Spy Valley - Sauvignon Blanc

Producer: Spy Valley

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2008

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Price: ~ $17

At this point in the night I was really diggin' on these New Zealand wines. It really was very refreshing. The bouquet smells of melon and mineral which is characteristic for the area. Also it had a cold wintery crispness to it which was nicely awakening. The tasting had soft flavours of grapefruit, melon with subtle stone and mineral accents. It had a light body with good acidity and finished quickly. Well made!

On a different note, Brittany Murphy died of a heart attack this afternoon. I'm sure that will be hitting the presses tomorrow morning. On Google Trends, 8 out of 10 of the top searches were about her.

Christmas shopping done! Boo yah!

J

PS: Sorry for the shitty pic. Perhaps I'll get an iPhone for Christmas?

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Spy Valley - Pinot Noir

Producer: Spy Valley

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2008

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Price: ~ $22

News: Seriously? I know he's dead, but come on... he makes it too easy...

What does the above link have to do with wine? Nothing, just move on...

My first New Zealand wine of the night and it did not disappoint. It won Wine Access' silver medal "Value Wine" award for 2009. Additionally, and in comparison to the Rolling Stones rep, the Spy Valley rep was informative and eager to teach us more about the region.

The bouquet on this pinot was of fresh blueberries and for the first time of the night—liquorice, all embraced by a crisp ruby red colour appearance. On the palate it had a surprising spice which gave way to stone and mineral accents which I learned was characteristic of the Marlborough area. The surprise spice kept me coming back and the medium body gradually unfolded it's complexity. It doesn't linger; it finishes quickly and cleanly. An interesting and excellent value wine!

Okay, peace ooouuut!

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PKNT - Gold Reserve

Producer: PKNT (i.e. "picante")
Name: Gold Reserve
Varietal: Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Region: Central Valley, Chile
Price: ~ $10

Despite writing about the (oops) Carmenère Merlot earlier, this PKNT Gold Reserve Carmenère was actually my first time tasting a Carmenère. The bouquet smelled of dark rich berries, black currant with a slight vanilla and honey undertone. On the palate it was a full bodied red with predominantly warm oak and black cherries. A slight surprise considering the hot pepper on the label. Well balanced but fairly simple and straight forward—AKA: a nice value.

J

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Rolling Stones Wines - Satisfaction

Producer: Rolling Stones Wines
Name: Satisfaction
Varietal: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec, 4% Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2005
Region: Napa Valley, United States
Price: ~ $50

Well what do we have here Mick? Your own wine? I'm very cautious of celebrity branded wine because for the most part it's mediocre wine in a flashy package. The Rolling Stones booth definitely had a lot of flash: numerous banners, TVs playing shows of the Rolling Stones, multiple bottle displays and somewhat of a greasy salesman behind the table. It put me off a little because I was trying to ask the rep about the wine and he gave me a lazy description and moved on to other tasters—namely the females—who weren't even spending time tasting the goddam wine anyway (there's a lot of them at these conventions). It would seem to me that if you wanted to get your wine out there, you'd spend time with the tasters who were actually serious about discussing the wine.

Anyway, the bouquet was actually pretty interesting with notes of cassis, currant and black cherry. On the palate it had strong cherry and spice notes that were quite bold and forward. With slight oak and a full body (almost syrup-like), the wine was complex and well structured with a long spicy finish.

When I looked the wine up online I came across prices in the $50 per bottle range. I'm sorry, the wine was good but not $50 per bottle good. There are far more interesting wines out there for a much better price. Try it to say you've tried it, but there probably won't be an encore tasting.

Peace in the middle east!

J

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Inniskillin - Dark Horse Meritage

Producer: Inniskillin
Name: Dark Horse Meritage
Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Region: Okanagan, Canada
Price: ~ $25

The Inniskillin Meritage was the first wine that really started piquing my interest in how wine was made. When I was bartending I would sit down with a bottle of this after almost every shift. Thinking about the blend and why they did what they did. Comparing the current vintage with past vintages and how things have changed. A wonderful wine simply for my own selfish and sentimental reasons.

