Values Wine Picks January 14, 2011

by Natalie MacLean


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Note: I publish batches of reviews that I call Good Values Wine Picks. These are from the regular section of the liquor store rather than the Vintages section, and tend to be lower priced and the most widely available of all wines. The last four reviews I did were: May 22, March 7, January 4 and December 16.

[ Compress ] White Wine

[yellow tail] Reserve, Casella Wines Chardonnay 2009, Southeast Australia, Australia: Wow! Welcome to the new [yellow tail]! Balanced, rich, full-bodied and lip-smackin' delicious. Mouth-filling but not heavy with lovely aromas of green apple, peach and toasty oak. Bring it on! Drink: 2010-2014.  366203  13.50%  D  750 mL  $14.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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The Little Penguin Chardonnay 2009, South Eastern Australia, Australia: Terrific buttery and peachy Chardonnay. Round, full-bodied and absolutely delicious. Nice toasty vanilla smoke on the finish.  598904  13%    750 mL  $10.95  Score: 86/100. January 14, 2011
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Colio Estate Wines Girls' Night Out Riesling 2009, VQA Ontario, Canada: A simple, tasty white with a touch of sweetness. Notes of peach and pear. Makes a nice aperitif.  134197  11.80%  MD  750 mL  $12.95  Score: 83/100. January 14, 2011
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Black Slate Riesling 2007, Mosel, Germany: An excellent aperitif, or companion to many dishes from seafood to mild curries. Aromas of lemon drops with a crisp lively body and mouth-watering, appetite-whetting acidity. Unbelievably great price!  176917  11%  MD  750 mL  $10.95  Score: 87/100. January 14, 2011
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Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand: So dependably fresh and crisp every year: this is a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc! Lovely zesty notes of limes, chives, and gooseberry. Perfect for vegetarian pizza or quiche. Drink: 2011-2014.  316570  13%  D  750 mL  $18.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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Oyster Bay Marlborough Chardonnay 2009, Marlborough, New Zealand: Chardonnay for those who like the taste of grapes rather than wood! This lovely Chard has terrific and refreshing notes of green apples and just a hint of oak. Amazing intensity and pleasure in the glass. Bring it on! Drink: 2011-2015.  326728  13.50%  D  750 mL  $18.95  Score: 90/100. January 14, 2011
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Core Wine Company B.Core Rousanne Marsanne 2006, Santa Barbara County, California, USA: A robust, Rhone-style white that's a blend of 73% Rousanne and 27% Marsanne grapes. An unctuous, mouth-filling wine with an incredibly long finish. Lovely! Drink: 2010-2013.  14.90%  D  750 mL  $26.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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Rodney Strong Wine Estates Chardonnay 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA: Classic California Chardonnay with rich notes of oak, butter and green apple. Some pear notes as well. Full-bodied and satisfying. Drink: 2011-2013.  226936  13.50%  D  750 mL  $17.95  Score: 89/100. January 14, 2011
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[ Compress ] Red Wine

