todd10

Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay 2019, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment

I purchased this when I saw that it won Platinum. It was a nice wine with some complexity. I started drinking this wine at 10C. At that temperature, I was getting aromas of butter, with a hint of lemon and stone. Of course while this cooled down it lost some of its complexity, so I would suggest serving this at 10C to 13C.
Nice balanced wine. Medium finish and medium bodied.
Tasted August 2022

Tedeschi Ansari Amarone Della Valpolicella 2019, Docg, Sustainable

This wasn’t a fruit-forward wine, which I actually appreciated for a change. It showed a firm grip from the tannins, but I found the level to be just right—noticeable without being overpowering. I was surprised to learn it clocks in at 16.5% alcohol; I would have guessed closer to 14%, as there was no unusual heat on the finish. As Michael Godel noted, this wine likely needs a few more years to fully develop its secondary character. That said, after some time in the glass, I began to pick up subtle black licorice aromas, which added a nice layer of complexity.
Tasted July 2025

Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf Du Pape 2015

This wine had one of the best aromas that I have had in a long time. Beautiful scents of cherry and plum were so easy to detect that even my wife that always tells me that all she smells is "alcohol", this is the first time she could smell the cherry. Taste of fruit with a nice balance. I loved the finish. The tasty wine seemed to linger on my tongue for a while. A little heat on the finish, but I enjoy a bit of heat so I am not complaining.

Tasted May 2020

San Giorgio Ugolforte Brunello Di Montalcino 2016, D.O.C.G.

The first aromas that I got was cherry cola. It also had vanilla and espresso in the background.
Lovely dark fruit flavors. Tannin level was mouth drying, yet it was a good amount. I did not find the tannins overpowering the flavours. This went well with my salami.
Pleasant heat on the finish.
If you are not a fan of heat on the finish, I would suggest decanting, but overall, I feel this was good right out of the bottle.
Tasted September 2022

Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc Reserve 2015, VQA Niagara Escarpment

The nose was a little muted for me. I picked up some subtle hints of cherry and oak but that was about it. I was prepared to be disappointed but I was not. This wine had such a wonderful taste. A very balanced wine with tasty dark fruit. What was a nice touch was the finish. I could best describe that finish with a slight taste of leather. I enjoyed that.
Through out the evening, the wine did not open up anymore than when I first opened it so I see no need to decant.

Tasted October 2020

Nicolas Père & Fils Le Jardin Du Pape Châteauneuf Du Pape 2020, Ac Rhône

Châteauneuf-du-Pape has long been one of my go-to wines. I’ve always appreciated the earthy depth and leathery notes that made previous bottles so memorable. However, the last two I’ve tried have fallen short. I’m starting to wonder—has my palate changed, or has the wine?

This particular bottle was decent, with a well-balanced amount of tannins and some pleasant jammy flavors. But it lacked the complexity and earthy character I’ve come to expect from a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It was fine, just not inspiring.
Tasted June 2025

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Marlborough, South Island

This wine good wine, but after reading my review for the 2019 vintage, it is not as good as that one.I did get dill, and tropical fruit on the nose. The taste was fantastic with nice tropical fruit flavours and perfect acidity. I want to give this 92, but I feel 91 is more accurate. As we know, 91 is a great score, so this wine is great, it was so much closer to being even better. Perhaps serving temperature may be the key factor...not too cold.
Taste October 2022

Emiliana Coyam 2018, Los Robles Estate, Colchagua Valley

I held on to this 2018 vintage for 2 years. I was excited to taste how this must have evolved since the last reviews over two years ago. It seems that it did not get anymore complexed. The nose had dark fruit with a hint of dark chocolate. The same dark fruit and dark chocolate with the flavour.
I thought the tannin level was pretty much perfect. Also a long finish.
It did not evolve much throughout the evening, so I see no reason to decant.
Tasted December 2022

Il Poggio Taburno Sannio Coda Di Volpe 2018, Dop

This wine had some hints of stone fruit. Medium bodied. A nice acidic and dry taste. A finish that I could best describe as tasting like grape fruit.
Overall, not a bad wine for under $18.
Tasted November 2020

Zuccardi Poligonos Malbec 2016, Tupungato Alto, Mendoza

The wine is dark purple. When first opened, it had wonderful aromas of cassis, black pepper and vanilla. Very strong tannin's. It will dry your mouth very fast. At this point, I would have loved to have a steak with it. About an hour later, I found the aromas dissipated a bit but the tannin's smoothed out a bit too. Even though the aromas soften, another aroma started to emerge...dark chocolate. This wine has dark fruit flavors. I would say the sweet spot for this wine is about an hour after opening.

Tasted May 2020