tawse Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2007, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$31.95
The wine is a brilliant ruby colour. The nose suggests raspberry pie, cinnamon and a hint of pepper and bramble. A sip brings an explosion of raspberry to the palate, and a remarkably balanced structure. There is vibrant acidity, balanced by velvety tannins. The raspberry flavours show throughout, along with some strawberry and cinnamon stick. The finish is long, with ripe red berries, cinnamon and a little pepper at the end. The team at Tawse present Ontario wine drinkers with a beautiful introduction to Cabarnet Franc, and at a generous price point for an outstanding example of the varietal.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
13th Street Cuvee Rosé Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$32.95
The mousse here is medium fine, the nose shows toast with strawberry jam, and a hint of raspberry. It’s golden with a light salmon-pink tinge. In the mouth the bubbles are fine, and the wine presents a citrus-infused flavour profile - lemon and tangerine, with a crisp, clean lemon finish.
3.5 Stars
(1000+)E
The Foreign Affair Riesling 2007, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$20.25
The nose doesn’t present a great deal, but there are hints of lime, apple and summer peach. On the palate it feels rich, and is full of ripe pear, peach preserve and lime. The acidity in this wine provides a perfect counterpoint to the ripe flavours. The finish is excellent, transitioning from apple pie spice and pear to a lingering impression of ripe stone fruit. This is really unlike any other riesling on the shelves of the LCBO. The air dry process has given this wine a rich lush profile not present in other wines from the cold climate grape. It’s worth the $28 for the experience of a fresh interpretation of Riesling, and a wine unlike anything else from Niagara.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Ca'marcanda Promis 2006, Igt Toscana, Estate Btld.
Tuscany, Italy$55.95
Some wines just need time. I am infatuated with the wines of Angelo Gaja, so I find myself terribly disappointed that this nose is closed. As it is, with a little time in the decanter I get layers of fruit and spice; blackberry, cherry, licorice, cedar, some cinnamon stick, black cherry along with some leathery earthiness. The mouthfeel is weighty and silky. The structure is not what I was expecting - medium acidity and soft, velvety tannins. Black fruit flavours, black cherry, blackberry moving through to roasted almonds and dried cranberries with some very interesting sage-spice on the finish. The finish is long-ish, and more cherry + roasted nuts. You can drink this now, but you will miss out on what is to come. Get a bottle to share with friends and family, and another couple of bottles to store away for awhile. Decant for 30-60 mins if you are going to drink it now.
3.0 Stars
(0)V