Tasting Notes from 'TWSMike'

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Wine Type	Vintage Name Variety Locale	Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More...
Red	2018 Dominio del Bendito Toro Las Sabias Tinta de Toro, Tempranillo more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 2/28/2024 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points 100% Tinta de Toro from a 13ha vineyard located in La Jara near Zamorra, close to the Duero River. Farmed organically, but not certified. 16 months in French oak, 15% new barrels. The wine has a clear, deep ruby colour with a pronounced intense nose with aromas of black cherry, salted plum, chocolate, raisins, vanilla bean, cedar, ground ginger, fresh violets and toasted bread. The palate has a full body, pronounced fruit intensity, medium plush tannins and a high level of acidity with notes of dark chocolate, salted plums, ginger root, pickled beets, crushed rocks, tobacco leaf, baking spices and vanilla. The finish is medium plus length with lingering light fresh fruits, spices and nuts. A pretty solid representation of what the Toro can offer for big, bold and rich styles of Tempranillo that feel like a fattier Rioja Reserva from an established house. It's showing very well now with some good development but the tannins aren't overly firm so I'd reckon this should remain in drinking window for the next 5 years. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 François Villard Cornas Jouvet Syrah more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 2/23/2024 - TWSMike wrote: NR Colour: Deep Ruby Nose: Medium intensity, a bit closed off, with some notes of raspberry, black cherry, rosemary, black pepper, sassafrass root, damp earth, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and a hint of leather. Palate: Medium plus flavour intensity, medium plus body, medium plus firm tannin, notes of raspberry, fig, vanilla, cedar, leather, black tea, black pepper, fresh herbs and coconut. Finish is medium length with lingering fruit and oak. I don't think this is as good as Villard's Saint Joseph wines. It's still definitely the best Cornas I've had of the few I've tried but I think I'm just not a fan of the profile of Syrah the region seems to go for in youth from the few I've tried. A good one for slow roasted pork butt and polenta! 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
White - Off-dry	2020 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese Mosel Saar Ruwer more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 1/27/2024 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points Trying this Grosse Lage selection from Dr. H. Thanisch based in Bernkastel-Kues. The vineyard itself was used during the Middle Ages as bathing complexes and is a good area rich in slate. 8.5% ABV. The wine's colour is pale lemon, nose is medium plus intense with notes of ripe yellow apples, pear drops, heather honey, toasted almonds and lemongrass. The palate has a full body, pronounced flavour intensity and a high level of acidity with notes of yellow apples, tangerines, candied lemon peel, honeydew, toasted almond, lemongrass and wet pebble stone minerality. The finish is medium length with lingering sweet fruitiness. Pretty solid Auslese but the finish is a bit lacking. Not enough substance here which is disappointing for an Auslese from a Grosse Lage site in Mosel. For the price though it's not too bad and should improve a ton over the next couple decades. In its infancy its a good pairing with a freshly cooked pork schnitzel and fried potatoes. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White - Sweet/Dessert	1996 Château de Fargues Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 12/24/2023 - TWSMike wrote: 90 points Tasted just now after being out of the fridge for an hour or so. Cork unfortunately broke upon opening, not the best moment for myself! Colour: Medium amber with light golden hues on the rim Nose: Medium plus intensity with notes of dried yellow apples, dried nectarines, apricot jelly, Madagascar vanilla, baking spices and fresh lemon zest Palate: Full body, pronounced flavour intensity, high acidity level with notes continuing from the nose with more focus on the softer oak aspects and more pithy fruits. Finishes medium plus with lingering dried stone fruits and ginger. Even with how far along this Sauternes is, it's still maintaining its freshness and acidity quite nicely. Feels like this was about the right time to open as I don't see this wine improving much more with age now that the tertiary notes are dominating this much. A lovely pair tonight with my freshly baked shortbread cookies, or for some protein maybe a fried pork belly with apple chutney might be more your jam! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 Trefethen Eshcol Oak Knoll District Red Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 12/6/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points Actually a pretty solid Napa red for the money, however it's definitely not for everyone considering the herbaceous qualities coming through on the late palate to finish. Drinks extremely well for 14.3% ABV and has enough going on to be well worth the $25 it retails for. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White	2021 Closson Chase Chardonnay Closson Chase Vineyard Prince Edward County VQA more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 10/27/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 85 points Tasted after being out of the fridge for a half hour. This comes exclusively from the winery's estate vineyards. Whole cluster pressed. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels (under 10% new oak) and full MLC in barrel. Colour is medium lemon. Nose is medium minus intense with aromas of fresh white peaches, white flowers, wet pebbles, fresh cut grass, light vanilla and creaminess in the background. The palate is medium intensity, medium+ body, surprisingly oily mouthfeel and nicely integrated acidity, which is medium. Flavours of the nose are replicated on the palate, but with more bready character than creamy, and the finish is medium with lingering peach pith and lemon peel. After 30+ mins open in glass the creaminess continues to evolve into almost the equivalent of key lime pie but without the sweetness or pastry breadiness. It's definitely designed to be an entry level Chardonnay, or at least one designed to showcase the winery's fruit profile over making a wine with ageing potential. Its still good, even if the concentration and finish aren't overly satisfying, but for $35 CAD I find that Lighthall in PEC and many other Niagara properties (from the top of my head: Hidden Bench, Malivoire, Flat Rock Cellars) do Chardonnay that is similar in quality for about 5-10 bucks less. Regardless, I would love to try more from this producer as there is a ton of potential with that lovely acidity and fresh, oily character. Definitely a good wine to pair with baked salmon and grilled zucchini! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT SuperTuscan Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 10/11/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 87 points This is the first time I've ever had a proper taste of Tignanello and I don't think this showed itself to be a great vintage. It's very fruit driven, lots of red and black fruits, medium+ tannins, medium+ acidity, good balance but a pretty middling finish and does not really show any terroir influence even after a couple hours of decanting. While this has more "guts" than other recent Toscana IGT wines I've had recently (Ornellaia, Luce, Oreno, Ceparello from Isole and Olena, Casarsa from Villa Calcinaia) this wine is quite frankly inferior on a complexity level to all of them. It's still very good, and it won't disappoint if you're offered a glass, but I would never pay over $50 for this bottle much less the $150+ it currently goes for. The tannin structure and acidity make me think this won't have as long of a window as other cooler vintages. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Fruit/Vegetable Wine	NV Rosewood Estates Mead Royale Niagara Peninsula Honey more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 10/10/2023 - TWSMike Does not like this wine: NR I'm not sure if this was flawed or defective, but the smell and taste was that of either a urinal hockey puck or a really stale bag of soft tortillas. Either way, completely undrinkable. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2019 Château Olivier Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 10/7/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points First tried this vintage of Olivier a couple years ago en premeur and thought it was drinking tremendously out of the bottle, so I'm excited to try this again 2 years later! 14.5% ABV. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Supposedly 30% new French oak barrels for between 12 and 14 months, but the winery's website doesn't have a spec sheet on their website. Tasted after a quick decant and some aeration. Color is still deep ruby with some lightness on the rim. Nose is still quite closed off, but some evident red and black fruits, fresh violets, allspice, light ginger, vanilla and fennel. Palate has pronounced flavor intensity, medium+ body, high acidity, medium+ integrated tannins. Super earthy complexity. Mushroom, violets, potting soil, crushed rock, fresh black plum and black cherry, graphite, vanilla, allspice, ginger root, light hints of white pepper. Yep this is definitely a big boy of a Pessac-Leognan red. Lots of earthiness but very well balanced tannin and acidity really make this bold yet approachable and very food friendly for the style. Would be an awesome pairing with a slow-cooked pork roast, rack of lamb or mushroom risotto. It definitely needs some time to further soften the tannins, I think it'll be in a near ideal place come 2031-32. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	1999 Turley Zinfandel Duarte Contra Costa County more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 10/1/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points Opened this up with some good friends! This is Turley's bottling of Zinfandel from Duarte Vineyard in Contra Costa from plantings as young as 1960 and as old as 1890! Spent 15 months in 80/20 French to American oak with 20% being new barrels. Interesting enough this was the 4th vintage of this bottling. Considering the recommended window for this wine ended in '09 (going by Robert Parker Jr.'s review from 2001) I'm pleased to say that this wine still has some life to it after 20+ years! The tannins are pretty much softened and light, no grip at all, but the acidity is still high and mouth watering and the concentration, while nowhere as pronounced as 15.8% ABV should suggest, keeps the balance intact. The nose and palate are dominated by berry compote, cassis, leather, tobacco and lingering vanilla. It's not the most complex aged Zinfandel I've had, and it's definitely past peak, but I'm surprised how this wine held up for so long! If you have a bottle it's probably best to open now and enjoy after a slow decant! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2017 DeMorgenzon Syrah Reserve Stellenbosch more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 9/30/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points Really solid Syrah, showing some early signs of aging in the color, which is ruby with lightening at the miniscus. Nose is full of black pepper, fresh red fruits, dried herbs, smoked pork hock. Palate has great intensity and concentration, medium+ tannins, fresh and stewed fruits with lingering oakspice, vanilla, pepper. Pretty good fresh example of Stellenbosch Syrah. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White - Sweet/Dessert	2013 Puklus Pincészet (Jânos Puklus) Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Furmint Blend, Furmint more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 9/6/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: NR Beautiful semi-mature Tokaji Aszu for under $40 CAD! Loads of citrus fruits, allspice, ginger, leather, light petrol and dolce de leche with gorgeously tight acidity and viscosity. Its not the most complex Tokaj but for the price it's nearly unbeatable. Worth buying a few to put away for a while! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White	2020 Lighthall Vineyards Chardonnay Prince Edward County VQA more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 8/27/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points Very good wine that shows the mineral profile of Prince Edward County very well! A bit muted on the nose but the palate has good medium+ acidity and length, medium body and intensity with some light MLC notes, stone fruits, pear drops, light oakspices and wet stones more reminiscent of Montagny than other North American grown Chardonnays. The price falls in line with a lot of entry level village Burgundy these days and I'd definitely recommend this vintage to anyone looking for a good alternative to a Burgundian Chardonnay south of the Cote d'Or. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2019 Château Pavillon Beauregard Lalande de Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 8/17/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points Trying this in its youth its very accessible with nice chewy tannins and medium+ acidity. Lots of bouncy raspberry, plum, cherry, vanilla, cloves, woodsmoke and stony minerality with a touch of wild herbs and some lingering currants and blueberries. It definitely has the potential to show a 90+ wine in 5 years but at this time this should be a great wine with prime rib or a less creamy risotto with wild mushrooms. 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon Kadette Stellenbosch more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 7/21/2023 - TWSMike wrote: 82 points Pretty young showing Cab Sauv, very evident pyrazines with notes of fresh Strawberry, cut grass, crushed rock, blackcurrant and graphite. Not a lot of oak showing through, which is pleasant and welcome for how fresh this wine is. For the price here in Ontario ($26) this is not the best value drank young but the tannins aren't quite green so me thinks this should be held for a few years to open up and soften the wine. Still quite nuanced and very Old World in identity! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2019 Sangenís i Vaqué Priorat Dara Red Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 7/8/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 81 points Tasted this recently, notes from a bottle I left open for an hour prior to consumption. This is a blend of 45% Garnacha, 45% Carinena and 10% Merlot coming from Celler Sangenis i Vaque in Porrera. The wine matures for 12 months in 4-5 year old American and French barriques in equal parts. I've never seen a Priorat blend using Merlot so this is quite interesting! The wine's fruit profile is definitely classic Priorat with the bouncy tart red pomegranate and raspberry notes I usually get from Carignan/Carinena and Garnacha/Grenache but with the addition of some cloves, white pepper and blackberry compote that I'd imagine the Merlot introduces. Tannins are quite medium minus with a decent medium finish and soft medium+ lingering acidity. It feels like a more "modern" take on Priorat even though I'm personally not as huge of a fan of the additions as the black fruit and clove seem to take away from the fresher fruit profile. Its still a fun wine though that speaks a lot for $25 CAD and should pair nicely with some braised pork enchiladas or a chicken stir-fry in a dark soy sauce. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 Vineland Estates Winery Cabernet Elevation Niagara Escarpment VQA Red Bordeaux Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 6/25/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 83 points This is a majority Cab Franc wine with a tiny bit of Cab Sauv added in (exactly 97.8% Cabernet Franc, 2.2% Cabernet Sauvignon) with 14 months treatment in oak. I really like this winery's Elevation Riesling and while the red isn't quite as good its still a good example of Niagara Cab Franc. The fruit purity is clean and fresh with red and black raspberries, plums and pomegranate with light underlying bell pepper, cracked pepper and cedar notes with some grippy tannins but nothing crazy. Its a nice wine that should age well over the next 5ish years and would be a nice pairing with pork tenderloin or herb crusted chicken! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White	2020 Bachelder Chardonnay Warren Saunders 100 Saunders Vineyard Beamsville Bench VQA more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/20/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points Tasting for my mum's Birthday on a cool Spring evening. My mum is not a Chardonnay fan as she is not a big fan of the new world textbook big creamy Chard style defined by front facing Malolactic Conversion and New Oak maturation. This wine is not like that, if anything this is the closest new world Chard I've had to a white from the Cotes de Beaune! Great vibrant freshness and mouthwatering acidity with green apple, lemon peel, melon, Nectarines, river stones and salinity with a faint underlying oak spice and creaminess tying the aromatics together and enhancing the mouthfeel. A great example of Niagara Chardonnay that shows the potential in the terroir and the climate! Drink Now or Hold until 2033! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red - Sweet/Dessert	2018 Tommasi Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Fiorato Corvina Blend, Corvina more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/15/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 87 points My first Recioto, and its a very unique wine. Surprisingly earthy and truffle-y that keeps the profile I'd expect from an Amarone Classico but with more noticeable residual sugar of course. Pretty notable high acidity and drying tannins make me think this wine was opened way too early, but it also doesn't have as much fruity complexity as I would've wanted. Maybe hold this one another 5 years before opening. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2020 Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto d'Alba Priavino more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/10/2023 - TWSMike Does not like this wine: 75 points Pretty boring Dolcetto. Fruit and acid overpowers and the wine feels quite unbalanced. There's intensity but that's it. Pretty disappointing given how good Voerzio's Barbera and Nebbiolo is. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White	2020 Hidden Bench "Rachis & Derma" Chardonnay Skin Fermented Orange Wine Beamsville Bench VQA more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points Absolutely phenomenal skin contact Chardonnay from Hidden Bench! 2020 was a pretty notable warm vintage in Ontario and this wine shows that in how bright and fragrant the fruit is in this wine. Citrus peels, rockmelon, papaya and wet stones on the nose and palate with some nice grippy acidity and a lingering mineral driven finish. 6 months in neutral French oak and no sulphur additions. For a natural orange Chard, this is a textbook example for how to make a natty wine right! Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2018 Bodegas Peique Bierzo Ramón Valle Mencía more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 80 points Pretty straight forward Mencia full of ripe red fruits and earth. Strawberry, cherry, raspberry, garden soil, crushed rock. Medium intensity throughout. Compared to a lot of Mencia I've had this one is a bit middling. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2014 Bernardus Winery Marinus Carmel Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 84 points Probably drank this too young or the style of the is not super suited to long term ageing. Fruit is pretty thick and extractive. Oak isn't overbearing which is nice but the tertiary complexity hasn't really shown up much in this wine and the tannins kinda feel greenish? It's alright, but for what I paid for a wine with 8 years of age on it I'm a bit disappointed. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2008 Château Tronquoy-Lalande St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points Pretty solid aged example of St. Estephe. Fruity, leathery, mushroomy with an overall medium+ intensity on nose and palate with a clean, soft tannic finish. Very drinkable now, might have a few more years left in it. Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red	2021 Kindeli Tinto Nelson Red Blend more	Options Post a Comment View TWSMike's profile Report Issue 5/9/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 80 points A blend of Pinot Noir (70%), Merlot (20%), and Riesling (10%) sourced from Upper Moutere in Nelson on the south island. Part of the grapes had some carbonic maceration. Fermented in stainless steel, unfiltered and with no sulphur additions. Nose is fresh and fruity, a bit timid, while the palate is ripe with bright red and dark cherry, cinnamon, kirsch, light velvety tannin and some hints of herbaceousness (but not offensively so.) A pretty solid fresh red blend from New Zealand, probably one of the better reds I've had from the country (better than some Syrah I've had for sure.) Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

