11/29/2018 - Dandiophile Likes this wine:

Big juicy cherry and fresh currant with cedar and vanilla developing nicely. Brash but balanced. Nice mineral undertones.This has quite a few years of life left in it.

5/1/2014 - Dandiophile wrote:

Bright golden yellow colour. This is a wine that captured, but also required, my attention. Stunner of a nose, still dominated by fruit. Reduced apple (applesauce?) and a hint at pineapple. Nuanced and luxurious. There is a nice caramelized nature that keeps coming through. Classic honeycomb as it warms. Medium-full bodied, just barely sweet and brightly acidic. Good apple and lemon flavours. The palate is a little more on the fresh side of things than the nose. I'm glad I opened this now. It has all the balance of a well-aged wine with a mustiness that slowly moves towards honey and spice. This is a great wine that one should sit and take their time with. It is massively complex and is constantly changing. So much so that one just has to stop themselves from writing about it and just drink.

3/8/2014 - Dandiophile wrote:

Mostly purple, ruby showing on the rim. 100% Sangiovese shows right up on the nose. Ripe cherry and fresh herbs. Fruit-driven, but a layer of tea leaf comes through. Medium-full bodied and holding on to a nice tannic grip. Tomato, black cherry, slightly bitter. Nice, fine acidic structure. It has that cleansing effect of a well-steeped late-night tea. Really good, classic styling.

1/15/2014 - Dandiophile wrote:

Way to closed down to drink this early, but shows lots of potential. Great acidity, medium body. Fruit driven with barely any detectable development at this point. Going to have to hold on and see where this one goes over the years.

1/12/2014 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pale, slightly yellow colour. Nice floral nose on this one with melon & plum. Good acid to cut the almost oily rich texture and some residual sugars. The body and mouthfeel scream Alsace. Very fruity palate with some honey and marzipan through the middle. Very smooth and balanced with potential for growth. I'll probably hold another bottle for 3-5 years.

1/9/2014 - Dandiophile wrote:

Popped and poured, sipped over a good hour. Moderately deep ruby with just a bit of purple left over. I've been holding off on opening this, but am glad I did now. It is just moving past the juicy primary fruit and gaining some complexity. While the blend is pretty close to even (38% Merlot, 35% Cab Sauv, 27% Cab Franc), Merlot is the driving force. Big, expressive aromas. Slightly smoky plum, ripe dark currant. Medium-full bodied and incredibly smooth. While not overly heavy, everything could be lifted by a bit more acidity. There are some years left in it, but it is just where I like it. This is a great wine from quite a good year in Niagara for the Bordeaux grapes.

4/14/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Slightly pale copper colour. This wine is shy on aroma, but it is pleasant enough. Musty with orange & caramel. Medium-bodied with good acidity. This is off-dry, similar to an Amontillado, but the flavours are more candied, giving an illusion of more sweetness. Sadly, there is a lack of balance on the palate. The classic oxidative character is a bit overwhelming at first. The 16% alcohol is not as nicely integrated as it could be (more "false" sweetness). Against my usual inclination, this is helped by keeping the wine at a slight chill. It is actually quite tasty, but the nice bitter orange & apricot fruit kind of just sits there idly, being suffocated by the quirky character of Vin Santo.

While it is nice to have an oddball wine, as Vin Santo can be considered, this should be balanced by the beautiful caramelized, dried fruit that is also a hallmark.

4/8/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Deep purple with very little sign of age. This is actually a pretty fascinating wine. When first poured, it overwhelmed with a big, pungent aroma of prune juice. I was almost put off, but it definitely grew more mellow & inviting. Structurally, the tannins are sweet & minimal, the acidity is pleasing & the high alcohol is well-integrated. The real point of interest is how this develops as it opens. On top of that, there is an exciting duality of unripe juiciness and an overripe flavour profile. This could use some time for those elements to marry, but as it is, the wine gives much to think about and enjoy. There is also chocolate in there, and it gains some complexity as it takes to air.. mulled berries, sweet Christmas cake, smoke. Nice velvety finish.

It could be said that this battle between ripe & fresh could be unflattering, but it makes for an interesting, complex drink. This nicely combines some old world charm with the bounty of new world Merlot.

It is slightly pricey, but a lot of people think Yellowtail is a good deal.. so...

4/3/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

From 330mL bottle into an Orval glass.

