Wines scored out of 10 points.
Top Wines of the Year
8.0 Bouchard Père Et Fils Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 2005 ($87)
8.0 Chateau Duhart-Milon 2003 Chateau Pontet-Canet 2004
8.0 Chateau Latour 2004 Chateau Baron de Pichon-Longueville 1988
8.0 Tedeschi Amarone 2003 $38
8.0 Coopers Creek Chardonnay 2006 $17
8.0 Palladino Barolo Riserva S. Bernado DOCG 1999 $60
Pinot Noir and Rhone Valley Reds
September 19, 2007 – David
8.0 Bouchard Père Et Fils Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 2005 ($87)
Blackberry nose, sweet, intense and balanced. Rich, good finish.
7.0 Clos Du Calvaire Châteauneuf-Du-Pape 2003 ($35)
Complex, smoked meat bouquet, moderate tannins, complex.
7.0 Delas Les Launes Crozes-Hermitage 2004 ($25)
Mint and sulphur on the nose, spicy.
6.5 Shepherds Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004 (New Zealand) ($25)
Cherries, well balanced.
6.0 Cono Sur Visión Pinot Noir 2006 (Chile) ($16)
Sweetish, red fruit, good finish.
4.5 Andre Brunel Côtes-Du-Rhone 2004 ($17)
Sulphurish nose, spicy, not well-liked.
BYO Whites
October 17, 2007 – Ellen
7.5 Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc (Chile) ($12)
Lemon and faint pear nose. Good acid and lively, bouncy taste, with good finish
7.5 Anakena, Viognier (Chile) ($17)
Apricot, guava, fruit, rich nose. Acidic and balanced
7.0 Backsberg Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa) ($13)
Faint gasoline nose. Acidic taste, but balanced
7.0 Tarapaca Sauvignon Blanc (Chile) ($10)
Slightly sweet, soft nose. Good flavour
6.0 Yalumba Viognier 2006 (Australia) ($16)
Pear nose, balanced, with good finish, but light on finish
6.0 Clos Blanc, Domaine Wardy (Lebanon) ($16)
Pear nose, light taste, with weak finish, good for deck, or hot day
Zinfandel and Merlot
November 21, 2007 – Louise and Neil
7.5 Van Ruiten Zinfandel 2004 ($19)
Leather and cedar nose. Well balanced.
7.0 Shafer Merlot 2004 ($62)
Nice ripe tannins gives backbone, caramel on the nose. Good finish.
7.0 Beringer Merlot 2004 ($29)
More cedar and leather with some green pepper bouquet.
6.0 Alder Brook Zinfandel 2002 ($27)
Quite a vegetal, green peppery nose, fruity, slightly sour aftertaste.
6.0 Gallot Frei Ranch Zinfandel 2003 ($35)
More green peppers, thin but fruity, slightly sweet.
5.0 Barefoot Merlot Non-vintage ($10)
Jammy, smooth and citrus notes, but insipid.
Bordeaux
December 12, 2007 – Ellen, Don, Rob
8.0 Chateau Duhart-Milon 2003
Mushrooms and moss on the nose; rich with coffee notes; black fruit, good finish
8.0 Chateau Pontet-Canet 2004
Fruity bouquet, chocolate, good finish.
8.0 Chateau Latour 2004
Menthol and green pepper bouquet, good tannins, good finish
8.0 Chateau Baron de Pichon-Longueville 1988
Loads of coffee and leather on the nose, barnyary bouquet, long finish
7.0 Chateau malescot St. Exupery 2003
Green pepper on the nose, fruity
7.0 Chateau Pichon Longueville 2002
Plums and berries on the nose, mineral notes, some acid
Non-Champagne Methode Champenoise Sparkling Wine
January 9, 2008 – Ellen, Don, Rob
7.5 Krimsekt 2002 (Ukraine) $19
7.5 Jacobs Creek (Australia) $14
7.0 Mumm Napa Brut Prestige (California) $28
7.0 Franciacorta Villa Brut 2003 (Italy) $36
7.0 Jansz (Australia) $25
6.5 Trius Brut (Ontario) $23
Mixed Reds
February 13, 2008 – Louise and Neil
7.0 Catena Malbec 2005 (Argentina) $20
Salami on the nose, smooth
7.0 Muga Rioja 2003 (Spain) $41
Rich and fruity, good finish
7.0 Nemea Driopi 2005 (Greece) $18
Dark, rich black fruit, rough aftertaste
6.5 Cedro do Noval Douro Doc 2004 (Portugal) $25
Acidic, harsh tannins, off-putting aftertaste
6.0 Reine Didion Pinot Noir 2005 (Tunisia) $14
Lots of green pepper on the nose
2.0 Egervin Egri Bikaver 2005 (Hungary) $8
Smells like an ashtray, long, sour, unpleasant aftertaste
Atypical Reds
March 26, 2008 – Michele and Ted
8.0 Tedeschi Amarone 2003 $38
Bouquet of artichokes and leather; rather tannic, slightly sweet
7.5 Vina Hermina Rioja 2003 $18
Eucalyptus and green pepper
7.0 Errazuriz Carmenere 2006 $14
Rich, leathery bouquet, tannic and smokey
7.0 Catena Malbec 2005 $20
Salami nose, smooth and spicy
6.5 Kanonkop Kadette 2005 $18
Mint and green pepper bouquet, oaky
6.0 Renato Corino Barolo 2003 $41
Undistinguished and tannic, probably too young to drink
Chardonnay
April 9, 2008 – Suzanne and John
8.0 Coopers Creek Chardonnay 2006 $17
Pineapples!
7.5 Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2006 $16
Lemons!
6.5 Bouchard Pere et Fils Pouilly-Fuisse 2006 $27
Lemons!
6.5 Georges Duboeuf Macon-Villages 2006 $14
Tropical fruits and flowers!
6.0 Venerables Chablis 2004 $22
More tropical fruit!
5.5 Louise Latour Ardeche 2005 $11
Sweetish, flattish!
Italian Reds
May 14, 2008 – David
8.0 Palladino Barolo Riserva S. Bernado DOCG 1999 $60
7.0 Banfi Brunello d Montalcino 2002 $69
7.0 Terra D’Aligi Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2005 $21
7.0 Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Valpolicello 2005 $21
6.5 Volpaia Chianti Classico DOCG 2005 $22
6.0 Fontanafredda Barbera Briccotondo 2006 $16
Pineapples!