Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir 2019 (Oregon) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this beautiful Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in Oregon that arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the April 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Domaine Drouhin Oregon, a winemaking family whose roots were planted in Burgundy in 1880 when Joseph Drouhin moved from Chablis to Beaune and purchased a wine house that was founded in 1756. Oregon entered the picture when Robert Drouhin, grandson of Joseph, was invited to visit Oregon while on a trip to America's west coast in 1961. Although there were no vineyards in Willamette Valley at the time, Robert was impressed by the natural beauty of the region.

In 1979, a Pinot Noir from Oregon finished in the top 10 in the Gault-Millau Wine Olympiad in Paris. Intrigued by the results, Robert re-staged this tasting at the Drouhin cellars in Beaune, including many of his own Burgundies, in order to better understand the competition from the new world. Amazingly, the same Oregon wine placed 2nd, and only by a very narrow margin.

In 1986, Robert's daughter Véronique came to Oregon after achieving her master's diploma in enology. She worked that first harvest with three Oregon families who were some of the state's founding families of Oregon wine, and her profound first impression help form the bond between the Drouhins and these families. A year later, Robert purchased an exceptional piece of land in Dundee Hills and asked Véronique to be the winemaker, even though there was no vineyard, winery, or equipment. Robert also later asked his son Philippe to be in charge of viticulture. In 1988, Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born with Véronique making wine in a rented space.

Fast forward to 2013 and Roserock continues the Drouhin family's commitment to Oregon as the newest chapter of their story. The extraordinary Roserock vineyard was purchased in 2013 because of its exceptional terroir marked by ancient volcanic soils, cooler temperatures due to the Van Duzer corridor, and an ideal elevation range. The 279 acre site is located at the southern tip of the Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and is planted to 122 acres of vines. This vineyard produces classic cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - both of which I've had the opportunity to taste in past and both were lovely.

This Pinot Noir is a cuvée selection from the estate's 35 Pinot Noir blocks at the Roserock vineyard. The grapes were hand-picked, sorted, and individually fermented. Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir wines are typically known for their structure and power, however, winemaker Véronique Boss-Drouhin has crafted this Pinot to emphasize elegance and refinement, yet also age-worthy. Let's see how this 2019 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir from Oregon is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE DROUHIN ROSEROCK PINOT NOIR 2019 - Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#529107) (XD) - $42.95
The fragrant, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely aromas of sweet, ripe red cherry, raspberry, and currant joined by strawberry, subtle wood spice, and touches of smoky minerality laying underneath. It's medium+ bodied and crunchy with an elegant, lightly structured mouthfeel and lovely ripe, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and currant flavours flecked with savoury, smoky minerals in a harmonious profile. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the tannins are smooth, refined, and lightly structured. Savoury and minerally with touches of smoke lingering on the finish, with excellent length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

Other fine wines by Domaine Drouhin are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Six-pack of LCBO General List Wines (Dec. 2021)

To wrap up the last batch of LCBO General List wines I received a few months ago, tonight's wine reviews are six wines that are readily available at LCBO outlets across Ontario, with a couple that are on promotion right now.

While all of these wines in this post are represented by Dionysus Wines & Spirits (and Churchill Cellars), the Mare di Sirena and Popcorn Chardonnay are actually brands owned by Alex Patinios and made under his business Garage Wine Company. Alex is also President of the Ontario wine agencies Dionysus and Churchill Cellars.

The story of Popcorn Chardonnay (not to be confused with the California wine of the same name) began in early 2020 when some Ontario wineries realized that they had a surplus of Chardonnay in tank and barrel due to the pandemic. The ever opportunistic and entrepreneurial Alex purchased the wine and sent it to Niagara's Strewn Winery. He worked with Strewn's winemaker Marc Bradshaw to have it blended and finished to the desired taste profile, and bottled as Popcorn Chardonnay. The catchy label features a silhouette of a bag of popcorn and a single popped kernel in the center, just above the name.

It's possible that the 2019 Popcorn Chardonnay is sold out across the province as I have seen the 2020 vintage on LCBO shelves now. However, you should know that with the 2020 vintage, Alex purchased fruit specifically for this wine and Marc applied small-batch winemaking techniques such as sur lie, blending, and barrel fermentation with three different types of barrels. There may be vintage variation, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is sure to be delicious.

Let's see how these wines are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

POPCORN CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20264) (D) - $15.95
Screw cap. This Chardonnay was barrel fermented and aged in French and American oak barrels and has a subtle nose offering suggestions of ripe orchard fruit, peach, lemon curd, poached apple, tropical fruit, and honeyed aromas. There's good weight on the creamy, medium-bodied palate with ripe apple, buttery, lemon curd, sweet vanillin, and a touch of honey adding a kiss of sweetness to the flavour profile. Acids are juicy and well-balanced, while some smoky, leesy, and saline notes add interest to the lingering dry finish, with very good length. Highly delicious! Score: 88 pts

MARE DI SIRENA PINOT GRIGIO 2020 - IGT Italy (#20054) (XD) - $8.90
Screw cap. Translates to Sea of the Mermaid, the myth is that the mermaids in the seas surrounding Italy blow cool air over vineyards during summer to enhance ripening of the grapes, and warm air during the winter to protect the vines from frost. The majority of this Pinot Grigio is from Central Italy at 350-600 metres above sea level and has aromas of fresh lemon citrus, pear, and white peach with herbal hints. On the mid-weighted palate it has lemon citrus, mandarin orange, and peach flavours supported by zesty, well-balanced acidity. Clean, dry and flavourful on the zesty, citrusy finish, with some leesy minerals adding interest. Very good length on the finish. Will surely please! Score: 87 pts