Great cloudy head that basically never goes away... sometimes it seems likes it is actually growing. Hazy, rusty colour.

This needs to warm up to serving temperature for it's flavours and aromatics to really open up, but it has such a funky, dirty profile. Floral hops, citrus, clove, esters. It tastes like it was made in a barn in some back country with little to no human intervention. High in carbonation and lengthy finish.

The truth is, this beer is eccentric and it doesn't please everyone. But, it is world class, with a well-deserved reputation. 4.71/10

4/2/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

This is the Italian version that is, as far as I know, not imported to the US. It pours a cloudy red-brown and leaves a thin, sticky foam.

Great aromatics here! There is just so much going on. Cherry, sour apple, vanilla, wet forest wood. Beautifully fragrant, I could smell this all day. It continues to evolve and move between its component for hours.

The palate is similarly complex, but not quite as powerful. More lithe, due to such high acidity, and quite tart. The tartness is rounded out by a more forward sweet flavour profile. Still fruity, with a moderate tannic grip.. moderate for beer that is. Sour apple, cranberry, vanilla. Nice length too!

This is really something else, something worth seeking out & trying. A great combination of the lip-smacking sourness of old-fashioned Lambic beer & the refined nature of oak-aged Flemish Red ales. 4.69/5

4/1/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Sweet, richly flavoured, medium-bodied beer. Simple aromtics of caramel & liquer. Caramel & nutty nougat. Almost like drinking a chocolate bar. Sweet, but slightly balanced by some bitterness. Great post-dinner beer! 4.16/5

3/31/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Huge, fluffy white head on a very pale, almost translucent, golden blond ale. The nose is of softly hopped orchard fruit. Medium to light bodied, with a palate dominated by pear. A medium-hop bitterness lends a grassy flavour. There is a noticeable sweet yeasty character, something like sweet sour dough before being baked, that gains strength as the beer warms. A punched-up blond with the 9.5% abv making itself known on the finish. Great balance of flavours, with nice hoppy subtleties. Great beer! 4.5/5

3/19/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Popped & poured at about 13 Celsius. Still deep, inky purple in colour. A slight lightening around the rim.

This is a pretty good example of the positive (in my opinion) changes in Napa over the last few years I'm noticing. The mid-range, early-drinking wines are starting to calm down a bit,. This is not one of the jammy, juicy bombs that had gained such momentum over the years. While it is full & fruity like Cabs from the climate are, there is a freshness and a streak of acidity that keeps this under control. The 14.3% abv is greatly integrated. Subdued nose/palate that eventually opens to give blackberry, juicy plum and a little cedar. I think, because the tannins are so fine and, to be honest, kind of lacking, this is in its ideal drinking window right now. Very good Cali Cab for the price.

After almost two hours this is losing some structure & becoming a bit one-dimensional, making me glad I opened this when I did.

3/5/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pale ruby, this wine does have quite a bit going for it... nice aromatics, smooth, easy mouthfeel, good flavour. An acidic core holds this together; there is basically no tannic structure. Extremely light in body, maybe a bit flimsy. What it lacks in structure is made up in a great sweet-edged, red-fruited bouyancy. Tart cranberry, cherry. This takes well to a slight chill in the fridge. I've had better Pinot from Rosehall, but this is still tasty & serviceable for the price.

2/12/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Beautiful honey-amber colour. Sniffing this might be considered lewd behaviour. It is bursting with ripe fruit & sweet custard. Full, richly textured. Creamy and maybe a touch syrupy, but kept bright with big acidity and peach & spice flavours. Long and lemon-tinged on the finish.

2/6/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pretty uninspired here! It was like having a big, watered-down glob of cheap melted milk chocolate in my mouth. I mean, it tastes ok & feels nice and smooth, but is it really even close to worth it?

1/14/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Bright nose of ripe cherry. Slight spiciness that is more evident on the palate. Very acidic and a nice grip. As others noted, this is a bit tightly wound and needs a bit of time to fully integrate. I'd give another couple of years or an hour or so decant. Nicely priced.

1/8/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Surprised by the paleness of this, for its 6 years of age. Not even showing any hint of gold. The nose is easily the best part of this wine. Honey, sweet melon, pear, quite expressive. The fruit is sadly a bit over-ripe in the mouth and leaves one hanging. It's just a bit too bland and doesn't follow through nicely. Light-bodied, good-enough acidity... everything, but the fruit is in good balance. It was like smelling a perfectly ripe cantaloupe at the grocery store, then biting in and finding it had been sent from South America about two months ago. Going to stick with Hunter Valley for my Semillon, I think.

