(Re-Tasted September 2011) ... I just finished listening to my Weekly Wine Notes podcast about this wine
and I have to admit I was in some kind of mood that day (download it to
see what I mean), seems I was "giving the finger to old man winter"
drinking a fruity summertime white in the dead of the cold season. This
time I drank this wine when it was suppose to be drunk, in summer, with
different, but still very pleasurable results. The nose piled on the
grapefruit skin with acacia and lavender honey ... at first the palate
was full of grapefruit rind / pith with a touch of sweetness through the
mid-palate and a bitterish finish, there was also some slightly floral
nuances on the tongue. But give it about 15-20 minutes and it became
tropical with hints of papaya. What started out a little funky ended
beautifully.
Showing posts with label Reif Estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reif Estate. Show all posts
September 4, 2011
April 6, 2011
Reif Estate 2006 Cabernet Franc
Found April 2011
As I sit at my desk to write this unfortunate review I can think of only one word to describe this wine: sinister. I was at a get together with friends who appreciate Ontario wines and I thought this would be an interesting wine to try. Here's why: A few years back I held a Cabernet Franc Challenge and this wine was one of those wines that ended up in the bottom tier of the judging, I set it aside in the hopes that it would come around (after all it was one of the youngest Francs in the competition and the producer usually makes good product). As it turned out my hope was for not. This wine was nasty from the get go and now 5 years from Vintage date it has no redeeming qualities to it whatsoever. Words around the room used to describe it were "bitter", "nasty", "cough syrup", "weird" and "not even good enough for salad". I don't know what else I can say after that except if you happen to have any of this wine in your cellar (as I did) you might want to take the bottles directly to the sink, do not pass go because you will definitely not collect 200 dollars ... pour it down, my friends, pour it down. Lost & Found Rating: Trash
March 1, 2011
Reif Estate 2004 Merlot
Found February 2011
As a result of a misstep, this same night, with a Jackson Triggs 2004, I opened a same vintage Merlot from Reif ... first I was glad to see a real cork closure ... now let's see if it made a difference to this dismal year dated wine. While not the most exciting or impactful nose the wine did show signs of being drinkable. When left to stand the wine gave off rotted aromas that were kind of off-putting, but when aerated you could find dried raspberries, dried leaves and cedary notes. The palate proved to be inviting and off-putting all at the same time. A tad herbaceous, some cedar (especially on the finish), a very forest-floor, dried leaves character passing over the tongue ... for those who like those mature flavours in wine this was a very interesting specimen, although it tasted much older than it was. All-in-all it was drinkable, but barely. If you have any in the cellar this wine is past its prime and on a downward trajectory from its peak, but still I found it enjoyable in a purely academic way. Lost & Found Rating: Tolerable
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)