Edward Rasiulis

Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay 2010, Napa Valley

Light gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: Good balance between creamy & minerality. The wine features light toasted oak with lemon, pineapple, green & yellow apple, vanilla & limestone. Medium to full bodily with good acidity, long length & the alcohol is well integrated.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Point: This will appease a good cross section of Chard drinkers.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with scallops in angel hair.

Tasted: 27 June 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Mas Des Restanques Vacqueyras 2009, Ac, Vendanges Manuelles

Description: Medium ruby in colour with medium intensity in the nose.

Positives: Lots of cherry, crabapple, raspberry, some earthiness & spruce. This wine is easy going with medium tannins & acidity making this a food friendly wine, such as pairing with rack of lamb or to drink on its own.

Negatives: As with its sister wine (Gigondas, reviewed by me), it has a high alcohol level and feel to it. Similarly, I found this wine a little watery. Not as earthy as other Vacqueryas'. Same thought as the modernist label as the Gigondas.

Interesting Notes: I compared the two wines & found this one far better & less expensive. I recommend this one. It just falls outside my Best Buy by $2.95.

Tasted: 27 Sept 11.

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Storybook Mountain Mayacamas Range Napa Estate Zinfandel 2009, Napa Valley

Light ruby in colour with a medium+ intense nose.

Positives: What a beautiful nose. This is an elegant Zin featuring blackberries, figs, raisins, raspberries, red currants, plums, fennel seeds, lead pencil & cracked black pepper. Medium body with low tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: Lots of heat coming from the 14.9% alcohol.

Interesting Point: Don't expect your typical jammy Zin. This is smooth & elegant, like a well aged Scotch. This winery does not use herbicides or insecticides on their grapes.

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

Tasted: 13 July 12

Top Pick

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

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

Gloria Ferrer Blanc De Blancs 2005, Carneros, California, Méthode Champenoise

Medium+ straw colour with fine mousse and a medium+ intensity on the nose.

Positives: Absolutely delightful. Notes of yeast, brioche, light toast, granny apples, lemon, orange & limestone.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Point: This bubbly taste closer to $100 Champagne.

Drink now on its own or pair it with caviar.

Tasted: 25 Mar 12

Top Pick & Best Buy

Score: 9.5/10, 10/10, 19.5/20 (one of my highest rated wines)

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 5

Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault Les Clous 2010

Medium straw with medium to medium+ intensity.

A somewhat complex Chard that presents several different layers of taste. The first layer is citric, followed by buttery light toast and finishes with a mineral note.

Drink now or over the next 3 years, on its own or pair it with red snapper ceviche.

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 7/10, Total: 16.5/20

Out of 5 stars I rate this 3+

Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Coonawarra, South Australia

Description: Deep ruby with a garnet tinge and medium+ intense nose.

Positives: A solid Cab showing cedar, blackberry, eucalyptus, olives, blackcurrant, coffee, spinach, graphite, leather, turmeric, green tea and tamarind. Full body with green tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: Slightly on the green side and too astringent for me. Needs time to mature.

Drink now, but pair it with a protein dish. Better to age this for another 5-7 years.

Tasted: 27 Jan 13

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 117+/20

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

Pirramimma Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Mclaren Vale

I don't recall ever having a Pirramimma that I didn't like, and this one keeps the streak alive.

Dark almost opaque ruby in colour intensity with high intense nose. The nose shows a lot Zin characteristics such as raisin, prunes, dates, figs, mocha, cherry tobacco pipe smoke, cedar, vanilla, blackcurrants, white pepper, violets & eucalyptus. The taste is as complex as the nose. The taste is more skewed to what a Cab is. It's dry, medium+ tannins & acidity, full body & powerful with long length, high alcohol but balanced. Notes show cedar, raisins, plum, dark cherry, blackcurrants, dates, mocha, turmeric, leather, vanilla, black & white pepper, eucalyptus & some pencil shavings. This is a smooth wine with a velvet touch on your tongue. Love this wine. There are only 2 negatives. 1) Even though I love the nose, I want my Cab to smell like a Cab, and 2) The high alcohol. Drink now on it's own or with grilled steak. Tasted 24 Aug 11. Best Buy & Top Pick. Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 9.5/10

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Château La Fleur D'arthus 2008, Ac St émilion

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

A fine St. Emillion featuring wet cedar, blackberries, red & black currants, licorice, graphite, spinach, radicchio, all-spice & red peppers. Medium body with high tannins & acidity with a long length.

Negatives: A little astringent now.

You will be rewarded with another 4-6 years for the wine to mature.

Tasted: 2 Sept 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4

Ross Shiraz 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia

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

Positives: A powerful but not jammy Shiraz from Australia featuring cedar, peppers (white, red & black), bacon, plums, mesquite, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, tar, dark cherry & expresso. Full body with medium tannins, good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: Quite a bit of heat coming from the alcohol although it's only listed as 14%.

Interested Point: I purchased this wine at a LCBO store for $21.70, which makes it a best buy at that price).

Drink now on its own or pair it with braised lamb shank.

Tasted: 25 Apr 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

Baron De Ley Gran Reserva 2001, Doca Rioja

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

Positives: What a devine nose. I just want to get an oxygen mask & substitute the oxygen for the aromas of this wine. Notes of cedar, sandalwood, cigar box, cherry, cloves, cinnamon & suede. The taste ain't bad either featuring cedar, dark & sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, cassis, cloves, leather, arugula & spinach. Medium to medium+ body, medium+ tannins, good acidity, long length & a touch of heat from the alcohol.

Negatives: Surprisingly astringent for a 2001 Grand Reserva. Decant for at least an hour & during that time just inhale the aromas. The taste catches up to the nose.

Drink now or over the next 2 years & pair it with rack of lamb.

Tasted: 19 Mar 12

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5