A spring frost and mildew was not very kind to Bordeaux in 2021. Yields seem to be down as much as 30%. And the quality? Time will tell. Should you stock up now? There seems to be enough flow from previous harvests so stocking up would not seem necessary. Pick with care the 2021’s orContinue reading “RKS Wine: 2021 Was Not a Great Year for Bordeaux”
Category Archives: Wine
RKS Wine: The Okanagan’s Mayhem 2020 Riesling and My Treatment for Riesling Hesitation Syndrome
I am very discerning about Ontario Rieslings and I don’t want to stir things up about why. I have much better luck with British Columbia Rieslings. Trust Mayhem to cause a bit of mayhem with its Riesling as not only was it aged in stainless steel but neutral French oak. EEKS! Oak and Riesling! DoesContinue reading “RKS Wine: The Okanagan’s Mayhem 2020 Riesling and My Treatment for Riesling Hesitation Syndrome”
RKS Wine: Portugal’s Alentejano Goes Beyond Indigenous and My Thoughts On A Corked Wine
In addition to Portuguese indigenous grapes Alentejano wines often throw into the blend some “international” grapes such as Syrah, Alicante Bouschet or Merlot. For example the 2016 Flor de Maio has in its blend of Trincadeira and Aragonez some Syrah. It is garnet in color. As for aroma there is black cherry, ripe strawberry, chocolateContinue reading “RKS Wine: Portugal’s Alentejano Goes Beyond Indigenous and My Thoughts On A Corked Wine”
RKS Wine: My View on Viewpointe 2012 Cabernet Franc
Viewpointe Estate Winery has a beautiful tasting room overlooking Lake Erie. They craft good wines. Lake Erie North Shore (LENS) is the appellation and is largely ignored by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) in favour of the wines of Niagara. Mention Lake Erie North Shore and most Ontario wine drinkers just might lookContinue reading “RKS Wine: My View on Viewpointe 2012 Cabernet Franc”
RKS Wine: Mayhem Wines: Same Grapes for the Blend but Different Proportions and a Year Younger but the Same Price: Mayhem’s 2020 Cabernet Franc Merlot
Mayhem’s 2019 Cabernet Franc was brilliant with a 72% Merlot/28% Cabernet Franc blend. The 2020 version is 89% Merlot/11% Cabernet Franc. The 2020 was aged into 100% French oak barrels that were second fill and aged for 5 months at which time the final blend was assembled and transferred back into the barrel for anContinue reading “RKS Wine: Mayhem Wines: Same Grapes for the Blend but Different Proportions and a Year Younger but the Same Price: Mayhem’s 2020 Cabernet Franc Merlot”
RKS WINES: Canadian Wine Quarantine: Social Distancing and The Berlin Wall!
If I was to say to my Ontario readers Mayhem Wines in British Columbia’s Okanagan produces some jaw dropping quality wines that in my opinion rank it amongst the top wineries in the world 99.9% would say I was infected with some Omicrap virus and hallucinating. Why is this? The Liquor Control Board of OntarioContinue reading “RKS WINES: Canadian Wine Quarantine: Social Distancing and The Berlin Wall!”
RKS Wine: Don’t Overlook Spain for Quality Low Priced Wines: Frustrated Wine Writer Saved by Rioja!
Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world and with all that wine there can be quality in the lower price levels. The past is the past but I recall discovering a superb low-priced rosé from Spain a few years ago and it was selling for $7. It never reappeared. We pare downContinue reading “RKS Wine: Don’t Overlook Spain for Quality Low Priced Wines: Frustrated Wine Writer Saved by Rioja!”
RKS Wines: Marynissen Estates: Can’t Get Cabernet Franc Right in Ontario? Time to Pack it Up!
Ontario does Cabernet Franc so well. I can’t say I have had a bum bottle yet. But Ontario wineries who can’t get it right may consider just packing up and calling its quits. A poor Cabernet Franc runs against the tide of “it’s hard to botch”. So should Marynissen pack it up? We try theirContinue reading “RKS Wines: Marynissen Estates: Can’t Get Cabernet Franc Right in Ontario? Time to Pack it Up!”
RKS Wine: Trying to Find One of the Smoothest and Most Delicious Red Wines: The Tears of Christ
Was it the view of the Bay of Naples? Was it the sights of Capri and Sorrento? Or was it actually the wine? Four years ago when air travel was simply a pain as opposed to today’s huge pain and hassle I was in Naples for 5 days courtesy of the EU to do someContinue reading “RKS Wine: Trying to Find One of the Smoothest and Most Delicious Red Wines: The Tears of Christ”
RKS Wines: Portuguese Wines from Lisboa
My heart in Portugal for wine rests in the Douro Valley. I have been there numerous times and met many winemakers but it is getting tugs toward the Dão, Alentejano and Lisboa because of some very exciting wines that keep their Portuguese identity using Portuguese grapes but add Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Alicante Bouschet toContinue reading “RKS Wines: Portuguese Wines from Lisboa”
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