Brad Mate

Castiglion Del Bosco Rosso Di Montalcino 2006, Doc

Sterling Vintners Collection Pinot Noir 2009, Central Coast, California

Impressively smooth on the palate, the tannins are a little cooked, but considering the price, this is a nice pinot. Tasty black cherry, vanilla, strawberry jam flavours. It finishes quick, but suave.

Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2008, Wo Western Cape

A unique offering - it's a dense purple - smells like blueberry, smoky oak, and some stinky barnyard notes. Its full bodied paked with flavour and leaves your mouth and teeth purple. Feels a bit manipulated or worked over. this wine is super super dry like sucking on a black tea bag...

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon 2009, Ac

Nose:
spicy green pepper/ cherry/ earthy soil/ farm land.

Palette:
Medium body (little on the light side) with a silkyness to it. Nice spicy green bell pepper and cherry taste. Impressive structure and gripping tannins, with a fresh tight finish. A great buy for sure!

Thirty Bench Red 2009, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula

Smoky cedar, cranberry, raspberry, plum, cherry, herbs, spices. The palate is dry and structured. It's a harsh wine that needs time to mellow. Medium bodied, with nice concentration of fruit considering the poor 2009 growing season in Niagara.

Lavau Gigondas 2009, Ac

Nice well balanced wine with typical rhone scents/ herbs/ black pepper backed up with black cherry fruit flavours...

Rosewood Pinot Noir 2009, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula

I really liked this Pinot for it's silky seducing qualities. This is the way a pinot should drink in my opinion. I tasted sweet cherries, and a hint of smoky wood - nothing too crazy on the pallat or nose. But it has consistant flavours and structure from start to finish. I could easily finish the bottle in a few sips.

Château Fayan 2008, Ac Puisseguin Saint émilion

nose - smoke, gas, berries, wood

body - creamy medium body

Favours - nice merlot chocolate cherries and classic bell pepper/ mud flavours from the cab franc intertwine nicely. Great palate flavours and feel.

it is dry balanced and structured but lacks acidity to keep it fresh - it's a tad flat

Finish is nice and dry, and the flavours continue for several minutes. A really nice wine that surprised me...what a good buy!

Megalomaniac Homegrown Red 2009, Niagara Peninsula

sweet, sappy & enjoyable.

Sabor Real Viñas Centenarias Tempranillo 2007, Do Toro

dark and structured wine - rustic earthy mud flavours - full bodied, nice solid back bone - not delicious though.