STREWN NURTURE WHITE 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20261) (D) - $14.95
Screw cap. This off-dry blend of 32% Riesling, 28% Gewurztraminer, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Pinot Gris, 9% Chardonnay Musque, and 1% Muscat has a fragrant nose offering attractive honeyed aromas of orange citrus, lemon, honeysuckle, and wild flower. The palate is just off-dry (i.e. lightly sweet) with delicious white flower, beeswax, orange citrus, lychee, and ripe apple flavours in a nicely textured profile. With balanced acidity, it leads to a floral, leesy, juicy, and dry-ish finish, with good length. Delicious! Score: 87 pts

BREAD & BUTTER CHARDONNAY 2019 - California, USA (#19261) (D) - $18.95 $16.95 until Jan. 2
Crafted by award-winning veteran winemaker Linda Trotta in an honest, good, delicious, and uncomplicated style. Classic, traditional California Chardonnay with sweet vanillin oak, caramel, butter, ripe apple and pear aromas waft out of the glass. It's medium-full bodied and creamy on the sweetish palate with more vanillin oak, caramel, wood spice, and butter flavours with underlying apple and pear fruit notes. Slightly spicy on the mid-palate, with juicy acidity, while the vanilla, caramel, and butter notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Fans of Cali Chardonnay will like this. Score: 87 pts

STEL+MAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Lodi, California, USA (#20808) (D) - $17.95
Two friends (who grew up in Canada) and their families came together to create STEL+MAR. They make unpretentious and approachable wines that let the terroir speak for itself. This Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium+ intensity nose that offers ripe dark berry fruit, black currant, sweet cinnamon spice, and cassis aromas with savoury earthy undertones. On the medium-full bodied palate it is slightly sweet with ripe cassis, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, cocoa, and oak spice flavours. Crafted in a very approachable style, it has well-balanced acidity and supple, structured tannins. Intriguing cassis and minty notes linger on the long, dry finish. Delicious! Score: 88+ pts

SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF FLOWERS PINOT NOIR 2019 - Monterey, California, USA (#18946) (XD) - $17.95 $8.30
Sunny Wines are sustainably crafted for healthy lifestyle wine lovers with zero sugar, low calories, and low alcohol (9% abv). Screw cap. Earthy beetroot aromas with a hint of toasted oak mingle with ripe black cherry, black raspberry, and strawberry aromas. There's also a hint of tea leaf. The light-to-mid-weighted palate is dry with light, supple tannins that are slightly textured. Flavours of beetroot, earth, and tea leaf with fruity notes of black cherry and raspberry on the palate, turning quite bitter on the finish, with good length. Score: 86 pts

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Satellite Pinot Noir 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the November 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Spy Valley Wines, a winery founded by Bryan and Jan Johnson deep in the Waihopai Valley (one of the Southern Valleys) in the 1990s, at a time when the Marlborough region was undergoing discovery. It was thought that this land was too considered too hard, too dry, and too unfertile for wine, but Bryan and Jan went ahead and planted 180 hectares of estate vineyards anyway. Today, Spy Valley is one of New Zealand's most successful family-run wineries. They are committed to the land and the people who tend it, firmly focused on sustainability to ensure their guardianship of this land for generations to come. Spy Valley was one of the first wineries to be proudly accredited under the New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing program which promotes economically and environmentally sustainable vineyard management.

This Pinot Noir is from Spy Valley's Satellite range of wines - a fruit-driven range that is out of this world, yet within your reach, that shows varietal typicity with balance and poise. It is crafted using fruit from selected estate vineyard blocks, all of which were kept separate until final blending. The grape bunches were mostly destemmed and all fermented naturally in open vats. After gentle plunging the wine was drained into barrels and aged for 11 months prior to blending.

The growing season in 2018 was very warm, with dry weather conditions throughout spring and summer, followed by wet conditions during the autumn harvest period. This was Spy Valley's quickest harvest ever and the Pinot Noir was rapidly picked from the vines between periods of rain. Although the vintage was difficult, quality is good and this Pinot produced great flavours. Let's see how this 2018 Pinot Noir was Marlborough is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SATELLITE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12627) (XD) - $22.95
Pretty, pale-medium ruby colour and enclosed by screw cap. Lovely, intense nose of black tea leaf, beetroot, and earth surrounds a core of red berry, strawberry, cherry, and spice aromas. On the light-to-mid weighted and ripe palate it has red fruited, strawberry, cherry, and red plum flavours accented with beetroot, earth, spice. Acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the light, rounded tannins have a pleasant, fine-grained and slightly chalky texture. Juicy with earthy, tangy black cherry, and stony minerals linger on the long, satisfying finish. Highly recommended Pinot! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Spy Valley Wines are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the excellent 2018 San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir at the beginning of the year and for tonight's wine review I am delighted to try the next vintage that arrived at the LCBO in the October 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release over the weekend.

The Tayú project celebrates Chile's indigenous roots through an honest collaboration between the Buchahueico community in southern Malleco Valley and San Pedro Winery. The name "Tayú" means "ours" in the Mapudungun language of the local Mapuche peoples in Buchahueico.

Working with San Pedro's winemakers, the Mapuche used their intimate knowledge of the soils to craft a lovely, one-of-a-kind Pinot Noir that truly expresses its origin. The 15 hectares of vineyards are located in the foothills of the Nahuelbuta Mountains in the Purén area of the Malleco Valley in the Araucanía region, approximately 540 km south of Santiago, in south-central Chile. The soils in the vineyard at Buchahueico are very old, red-coloured, and of granitic origin with a clay-loam texture and an abundance quartz and granite. The soils are naturally acidic, which comes through as vibrant acidity in the wine.

