Summers Andriana’s Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California, USA 🇺🇸

🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 77.5%
🍇 Merlot 16.5%
🍇 Petit Verdot 2.1 %
🍇 Petit Sirah 2.1%
🍇 Malbec 1.8%

🧐 Alcohol 14.1%

🍁 My Score 89 Points

🧩 Fruit 67% from Sonoma County and 33% from Napa County
      Oak treatment: 16 months in French oak, 50% new oak

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Very attractive nose with aromas of cherries, wild berries, black currants, violets, leather and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, creamy oak covering the palate with silky tannins and low acidity. The finish is medium length with ripe fruit flavour and oak spices lingering.

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A most interesting blend here. I recall a few years ago, this was 100% Cabernet. It’s definitely a wine with great appeal, beautiful aromatics, well integrated oak, smooth texture and most enjoyable. An uncomplicated Cabernet that goes down easy. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Arrowood Knight Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 80%
🍇 Merlot 16%
🍇 Malbec 4%

🧐 Alcohol 14.8%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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A beautiful and inviting nose with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plums, leather, underbrush, spices and smoky cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, leathery fruit, dusty tannins and balance acidity. The finish is medium-long with flavour of black fruit, plums and savoury notes lingering.

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I enjoy attending Trade tastings when wine is being pored, which we have in stock @vintagespiritsvictoria . I always make an effort to taste all wines which we carry, so I know how to describe them to our customers. So how would I describe this wine?  It’s a blend with great aromatics, complexity, texture and very flavourful. To be enjoyed today, after an hour decant with a great piece of beef 🥩 or to cellar for a few years where it would acquire even more elegance. Strongly recommended and superb value.  Cheers my wine friends 🍷

De Loach Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2010, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

 

Made with 100% Zinfandel with maturation in French, American and Hungarian oak barrels for 11 months and alcohol comes in at 14.2%.

This wine opened up with a very sweet aromas of ripe cherry/raspberry fruit, stewed plums, cola, vanilla and spices. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with spicy flavours, lively acidity and well integrated tannins. This Zin’s finish is short, but the flavours are nice and spicy.  For me, an enjoyable Zinfandel and I love that it’s not too jammy. However, at this price point, it lacks complexity and structure . Score 88 points.

Purchased June 8, 2013 LCBO Vintages New Release (980573) at $29.95

Kunde Zinfandel 2008, Sonoma County, California, USA

Mostly Zinfandel with a small amount of Petite Sirah and Syrah, with maturation in a combination of American, French and Hungarian oak for 19 months, alcohol comes in at 14.5%.

A beautiful sensuous nose on this Zin, with aromas of black cherry, wild berries, raisins, toasty oak, saddle leather, vanilla and espresso notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with ripe fruit concentration, peppery, cola flavours, nice acidity and silky tannins. This wines finish is a medium length with ripe and rich fruit concentration, peppery and savoury notes and a beautiful velvety texture. Great flavours on this Zinfandel, awesome value and strongly recommended. Score 89 points.

Purchased June 22, 2013 LCBO Vintages New Release (965921) at $21.95

Rodney Strong Reserve Chardonnay 2009, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine is made using 100% Chardonnay grapes, maturation taking place in 100% French oak for 13 months (26% new oak) which 10 months spent sur lie, a light fining was done before bottling but unfiltered, finally alcohol comes in at 14.5%.

This Chardonnay opened up with an elegant bouquet of pears, mandarin, lemon custard, toasted hazelnut and light vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, smooth entry with flavours of citrus, pears, vanilla and spices with refreshing acidity. This wine finish is long, slightly creamy with luscious fruit character, light spices and refreshing. Definitely my style of Chardonnay, a wine with lots of finesse and elegance where the oak treatment is carefully restrained leaving the quality of the fruit to shine. Gorgeous wine, strongly recommended, score 91 points.

