NEON CACTUS WINES

Vintage 2002 released  September 2010 by Moet & Chandon
Intensely floral nose with a hint of almond, lemon and oranges, rounded off by darker smoky qualities. The wine gains richness in the glass as the flavours become riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this opulent champagne. Great persistence, backbone and acidity. This confident wine reaches every part of the palate with concentrated but creamy perfection, holding the promise of a long life ahead of it. $229.95*

30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot, some Cabernet Franc & Alicante
Elements of softness and minerality create an attractive tension, while the fruit shows terrific focus. This sublime Tuscan blend boasts a full body and soft tannins. Redolent of dark cherries and black fruits with hints of chocolate, laced with delightfully herbaceous hints of rosemary and mint. Sweet scents of French oak linger on the floral, gloriously smooth finish. $58.95*

Brunello di Montalcino is the red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, roughly translated as “small dark one” in the local dialect, is the unofficial name of the Sangiovese grape grown in the Montalcino region. In 1980, the Brunello di Montalcino was awarded the first Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation and today is one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines.

Terre de’ Priori Brunello di Montalcino
In Medieval times, most of the land in Tuscany was governed by the Priori ~ powerful men, noblemen and clergymen who managed and took care of the territory. It is this land that yields this selection of wines that bears witness to the farsighted care of the Priori for the cultivation of the grapevine. $56.95*

Dark red colour. Fine and soft tannins in the mouth with notes of red fruits, spices, liquorice and cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced between the richness and the minerality. Persistent cocoa and raspberry jam finish. The aromatic complexity of this wine encourages pairings with a multitude of red fruits and chocolate desserts. It’s also very interesting with mature cheeses. $57.95*

Deep purple colour. The nose shows intense, complex cedary, fig, blackberry and blueberry with occasional pepper and spice. A powerful full-bodied berry-fruit flavour, with a little sweet English toffee-like oak evident on the juicy finish. Restrained tannin and acidity coupled with rich alcohol, produce a seamless, peppery, velvety rolling length.
$41.95*

55% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bright cherry colour with red and purple highlights. Elegant aroma of ripe raspberries, blackberries and cherries, with chocolate, coffee, and balsamic overtones. Smooth, complex taste of ripe fruit, bitter chocolate, balsamic flavours and minerals. Good acidity and fine tannins. Persistent, fresh and a very aromatic finish. Deep, pure, full-bodied, and impressive. $44.95*

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino
Intense  dark red colour. Round and luscious in body, with silky and interesting tannins. Persistent aftertaste. The combination of power and elegance indicates a promising future. Together with the amazing perfumes of red fruits and the clean freshness, the complexity of the wine provides perfect balance. Decant the wine for at least one hour before drinking for optimum enjoyment. $54.95*

Neon Cactus Wines also carries:

Argiano Rosso di Montalcino
Intense ruby-red colour, medium-bodied, with good concentration in the mid-palate. The palate is elegant and well balanced with captivating flavours of red fruits, violet, menthol and earth, all characteristics of Argiano’s terroir. A generous wine with smooth and velvety tannins that will please all Sangiovese lovers. Food friendly, it is a perfect match with red meat, veal, bruschetta and cheese. $26.95*

Amarone (ah-ma-RHO-nay) is one of the most renowned Italian red wines. Obtained through the winemaking technique called “appassimento,” the grapes are dried for four months to concentrate aromas and fruit flavours. The process also causes a higher sugar content which results in a higher alcohol yield. The wine is then aged in oak and then in the bottle. The outcome is an opulent wine, loaded with rich, ripe fruit and velvety tannins.

A deep dark crimson colour, this powerful wine has a stunning complexity of vibrant tastes. Heavy-bodied yet well-balanced, packed with luscious berry and raisin flavours and hints of chocolate and almond. Luxuriate in the beautiful, smooth, lingering finish. Pair with braised red meats with rich red wine sauces or dishes such as osso bucco or boeuf bourguignon. Excellent with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. $44.95*

Medium dark ruby ~ great colour for Zinfandel ~ with aromas of coffee, anise, clove, wintergreen, and raspberries. The wine is dry and harmonious, with good acid and fine tannin, often a challenge for Zinfandel. Wild west fruit in a Bordeaux structure!
For those who say, “Oh, I don’t like Zinfandel,” well, this one’s for you.
$39.95*

100% Shiraz
The top of the line for Small Gully wines, encased in a beautiful etched bottle!
Dark, dark, almost black colour. Gentle sweet fruits on the nose, a touch of oak, a bit of pepper and a sprig of mint thrown in for good measure. Big-bodied, dense palate with meaty bass notes, lots of ripe, rich plums, more pepper and scents of anise floating along a bed of firm tannins and low acid. Finishes with sweet licorice flavours. Lots of aging potential.
$58.95*

Neon Cactus Wines also carries these three popular Small Gully wines:
The Formula: Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz
The Formula: Robert’s Shiraz & Mr. Black’s Concoction GSM

BRUTALIS IS BACK AGAIN AFTER A LONG ABSENCE!

