Poderi Colla Nebbiolo d'Alba 2003

She's smiling, and you should be smiling too, if you can find any of this wine left in the stores. It's a Nebbiolo d'Alba - the little brother (or sister, judging from the label) of the great Barolo and Barbaresco. It's the same grape (Nebbiolo), and from the same general region (Alba), but not from the especially favoured sites that are the home of these two more famous wines. While this does not have the flavours and complexity of a good Barolo, it's a great buy nonetheless. If you have ever wondered what a Barolo is like, but you haven't been willing to shell out the $50+ to find out, this has characteristic Nebbiolo flavours at very reasonable price. Also, apart from any comparison with Barolo, this is excellent value at the price, especially if you prefer an old-world style. But if you want to try it, hurry, as there isn't a lot left. I'm only posting this because I already bought a case for myself.

Price: $19.99
Region: Peidmont
Grapes: Nebbiolo
UPC: 836951000185

Velenosi Lacrima Di Morro d'Alba 2008

This is a very distinctive wine that will probably provoke love-it-or-hate-it reactions. I think 86 is a fair score, but I expect some people will like it a lot more than that, others will like it less. If you're looking for something interesting and different, this is a good choice at the price.


--- Kelly's Review ---

Lacrima di Morro is a grape variety grown only in Morro d’Alba, a tiny wine appellation in the Marches region of Italy.  DOC regulations require that the wine must be at least 85% Lacrima di Morro, with Montepulciano and Verdicchio together permitted to comprise up to 15%.

This particular example of the variety is very distinctive.  The nose is ripe and fruity, mostly lychee, blueberries, roses, and a hint of menthol.  The flavours are clear and bright and nicely balanced.  It’s not a complicated wine, but I don’t expect complicated for $15.

I tasted this with a group, and there was substantial agreement on the flavour profile, and also on which grape varieties the wine most resembled.  We all tasted it blind, and most guessed that it was a Grenache, a Pinot Noir, a Zinfandel, or possibly an extremely atypical Cabernet Sauvignon.

It’s great value at the price.  I suspect that its bright fruitiness would go well with spicy bbq.

Price: $15.29
Score: 86
Value: 4/5
Region: Marches, Italy
Grapes: Lacrima di Morro
UPC:  666056000236

Monte Antico Toscana 2006

I was surprised to see this little gem in ANBL when I popped in the other day.  Kelly and I drove to North Carolina for a cycling vacation this spring and we stopped at New Hampshire Liquor on our way down.  The Monte Antico was advertised as #61 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2009, and the blurb was something to the effect that it was the best value wine on the whole list.  For only $11, we had to give it a try.  And it was a winner.  Very well balanced, medium to full bodied, with bright fruit and soft tannins.  WS gave it a 90.  I’m not sure I’d go quite that high, but somewhere in that ball park is about right.  At $11 it was a off the charts for value – it’s the best $13 red I can recall.  At $19 from ANBL, it’s still good value. 

Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
$18.79
4/5

Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2006

I had this wine a few days ago, and my memory isn’t as sharp as I would like, but I loved this wine and I can’t let it go without blogging.  Cannonau is the name for Grenache in Sardinia.  This wine is very much in the old world style.

 It is moderate in alcohol (13.5%), medium bodied and medium coloured.  It bears no resemblance at all to the jammy style of Australian Grenache based wines.  The nose is reserved, but interesting, and I found it beautifully balanced on the palate, with good length and a distinct aftertaste of chocolate.  Kelly found it to be too astringent the first time she tried it, but she had been drinking something sweeter just before.  I mention it by way of saying that this is not a lush wine.  I am not as familiar with Grenache based Châteauneuf-du-Pape as I would like to be, but I found it more elegant and much more interesting than impressive that the Gigondas I have had at a similar price.  I wouldn’t have been disappointed to have paid $40+ for this wine – in fact, it reminds me quite a lot of the Bocca di Lupo.  There is not much left in the province.  If you like an old world style, give it a try and let us know if you like it as much as I do.  But be warned – if you like a lush, ‘big’ new world style, this wine is not for you.

$24.29
Score: 91+
Value: 5/5
Grape: Grenache
UPC 8006725100256

PS - I gave it a 91+ because I'm having a hard time dealing with score inflation / compression.  Jamie Goode has a very interesting post on the subject.

