Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation

[Belgian]

Perle by Roseline Rouge Cab Sauv / Syrah

A French red from Provénce, a Cab Sauv blend that this time is more soft and feminine in style with immediate fruit roundness that almost catches me off guard. Fortunately it has some good depth of black cassis-berry fruit, hints cherry and some warm earthy sandalwood-licorice spice from the added Syrah.

Nothing about this wine is strident or stern. It's giving yet polite. A bit of perfumey florals play over the overall richness. Aromas also carry some red cherry, and herbaceous florals like lavender, and 'garrigue' of sage and thyme, a necessary Provençal feature. Enough tannin and acid to just hold the sweetness together, however I'd want a dryer style red if I were having a steak.

Good value and quality here if you dig the rich-not-dry yet balanced style, refrigerate <> 20 minutes.

[Belgian]

Les Amouriers Signature Vacqueyras 2012
Another good bottle. Grabbed four more at Weston and 401 today. Left one there for the unsuspecting wine traveler.

In fact, this was a 26.95 wine marked down to 21.25. So I still have half a case (saving close to $46 on the last eight) and this good-value Vacqueyras should age well for a few years if it lasts that long.

Having a 2012 Amouriers Signature now - still aging marvelously with the smoothness and power I would expect. Black cherries and licorice, spice box.

The 2015 is avail now for 28.95, two bucks more. And it's not quite as well-rated as the 2014, which you would think we Ontario consumer-plebes would get two years after the 2012. But the '15 is still decently-rated, even if you might want to keep it in the cellar a year or two longer to improve it.

[Belgian]

Domaine Karydas Xinomavro 2012

This is fantastic. Xino Red from Greece/Macedonia is slowly being discovered as a fairly serious wine for its price category and compared to some Barolo or Barbareso-style Piedmont wines. The time to take advantage is now. Here is a solid 2012, a vintage that is becoming approachable more quickly than the bigger and tougher 2011.
Aroma seems to offer dried grapes, dried black olives, Mediterranean herbs and kelply ocean notes. Taste has solid red berry fruits and good tannic dryness plus that salty kelp and a bit of rich sundried tomato, plus the meaty and sanguine notes so typical of Italian Nebbiolo. Alcohol is well-integrated, maintaining a pleasant vibrancy and freshness along with the wine's sleek but evident power.

The LCBO knocked five or six bucks off the original price, very decent Quality-Price Ratio. Explore!

Having the last bottle Karydas Xinomavro 2012 now, and missing it already. Beautiful.

Sometimes if you know a very tannic & strong red wine is quite good, and on sale, you should just make room in your cellar to scoop up any extras you can find.

But - and I stress this - there is always more good wine being made, so you never want to tie yourself down too much. There's a balance.

I will definitely buy more Greek/Macedonian Xinomavro-grape reds when some good ones roll along.

[Belgian]

Hob Nob 2015 Pinot Noir Pays D'Oc

A nice everyday Pinot Noir from the Pays D'Oc in France. Good value on sale for 11 bucks. Ripe and berry-like in presentation, it is cohesive enough despite being easy going. Black cherry and light beetroot. I will be stewing some beef in half of this but it's a very good weeknight wine.

The Beronia Rioja 2015 is also on sale two dollars off, so I grabbed one of those too. Looks like a nice deal in General List.

[Belgian]

Beronia Rioja 2015 Tempranillo

This is very likable and worth a try! Very complete palate and tantalizing woody spice and dark berry of Tempranillo grape. I can't say there's lately been a much better $11.95 value on sale. Has some substance but still very agreeable in hot weather. General list / Spain.

[Belgian]

Frei Brothers Reserve Zinfandel 2015 Zinfandel/Petite Sirah

In my dogged pursuit to try new wines here is something I'd rarely buy, a Red Zin from California on clearout price at Barrack Street, Kgtn store. Honestly for my liking this is fruity (Cherry-berry) jammy sweet and spicy, overall too simplistically sweet. Needs time to cool down a bit and to open up in the glass.

Nose does have some nice tartness and acidity, body is full enough. Flavor has some lightly acidic replays over the tartness. Earthy herbs show. It's certainly not bad.

[Belgian]

Telteca Roble 2016 Bonarda

Bonarda is a grape that makes a fine medium-body red such as this one from Argentina - has some good style and grace for $12.95 (on sale right now, $2.00 off.)

Gentle aromas fruit and herb, fleeting vanilla. Taste dark berry fruit, incredible dark florals and in the background some mysterious rooty and spice elements. Hints of tarry petrol, beetroot are sophisticated bonuses.

This has ample dimension for a wine in its class. The fellow at Barrack Street said it was 'like a stronger Beaujolais' and this seems right - it doesn't have that slightly arrogant 'push' of a Cabernet or Malbec based 'steak' wine, but it has well-structured and integrated fruit and tannin and a little acid. It's a good summer wine.

"Finca Agostino. Telteca is their second label." I guess they sure know what they are doing. I'd like to explore a few more bottles, very interesting grape.

