It's only wine but I like it

Resta Squinzano 2009

Very earthy, oxidized style of wine from Puglia. Flavours of dried fruit (prunes) and hints of spice. Very rustic, just a little too much so even for me (as I usually like this style e.g Taurino's excellent reds). Just doesn't quite strike the right balance to me. tasted April 2014.

Boutari Naoussa 2009, Pdo Naoussa

Retasted Feb 2016: Matured quite a lot from last tasting, with some slightly oxidative notes creeping in. Drink soon.

Aug 2014: While the price is up $1 over the '08, this red remains a great value. Flavours of dried red fruit, sour cherries, and hints of leather. Finish has firm tannin, and acidity along with pleasant tartness. Delicious.

San Felice Chianti Classico 2010

The 2010 vintage, purchased from Premier WInes in Buffalo. This is a pleasant authentic Chianti Classico, with typical flavours of sour red cherries, hints of herbs and palate-clensing acidity. It just seems a bit light on flavour intensity. No off flavours, just a bit light. Still, for about $12 at Premier, this is a fine value. I'm sure that this would retail for $19 of so at the LCBO ($21 at SAQ is a rip-off). Tasted Feb 2014.

Hacienda Lopez De Haro Reserva 2005, Doca Rioja

fine balance between the red fruit and cedary oak. There are hints of pleasant herbeceousness (reminds me a bit of a left bank Bordeaux in that regard). Perhaps not a thing of grace, but fine complexity for $18. Drinking very nicely now, should hold a few more years. Tasted Feb 2014.

Carmen Reserva Carmenère 2013

Simple red, with dark fruit, and rather prominant notes of green peppers, spinach. To be honest, I have never been much of a carmenere fan, preferring it as a blending variety. On its own, especially in lower priced wines such as this, the vege notes just dominate too much. Thanksfully short finishing. Suffice it to say, I won;t be re-purchasing (even discounted at $10.45). Tasted April 2014.

Cono Sur Bicicleta Chardonnay 2013

simple, pleasing, easy to like chard. good value.

Henry Of Pelham Cabernet Merlot 2012, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Medium bodied red blend (the two caberents + merlot). Ripe red fruits, hint of herbeceousness, oak playing a well-judged supporting role. A bit of tannin and pleasant acidity on the solid finish. In short, a very well-made Niagara red at a very fair price. Tasted July 2014.

Catedral Dao Reserva Red 2010, Dao

The 2012 vintage:
A simple, rustic Dao red. Ripe red fruit, a bit of herbs in the background and decent supporting tannin. Perhaps the acid is a bit out of balance but I'm nitpicking at the price. Fine value for everyday drinking. Portugal yet again is a source of super values. tasted Jan 2016.

Vila Regia 2013, Douro Valley, Portugal

Awful wine. The smell (yes, smell, not aromas) were off-putting and the taste was even worse. Words fail me. The worst wine I have had in 15 years, no exaggeration. Would have scored it lower if I could. I don't think that this is a single bottle issue, though I hope it was. Tasted and spit out May 2015.

Casa Da Passarella Somontes Red 2010, Doc Dão

Portugal continues to produce some great values. This is a fresh wine, with plenty of character. An interesting blend of bright fruits, herbal notes and some of the evergreen/pine notes that DL notes. I find the oak nicely balanced. A fine value at $13.95, I recall buying this one sale at the local Vintages for just over $11...not many wines that are this good for that low price. Tasted May 2015.