Vina Chocalan Carmenere 2008

Every wants good wine at a great price.  Looks like this one doesn't quite make the grade.  Oh well, we'll just have to keep looking.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Nose- Green peppercorns, Veggies, Bell & Chile Peppers, Twigs and Burnt Marshmallows.
Taste- very heavy and syrupy. Capsium in a Cherry Slurpee.
Overall- a good Carmenere for the price, but no different than the Casillero del Diablo, Errazuriz, G7 Reserva at that price point. The real values are in the PNKT or the Sunrise Carm.

Value 2.5/5
Score 85
Price: $13.49
Chile, Maipo
Alcohol 14%
UPC #7804603660455

Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 2005

I too have been turned to the white side lately.  Here is peanutman's tale:

--- peanutman's review ---

Can't believe I'm drinking more whites than reds lately, but I like experience. Reds start back this Thursday with a Super Tuscan for my 41st Bday. Here is a wine that I loved, but for those reading please take into consideration that I don't know much about white wines.

Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 2005. Value 5 out of 5, score 92. $14.29 for a 375 ml. I have never paid more than $18 for a white, but this was well worth the money.

In the latest Tidings magazine, they give the 2006 a score of 90 and describe it as such: Bouquet is fresh, yet with complex citrus, honey and spicy notes. (My take on the 05, grapefruit and honey). Displays similar finesse on the refreshingly light palate, with lingering sensations of honeyed sweetness and deftly balanced acidity. Bears an extraordinary resemblance to Sauternes. My take on the 05 is pretty much the same but I'm not certain about the acidity. If this is what a Sauternes tastes like, I will have to try one. Not that I know what heaven tastes like, nevertheless this was heaven in my mouth. BTW, this has a beautiful golden color.

Mission Hill S.L.C. Syrah 2004

Things have been quiet on the blog lately - I've mostly been drinking wine out of my cellar, so I haven't had a lot of new stuff to blog about.  So I'm going to bend the rules a bit with this review from Peter.  The Mission Hill SLC Syrah isn't currently available at ANBL, but many wines from Mission Hill are, including others in the SLC series, so I figure that's close enough. 



--- Peter's Review ---

This one is not available in New Brunswick, but I see a few of Mission Hill's
S.L.C and Oculus wines are, so it might be a nice relative comparison.

Nose - Initially plush floral aromas, a distinct chocolate hint, with delicious
raspberry reduction scents were very attractive. With some air it became chock
full of vanilla and a less delightful soapy raspberry smell.

Taste- medium-full body with a good structure.  The tannins were there, but well
integrated into the backbone.  No heat.  Well balanced with hints of good
acidity. There was a raspberry and cherry flavor throughout, and later with air
a significant dose of oaky vanilla.  It hinted at some earthiness, but hard to
pull out.  It has a freshness that was enjoyable.

Overall a nice wine.  Not a great value. But enjoyable none-the-less. I long
debated when to drink this one, and figured six years old would be a safe time.
This was based upon the initial recommendation from the sommellier in Kelowna,
as well as a few reviews on cellartracker.  I presume it was as good as any
time to drink.

Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Price: ~$35 at fine wine boutique in Kelowna
Value 3/5
Score: 88+ points

Concha y Toro Trio Chardonnay blend 2007

Here’s a good value white from a well-known producer – a bit surprising that it’s no longer available at ANBL.  Perhaps they’re simply out of stock, since 2007 seems to be the current release.  In that case we can look forward to the 2008 next summer.

— Peanutman’s review —

I'm not too much into white wines. I like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, but other whites are not very appealing to me, especially when too dry. I'll have to expand on my tastes when summer roles around. I remember buying the Trio with the Sauvignon Blanc and another that had Chardonnay for my birthday bash last year. I was really surprised with the Chardonnay version and found it better than the Sauvignon Trio. I guess I bought another bottle of the Chardonnay trio as I found one in my little cellar this past weekend. Really good wine for the price. The colour is pale yellow with some greenish tints. The aromas are of fresh fruit, a little bit of lemon and lime, but what I noticed mostly was honey. The taste is fruity and fresh, a little acidic (especially with salted pretzels)but with good structure. I forgot it in the fridge for a couple of days and it was still good on day three. Good value for money in my book but not available at NBLC anymore. 