The 2018 vintage of this wine was its debut and came from an excellent vintage, while 2019 was a warmer year which produced smaller bunches with concentrated, generous fruit. Although the Malleco Valley is considered a cool-climate winegrowing region, the micro-climate in Buchahueico is considered moderate due to its latitude and because it is protected from coastal influences by the Nahuelbuta Mountains in Traigue, thus allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and later than other regions. The grapes was fermented in a combination of concrete eggs and stainless steel tanks, followed by ageing in French oak foudre, concrete eggs, and used French oak barrels. Let's see how the 2019 is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2019 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $19.95
From a warmer vintage, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely notes of exotic spices, cinnamon, and sweet spice layered over wet earth and dark berry with a hint of minty herb. On the medium to medium-full bodied palate it is richly concentrated and slightly warming with move exotic spice, earthy, and tangy dark berry replays on the flavour profile, support by fresh, juicy acidity. Quite chalky on the mid-palate with grainy textured tannins that seem a bit tight and will reward ageing. Earthy with a slight tang on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines from San Pedro can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Juvé y Camps Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cava (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's sparkling wine review is a lovely Brut Rosé Cava made with Pinot Noir that arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago as part of the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, just in time for the holidays.

The story of Juvé y Camps begins in 1796 when a curious, meticulous, and forward-thinking winemaker, Joan Juvé Mir, laid the groundwork for the company. Some years later, his son Antoni Juvé Escaiola took over the vineyards and successfully tackled the horrible scourge of phylloxera. In 1921, Joan Juvé Baqués, son of Antoni Juvé Escaiola and husband of Teresa Camps Ferrer, set up the underground facilities in the family home in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and made the first sparkling wine under the Juvé brand name.

In 1940, The sons of Joan and Teresa - Josep and Joan Juvé Camps - joined the family business in 1940 and helped build a new winery outside of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Under the leadership of brothers Josep and Joan Juvé Camps, the underground cellars were expanded and important technical advances were introduced so that they could produce top-quality cava. During the 1970s, they expand their portfolio of top cava, growing the business to global markets by the 1980s. In 1991, construction begins on a new winery at the family estate in Espiells for making cuvees for cava and ageing still wines. Within the last decade, Juvé y Camps began moving towards integrated and organic winemaking, with a focus on obtaining better quality grapes that also express the soils where they are grown.

This Brut Rosé Cava is crafted using Pinot Noir grapes from their Espiells estate vineyard, The Espiells estate is the largest of their estates with over 200 hectares of vineyards in what is recognized as the best winemaking zone in the Alt Penedès, on the slopes of Montserrat - a mountain that emerged from the sea millions of years ago and presides over the country, protecting it from the cold, north winds. To make this Brut Rosé Cava, they used free-run juice from Pinot Noir grapes with a slight maceration to add colour, flavour, and texture. It was aged for an average of 12 months in bottle prior to release. Let's see how this fine sparkling wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JUVÉ Y CAMPS PINOT NOIR BRUT ROSÉ CAVA - Traditional method, DO, Spain (#385088) (D) - $24.95
The delicate, medium+ intensity nose offers pretty aromas of slightly sweet and honeyed red fruit notes of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. The palate is essentially dry with 10 g/L residual sugar with fresh acids and creamy, effervescent mousse supporting the toasty, flavourful red fruit replays of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry on the dry, balanced flavour profile. Some white floral and citrus notes join on the mid-palate, adding complexity, and linger through to the long, dry, clean, and crisp finish. Recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Juvé y Camps are available through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Alpataco Pinot Noir 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

For tonight's red wine review, I travel to Patagonia in southern Argentina to continue the recent string of fine wines from this South American wine producing country. This Pinot Noir is a new arrival to the LCBO, landing on shelves across Ontario earlier this month as part of the September 4th LCBO VINTAGES Release and is featured as a "Smart Buy".

It is produced by Familia Schroeder, whose story begins in 1927 when German immigrant Hermann Heinz Theodor Schroeder settles down in Patagonia and begins working in the wine industry. In 2001, his son, Hermann Schroeder, along with his own sons started the project of Familia Schroeder and with hard work and significant investments, the Schroeder family transformed the monotony of the Patagonian dry steppe into an eye-catching oasis.

The Estate is located at 39° South Latitude in Patagonia - a land of extremes with dry weather, frequent winds, rivers carrying pure snowmelt water, cool nights and long summer days. Located in Neuquén, the winery building is perched on a gentle slope that dominates the vineyards and blends in naturally with its surroundings, while also using gravity-flow winemaking. Leonardo Puppato is the Chief Enologist and has been part of the project since the beginning in 2002.

Patagonia is marked by large desolate expanses in the South, flanked by low, wooded mountains, a circuit of lakes in the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Winegrowing activities are fairly limited, with Patagonia representing just 2% of Argentina's total cultivated area. However, the region is noted for its great thermal amplitude (high diurnal temperature variation) which comes from its combination of latitude, low altitude, and abundant hours of sun, in addition to scarce rainfall and strong winds. All of these factors contribute to healthy grapes with greater colour concentration (in red varieties) and thicker skins.

Not widely grown in Argentina, Pinot Noir is the 7th most widely planted red varietal in the country, representing less than 2% of all red wine varietals. However, Argentinean Pinot Noir is noted for its concentration as a result of the high number of light hours, thermal amplitude, and soil. The product of a sunnier climate, the style of Pinot Noir from Neuquén, Patagonia, where this wine is from, is a style resembling Pinot from California - concentrated and fleshy.

Tasting Note:

ALPATACO PINOT NOIR 2019 - Patagonia, Argentina (#19386) (XD) - $14.95
100% Pinot Noir that was matured entirely on the lees in stainless steel tanks. Screw cap. Sunny and fruity aromas of ripe black and red cherry, raspberry, and strawberry flecked with stony-smoky mineral notes of medium+ intensity rise out of the glass. It's light-to-mid-weighted on the palate with dark red cherry, strawberry, and spice with a subtle savoury mineral edge on the flavour profile. Fresh acids lift the palate, while the lights tannins are finely textured. Leesy mineral with dark cherry notes linger on the finish, with good length. A very satisfying Pinot! Recommended buy. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines from Familia Schroeder can be ordered through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.

