Robert K. Stephen Wine reviews – Page 12 – A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity

RKS Wine: Mayhem’s Sauvignon Blanc: The Best in the World?

The Mayhem 2020 Sauvignon Blanc was the best white wine I reviewed last year. Not the best Canadian but the best in the world. Yet all the trumpets are blaring in New Zealand about their Sauvignon Blanc and if they aren’t careful about over production those trumpets could soon be playing a funeral dirge. AndContinue reading “RKS Wine: Mayhem’s Sauvignon Blanc: The Best in the World?”

RKS Wine: My Private Pinot Grigio Nightmare: The Simple Mayhem Cure

As a wine writer there is what I write and there is what people ask me. When up close and personal I try and be non-judgemental about what people drink and sometimes that is a bit difficult as they look at you trying what they pour and they think it is the cat’s pyjamas. MyContinue reading “RKS Wine: My Private Pinot Grigio Nightmare: The Simple Mayhem Cure”

RKS Wine: The Okanagan’s Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Micro Cuvée Chardonnay

Meyer Family Vineyards in British Columbia’s Okanagan is a bit of Burgundy in British Columbia with its winning ways producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir not to mention a wickedly delicious Gewurtz! I mean give MFV another decade and my successor may be saying in France that Burgundy is a bit of British Columbia in France!Continue reading “RKS Wine: The Okanagan’s Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Micro Cuvée Chardonnay”

RKS Wine: Battle of the Okanagan Rosés

When rock started getting heavier in the 1960’s do you remember “The Battle of the Bands” which in our modern day parlance is a rock festival. May the best band win was determined by the loudness of the claps in the audience. I think they still exist although I haven’t heard of one in TorontoContinue reading “RKS Wine: Battle of the Okanagan Rosés”

RKS Wine: Colossal Reserva from Lisboa: Gigantically Delicious?

Is the Colossal Reserva from Portugal’s Lisboa appellation gigantically delicious or disastrous? As there is Alicante Bouschet in the blend that’s almost always a good sign! On the nose black cherry, pomegranate and ripe raspberry. The tannins are moderate but generous to support up to three years of cellaring. Black cherry, cola with some raspberryContinue reading “RKS Wine: Colossal Reserva from Lisboa: Gigantically Delicious?”

RKS Wine: Château le Grand Retour Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhônes-Villages 2019

The wine is a GSM blend. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. It comes from 45-year-old vines. On the nose big fat very ripe strawberries, black cherries, raspberries, red plum and sarsaparilla. Low on tannins with a big undertow of spice, hot red pepper, dark chocolate, black licorice, black cherry and blackberry fruit “wine”.Continue reading “RKS Wine: Château le Grand Retour Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhônes-Villages 2019”

RKS Wine: Reflections on Perhaps Overly Generous Wine Writers and a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon

In the perfect communist world the proletarian masses would seize power and transform society so that the state would “wither away”. In a perfect world wine consumers would educate themselves through instruction or a willingness to diversify and try different wines from different wine producing countries to develop good comparative knowledge so the wine writerContinue reading “RKS Wine: Reflections on Perhaps Overly Generous Wine Writers and a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon”

RKS Wine: Wonderful Washington State?

In the past few months, with some exceptions, I am looking to Washington for quality affordable red wine. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have proven to be winners and superior to Californian in the same price range. I couldn’t resist picking up a Drumheller 2018 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. You see Drumheller is a city inContinue reading “RKS Wine: Wonderful Washington State?”

RKS Wine: Greek Cabernet Sauvignon: More to Greek Red Wine than Xinomavro

I curl up in a ball of apprehension when Greek Xinomavro’s are released. They are dry and astringent like an immature Barolo but give an Xinomavro 8 years in the bottle my apprehension melts as it has aged as it should. By the way a sparkling Xinomavro can be a real treat. As for GreekContinue reading “RKS Wine: Greek Cabernet Sauvignon: More to Greek Red Wine than Xinomavro”

RKS Wine: An Odd Bird from Tuscany: Fattoria Le Pupille Poggio Argentato

I say this wine is a bit of a Tuscan odd bird with a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Traminer and Semillon. The Petit Manseng constitutes 25% of the blend and has been fermented in oak and the other grapes in stainless steel. On the nose there is Orri tangerine, marzipan, ruby red grapefruitContinue reading “RKS Wine: An Odd Bird from Tuscany: Fattoria Le Pupille Poggio Argentato”