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Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation

Discuss beer or anything else that comes to mind in here.

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Post by Belgian »

Chateau des Tours Brouilly 2016 (Cru de Beaujolais)

This is a good solid Beaujolais red (100% Gamay) coming from one specific region among the 9 other Beujolais Crus that together each have their own way of expressing the grape.

Compared to the already-great $11.45 DuBoeuf 2015 Beaujolais as well there are differences - instead of the latter's forward strawberry and brightness over the present blackberry , here is a little more brooding depth and blueberry next to the cherry fruit, but also good acidity lifting it. There's a bit more body and strength to it, and it could also age a few years so while it's the same grape and general area of France, the 10 Cru de Beaujolais wines each offer a unique thing.

Is the Château des Tours twice as good as the DeBoeuf we had with the BBQ ribs on Sunday, maybe no that was damn good too, but here you still do get something very fine for twice the money.
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Post by Belgian »

Cantina San Paolo Aglianico 2017

This is an Aglianico red from Campania (in the South) well worth checking out. It's so Italian - slightly rustic but mostly lithe and complex with sleek black fruit, good acidity, and nuances of licorice, tar and tobacco, gentle spice and wild herbals. Sour cherries, mushrooms (umami dry meaty earthy), black plums and sexy violet florals. Not too heavy but solid. I really like it.

Plenty of dryness & acidity against the fullness of the fruit, making it an easy food wine. Fair deal @ $14.95 over here. Decanting is recommended but not totally necessary.
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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

Hey Belgian, notice a lot of these bourbon/whisky barrel aged wines at the KGBO recently. They any good, or just bad wine covered up by barrels and marked up because they can?
Thanks.
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Post by Belgian »

MatttthewGeorge wrote:Hey Belgian, notice a lot of these bourbon/whisky barrel aged wines at the KGBO recently. They any good, or just bad wine covered up by barrels and marked up because they can?
Thanks.
Don't know. Anybody tried them?

It seems like an expensive process to barrel age inferior wine in oak.
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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

Belgian wrote:It seems like an expensive process to barrel age inferior wine in oak.
Lol, true enough.
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Post by Craig »

I had a 2006 Poggiotondo Brunello di Montalcino and I liked it a lot. Oodles of that dark cherry flavour. Looks like the BO has like two bottles of the 2013 version of this and that's it. Shame, it's worth the 35 bucks.

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Post by Belgian »

Château Teyssier 2015 Montagne St-Émilion

This is a right-bank Bordeaux Red of classic character. Merlot is the starring grape over here at 70% of the cepages with the balance 30% Cabernet Franc Has some pleasing wooly and woody oak qualities along with the cassis and dark berry fruit, plus some light herbals and bell pepper - in all it is round, dry and nicely tannic. Decent package here for a fairly affordable Bordeaux, it tastes well structured without aerating.

Is it really better than a Ch. Barradis Cahors selling for 11 dollars less, hard to say. It's not always about that.
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Anciano 2009 7 Year Gran Reserva Tempranillo, Valdepenas DO

On sale yet for two more days, a nice Spanish red they managed to age a whole 7 years since 2009. Opens in perfect drinkable form.Spicebox, vanilla and the playful dark/red berry character of Tempranillo grape makes a super-value Valdepeñas region alternative to Rioja. I would call this medium-bodied but definitely smooth.

More rounded and not as bracingly acidic / tannic as wines I often lean to, but I like this nicely-made juice from south of Toledo, Spain. I'm guessing don't need to aerate this and should probably drink it all the first day for best presentation.
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Post by Belgian »

Viña Leyda Single Vineyard Las Brisas Pinot Noir 2016

Well this is very attractive. Though my initial reaction to this well-rendered Chilean was 'no, this isn't quite Burgundy red' - it's definitely more richly fruity and weighted - it is a fine New World example of Pinot Noir with lots of the berry-cherry and some good strawberry acidity. As it should be for $19.95 - and in fact some 20-ish dollar price range French Burgundy Pinots we get at the Elsie are kind of lazy slouches, depending on the luck and the provenance of the vintage. Red Burgundy is a popular wine that often coasts by on its relative scarcity, the cool northern region producing a small fraction of the wine made in (and around) Bordeaux in the Southwest.

Here this Chilean varietal Red makes no excuses, being solid without kautau-ing to the trad Burgundian identity. So there are in fact some gauzy-herbal and gently spicy overtones, and the expected bit of earthy beetroot, and an overall full profile. Fairly pure expression.

This wine lacks the complex perfumed 'layered dimensionality' of truly great Burgundy Pinot Noir, and yet totally succeeds in its own Chilean way. On that note, it seems like Bourgogne region is a wine travel plan on my bucket list, and perhaps Chile and Argentina also.

(Sells for about 40% less south of the border in adjusted US currency.)
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Post by Belgian »

Castillo De Almansa Reserva 2015, Almansa DO

A fairly dry, firm Spanish red that features some characteristic Tempranillo alongside some Grenache (Garanacha) and Mourvèdre (Monastrell) - grapes also often found in the Rhone, France.