[yellow tail] Reserve, Casella Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Southeast Australia, Australia: A savoury, balanced and full-bodied red with terrific notes of cassis and blackberry and black cherry. Perfect for movie night, especially film noir. Drink: 2010-2014.  106104  13.50%  D  750 mL  $15.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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[yellow tail] Reserve, Casella Wines Shiraz 2009, Southeast Australia, Australia: Classic Shiraz with rich, palate-caressing flavours of mocha, blackberry and black plum. Crack one open at your next potluck or book club gathering. Drink: 2010-2014.  13.50%  D  750 mL  $15.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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Lindemans Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, South East Australia, Australia: Juicy, plummy and full-bodied with some toasty oak. Delicious priced right. Perfect for parties. Drink: 2011-2013.  119628  13.50%    750 mL  $11.95  Score: 86/100. January 14, 2011
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Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz 2010, South East Australia, Australia: Mouth-watering and generous with layers of black plums and berries. Yum! Crack one open on movie night. Drink: 2011-2014.  145367  13.50%    750 mL  $11.95  Score: 87/100. January 14, 2011
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The Little Penguin Merlot 2009, South Eastern Australia, Australia: Surprisingly tasty for this price point: delivers terrific value in the bottle! Lovely lifted notes of plush plums and some mint. Smooth, supple and full-bodied. Perfect for your next potluck gathering. Drink: 2011-2014.  598912  13.50%    750 mL  $10.95  Score: 86/100. January 14, 2011
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The Little Penguin Shiraz 2009, South Eastern Australia, Australia: Big juicy purple and black plums burst from the glass. Some vanilla oak and a smooth, full-bodied texture. Nice price! Drink: 2011-2014.  621870  13.50%    750 mL  $10.95  Score: 85/100. January 14, 2011
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Colio Estate Wines C.E.V. Meritage 2006, VQA Lake Erie North Shore, Canada: Robust and smooth with notes of cassis, cedar and blackberry. Decant for an hour and enjoy. Drink: 2010-2013.  314880  13%  XD  750 mL  $20.95  Score: 87/100. January 14, 2011
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Colio Estate Wines Girls' Night Out Merlot 2008, Lake Erie North Shore, Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada: Black cherry notes with a smooth texture. Medium-bodied. Tasty and gulpable.  89847  12.90%    750 mL  $12.95  Score: 83/100. January 14, 2011
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Vigne dei Mastri Rodata 2007, Piedmont, Italy: Full-bodied with black fruit and smoke. Medium- to full-bodied. Tasty. Food matches: meat-lovers pizza. Great price. Drink: 2010-2012.  416866  13.50%  D  750 mL  $8.75  Score: 85/100. January 14, 2011
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Core Wine Company Kuyam Thirteen Moons 2007, Santa Barbara County, California, USA: A big, full-bodied red with black fruit and smoke. Good grippy tannins and a satisfyingly long finish. Drink: 2010-2013.  14.90%  D  750 mL  $21.95  Score: 87/100. January 14, 2011
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Core Wine Company Hard Core Mouvedre Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah Grenache 2007, Santa Barbara County, California, USA: This blend of 37% mouvedre, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 26% syrah and 4% grenache delivers! Rich and full-bodied with ripe flavours of blackberry and dark plums. A touch of tannin means that decanting for 1-2 hours will help. Drink: 2010-2016.  14.90%  D  750 mL  $26.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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Mirassou Winery Pinot Noir 2008, California, USA: A simple, tasty red with sour cherry notes and a smooth, medium body. Good quaff for pizza night.  185249  13.67%    750 mL  $12.95  Score: 83/100. January 14, 2011
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Rodney Strong Wine Estates Knotty Vines Estate Zinfandel 2008, Sonoma County, California, USA: Terrific cherry-berry aromas burst from the glass! Love the energy and pleasure here. Round, smooth and full-bodied. Slippery-great. Top me up! Drink: 2011-2015.  363358  15.10%  D  750 mL  $22.95  Score: 90/100. January 14, 2011
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Rodney Strong Wine Estates Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Sonoma County, California, USA: Love this style of cabernet! Balanced, deep, long and ultimately satisfying. Classic aromas of blackberry and cassis. Satin smooth and full-bodied. Decant 1-2 hours. Drink: 2011-2017.  382325  14.90%  D  750 mL  $59.95  Score: 91/100. January 14, 2011
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Hawkes Wine & Winery Red Winery Vineyard Merlot 2008, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, USA: A lovely, medium- to full-bodied red with delicious notes of mocha and black plums. Smooth and blanced. A terrific wine that will appeal to many palates, which makes ideal as a gift or for dinner party. Drink: 2010-2016.  416882  13.80%  D  750 mL  $27.95  Score: 88/100. January 14, 2011
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Rodney Strong Wine Estates Symmetry Red Meritage 2007, Sonoma County, California, USA: A remarkable wine that needs more cellar time. Massive and towering with deep, dark, rich black fruit aromas and smoke. Good tannic grip. Decant for 2 hours. Drink: 2013-2018.  497933  15.10%  D  750 mL  $69.95  Score: 92/100. January 14, 2011
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Rodney Strong Wine Estates Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA: Generous oak on the nose is supported by gorgeous, fleshy cherries on the palate. Some black raspberry plays here too with your senses. Incredible texture: satin smooth. Smokey finish. Drink: 2011-2015.  954834  14.50%  D  750 mL  $24.95  Score: 90/100. January 14, 2011
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[ Compress ] Rosés

Finca Flichman Misterio Malbec Shiraz Rose 2009, Argentina: Lovely! What a steal at this price! Juicy, mouth-watering raspberries and strawberries. Bone-dry so it's a wonderfully refreshing aperitif. Plush and medium-bodied. A 50/50 blend of malbec and shiraz. Perfect for book club and potluck gatherings. Drink: 2011-2012.  170126  13%    750 mL  $7.95  Score: 86/100. January 14, 2011
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[ Compress ] Sparkling Wine

Seaview Brut, South East Australia, Australia: Toasty bread aromas wrapped around some white peach and lime. Refreshing and zesty. You can't beat this price for bubbly. Drink: 2011-2013.  216333  11.50%    750 mL  $13.95  Score: 85/100. January 14, 2011
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Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut, South East Australia, Australia: Green apple fresh with zesty lime. Terrific bubbly for this price. Perfect for any large festive gathering. Drink: 2011-2013.  708290  11%    750 mL  $17.95  Score: 87/100. January 14, 2011
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