1/6/2013 - Dandiophile wrote:

Copper-brown, froth fades quickly. Mild malty grain aroma. Medium to light in body, mostly yeasty grain flavours with a smidge of caramel. Nice touch of bitterness as it warms up. Simple, easy-drinking Oktoberfest, as they usually are, but I was just hoping it would be a bit more forward with its aroma/flavour profile.

12/31/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Dark brown with hints of red. Firm & frothy tan head. Nutty, spicy medium-bodied, subtle bitter chocolate note. While there is nothing mindblowing going on here, this is delicious & smooth. It may be a tad overpriced in this market, but it is still a very good beer.

12/27/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Nice rich colour. Good viscosity, quite sweet, medium bodied. Not much in terms of complexity, but a nice nose/palate of roasted nuts & raisin. More heat than I'd like, but it isn't killing it. Everything else in balance. Pretty good value here at $25 Cdn, but there is better to be had for just a few bucks more (Graham's, as an example).

12/20/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Lightened in colour to more of an amber-orange stained red over the last year. Still very similar on the nose & palate to my last bottle, but has gained more bitter orange zest, while the ripe, tart raspberry has mellowed slightly. The real strength of this wine is the zip-through acidity that almost makes you treat this wine like it has several separate parts. At only a few years of age, this has a lot of underlying herbal, eathry nuance that could be quite interesting as time goes on. Excellent.

11/17/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Deep purple colour, loads of ripe red fruit and a subtle roasted cocoa note. Medium-full, but it just lacked the acidity & tannins to push through all that juicy fruit.Good, but not very memorable.

11/7/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Deep purple, slight garnet rim. There is a load of fresh red berry on the nose. It, however, doesn't offer much else early on. As it opens a bit, some vanilla cream does come through. Medium bodied. Tannins are hidden beneath the juicy, vibrancy of the big fruit. Good acidity. Alcohol is well-integrated. All in all, this is very tasty in its up-front fruitiness, but there seems to be a slight lack of character. Still young & boisterous at eight years, this shows potential to develop some of the underlying tobacco & earth that is peeking through. Good value.

9/17/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Nice orange-tinted bright pink colour. Smells and tastes like strawberry bubblegum, but without any overwhelming sweetness. Nothing to write home about, but a solid drink for 15 bucks Canadian.

8/23/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pale lemon-white colour. The nose is mostly oak. Caramel, spiced pear, butter. Medium bodied, with moderate acidity. This might be a little oak heavy at this stage with that buttery caramel character enveloping some orchard fruit. Had this with olive oil poached cod and oven-roasted tomatoes. A nice pair, the acidic juice of the tomatoes lifted some of the weight of the oak flavours. I'd hope with a couple years of bottle age evening it out, you might not need the tomatoes! This is just an entry-level from Quail's Gate & while it might be a tad overdone, it definitely met my expectations. Makes me think I should splurge for their higher end stuff though.

8/17/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Deep purple colour, youthful, exuberant. Floral, spiced aromatics. Very zesty with tart raspberry. There is a great piquant peppery streak throughout that really brightens the finish. 65 year old Gamay vines are evident in a lenghty finish & concentrated, precise flavours. Great acidity. This shows how good the value is out of Morgon. Easy-drinking, but not simple or lacking in presence.

7/24/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

This is always a reliable wine for the price (the '05 was great), but this '06 seems to be a bit oak heavy, both on the palate & nose. It is not, however, totally out of balance, especially as it gains some air. There is some juicy cherry & slight earthy undertones, but mostly I get sweet, dense vanilla. Medium+ bodied, good acidity, lacks some tannic grip. Good length, but still vanilla-loaded. This is a smooth, crowd-pleasing quaffer, but falls a bit flat for me.

7/20/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

I'm beginning to think around 10 yeas is my sweet spot for these mid-level Rioja. Ruby with slight garnet around the edges. Classic, yet subdued aromas of American oak & crushed red berries. Slightly sweet fruit on the palate, with vanilla & leather in support. Smooth, supple tannic strcture. A little more acidity would have kept this lingering a little longer. I like the balance of sweet & tart fruit with some character from age rounding things out. Very nice.

