Trius Red Event

The 2010 Trius Red has been released at the Hillebrand winery, however will not be available at the LCBO for at least a couple of weeks. We had the opportunity to pre-order the 2010 for a small discount to retail, hopefully getting our 6 bottles this coming week. For people who pre-ordered, the winery held a couple of Trius Red events. The first event was a drop in event offering tastings of the 2010 and 2000 Trius vintages as well as sampling a burger with Trius Red as an ingredient. The second event was a structured tasting led by Trius winemaker and head winemaker for Peller, Craig McDonald. We got to sample the 2010, 2009 and 2003 Trius Red vintages. It’s interesting how different the vintages tasted.

2010: As Craig McDonald said, he has no excuses for not making a good wine in 2010. The weather conditions were ideal in Niagara, with nice hot temperatures and the right amount of rainfall at fairly regular intervals during the season. The wine had medium oaky notes mixed with fruit. The taste is fairly smooth with nice fruit flavour coming through. This wine is supposed to hold up for 10-12 years. It will be interesting to see how it ages. JC92

2009: Scents aren’t as sharp as the 2010. A bit harsh taste. JC86

2003: Plastic/leather smell, unlike any wine I’ve smelled before. A smooth mild berry taste. JC88

2000: Strong earthy scent. Did not notice any oak. A very mello tasting wine with not a strong flavour, yet still enjoyable. JC89

At the end of the tutored tasting, Craig had a small amount of the 2010 Trius Grand Red that is still aging in the barrels. I managed to get a taste and I was thoroughly impressed. It was smoother than the Red and had excellent flavours already. However it won’t be released until the fall.

Montes Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere 2010

Montes Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere 2010 $14.95. This is a bottle that I’ve had in my “cellar” since last October. I purchased it because it was the first wine I saw that was a combination of Cab Sauv and Carmenere. As you probably known from my posts, Cab Sauv is my favourite varietal. I’ve only tried Carmenere once before, but enjoyed it. This Montes wine had a nice subtle oak smell blended with fruit. The taste was dry and fairly pleasant, however there was an acidic finish. I let this wine breath for about 30 minutes before dinner, but probably could use a good hour. JC87

Graham's 10 Year & 20 Year Port

Graham’s 10 Year Tawny $27.95 and Graham’s 20 Year Tawny $36.95 (for 500 ml). I had the opportunity to try both the 10 and 20 recently. Compared to the Taylor Fladgate 10 & 20, the Graham’s are quite a bit cheaper. I didn’t notice much difference between the Graham’s 10 and the Graham’s 20. Both were a similar medium red colour, however the 20 had a more enhanced smell and a somewhat more mellow taste. Overall, they were both solid ports; however all else being equal, I would choose Taylor over Graham’s. 10 Year – JC90, 20 Year – JC91

I had previously reviewed Graham's Late Bottled Vintage in August 2011.

I've managed to build up a backlog of posts. Rather than releasing them all at once, I will try to spread them out over the next couple of weeks.

Andean Vinyards Malbec

Andean Vinyards Malbec 2008. I had the wine at a restaurant recently. I’m not sure what the retail price is per bottle, however I believe it was $12 for a glass. This wine was very nice, with a good blend of oak and fruit on the nose. The wine has a smooth taste with a little kick at the end. JC89

20 Bees Pinot Grigio and Ghost Pines Cab Sauv

20 Bees Pinot Grigio 2010 $11.95. There was a nice floral sent with a taste of apples. JC87

Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 $19.95. The wine had black cherry notes on the nose with a jammy and fruitful taste. It wasn’t a bad wine, but much prefer a J. Lohr Seven Oaks in the $20ish California Cab Sauv category. JC85

Bolla Valpolicella

Bolla Valpolicella 2010. This wine is not available at the LCBO. I had a nice dinner at a restaurant and this bottle cost $34. Not a premium-priced wine by any stretch if it was available at a store, but like many Italian wines, the value is good. The wine has spicy and light fruit notes on the nose, with a gentle spice finish. I enjoyed this wine, it was fairly light-bodied with a slight sweetness to it, which went well with the ribs I had for dinner. JC87

When at a restaurant, I tend to order bottles that aren’t available at the LCBO. One reason is that I often know how much I can buy them for at the store and therefore how ridiculously large the mark-up of the restaurant is. Another reason is I like variety. If it’s something I can get from the LCBO, then why not pay a lot less and get from there to try. I like restaurants that have some lesser-known, but still good quality wines on their menu.