Mike de Maria

D'angelo Aglianico Del Vulture 2009, Doc Basilicata

This is definitely a "food" wine. It doesn't do well as just a sipper. It also got better as the night went on, so I'd recommend decanting and letting it breathe for an hour before serving. Aromas and tastes mainly of plum and cherry, with some earthy/meaty notes as well. Don't let the "lightly raisined" descriptions fool you. It may have the flavours of raisins/dried fruit, but it's not thick and powerful like an Amarone. It's more on the elegant/rustic side. Medium bodied with palate cleansing acidity that makes it a lot better with food. For $17, this is not bad, but not great.

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria

Another nice, fresh, medium bodied Victorian wine from Australia. It has a fragrant nose of blackberry, cassis, violets with a touch of nail polish. Bright acidity, a nice plush texture, with some fine grained tannins provide balance. Relatively high in alcohol at 14.5%, but not that noticeable. A nice wine all around.

Donnachiara Irpinia Aglianico 2008, Doc

This is certainly on the savoury side of things. I didn't find the nose to be 'flagrantly' aromatic relative to other wines, but not having tasted many Aglianicos, perhaps this qualifies as flagrant for the varietal. Quite closed at first, it took a while to open up (a good hour). Leathery and floral notes dominate, dark fruits, meat and a hint of juniper on the nose. It tastes fruitier than the nose, with black fruits (currants) dominating with fennel, leather, and meaty tastes adding complexity. The finish gives you some oak complexities with some caramel on the end.

Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Valle De Colchagua

Dark plums, blueberries, with some of that herbaceous note typical of Carmenere (I like the tomato leaf idea previously mentioned). Very rich and dense on the palate. Just enough tannin to give some structure, and low acidity. The finish is substantial with dark fruits and a hint of pencil lead at the end. Solid fruit forward wine, very enjoyable.

The wine shows much better with a slight chill (around 16 degrees). Over 20 degrees and the fruit is masked by overtly savoury and bitter notes, so keep that in mind.

Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz/Viognier 2011, Victoria

I thought this was excellent. Could easily be mistaken for a Pinot Noir. It is quite complex with cherry, rhubarb, plum, and savoury/pencil shaving like notes. Medium bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, fresh and balanced acidity, and the 13% alcohol is a nice change. A highly drinkable wine.

Angels Gate Riesling 2010, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula

This is a nice, fresh, zippy riesling here. Lots of lemon/lime with stoney minerality, and a hint of petrol. Vibrant, fresh, grippy acids. Really incredible value here for $14.

Castello D'albola Riserva Chianti Classico 2008, Docg

Nice food friendly Chianti here, but at the price just a tad over-valued. Lots of savoury notes like dried herbs and pencil shavings, mixed with red fruits. Vibrant acidity and firm tannins beg for food. Solid food wine if just a tad over-priced.

Réserve Des Vignerons Saumur Champigny 2010, Ac

Peppery with mild red fruits and herbs, fairly complex, refreshing acidity, but far too 'green'. Tannins are a little aggressive, and this doesn't seem to have enough fruit to wait for the tannins to soften.

13th Street Merlot 2012, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula

The first Ontario red I've tasted from the much heralded 2012 vintage, and if we can produce this level of quality at the $18 price range, we are in for a real treat at the upper end.

Very fragrant and open nose with ripe black fruits (blackberries, black currants), herbs, and I like the 'wet clay' description. The alcohol is a little pronounced at first, but after 30 minutes or so it integrates well with the fruit.

I'm impressed by the level of depth, concentration, structure, balance, and overall deliciousness for a sub $20 Ontario red. Can't wait to try more.

Clos Du Val Zinfandel 2011, Napa Valley

This is more my style of Zin. Not jammy, over-extracted, and confected, but elegant, sour edged, and fresh. This lacks a little complexity to push it into the 90s, but I'll take this over the jam and oak examples that abound.