Pio Cesare Barolo 1998

This is the second of Iron Chef’s New Year’s wines.  I have a particular interest in this one, as I have a number of bottles of the 2001 Ornato in my cellar – it’s reassuring to know the normale is aging so well.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Colour- very lightly coloured pale red to orange-ish rim.
Nose: Very Earthy, newer leather, warm oak notes. Stewed Cranberries. Fresh anise and dried flowers. Some hot alcohol aromas.
Taste: A tannic attack to the back of the jaw. Still tasted young. Fresh herbs of Mint, Rosemary and green peppercorns. Very earthy on the palate- like a forest floor- not a barnyard. Dried Cranberry fruit. Very Long finish. Decanted 90 mins.

14%, Alba Italy, Nebbiolo

Newfoundland LC Clearance Oct 2009 $49.95
Value 5/5
Score 96

Primitivo del Salento Classica IGT, Cantele

Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope the new year's festivities haven't turned you off wine, because we have a review of a good value red from peanutman to start off the year.

— Peanutman’s Review —

I've discovered in 2009 two different types of grapes that I really like, one being the Petit Verdot and the other the Primitivo. I'd rate this one the same as the Farnese (which is no longer available), but I would say this one was a little better. It had a spicy, flowery and cherry smell. It was an easy drinking wine, with a little spiciness to it and just enough tannins not to be overpowering. Nice wine to drink by itself.

Price $15.49
Value: 4.5/5
Score: 88
UPC: 8009015033425

Michelino Veglio Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba 2007

It's not so often now that we have a varietal that hasn't yet made an appearance on this blog, but this Dolcetto is one. Dolcetto is the third grape of Piedmont, after Nebbiolo and Barbera. It is meant to make wines for early drinking, soft, with flavours of cherry. Unfortunately this example had a nose of Ozonol (phenol) and a sour finish. I suppose you might imagine the finish was sour cherries, but cherries or not, it wasn’t particularly appealing. An interesting contrast with the Nebbiolo d’Alba from the same producer.

Price: $15.49
Value: 2/5
Score: 83
Region: Italy, Piedmont
Grape: Dolcetto
UPC: 877559000702

Cantele Alticelli 2008

Oz Clarke calls Fiano an "extremely interesting" southern Italian grape that at its best is weighty and honeyed with flowers and spice. I'm afraid I didn't get much of that. I had this at the same party as the Cister da Ribera, which was a hands down favourite over Alticelli. Again, the notes are sketchy, but this came across as a fairly nondescript white wine with a bit of a sour finish. Drinkable, but not more.

Price: $21.29
Value 2/5
Score: 85
Region: Italy, Salento
Grape: Fiano
UPC: 8009015040508

Michelino Veglio Nebbiolo d‘Alba 2005

The most interesting wines on Iron Chef’s list don’t seem to be available in F’ton, but a selection from the Wine Expo has made its way here. This Nebbiolo d’Alba looked interesting, so I picked it up for a dinner party last night. I can only give general impressions, since I was drinking it at a party, but I was very pleased with what it delivered. The nose was delightful - distinctly floral (it would be traditional to say roses, knowing it is a Nebbiolo, but I will just leave it at ‘floral’) with bright fruit - cherries. Recognizably Nebbiolo. The structure was very clean and drinkable - the tannins were subdued and enough acidity to make it crisp without being too sharp. It didn’t have the leather / tar and richer floral notes that are associated with a good Barolo. Maybe those will come with age - or not. In any event, it’s not a Barolo, and it's not priced like one, so you can’t ask too much. This is distinctive, well made and reasonably priced. I think I’ll get a few more bottles for everyday drinking.


Price: $18.79
Value 4/5
Score: 88
Region: Italy, Piedmont
Grape: Nebbiolo
UPC: 877559000405

Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2006

I thought this was a new grape to me - but according to Oz Clarke, it is just the Sardinian name for Grenache.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Decanted for 45 minutes.
Never had a wine from Sardinia before. The grape is the original Grenache that was later imported to Rhone and other places. This winery has been producing this wine since 1899.

Nose: Leather, earth, barnyard and root vegetables. Some oak and orange liquor notes. Rose petals and Port-like oxidized aromas.
Taste: Rustic. Sour cherries, menthol and dusty tannins. Cloves and black tea. Tastes like an austere Chianti. Chalky acidity. The palate is hollow in spots. Delicate tastes.
Overall the nose was much better than the taste. There just wasn't enough fruit to support the dusty tannins, felt unbalanced and hollow. Interesting to try.

PS Robert Noel's wine of the week.


Price: $24.29
Value: 2/5
Score: 83
Grape: Cannonau / Grenache
Region: Italy, Sardinia
Alcohol: 13.5%
UPC: 8006725100256

Monte Antico 2006

Good reviews, bad reviews, mediocre reviews - they're all helpful. Here is one of the latter.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

I recently got an email about this wine rating it 90 pts from WS and I thought it would be fun to try.

