todd10

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

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

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

Tournon Shays Flat Vineyard Shiraz 2016, Pyrenees, Victoria

I was expecting mouth drying tannins, but I found them smooth. It was still a good amount to match with food.
As for aromas. I was getting plum and chocolate.
Throughout the evening, I did not notice this wine opening much more than at the beginning of the night so I see no reason to decant except to filter out the sediment. I poured the last glass slowly and that was enough to prevent the sediment from going into my glass.
Tasted Feb 2024.

Culmina Hypothesis 2014, Golden Mile Bench, BC VQA Okanagan Valley

The wine had aromas of tobacco leaf and raspberry. The grippy tannins went well with food, in my case , salami. I would not suggest to drink this wine without food. Over the course of the next two hours, the wine opened a little but not enough to make it worth to decant. The wine was good, but I feel could it could use 2 more years of cellering to bring out more charactor.
Tasted January 2021.

Le Parvis Châteauneuf Du Pape 2017, Ac, Rhône

I found the aromas of this wine to be over powered by the alcohol. I was getting your typical dark fruit but not much more beyond that. However, where the aroma's lacked, the taste did not. I was getting a delicious taste of dark chocolate with cherry. Nice acidity. I enjoyed the grippy tannins. A little heat on the finish was a nice touch.
This wine did not evolve throughout the evening, so I see no reason to decant.
Tasted March 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

Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay 2019, Okanagan Valley

This was a nice wine but nothing stood out for me that makes it deserve a 90+ review. It does have aromas of tree fruit with a hint of lime zest. Nice length. I once even had a nice buttery flavor on the finish. This wine was very finicky when it came to temperature. I started with 12C but it did not suit this wine. I say around 8 or 9C was the sweet spot. When it got cooler than that, it closed up as expected.
Tasted April2022

Montalto Pennon Hill Chardonnay 2018, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Bravo! This was a great wine. Great complexity. Nutty nose with tropical fruit such as lychee. Also got some melon and apple. A little smokiness to it.
Nicely balanced. Good finish. I was very happy
Tasted November 2020

Creekside Iconoclast Syrah 2017, St. David's Bench, Niagara On The Lake

This was a nice wine. However, I did not find any secondary or tertiary notes that really stood out, so that is why I gave this an 87. With that said, this wine did have notes of black fruit. It also has nice grippy tannins with some acidity. The finish is tasty as well, with some dark fruit flavors that linger.
This wine did not evolve throughout the evening, so I see no reason to decant.
Tasted February 2022.