Baco Noir is a French Hybrid grape produced in 1894 and planted in days of yore in Ontario and the Eastern United States. Perhaps a low life or roustabout grape for the unsophisticated decades ago? A “90 Day Fiancé” or a” Below the Deck” type of grape? Like South African Pinotage it can be dreadfulContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Henry of Pelham 2023 Lost Boys Baco Noir: Not a Wine for Cider House Rules Orphanage: Confessions of a Turkey Gravy Man!”
Tag Archives: Robert K. Stephen Wine reviews
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: 2021 Nomad Fumé Blanc From Niagara, Ontario
Aroma: Lemon, lime, guava, peach, pineapple and mango. Wow this has lots going on! Palate: Despite all the fruitish bouquet activity there is a certain austerity on the palate and despite 12 months ageing in oak it has a clean stainless-steel backbone, or least that is the way it presents itself. Try and try youContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: 2021 Nomad Fumé Blanc From Niagara, Ontario”
RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Merlot: To Dream the Almost Impossible Dream
Wine writers must suffer boredom reviewing wines if they have no passion. You might want to say I am passionate about discovering good Ontario Merlot despite the fact it might be a Sir Edmund Hillary climb to find one. The majority taste neutered with little power to impress. Sure you can point to terroir toContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Merlot: To Dream the Almost Impossible Dream”
RKS 2024 Wine: Domaine de la Madonne 2022: Beaujolais-Villages
Aroma: Black cherry, blackberry, plum and a hint of dark chocolate. Palate: If you are under the impression all Beaujolais are light and fruity that is not the case here. That might be true of Beaujolais but less true for Beaujolais-Villages. There is power and concentration without noticeable tannins in this full-bodied wine. Well trainedContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Domaine de la Madonne 2022: Beaujolais-Villages”
The Penniless Pensioner and A Campanian Wine: Memories of His Murdered Wife
I am uncertain how many of you know me. You will soon be able to read more about me in the Final Cut of my autobiography “The Penniless Pensioner”. Rest assured I am not a crotchety Mr. Otto or Mr. Wilson character timidly nibbling on a can of cat food with toasted stale reduced WonderContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner and A Campanian Wine: Memories of His Murdered Wife”
RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Merlot and Running for Cover
My experience with Ontario Merlot has not been impressive. However jazz it up with some oak and it can work a bit of magic. The label on this Colio Estate Winery 2020 Reserve Merlot states, “ …and the smooth silky finish bestowed on the wine by skilled oak aging.” Their website fails to describe theContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Merlot and Running for Cover”
RKS 2024 Wine: Rasteau Man Vibrations!
Perhaps wishful thinking with this miserably cold and damp weather made me think of this as a Rasta Man wine. But returning to reality I realize the wine has been incorrectly described! It has nothing to do with Jamaica as it is French. There is no Rasta Man in sight as the wine is aContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Rasteau Man Vibrations!”
RKS 2023 Wine: We Aren’t Impressed by That Gold Medal Seal and a 92 jamessuckling.com or are We?
Hopefully wine drinkers are not swayed by a “Gold Medal” seal and a 92 James Suckling seal on the bottle of the Knappstein Clare Valley 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. There is nothing inscribed on the “Gold Medal” seal to indicate who issued it. Could it be from some children’s colouring book? As for a jamessuckling.com 92Continue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: We Aren’t Impressed by That Gold Medal Seal and a 92 jamessuckling.com or are We?”
RKS 2023 Wine: 2019 Boya Syrah From Chile: Conquering the Barnyard!
The Boya 2019 Syrah is from Chile’s Leyda Valley. It was aged in neutral oak for 16 months. Aroma: Black cherry, blackberry and a bit too much barnyard leaning toward funky. Brett? Some like that “perfumed earth” smell believing it gives some charm to a red wine. A bit of a snake charmer so oneContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: 2019 Boya Syrah From Chile: Conquering the Barnyard!”
RKS 2023 Wine: Stag’s Hollow Tragically Vidal: Can They Elevate the Vacuous Vidal?
Stag’s Hollow in British Columbia has shown it can do wonders with Vidal. Much is grown in Ontario primarily for ice-wine. As a table wine it is about equally uninspiring as Muscat. Cloying without personality. Wine snobs might point to Vidal as a lowly French Hybrid grown in marginal wine climes. I am no suchContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Stag’s Hollow Tragically Vidal: Can They Elevate the Vacuous Vidal?”
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