Mountain Road 2000 Gamay

I had Russian food again for dinner and decided to open the Gamay for a nice change. I bought this wine on a whim, knowing that was probably not going to set my world on fire. I was right.

The wine is not very complex but it has a nice deep red colour and does exhibit some legs. Tastes of sour cherry and some earthy tones, but not much else. The sour cherry follows through the finish, which is long and not completely pleasant. A bit too much acidity and nothing to balance.

Pillitteri 1999 Cabernet Franc Family Reserve

What to choose after a 3 hour car ride, 5 hours of work and a 3 hour return ride. The cabernet virtually jumped out of the winerack.

Nce deep colour, decent legs and a lovely first impression. Black cherry, pepper, chocolate and even some coffee. A beautiful clean finish. Definitely recommended

Ridgepoint Wines 2002 Pinot Nior

I found a new Russian kitchen in the city and bought some things that looked great or they recommended (most I couldnt pronounce other than the borscht.) When I got home I had to decide which wine to open. I have been looking for an opportunity to try this Pinot Noir, so I took the chance.

The wine is a nice colour, exhibits some legs and tastes of cherry and some earthy notes. While the tasting notes suggest hints of licorice and eucalyptus, they werent present for me. This is a very easy wine to drink and has a very pleasant lingering finish.

Jackson-Triggs 2002 Proprieters Reserve Merlot

I went to the butchers after I left the office and found a lovely thick rib eye steak, so a Merlot was a natural wine selection. As I searched through the wine racks, I chanced upon the J-T '02 Merlot. This particular bottle was a Christmas gift from Judy. She swears she bought it just because it was from BC and it had my initials (JT) on the foil.

The wine is everything that you would want in a Merlot. A beautiful deep colour and big legs. Hints of black cherry and plum with notes of chocolate and tobacco. Very clean finish. Definitely a keeper.

Long Dog Winery 2002 Pinot Noir

I was really hoping for more from this winery. The winery itself is quite new, but the vineyard is known for producing some excellent crops of grapes. Unfortunately, the result of this crop is quite disappointing. The wine is weak in all regards - weak colour, weak body and weak taste. As I recall, it was over-priced as well. The best that can be said about it is that it does finish quite cleanly. Pass it by.

Ridgepoint Wines 2002 Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is known as a very difficult grape, but Ridgepoint has done an admirable job. The wine is a beautiful deep burgundy colour, has decent legs and has the body of a pinot. But the most noticeable is the floral tones. The violet is immediate on the nose and follows to the mouth. A nice long finish.

I understand Ridgepoint have limited Nebbiolo vines. Lets hope the weather cooperates and they have some decent crops. Apparently Ridgepoint wants to make a name for themselves with Nebbiolo. They may very well do it if they can stay on this track.

Tinhorn Creek 2005 Oldfield's Collection

A Bucket of Wine and a Pail of Oysters

I am really a red wine fan, but I have discovered a white wine that I really love. Tinhorn Creek, Oldfield's Collection, "2 Bench" 2005. This is a complex blend from grapes grown on both benches in the South Okanagan-the eastern Black Sage Bench and the western Golden Mile Bench. This is a refreshing, lip smacking blend of Semillon 47%, Chardonnay 25%, Sauvignon Blanc 21% and Gewurztraminer 7%. Aromas of pears, tropical fruits and citrus notes with light pineapple flavors. The finish is clean. This wine will only get better with age. Now off to the back yard with my bucket of wine and my pail of oysters. Oh, did I mention that this is the perfect wine with Pacific, BC oysters?

Burrowing Owl 2004 Syrah

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, 2004 Syrah

Now this is Syrah the way it should be. I had to stand in line for this one and even at that it was only one bottle per customer. A deep ruby red in color with purple edges. An aroma of dark plums and flavors of ripe black cherries, cola, licorice and just a hint of spice. A nice lingering finish. This is a great food wine. Ready to drink now or hold onto for a couple of years. Hmmm, I know Jim has a couple of bottles in his wine cellar. Shall we head over there for one of those famous Bar-B-Ques that he's always bragging about?

Vineland Estates 2002 Reserve Meritage

A white meritage? Whodda thunk it? A beautifully crafted wine. Light amber in colour and great legs. Loads of tropical fruits - especially pineapple. A nice smooth finish. Definitely a winner.

Wine bottle deposit/refund announced

This weekend the Premier of Ontario announced that Ontario would implement a wine/liquor bottle deposit/refund system in February of 2007. Apparently, the bottles are to be returned to the beer store. Government cash grab or publicity stunt before a by-election ... you be the judge.

In any case, I guess I am going to save my empty wine bottles until February and turn them in then instead of recycling them now. I may have to hire Brinks to carry the money home.

Kacaba 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

As cheap as I am, I am always looking for a little hidden gem and I was hoping to find something special here. Beautiful dark red colour, but little legs. Some decent red fruits and a bit of a long-ish finish. Drinkable but not very memorable.

Willow Heights 1998 Chardonnay Reserve

This chardonnay is a wine you would be happy to serve guests ... and even happier to squirrel away for yourself. A beautiful gold colour. Buttery with nice oak. Taste of pear and melon. A lovely clean finish.

Willow Heights 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

I was really looking forward to this wine. A decent winery, and an excellent year for Cabs in Niagara. Nice colour but virtually no legs. Some red fruits, but washed out with no complexity. A clean finish but a real disappointment overall.

Ridgepoint Wines 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay, I know this is a young winery and I assume they have very young vines so I have tempered the review to be fair. I chose this wine to have with venison, corn-on-the-cob and brussel sprouts (all on the bbq) and stilton. Nice deep ruby colour, but less body than one would expect. Sour cherry flavour and not much complexity. A decent attempt, but needs work. Hopefully their '02s will be better. Stay tuned.