The Bar Towel

Ch. Beaumont 2003 - I guess it's a faultlessly solid Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, but it seems a bit workmanlike and lacking nuance. Maybe it's just not a style for me, or maybe the remainder of the bottle will open up with some oxygen. Hard to really recommend it for $29.95, because IMLE there are better & more interesting French wines out there, and for less.

I like to sort of try everything, though I did take a pass on getting Chateau Clarke only because the cheap-wine-that-could is now forty bucks.

Belgian wrote:Ch. Beaumont 2003 - I guess it's a faultlessly solid Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, but it seems a bit workmanlike and lacking nuance. Maybe it's just not a style for me, or maybe the remainder of the bottle will open up with some oxygen. Hard to really recommend it for $29.95, because IMLE there are better & more interesting French wines out there, and for less.

I like to sort of try everything, though I did take a pass on getting Chateau Clarke only because the cheap-wine-that-could is now forty bucks.

How much was the Chateau Clarke before?

2005 Chateau Castegens (it only got better in the fridge over 4 days)
2005 Chateau Courierre-Rongieras (better stop now)

Dammit I love these French red wines. See a reasonable Bordeaux, go buy it! The two above were both under 20.

Need a sip of wine before bed:

Valdisera Barbera D'Alba 2007 - incredible wine for $16.95. Aroma is a bit tight, but the flavors of violet and berry (ripe red and black fruit) go on & on with a nice seam of acidity. Black cherry, yum. Your seductive Valentine's Day wine.

VINTAGES 134759

Ch. Bourree 2006 Cotes-De-Castilon Bordeaux - region near Saint Emilion - really interesting aroma and top notes but actually seems a bit thin and light, with a short finish. It's sure different though!

The Castagens maybe offers more texture for less $$.

Drinking a new value wine from LCBO general list. LA CASANO MONASTRELL.
For $8.90, this mourvedre provides about all I'd expect from this varietal. As an added bonus, it isn't often you'd see this grape out on its own, as it is normal used in GSM blends.

Plummy notes meet fresh cherry/berry with medium tannins, and a marked bitterness.
Medium bodied. Berry fruit lends itself to oaky vanilla towards the finish. A great BBQ/pizza wine.

SteelbackGuy wrote:Drinking a new value wine from LCBO general list. LA CASANO MONASTRELL.
For $8.90, this mourvedre provides about all I'd expect from this varietal. As an added bonus, it isn't often you'd see this grape out on its own, as it is normal used in GSM blends.

Plummy notes meet fresh cherry/berry with medium tannins, and a marked bitterness.
Medium bodied. Berry fruit lends itself to oaky vanilla towards the finish. A great BBQ/pizza wine.

My girlfriend and I have been drinking this for the past couple weeks, great value considering all the overpriced Spaniards that the LCBO carries on the general list.

Oh, and big thumbs up for the screw cap!

Bytowner wrote:

SteelbackGuy wrote:Drinking a new value wine from LCBO general list. LA CASANO MONASTRELL.
For $8.90, this mourvedre provides about all I'd expect from this varietal. As an added bonus, it isn't often you'd see this grape out on its own, as it is normal used in GSM blends.
.

My girlfriend and I have been drinking this

Great, I will try that cheapie Monastrell!

I bought armloads of 'value priced' French stuff this past weekend, hard to pass on some of the 12-15 dollar deals. Oh - and a 2005 Les Ormes de Pez Cru Bourgeois Exceptionelle, from St-Estéphe.

Keep us posted on other interesting Portu/Spain/Italian reds you guys run into.

Canadian Classic 12 year old neat. Nothing like a bit of raw fire to end a crappy ass Friday afternoon shift

The Bellevue La Foret Fronton was kind of sad this year (used to be a great cheap Negrette-based wine but I'd skip it from now on buying Bouissel or Larou Fronton instead.)

The CHÂTEAU ARNAUD JOUAN CUVÉE PRESTIGE 2005 is a VERY nice "value-priced" Bordeaux, probably Merlot-based with deep, round soft fruit, smooth tannins and great overall balance - to me it had overtones of spice and sandalwood. Solid!

" – 50% Merlot 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Cabernet Franc. Doesn’t show the complexity or concentration of the 2005 Vintage, but then again this is not Lafite.. "

In the LCBO's recent vintages release, there was an array of wines that were called "north of 90". All wines included scored over 90 points in wine rating magazines.

I tried a wine from Concha Y Toro called Red Trio. A Cab/Merlot/Carmenere blend. It was about $13.00 I think.
This my friends, was like a $25.00 wine for about $12.00 less.

SteelbackGuy wrote:
I tried a wine from Concha Y Toro called Red Trio. A Cab/Merlot/Carmenere blend.

Actually 14.95, but still looks fantastic. I read that originally Bordeaux vintners even 'borrowed' blending grapes grown in surrounding regions like Bergerac and Cahors to make their Claret reds, so there's not a damn thing wrong with Carmeniére in a Bordeaux-style blend. (Bordeaux today can still blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere.)

Pretty good write-up! Gotta try it.

Belgian wrote:

SteelbackGuy wrote:
I tried a wine from Concha Y Toro called Red Trio. A Cab/Merlot/Carmenere blend.

Actually 14.95, but still looks fantastic. I read that originally Bordeaux vintners even 'borrowed' blending grapes grown in surrounding regions like Bergerac and Cahors to make their Claret reds, so there's not a damn thing wrong with Carmeniére in a Bordeaux-style blend. (Bordeaux today can still blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere.)

Pretty good write-up! Gotta try it.

Yeah, sorry about the wrong price. I forgot how much it was. I think the white trio is $13.95.

And since Malbec and Carmenere are both originally Bordeaux varietals, I think this is a fine blend, perhaps reflection a more traditional right-bank style blend with Merlot as the heavy hitter.

2005 Drostdy-Hof Shiraz

1L Tetra

no idea how long ive had this one. are you supposed to cellar tetras?

im not going into big detail cause id have no idea what im talking about but im really enjoying this product. i havnt had a big red in a while but this thing is kicking my ass tonight. so as previously mentioned i dont know if your supposed to aged tetra packed wine but it certainly didnt hurt this one.

Matt.

There are actually very few red wines that benefit from aging. Much like beer. Sure, a product might mellow out, but to actually improve with age is a rare quality.

Your South African wine is certainly not a good candidate for aging. With that said, it doesn't mean you might not prefer it some age. Though a tetra is hardly the vessel to age a wine in.

South Africa has a great temperature for growing Shiraz, Cab Sauv, Pinotage, and Merlot. These varieties do quite well in hot climate and can ripen fully. I find a lot of SA wines to have quite an alcoholic kick or edge to them, and I'm ok with it!!