Price:$15.79 (no longer listed)
Value: 5 / 5
Grape: Chardonnay (70%), Pinot Grigio (15%), Pinot Blanc (15%)

Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz Bin 28 1998

It’s not so long ago that I started building a cellar, so it’s only now that I’m starting to drink some wines that have been cellared for a few years.  This Bin 28 illustrates that older is not necessarily better. This is from the middle of the Penfolds range – the current release is almost $40 in NB – and as I recall, 1998 was supposed to be a very good year, yet this wine didn’t show particularly well.  It was well balance and well made, but the fruit had faded and it there wasn’t a lot of complexity to replace it.  Still enjoyable, but at least a couple of years past its peak.  A solid 88 nonetheless.  It’s not fair to give it a value score.  If you have any of these in your cellar, drink up.

South Australia, Shiraz
Price: $38.29 (current release)
UPC: 012354071834

Casillero del Diablo Gewurtztraminer 2008

I love Gewurz – along with Riesling, it turned me on to white wine.  A decent Gewurz for $14 sounds like a good find.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Nose - wet Stones, Tropical Fruit- lychees, Passion Fruit and Mango. Lime Leaves.
Taste- Mango+ Passion Fruit gelato. Minerally acidy. But some soapy mouth feel that disappeared with Stacy's Jerk Chicken.
Overall- Better than the rest of the New World Gewurtz that are in ANBL, but falls short of the more expensive ones from Alsace like the Pierre Sparr or Ribeauville, but I haven't tried the Sumac Ridge yet.

Chile- Maule Valley, 13.5%
95% Gewurtztraminer, 5% Riesling
Value: 4/5
Score: 87
Price: $13.79
UPC: 7804320127217

Bonterra Chardonnay 2007

For immediate purposes, this is the most useful of Iron Chef’s New Year’s wines; a good chardonnay at a reasonable price that (unlike the other New Year’s wines) is still widely available.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Nose: Butter, Oak, Pear, Nutmeg and Cinnamon
Taste: Pear and Melon with a nice spicy edge of Nutmeg/Cinnamon and Cumin. The finish was very creamy and full.
Overall: A very dependable Lobster wine

California- Mendocino
13.5%
Price: $21.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 89
UPC: 082896780419

Chateau Giscours 1981

Here is the highlight of Iron Chef’s New Year’s wines – “the finest wine I have ever tasted.” Originally purchased in NB, about 25 years ago.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Colour: Brick coloured core to a yellow rim with lots of browns in between.
Nose: Dried spices like cloves and bay leaves. Dried leather. Dried Flowers. Dried Tobacco.  Surprising Red Licorice fruit for a older wine. Someone from the tasting said it smelled like Saddle soap- not sure what that smells like.
Taste- Very smooth - tannins still present. More dried favours of Leather, Tobacco, spices and Cherries. Interesting notes of a Truffle Olive oil. Had a creamy butterscotch finish.
Overall- We have tasted a number of late '70s, early '80s Bordeaux and this was the best yet, the wine was still very favourful and had surprising Tannins and fruit - probably the finest wine I have tasted. Decanted 45 minutes.

Bordeaux- Margaux
12.5%
Score: Tough to quantify with a number

Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2006

I see the word “vanilla” appears many times in this review.  Doesn’t sound like my kind of wine, which is good to know - the mediocre reviews are as useful as the raves.

— Peanutman’s Review —

Smell - At the start, it was wonderful. Very blackberry(ish) with a hint of vanilla. Four hours later, very vanilla(ish) with a hint of blackberry. It was nicer at the start.

Taste - Very much a Chilean fruit bomb Cab at the start with a hint of vanilla. Decent tannins with a medium length finish. After four hours, same as the smell as it became very vanilla(ish), but it had a longer finish. It seemed smoother, a little less fruit bombish and a little better. For a wine that spent 8 months in American Oak, I found it a little surprising that it was so vanilla(ish). I'm wondering how this wine would taste in a year or two as it evolved a lot over four hrs.

I have a hard time rating this wine as I was not expecting that much fluctuation in smell and taste. Therefore, I'm not giving a rating. Having said that, it would be somewhere in the 80's for a Chilean Cab, but I don't know where in the 80's. I might make up my mind if I try it again; doubtful.

I was expecting more, but at the same time I wasn't upset with the wine. I just wished it would have had something to talk about (and no not a song). I believe the 2005 was a value red at a previous wine festival, but the 06 leaves me puzzled.

$18.99
Valle Del Maipo, Chile
UPC 089419007152

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