Grapes: Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon
This 750 ml wine comes in a husky bottle with a bulbous seal. If you buy four bottles, they come in a wooden crate. A well-balanced, gruff, dry red with strong character. Aromas of muesli, spice and vanilla. Goes best with steaks, prosciutto and snacks made from fish. $44.95*

 [ Caves Vidigal Portuguese ]

Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva 2007
Grapes from 70-year-old, low-yielding vines of up to 30 different grape varieties are kept back for ageing in French and American oak barrels. A high proportion of the grapes used in the blend are foot trodden.

Brick red colour. Intense and lifted complex aromas of spices, cedar and vanilla combine with fresh dark wild berries and ripe blood plums. Elegant start, developing to a rich full and round palate of great balance. Displaying rich Douro berry fruit characters with integrated oak tannins and a very long finish. The wine may be consumed soon after its release but has the depth and concentration to cellar over the long term. This is a complex, powerful wine with great intensity and a richly textured palate. Bottled without any fining or filtration. $42.95*

This Brut Reserve is the most perfect expression of the Charles Heidsieck style: unctuous, round, vivacious wine with elegant complexity.

Here is a beautiful, pale golden Champagne with very fine yet lively bubbles. On the nose, the first impression is of a pastry shop. Then come the floral notes: lime-tree in full bloom, violets, lilac, all of which seem to resonate with the blueberry notes and those, even more concentrated, of soft dried apricots. The mouthfeel is silky smooth. Then it starts to melt like ripe, fleshy apricots, gorgeous melon and enticing rum pastries with the slightly spicy notes of Muscat grapes. On the whole, a perfect sense of balance, halfway between freshness and full bloom. An excellent aperitif and also a perfect accompaniment to simple savoury food. $59.95*

Putting together a blended wine takes finesse and judgement so that the experience of the whole will be greater than the sum of the individual parts. Laughing Stock Vineyards’ flagship Portfolio wine has become a world-class Bordeaux blend by combining first-class grapes and highly reputable winemaking.
The blend of the five Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, creates a multi-layered complex wine. There is a perfect balance of flavours, tannins and acidity in the final blend. This wine is densely packed with candied cherry, blackberries and dark chocolate tones. Rich, layered and concentrated, Portfolio finishes with a smooth, refined elegance. $57.95*

[ Laughing Stock Vineyards, Penticton, British Columbia BC B.C. Canada Canadian ]

An elegant and very stylish wine combining fullness and concentration, depth and refinement with noticeable structure to allow long-term ageing. 

51% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec
This celebrated wine is bright brick red with cherry hues. The complex, fragrant nose exhibits dark fruit, red berry, dusty cedar and exotic spice aromas complemented by earthy, tobacco and mocha notes. Layers of rich, concentrated, velvety-textured fruit flavours on the palate, with distinctive earthy, savoury notes wound around tight-knit, silky fine tannins, ending with a long lingering finish. $46.95*

Melipal, in the Mapuche Indian language, is the name of the constellation that best characterizes the Southern Hemisphere: the Southern Cross. Four stars, four points of light that guide us.
This is a dark ruby red wine with violet tinges. Notice fresh red fruits on the nose combined with intense aromas of  blackberries, spices and cinnamon. The palate has a smooth entry, providing excellent roundness and soft tannins that give a very long and pleasant finish. $54.95*

Artemia
50% Syrah, 50% Grenache
A very aromatic nose with blackberry notes and a nice minerality. The balanced mouth receives fruit and power from the Syrah and richness and spices from the Grenache. Serve at 18°C accompanied by terrines, roasted red meats, meats in sauces, game and, especially, pair Artemia with duck and scrambled eggs with truffles. $49.95*