Nose- Earthy, mushrooms and caramel. Some bright cherry fruit mixed in with oak.

Taste- Nice earthy favours with good oak. Restrained cherries with chocolate and coffee tastes. Some hollowness in the mid-palate. The finish was longer than expected.

Overall- The earthy aromas promised a better wine than the palate delivered. I still liked the wine, didn't love it. If I was going to spend $20 on this, I should have spent and extra $6 on Tommasi Ripasso Valpolicella or the Nipozzano Riserva.

Price: $18.79
Score 86
Value 2.5/5
Region: Tuscany
Grape: Sangiovese, Cab, Merlot (12.5%)

Montalto Nero D'Avola/Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

A nice thing about focusing on ANBL wines is that we can revisit the same wines from one year to the next. Michelle much didn’t like the 2004 vintage of this wine, but Peter says the 2008 is a solid pasta wine and good value at the price. Difference of vintage, or just a difference in taste? If you try it, let us know what you think.

— Peter’s Review —

Nose: Rather subtle nose. Offering up just a tease of floral notes and some
indistinct red fruit.

Taste: Very light body, some vibrant red fruit up front. Noteworthy pronounced acidity, that is kept completely in check and balanced. Background tannins that you get with some prolonged swishing on the palate. Not a whole lot of complexity. Disappears quickly. It paired nicely with a traditional meat lasagna and the usual sides (salad and bread). Overall nice flavor. Not a thinking (wo)man's wine, but enjoyable none-the-less. No heat detectable as in other vintages reviewed.

Commentary: There have been reviews of prior vintages of this wine and some interesting discussion in the comments on this site. One person noted that it got 4th place in the 'killer value' section of this years 'Wine Access' awards amongst hundreds of entries. A rather rare find, in that it is a lighter bodied red that doesn't taste watered down or just nasty. And rare in that it is <$15 and still is balanced and food friendly. I'd keep one around for weeknight pasta meals.

Price: $11.79
Rating: 87
Value: 5/5
Region: Sicily
UPC: 8030423000754

Castello Banfi Sant'Antimo Cum Laude 2004

We had this wine blind at a friend’s house last week. This is a change for me as I usually pick the wine from the cellar, so I rarely get to taste blind (while Kelly often does - which is why she is so much better than I am at identifying the wine.)

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah. The style was the nice balance between old world and new that the Italians do so well - I guessed it as either Australian or Italian. I also guessed it was a Cab, while Kelly picked it as having Sangiovese.

After that build up, I have to say that unfortunately, I can’t really give this wine a proper review. It tasted distinctly, though not overwhelmingly, of the astringent taste that sometimes mars a Cab for me. I’m particularly sensitive to this taste. I remember having a Cab one night with about eight other people. Two of us found this taste made the Cab undrinkable, one person could taste it, but it didn’t bother her much, and the other five were completely oblivious to it. Bottom line - I didn’t enjoy this wine much, but I don’t want to blame the wine.

Kelly’s notes are brief as this was a dinner party: “Berries, plums, cedar, wool. A bit hot on the nose. Nice on the palate, finishing with firm tannins.” She rated it 91.

Has anyone else noticed this issue with Cabs? Because of this issue, I’m not going to give it my own score or value rating - I'll just give Kelly's.

Price: $45.99
Score: 91
Value: 3/5
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah
UPC: 8015674440764

Masi Modello delle Venezie Rosato (Rosé) 2006

This review should be labelled "taking one for the team." I was at ANBL looking for the Dr. Loosen that Iron Chef and Michelle liked. Then I saw this wine and mused about how rosés is underappreciated and a great summer wine etc., so I decided to buy this instead. In a rosé I hope for the fruit of a red and the crispness of a white. Instead I got not much nose and a sour medicinal taste. I was going to blast the wine, but then when I went to write up this note I realized that this was a 2006 - very old for an inexpensive rosé. I think these wines are usually meant to drink immediately on release. I suspect this wine isn't that bad, it's just over the hill. This is two years older than the current vintage at SAQ. ANBL really should have put it on sale at the end of the first year rather than holding over the excess stock. I'll score it without taking that into account - this blog is about wine that we can get here at ANBL, and over the hill is how we're getting it. But keep in mind that the score isn't necessarily a reflection of the inherent quality of the wine.

Price: $14.79
Score: 78
Value: 1/5
Region: Italy
Grape: Refosco and others
UPC: 8002062001706

Fontodi Syrah Case Via 2003

This review is short but sweet.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Tated with Cmacdonald July 25, 2009.
Appearance: clear and clean, mod-strong purple.
Aroma: game-y, spicy, coconut, dark chocolate. Pleasant, intense and complex. Raw steak. Reminded me of aussie shiraz. Wow.
Taste: lots of acidity, chocolate, coconut, dark cherries, rich. Long finish-- Great Wine.

