My wife and I attended on Nov. 2 and had a great time.
Please note that we didn't have any kind of tasting plan when we arrived, so the selection, by accident, is heavily weighted toward reds.
Also note that even though we spit regularly (although we did break that rule with some of the exceptional wines), the number of wines we tried did take their toll, so some of the notes are more impressions than detailed notes.
The Champagnes
Some truly great wines in this category. The champagnes were the highlight of the show for us, particularly the Bollinger flight.
Bollinger Special Cuvee NV
Deep yellow color.
Very yeasty-doughy nose.
Sherry-like, very nutty, crisp acidity, tart green apples.
Bollinger La Grand Annee 1999
Darker yellow than the Special Cuvee.
A deep, earth nose, with marzipan and very yeasty.
Marzipan, very nutty, sherry notes, quite rich, earthy, zesty acidity.
A very clean and acidic finish.
Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut 1995
Very yellow-golden in the glass, resembling an aged Sauterne.
A hint of balsamic vinegar and nutty on the nose.
Tangy, earthy, sherry notes, slightly tart, very clean, without the yeastiness and nuttiness of the first two. Very fine, delicate bubbles.
The very long finish is quite mouthwatering.
Tattinger NV Brut
Dark yellow with an odd hint of pink in the color.
A very yeasty nose.
Good mousse.
Clean, tangy, green apples, lemon. Very refreshing and delicious.
Ayala Rose Majeur NV Brut
A lovely pink-copper color.
Strawberry-raspberry nose.
Bright, raspberry-strawberry fruit, spicy, good acidity, very clean. I can see myself sipping this while sitting on the back deck on a warm summer evening.
Ayala Blanc de Blanc NV
A very yeasty and nutty nose.
A real lemon edge to this one, tart, toasty, slightly cutting.
A very long, drying finish.
This is the more serious wine of the two and would require some food.
The whites.
Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Herrenweg De Turckheim 2005
A very clean, delicate nose, mineral, with a hint of citrus.
Wow! Incredibly intense and rich, bursting with marmalade fruit (apricots, orange, lemon), spicy, tangy.
Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2006 Okanagan Valley
Light orange on the nose.
Very clean, delicate, honeyed, light orange fruit, refreshing.
Tangy, tart, green apple finish.
The reds
La Bretonniere Saumur-Champigny Rouge 2004
A lovely nose: autumn forest floor, smoke, with some vegetal notes (celery and green pepper).
Rather smooth and round in the mouth, plummy and warm, black cherry, spicy, fairly rich, with a rather firm backbone lurking in the background.
Chanson Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005
Smoke, earth and cherry fruit on the nose.
Medium bodied, light cherry fruit, spicy and refreshing.
Seresin "Leah" Pinot Noir 2005 Marlborough
A luscious nose, with rich berry fruit and a hint of beets.
Rich mouthfeel, caressing the palette, tangy cherry, with a fairly strong bitter streak.
A tangy finish.
Burrowing Owl Merlot 2005 Okanagan Valley
Almost black in the glass.
Drying on the nose, plums, grape skins, loads of black fruit.
Black licorice, very rich, earthy, black cherry. A very big and intense wine.
Slightly drying on the finish.
It's a shame we can't get this in Ontario.
Cuvaison Pinot Noir 2005 Napa
An earthy nose.
Smooth and silky, rather thick, cherry fruit, spicy, good acidity. Quite rich.
Casa Lapostelle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot 2005 Apalta Vineyard
Very dark in the glass, almost black.
A veggy nose.
Very tarry, silky and smooth, tart black cherry fruit, rather drying, with fairly strong vegetal notes which detracted from the overall impression.
Tarry on the finish.
[b]Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa
Black in the glass.
Dense, slightly sweet, black cherry, chocolate, good acidity on the finish. A very big, rich and showy wine.
Flat Rock Cellars "Gravity" Pinot Noir 2005 Niagara Peninsula
Sulphur and old cheese on the nose (which I happen to like), earthy and smoky.
Lively, medium bodied, tangy cherry fruit, spicy, cola flavours. Very nice.
Konzelmann Barrel Aged Shiraz 2006 Niagara Peninsula
Very dark in the glass.
An unusual (but not bad) smell on the nose that I was unable to identify.
Soft, spicy, raspberry, chocolate, smooth, a little vegetal. A very nice wine.
Insanely priced at $12.95 (Canadian).
Chateau Coufran 2003 Haut-Medoc
Stinky old cheese and earthen floor on the nose.
Quite approachable, cherry fruit, medium bodied, leather, drying on the finish. Very nice.
Carneros Creek Pinot Noir Rserve 2005
An earthy nose with rich fruit.
Tangy, sort of barbecue-hickory smoke, very spicy, cherry fruit, quite toasty (perhaps a bit too much as the toasty-roasted notes tend to dominate).
Chateau Segla 2003 Margaux
Very black in the glass.
Quite rich and smooth, very approachable, black cherry and berry fruit, leather, cocoa, slightly drying on the finish with light puckering tannins.
Secco-Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena 2004 Ripasso
The QPR steal of the show at $14 (Canadian).
Dark in the glass.
Smoke, leather and earth on the nose.
Smoke, leather and earth continue in the mouth, sligltly sweet, cherry fruit, spicy, a little tart and drying on the finish. Very rich and showy, with that lovely stewed-raisined fruit of a Ripasso.
Graham Beck Shiraz 2004 Coastal Region
Antiseptic, band aid nose.
The same in the mouth, sharp, spicy and tastes as if I am licking a first aid kit. Gross.
Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 2004 1st Cru aux Combottes
I have almost no experience with top end Burgundy, so thought that this would be a good opportunity.
Cherry fruit, leather and earth on the nose.
Fairly rich and juicy cherry fruit, smooth in the mouth, spicy, drying and turning a little firm toward the end. A very nice wine.
Doudet-Naudin Savigny les Beaune 2005
A rather subdued nose, with a bit of cherry showing through.
Quite jammy, raspberry, strawberry and cherry fruit, spicy, good acidity.
A very drying finish.
Quite nice, although I suspect this would reward short term aging.