Edward Rasiulis

Terredora Fiano Di Avellino 2009, Docg

Gold in colour with a medium minus intensity on the nose.

Positives: Lemon, touch of honey, melon, macadamia nuts, chalk, grapefruit & chamomile. Medium body with good acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: None.

Drink now on its own or pair it with snapper ceviche.

Tasted: 12 Jun 12

Best Buy

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/19, Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

La Sauvageonne Pica Broca 2008, Ac Coteaux Du Languedoc

Dark ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Cedar, blackberry, Ribena, pomegranate, black & white pepper. Medium body with medium tannins, good acidity and medium+ length.

Negatives: A touch on the watery side. This may be past its prime.

Interesting Point: This product is on clearance at the LCBO. Original price was $18.95. This wine is worth buying at its new price.

Drink now on its own or pair it with veal steak.

Tasted: 28 Oct 12

Score: 8/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 17/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Perrin & Fils Tavel Rosé 2010, Ac

Bright pomegranate in colour with a medium nose.

Positives: Classic Tavel with strawberry, cherry, pink grapefruit & raspberries. The taste is refreshing with good acidity, medium minus body & medium+ length.

Negatives: A little tartness on the finish.

Interesting Point: Serve it in a Viognier/Chardonnay glass.

Drink now on its own or pair it with roasted chicken.

Tasted: 27 Nov 11

Best Buy

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10 (sale price of $14.05, 10/10), Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Esporão Tinto Reserva 2008, Alentejo

Deep purple to ruby in colour with a medium minus intensity on the nose.

Positives: Notes on the nose are mushrooms, light oak, raspberry, blueberry & cherry. The taste is smooth showing plums, blueberry, sandalwood & rosemary. The wine is medium body, medium tannins with medium+ acidity & length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Nothing really wows me on this one.

Tasted: 21 Nov 11.

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 6/10, Total: 14.5/20

Veuve Ambal Grande Cuvée Brut Crémant De Bourgogne, A.C. Burgundy

Gold in colour with fine mousse & plenty of them. Medium intensity showing classic champagne notes of baked apple, biscotti, pear, lemon & white flowers. The taste is dry, good acidity, long length, medium+ body and balanced. Taste shows lemon, apple, pink grapefruit & pear. The nose is more complex than the taste. This sparkler is refreshing to the taste & would pair with nicely with classic champagne dishes of caviar & oysters.

Best Buy.

Tasted 17 July 2011.

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Emiliana Winemaker's Selection Syrah 2009, La Quebrada, Casablanca Valley

Not impressed. Nothing negative, but nothing positive. That was what I thought when I first opened it 18 Aug 2011. I put the cork in the bottle & decided to open it the next day. The nose was like wooden fire in a clear cold snowy night with cherry kirsh, cola, blackberry, raspberry tea & chocolate mocha. The taste was just as good. It went from a score of 7/10 to 9+/10. Value: 9/10, Total: 18+/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Meandro Do Vale Meão 2011, Doc Douro

Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Danger Will Robinson, this is so good that it’s a 2 bottle night

Positives: This complex smooth wine features cedar, plums, dark cherry, raspberry, mulberry, nectarine, licorice, thyme, raisins, mocha, dates and leather. Medium+ body with soft tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: Some heat from the 14%

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or and pair it with Portuguese beef Cacoila.

Tasted: 10 June 2014

Top Pick and Best Buy

Score: 9.5+/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5+

Bonny Doon Beeswax Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc 2008, Arroyo Seco, Central Coast

Medium gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Notes of Verbena, lemon oil, honeysuckle, beeswax, apricots, peach, almonds, ripe pear, cantaloupe & shale. There is some oak but it’s well integrated. Medium to medium+ body, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: High Alcohol. Interesting Things: This winery is biodynamic & I like the traditional old world wine label.

Drink now on its own or pair it with raw oysters in a honey-ginger vinegrette.

Tasted: 4 Feb 12

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre Fourchaume Chablis 1er Cru 2008, Ac

Medium straw colour with low intense nose.

Positives: Very easy drinking and good minerality that one would expect from a 1er Cru Chablis that is further enhanced by honeysuckle, lemon, mandarin, stone fruit, granny apple & pink grapefruit. Medium minus body with good acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Point: This wine won silver at the 2010 Concours Vignerons Independants. I was able to pick this wine up for $22.40 which would make it a best buy.

Drink now on its own or pair it with Blue Point oysters.

Tasted: 25 May 12

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18.5/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Mendocino County

Medium to medium+ ruby in colour with high intensity on the nose. Positives: Lots of black fruits to go with cedar, anise, ribena, turmeric, pencil shavings, leather, arugula & a touch of spinach leaf on the finish. Medium body, medium+ tannins, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Points: The wine is organic.

Pleasant drinking wine that can be drank now or over the next 2 years on its own or paired prime rib.

Tasted: 31 Jan 12

Best Buy

Score: 9/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4