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Henri Champliau Brut Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé (France) - Wine Review (Aug. 2021)

Tonight's wine review is a lovely pink Crémant from Burgundy that is a new arrival to the LCBO this weekend. This Traditional Method sparkling wine is featured in the "Taste Wine Like A Pro" theme in the August 21 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Henri Champliau, a family winery located in the village of Mercurey, in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise sub-region of Burgundy. It was founded by Alexandre Graffard, the grandson of Henri Champliau. Alexandre's grandfather was a man who was passionate about his region of Burgundy and the riches it offered. He loved fine food, great wines, and owned vineyards in Mercurey, while always taking time to share his passion with Alexandre and others in the family. Alexandre's interest in wine started when he was 7 years old and today has an absolute admiration for the terroir and craftsmanship of Burgundy.

Henri Champliau produces only sparkling wines of Crémant de Bourgogne appellation, as well as a pair of Signature Cuvées that pay homage to Henri's passion for horse racing as a breeder and owner. They seek to craft wines of elegance, clarity, strength, and freshness. In order to achieve this level of quality, they pay great attention to the blend selection, respect the time spent maturing in the cellar, and use precise dosage quantities.

This non-vintage traditional method sparkling wine is crafted with fruit primarily from the 2016 vintage from vineyard plots dedicated to the production of Crémant de Bourgogne. The vines in these plots are worked specifically to obtain the best possible base wines, including limiting yields. The grapes are harvested by hand, gently pressed, and the bases are then vinified separately. To create their house style of wines, the base wines are meticulously blended, then bottled, while respecting the traditional method of second fermentation to create the bubbles and aged for a minimum of 12 months. To complete the wine, they carry out disgorgement, dosage, and finally label the bottles. This particular bubbly is predominantly Pinot Noir, which brings elegance and strength, and is joined by the freshness of Chardonnay, and the generosity and delicacy of Gamay, and was aged on its lees for at least a year. Let's see how this rosé sparkling wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

HENRI CHAMPLIAU BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE ROSÉ - Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France (#20945) (XD) - $24.95
This blend of approximately 75% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, and 10% Gamay has a pretty, salmon-pink colour. The focused, intense nose offers fragrant toasty and brioche aromas accented with grapefruit, citrus, floral, and red berry notes. The crisp and dry palate has good weight along with fresh, vibrant acidity and bubbles. Appealing grapefruit, citrus, floral, red berry, and brioche flavours with a fine mineral texture. Elegant and nicely balanced overall with leesy mineral and brioche notes lingering on the long finish. Highly recommended dry sparkling wine. Lot #L1832-4HC. Score: 91 pts

Other lovely sparkling wines from Henri Champliau can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Jean-Max Roger La Grange Dîmière Sancerre Rosé 2020 (Loire) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely dry rosé from Sancerre that arrived at the LCBO this weekend, as part of the August 7 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Jean-Max Roger comes from a long-line of winegrowers in the village of Bué, just southwest of the town of Sancerre, with the Roger family name mentioned in texts going back to the early part of the 17th century. In the early 1970s, Jean-Max Roger took over the 4 hectares of vines left to him by his parents, and together with his wife, Nicole, developed the vineyards and further expanded the estate. In 2004, he was joined by two of this three sons, Etienne and Thibault. Today, the estate covers 34 hectares, 28 of which are in the Sancerre appellation along the Loire River.

I've always enjoyed this rose, including most recently just over three years ago when the 2017 Jean-Max Roger La Grange Dîmière Sancerre Rosé showed up at the LCBO. This lovely rose is crafted from 100% Pinot Noir grown in the villages of Vinon, Bué, and Sancerre, on flint, Kimmeridgian marls & Limestone Silex, Terres Blanches & Caillottes soils. The vines average between 25 to 45 years old and are farmed using organic principles, including revitalization of soil life, to produce grapes which reveal its terroir. In the winery, the grapes undergo a long fermentation to develop aromatic complexity and are aged on heavy lees to develop minerality.

Although little detailed information exists about the 2020 vintage in Loire, it was frost-free and relatively easy-going, resulting in an excellent vintage with berry fruited and aromatic rosé wines. Let's see how this 2020 Sancerre Rosé is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JEAN-MAX ROGER LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROSÉ 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#490813) (XD) - $26.95
This 100% Pinot Noir rosé has a fresh, elegant, and intense nose with attractive aromas of grapefruit, citrus, red currant, strawberry, red cherry, and mineral. It's medium+ bodied with good weight to the fruit with lovely grapefruit, citrus and red berry flavours coming through on the dry palate. Acids are well-balanced, while white pepper spice notes join the grapefruit, citrus, and red berry profile on the mid-palate, lingering through to the long, leesy mineral finish. Recommended buy. Score: 90+ pts

Other lovely wines from Jean-Max Roger are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 and Pinot Noir 2018 (Australia) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of delicious Australian red wines from the ever-reliable Wakefield Wines. Both arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the main feature on wines from Australia in the May 29 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Wakefield Wines was founded in 1969 by Bill Taylor Sr. and his two sons, Bill and John, by the Wakefield River in South Australia's Clare Valley with a desire to create authentic, estate grown wines where the vineyards and winery both reside at the same location. The very first wines the Taylor family crafted were the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (reviewed below) and Shiraz, which are the heart and soul of the business. Wakefield Wines achieved overwhelming success over the years, expanding and growing their portfolio. Today, they also source fruit for their Estate Label wines from other wine regions mainly due to the fruit's higher quality, as is the case with the Pinot Noir that is reviewed below. Both of the wines reviewed in this post are from Wakefield's Estate Label range of wines.

A perennial visitor to LCBO VINTAGES, I last enjoyed the 2017 Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon back in August of last year. The 2018 vintage in Clare Valley can be characterized as warm and dry, and warmer than 2017. Thankfully, there were also no major heatwaves as these can be very damaging to the grapes. Overall, the team at Wakefield Wines was very excited about the quality of the wines from this vintage. With Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, the general consensus was that it may be one of the best vintages in quite a while with fantastic colour, flavour development and tannin structure.