Purchased November 24, 2012 LCBO Vintages new release (210039) at $34.95

Ridge Lytton Springs 2009, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

This delicious wine is a blend of mostly Zinfandel with 72%, Petit Sirah at 23% and in a supporting role, Carignan with 5%, maturation taking place 100% American oak for 14 months (25% new, 20% one year old and 55% four to five years old) and alcohol coming in at 14.5%.

This wine opened up with a sexy bouquet of blackberry-plumy fruit, raisins, grilled toast, cigar, incense and sweet, exotic spices. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, well structured by rich briary fruit, mild acidity and firm but not overbearing tannins. With an excellent depth of flavours on the finish, fine texture, soft seductive fruit and gentle oak spices lingering. This is my go to producer of great zin blend wines and in this vintage; Ridge Lytton Springs 2009 is especially delicious. Very enjoyable. Score 92 points.   

Purchased May 26, 2012 LCBO New Release (982413) at $46.95

Sivas Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine is a blend of 93% Zinfandel and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, maturation taking place in 80% American oak and 20% French oak with alcohol coming in at 14.9%.

This Zin opened up with a very fragrant bouquet of red cherry-wild berry fruit, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, cedar and wood smoke aromas. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, ripe spicy fruit and slightly jammy, lively acidity and mild tannins. An interesting sweet and tart tug of war with crisp acidity, fine structure and a long staying power on the finish. This is a big wine, big alcohol and very comforting Zinfandel especially on these cold winter days (4 days in a row @ -30C with the windchill). Very good value and strongly recommended, score 89 points.

Purchased January 5, 2013 Vintages LCBO New Release (291096) at $18.95

Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

 

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, maturation taking place in a combination of French and American oak over a period of 16 months with alcohol coming in at 14%.

The hallmark of Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley have always been its aromatics. This 2009 vintage certainly does everything right, with aromas of blueberry, plum, cassis, cedar, toast, hint of pepper and light tobacco notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, well integrated flavours, balance acidity and soft velvet tannins. Very good length on the finish, very smooth with flavours of chocolate, cedar, tobacco and blueberry pie lingering. A very nice middle of the road California Cabernet, very elegant and stylish and at a good price. Strongly recommended, score 90 points.

Purchased April 14, 2012 LCBO New Release (504427) at $27.95



 

Left over residual sugar, sometimes called sugar diamonds or sugar crystals.

Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2010, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine is 100% Zinfandel, maturation taking place in 75% American oak (10%) and 25% French oak (neutral) for 10 months with alcohol coming in at 14.8%.

What beautiful, sensuous aromatics on this Zin, with aromas of wild berry/blueberry fruit, tobacco, black pepper, smoky and exotic spices notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, savoury, spicy, bright forward ripe fruit, balance acidity and velvet tannins. Very good weight and length on the finish, layered by delicious forward fruit, raisins and pepper, slightly sweet with alcohol appearing at the end.  Again, awesome Zinfandel from Seghesio, almost as outstanding has their 2007 vintage. Strongly recommended, score 92 points.  

Purchased November 10, 2012 LCBO New Release (942151) at $29.95

Summers Ranch Reserve Merlot 2008, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

 

This Merlot opened up with aromas of black cherry, black currants, prune, roasted coffee, chocolate and smoky cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with alcohol at 14.2%, juicy, ripe and rich flavours, low acidity and rounded tannins. Not especially complex but the flavours and texture are very nice. You definitely get the California sunshine in this bottle. This is a flavourful Merlot that goes down, almost too easy. Strongly recommended for people who like this rich style of Merlot, score 90 points.

Purchased September 15, 2012 LCBO New Release (279372) at $34.95

Summers Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine opens up with a classic California Cabernet nose of blackberry, black cherry, black currant, clove, mint, chocolate and cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, this is a full bodied wine with (kudos for the moderate alcohol at 14.2% for California anyway) sweet ripe, rich fruit and creamy oak covering the palate with silky, slightly chewy tannins. Great length on the finish, with generous fruit concentration and beautiful silky tannins adding texture right to the end. For fans of California Cabernet, this rich and juicy wine goes down easy and is unlikely to disappoint, one word to describe this wine would be ...yummy. Strongly recommended, score 90 points. 