The bouquet is rich with cassis, black cherry, chocolate, earthy notes. It's a full bodied wine with a long dry finish. Tastes of spice, dark berries and chocolate, this wine is balanced and complex that keeps you sitting and contemplating at the bar until the late hours of the night.

J

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Trapiche - Broquel

Producer: Trapiche

Name: Broquel

Vintage: 2007

Varietal: Malbec

Region: Argentina

Price: ~ $16

The first one of the night! A nice full bodied Argentinian Malbec. I don't usually like South American wines but it would be stupid to only tried wines that you knew were "safe" at a wine festival. The bouquet has a nice forward spice with oak, full plum and blackberry notes. The palate brings flavours of cocoa, spice, blackberry, oak, with a long dry finish. The winery is in Mendoza but I'm unsure if the grapes are from that area or not. Oh those crazy Argentinians...

J

PS: Did you hear that a Great White Shark was ripped in half by a BIGGER Great White Shark?! Or...

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Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival 2009

The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival 2009 is one of the largest wine festivals in Calgary. Like a lot of festivals, it's a great opportunity to try a lot of different wines without committing to purchasing a whole bottle. And that's why I go: to taste wine... a lot of wine. The problem I have with this festival is the goddam ticket drink system. It's a wine festival, not a small town graduation party in the local community hall. Why not increase the festival entry price to cover the sample costs and get rid of the stupid drink ticket system? Who wants to mess around with drink tickets? If the smaller Wine Fest can do it—which in my opinion is much better—why couldn't the larger Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival do it?

Anyway, a lot of vendors at the festival. About five rows of exhibitors including a wine/cheese tasting seminar area that was quite interesting. The next few wines that I'll be writing about will be from the festival.

Peace ooouuut!

J

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Red Bicyclette - Syrah

Producer: Red Bicyclette
Varietal: Syrah
Vintage: 2005
Region: France
Price: ~ $13

Black cherries and a hint of spice make the bouquet of this richly burgundy French syrah. Unlike many syrah's with their forward spice this has a subtle spice wrapped in rich black cherries. Very simple and uncomplicated with a medium to light body and a quick finish. Maybe it's just me, but I found there was a slight metallic tinge. And keep in mind there is no AOC designation. On the back it says that it's grapes are gathered from the Languedoc-Roussillon but there is no Languedoc-Roussillon appellation. I wouldn't say it's a memorable wine but it is an easy drink when you're watching House.

Hey-oh!

J
Sent from my BlackBerry device.

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Deinhard - Riesling

Producer: Deinhard
Varietal: Riesling
Region: Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Germany
Vintage: 2007
Price: ~ $15

The bouquet smells largely of citrus fruits with hints of peaches and apricots. The wine is dominated by citrus and mineral flavours complimented by floral notes. A fairly light and crisp body with a silky, mid-dry finish and a slight acidic end. I wouldn't say that the wine is as balanced as it could be. I found that the acidity overpowered all of the other flavours which is too bad. Overall it was okay, but I'd probably pay a little bit more and get a really good Piesporter.

In the meantime, let's check out what the Japanese are up to.

Peace ooouuut!

J

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Dan Aykroyd - Discovery Series

Producer: Dan Aykroyd
Name: Discovery Series
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region: Niagra Peninsula, Canada
Price: ~ $14

Remember the Blues Brothers? Fairly famous blues band/sketch that everyone loved from the late 70s to the 80s? Yeah, this wine is nothing like that. You would expect it to be a down-and-dirty, bold but smooth wine to match the rhythmic blues of the band. But it doesn't. And if it doesn't, then there shouldn't be a stage mic on the label. Just doesn't even make sense. I get it Dan; you like blues and wine. But in your case it is not a good match (your no Greg Norman).

Along with a clear and thin appearance, the bouquet smells of spice and dark cherries and has a slight mineral or stone scent. It tasted of oak, blackberries and spice with a quick dry finish. The tannins were a little sharp and the overall body of the wine was too thin for my liking. I think that the ingredients are there to produce a pretty good wine but the 2007 vintage is not doing it for me.

