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James Bowler

James Bowler

Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2007

Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada
4140 days ago

James reviewed this wine:

'... the Ontario Pinot producer I have found to be most impressive is Le Clos Jordanne ...' (Jancis Robinson, www.jancisrobinson.com, Aug. 18, 2009) The winery's flagship Le Grand Clos has been key to its meteoric success. Extremely limited, this regal wine is made with only the very best fruit from the estate's principal vineyard. With Thomas Bachelder recently named 'Winemaker of the Year' at the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards and the 2007 vintage universally declared the best ever in Ontario, this super-premium Pinot is destined to be one of the finest and purest expressions of Niagara terroir.

4140 days ago

James reviewed this wine:

(77% zinfandel, 17% petite sirah and 6% carignane) Deep red. Sweet dark berry and kirsch scents are complicated by musky herbs, dried flowers and minerals, with a suave undercurrent of oak spice contributing sweetness. Powerful cassis and bitter cherry flavors are firmed by youthful tannins, which add grip to the finish. Possesses the focus, balance and concentration to repay a decade or more in the cellar. Score - 92. (Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar, Nov./Dec. 2007)

4140 days ago

James reviewed this wine:

The 2007 Lytton Springs Proprietary Red (71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignan) exhibits a similar dark ruby/purple hue [to Ridge's Monte Bello Proprietary Red] as well as more black fruits and spice in the impressive aromatics. It is a fuller-bodied, richer wine with beautiful texture, purity, and length. Enjoy it over the next 7-10 years. Score - 92. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2010)

4141 days ago

James reviewed this wine:

The third vintage of Creekside's benchmark Broken Press Shiraz is more like the delicate and aromatic 2004 debut vintage as opposed to the sinewy and intense 2005. Co-fermentation with 5 percent Viognier and French oak maturation are the hallmarks of the highly-scented Broken Press Shiraz... Even in it's youth, this is an effortlessly class red wine with appealing texture, bright fruit and a long, enjoyable finish. (Chris Waters, Vines, Dec. 2008)

4168 days ago

James reviewed this wine:

97% Shiraz, 3% Viognier. The tradition of adding Viognier skins to batches of our best Shiraz began with a happy accident in 2004, when our poor old basket press quit in the midst of pressing hand-picked Viognier. The grapes were rescued from the press and added to fermenting Shiraz bins — a practice not uncommon in the northern Rhône Valley. Deep purple ruby: floral, blackberry nose with tobacco and vanilla oak notes; spicy and rich with a fine spine of acidity; full-bodied with enough tannin to give it structure and age-worthiness. (4.5 out of 5 from Tony Aspler, Feb. 2008)

James Bowler

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