6/29/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Still a nice medium-deep purple colour, with just a hint of ruby at the edges. The nose here is the stand-out part of the experience for me. Woodsy, floral & mossy with concentrated red berry fruit (cherry, raspberry) coming through as it opens up. This screams cold-climate character, but has a great ripeness from a very dry year. Medium-bodied, subdued smooth tannins & solid acidity giving it structure & firmness. The palate doesn't totally give in to the complexity of the nose, but it is very tasty & easy to drink. Nice with a slight chill. I really love nosing this! Has a few more years in it for sure.

6/23/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Nice pale salmon colour. This is mostly fruit from sniff to finish. A little minerality sneaks in there. Strawberry, watermelon. Light, fruity &very tasty. Great acidity. Perfect for a warm summer night.

6/14/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pale, almost white colour. This is delicious and a great value. From Trebbiano & Grechetto, there is elegance & refinement often not found in your simple everyday, no-think Soave gulpers.. and for about the same price! Apple, lemon & a nuttiness all play well together through a structured, acidic finish. Fresh on the nose & crisp in the mouth. Nice little bit of herbal character as it warms. Really quite good; this could easily qualify as a regular purchase at this QPR.

6/8/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

From 33cl bottle. Very nice example of the Dubbel style. Aromas are mostly chocolate with subtle brown sugar. Creamy bodied, with a good dose of chocolatey malts supported by the same brown sugar/molasses component. Big frothy, persistent head. Round, semi-sweet & nicely balanced alcohol. Almost no complexity, but quite tasty.

6/6/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Light golden yellow, the nose was quite reserved on opening. Mild mineral accented plum, a bit of apple. As this was slowly sipped & warmed up it became more & more expressive. Medium sweet, very ripe yellow plum & a nice honeyed richness. While there was a good dose of Chenin's typical acidity, there was still a slight lack of delicacy that I was looking for to level the chunky sweetness. Finishes medium with a little sweet clove added to the mix. A little simple, but very tasty. This wine maybe has a late summer night appeal, where I can imagine sitting with fresh picked plums sipping while the sun disappears. A summer sweet sine, huh....

6/2/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

The nose here could be a little more giving, showing apple cider & lemon. Med-full slightly oily textured body. The palate is less shy and follows through on the aromas, just hinting at some minerality. I get the feeling this could be in a bit of a dumb phase (and clearly too young!). All the signs are there for this to be great; ample acidity, pleasing mouthfeel, a nice finish and great balance of sugars, acids, fruit & minerals. I should have gotten another bottle, knowing I'd drink this one too early.

5/26/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

A smoky, earth-driven nose is engaging & a bit meditative.. it's almost like you can sense some of the winemaking process going into the wine. It is definitely in a traditional style and I can appreciate that, but I did want a little more of the very faint, but promising red berries on the palate. It is just bursting with robust sweet spice & smoke. For such concentration & fullness, there is a slight lack of fruit here. Ripe, sweet tannins, modest acidity & good length. There is nothing off-putting with the wine. It tastes quite good & has a wonderfully proud nose. I just wanted a little softness, which could come with some time laid down.

5/24/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Brilliant lemon-gold colour. The nose gives a sensation of sitting on a stony riverbank next to a field spattered with wildflowers. There is definitley a big autolytic character; the palate is more full & creamier than any Chablis I can recall trying. Floral, stony, yeasty and awash in citrus, predominately lime. Big, refreshing acidity. Nice, long finish with a hint of nutty bitterness. Excellent value at $30 CDN. This is still just a baby. I could see this going for a decade strong. Fantastic!

5/4/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

This is aging quite gracefully.. at 12 years old she is very polished... too bad this is my last bottle! Still gaining lots of complexity, the nose is gorgeous! Pear, apple & spice (particularly clove) are still primary. More petrol, lemon-lime & that sweet spicy character really developing through a nice finish. This has great structure, a lot of depth and, while nicely mature, could still go for several years I think. More please!

5/1/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Big fat nose here of aged dark rum, butterscotch & raisin. A nice, deep brown/tawny hue. This stickie is really great in the mouth but with barely enough acidity to cleanse the palate of its rich density. It could be said this is cloying, and while it might be a little, sometimes that's the point! Great deep toffee flavour, accented by bitter orange peel, raisin & brown sugar. A little too much heat on the palate for me, but it is 17.5% abv. Good dose of bitterness & spice on an ok finish.