[Belgian]

Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Another nice promo, $2.50 off at Barrack Street right now ( = $14.45) from the Western Cape, SA on the southernmost tip of the African Continent. This fully decent varietal red with Cab Sauv shows nice tart cassis and plenty of dry-sweet crushed black berry fruit, a little saucy wild strawberry, and also some herb and light woody bramble nuances and earthy spice. Slight green bell pepper/vegetal follows on, something not at all uncommon with this grape or a flaw, per se - you just have to like it or not. Nice almost-medium body. Nose is light acidic cassis / black fruit.

I generally like a bit more dryness, acidity and 'structure' in a red but I'm enjoying the strawberry tartness and moody mulberry depth of this - very much - and such a solid easy drinker will make everyone having a sup at your BBQ dinner more than happy. You might even like it more than the bone-dry European stuff I talk about if that's not your thing. Glad to try something different. Did you know Pinotage, the signature grape of South Africa is a custom hybrid of Pinot Noir (from Burgundy) and Cinsault AKA Hermitage (from Languedoc-Roussillon)? Must try a few!

I also grabbed a few more 2015 Chatelard Fleurie, not cheap for Beaujolais but extremely charming wine, for me. It will hold through 2020.

Happy long weekend!

[Belgian]

Versado Malbec 2014 Mendoza, Argentina

Super nice modern Malbec, very well put together. Defined cherry and dark berry fruit, very powerful yet sleek and well-integrated tannins and great, appropriate acidity. Some beet and herbals.

The Versado Reserva Ancient Malbec 2014 is going for $59.95 and this vintner is kind of a big deal. I don't mind at all paying 19.25 for this simpler, fresher-styled un-oaked red, and it's nearly 5 bucks off (reg $23.95!) on clearance. Treat yourself, thank me later.

[Belgian]

Château Lamartine Cuvée Particulière Cahors 2014

A formerly $27.95 Cahors clearing out at $23.25, this no-nonsense French red has a 90-10 blend of the Malbec grape that reigns supreme in Cahors supported with a little of the very firm, inky Tannat grape more typical of nearby Madiran region - both are in the Southwest region most famous for Bordeaux wines. This Malbec-Tannat blend should be a Cahors built to age.

Immediately can tell this 2014 is not entirely ready yet, it's still a bit sweetly rich so better to cellar at least a year or three... but as a too-young wine allowing some oxygen to 'open' the aromas and flavors will make it enjoyable.

Has some deep black (plum skin) fruit and herbs and a spiciness, cherry, licorice and hints of orange drop dust. The nose shows lavender and peony florals (neat!) along with other herbs, black fruit and tar. Oak is carefully integrated and subtle, mostly the earthy spice flavors underpinning the deep fruit.
** DAY 2 ** the dryness, mineral, tart-sweet cherry fruit and refined oak fall more into a more tasty balance. Not as overly rich thanks to some oxygen exposure.

Glad I got to try one one at a fair price when I was picking up a few extra bottles of Versado 2014 (the quite different Malbec from Argentina.) May or may not get more Lamartine to age.

[Belgian]

Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port - as a classic Port it is fairly sweet and dark-fruity (prune fig raisin) - plus some spicy & woody, a bit of beautiful savory-umami and nutty notes, butterscotch biscuit, subtle acid profile hints at tart tropical fruit. Despite the big sweet palate it's very 'moreish' & demands attention to explore its subtle layers as the finish builds over a few sips; this reveals a long and sonorous red grape note; it really tastes like serious Terroir got sucked up from the very old vines digging deep in sun-baked Portugal...

Ten months later, my fourth (or fifth?) bottle of this Tawny Port and it is still amazing. I would gladly get a few more, as the Burmester 10 Year is being re-stocked in a few select LCBO stores. I stand by my earlier notes. Perfect for the cooler Toronto evenings or to warm up after a later-season dip in the lake.

[Belgian]

Trapiche Broquel Malbec - Mendoza, Argentina

A very accessible young-styled Argentine Malbec and one not as 'raw' as some of the sub-$10 ones. Broquel has some dark fruit, soft and rooty spice. Appears to be aimed at the easy-drinking market, and also has some decent supporting tannins and acidity. Keeps for days in the fridge.

[Coronaeus]

Any lucky souls here win a bottle of the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon from the LCBO allotment. Sadly, I did not.

[Belgian]

Vignerons de Buxy Buissonnier Pinot Noir 2015

A nice medium-palate Burgundy red with plenty of character. I note the cedar and pleasantly dry tannic-acidic & light mineral profile supporting the tart and sweet dark berry fruit (red cherry, cassis and blackberry.)
Good replays of black/red cherry are blooming later over the finish in a super nice way. This is fairly tart and dry but balanced.

Also some light herbals, and the partial oak aging imparts some subtle wood and a hint of vanilla. Smooth package, will certainly buy more. Very good Burgundy Pinot Noir for the under-$20 price point IMO.

Again we can see some French wineries are giving up the tradition of labeling wines just by region, and labeling with grape variety in order to appeal to a broader market that can better recognize what it is. So Pinot Noir = Burgundy, Malbec = Cahors etc.

[Belgian]

Flavium Selección Mencía 2014

A nice Mencia-grape red from Bierzo, Spain that features nice violet-like florals over the tart, deep black berry fruit. The oak barrel is integrated and lends a sandalwood / spice element.

Has a good medium body, easy to enjoy and has that cool modern Spanish thing going on. I bought this the moment I saw it and it's much what I'd expect.