November 28, 2007: Foster's Wine Estates Holiday Party wine tasting

The Time and Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:30PM to 8 PM
The Event: Foster's Wine Estates Holiday Party (actually, a portfolio
tasting for some of the wines available in Ontario; these come from
Australia, California and New Zealand).
The Venue: Gibsone Jessop Gallery, Distillery District.
The Target Audience: wine media, and who knows? A lot of party
people...
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines, except some older ones and late
arrivals, are at the LCBO, except where noted below.
The Quote: "This is from palate to palette at the gallery (or is it
palette to palate?). Something to satisfy every taste, from $9.95 to
over $125 a bottle for those that were available at the LCBO"
The Wines: there were over 77 wines; I did not taste them all.

**** Four Stars (90 - 93 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
- Rosemount Show Reserve Traditional 2004
- Devil's Lair Margaret River Chardonnay 2004, $39.95
- Stags' Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005, $29.95
- St. Clement Napa Valley Merlot 2002, +8714, $39.95
- Greg Norman Lake County Zinfandel, +38042, $23.95
- Stags' Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, +996405, $54.95
- Wolf Blass Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, +470120, $34.95
- Wolf Blass Black Label Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 2002, +960468, $89.95
- Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2004, +309625, $34.95
- Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2004, +564278, $125
- Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2001
Winemaker's Reserve
- Etude Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 Napa
- Penfolds Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills 2004 Cellar Reserve

*** Three Stars (86 - 89 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
- Wolf Blass Bilyara Reserve Chardonnay 2005, +8128), $13.95
- Gabbiano Pinot Grigio 2006, new General List in 2008, $12.95
- Rosemount Show Reserve Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2006
- Wolf Blass Gold Label Sparkling, +218518, $19.95
- Greg Norman Sparkling Pinot-Chardonnay 2003
- Matua Valley Paretai Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (consignment)
- Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2006, +421644, $19.95
- Greg Norman Chardonnay 2005, +552083, $19.95
- Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay, +348342, $28.15
- Beringer Founders' Estate Pinot Grigio 2006, new General List, $19.95
- Beringer Third Century Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, +47704, $23.95
- Wolf Blass Premium Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, +321927, $24.95
- Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2004, +511600, $19.95
- Saltram Mamre Brook Barossa Shiraz 2004, +32227, $21.95
- Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2004, +509919, $29.95
- Rosemount Mountain Blue Mudgee, +583138, Vintages $65, 60/40 shiraz-
cabernet sauvignon.
- Spragia Merlot 2003 Home Ranch

The Food: stylish catering (spring rolls, rare beef toasts, veggie
burgers, lamb lollipops, etc.). But no fish? Cheese board, nuts and
fruit.
The Downside: it got crowded really fast.
The Upside: some wine media (those who had indicated) were let in early
to a sitdown tasting at their leisure, from 3 to 5:30.
The Contact Person: rama.zuniga@am.fostersgroup.com
The Effectiveness (numerical grade): 89.

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