Edward Rasiulis

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2010, VQA Okanagan Valley

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

I don’t know if I like it or dislike it? I tried this a day later and I liked it. Needs time to open up.

Positives: Medium+ toasted oak with light butter, lemon, flint, pink grapefruit, peach pit, and limestone. After a day the wine opens up to feature mangos, golden apples, and cantaloupe. Medium body to medium+ with good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair it with lobster.

Tasted: 13 June 13

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

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

Gallo Family Laguna Vineyard Chardonnay 2008, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County

Description: Gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Slightly creamy with medium toasted oak, buttery, pineapple, mango, oranges, caramel, lemon, apple, limestone and butterscotch. Medium to full body, good acidity and long length.

Negatives: Slight sourness on the finish.

Drink now or over the next 2-3 years on its own or with lobster and drawn butter.

Tasted: 25 Feb 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Quinta Dos Carvalhais 2008, Doc Dão

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

Positives: Oak, cherry, rhubarb, blackberry, sage, plums & turn tamarind. Medium+ body & tannins with good acidity & length.

Negatives: A little green to have on its own.

Drink within the next 2 years & match it with ribeye steak.

Tasted: 13 June 12

Score: 8.5, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 17/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

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

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

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

Amity Pinot Noir 2008, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Light to medium garnet with some ruby in colour with a medium minus intensity on the nose.

Positives: This is not a big Pinot, but it's also not from California. Very smooth & very easy to drink a bottle or two in one sitting. Low tannins, medium alcohol & medium acidity makes this wine really easy to drink on its own or pair it with duck. The notes show floral notes of violets, roses, cloves & pine. The earth notes are well integrated with cherry & raspberry. Light to medium body & medium+ length. Simply delicious.

Negatives: None

Best Buy

Tasted: 19 Nov 11. Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5