Edward Rasiulis

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Aconcagua Valley

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

Positives: Beautiful ripe, but not cooked Cab aromas featuring cedar, cassis, menthol, nutmeg, cinnamon & cloves followed by some bramble fruit. The taste is just as wonderful. This is a medium to full body wine with a long finish and a good balance of tannis and acidity making the wine feel round and not linear or austere. As with the nose there is a lot going on. The taste is similar as the nose.

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 classic grilled tenderloin steak. The wine is drinkable now, but can cellar for another 3-4 years.

Best Buy

Tasted: 4 Oct 11

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Beronia Tempranillo 2007, Rioja

Medium bright ruby in colour with medium+ intensity in the nose.

Positives: Sandalwood, strawberry, bacon, basil & cherry notes on the nose & taste. The wine is dry, medium to low tannins, medium acidity, medium body & medium length.

Negatives: Slight wateriness detected on the taste.

Interesting Things: This is one of the best inexpensive & consistent year to year Tempranillo’s. Usually the LCBO will put this on sale for a $1 off.

Drink now on its own or with lamb chops.

Best Buy

Tasted: 17 Nov 11

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2010, Wo Swartland

Medium+ ruby in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. Positives: Smooth wine with notes of light cedar with tamarind chutney, blackberry, black cherry, mulberry, fried peameal bacon & sage. Full body, medium tannins, good acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: A lot of heat on the finish due to the high alcohol.

Interesting Things: South Africa is the place to go for inexpensive Rhône varieties.

Drink now or in the next 2 years on its own or pair it with prime rib.

Tasted 18 Jan 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Inniskillin Winemaker's Series Montague Vineyard Chardonnay 2012, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula

A solid Chard that won't disappoint Chard lovers of oak influence

Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose. This wine features medium toasted oak, lemon, cream corn, pineapple, mango, ginger, light oak spice, butterscotch, crème brûlée and dill. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Some heat from the 14% alcohol and a touch sour on the finish

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with Cornish Hen

Tasted: 22 Dec 2014

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5+ (Clearance price: 9/10) Total: 17.5/20

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

St. Supéry Merlot 2007, Napa Valley

Medium ruby in colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: Although the nose is somewhat muted in scent but the taste surely is not. The mouth explodes with blueberry, plum, raspberry, cassis, cedar, black cherry, dark chocolate & cinnamon. Medium+ body with young tannins, good acidy & long length.

Negatives: A little heat coming from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Thing: I was able to get this at the LCBO on sale for $13.35, which would give it a 10/10 on the value scale.

Decant and drink on its own today or pair it with prime rib. I believe this wine will get better in 2 years.

Tasted: 3 Apr 12

Best Buy

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

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

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

Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2009, Marlborough

Bright gold in colour with medium intensity. Light oak & toast with lemon, apple, light honeysuckle, lemon grass & limestone. The taste is dry, good acidity, med body, long length & well balanced. Similar to the nose with a slight creaminess. Shows all signs of a cool climate weather Chard & could be confused with a mid level Burgundian wine. Pleasant surprise from New Zealand. Drink now, goes well with snow crab & drawn butter.

Tasted 15 July 2011.

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

Keint He Voyageur Chardonnay 2012, VQA Niagara Peninsula

A versatile chard that shows good balance between oak, fruit and minerality

Description: Bright gold in colour with a medium intense nose. This wine features medium toasted oak, lemon, pink grapefruit, honeydew melon, butterscotch and limestone. Medium body with good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: There’s heat from the 13% alcohol

Interesting Notes: Don’t over chill, as the underlying flavours such as butterscotch don’t come up when it’s too cold, and use the larger New World or Montrachet Chard glasses. In addition, I like the aged parchment label.

Drink now or in the next 2 years on its own or pair it with grilled shrimp in grapefruit BBQ sauce.

Tasted: 27 Jan 2015

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9+/10 Total: 16/20

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

D'arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2009, South Australia

Medium ruby to garnet in colour with medium to medium+ intensity.

Positives: Lots of spice going on here along with violets, plums, maple, nectarines, blackberries, dark cherries, tobacco leaves, cigar box & champagne mushrooms. Medium+ body with medium tannins, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: A touch of heat from the alcohol & some tartness on the finish.

Interesting Note: This GSM is more in line with Cotê du Rhone as I didn't detect the usual jammy notes associated to Australian wines. Use Shiraz/Syrah wine glass if you have them. Finally, from time to time LCBO has this wine on sale.

Drink now on its own or pair it with Chinese dish of beef, mushrooms & broccoli.

Tasted: 7 Mar 12

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9.5/10, Total: 18.5/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Robert Young Chardonnay 2006, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

Yellow gold with a medium nose. Medium oak & toast follows lemon candy, creme brûlée, caramel, peach, nectarine, hazelnut, peaches & cream corn, limestone, pineapple, golden & green apples, mangos & orange. The taste follows the nose with the addition of lemon meringue. The taste is dry, medium+ acidity, full body, high alcohol (there’s a lot of heat on this Chard), very long length so much that I ran a mile & still could taste it, lol. The wine is balanced & very smooth even with the heat from the alcohol. This would be a perfect Chard for me if the alcohol wasn’t as noticeable on the taste. Drink on it’s own or with steamed lobster on the beach with drawn butter. Only one word describes this Chard & that’s yummy. Don’t chill it to much or you’ll loose the wines complexity. What’s great about this Chard from LCBO is that I got it for 30% off ($32.95). Drink now or it can cellar for another 1-2 years.

Tasted 26 Aug 11.

Top Pick.

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 8/10 (reg price) or 9.5/10 (sale price), Score: 17.5/20 or 19/20 sale.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5