The grapes for the Pinot Noir were sourced from Adelaide Hills, a vibrant, cool-climate wine region located in the Mount Lofty Ranges just east of the city of Adelaide in South Australia. Adelaide Hills is one of Australia's largest geographical wine regions, stretching north-south in a narrow band approximately 70 km in length, and bordered by Barossa Valley to the North and McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek to the South. For reference, Clare Valley is located further north, just over 100 kilometres north of Adelaide Hills.

All Estate range wines, which includes these two wines, have an Optimum Drinking Temperature sensor on the back label that will tell you when each wine is ready to enjoy. This innovative sensor is calibrated to each varietal and wine. It is touch-activated and changes colour depending on the temperature of the wine. To use, simply touch the sensor and compare its colour to the chart located on the left. If the colour of the sensor falls between the optimum temperature indicated in the chart, then the wine is ready to drink. Let's see how these wines are tasting...

Tasting Notes:

WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#744235) (XD) - $19.95
Screw cap. The fragrant, lifted nose has aromas of minty-leafy, dark berry, currant, and cassis with savoury, earthy undertones rising out of the glass. It's medium-to-full bodied with minty, cassis, dark berry, blackberry, currant, and savoury oak flavours supported by fresh, balanced acidity and smooth, dusty-textured tannins that have a subtle grip. Nicely balanced throughout with savoury, earthy oak notes lingering on the finish, with very good length. Score: 89 pts

WAKEFIELD PINOT NOIR 2018 - Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#197392) (XD) - $19.95
Screw cap. The pretty, medium+ intensity nose offers sweet and ripe red cherry, red berry, and strawberry aromas flecked with tea leaf, earthy, and beet root notes. There's a kiss of sweetness on the ripe, light-to-mid weighted palate balanced with fresh, lively acidity and flavours of ripe red cherry, red berry, and sweet cinnamon spice with subtle wood notes. Light tannins are subtly textured, while sweet spice, vanilla, and cherry notes linger on the juicy finish, with very good length. Delicious New World Pinot! Score: 89 pts

Other fine wines from Wakefield Wines can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group. In some exciting news, Profile Wine Group also now offers Air Miles® Reward Miles with purchase.

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Errázuriz Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

To celebrate National Wine Day, tonight's wine review is the latest vintage of this lovely Pinot Noir from Chile. This red wine is a perennial visitor to VINTAGES and arrived in Ontario as part of the most recent LCBO VINTAGES Release on May 15th.

It is produced by Viña Errázuriz, one of Chile's best and most internationally recognized wineries. Don Maximiano Errázuriz founded the winery in 1870 with a great vision. His innovative and pioneering spirit led him to plant the first French grape varieties in the Aconcagua Valley. Future generations of the family continued his innovative and creative spirit, and his descendants positioned the wines of Viña Errázuriz among the world's most noteworthy. Today, Viña Errázuriz is led by President Eduardo Chadwick Claro and Winemaker Francisco Baettig Hidalgo.

This particular Pinot Noir is from Viña Errázuriz's "Specialties" range of wines, where they explore the Aconcagua Valley for the best and purest expression of each variety through wines that show their true sense of origin. The two geographical landmarks make up this line of wines are Mount Aconcagua - the highest peak in the western hemisphere, and the Pacific Ocean which has the coldest waters in the world. Aconcagua Alto (Mount Aconcagua) wines are from the highest area of the Aconcagua Valley, while wines from Aconcagua Costa are located in vineyards just 12 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean.

I've had the pleasure of tasting previous vintages of this Pinot Noir and it's always been a delight. The grapes for this vintage were sourced from vines planted in 2005 and 2009 in the coastal vineyard of Aconcagua Costa. The soil in this vineyard is composed of a thin layer of loamy texture that sits above a base of clay and metamorphic rock (slate/schist) that adds mineral notes to the wines.

In 2019, Aconcagua Costa experienced a slightly warmer than normal growing season due to higher temperatures in the Spring, but this was balanced by slightly cooler than normal temperatures in February and March, allowing for a slow and gentle ripening process. Overall, the result was outstanding, healthy fruit. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented using native yeasts, then aged for 13 months in French oak barrels, only 15% new. Let's see how this delicious Chilean Pinot Noir is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA COSTA PINOT NOIR 2019 - DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#541151) (XD) - $24.95
The slightly reductive, delicate nose offers lovely dark cherry, raspberry, and smoky earth aromas with subtle spice tones. The black cherry notes continue on the mid-weighted and structured palate with spicy, smoky earth flavours and touches of floral adding further interest. It has fresh, balanced acidity, while the structured tannins have a medium-firm grippy texture. Smoky, earthy, mineral-laced finish, with excellent length. Enjoyable now, but will really blossom in 3-4 years. Score: 91+ pts

Other fine wines from Viña Errázuriz can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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The Wine-demic Pack by Creekside (Niagara) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a limited release set of 6 lovely and unique VQA wines called The Wine-demic Pack that were crafted by Niagara's Creekside Estate Winery and launched in April. Although things are improving of late, The Wine-demic Pack recognizes some of the daily adjustments we've all had to make while living through these difficult times.

As Andrew Howard, President of Creekside Estate Winery says, "Great wine and a sense of humour is in our DNA at Creekside, so we've combined them together to create a fun and delicious box of wine that we call our Pandemic Pack (aka Wine-demic Pack). While we won't solve any of life's real problems with this collection, we think that a sense of humour and some very good wine can help to make the current struggles a little less formidable." As these are stressful times for a lot of people, Creekside is donating a portion of the proceeds from these wines to support local mental health services.

The Wine-demic Pack Collection includes 6 delicious and unique VQA wines (reviewed below), with each wine highlighting a different aspect of pandemic living, and while the labels and names are fun in nature, the wines are no joke! You can get this Collection, which includes one of each bottle for a total of 6 bottles for $125 at the winery in Jordan, Ontario, as well as through their online store for free home delivery anywhere in the province.