Nice dark look. Aromas are minimal, taste yields soft black-red berry fruit and blueberry-cassis confit, leaf tea and tannins. Not a showstopper but was very inexpensive on sale $2.00 off. Nice to try, might not re-buy. The Valdepeñas from days earlier has a bit more to it.
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Post by Belgian »

El Abuelo 2018 Organic Tempranillo Monastrell, Almansa DO

This red has flavors of crushed berry and confit, and a more lifted tangy acidity plus an unexpected large dark floral component. The spicy, playful Tempranillo grape and the brooding Mourvédre show very well in the black fruit, plum skin tannins, herbs, and some good length. It's serious enough while being fun to drink in the easy Spanish way. Some slate and mineral, inkwell.

Surprisingly finished for $9.95, it's worth trying one. It's probably an open-and-drink wine, not one to keep around. Also Organjc growers are cool.
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Post by Belgian »

La Chablisienne Saint Bris 2017 Sauvignon Blanc

Yes, this is Chablis white that is not Chardonnay, the usual white grape from Burgundy. Saint-Bris is in the Auxerrois subregion, the only one allowed by French law to make Burgundy Sauv Blanc. And it's quite good - stony mineral and some apple-lemony tart fruit, green berry and wild floral.

Good aciidity and fresh, fairly complete palate. It's just a pleasure & for a price that doesn't take you out.
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Post by Belgian »

C. Da Silva Dalva 10-Year-Old Tawny Port

Wines like this Port push the Brix meter in sweetness but have a fullness and complexity along with the rich sweetness. It's more of everything! Still a ruby color, this Tawny would age longer. Winey grape and raisiny fruit, hints of umami, leather and earth, spice and candy citrus peel. Barrel oak. Caramel and walnut. Extremely deep, rounded and refined with fine tannins that echo the slight walnut bittneness. I saved 8 or so bucks on this on sale.

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Post by Belgian »

Belgian in Jan 2018 wrote:Alvear Pedro Ximenez De Añada 2014 (375ml)

Wow, now THIS one is worth grabbing a few of. It is unctuous and sweet, Sugar Content: 415 g/l but utterly packed with flavor and a massive palate and a long finish of fruit and dried fig/raisin. Apricot acidity and toffee creaminess.

Deep gold-reddy amber coat. It rolls around slowly in the glass and grabs the surface with slick legs. If you don't know real Sherry / Xerez this is insane value and a good intro to a serious wine style. You aren't paying Sauternes prices in this part of Europe and I wonder how a decade or two of ageing would transform this big-boned vintage Xerez.

Image
Got a few 2015 from the LC today, several bottles in Vintages. Very thick, deeply rich dried fruit & honey profile, and quite warming. Probably not as complex as the 2014 - ? - not sure.

But despite the big raisin-y sweetness (serve 14º) there's plenty of flavor that expands in complexity over several minutes - I find some peony and lavender-like herbaceous florals on the back of the palate. Hints of anise. Still quite good value, and I will lay a bottle down for maybe 10 years - or longer. Love it!

Some notes from Enterwine:
Crafted by the Bodegas Alvear winery, Alvear Pedro Ximénez de Añada is a single varietal, sweet Spanish white wine made from Pedro Ximénez grapes coming from a single vintage.
The wine was made through the dessication of the grapes, which lost up to 65% of its water content. Naturally sun-dried, they were subsequently pressed twice in order to obtain a highly-concentrated wine must.
Finally, Alvear Pedro Ximénez de Añada 2015, from the Andalusian region of Montilla y Moriles, was blended and aged for 12 months.
Interestingly enough, the 2011 vintage of this Alvear PX de Añada was given no less than 100 points, a perfect score, by Robert Parker.
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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

portwood wrote:
MatttthewGeorge wrote:
portwood wrote: Larceny ($50) is a "wheated" bourbon along the lines of Weller
Pikesville (pricier at $90) is a rye-heavy bourbon along the lines of Blanton's original single barrel
If you haven't already tried, consider Four Roses Small Batch ($47) or Single Barrel ($53)
ty! Thoughts on the Wild Turkey Rare Breed?
also good and well priced (by lcbo "standards")
similar to Blanton's single barrel, it can vary a little bit depending on the batch (have a look at this for a sense of the variation: http://thewhiskeyjug.com/bourbon-whiske ... -vertical/)
Bought a bottle of the Rare Breed last week on the recommendation of the manager who claimed he’s a bourbon fan (whom I believe based on the excellent selection at the small LCBO), plus the review of the 116 proof from the website you linked (wasn’t in his side by side comparison however his review of the 116 puts it 3rd or 4th on that list).

I don’t think I can recommend. Although fruity with some spiciness, it’s too high octane for my liking, taking my breath with every sip, which takes away from my drinking experience.
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