4/23/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Love this beer! Such complexity. Great balance of hops, fruit & a nice malty centre. Dry & floral with honey, lemon, minerals & spice. This is a great beer that should be drank over a couple of hours so it can evolve fully. Let it warm up and a yeasty hoppiness really shine. Definitely my favourite Triple that i've tried.

4/16/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pretty average stuff here. Not much complexity, but a nice nose of pear drop & lemon. Flavours follow through with a tiny dose of botrytis spice. Smooth, medium sweet, with just enough acidity. This could use a few more years for some secondary character to develop. Nice, easy-drinking, pretty standard Tokaji.

4/1/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

A regional blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot & Shiraz, from Central Ranges (NSW), Beechworth (Vic), & McLaren (SA).

A juicy, brassy nose (a little like fresh blueberry pie) made me worry this would be a typical fat, jammy Aussie. While it is big & rich on the palate, there is a nice balance of sweet tannins & alcohol. I would have liked more acidity, only to cleanse the palate of a slight lingering cocoa bitterness. Dark fruited with a savoury cedar note throughout.

While this doesn't come close to the great Semillons I've experienced from Brokenwood, this is a nice & fresh example from SE Australia. Big, bold, but never punching you in the face. No need to hold onto this longer than maybe a couple years. Good QPR.

3/25/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Pretty good entry-level Alsatian Gris. Lighter & less rich than typical, with loads of green skinned fruit & a nice mineral note. There is a little residual sugar coming through on the palate. Not really unexpected, but in slight contrast to the wine's sprightly character. A little lacking in structure. Over-all; nice, easy-drinking & fresh. A good spring drink.

3/10/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Just a regular, straight-up Pinot Gris here. Lemon, green apple. Nice acidity. This is simple and has some grace. Clean, pale with a mildly fruity nose. Medium bodied. There is a subtle mineral edge as it opens up. Nothing fancy, and lacking the richness of other Gris in the same range. Like non-effervescent Vinho Verde (though less of a value); ideal as a patio wine.

3/8/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

From 250mL (sadly, the only bottle format we got in our stores.). This has pretty much everything one would look for in a great bottle of Tokaji... except about 250 to 500mL of rich, velvety liquid balanced by loads of acidity. Good bortytis character, complex with massive fruit up front. Gingery peach, orange rind. Long finish. Let this get to room temperature for a full experience. Damp earth & caramel begin to come through. Excellent! Could use a some age to tame the fruit.

2/28/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Very ripe fruity juice. An onslaught of stone, sweet honey & peaches . This is definitely balls-out, but this also means there is a lack of restraint. As expected with a young auslese, this is very sweet, rich & full-bodied. There just isn't enough acidity to cut it through for me. The result is a bit of chunkiness. I wonder if this is a fact of the grape or youth? Never mind all that though, because this IS delicious! And I doubt a bottle could hope to last a night in my hands. Better than '07.

2/21/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

From 375mL. Had this with honey cheesecake and it was a great match. But, when I went back to a pre-poured second glass, it was evident that this needed that dessert. The nose was big and attractive with apricot, honey & spice. The rich tropical fruit & apricot could not overcome a pungent astringency on the palate. Lots of acidity. Slightly alcoholic. While I was never banking on this being a stunner, it is really just your average, easy to grasp sweet wine. Ideal for a sweet, creamy dessert. But, unlike a great sweetie, not the best on its own.

2/18/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Cabernet Sauvignon tasting (Peterborough, Ontario): My favoruite of our Cabernet night. Cassis, cedar, chocolate, raspberry. Medium acidity, lots of tannic structure. This can use several years in the cellar to really shine. Long, juicy, ripe. Bit of Cab Franc & Merlot in the blend.

2/18/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Cabernet Sauvignon tasting (Peterborough, Ontario): Possibly my least favourite of our Cabernet tasting. Blackberry jam, cassis. Medium acid/tannin. med-full, lacking focus. Too hot.

2/18/2012 - Dandiophile wrote:

Cabernet Sauvignon tasting (Peterborough, Ontario): The 'ringer' of the night, if you will. And my first Israeli wine. Licorice, cherry, a little plastic note. Med acid/tannin/body. Not much to the finish, but an intriguing wine, for its breaking from the same-ness of the night's Cabernets.