Sorry Danny, maybe try Coneheads 2?

J

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There's too many!

I'm thankful for soo much wine! Happy Thanksgiving!

J
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(oops) - Carmenère Merlot

Producer: (oops)
Varietal: Carmenère, Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Region: Chile
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: ~ $19

I've been waiting to taste some wine all fucking night. Nothing tonight seemed to go right. Wind is howling wildly, DVR had to be reset and it took me longer than I was expecting to caulk the new window frames.

*sigh* oh sweet sweet wine...

I have to admit, I purchased this wine based purely on the label and its design. It wasn't a hokey label whose image changed depending on the angle you're looking at it from. Nor did it have a clever cartoon animal that was deliberately made to look cute and loveable. It was simply laid out well in a "newspaper column" type arrangement with an interesting typeface. And since I am a graphic artist it caught my attention.

It has an aroma of forward black berries and—as the first time smelling this scent—leather. Leather! Go figure. I mean, I didn't know what I was smelling until I read the label and sure enough, leather. The type of leather that you'd make a very old brown book bag out of. You'd think it would be terrible like old leather shoes or mouldy old winter leather gloves but it was quite nice.

The 70% carmenère and 30% merlot had excellent balance with bold oak complimented with blackberries and a hint of spice. The full body touches your palate on all areas and finishes medium to long and not overly dry (but dry enough).

Chiggity check yourself before you wreck yourself...

J

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Deerfield - Shiraz Cuvée

Producer: Deerfield
Name: Shiraz Cuvée
Varietal: Shiraz, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Sirah
Vintage: 2004
Region: Sonoma, United States
Price: ~ $26
Alcohol: 16.1%

I'm not entirely sure why Deerfield decided create a 16.1% alcohol Shiraz Cuvée. I mean, that's pretty much Amarone alcohol from a Californian wine. This poured like thick syrup that coated the wine glass. The kind of wine that stains your lips and teeth and really makes you look like a wino. I tried to include a picture of the colour and clarity but the blackberry has a shitty camera.

The bouquet smells intensely sweet (alcohol naturally smells sweet) and hot. It's complimented by a strong toasted spice smell with a slight nutty aroma. The wine itself tastes (and feels) like molasses or brown sugar. Even though the alcohol content is high it's still fairly smooth. Toasted spice, heavy black cherries and a finish that's long and almost tacky. For how sweet it is the finish is somewhat dry.

Personally, I thought it was too sweet. I mean, it could've been balanced with a little more acidity to tone it down. I woke up with a slight headache from two glasses of this stuff. That's like eight-TEEN glasses!

C-ya!

J

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Barone Ricasoli - Brolio

Producer: Barone Ricasoli

Name: Brolio

Varietal: Sangiovese, et al

Vintage: 2006

Region: Chianti Classico, Italy

Price: ~ $28

And we start with a little news story out of Annapolis.

You would think they would've used a big red stop sign to warn kids that a sex offender lives at this house rather than a cute halloween pumpkin that easily blends into all of the other halloween decorations! Doesn't even make sense!

And now onto a fabulous little wine called Brolio. This was a gift from our good friend Danah who spent many evenings (and some afternoons) at Abruzzo, an excellent Italian restaurant here in Calgary. The bouquet smells of dark cherries with strong notes of pepper and spice. It has a complex and balanced palate with an interesting earthy spice that reveals itself with each sip (almost getting stronger and stronger). The full body finishes long and dry.

Peace ooouuut!

J

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Greg Norman - Petite Sirah

Producer: Greg Norman
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2006
Region: Paso Robles, United States
Price: ~ $17

What does an Australian golfer ranked 252nd in the world with a vineyard in the United States know about wine? You would think absolutely nothing but as it turns out—there is something interesting there.

The bouquet of the Greg Norman Petite Sirah (or Syrah) smells heavily of black cherries, mild spice and oak. The palate is nicely balanced with forward spice, cassis and has a long velvety dry finish. It was a very nice petite sirah that would've tasted even better with a 12 oz rib eye with peppercorn sauce. A nice rib eye would taste great right about now...