Tasting notes: 70 notes on 70 wines

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Member:

2018 Dominio del Bendito Toro Las Sabias

2/28/2024 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points

2020 François Villard Cornas Jouvet

2/23/2024 - TWSMike wrote: NR

2020 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese

1/27/2024 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points

1996 Château de Fargues

12/24/2023 - TWSMike wrote: 90 points

2020 Trefethen Eshcol

12/6/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points

2021 Closson Chase Chardonnay Closson Chase Vineyard

10/27/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 85 points

2020 Antinori Tignanello

10/11/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 87 points

NV Rosewood Estates Mead Royale

10/10/2023 - TWSMike Does not like this wine: NR

2019 Château Olivier

10/7/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points

1999 Turley Zinfandel Duarte

10/1/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points

2017 DeMorgenzon Syrah Reserve

9/30/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points

2013 Puklus Pincészet (Jânos Puklus) Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos

9/6/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: NR

2020 Lighthall Vineyards Chardonnay

8/27/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points

2019 Château Pavillon Beauregard

8/17/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 88 points

2020 Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon Kadette

7/21/2023 - TWSMike wrote: 82 points

2019 Sangenís i Vaqué Priorat Dara

7/8/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 81 points

2020 Vineland Estates Winery Cabernet Elevation

6/25/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 83 points

2020 Bachelder Chardonnay Warren Saunders 100 Saunders Vineyard

5/20/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points

2018 Tommasi Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Fiorato

5/15/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 87 points

2020 Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto d'Alba Priavino

5/10/2023 - TWSMike Does not like this wine: 75 points

2020 Hidden Bench "Rachis & Derma" Chardonnay Skin Fermented Orange Wine

5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 89 points

2018 Bodegas Peique Bierzo Ramón Valle

5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 80 points

2014 Bernardus Winery Marinus

5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 84 points

2008 Château Tronquoy-Lalande

5/10/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 points

2021 Kindeli Tinto

5/9/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 80 points

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