David Brodati, DipWSET
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Reviews (618)
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Reviews
Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz 2007, Barossa Valley, South Australia
South Australia, Australia$39.95
Beautiful, bountiful, bold Barossa big boy. Full, rich, dense yet with a refined flow to its gait, rather than an agressive swagger. A wonderfully complex and enticing nose. Flavours of concentrated fruit, eucalyptus, judiciously integrated oak influences. Tannins are manageable and there's balanced acidity and excellent to outstanding length. It's an amped but stylish Shiraz that is drinking well now but also has the stuffing to last another 7-10 years. Dec. 2014.
4.5 Stars
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Brezza Cannubi Barolo 2012, Docg
Piedmont, Italy$73.00
A lovely elegant Barolo from the famed Cannubi vineyard northeast of the village. Showing its age both in colour (garnet brick) and aromas/flavour with dried rose petal, hay, prune and fig. Additional complexity with marzipan, sour cherry, tea, liquorice, cinnamon and a tarry molasses/burnt sugar note. Contemplative indeed. Juxtapositional: it's dry but has an almost sweet essence with the marzipan, burnt sugar; still tannic but smooth mouthfeel; light in colour but wonderfully intense. The length is excellent. Enjoy now. March 2025
4.5 Stars
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Alvear Pedro Ximenez De Añada 2014, Dop Montilla Moriles (375ml)
Spain$24.95
Very rich and viscous with a pleasing and complex array of flavours including prune, raisin, honey, orange rind, tea, pear compote and marzipan. Quite luscious but there is hidden acidity that lurks and holds things to this side of cloying. Usually I like a sweet PX with salty snacks but this one is a bit more sophisticated, so pair with blue veined cheeses or Christmas cake. Oct. 2017.
4.5 Stars
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Réva Barolo 2012, Docg
Piedmont, Italy$59.95
A gorgeously perfumed nose on this almost 10 year old Barolo with classic notions of rose, tar, tea and red fruit. There's a lovely interplay of savoury and fruit on the palate with tertiary notes of olive and balsamic starring. Tannins are still strutting their stuff indicating a few years of prime drinking still to go, but they're polymerizing gracefully. The length is excellent. Dec. 2021.
4.5 Stars
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Klipfel Clos Zisser Kirchberg De Barr Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2010, Ac Alsace Grand Cru
Alsace, France$28.75
Beautiful, complex aged Grand Cru. Classic Gewurz notes of lychee, ginger, rosewater, peach, apricot, honey, spice and florality. Still drinking quite nicely despite 9 years of ageing. Off-dry with medium plus body (13.6% abv), a slightly viscous mouthfeel and medium minus acidity. Excellent length. The few remaining bottles at the LCBO have been discounted making this a steal if you can find it. Enjoyed it with a chicken curry. March 2019.
4.5 Stars
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Hidden Bench Fume Blanc Rosomel Vineyard 2016, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$29.95
All the inputs are there: excellent vintage, organic viticulture, single vineyard, hand harvested. Then the wine making style gives direction, with indigenous yeast and judicious use of oak in combo with stainless steel. A Fume style that is restrained on the oak with attention to texture. Sauv. Blanc typicity shows, but complexity from oak and a creamy rounder mouthfeel take centre stage. Yet balance and structure is achieved with supporting acidity and 13% abv. Very well done. Sept. 2018.
4.5 Stars
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Picard Le Charmois Saint Aubin 1er Cru 2014, Ac
Burgundy, France$43.75
A very fine white Bourgogne, with apple, citrus, minerality, earthy with nicely integrated oak flavours. Good acidity keeps it fresh and the length is excellent. Feb. 2019.
4.5 Stars
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Mullineux Old Vines White 2016, Unfiltered & Unfined, Wo Swartland
Swartland, South Africa$37.95
Chenin led blend includes Rhone white varieties. Very complex aromas and flavours. Wide spectrum of citrus with lemon, lime and tangerine, some tropical notes of pineapple and banana, and of course apple. Spicy white pepper and minerality. Chenin brings it with elevated acidity, but there's also a creamy mouthfeel (lees stirring?). Excellent length. This will cellar for 10 more years easily. May 2019.
4.5 Stars
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Foxen John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
California, Usa$45.75
Fairly intense aromas and flavours of cherry and raspberry, with baking spice, an herbal note and earthiness. It shows integrated oak, smooth ripe tannins and a vibrant tartness to balance the ripe forward fruit. Quintessential Cali Pinot. Scores on length, balance, intensity and typicity. Oct. 2020.
4.5 Stars
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Ramsay Petite Sirah 2015, North Coast
California, Usa$24.25
Beautiful Petite Sirah. Very Californian. Modern style, concentrated ripe dark fruit of blackberry, blueberry, brambly and concentrated. The fruit is starting to move to a prune-like stage. Violet florals too. Smokey, nicely integrated oak and some minerality peaks in like a hint of the scent of gravel after a rain shower. Decent acidity and plush tannin provide some structure holding it up and keeping the wine from being flabby. Excellent to outstanding length. Drinking nicely now, don't hold for too long. May 2020.
4.5 Stars
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