David Brodati, DipWSET
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Reviews (619)
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Reviews
Charles Baker Riesling Ivan Vineyard 2015, Niagara Escarpment
Ontario, Canada$22.25
Here's a really nice Niagara Riesling from the Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation. Generous aromatic intensity followed by good purity of fruit on the palate, with apple, peach and citrus fruits leading the way. Minerality lurks and is woven into the fruit profile, while acidity and RS play at yin/yang. Excellent length seals the deal. April 2017.
4.0 Stars
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Muga Reserva 2012
Rioja, Spain$26.95
Muga's 2012 Reserva achieves a nice balance between traditional and modern Rioja. Mostly Tempranillo, with Garnacha warmth and fruit, Graciano acidity, and Mazuela in support. A lifted nose with aromas and flavours of florals, red and dark fruit, dill, balsamic, vanillin and a touch of VA. Good depth, balance, resolved tannin and excellent length. As a Vintages Essential the Reserva often goes on sale and represents great value. Jan. 2018.
4.0 Stars
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Domaine Chatelain Les Vignes De Saint Laurent L'abbaye Pouilly Fumé 2015, Ac
Loire, France$11.05
At it's full $25 price tag this excellent Pouilly Fume was good value. It recently went on sale making it a bargain. Now delisted to 60% of its original price, it's an absolute steal! From the warm 2015 vintage, there's ripe and tart predominantly citrus fruit (lemon, blood orange, lime) with the slightest hint of banana, stony minerality and typical SB herbaceous character. It's medium bodied with vibrant acidity, a creamy mouthfeel, a touch warm and bitter on the late palate, and very good to excellent length. Multi-bottle purchase if you can find any left. Drink now to 2020. March 2018.
4.0 Stars
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Closson Chase Vineyard Chardonnay 2014, VQA Prince Edward County
Ontario, Canada$29.95
This Chard needs time in the glass to open and for a strong reductive sluphur, onion aroma to dissipate. With time a really nice PEC Chard emerges. Notes of apple, pear, citrus, white flower, ginger, honey and minerality emerge. Vibrant acidity and medium bodied creaminess provide structure to the unfolding complexity of aromas. Excellent length seals the deal for a 90 rating. This will get better in the bottle, so if you have a few be patient and save some for three years down the road. Dec. 2016.
4.0 Stars
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Norman Hardie Niagara Chardonnay 2014, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$39.20
Consistently good Chardonnay from Norm Hardie, sourced from Niagara fruit. There's that expected flinty, reductive style of Norm's but with Niagara fruit, he gets a bit more alcohol, even from a difficult year like 14. Lovely apple, pear, citrus, smokey nose with a beautiful mouthfeel that is creamy with vibrant acidity and excellent length. Nov. 2016
4.0 Stars
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Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2011
Veneto, Italy$45.00
Always a good value Amarone from Masi, the general listings Costasera delivers again with the 2011 vintage. It's still quite young though for an Amarone, but there's the rich, deep, concentrated smoothness one expects. Fig, prunes, smoke and tobacco. I picked up a funky element that seemed to hover between adding complexity and being a bit of a distraction. This may integrate with time in the bottle, something that this Costasera still needs. Should go on sale in December so keep an eye out. Tasted Nov. 2016.
4.0 Stars
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Socré Barbaresco 2011, Docg
Piedmont, Italy$24.25
Socre's Barbarescos are quite lovely and this is no exception. Expressive perfumed aromas of red fruit, florals, a hint of tar. Barbarescos tend to be that much more approachable early in life compared to their more masculine Nebbiolo cousin - Barolo, and this one is drinkable now despite its relative youth. Tannin is still high, but decanting helps. Medium plus acidity, nicely balanced and excellent length. April 2016.
4.0 Stars
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L'expression De Margaux 2010, Ac Margaux
Bordeaux, France$33.95
A nice expression of Margaux, but mainly through the aromatics, which offer up blackberry, dark cherry, cassis, violets and mild oak influences. Less expressive on the palate. It's balanced, fairly long with softening tannins. In a nice drinking phase now but it lacks depth and concentration. I matched it side by side with Hidden Bench's '10 Terroir Cache in a 'Judgement of Ontario' and the Terroir Cache was the better of the two. The '12 Margaux was released in February and at a $5 jump in price, not sure it's worth picking up, particularly as '10 was the better vintage. April 2017
4.0 Stars
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Rosehall Run Jcr Pinot Noir 2014, Prince Edward County
Ontario, Canada$39.00
A premium County Pinot with tart cherry, cranberry and pomegranate, spice and a saline almost chalky minerality. Medium bodied, nicely balanced, mild tannin, vibrant acidity and excellent length. Very PEC. Sept. 2017.
4.0 Stars
Southbrook Vineyards Small Lots Orange Wine 2015
Ontario, Canada$29.95
Full disclosure: I work part time at Southbrook so I usually don't post reviews of their wines. But I had to make an exception with the 15 Orange. A true wine geek's wine. The 15 is superb, better than the 14 in my view. Natural yeast, whole cluster and stems, foot tread, some malo, sulphite free, more infusion than extraction. Ann Sperling sees this expression of Vidal as it's truest form in Niagara and I agree. Fresh apricot and stone fruits, vibrant acidity, complex, long. Super foodie wine or sipper. A decent price point for the adventurous, geeky or natural wine enthusiast. March 2016.
4.0 Stars