Friday, April 15, 2011

Report from ... Hobbs & Merchant Vintner Tasting - March 29, 2011

It took place at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts ... two portfolios brought together for one tasting:  Hobbs & Co Wine Merchants Inc. and The Merchant Vintner Ltd.  58 wines were poured, below the top 15 with selected notes:

3.5 stars (good) ...
Quails' Gate 2008 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir ($44.99 - Canada) - 
up front cherry aromas with cranberry-sour cherry and spice in the mouth.
Weingut Josef Leitz 2008 Riesling Kabinett ($19.99 - Germany) -
peaches and apples, a touch of sweetness with a lovely lingering finish.

3.5+ stars (good +) ...
Torlesse 2008 Waipara Riesling ($18.95 - New Zealand) - 
good bit of sweetness amongst the tropical fruit, crisp, nice acidity, lingering finish.
The Grinder 2010 Pinotage ($19.99 - South Africa) -
all out coffee with a latte-like creaminess, nice spice notes on the finish.
Edward Sellers Vineyards 2006 Vertigo ($27.54) -
chocolate, cherry, spice aromas with spicy raspberry and lingering pepper finish.
Vilafonte 2006 Series M ($39.95 - South Africa) - 
nice red and black fruit that shows elegance across the palate.
Domaine Sainte Rose 2009 Coquille d'oc Red ($16.75 - France) -
lots of cherry fruit with just a pinch of pepper.

4 stars (very good) ...
Dr. Frank 2010 Dry Riesling ($24.99 - New York) -
melon, citrus and tropical aromas; lots of melon and tropical on the palate and a lime zest finish.
Vignoble Guillaume 2009 Chardonnay ($17.95 - France) -
nice mouth weight, creamy vanilla, hazelnut, butter and peach.
Chateau Grand Moulin Vieilles Vignes 2005 ($22.10 - France) -
good black fruit and spice.
Alpha Zeta 2008 'R' Ripasso (21.99 - Italy) -
fruit driven with a touch of chalky on the finish: cherry, plum, vanilla and cinnamon.

4+ stars (very good +) ...
Chalkers Crossing 2009 Tumbarumba Pinot Noir ($27.99 - Australia) -
sweet red fruit nose, touch of mineral, cherry, raspberry fruit palate all mixed with spice and pepper; really nice finish.
Empordalia 2010 Verdera ($11.99 - Spain) -
sweet raspberry fruit on the nose; raspberry-spice in the mouth.
Domaine Francois Lichtle 2008 Gewurztraminer ($22.70 - France) -
lychee-peach with the right amount of sweet spice ... yum.

4.5 stars (excellent) ...
Clairault Wines 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($27.80 - Australia) -
red fruit and floral smells, delicate and elegant, the right amount of playful fruit, spice, pepper, mocha/coffee, lovely fine tannins on a slightly chalky finish.

1 comment:

Dean Tudor said...

My take -- price are licensee

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Quails’ Gate Merlot 2007 VQA Okanagan Valley, $23.99
-Clairault Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Margaret River, $23.99
-Vilafonte Series M 2006 Stellenbosch, $35.36 Vintages
-Vignoble Guillaume Chardonnay 2009 Franche-Comte, $15.95 Merchant
Vintner (made from rootstock, 18 different clones)
-Chateau Grand Moulin Vieilles Vignes 2005 Corbieres, $18.99
-Domaine Sainte Rose Coquille d’Oc White 2009 Languedoc, $13.99
-Az. Agri. F.LLI Grati Prunatelli Chianti 2007, $19.95 Merchant Vintner

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Edward Sellers Vineyards Vertigo 2006 Paso Robles, $27.54 Glen-Ward
-Quails’ Gate Chardonnay 2008 VQA Okanagan Valley, $17.99
-Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 VQA Okanagan,
$38.99
-Featherstone Estate Black Sheep Riesling 2010 VQA Twenty Mile Bench,
$15.95
-Dr. Frank Blanc de Blancs 2006 Finger Lakes, $39.99
-Valle Andino Carmenere Reserva Especiale 2009, $16.50
-Chalkers Crossing Hilltops Riesling 2010 New South Wales, $18.99
-Landskroon Wines Cinsault Shiraz 2008 Paarl South Africa, $14.25
-The Grinder Pinotage 2010 Swartland, $16.99
-Les Jamelles Viognier 2009 Languedoc, $13.99 Merchant Vintner
-Domaine Francois Lichtle Gewurztraminer 2008 Alsace, $19.50 Merchant
Vintner
-Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas Beauchamp 2008, $28.45 Merchant Vintner
-Domaine Sainte Rose Le Marin Blanc 2010 Languedoc, $22.99
-Domaine Sainte Rose Les Derniers Cepages 2009 Languedoc, $22.99
-Angelo Grillo 2009 Sicily, $12.95

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Sylvester Zinfandel 2007 Paso Robles, $15.99 Glen-Ward
-Featherstone Estate Rose 2010 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, $14.15
-Featherstone Estate Cabernet Franc 2009 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, $15.20
-Dr. Frank Dry Riesling 2010 Finger Lakes, $21.99
-Dr. Frank Fleur de Pinot Noir NV Finger Lakes, $28.99
-Valle Andino Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010 Maule Valley, $13.25
-Torlesse Waipara Riesling 2008, $16.90 Vintages
-Tinpot Hut Pinot Noir 2008 Marlborough, $20.99
-Tall Poppy Hillside Unwooded Chardonnay 2009 Victoria, $13.99
-Tall Poppy Select Shiraz 2008 Victoria, $11.99
-Clairault Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Margaret River, $23.99
-Chalkers Crossing Tumbarumba Pinot Noir 2009 New South Wales, $23.99
-Chalkers Crossing CC2 Hilltops Shiraz 2010 New South Wales, $20.99
-Caves do Rei Valmonte 2005 Dao, $15.99
-La Crusset 6 Sombreros Tempranillo 2004 Rioja, $29.99
-Chateau Gaudrelle Brut Rose 2009 Loire, $20.99
-Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Languedoc, $12.95 Merchant Vintner
-Les Jamelles Merlot 2009 Languedoc, $12.95 Merchant Vintner
-Les Jamelles Syrah 2009 Languedoc, $12.95 Merchant Vintner
-Gilbert Picq Chablis 2008, $24.25 Merchant Vintner
-Domaine Gueugnon-Remond Grand Reserve 2008 Macon-Charnay, $15.09
Vintages
-Domaine Sainte Rose Coquille d’Oc Red 2009 Languedoc, $13.99
-Angelo Nero d’Avola 2009 Sicily, $12.95
-Alpha Zeta “R” Ripasso 2008 Veneto, $18.90
-Villa Buonasera Chianti Classico Riserva 2006, $32.99