Whitehaven Pinot Noir

Whitehaven Pinot Noir 2010 $22.65. I tried a sample of this New Zealand pinot at the LCBO. It is currently $2 off. This is so far my favourite pinot. I’m not sure if it’s due to the region, but it didn’t have the dirt taste that I’ve associated pinots with in the past. It had a nice juicy taste and a fruitful scent. I may have to explore pinot from New Zealand in more detail. JC87

Luigi Bosca 'Finca La Linda' Malbec

Luigi Bosca ‘Finca La Linda’ Malbec 2010. The Spanish phrase in the title of this wine means the pretty farm. There are a couple of malbecs from Luigi Bosca at the LCBO, and a couple of ‘Finca La Linda’ wines but not this particular one. It was $38.95 at the restaurant. Right off, this wine had a really nice scent. It was a deep smell of fruit blended with oak and vanilla. I can often tell if I’ll like a wine by the scent. This was no exception. The wine was full-bodied, flavourful of fruit and a nice finish. I really enjoyed it, and the others I was dinning with seemed to as well. JC91

2 Nice Wines for under $10

Farnese Casale Vecchio Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2010 $9.90. This wine is a great value. It has a nice fruity scent and juicy yet clean and dry taste. It would be interesting to try this wine against its slightly cheaper sibling: Farnese Montepulciano D’Abruzzo $7.45. I’m not sure if I would be able to tell the difference or not, as they are both very nice tasting wines for a very decent price. I will have to try that experiment someday. JC88

Woodbridge White Zinfandel 2008 $9.95. This is a nice mellow wine, floral on the nose, and easy drinking. I recommend this for relaxing on the patio with a book or having with light appetisers. JC88

Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. This was a wine that I received as a gift in December 2010 and had been aging gracefully in my wine fridge since then. It is a big bold California Cab, made by large winemaker Kendall-Jackson. It’s not actually sold at the LCBO, but it retails for about $45 in the U.S. The weather is getting nicer, so I decided to pair this wine up with a steak off the bbq, baked potato and asparagus. I let the wine decant for an hour beforehand. It poured a very dark red, almost black. There was subtle oak and black cherry on the nose. The taste was a nice juicy full-bodied wine with a lot of fruit on the pallet and a smooth finish. In my mind it tasted how a nice Cali Cab should taste. JC90