Edward Rasiulis

J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay 2010, Arroyo Seco

Bright gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Tropical flavours of pineapple, mango, orange, bananas, honeydew melon & lemon with medium oak & buttered popcorn. Full body, good acidity, balanced with medium+ length & moderate alcohol.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Things: If you want a good drinking buttery Chard with moderate alcohol & under $20, you can’t beat this wine. Drink from new world Chard glass & don’t over chill it.

Drink now on its own or pair it with steak & lobster. Chris Ruth’s Steak House comes to mind.

Tasted: 5 Jan 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Turkey Flat Butcher's Block Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvèdre 2009, Barossa Valley, South Australia

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

Positives: A very nice aromatic nose featuring carnations, peppers (red, black & white), nutmeg, cinnamon, blackberry, raspberry, plums & cedar. The taste isn't as pronounced as the nose, but that's not necessary a bad thing. The tasting notes are plums, raspberry, peppers (red, black & white), eucalyptus, cardamom, arugula with dandelion greens and young artichokes on the finish. Medium to full body, good acidity, medium to low tannins & high alcohol.

Negatives: The high alcohol is quite noticeable along with a bitterness.

Drink now on its own or pair with BBQ baby ribs.

Tasted: 27 Jan 12

Score: 8+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

Domaine Marguerite Dupasquier Rully 2009, Ac

Gold in colour & a medium intense nose.

Positives: Lots of citric fruit featuring lemon, lime, pink grapefruit & a slight touch of guava. The oak is barely noticeable with just a touch of creaminess. Medium body with medium+ acidity & medium length.

Negatives: A little too citric for me.

Interesting Point: Use the smaller Chard glass as I found it to be too sour & low in fruit in the larger glass. Interesting that the French are starting to use screw caps for their wines.

Drink now on its own or pair it with seared scallops.

Tasted: 10 Sept 12, Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5+/10, Total: 17+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3

Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Maipo Valley

Description: Deep dark ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: What a delightful complex nose showing cedar, cassis, star anise, cloves, blackberry, dark chocolate, cigar box, leather & pencil shavings. The taste is just as complex with its notes coming in waves. Similar notes to the nose but a fair amount of spinach on mid palate & finish that is traditionally found in Chilean Cabs. Medium to full body with medium+ tannins & acidity, alcohol well integrated & a very long finish.

Negatives: Taste falls well below the aromas due to the dominate green notes.

Drink now by decanting an hour before service. This Cab should cellar well for another 5 years. Pair it with medium-rare steak.

Tasted: 27 Feb 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Blue Rock Baby Blue Proprietary Red 2008, Alexander Valley, Sonoma

Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: An elegant wine featuring cedar, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, green & black peppercorn, turmeric, graphite, cranberry & suede. Medium to medium+ body with medium tannins & acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives. Some heat from the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Point: Pretty bottle.

Drink now on its own or pair it with tenderloin steak.

Tasted: 22 Dec 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Bolla Valpolicella 2011, Veneto

Description: Medium ruby colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Easy drinking and nothing complicated here. This wine features raspberry, machino cherry with chocolate, vanilla and lilacs. Medium minus in body with light tannins, good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: The LCBO puts this wine on sale through out the year.

A nice wine to just relax and drink on its own or pair it cured meats. Drink now.

Tasted: 14 Feb 13

Best Buy

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

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

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2011, Barossa Valley, South Australia

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

Positives: A very nice aromatic wine showing honeysuckle, apricot, peach, pear, lemon marmalade. orange rind. Medium body with good acidity & long length.

Negatives: A little too much tartness on the finish.

Interesting Point: Yalumba consistently produces good Viogniers.

Drink now on its own. Enjoy it with pork loin stuffed with sun dried tomatoes & mozzarella cheese.

Tasted: 4 Mar 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier 2011, Colchagua Valley

Medium+ straw colour with a medium intense nose.

Positives: A pleasant drinking wine which features apricots, grapefruit, lime, apple & limestone. Medium body wine with good acidity, medium+ length & the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: A touch sour on the finish.

Interesting Point: Cono Sur is one of the top wine companies making good & inexpensive wines.

Drink now on its own or pair it with any potato dish, like potato chips, fries etc.

Tasted: 23 Mar 12

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz 2010, Southeastern Australia

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

Positives: Not your typical jammy notes that you would find in a lot of Australian Shiraz at this price. Notes of cedar, plum, nectarines, blackberry, white & black pepper, blackcurrants, tamarind, mocha & some fried bacon. Medium to medium+ in body with medium tannins, good acidity & long length.

Negatives: There’s some heat here, which tells me that the true alcohol maybe more than 13.5%.

Interesting Points: Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz is consistently good, and you can find it on sale a couple of times a year.

Drink now or in the next 2-3 years on its own or pair it with prime rib.

Tasted: 17 Mar 12

Best Buy

Score: 8.5+, Value: 9.5 (10/10 on sale), Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Kiwi Walk Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Medium straw in colour with frothy mousse & medium intensity on the nose.

Positives: You get the traditional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc notes of gooseberry, lantana, guava, lime, hay, cucumber, asparagus & chalk. Medium body with good acidity & a surprisingly long length.

Negatives: If you don't like traditional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, you wont care for this one.

Interesting Point: Comes with its own sparkling wine stopper, which is always a bonus. The LCBO just brought this into the general list.

Drink now in its own or pair it with cooked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.

Tasted: 4 July 12, Happy US Independence Day!

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

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