I love weekends. Back to work tomorrow though...

Okay, peace ooouuut...

J

PS: who's that creepy guy in the background?

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Beringer - Founders' Estate Merlot

Producer: Beringer

Name: Founders' Estate Merlot

Varietal: Merlot

Region: Napa Valley, United States

Vintage: 2005

Price: ~ $17

Winter is coming and I'm still dragging ass trying to hold onto summer. Gotta pick up the hammer again and finish off our renovations and work is supposed to get busier as the months progress. October? It's already October? What the hell happened to September?

Big story today in Halifax about a Bishop named Raymond Lahey who was caught with child pornography on his computer. What makes this story a little different is that previously he brokered a $15-million settlement for victims of sexual abuse by priests of the diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia. As I was following this today the comments on the CBC website were just pouring in by the second. One of the reasons why I absolutely appreciate the internet: although I may not agree with some of the comments, we're all given a platform or forum in which to be heard.

What does this have to do with wine? Absolutely nothing.

I'm a follower of Wine Access Magazine's twitter updates and one of their daily wines was the Beringer 2006. Unfortunately for me the wine store near my place didn't carry that vintage so I had to settle for the 2005. The bouquet smells of ripe plums, blackberries and a touch of black cherries. On the palate it was a full bodied merlot with warm spice flavours. It was complex enough for me to try and identify the various spice and berry notes and finished long and dry. Balanced and velvety. My only thing would be to let it breathe for a bit before drinking.

You know, after all the previous pedophile talk, here's a video to lighten things up (pun intended). Play it over and over again. Put it on a loop if you have to.

J

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Dourthe - Chateau Pey La Tour

Producer: DourtheName: Chateau Pey La Tour

Region: Bordeaux, France

Vintage: 2007

Price: ~ $14

This was the last wine that I tasted on "Games Night 2009" and I've had it before. From what I remember on my previous tastings it was quite good and reasonably priced. When I tasted it this time it was already late into the night. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't remember what it tasted like because I was drunk. I had such a great time with the Pazzo I didn't really save room for the Bordeaux.

Since I don't remember how it tasted I've included a short review of some wine douche from Boston. He writes:

Big nose once you first cork the wine, however I found it to be a slim body for a Bordeaux. Can smell the earth, dirt, and must of a typical Bordeaux but lacks the great pallet taste. Not bad to have around the house for people who don't know good wine but like Bordeaux's.

So, I think what he's saying is that this wine would be good enough for the peasants but the bourgeoisie would never drink it...

J

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Bacio Divino - Pazzo

Producer: Bacio Divino
Name: Pazzo
Vintage: 2004
Region: Napa Valley, United States
Price: ~ $30

The only thing better than drinking your wine is drinking somebody else's. My friends Ryan and Rochelle brought over a bottle of Pazzo by Bacio Divino from the Napa Valley and it was excellent. I believe they received it as a gift for their wedding and were generous enough to share it with my wife and I on "Games Night 2009" the highlight of which was Taboo.

The colour is clear but deep ruby red and the bouquet has deep notes of black and red cherries, spice and subtle hints of oak. Because this blend is predominantly sangiovese (with petite syrah, cabernet sauvignon and viognier) the palate too has an abundant dark cherry taste but also has smooth notes of spice and earthy wood. The wine is quite balanced with good acidity. It's character persuades you to keep coming back for more and with each taste you discover something new. So frickin' good! Again, excellent wine. Thanks Ryan and Rochelle!

Booyah!
J

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McWilliam's - Chardonnay

Producer: McWilliam's
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2006
Region: South Australia, Australia
Price: ~ $15

I'm gonna have to admit that I'm not that big on white wines. Unless it's a hot summer day or I'm ordering wine for a table with a lot of chicks, I don't usually drink a lot of the stuff. It may also be that I don't exactly like fruits such as melons and grapefruits on their own so why would I want them in my wine. But then again, I don't exactly like eating earthy bark and moss but I don't mind them in red wine either so who the hell knows.

