A few more reviews...

Tonight: Gourmet Wine and Food show...never been. Full report later.

In the mean time..a few more LCBO wine reviews

Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano D'abruzzo 2008, $12.95

87

A good, old fashioned Montepulciano d’Abbruzzo and, along with young Chianti, one of my go-to pizza & spaghetti on Wednesday wines.
Deep, bright red. Hot, spicy, fruity nose. Medium body. Hot & tangy. Sort of like a rustic Barbera with attitude and tannins. Boozy but plenty of flavour. Palate cleaning acidity and bright fruit make this a great Cheese-&-tomato-dish wine.
Drink this next Wednesday with a pizza and tell me it's not a perfect match.
Wine snobs take note: The best food wines are often inexpensive (and Italian)!
Drink young.

Masi Costasera Amarone 2006, $38.95

 91

Solid Amarone at a great price.
Dark purple. Rich nose of raisins, stewed plums, anise, some floral notes and a hint of smoke. Alcohol is pretty high but very well contained in full bodied, ripe, dense, dark fruit and flavours of Christmas cake, vanilla/oak and a touch of espresso. Good acidity and very well balanced tannins. Long finish.
Delicious now but will certainly cellar for another decade.

Seigneurs D'aiguilhe 2006, $19.95

87

Dark ruby red. Nice fresh nose of strawberries, vanilla and Greek oregano. Medium weight. Crisply acidic and fruity entry: tastes of cranberry & herbs. Very dry, some sweetness. Initially quite fruity with medium tannins but became a bit more austere the next day. Somewhat modern in style but still very French. I was told this is mostly Merlot but I clearly detect a good bit of Cabernet Franc in the mix which I suspect did not ripen as well as the Merlot and gave this a slightly unripened green and bitter edge.
Good overall. More of a food wine than a sipper. I doubt I'd buy more.

Hess Estate Chardonnay 2008, Napa Valley, $19.95

88

Medium-light straw yellow with a tinge of green. Nose initially a bit tight but opens: Green apple, fresh mown grass. Medium full bodied, quite plush on the tongue. Dry. The Alcohol is a bit high for my taste but the acidity and it's weight does balance it out to some extent. Not quite "buttery" but it is an interesting mix of a soft mid-palate and sharp, slightly bitter top end. Good finish. Heady wine.
Did the trick with (and in) my home-made saffron chicken pot pie.
Not sure I'd buy it again though. Something about Hess' regular labels that leaves me wanting.

Mocali Brunello Di Montalcino 2004, $46.95

89

This decent BdM is surprisingly lightweight for is type and vintage. Tightish nose opens with some swirling/decanting: prunes/raisins/dried fruit, herbs, vanilla, tobacco. Not much concentration on the palate, though overall it is fairly well balanced. Medium bodied, but a bit thin really.
Honestly it does the name 'Brunello' no favours. Not that this is a bad wine, it's not, it's a good wine. But anyone trying Brunello for the first time (and spending $50 bucks for the "privilege") may be underwhelmed and wonder what all the fuss is about.

 

Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2006, VQA Okanagan Valley, $45.00

92

Welcome to Bordeaux Columbia!
This is an old school blend but a new school wine. Quite open nose: Dark fruits, cedary-oak, vanilla, mocha, menthol. Good dark-red colour, full bodied. Well balanced, good concentration of fruit, not too much oak, fairly ripe, smooth tannin. Much more forward than an equivalent French blend. Drinking well now (give it a vigorous decanting) but will certainly improve over a few more years, probably peaking around 2013 but will likely last for some years beyond. Well done.

That's it for now...hopefully I'll taste all sorts of good stuff tonight at the wine and food show.