Price: $38.00 (sale price) - no longer available
Value: 5/5
Score: 95
Alcohol: 14%
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Tasted: July 2009

2004 Montalto Nero d'Avola/Cabernet Sauv.

Here's one for Peter, who seems to like the negative reviews.

--- Michelle's Review ---

Have you ever tried a wine that you really hoped would be a good review? I really wanted to like this wine. It had all the right "ingredients" for a good review. But I came away with mixed emotions. I think it’s the style of wine. I truly believe I do not like the "hot afterglow" on my palette or the alcohol. Something tells me that this is typical of warmer climate wines. The wine and the grape are from Sicily. It’s a blend of Nero d'Avoloa (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%). At one time they used the Nero d'Avoloa grape to bump up some for their weaker reds. Some say it compares to a Shiraz. It does have the peppery, black currant flavor but I cannot get past the alcohol. I tried this wine on more than one occasion and now believe that I really don't like it. Its in the value price range and I had hoped I could add this one to the Value List. Perhaps this wine really does need food to mellow it out or bring out some other nuances. Occasionally you do come across one that does. I could picture it with pasta and a bold red sauce or perhaps a nicely grilled steak. Don't take my word for it. Some people like that afterglow. I didn't like the Stump Jump for that reason but others do.

Price: $11.79
Value: 3/5
Rating: 75
Grape: Nero d'Avola/Cabernet Sauv
Region: Italy (Sicily)
UPC: 8030423000754

A-mano Primitivo 2007

While this wine doesn't sound so good, the burnt rubber taste sounds interesting. Google revealed that there has been a recent major controversy about a burnt rubber taste in South African wines. In the end (spoiler alert) it seems the taste isn't confined to South Africa - it is probably a sulfur compound formed as a result of poor winemaking.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

I had this wine many moons ago from the SAQ and really liked it, I was happy to see it at ANBL under a new screw cap.
Nose: Leafy notes- like tobacco. Hot berries in syrup, blueberries I think. Some resiny wood also.
Taste: Blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Gravely tannins. Some stemmy notes. And something that I didn't care for, it took me an hour to figure it out- Rubber bands or burnt rubber. I dislike that taste in wines. Not sure of the cause, but I will avoid it.
Overall, it was a disappointment; I would not buy this again. Rubber bands are not something I look for in a wine.

Price: $17.99
Score: 70
Value: 1/5
Region: Southern Italy- Puglia
Alochol: 13.5%
UPC: 726452003771

Pasqua Pinot Grigio 2008

With the first bit of sun in ages (we had this on Wednesday), I wanted a crisp light wine to go with my bbq’d salmon. This fit the bill. It was well made and fresh with a critrusy nose. A little flabby, so we preferred it quite cold - I popped in an ice cube and it was nicely refreshing.

Price: $12.79
Score: 85
Value: 3/5
Region: Italy
Alcohol: 12%
UPC: 8007880542509

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino 2007

This review takes us back to the value priced summer wines.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Gord Stemmell recommended this from his column with the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/648102
Nose: Very fragrant- Hay+ Melon+ Kiwi. Nice nose.
Palate: Tropical fruits and wet stone. Great taste. Feels somewhat Fizzy on the palate. Has more acidity that expected.
Overall: Fun wine for summer. Good with food. One of the better examples of this grape I have had. I really liked it. I like the frizzy acidity also.

Price: $13.79
Score: 89+
Value: 4/5
Region: Italy
Alcohol: 12.5%
UPC: 8004305000088

Villa Antinori Rosso 2004

Peanutman to the rescue! We’ve had a bit of a dry spell for reviews recently. We were away on vacation and I was away for a week on business. And the weather is getting warm enough that we’re just between red and white wine season – it’s that weird time we call “beer season.” Thankfully Peanutman is still drinking wine. Here is his review of the Villa Antinori Rosso

— Peanutman’s Review —

This wine has a nice red fruit bouquet and I think one could spend a lot of time simply smelling the wine. The taste was somewhat like ripened cherries with raspberry. I thought there was a little bit of pepper at the end but I could be wrong. In my books this was a very good italian wine for the price. The mix is Sangiovese (60%), Cab Sauv (20%), Merlot (15%) and Syrah (5%). I would say that it was medium bodied, some nice light tannins with a medium finish. Conclusion; a very enjoyable wine.

Price: $31.49
Score: 89
Value: 4.5/5
Region: Italy, Tuscany
Grape: Sangiovese blend
UPC: 8001935001522