Lang Vineyards 2005 Viognier

The "Soaring Eagle" Limited Edition. "limited"? maybe that's for the best. Very pale colour. The nose promises peach, but the wine fails to deliver. Very light citrus taste with lots of acidity, but no sweetness to balance. The citrus is hard to describe. Its a bit like lemon water. Pass it by.

Lakeview Cellars 2002 Baco Noir Reserve

I decided to make a moose stew and wanted to use a Baco with the stock. I chose this wine assuming it had matured enough over the past 4 years. The best I can say about the wine is that it has a beautiful deep dark red. Tastes of cranberries and tobacco with some earthiness and a hint of chocolate. After 3 hours of breathing it was still tart - almost as though it hadn't been decanted. A disappointment.

La Frenz 2005 Alexandria

I bought this blind when I was in BC and have been looking forward to it for months. Its a Viognier blend and lives up to the winemakers reputation. Very pale colour but lots of legs - even a bit viscous. Tastes of honeydew melon, orange and some grapefruit. A hint of honey. definitely on the sweet side and very little acidity. Lovely clean honey/orange finish. If you are a Viognier fan, you are going to love this one.

Gray Monk 2005 Pinot Gris

A beautiful amber colour with tones of peach/rose. Absolutely stunning to look at. Tastes of grapefruit and peach with a hint of pear. A nice balance of sweetness with the sour, but a tad acid. Nice clean finish.

RidgePoint Wines 2002 Merlot

Ridgepoint is one of the newer wineries in Niagara. The 02 Merlot is almost invisible on the nose (hints of plum and spice), but lots of red fruit and pepper to taste. The finish is quite long. It probably needs some more time in the cellar.

Lakeview Cellars 2002 Pinot Noir Reserve

Coming soon

Thomas & Vaughan 2002 Cabernet Franc

Coming soon

Lakeview Cellars 2000 Marechal Foch

Coming soon

Stoney Ridge Estate Winery 2002 Pinot Noir

Light-bodied. A bit jammy with tastes of tobaccco, leather and black cherry. I bit of a lingering tobacco finish. Probably needs a couple of years for the tannins to develop more completely.

Peller Estates 2002 Cabernet Franc Private Reserve

Beautiful deep purple colur. Lots of sweet black fruits (plums, currants, etc.) Some spice. Medium body. A nice lingering finish.

Jackson-Triggs 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Proprieters Reserve

A beautiful deep purple colour and lots of legs. Hints of black cherry and plum with notes of chocolate and tobacco. Some pepper. Nice clean finish.

Puddicombe Estate 2001 Pinot Noir

Coming soon ...

Peller Estates 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

Pretty garnet colour and decent legs. Medium bodied with tastes of boysenberry and other red fruits. A little chocolate on the finish.

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?