Tasting Notes:

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Laggy wifi patience enhancer

Intense, fresh, ripe, tropical fruit aromas of guava, kiwi, passion fruit, and lemon citrus. It's medium+ bodied on the fleshy, slightly creamy palate with lovely tropical fruit and citrus aroma replays, along with some saline notes. It has fresh acidity, while the finish has touches of saline mineral notes, with very good length. Score: 90+ pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK PINOT GRIS 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Every day is ground hog day is every day

Pours a medium-deep gold colour. The medium+ intensity nose has a slightly funky nose of peach and stone fruit aromas. It's medium+ bodied on the palate with more peach and stone fruits flavours joined by honeyed notes in a dry flavour profile. Acids are well-balanced, while more peach and stone fruit notes come through on the dry finish, with good length. Score: 88 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK RAZZLE DAZZLE RIESLING 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M)
Vaccination celebration libation

Bottled under Stelvin screw cap, this Charmat-method sparkling wine is made with Riesling and offers a fragrant nose of ripe peach, apple, citrus, and apricot with touches of white floral aromas, with lovely replays on the semi-sweet palate and frothy mousse with fresh acidity that brightens the palate. Very good length with more apple, floral, and touches of honey lingering on the finish. Score: 89 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK ROSÉ 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD)
Spousal tolerance enhancement beverage

This blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris has fresh, medium-high intensity aromatics with ripe raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, cherry, and herbal notes. It's medium-full bodied on the weighty, dry palate with fairly complex currant, cranberry, cherry, strawberry, and herbal flavours joined by orange zest nuances. It has very good acidity and a slightly tannic presence. Lovely herbal, currant, and red berry notes linger on the crisp, dry finish, with very good length. Score: 90+ pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK SYRAH 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD)
Fuzzy face and furry legs acceptance tonic

The medium+ intensity nose has funky, meaty aromas layered over dark fruit and black peppercorn. It's medium+ bodied on the palate with fresh acids and smooth, rounded, slightly dusty textured tannins that support the savoury, earthy, dark fruit, meaty, and black peppercorn flavours. Nicely balanced overall with meaty, olive, black pepper, and savoury wood notes lingering on the finish. Score: 90 pts

THE WINE-DEMIC PACK CABERNET MERLOT 2019 - VQA Ontario, Canada (XD)
Remote schooling sauce

The nose is a bit quiet, offering glimpses of red & black fruits, currant, cassis, and touches of wood spice. The full-bodied, structured palate is ripe with currant, cassis, and black cherry with touches of wood spice and herbally mint flavours, It has fresh, balanced acidity, while the structured tannins are a bit grippy. Pleasantly savoury on the tight finish, with very good length. Enjoyable now, but should be even better in 2-3 years. Score: 90 pts

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Babich Pinot Noir 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely, sustainably crafted Pinot Noir from New Zealand that landed at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the May 15, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Babich Wines is New Zealand's most experienced family-owned winery as they have been making wine in NZ since 1916. With three generations of winemaking, the Babich family has achieved winemaking excellence with innovation across three winemaking regions - Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, and Auckland.

Josip Babich, who was originally from Dalmatia (now part of modern day Croatia) and emigrated to New Zealand to join his brothers in 1910 at the tender age of 14, began planting vines in remote New Zealand in 1912 in the difficult way - with vision, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and true craft. In 1916, Josip makes his first New Zealand wines and bottles them under the name Babich Brothers. In 1919, the Babich brothers move to Henderson in West Auckland and planted Pinot Meunier vines. After marriage in 1929, Josip and his wife Mara Grgic have five children, with their son Peter joining the family vineyard 20 years later. Much success led to the extension of the Auckland vineyard and Josip's son, Joseph, joined the family business in 1958.

Babich Wines expanded further in 1984 with the production of wine from the Gimblett Gravels region in Hawke's Bay, followed by wine from Marlborough in 1991. In 1997, Babich lays claim to New Zealand's first sustainably registered vineyard. In 2001, David Babich, Peter's son, becomes the third generation of the Babich family to join the company. In 2013, Babich completed building their brand new Marlborough winery, processing more than 4,000 tonnes of grapes. Josip Babich's hard-working spirit has traversed generations, and with over 100 years of winemaking achievements, experience, and excellence, Babich Wines has 100 small and interesting stories on their website that are worth reading when you have some time.

Sustainability is also a core value at Babich. For three generations, the Babich family has gently worked in harmony and balance with the land and ecosystem, ensuring that the vineyards and processes improve every vintage. Some of these sustainability practices include being careful with water, expanding the use of organic viticulture, using wild fermentations, and reducing waste.

This red wine is part of Babich's classic range of wines that showcase each varietal's regional style with a classic flavour profile and a touch of everyday sophistication. This particular Pinot Noir was hand-crafted using fruit from their estate-owned vineyards in Marlborough, harvested at optimum ripeness, and fermented in open vats. It was aged in a combination of new and used oak barriques for 7 months, then blended to create to final wine. Let's see how this NZ Pinot Noir is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BABICH PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, estate bottled, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#216) (XD) - $22.95
Screw cap. The fragrant nose delivers a lovely, complex mix of earthy, beetroot, and raspberry, cherry, and rhubarb flecked with tea leaf notes. It's light-to-mid weighted on the palate with sour black cherry, and raspberry flavours layered over savoury earthy, beetroot, and tea leaf notes, It has fresh acidity, while the light tannins are somewhat chalky textured. Smoky black cherries and tea leaf notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Very enjoyable! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from Babich can be purchased at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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Luna Estate Pinot Noir 2016 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand. This red wine is a new arrival to the LCBO that was featured as part of the theme on "What's New, New Zealand?" from the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Luna Estate is a family owned vineyard located in Martinborough, one of the three main sub-regions of the Wairarapa wine region in the southern end of North Island. They have two parcels of land with two distinct terroirs that they use to create their range of wines. Their main philosophy is to work very hard to do as little as possible. The passionate, dedicated team tends the vineyards, hand picks and carefully selects only the best fruit, and then minimally handles the grapes at the winery to preserve the purity and integrity of the fruit.

