todd10

Westmount Pinot Noir 2015, Willamette Valley

I was expecting much more flavour and charactor based on the reviews that I read. I was sadly disapointed. On the nose it was hard to detect much though the aromas of alcohol evaprorating from the glass. I was tasting some cherry, but not much more. Perhaps I should have let the wine decant or breath before tasting it. Tasted September 2019

Trius Syrah 2017, Niagara On The Lake

The first aromas that I got was raspberry. That excited me because I rarely get raspberry. Other aromas consist of your typical cassis and dark fruit. The raspberry that I was excited about quickly dissipated and I did not smell that again over the course of the evening.
I found the tannins soft. The finish had wonderful flavors of dark fruit dancing on my tongue.
I would have loved to give this wine a higher score, but for me none of the aromas really popped out. I really needed to concentrate to get any of that character.
No need to decant.
Tasted Oct 2020.

Provolo Campotorbian Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore 2013, Doc

G. Marquis Sauvignon Blanc The Red Line 2017, Niagara Peninsula

Nice aroma of tropical fruit. Good acidity and flavour. I was very surprised to get this complexity and quality at this price point.
Tasted September 2020

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

On the nose I was smelling cassis and raspberry. I was tasting a well balanced wine. Great dark fruit flavors and smooth tannins. At this point I had to double check the price ($19.95). I was surprised to get a wine with this flavor and this balance at this price point. I was also surprised that as I type this that the LCBO had over 4500 bottles remaining. This is too good and it seems like people are unaware of what is sitting in front of them.
One thing I will add. I see no reason to decant. Over 2 hours the wine did not improve. Overall, I am happy with this wine.
Tasted November 2019

District 7 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Monterey County, Central Coast

Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2018, Swartland

I was getting a hint of cherry on the nose. The taste was okay, perhaps the balance was off, a little on the acidic side. After about 45 minutes in the bottle, the acidity balanced out but the complexity did not improve. If you buy this wine, I suggest to decant for 30 to 45 minutes. This is a good reasonable priced wine, but if you are hoping to taste many secondary notes, do not get your hopes up.

Malivoire Estate Grown Chardonnay 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench

When I tried this, it might have been around 11C. It had tree fruit aromas such as apple and pear. It had a medium body mouth feel and was tasty but not crisp. Throughout the evening it sat in my wine chiller and must have went down to about 6 or 7C. As expected at those temperatures, the aromas were muted but the crisp taste that I prefer came out.
Not a bad wine at that price.
Tasted September 2020

Stoneleigh Pinot Noir Marlborough 2018

I was pleasantly surprised with this wine. Even though I was expecting more fruit flavor, I did enjoy this wine. I was not expecting the aromas of tobacco, oak and dried herbs but I did enjoy that for change.
The tannins were smooth and the taste had a nice earthy flavor.
Tasted October 2020

13th Street Cabernet Franc June'S Vineyard 2019, VQA Creek Shores

I have not had a red wine that has not touched oak in a long time. Although it is nice to taste the grape without any intervention of wood, I have realized that I really do enjoy (and missed) the secondary notes that oak provides. This wine had hints of cherry, stone, and black pepper. It was better as it went to room temperature. Not a bad wine, but like I mentioned before, I really missed the complexity that oak aging provides.
Tasted December 2020