Edward Rasiulis

Capezzana Barco Reale Di Carmignano 2010

Deep ruby in colour with a medium minus intense nose.

My new favourite wine to pair with pizza

Positives: This wine features cedar, sour cherry, Bing cherry, oregano, sage, rosemary, raspberry, leather, graphite & fresh cut carnations. Medium body with medium+ tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with pizza.

Interesting Point: Tasted the wine from the smaller Chianti/Zinfandel wine glass & the larger Cabernet Sauvignon glass; in the Cab glass it was dull & muted, while shined in the Chianti glass.

Tasted: 17 January 2014

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Ramón Bilbao Tempranillo Gran Reserva 2004, Doca Rioja

Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

If you want a really good Tempranillo Gran Reserva for under $30 this one is it

Positives: This smooth yet complex wine features cedar, sandalwood, dark cherry, plums, vanilla, coconut, Rosemary, mint, cinnamon & nutmeg. Medium body with medium low tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 4 years and pair it with grilled rack of lamb.

Tasted: 21 Nov 2013

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

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

Château Haura 2008, Ac Graves

Description: Dark ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Although I found the nose better than the taste, in saying that the taste is very good. This wine features cedar, blackberries, ripe tamarinds, leather, pencil shavings, tobacco leaves, mushrooms, mesquite, peppercorns & graphite. Medium body with medium+ tannins, acidity & length.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Point: Needs to decant for 30-60 min to soften it up.

Drink now or over the next 5 years on it its own but with taste better with high protein foods like steak.

Tasted: 25 Aug 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Jean Marc Brocard Domaine Sainte Claire Chablis 2011

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

Hard to find a great Chablis is for under $20

Positives: This complex wine features Easter lily, lemon/lime, pink grapefruit, Brie rind, Spy apple, honey, almonds and limestone. Medium body with good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: From single vineyard "Sainte-Claire" 30 year old vines on Kimmeridgian Limestone fermented with indigenous yeast.

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with Beausoleil oysters in honey, ginger & shallot vinaigrette.

Tasted: 14 April 2014

Best Buy and Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Estancia Reserve Pinot Noir 2009, Santa Lucia Highlands

Reminds me when I was a kid and eating candy apples at the EX

Description: Light ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose. This complex wine features pine, wild cherry, raspberry, nutmeg, cloves, and the nose is reminiscent of the smell of smoke from wood burning fireplaces on a crisp autumn night. Medium+ body with light tannins, good acidity, a long length and the high alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with grilled medium rare Wagyu striploin .

Tasted: 8 Aug 2014

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Amani Chardonnay 2009, Wo Stellenbosch

Gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: This wine shows a beautiful Chard aromas and bouguet of medium toasted oak, butter, lemon & butterscotch ice cream. The taste is creamy with medium tasted oak, lemon, peach, pineapple, orange rind, & green apple. The wine is medium to full body, a very long length & good acidity.

Negatives: There's a little too much tartness on the taste.

Interesting Point: Use the large Chard glass as smaller glassware will accentuate the tartness. This wine is not for everyone, only for die hard Chard lovers.

Drink now with rich foods such as crab with drawn butter which will help dissipate the bitterness.

Tasted: 4 Dec 11

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Lailey Merlot 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

A juicy Merlot of good quality

Positives: This wine features cedar, plums, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, star anise, cinnamon, forest greens, oregano, sage, and radicchio. Medium+ body with green tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Right now a little too green.

Although you can drink this wine now after decanting for an hour, it should mellow over the next 2-5 years. Preference would be to drink this with a rib-eye steak, medium-rare.

Tasted: 25 Aug 2013

Score: 9/10, Value: 8.5+/10 (Clearance price: 9/10) Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Domaine Sergent Oak Aged Madiran 2008, Ac

Medium ruby with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Lots going in this wine. The nose brims with cedar, sandalwood, leather, pencil shavings, cinnamon, sage, cloves, plums, blackberry & expresso. The taste has similar notes as the nose but with mint, red currants & pomegranates. Medium to full body with medium+ tannins, good acidity with a very long length.

Negatives: Quiet a bit of heat coming from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Point: This wine won gold in Paris in 2010. I would encourage everyone to try to explore wines that come from areas around the world that are generally not accessible unless you visit the specific location. Lucky the LCBO has brought us wine from Madiran.

Drink now or over the next 3 years. It's enjoyable on its own but would pair even better with rack of lamb or grilled tenderloin steak.

Tasted: 19 May 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Marqués De Riscal Reserva 2006, Rioja

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

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

Negatives: None.

Interesting Points: The Marqués De Riscal Reserva has been on the LCBO general list as long as I can remember & always consistent in taste, which is very good. Best part is the LCBO usually has this wine on sale periodically throughout the year.

Drink now or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with grilled lamb chops.

Tasted: 25 June 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Fess Parker Viognier 2010, Santa Barbara County

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

This wine straddles between very good and excellent.

Positives: Light oak with a creamy texture featuring lemon, peach, apricot, honeysuckle, honey, wildflower, pineapple, pear, peach pits, & lemon grass. Medium body with good acidity and a long finish.

Negatives: A touch bitter on the finish, and a little hot from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Point: “ His name may be fading into the past, but in the ’50s and ’60s, Fess Parker was hugely famous for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on television. He turned his earnings on shows like that and others into this highly successful winery. He died in 2010.” LCBO

Drink now or over the next year on its own or pair it with French cut pork chops stuffed with cheese and sundried tomatoes.

Tasted: 3 March 2013

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

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