Edward Rasiulis

Beronia Elaboración Especial Tempranillo 2009, Doca Rioja

Nice ruby colour with a medium intensity on the nose. Nose and taste show licorice, mocha, roasted peppers and cigar box. Some herbal notes on the end finish. The one big negative is it's unusual high alcohol for this wine, which normally is around 12%. This one is at 14% and you can feel the heat on the taste.

Tasted: 5 Sept 11

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

Out of 5 Stars I rated this 4

Moncigale Minéral Rosé Bandol 2010, Ac

Salmon colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: This rosé features Strawberry, lime, Spy apple, turn tamarind & limestone. Medium body with good acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: A touch sour on the finish.

Interesting Point: I'm a proponent of rosé drinking year round, but a must for nice Spring & summer days.
Drink now on its own or pair it with rotisserie chicken.

Tasted: 10 May 12

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

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

The Winemakers' Collection Cuvée No. 3 2007, Cuvée No. 3: Andrea Franchetti

A cloudy medium+ garnet to ruby in colour with a medium minus intense nose.

An easy drinking Bordeaux wine that is worth the clearance price.

Positives: This wine is more in the tertiary phase presenting soft oak, mushroom, sage, turmeric, thyme, fennel, leather, graphite, arugula with some blackberry, plum and dark cherry. Medium body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Chateau D’Arsac has an interesting concept by having a wine maker throughout the world carve out his/her knish by using their technique from start to finish, but the only constant is that it comes from the terroir of Chateau D’Arsac. This is Cuvée 3 comes from the Italian winemaker Andrea Franchetti, whose picture is on the label. On a blind I would have guessed it to be a Tuscan IGT wine.

Drink now on its own or pair it with Beef Wellington.

Tasted: 4 May 13

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

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

Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Maipo Valley

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

Positives: I concur with the LCBO notes but in addition there's cedar, coffee beans, mint, cassis, anise, pencil savings, leather, turmeric & sage. The taste is surprisingly smooth considering that this wine has medium+ tannins & acidity. The wine is also full body with a long length, and the alcohol is well managed.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Thing: The notes are more old world style than the new world fruit forward style.

Drink now or cellar for another 5 years. Drink on it's own or with a grilled T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 15 Nov 11

Best Buy & Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Prevedello Asolo Superiore Extra Dry Prosecco 2010, Docg, Veneto, Italy

Medium straw in colour with good mousse & medium intensity.

Positives: Notes of peach, wild flowers, honeydew melon, baked apples, lemon rind, tangerine & yeast taste on the finish. Overall one of the more complex Proseccos I've tasted. Medium to medium+ body, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: Some might not like the yeastiness on the finish.

Interesting Thing: I wouldn't use this Prosecco to make Bellinis due to the complexity of the wine. It would be a waste of this fine sparkling.

Drink now on its own or pair it with calamari.

Tasted: 28 Jan 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Terrazas De Los Andes Reserva Torrontés 2010, Salta

Medium straw colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: Lemon, fennel, white peach, fresh carnations on the nose, white pepper & a slight bitter grapefruit tang on the finish.Medium minus body with good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: A little too bitter on the finish.

Drink now on its own or pair it with lake trout.

Tasted: 6 July 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Goats Do Roam Red 2010, Western Cape

Medium+ ruby to purple with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: The nose shows carnations, plums, blackberries, pomegranate, star anise, sandalwood, eucalyptus & cherry pie. The taste is rich showing similar notes as the nose with plums being dominant. Medium to medium+ body, low tannins, medium acidity & medium+ length.

Negatives: High alcohol that you can detect on the nose & taste.

Interesting Thing: The name is a take off Côte du Rhône and its style. Consistent year to year. Periodically the LCBO puts this wine on sale for $1 off.

Drink now on its own or pair it with lamb chops.

Tasted: 1 Jan 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Trivento Amado Sur Malbec/Bonarda/Syrah 2009, Mendoza

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

Positives: Bramble fruit, cedar, blueberry, oregano & all spice on the nose. Taste shows blueberry, dark cherry, blackberry, plums, oregano, all spice & radish with spinach in the finish. Medium+ body, medium+ tannins, medium+ acidity & a very long length.

Negatives: A little too austere & green on the finish.

Interesting Thing: Thank you POA staff at Brantford (Mena, Sue, Roger & Jay; who picked the wine out, for providing me the wine.

Drink now or cellar for another 2-3 years. Pair it with protein foods like steak to smooth out the tannins & herbaceous notes.

Tasted: 6 Jan 12

Score: 8.5+, Value: 8.5+, Total: 18/20.

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2009, Mendoza

Deep ruby with a purple fringe, and a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positives: The Kaiken Ultra Malbec has been one of my favourite Malbecs year to year. This wine features oak, chocolate, espresso, plums, mulberry, blueberry and dark cherry. Full body with medium tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: 15% Alcohol

Interesting Point: The 2009 is on sale now for $16.

Drink now or over the next 2 years on its own or pair it with rack of lamb.

Tasted: 19 Jan 13

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne 2010

Light to medium+ gold in colour with medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Lemon/lime, grapefruit, limestone, light oak & pear. Medium bodily, high acidity & medium length.

Negatives: A lot of tartness & taste is muted.

Interested Things: Chill it to ice wine temperature to dull the tartness.

Cellar it for 2 years to see if the acidity comes down. Pair it with lemon pepper cat fish.

Tasted: 3 Jan 12

Score: 8/10, Value: 7.5/10, Total: 15.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 2.5