todd10

Tornatore Etna Rosso Trimarchisa 2016, D.O.C. Etna

This wine had an interesting nose. I was getting aromas of soya sauce and black tea leaves. I enjoy when wine have unusual character like this one.
This wines balance was good and pretty good length too with taste of cherries.
I like the back ground story of these grapes only growing on the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.
Tasted August 2022

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.

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

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

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.

Two Sisters Eleventh Post 2016, VQA Niagara River

Aromas of oak and dark fruit. Very balanced. Nice tannins but not over whelming. Delicious flavors of dark fruit with a hint of oak makes me want to want to have another glass, after that glass...maybe just another glass.

Tasted September 2020

Re-tasted March 2021. I was expecting at least the same or better results than 6 months ago. However, it seemed to take a step backwards. Same flavor and aroma profiles but these profiles were not as strong as 6 months ago. I would give this a 91 now.

Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay Unfiltered 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench

To me, this wine had a dominant aroma of candle wax, followed by butter and a very slight hint of lemon in the back ground.
This wine had flavours of tree fruit such as apples.
This was a complexed wine and I feel the aromas and flavours that I stated are not giving this wine justice. I had this wine last night and I am still thinking how wonderful it was.
Tasted June 2022

13th Street Chardonnay L. Viscek Vineyard 2018, Creek Shores

Flint and tropical fruit on the nose but nothing realy stuck out. A smooth wine with light acidity and a nice lenght on the finish.
It is possible that I had this wine a little too cool because it seemed muted me. I tried letting it sit to warm up but still no other aromas popped for me.
Tasted December 2020

L'ecole No. 41 Semillon 2017, Columbia Valley, Washington

On the nose I was getting beeswax with a hint of chamomile tea. This wine was a nice dry wine with a long tasty finish. Not that I ever tasted citronella, but I image that was the taste that I was getting. A waxy lemon flavor. At first I was giving this wine a 91, but that flavor grew on me. This was my first Semillon, and I am looking forward to the next.
Tasted May 2021