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33274 KING'S COURT CABERNET FRANC
ICEWINE 2002, Niagara Peninsula $38.95
The featured notes of chocolate, cooked rhubarb and cigar leaf remind me
of a Tawny Port. Chocolate, toffee and coffee are found on the palate,
while the light fruit on the nose has all but departed. It is a
pleasant wine, perhaps slightly past its best. Find this wine
542399 KONZELMANN RIESLING ICEWINE 2004, Niagara Peninsula $53.95
Konzelmann’s Riesling is one of the premier Icewine producers in the
region.
This bottle offers aromas of dried apple, fig, sweet pea and honey. The
intensity of flavours on the palate is enhanced by a sublime layer of
acidity that sends this wine into the realm of perfection.
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 REIF ESTATE WINES
Reif’s 125-acre vineyard is located on the Niagara Parkway, a
picturesque route that carries a mass of tourists along the Niagara
River between Queenston Heights and Niagara on the Lake. All the usual
suspects are grown on the estate and even Zinfandel was grown for five
years until it was destroyed in the brutal winter of 2002.
One might assume that given the fact the family has been making wine in
Germany for more than twelve generations their preference might lean
towards white varietals. Although the Gewurztraminer from this release
is a gem, Reif’s winemaker, Roberto Di Domenico, crafts a red Meritage
blend that is worth trying.
Reif has been growing grapes for thirty years and producing wine for
twenty-five. Plans are in order to open a Wine Sensory Garden where
flowers are to be grown that represent the colours and aromas of white
and red wines.
127985 REIF ESTATE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2005, Niagara Peninsula $14.95
Full blown and surprisingly powerful for less than fifteen bucks, the
nose shows good varietal character opening with a blast of lychee,
tangerine peel and lime leaf. The balance is spot on; the finish is dry
and full of fruit flavours. This is perhaps the best QPR wine of the
release. Find this wine
544791 REIF ESTATE VIDAL ICEWINE 2004, Niagara Peninsula $24.95
I sometimes prefer the taste of Vidal icewines to that of Riesling.
This rendition is full blown, ripe, powerful and packed with aromas of
white tree fruit, mango lassi and honey. The rich flavours linger long
on the palate. Find this wine
997569 REIF ESTATE MERITAGE 2004, Niagara River $26.95
This is Reif's first vintage designated under the new sub-region VQA
Niagara River. A wine with an enticing nose of underbrush, blackberry,
cedar and blackcurrant. It is tight on the palate, but there is plenty
of fruit. It really opens nicely within minutes of being in the glass. A
year or so of aging should soften the layer of tannin. Find this wine
935676 REIF ESTATE MERLOT 2004, Niagara River $23.95
I am not as struck with this as I am with the Meritage. The Merlot shows
notes of coffee, cigar box, and underbrush along with some gentle red
fruit. The acids please, the tannins are gentle, but I find the fruit
drops off from the finish. Find this wine
707224 CAKEBREAD CELLARS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2005, Napa Valley California
$41.95
I expect a little more for $41.95 Sauvignon Blanc than I get from
this bottle. It has a pleasing character of melon, red grapefruit, fig
and lime zest, but it seems too mellow and lackluster especially given
the price. Maybe all the crisp full blown New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I
have been drinking lately has neutralized my palate. It probably is a
beautiful wine to some, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Find this wine
 732511 BONNY DOON LE POUSSEUR SYRAH 2004, Central Coast California
$22.95
Notes of earth, blueberry, fleshy red fruit and spice. The acidity is
lively, the tannins are dusty - grill a few burgers and have some fun.
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660480 ELDERTON FRIENDS SHIRAZ 2005, South Australia $19.95
A full bodied Australian wine that shows those creamy,
peppery and dark fruit notes typical of Shiraz without being over the
top. I smell both white and black pepper, layers of blue berry and
blackberry fruit with just a hint of chocolate mint. The acids keep the
palate in tune. Find this wine
 37994 NEWTON VINEYARD CLARET 2004, Napa Valley California $30.95
I really like this, but others present comment it is a touch over the
top on the oak. It is full of wet soil, blackcurrant, chocolate and
cherry. The formula brings together a mix of 56% Merlot, 25% Cabernet
Sauvignon and a dab of Petit Verdot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. I enjoy
the creamy mouth feel, the fruit is forward, milk chocolate becomes
apparent on the finish and the acids are in line. Find this wine
41244 SIX FOOT SIX SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2004, Geelong, Victoria $17.95
The bottle is bone dry, devoid of any wine! Must be good I figure.
