Ontario Wine Reviews - Weekly Wine Notes and Video: Red Wine

Showing posts with label Red Wine - Lake Erie North Shore. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2010

Pelee Island Winery 2008 Alvar Pinot Noir - $14.95

I'm giving you the rating and the wine - now, head over to the podcast and check out what I have to say about it.

Pelee Island Winery 2008 Alvar Pinot Noir
Price: $14.95 – Rating: ****

Click here to listen to this Podcast.

The Weekly Wine Note can now be heard on FOX-FM and CHOK ... and also on YouTube, complete with a word from our sponsor - Schott Zwiesel (Fortessa Canada) ... of course you can also listen to it above on the usual Podcast site.

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Aleksander Estate 2007 Baco Noir - $11.95

This coming weekend, September 11-13, 2009, is the Shores of Erie Wine Festival - a great opportunity for you to get out there (near Windsor) and try the wonderful wines from this unsung region of Ontario. To get you in the mood I have reviewed another wine you might find interesting and enjoyable, all for an amazing price.

The Tasting Notes: Big black raspberry notes with port-like cherry-chocolate smell and flavours, with just a hint of vanilla from the 20% oaking … delicious and smooth – wow, I’m totally impressed here. Price: $11.95 – Rating: ****½

I am thrilled to announce that as of February 24, 2009, each Podcast has its own unique player - so you can listen to whichever Podcast you want to. So without further ado I will leave you with this week's Podcast, or if you decide not to check out the new format you can read the tasting notes below ... I recommend the Podcast, of course.

Click here to listen to this Podcast.

Check out the OntarioWineReview.com main website ...
catch up with the latest news and reviews from Ontario
sign-up for the free biweekly newsletter and much more.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Mastronardi Estate Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc - $12.95

The Shores of Erie International Wine Festival (held just outside Windsor) is drawing closer, so I thought we should visit the area together, taste some wine and see if I can't lure you out to taste more.

The Tasting Notes: From the almighty 2007 vintgae comes this beauty of a wine with spiced oak, vanilla, cinnamon and black raspberry on the nose … Palate-wise there’s tobacco, raspberry, vanilla, black cherry and a lovely smooth-through-the-moth finish. Price: $12.95 – Rating: ****½

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Erie Shore Vineyard 2007 Cabernet - $12.65

Today's Weekly Wine Note takes us to the Lake Erie North Shore ... next month their (new) Vintage tasting is taking place on August 9 and I am sure this wine, along with plenty of others, will be there ... here's just a taste of what you'll find:

The Tasting Notes: The nose is chalky, minerally and earthy with whiffs of black currant. The palate is more open with the black currant leading the way along with white pepper and a mineral-chalkiness and good tannin structure. This wine has yet to fully integrate between the fruit, the minerals and the wood, but when it does it’s going to be great; an excellent value and perfect candidate for your cellar. Price: $12.65 – Rating: ****

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Pelee Island 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon / Petit Verdot - $17.95

Now I've told you before to listen to the Podcast, so I trust you are going to do that. Today, we'll go to Canada's most southerly wine region to check out a unique wine, and a very good wine, that's big on taste, cheap on price - excuse me, inexpensive - for these tough economic times. So get over to the Podcast and take a listen, or, if you choose the more boring route, you can just read the tasting notes below (the Podcast is always more fun):

Tasting Notes: What a fabulous wine - the nose is spicy with blackberries and pepper, while the palate has lots of presence, pepper, spice, blackberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, big oak and big on the spicy - wow.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Smith and Wilson 2005 Double Barrel - $14.00

Last year’s version (2004) turned into my spring “pizza wine” – a quaffer with no pretense and went well with my Domino’s pepperoni-extra sauce. This time round Smith and Wilson have added some extra umph to this wine because my pizza would now need more meat to match up with the wines heft. A blend of 75% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot (done in stainless steel) with the addition of 15% Cabernet Sauvignon oaked for 10 months in Hungarian and American oak. The nose is blackberry, black cherry, currants, nutmeg, pepper, some spice and a touch of oak; followed by a palate of cedar, vanilla, cinnamon and oak for seasoning, black fruit and tart strawberry for fruit. Looks like I’ll be adding some ground beef, sausage and bacon onto that pizza next time.

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To listen to the Podcast of this review click here.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Pelee Island Winery 2005 Zweigelt-Gamay Noir - $10.45

I’m proud to be a non-smoker, if anybody asks I am quick to tell them “I’m a non-smoker.” But there have been occasions, like on vacation in Cuba or with a glass of Port in the garage, that I have partaken in the occasional cigar (maybe every 6 months or so); for some reason it just gets to be that time of year when I feel my inner Spaghetti-Western-Era Clint Eastwood come out, and I’ll go out and buy myself one of those small, thin vanilla cigars, or a rum dipped, or something that claims it is “chocolate”, or something just as unusual or exotic (they usually smell great but they inevitably turn out to be disappointing in the mouth). This long-winded story about my rare puffing habits is explanation as to how I picked up cherry tobacco from this wine – I just remember it from one of those unusual cigars I have purchased. Now back to the wine … the blend is usually heavier on the Gamay than the Zweigelt, but in 2005 Zweigelt grew like a weed and Pelee reversed the order of the wine to be 60/40 in favour of the Zwei. A nose of cherry, rhubarb and yes, sweet tobacco with a faint touch of earth starts this wine off. Mouth-wise there’s a whole host of red and black fruit to chew on, as well as some cherry cigar residue – sweet on the front palate, tart on the finish. Immensely quaffable, easy to drink and light tannins makes this a perfect red to chill (just a bit) and serve all on its own; but unlike my infrequent cigars, this one does not disappoint. Available at the LCBO and the winery.

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Friday, January 19, 2007

Sanson Estates Winery 2002 Shiraz

Purchased during one of my visits to the Lake Erie North Shore region in the past two years. At the time of initial tasting in the tasting room, I thought it just might be one of the best Shiraz’s made in Ontario. About a year after opening the bottle and consuming the contents I am still of that opinion. Strangely enough Dennis has never entered this beauty into competition – deciding instead to take a modest approach by saying “it’s not bad”. Well his “not bad” means great value and a great wine for you – made in the French Rhone-style of Syrah, than the jammy, rich fruit bombs of Australian Shiraz … this wine currently shows a robust nose of green pepper, black cherry, asparagus and black current … the taste is a blend of spicy-peppery-ness with black fruit backbone. This still has time to rest for a few years, but it is drinking well right now. Currently sold out, so if you are holding a few in the cellar, judge consumption time accordingly.

For more wine reviews and related articles go to www.ontariowinereview.com,
while there sign up for Michael's free bi-weekly newsletter.