Although the human touch at Luna Estate is ever present, the land is at the heart of the winery. Sustainable and organic principals and practices drive the farming processes across both of their thriving vineyards, thereby eliminating the need for harmful herbicides and pesticides within their ecosystems as cleaner farming is good for all. By respecting and nurturing the land, the rewards will always be seen in the wines that are crafted using modern technology and traditional winemaking techniques.

This lovely Pinot Noir is crafted from fruit grown on both of their vineyards - Puruatanga Road (Eclipse) and Dry River Road (Blue Rock). With its ideal climate and ancient rocky riverbed, winemaking in the area where the Eclipse Vineyard resides began taking shape in 1970's, with Luna Estate planting their first Pinot Noir here in 1992. The Blue Rock Vineyard is located approximately 12 km south of Martinborough on Dry River Road, on a north-facing elevated hillside with silty clay loam soils interspersed with ancient marine sediment. Vines were first planted at Blue Rock in 1986. This Pinot Noir was fermented in open topped fermenters, gently plunged by hand, then pressed to tank, followed by ageing in mostly used French oak barrels with lower toast levels for 12 months prior to bottling. The 2016 vintage was not too hot, nor too cold, and considered a bit of a 'goldilocks' vintage. Let's see how this Pinot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LUNA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2016 - Sustainable, Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand (#17544) (XD) - $26.95
Screw cap. Lovely, elegant, intense, and well-balanced aromas of raspberry, red and black cherry, and strawberry with subtle sweet spice, floral and dried cherry notes adding further complexity. The medium+ bodied palate has very good fruit concentration and flavours of raspberry-cran-cherry, mineral, earth, and touches of dried floral, and herbal notes. It has very good acidity, while the lightly structured tannins provide a pleasant grip. Nicely balanced throughout with mineral and cherry notes lingering on the long finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 3-4 years! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines from Luna Estate can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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New Zealand Wine Week - Feb. 2021 + Albariño, Pinot Noir & Syrah Wine Reviews

During the week of February 8 - 12, 2021, I attended the first ever New Zealand Wine Week. There were many activities planned throughout the week across Canada, USA, UK, and Ireland, including tastings, discussions, and online activities.

I managed to attend a couple of fascinating classes - one titled "Pinot Noir Soils" and another on Syrah. To assist with the learning, I also received a specially-curated Sustainable Wine Tasting Kit that contained three lovely wines which are reviewed below. To reduce environmental impact, the wines were packaged in low-waste, recyclable tetra-paks. Given the current pandemic, I can't help but wonder if more wine tasting kits will be provided in this manner in the future.

New Zealand produces 1% of the world's wine and 17% of the world's Sauvignon Blanc. While most of New Zealand's wine production is devoted to Sauvignon Blanc, ranking second is Pinot Noir with 7% of the country's wine production. New Zealand's soils are approximately 42 million years old, relatively new by comparison to other wine regions, and most of it has been moved by water. As such, there can be expected a variety of soil types which are layered. Pinot Noir prefers free-draining soils such as those found in Wairarapa, North Island. In Marlborough, as I learned during my visit to New Zealand last year, the Southern Valleys of the Wairau Valley have predominately clay soils - a prime area for growing fuller-bodied Pinot. As vines with age go deeper and deeper into soil in the search for water and nutrients, the different layers of soils reveal themselves and develop additional character in the wines. In Pinot Noir, clay gives density to wines, gravelly soils build tannins, and limestone gives vibrancy and length to wines. In a short period, New Zealand has built a reputation for producing quality Pinot Noir, with Central Otago leading much of this notoriety, although interesting Pinot Noir is produced throughout all of New Zealand's wine regions.

Syrah is the oft-forgotten variety of New Zealand. It represents just 1% of all vines in New Zealand and ranks 7th by acreage. Although it is speculated that Syrah was first planted in New Zealand in the 1830s. it is known that the first Australian cuttings were brought to New Zealand in 1900. The oldest modern Syrah vines were planted in 1984. Of the 437 hectares of Syrah planted in New Zealand in today, 339 hectares are planted in the warmer North Island region of Hawke's Bay - a region I had the pleasure of visiting last year because I discovered NZ Syrah several years prior. I also visited Waiheke Island last year and it has the second-most Syrah in the country with 51 hectares planted to the varietal.

A lovely Albariño from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough was also part of this tasting kit and reviewed below. Originally from Spain, Albariño has found a home in New Zealand. I discovered New Zealand Albariño after tasting a few wines during my visit to NZ last year. Only 27 hectares of Albariño are planted within the country, with most of the plantings concentrated in Gisborne, Marlborough, and Hawke's Bay.

The most recent vintage was also among the many topics discussed. While the 2020 vintage will always be remembered as the COVID-19 harvest, it was actually an excellent summer throughout most of New Zealand and the 2020 vintage is expected to be outstanding.

Sustainability was also a major theme of the week. New Zealand was the first wine industry to establish a national sustainability programme - Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) - which first started 1994. Today, 96% of New Zealand's vineyard producing area is certified by the programme. With a strong commitment from winemakers and grape growers, New Zealand is able to craft exceptional wines while also helping the natural environment, local businesses, and communities thrive. The six areas of focuses with sustainability efforts are water, waste, pest and disease, soil, climate change, and people.

