La Gourmandesse

2007 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel, $15. LCBO# 678698.

When is wine at its best? When shared with a dear friend, of course. My long-time best buddy Laurel and I drank some of this fantastic Zin one weekend while at her family’s cottage on Brereton Lake, Manitoba.

We went out for dinner at the only restaurant in the area, found at the Brereton Lake Resort. The wine selection consisted of two reds and a white, so when the waitress listed Gnarly Head as an option, I nearly fell off my chair, and then jumped at the chance to order it.

I saw this bottle in a January LCBO Vintages release, and was too slow to get a bottle. That’s my greatest beef with this province’s giant fascist liquor system- they get a bunch of something great, it gets snapped up, and then you have to wait til next year. No ordering it from somewhere else for you, oh no no. Meanwhile, small town Manitoba has cases of the stuff. The injustice!

I love Zin, especially when it hails from California. There’s something about the way they make it out there, the balance of fruit and oak, softness and zip, that nearly always pleases me.  And this bottle lived up to my expectations, and definitely surpassed anything I thought would be offered on a wine list in the middle of nowhere.

The wine is a wonderful dark purple, promising a deep full flavour and ripeness. The nose is a bit musty-dusty, and the taste is fruity, as one would expect, with plums and berries up front. There’s a touch of oak to add some complexity, and the finish has a bit of a spicy bite. Which makes for a perfect glass, full of ripe fruit, with a sweet-tart contrast as you swallow.

When I got back to Ontario, I made one more attempt at getting a bottle of this gem, but was unsuccessful. I did, however, find a bottle of the same winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon for $16.95. I plan to taste it soon in case it is also lovely and I need to stock up.

Overall, I give this wine 10/10 for taste and 4/5 for value.

2007 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, $21.95. LCBO#656561.

For this week’s Wine Wednesday, I have a fabulous wine to report on. I highly recommend having a birthday party mixed with a house warming party, because apparently it makes people shower you with lovely bottles of wine. This bottle was given to me by my friend Jung, who has always had impeccable taste in all things gourmand.

This Cabernet Sauvignon definitely falls outside my usual $10 range, but is worth every penny. J. Lohr Wineries has several California vineyards, and this bottle was born at their Paso Robles location. Paso Robles is my favourite California region, and I’ve just added J. Lohr to my mental list for the wine tour I am always imagining. I’m happy to see that the LCBO considers this bottle a Vintages Essential as this is definitely my pick for my next wine splurge.

The wine is a very dense purple with an earthy, toasty nose.  The taste is a berry-plum mix, with lots of soft, buttery oak. It is wonderfully full bodied and would pair well with something hearty and beefy. We sipped it solo and then gorged on crackers and cheese while rather tipsy, and that worked well too.

I would fully endorse this bottle for your next special occasion, or Friday night splurge. Pair with pasta, BBQ, or just savour it on its own. You will not be disappointed!

Overall, I give this wine 10/10 for taste and 4/5 for value.

After trying this wine’s $14 older brother earlier this week, my friend Evelyne was happy to help me make an unbiased comparison.  After drinking both (and composing this entry while under the influence of Beringer), we’ve concluded that you could safely just spend the $10.

The California Collection version is still ripe and fruit-forward but a little less sweet.  There is less of an oaky quality, which might be a plus for some, and the wine has a smooth finish. This bottle is lighter in colour and in body than the Stone Cellars, which makes it a bit more suitable for pre-dinner drinks or gossiping at a party, both of which I fully endorse.

Beringer California Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, $9.95. LCBO# 113001.

Overall, I give this wine a 8.5/10 for taste and 4/5 for value.

2007 Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $13.95. LCBO#606798.

For this Wine Wednesday, I am cheating a bit on the $10 quest.  I haven’t made it to the LCBO lately, so I decided to try a bottle that has been hanging out in my wine cellar (aka a wine box in the corner of my kitchen) for a while.  This cab-sav has been tempting me, but costs $14 and has been languishing while I’ve been drinking its cheaper cousins.

Hailing from Napa, California, this bottle is from the somewhat commercial but usually tasty Beringer Vineyards. I just noticed on Wine Align that Beringer makes a $9.95 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for its California Collection, which I of course will need to add to my shopping list and compare as I dare.

I am a fan of cabernet sauvignons, as well as California reds, and this bottle does not disappoint.  It’s very ripe and fruit-forward, almost a touch sweet.  The oak is mellow and velvety in your mouth, with a very smooth and satisfying finish.

I paired this wine with beef stew and it stood up to the rich meatiness well.  It’s so drinkable it would be a good party wine as well, since it is full bodied but not overpowering.

I have a depressing feeling that the reason this bottle is so good is because it costs $14….but never fear, I plan to taste its $10 brother and report back.

Overall, I give this wine a 9/10 for taste and 4/5 for value.