Top Wines of 2010-11
8.0 Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia) 2007 $20
8.0 Freixenet Vintage Reserva 2007 (Spain) $17
8.0 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (New Zealand) $30
8.0 Thirty Bench Small Lot Cabernet Franc 2008 (Niagara) $40
8.0 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc 2007 (Okanagan) $20
Wines scored out of 10 points.
Red Varietals
September 2010 – David
8.0 Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia) 2007 $20
Loads of green pepper and mint on the nose; smooth and nicely balanced
7.5 Chateau los Boldos Vieilles Vignes Merlot (Chile) 2007 $19
Cedar and oak bouquet, supple tannins
7.5 Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz (Australia) 2005 $17
Rich bouquet, black fruit, smooth and intense
6.5 Renwood Zinfandel 2007 $16
Light in color, cherries on the nose
6.0 Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Noir (New Zealand) 2008 $25
Unremarkable bouquet, light and fruity
6.0 Domaine du Haut des Terres Blanches Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007 $37
Light in color, red fruit nose, jammy taste; needs much more bottle time
Italian Reds
October 2010 – Michele and Ted
7.5 Tommassi Ripasso Valpolicella 2008 $19
Bouquet of hyacinths, smooth, good body, spicy and earthy
6.5 Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $17 (Chile!)
Red fruit on the nose, moderately tannic and medium bodied
6.5 Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico 2008 $20
Machine oil nose, taste of strawberries, smoooth
6.5 Sorrano Barbera d’Alba 2008 $19
Minimal bouquet, light bodied
5.5 Selva Capuzza Classico San Biagio Garda Gropello 2008 $16
Green pepper bouquet, light and acidic
5.5 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella 2006 $40
Sulphurous, sour and overly acidic
Greek and Turkish Reds and Whites
November 2010 – Louise and Neil
7.0 Naoussa Boutari Grande Reserve 2003 (Greece) $30
Blackcurrant, vanilla and coconut bouquet, liquorice notes
6.0 Selection Okuzgozu-Bogazkere 2007 (Turkey) $38
Cherries and raisins, rather tannic
6.0 Cankaya Kavaklidere white wine 2009 (Turkey) $15
Tropical fruits, grassy and citrus, unpleasant aftertaste
5.5 Ancyra Kalecik Karasi Kavaklidere 2009 (Turkey) $20
Caramel and olives on the nose with burnt sugar, concord grape taste
5.5 Archontiko Cabernet Sauvignon and Mandilaria 2006 (Greece) $12
Vanilla, smokey, tastes like toothpaste
4.0 Emery white wine (Greece) $18
Muted bouquet, flat and floppy with a bit of honey
Sparkling Wines
December 2010 – Don and Rob
8.0 Freixenet Vintage Reserva 2007 (Spain) $17
7.5 Taltarni Tache 2008 (Tasmania) $25
7.0 Roederer Estate Brut (California) $29
7.0 Louis Bouillot 2006 (France) $20
7.0 Champagne Monmarthe $42
7.0 Marquis de Haux Brut (France) $16
Cedar Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (British Columbia)
Unrated but well-liked by all for its rich taste, balance and long after-taste.
Croatian and Slovenian Reds and Whites
January 2011 – Ellen
6.5 Dveri Pax Laski Rizling 2008 (Slovenia) $13
Sweet bouquet, effervescent, light and refreshing
6.0 Postup Donja Banda 2006 (Croatia) $30
Toasty, herbal bouquet with liquorice, rich and longish aftertaste
5.5 Dveri Pax 2007 (Slovenia) $16
Floral, gewurtztraminer bouquet, sweet and flat
5.5 Kastelet Dalmacijavino 2007 (Croatia) $11
Burnt sugar and some tannins, lacks body
4.0 Grasevina Krizevci 2008 (Croatia) $12
Acetone smell, flat and insipid
3.5 Kras Teran Petelin Rogelja 2008 (Slovenia) $9
Striking nose with pepper, tastes like vinegar
Wines from Unusual Places
February 2011 – Louise and Neil (Wine supplied by John)
6.0 Drumul Vinului Feteasca Alba 2008 (Romania) $12
Citrus and flinty bouquet, sweetish but balanced
6.0 Cheateau Ksara Reserve Du Couvent 2007 (Lebanon) $12
Orange flowers and green peppers on the nose, harsh finish
5.5 LA Cetto Petite Syrah 2008 (Mexico) $12
Leathery bouquet, another harsh finish
5.0 Tiflisi Marani Alazani Valley (Georgia) $13
Honey and pineapple notes, sweetish with decent acid
5.0 Garamvari Szolobirto kIrsai Oliver (Hungary) $13
Lychees and roses, pine tar notes
3.5 Baconi Alazani Valley Semi-sweet red wine 2006 (Georgia) $12
Smells of incense, tastes of added sugar
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
March 2011 – David
8.0 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (New Zealand) $30
Classic Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, bouquet of pineapple and citrus, grassy, good acid, balance
7.0 Leopard’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (South Africa) $13
Citrus and minerals on the nose, smokey, excellent value for money
6.5 Jean-Max Roger Sancerre 2008 (France) $25
Honey and perfume on the nose, fresh
6.5 Kali Hart Chardonnay 2008 (California) $22
Sweetish, buttery and rich, tropical fruit and honey
6.0 Los Vascos Chardonnay 2009 (Chile) $14
Flinty and sweetish
6.0 Greg Norman Chardonnay 2008 (Australia) $20
Buttery bouquet, tastes flat and light-bodied, disappointing
Canadien Swill
April 2011 – Nicole & Chris
8.0 Thirty Bench Small Lot Cabernet Franc 2008 (Niagara) $40
Rich fruits, vanilla and chocolate aromas, smooth and balanced
8.0 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc 2007 (Okanagan) $20
Green pepper, plums and chocolate, opulent and delicious
7.0 Southbrook Whimsy Cabernet Franc 2007 (Niagara) $35
Toasty and leathery, vanilla and cherries
7.0 Inniskillin Legacy Cabernet Franc 2007 (Niagara) $40
Aromas of blackcurrants and plums, burnt sugar
6.0 Couly-Dutheil Clos de L’echo Chinon 2004 (Loire) $24
Smokey, flinty and chalky, tannic, unbalanced
6.0 Cattail Creek Cabernet Franc 2007 (Niagara) $18
Raspberries, soft tannins and light body
Alsatian and German (and Austrian) Whites
May 2011 – Michele & Ted
6.5 Moltes Gaentzbrunnen Riesling 2008 (Alsace) $20
Off-dry, balanced
6.5 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Riesling Spatlese 2008 (Germany) $25
Honey notes, good acid, nice dessert wine
6.0 Hafner Gruner Veltliner 2009 (Austria) $13
Light, soft and floral, sweetish
6.0 Domdechant Werner Riesling Kabinett 2008 (Germany) $19
Strong petrol/machien oil nose
5.5 Cavedeltoen Pinot Gris 2009 (Alsace) $17
Green apples and pineapple bouquet
5.0 Willm Riesling 2009 (Alsace) $16
Insipid bouquet with notes of Popeye cigarettes, disappointing