Keith reviewed this wine:

AB SKU +189799 2010 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Price: $140 Availability: Zyn.ca Assessed by: Keith Robinson Tasted: November 2014 Product Details: Napa, California 14.4% ABV 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Beringer Vineyards is a large, old California wine producer and part of the global behemoth Treasury Wine estates. Treasury also owns Fosters, Wof Blass, amongst lots of other drinks producers. They produce solid, market-friendly wines that are reliable and well-made. The Private Reserve is Beringer's top tier Cab. The tasting: Well this is a mouthful of happy, dense fruit. The blackberries practically jump out of the glass into the nose. On the palate this is rich, strong and full with dusty persistent tannins. Everything you'd want in a top-drawer crowd-pleasing Napa Cab. Drink now through 2018. When to drink: With a fancy BBQ or other well-healed gathering. Possible love-trap wine if you are looking to catch the right type. Food pairing: Steaks. Burgers. Ribs. Music pairing: Greatest Hits, The Eagles

Keith reviewed this wine:

2003 Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Price: $250 Availability: Liquor Depot Assessed by: Keith Robinson Tasted: November 2014 Product Details: Napa, California 13% ABV 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. For over thirty years David Ramey has pioneered natural wine-making in California, breaking away from the industrial processes that produce clean, but uninteresting wines. The tasting: A bit of age on the eye. Nose is complex dark fruit with hints of tobacco leaf and smoke. Very smooth and dense on the palate with underlying steely grip. Texture is chalky liqueur. Showing very well right now. Yes, indeed this is good wine. Drink now through 2018. Food pairing: Steaks. Music pairing: Tom Petty

Keith reviewed this wine:

AB SKU +709104 2012 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Price: $30 Availability: Zyn.ca Assessed by: Keith Robinson Tasted: November 2014 Product Details: Friuli, Italy 13% ABV 100% Pinot Grigio Pinot Grigio is the Italian spelling for Pinot Gris. Same grape, different spelling. But over time the spelling has come to indicate a stylistic difference – Pinot Grigio tends to be light, refreshing and crisp. Typical Pinot Grigio is inexpensive, simple and good for the patio or brunch with the 'girls.' I call it the 'Blue-haired California Grandmother' wine. Not an insult, my grandma was one. Pinot Gris, by contrast, tends to be richer and fuller – think melon versus citrus - and therefore, more 'serious' than Pinot Grigio. Our dear wine-world is filled with such stereotypes . The tasting: Serious stuff. Beautiful depth on the nose with minerality and hints of white flowers. The palate is rich, but with energy, lifted. The texture is almost oily. Intense and purposeful, this is a wine with character. I love the label, stylish and thoughtful. It conveys the impression of a treasure map and I want to explore further. Buy now. Drink now. Serve slightly chilled, not over chilled. Screw cap. Food pairing: Seafood, rissoto, light pork or chicken dishes. Very versatile wine. Movie pairing: Romeo and Juliet, the Baz Luhrmann 1996 version.

Keith reviewed this wine:

AB SKU +731040 2004 Poderi Elia 'Serracapelli' Barbaresco Price: $60 Availability: Co-op Assessed by: Keith Robinson Tasted: October 2014 Product Details: Barbaresco, Italy 14% ABV 100% Nebbiolo Barbaresco is a commune in north-west Italy. Like its more famous neighbour, Barolo, Barbaresco wines are made from the Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco is less well known perhaps because less is made – about half the production of Barolo. Although neighbours, the climate and soils of the two areas differ slightly and, so the wines also characteristically differ. Barolo is said to be more masculine – powerful and needing longer aging to reveal its charms. Barbaresco is known as being more immediately enjoyable, feminine, and elegant. In fact the importer of Poderi Elias's wines describes the 04 Serracapelli as “stunningly elegant.” We shall see. For more on my thoughts on elegance in wine see http://www.nataliemaclean.com/wine-reviews/domaine-la-moussiere-sancerre-2012/209274 Serracapelli is a single vineyard at the northern edge of the Neive village within Barbaresco. The tasting: Decanted. Bright lifted cherry and violets on nose, hint of alcohol. Palate is all elbows and sharp objects – dislocated heavy tannins and harsh acids. Underlying fruit is strong but overwhelmed by the assault. Elegant? What is wrong with this wine? What is wrong with my palate? All I could think is the Serracapelli needs a hunk of rhinoceros meat, or maybe wooly mammoth to pair. So I waited. Tasted with other professionals. They said it was boozy and out of balance. One said drinking it was like a roller coaster with twisted broken metal tracks. So I waited. Six hours after decanting I taste again. Now we are talking. The Serracapelli is settled down. The elbows in my face become arms giving a warm, strong embrace. Nice wine but nothing like the stereotype Barbaresco. When to drink: Wait! 2016 to 2020. Decant as long as possible – day ahead if you can (really). Food pairing: If your butcher doesn't have Rhino or mammoth, pair with game.

Keith reviewed this wine:

AB SKU +754208 2012 Castiglion Del Bosco 'Rosso Di Montalcino” Price: $24 Availability: Willow Park Assessed by: Keith Robinson Tasted: October 2014 Product Details: Montalcino, Italy 14% ABV 100% Sangiovese Grosso Montalcino is a small hill town in Tuscany that produces one of Italy's and the world's great wines – Brunello di Montalcino. Rosso Di Montalcino is Brunello's 'little brother', Rosso is made from the same clone of Sangiovese as Brunello and from the same demarcated area. Brunello is made to be aged for much longer than the unpretentious Rossos. Thus the saying that we drink Rosso while waiting for the Brunello to be ready. Just as likely we drink Rosso while waiting for our wallets to fill, as the more serious Brunellos cost 3-4 times the price of Rossos. In any event, Rosso di Montalcino can be a great value wine – good for the table, with friends or late Halloween night for the two of you after sorting the kids' treats and getting them to bed. The tasting: Ruby with hint of blood to the eye. Red fruit and herbs on the palate. Luscious texture – very drinkable. Enough structure to hold up to pizza or lasagna. Straight forward, well-made and tasty. Drink now through 2017. Serve slightly chilled Food pairing: Bosco Rosso will handle most anything on the plate. Good all round table wine. Movie pairing: Halloween horror flick