Chateau Pesquie Viognier
Golden color with bright, clear silvery highlights. White flowers (acacias), violet and peach on the nose with slight menthol notes. Great balance with delicate flavours of white flowers, citrus fruits and peach. Fresh with a nice long finish. A favourite as an aperitif, it is also an elegant accompaniment to asparagus, grilled fish, stuffed squid, spring vegetables with shellfish, smoked fish, cream cheese, reblochon and goat cheeses. For dessert, it is delicious with pecan, pear, or apricot pie. $22.95*

Stratus Red, a blend of seven varieties, has a classic, Bordeaux-like nose with lovely, fragrant, red fruit, integrated barrel spice and light floral and cinnamon spice notes. Dry, medium body, crafted in an old-world style, with moderate acid and elegant tannins. This is a cellar-worthy wine with concentrated fruit and good expression. Delicious with Beef Wellington, steak au poivre, Cornish game hen, roast goose, rack of lamb and bittersweet chocolate. $45.95*
Stratus White offers finesse, elegance and a tight core of exotic coconut- and vanilla-scented tropical fruit flavour. The awe factor comes from the wine’s ever-changing spectrum of aromas: shifting in the glass from spice to floral to toasted coconut to apricot/peach. Long, complex finish. An exciting white with cellaring potential. This white is beautiful with chicken in creamy sauces, duck, foi gras, turkey, quiche, butter chicken, coconut curry and other Indian dishes, Chinese and Thai cuisine, seafood and a multitude of other dishes. $44.95*

[ Canada Canadian Ontario ]

Amarone is a unique wine due to its origin, ancient grape varieties and production method ~ the vinification of grapes that have been semi-dried for 3-4 months on bamboo racks. The Costasera Amarone expresses a particular majesty and complexity. Dark in colour, almost completely opaque ruby red. Bright and full bodied on the nose with aromas of preserved cherries and dried plums together with hints of fruits of the forest and cinnamon. Good weight from the alcohol and good structure on the palate, opening out to attractive aromas of cherries and vanilla. Pleasingly long and velvety on the finish. Ideal with red meats, game and mature cheeses. An excellent wine for the end of the meal and for ageing. $44.95*

[ Venetian Italian ]

Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut Champagne brings its own vivacious and exuberant character to dry champagne’s traditional elegance and finesse. The nose is reminiscent of a bright, fresh morning in early May. Notes of citrus fruits, pear, Granny Smith apples and subtle hints of warm toastiness follow spring blossoms such as hawthorn. The palate is lively and fresh with pineapple, nutmeg, white pepper and oriental zest. An exceptionally harmonious and well-balanced champagne. $53.95*

10-year Tawny Port in decanter and gift box
Clear chestnut colour with hints of ruby. Rich aromas of raisins, caramel and dried fruits on the nose. The palate is elegant with sweet caramel flavours balanced by sweet figs and milk chocolate. and a long toffee finish. $73.95*

Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker says of this wine:

“One of the sexier, up-front, and delicious Boisrenards made is the 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf du Pape Boisrenard. This wine needs a good 4-6 years of cellaring before it struts its stuff given its structure, but the 2006, much in keeping with the vintage, reveals a dense, dark ruby colour, beautifully ripe black cherry and chocolate-infused blackberry fruit intermixed with some licorice, smoke, and earth. The wine is precocious, soft, round, with lush tannins, and a silky, heady finish. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.”  $79.95*

Dark ruby in colour. Radiates bright aromatics of ripe plum underscored by notes of cocoa. Mouth-filling flavours of cherry and currants are laced with hints of cigar box and dried herbs. Medium bodied and smooth in texture, the succulent fruit core is balanced by delicate acidity and plush tannins that offer a lingering finish. Organic. $61.95*

[ United States U.S. U.S.A. USA ]

Lovely, rich, elegant flavours emerge from this medium ruby-coloured Zinfandel. Sweet and sour cherries, spice and raspberry notes suggest this stylish Zin is from a cool climate region. This is one of those rare wines that combines flavour intensity with a sense of lightness. $44.95*

[ United States U.S. U.S.A. USA ]

The winemaker says: “The flavour of our wine is reminiscent of the Northern Rhône in its red berry and white pepper aromas, but it has more extract and body. It has intense flavour and deep colour but, unlike some other red wines, where big colour usually means big tannin, our wine is not harshly tannic.”
The 2004 vintage is deep ruby colour with aromas of black cherry, leather, toasted oak and earth. Very ripe and concentrated, it boasts spicy red fruit and sweet black cherry on the palate. Clean and refreshing on the finish. Drink now through 2013. Only 700 cases made. $69.95*

[ United States U.S. U.S.A. USA ]