Edward Rasiulis

Scott Family Estate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2011, Arroyo Seco, Monterey

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

Positives: A pleasant wine featuring lightly toasted oak, green apple, lemon meringue and butterscotch on the finish. Medium+ body, with good acidity and medium length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with rotisserie chicken.

Tasted: 8 Jan 13

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

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

Coyote's Run Black Paw Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2010, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula

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

I wish the taste was as good as its aromas/bouquet

Positives: This wine features pine, strawberry, cranberry, pomegranate, wood smoke, green peppers, twigs, leather & cocoa. Medium body with medium+ tannins good acidity & a fairly long length.

Negatives: A little too tart

Interesting Point: The LCBO that I bought this wine discounted on the clearance 30%, so I only paid $14.25

Drink now or in the next 3 years on its own or pair it with meat lasagna.

Tasted: 26 February 2014

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8/10 (Clearance price 8.5, and at what I paid 8.5+/10) Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Napa Valley

Medium+ ruby with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

Positives: What a nice surprise to have a Napa Valley Cab for under $20 that doesn’t taste like blueberry jam on toast. This wine features cedar, raspberry, plum, ribena, blueberry, mocha, cherry and a touch of leather. Medium+ body, tannins, acidity and length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Very similar to Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Chile ($18.5 & a best buy from my earlier review), but not as strong in the ribena and blueberry notes.

Tasted: 9 Jan 13

Best Buy

Drink now or over the next 3 years, on its own or pair it with tenderloin steak.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Beronia Reserva 2008, Doca Rioja

Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

This is not a gentle wine as the wood & fruits explode in your mouth, and I like it.

Positives: Full flavour wine featuring lots of cedar, vanilla, sandalwood, cherry pipe tobacco, dark cherry, chocolate, mocha, bramble fruit, cloves and licorice. Full body with medium+ to high tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Touch high on the heat due to the 14.5% alcohol.

Interesting Point: Decant for 30 min to ease the tannins.

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

Tasted: 20 Aug 2013

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Stoney Ridge Estate Winery Excellence Chardonnay 2010, Niagara Peninsula

Gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

This wine teeters on the 90 point scale, but ends up at 89

Positives: The nose is better than the taste. This Chard features medium to medium+ toasted oak, buttered popcorn, pineapple, dill, lemon, baked apple crumble pie and caramel. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Slight heat from the 13.8% alcohol.

Interesting Point: Although this has a lot of oak, I preferred drinking it from the cooler climate smaller Chard glass.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with snow crab with drawn butter.

Tasted: 15 Sept 2013

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5/10 (Clearance price: 8.5+/10) Total: 17+/20

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

Delaforce Quinta Da Corte Vintage Port 1995, Doc Douro

Good value for vintage Port that is almost 20yrs old

Description: Dark amber to garnet in colour with an intense nose. This wine features a beautiful nose full of dates, figs, barley sugar, coffee beans and peat moss. Unfortunately, the taste falls well short predominantly figs, prunes and barley sugar. Full body with good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: The heat from the 20.5% alcohol overwhelms the taste.

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with dark chocolate.

Tasted: 6 Aug 2014

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

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

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2011, Sonoma County

Light gold in colour with medium to medium+ intense nose.

I like this Chard, but the list price should be the sale price.

Positives: Light oak with lemon rind, pineapple, apricot yogurt, baked apples and limestone. Medium body with good acidity and a surprisingly long length considering this is an entry level Chard.

Negatives: A little sour on the finish.

Drink now on its own or pair it with lemon, pepper grilled catfish.

Tasted: 29 Mar 13

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5

Peter Lehmann Portrait Shiraz 2010, Barossa Valley

Blood venous in colour (vampires will love the colour, but it's not blood yo!) with medium+ smoked mesquite on the nose.

This is a throw back to what started the "Oz" Shiraz craze many moons ago before they went overboard and decided to overplant & make their Shiraz’s into sweet pepper bramble jam.

Positives: Very smooth drinking and lots of flavor going on here with mild cedar, plums, roasted red peppers, white peppers, tar, dark cherry, bramble, chocolate, mocha, cinnamon & cloves. Full body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity, a long length and the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None

Drink now on or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with beef brisket or Cheetos.

Tasted: 17 May 13

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Thanks Carol Ann, from WineAlign, for the opportunity to taste this.

Eos Estate Petite Sirah 2009, Paso Robles

Medium+ ruby in colour with a medium+ nose.

Lots of juicy fruit with a balance of wood.

Positives: An expressive wine featuring cedar, plum, mocha, blackberry, dark cherry, peach, wood smoke and a touch leathery on the finish. Medium+ body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and an average length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with grilled rib eye steak.

Tasted: 29 May 13

Best Buy

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Tawse Sketches Of Niagara Rosé 2012, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Salmon in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose.

There are some elements of this wine that I like and others that I don't care for.

Positives: This wine features rhubarb, cranberry, strawberry and plum. Medium body with good acidity & a fairly long length.

Negatives: Some sulphur dioxide

Drink now on its own or pair it with sweet potato Burritos.

Tasted: 3 May 2014

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5