Wines scored out of 10 points.
Top Wines of the Year
9.0 Ridge Lytton Springs 2000 ($50)
8.0 Ch. St. Jean Merlot 1997 ($35)
8.0 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Merlot 1997 ($25)
Red Wines of the World
September 4, 2002 – David
8.0 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Merlot (Chile) 1997 ($25)
Beautiful dark fruit and mint flavors, balanced, smooth with great finish
6.5 Geoff Merrill Shiraz (Australia) 1998 ($18)
Powerful fruity wine with cherry flavors and high alcohol
5.5 Ontanon Crianza Rioja (Spain) 1998 ($15)
Lacks bouquet, red fruit flavors but bland and somewhat acidic
5.5 Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon (South Africa) 1995 ($28)
Woody bouquet, slightly acidic, disappointing comppared with previous tasting; passed its prime
5.0 Domaine Catherine le Goeuil Cairanne (Rhone Valley) 2000 ($16)
Musty, leathery bouquet, dry and tannic, will age well
2.0 Iniskillin Cabernet Franc (Ontario) 2000 ($12)
Grassy and damp leaf bouquet and taste, unpleasant and almost undrinkable
NOTE: According to the LCBO Product Information Source, this wine has “creamy vanilla oak and red berries (which) carry through from nose to palate without a trace of herbceousness. Silky and smooth, beautifully balanced, this is a Franc to thrill Merlot-lovers”.
Eastern European Reds
October 2, 2002 – Michele and Ted
6.5 Ch. Ksara Cabernet Sauvignon (Lebanon) 1998 ($21)
Minty, balanced, supple tannins, good finish, would benefit from cellaring
6.0 Vinakoper Merlot (Slovenia) 1999 ($8)
Pleasant with velvety tannins but thin, musty
6.0 Domaine Boyar Gamza Red Wine (Bulgaria) 2000 ($7)
Acidic, some tannins, spicy, musty
5.5 Eyr Kek Francos Red Wine (Hungary) 1999 ($7)
Grassy and machine oil bouquet, tastes like cold potatoes, a true Bukavar
5.5 Cricova Acorex Cabernet Sauvignon (Moldova) 1999 ($8)
Velvety tannins but watery and weak
5.5 Cambas Cabernet Sauvignon (Greece) 1999 ($10)
Red fruit bouquet, weak and acidic, leathery, no tannins
Riesling
November 6, 2002 – Jane and Justin
6.5 St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling (Germany) 2000 ($16)
Burnt toast bouquet, slightly acidic and effervescent, lime taste
5.5 Konzelman Riesling (Canada) 2000 ($10)
Tropical and citrus bouquet, weak body and finish
5.5 Inniskillin Riesling (Canada) 2000 ($10)
Pineapple and floral bouquet, simple pleasant sipper
5.5 Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve (Canada) 1999 ($12)
Tropical fruit bouquet, unpleasant aftertaste
5.0 Baron de Hoen Riesling (Germany) 2000 ($15)
Musty burnt toast bouquet, good acid, slightly fizzy
4.5 Freie Weingartner Wachaw Riesling (Austria) 2000 ($10)
Medicinal, sour and citrusy
BYO Reds
December 4, 2002 – Suzanne and John
8.0 Ch. St. Jean Merlot (California) 1997 ($35)
Chocolate and vanilla bouquet, war, smooth and balanced
7.0 RH Phillips Syrah (California) 1999 ($18)
Red fruit and herbal bouquet, caramel, slightly acidic
6.5 George Duboeuf Merlot (France) 2001 ($9)
Minty and chocolatey, tannic and slightly rough
6.5 Ch. La Cardonne (France) 1995 ($25)
Musty, spicy, some tannins, elegant and balanced
6.0 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Coastal (California) 1998 ($20)
Herbal and minty, acidic
3.0 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pap (France) 1990 ($15)
Sour, mouldy pickle, burnt rubber bouquet, tastes like a wety dog
Brandies
January 15, 2003 – Rita and Igor
8.0 Hine Antique Cognac (France) ($130)
Fruity
7.5 Courvoisier Cognac VSOP (France) ($70)
Smooth
7.0 Armagnac de Montal (France) 1983 ($89)
Nutty, butterscotch, dry and rough
6.5 RMS Pinot Noir 10 yo brandy (California) ($81)
Unidimensional
South American Reds
February 10, 2003 – Louise and Neil
6.5 Miguel Torres Santa DIgna Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) 2001 ($13)
Fruity and herbal, smooth and balanced
5.5 Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco Viejas Vinas (Chile) 1998 ($35)
Smoked oysters, tannic
5.5 Santa Ines Enigma Reserva Malbec (Chile) 2000 ($22)
Black cherries, oaky and tannic
5.5 Trumpeter Malbec (Argentina) 2000 ($13)
Fruity, caramel, toffy, balanced
5.5 Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Carmenera (California) 2001 ($17)
Herbal, rubber boot, eucalyptus, bad aftertaste
4.0 LA Cetto Barbera (Mexio) 2000 ($9)
Chocolate and olives, light, astringent, unusual aftertaste
Lesser Bordeaux
March 5, 2003 – Suzanne and John
6.5 Ch. du Cartillon Cru Bourgeois (Haut Medoc) 1999 ($20)
Redcurrants, earthy, acidic, good tannins
6.0 Ch. Canada (Cubzac-les-ponts) 1999 ($15)
Earthy, thin, somewhat acidic
6.0 Ch. de Terrefort-Quancard (Cubzac-les-ponts) 1998 ($15)
Greenpeppers and mint, coffee ground aftertaste
5.0 Ch. Timberlay (Cubzac-les-ponts) 2000 ($13)
Grassy, herbal bouquet, peppery, good tannins
5.0 Ch. des Laurets (St. Emillion) 1999 ($19)
Chocolate bouquet, rough
5.0 Ch. Puyfromage (Lussac) 2000 ($14)
Gooseberries, sour and tart
BYO Whites
April 2, 2003 – Jane and Justin
7.0 Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre 2000 ($19)
Pineapple and citrus notes
7.0 Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc 2002 ($16)
Abundant perfume
7.0 Wolf Blas Chardonnay 2001 ($20)
Buttery with burnt toast and lemon flavors
5.5 Geyser Peak Chardonnay 2001 ($20)
5.0 Conundrum 2001 ($40)
Peaches and tropical fruits with floral nootes; lacking in acid for balance
Zinfandel
April 7, 2003 – David
9.0 Ridge Lytton Springs 2000 ($50)
Dark red fruits with chocolate notes, smooth, plush, long finish
7.0 Cline 2001 ($17)
Menthol, herbs and grassy, rough mouth feel
7.0 Mondavi Woodbridge 2000 ($13)
6.5 Wolf Blas Cabernet Sauvignon (Yellow label) 2001 ($17)
Red fruit, rich, smooth, little tannin
6.5 Fetzer Valley Oaks 2000 ($15
5.5 Talus 2000 ($12)