Purchased August 18, 2012 LCBO New Release (279398) at $29.95

Ridge Three Valleys 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine is a blend of 70% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane, 10% Petit Sirah, 3% Gernache and 2% Mataro with alcohol coming in at a reasonable 14.1%. Not very flashy on the nose for a Zin, with aromas of blackberry/black cherry fruit, licorice, smoke, pencil shaving, tobacco and wood spices. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, with lots of concentrated flavours, balanced acidity and dusty tannins. This wine finish is very long, very smooth with good texture and a lot of detail. I have been following Ridge Three Valleys for quite some time now, very interesting as always, seemingly different from year to year but they always seem to produce a more refined, tasty, savoury style Zin blend. It would certainly be interesting to sit at the same table and be part of the team that blend the final product. Very enjoyable, score 90 points.

Purchased March 3, 2012 LCBO New Release (652875) at $34.95

Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA

Of the larger producers of Zinfandel, Ravenswood and Ridger are my favourite, their wines are more complex and balanced and with good use of blending. This Old Vine from Ravenswood is a good alue for money, a blend of 84% Zinfandel, 8% Petit Sirah, 6% Carignane and 2% Mixed Blacks with generous, but still well balanced alcohol at 14.5%.

This wine opened up with aromas of ripe berries, plum, cherry, white pepper and wood smoke. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit, rhubarb, fresh acidity and fine grainy tannins. This Zin finish was long with a good depth of flavours, fine tannins on a nice acidity lift. I love this kind of Zinfandel with ripe and rich fruit but not over done or jammy or to alcoholic. This is the third bottle which I opened and they have all been consistent. Strongly recommended, score 91 points.

Purchased May 12, 2012 LCBO New Release (673798) at $23.95    

Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir 2009, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

I have enjoyed the last 3 or 4 vintages of Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir, I truly enjoy it's elegance and easy drinking quality. This 2009 vintage opens up with aromas of wild ripe strawberries, plums, rhubarb, cherry coke and cinnamon spice.  On the palate, medium bodied, cherry pie and baking spices flavours, fresh acidity with silky smooth tannins. This Pinot’s finish is rather short, the alcohol at 14.5% is slightly noticeable with sweet and sour fruit lingering. Certainly as good as previous vintages, it is enjoyable, very aromatic and smooth, which should appeal to many. Score 89 points.    

Purchased April 28, 2011 LCBO Vintage product (954834) at $24.95

Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2008, Sonoma County, California

The fruit from this medium to full body Chardonnay is grown in the Chalk Hill appellation of Sonoma County. A refined style of California Chardonnay which went through new and old French oak barrel fermentation gives melon, pear, vanilla, clove and some toasty oak on the nose. The mouthfeel is creamy with fresh acidity and tree fruit, nutty and with some minerality. The finish is a bit hot (14.2% alc.) and spicy. A solid Chardonnay overall.

This wine was purchased April 30, 2011 LCBO New Release at $22.95

Ridge Lytton Springs 2007, Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County, California

This wine is a blend of 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petit Sirah and 7%Carignan, fermented with natural yeast and aged for fifteen months in American oak. Ridge sure know how to do blends and this wine has great aromatics; dark plums, blueberries, cassis and cedar. The palate is well structured with rich flavours, lively acidity and firm tannins. Long espresso finish wrapped in fine tannins. I really enjoy Ridge Zinfandel, they are never over the top jammy or alcohol. This wine has great flavours and class. This Zinfandel could age 2 to 4 years easy. Yummy

This wine was purchased on October 30, 2010, LCBO New Release at $44.95