Nicholas scored this wine: 92/100

This is a review based on a food pairing with the recipe in the link below.... http://braisedblue.net/2012/07/02/recipe-barbecued-chicken-breast-and-candied-pecan-salad-with-a-spicy-balsamic-emulsion/ Wine and Salad is kind of a tricky pairing to make. Salads normally have more than enough acidity for one palate to take. So finding a wine that will work with the acidity and the textures in a salad can be a balancing act. With this salad, I would go with Mount Nelson Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The wine is from famed wine maker Lodovico Antinori, he set out to make a old world style Sauv Blanc from the high end fruit grown by the Kiwis. He succeeded in a big way. This wine can stand up to the meat, the sweetness of the pecan and the balsamic while giving you a grassy palette cleansing effect from the minerality and acidity of the wine. Big notes of citrus and gooseberry punch you at the front of the palate as this win is not afraid to be bold but then the delicateness of the mid palate and finish are really impressive. It's not cheap for a Sauv Blanc but it really is a stunner.

Nicholas scored this wine: 91/100

This is a food based review for a recipe found on my blog at... http://braisedblue.net/2012/04/18/recipe-cabernet-braised-beef-short-ribs-w-cumin-and-carrot-barley-risotto/ This seems like a simple pairing. You’re cooking with Cabernet so why not drink a cabernet with the meal. I am going to go against that. Stags’ Leap Petit Sirah will work well with the flavour profile. Petit Sirah is an inky black wine with big berry flavours and powdery tannins. It has a little more sweetness than most reds but it also has great tannic bitterness that gives the wine balance. The deep flavours of the braising liquid and the meat will work perfectly with the big fruity richness in this wine from the heart of the Stags' Leap District in Napa.

Nicholas scored this wine: 90/100

I am reviewing this wine as paired with a duck recipe on my food blog which can be found here... http://braisedblue.net/2012/06/14/recipe-pan-roasted-duck-breast-with-blueberry-gastrique-and-mushroom-crostini/ This dish works on a bunch of different levels of flavour. The Duck is rich, dense meat with a smokey, and slightly spicy crust on the skin. The gastrique is sweet and sour but with a really deep dark flavour. I would recommend 2009 Brancaia Tre. It’s a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from three different vineyards in Tuscany. There is light cherry notes with deeper dark berry notes in the mid to back palette really do well to soften the ample tannins with give a little bit of grip. There is a graphite note that lingers in the back palate that gives you a hint of Medoc styling to this wine which I love. The acidity of the wine is in balance but at the higher end of the spectrum for a super tuscan, which makes it really work well with food. Brancaia makes amazing wines and Tre prices around $24 at the LCBO.