The McWilliam's Chardonnay has a buttery bouquet of peach, citrus and subtle oak. I hear there's supposed to be a little melon aroma in there too but I couldn't get it. On the palate it was rich and creamy opposite citrus fruit and had a nice balance of acidity. I wouldn't say it was complex but it did feel nice to lather your palate with it. I had a taste of this while our friends Ryan and Rochelle were over for drinks.

Okay, peace out!
J

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Masi - Campofiorin

Producer: Masi
Name: Campofiorin
Region: Verona, Italy
Vintage: 2006
Price: ~ 18

I know I've tasted this one before but in all honesty it's been quite a while. So why not again right? The Masi Campofiorin has a bouquet (I hate using that word) of rich dark cherries and really subtle notes of smoke and cedar. It has a full body that wraps your tongue in more dark cherries and blackberries but I wouldn't say that it's fruity. The cherry and berry notes are quite parred down as the tasting progresses because I think the smokey earth tones take over and wrap it all up with a long dry finish. I say "I think" because I kinda had a hard time deciding if things were wrapped up nicely with the smoke and earth flavours or if they weren't wrapped up at all and things fell flat. If someone has tasted this one before I'd love to hear your comments on it. It could also very well be my own inexperience coupled with the fact I'm already gettin' my buzz on!

Peace!

J

PS: you're two o'clock appointment is going to come soon Chris... very soon indeed.
PPS: enough about the goddam Wolf Blass. My point was that it's a decent wine for the price and mass production isn't a good enough reason not to like it.

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1L bottles last too long...

It was a good deal, but I'm still drinking from the 1L bottle of Red Label that I purchased (okay, two 1L bottles) three days ago...

... Okay, I'm done now. Tomorrow I try the Masi!

JM

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Pepperwood Grove - Viognier

Producer: Pepperwood Grove
Varietal: Viognier
Vintage: 2007
Region: California, United States
Price: ~ $30/bottle (in a restaurant)

For my step-father's birthday we went to this little East Indian restaurant for his birthday called Moti Mahal. Cute little place that was fairly steady even for a Sunday night at eight o'clock. Kinda thought it would be nice to have a cool white wine to edge some of the bite off from the spicy food. The nose on this viognier was fairly crisp and refreshing with a bit of peppery spice. It had a light body with tastes of apricots, pepper and even cloves to tie the indian food together. I'm guessing that at $30 per bottle at a restaurant this wouldn't cost a whole lot at retail. It wasn't a complex wine but when you're searching for decent wine without spending too much you're looking for balance more than complexity.

Okay, peace ooouuut...

PS: I'm having some wicked Indian burps... Indian "dot"; not Indian "feather"

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Wolf Blass - Red Label

Producer: Wolf Blass
Name: Red Label
Varietal: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2008
Region: South Australia, Australia

 Wolf Blass really made a name for itself with it's Wolf Blass Yellow Label. It was a big hit, drew lots of popularity and then really entered mainstream wine drinking. Now for some reason, because of it's success, I get the feeling people are turning their backs on this producer. Which doesn't make any sense whatsoever. It reminds me of those indie music douche bags who like the fact that they've discovered this unheard of new band and then once the band gets popular they think they've sold out even though the music hasn't changed.

 "Pinkerton was they're best album and I have all of they're B-sides. Now they suck ass. Fucking sell outs"

 Shut your mouth. Those people like the idea of exclusivity than they like the actual product. Wolf Blass wine is still well produced and just because they're not the little boutique winery any more doesn't mean their quality is any worse.

 The 2008 Shiraz/Cab smells of sweet red fruit like strawberries and raspberries. It has a well rounded body (simple but well rounded) and tastes of more ripe raspberries with a hint of mint and subtle fruitiness. The finish is smooth with a medium dryness.

 PS: If you notice on the image there's a small semi-circle label on the bottle. That's right... it was a 1L bottle (it was on sale. Give me a break).

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