Smelling the empty vessel reveals plenty of black fruit and black olive
aromas. People tell me it was tasty!!! I guess I will have to buy a
bottle to confirm. Find this wine
37390 JOHN DALY THE LION'S SHIRAZ 2005, Western Cape, South Africa
$16.95
Although this wine, the latest of the PGA tour boys to hit the shelves
of the LCBO, is named after the powerhouse golfer
John Daly, the
comparison stops there. Unlike its namesake, it is a light styled wine
that offers up some notes of sweet plum, dried herb and vegetal aromas.
The palate is thin and uninteresting. Find this wine
009241 MÔRESON PINOTAGE 2005, Coastal Region, South Africa $18.95
A lovely blend of lavender, cocoa, dried Chinese mushroom, moss,
coconut, sage, thyme and black fruit that starts in the glass and runs
right through to the finish. Normally I am not a fan of Pinotage, but
this will be in my shopping cart on Saturday. Find this wine
959551 JOSEPH DROUHIN ST. VÉRAN BLANC 2005, Burgundy $21.95
The only thing I do not like about this wine is the price. $21.95 might
seem reasonable for a Chardonnay from Burgundy, but across the border it
can be found for far less. However, the notes of earthy mineral, pear,
milk toffee and subtle French oak might convince me to pick up a bottle
or two. It is light to medium, but it is well crafted and true to its
home. Find this wine
 46961 CHÂTEAU CANON DE BREM 1999, Canon-Fronsac $28.95
A mature nose of moss, earth, lead pencil, plum and pepper leads to a
palate of light, but nicely structured fruit, a trace of dusty chocolate
and lovely red fruit acids. Not a powerhouse by any means, just a good
example of mature Bordeaux. Find this wine
943290 FONTANAFREDDA BAROLO SERRALUNGA D'ALBA, Piedmont 2001 $39.95
I have fond memories of being at this winery a number of years ago, but
few wines recently from Fontanafredda have impressed me. This one
certainly does with its massive layer of rich ripe fruit accented by
aromas of coffee, tar, nasturtium leaf, cola, cinnamon and a pleasing
earthy note of sewer drain. The palate shows power and balance. It is
quite lovely now; another year away will shed that layer of chalky dusty
tannin and bingo, nice wine. Find this wine
 33845 DOMAINE LA HAUTE MARONE GIGONDAS 2004 Le Coeur du Mistral,
Rhône Valley $26.95
These grapes grown in the “heart of the Mistral”, (referring to one of
several winds in this region that benefit growers by tempering the
torrid heat of the Mediterranean), have produced a wine I would term as a
stunner. It is a long way off from being at its best, but the layers of
blackberry fruit, toffee, dark toast, thyme, marjoram, and mineral are
compact. Although I might be tempted to get stuck in, it needs 3-5 years
of slumber to come around.
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 651612 CASTELLO DI RAPALE CHIANTI RISERVA 2001, Tuscany $16.95
A simple but clean Chianti with notes of red currant, rhubarb, sweet
cherry and Szechwan peppercorn. Find this wine
674135 GUADO AL TASSO IL BRUCIATO 2005, Tuscany $26.95
Very New World in its style with aromas of black fruit coulis and toast.
The palate is ripe and creamy, nice, but nothing special. Find this wine
 716050 BRIGALDARA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2003, Veneto
$41.95
One sniff of the melded aromas of stewed plum, fig, dark chocolate,
marzipan and lavender tells me this is more intense than previous
vintages of Brigaldara’s Amarone. The palate is ripe, full and luscious.
The only negative note, and it is slight, is that the sixteen degrees of
alcohol does show up on the finish. Find this wine
657452 QUINTA DE VENTOZELO TOURIGA NACIONAL TINTO 2003, Douro Valley,
Portugal $19.95
Spearmint, plum and damson give way to a creamy layer of blackberry
fruit. There are plenty of tannins that need time to resolve, but I
think this might be quite tasty in time.
Find this wine
Cheers
CZ
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I was
unavailable to taste the wines from the late July- early August release due
to a trip to England. It rained for a total of nineteen of the nineteen
days I was in the country, although one afternoon the sun popped out
from behind the constant cloud cover for about an hour. Having to crank
the heat every morning in the middle of July to take the chill out of
the air did not seem to bother the local folk, but it was tough for me.
