Edward Rasiulis

Borthwick Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008, Wairarapa, North Island

Medium minus ruby with a tint of garnet in colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: A good mix of Old World & New World Pinot in style, meaning not over bearing & having a good balance between fruit & earthy notes. Very smooth Pinot showing pine, rhubarb, cranberry, sour cherry, wooden embers, suede & truffles. Medium minus in body with medium minus tannins, good acidity, long length & the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: Slightly over sour on the finish.

Food friendly wine that will go well with duck or turkey. Drink now or over the next 2 years.

Tasted: 12 Mar 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2010, Sonoma County

Medium straw to light gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.
Positives: Lots of flavour and good balance between tropical and citric fruit featuring medium+ toasted oak, lots of butter, lemon, butterscotch, mango, pineapple, cinnamon apple, marzipan and limestone. Medium+ body, good acidity and a fairly long length.
Negatives: A little sourness on the finish.
Interesting Things: Always nice to see a California Chard under 14% alcohol and not lose the creaminess. A day later the taste was equally good with less sourness on the finish.
Drink now on its own or pair it with grilled pork tenderloin with a peach & mango glaze.
Tasted: 3 Aug 12
Best Buy
Score: 9+/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 18.5/20
Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

Ravine Vineyard Chardonnay 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Light gold in colour with a medium intense nose.

The taste is more expressive than the nose.

Positives: A well-integrated Chard balancing the oak, fruit & minerality. Medium toasted oak, light butter with lemon, green & golden apples, pink grapefruit, melon and limestone. Medium body to medium+ with good acidity and a very long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair it with lemon/pepper grilled tilapia.

Tasted: 13 June 13

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Oldenburg Chardonnay 2011

At first taste there was no fruit just Oak spice, but after 30 min it just opened up to a good Chard

Description: Bright light to medium gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This complex wine features medium toasted oak, oak spice, lemon tart, pineapple, dill, green apples, peach, ginger, dill and a hint of caramel. Medium+ body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Needs to decant for 30 min to bring out the fruit. Both the cool climate and Montrachet style glassware work, just both very different.

Drink now or in the next 2 years on its own or pair it with Tai Pai Chicken.

Tasted: 6 Aug 2014

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

Château De Berne Terres De Berne Côtes De Provence 2011, Ac

Light salmon colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: The mouth explodes full of flavour such as strawberries, rhubarb, sour cherry, white pepper, lemon/lime & apricot pit. Medium body with good acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: A touch too sour on the finish.

Interesting Point: Ok I have to admit that I bought this wine because I loved the bottle, and it didn't disappoint.

Drink now on its own or pair it with French cut pork chops stuffed with goat cheese, spinach & red peppers.

Tasted: 11 July 12

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Marqués De Riscal Reserva 2007

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

Consistently reliable good taste.

Positives: Cedar, sandalwood, plums, cherry, a touch of vanilla bean, leather, cinnamon, all spice, red peppers, black olives & raspberry. Medium to full body with medium+ tannins, good acidy & long length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Points: Check out my review 25 June 2012 for the 2006 vintage. You'll notice that it's $2 more for the 2007. One of my favourite labels; very classic looking.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 24 April 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Louis Bouillot Perle D'aurore Brut Rosé Crémant De Bourgogne, Traditional Method, Ac, Burgundy, France

Not complex yet elegant & easy drinking sparkling wine

Description: Light pink in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose and fine mousse. This wine features light yeast, raspberry, strawberry, cherry and Macintosh apple. Medium body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Established winery making sparkling wine since 1877. Nice bottle to impress dinner quest.

Drink now or in the next couple of years on its own or pair it with Risotto with sun dried tomatoes and shaved parmesan.

Tasted: 26 July 2015

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9+/10 Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Aconcagua Valley

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

Positives: The Max Reserva Cab is a fairly complex wine and unusual for such complexity at under $20, and even better when the LCBO puts it on sale a couple of times throughout the year. The 2010 vintage features cedar, cassis, menthol, cloves, dark cherry, pencil shavings, leather, spinach leaves, red & black currants. Medium to full body with medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: The Max Reserva Cab is consistently year in & year out a best buy.

Drink on its own or pair it with a T-bone steak.

Tasted: 6 Sept 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+

Mount Eden Vineyards Saratoga Cuvée Chardonnay 2006, Santa Cruz Mountains

Gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. Medium complex wine.

Positives: For Chard lovers this isn't bad, but not worth the money. Has nice toasty oak with buttery popcorn notes, lemon and apple.

Negatives: I found quite a bit if bitterness in the end. Maybe to much toasted oak. Not enough fruit coming through.

Interesting things: The middle palate has a bourbon taste to it. Drink now on its own or pair it with lobster & drawn butter.

Tasted: 11 Sept 11

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8/10, Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

Beringer Chardonnay 2012, Napa Valley

Bright gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

For us in Canada, when I see a Napa Chard from a well known producer for under $20, I think “to good to be true”. This wine is good & true.

Positives: This wine features mild toasted oak, buttered popcorn, lemon drops, pineapple, nutmeg, peach, baked apple and light Easter Lily on the nose. Full body with fairly good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: There’s a lot of heat from the 14.5% alcohol

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with pork chops with apple cider glaze.

Tasted: 30 April 2014

Best Buy

Score: 9/10, Value: 9.5+/10, Total: 18.5+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4+