Tasting Notes:

THE HUNTING LODGE SEASONAL ALBARINO 2019 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $19.95
Mostly fermented in stainless steel tanks, with 10% fermented in French oak barriques, as well as 3 months ageing on the lees. Fresh aromatics deliver an intriguing mix of ripe citrus, stone fruits, and floral with touches of vanilla, yeasty, and seashell notes. On the medium+ bodied palate it has a slightly creamy mouthfeel that’s balanced by fresh, zesty acidity. It has ripe, honeyed flavours of citrus and stone fruits on the flavour profile, while yeasty, seashell mineral, and touches of vanilla linger on the juicy finish, with very good length. Agent: Nicholas Pearce Wines. Score: 90 pts

CHURTON NATURAL STATE PINOT NOIR 2019 - Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $31.95
Grown according to biodynamic and organic principles from the Southern Valley of Waihopai, this single block Pinot Noir was naturally fermented with indigenous yeast and has medium-high intensity aromas are very ripe with black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and floral notes with touches of bramble. It is medium-bodied and mildly structured on the palate with nice, fruity aroma replays plus some earthy and tea leaf flavours. It has balanced, juicy acids and elegantly textured tannins. Very good length on the finish with notes of savoury black cherry. Vegan-friendly. Agent: Le Sommelier. Score: 90 pts

ESK VALLEY WINEMAKERS RESERVE SYRAH 2014 - Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (XD) ~$60
From the Cornerstone Vineyard, the medium+ intensity nose seems a bit closed, but offers notes of black plum, dark berry, blackberry, and some wood spice aromas. The structured, medium-full bodied is lovely with blackberry, black pepper, earth, eucalypt, and wood spice flavours that are supported by juicy acidity and well-integrated tannins. The savoury, earthy, black pepper spice, and dark chocolate notes continue through to the long, satisfying finish. Still has many years of enjoyment ahead. Agent: Perigon Beverage Group. Score: 92 pts

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February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France + New World Pinot Noir

The main theme of the February 20, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on French wines, while the mini-theme looks at New World Pinot Noir. All of these wines, plus those from the rest of the release should be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario today.

We begin with the main theme that focuses on French wines and where they come from. Since French wines rarely mention the grapes used to make their wines on the label, it is very helpful to know which grapes are grown in which regions. Of the fifteen wines featured, six are included among my top wine picks. We begin in Champagne, where the primary grapes are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the Blanc de Blancs (which means "white of whites) refers to sparkling wines made exclusively with the white wine grapes, namely Chardonnay. Chablis is part of northern Burgundy and known for its fine Chardonnay. The Saint-Véran is also from Burgundy and made with Chardonnay. Southern Rhône is all about Grenache and Syrah, and mostly blends using these two grapes. Three wines from this wine region are included among my wine recommendations - the Côtes du Rhône-Villages is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, while the Cairanne is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah. Lastly, the Gigondas consists of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre.

The mini-theme of this release takes a look at New World Pinot Noir. Although Pinot's home is in Burgundy, the grape has found success in the cool-climate New World wine regions of Ontario, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, California, and Oregon. Eight wines are featured as part of this theme and, while these aren't among the finest examples of cool-climate New World Pinot Noir, there are a couple of wines worth checking out. First up is a sustainable Pinot Noir from Wairarapa, a wine region located on the southeastern corner of the North Island in New Zealand. The second wine is a Pinot Noir from the cool-climate region of Elgin, South Africa, that is nestled among the mountains and only 12 kilometres from the South Atlantic Ocean.

Red wines from the rest of the release includes a lovely Bordeaux red that is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also a pair of wines from Southern France, both consisting of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre. Notable single varietal wines includes a fine Malbec from Argentina that is also one of the Wines of the Month, a lovely Carmenère from Chile, and a pleasantly dry Zinfandel from California.

Among my white wine picks, the only blend is from Greece and it consists of 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Athiri, and 5% Aidani. For Riesling wine lovers, there is the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling from Germany, as well as the medium-sweet Riesling from Niagara.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Santé!

Red Wine:

• VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2019 - DO Maipo Valley, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
  
• CHÂTEAU D'ANGLÈS CLASSIQUE LA CLAPE SYRAH/GRENACHE/MOURVÈDRE 2018 - AC, Midi, France (#286484) (XD) - $18.95
• MATAHIWI ESTATE ME PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand (#12606) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review
• SUTHERLAND PINOT NOIR 2018 - WO Elgin, South Africa (#624924) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE CLAVEL SYRIUS SAINT-GERVAIS CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2017 - AP, France (#18144) (XD) - $19.95
• TESSELLAE OLD VINES GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVÈDRE 2018 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#343517) (XD) - $19.95
• CATENA LUNLUNTA OLD VINES APPELLATION MALBEC 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#11769) (XD) - $22.95  91+ pts  wine review
• LANGE TWINS OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2017 - Sustainable, Lodi, California, USA (#575480) (XD) - $24.95
• DOMAINE SAINT-ANDÉOL EXCELLENCE CAIRANNE 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#464735) (XD) - $25.95
• DOMAINE LE CLOS DES CAZAUX LA TOUR SARRASINE GIGONDAS 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#18388) (XD) - $32.95
• CHÂTEAU CLARKE 2016 - AC Listrac-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#503904) (XD) - $54.95  92+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• MODERNIST DRY RIESLING 2019 - Rheinhessen, Germany (#18668) (D) - $16.95  88+ pts  wine review
  
• FLAT ROCK RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#43281) (M) - $17.95
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $19.95
• TERRES SECRÈTES LES PRÉLUDES SAINT-VÉRAN 2018 - AC, Burgundy, France (#16725) (XD) - $21.95
• ATLANTIS DRY WHITE 2019 - PGI Cyclades, Santorini, Greece (#371658) (XD) - $26.95
• WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2018 - AC, Burgundy, France (#461640) (XD) - $29.95
• MARCO FELLUGA AMANI FRIULANO 2019 - DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy (#17363) (XD) - $30.95  FE
  

Sparkling Wine:

• WOLFBERGER BRUT CRÉMANT D'ALSACE - Traditional method, AC, Alsace, France (#460832) (XD) - $19.95
• VOLLEREAUX BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#629469) (XD) - $52.95
  

Fortified:

• QUINTA DO GRIFO VINTAGE PORT 2015 - DOP, Portugal (#18362) (S) - $64.95

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