Providing a Unique & Affordable Selection of High Quality Red Wines and White Wines for Your Enjoyment. Also featured: Rosé, Port, Icewine, Champagne and Sparkling Wine for Special Occasions. Cheers!
Opened this delicious, sweet-flavoured white wine . It was purchased last summer from the July 19th LCBO VINTAGES release with the intention of opening it for guests during my daughter's 1st birthday party. Unfortunately, I never got around to opening it that day.
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Medium+ intensity aromas featuring nectarine, petrol, limestone mineral, citrus and hints of lemon and smoke. On the palate, it's mid-weighted with crisp acids and medium-dry sweet flavours of stone fruit, lemon/lime, and minerals. Slightly chalky on the mid-palate. Interesting stone flavours on the crisp, lengthy finish. Yummy. Paired really well with Masala Fried Chicken. Score: 88+ pts
The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves this . For those folks in Toronto's downtown core, you may find wines on shelves as early as Wednesday and some stores in and around the city may have them out as early as Thursday or Friday. Pay a visit to your local store prior to Saturday to see when they stock the shelves.
In this release, the major theme is on wines from Veneto, while the secondary theme highlights Ontario wines for upcoming feasts.
The VINTAGES team did something interesting in this release with the Veneto thematic by trying to associate each letter of the alphabet with something from the region (e.g. A is for Amarone, B is for Baroque Music, C is for Corvina, etc.). However, only 11 wines were selected as part of the theme, four of which fell under V is for Valpolicella.
Only three Veneto wines are included among my wine picks, including one of the aforementioned Valpolicellas from Feudi San Pio that is made using the Ripasso technique - expect some sweet-fruited flavours. From the letter "R" is a Recioto from Monte Faustino that takes the sweetness levels up a few notches in this red wine. Lastly, under the letter "S" is a Soave, Veneto's signature white wine, from Montresor that is made using Garganega.
The mini-theme of Ontario wines for Easter featured 6 wines, and only the Fielding Viognier made my wine picks. Other Ontario wines not part of the thematic, but I think would also be perfectly suitable for Easter are the Flat Rock Riesling (medium sweet), Creekside Laura's White (a blend that is mostly Sauvignon Blanc), and Henry of Pelham Chardonnay.
From the rest of the release are a pair of matured Spanish reds, including the 10-year-old Monasterio de las Viñas (60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo and 10% Cariñena) and the 7-year-old Bodegas Muriel Reserva that is 100% Tempranillo. Another fabulous wine from the great 2010 Bordeaux vintage is the Château Haut Selve Réserve that is nearly 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend and should be cellared for at least a couple of years prior to opening.
And finally, if you want to end your Easter festivities this year with one terrific wine, check out the Château La Tour Blanche. This sweet dessert wine is a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, from Noble Rot-affected grapes. You may see me lining at a VINTAGES Flagship Store up for this one.
Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week and Happy Easter. Cheers!
Red Wine:
AGRIVERDE PIANE DI MAGGIO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2013 - DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (#394999) (D) - $15.95
MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS GRAN RESERVA 2005 - DO Cariñena, Spain (#082024) (XD) - $16.95
FEUDI SAN PIO RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2012 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#181446) (D) - $17.95
CARMEN GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2012 - Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#439166) (XD) - $17.95
Tonight's red wine is courtesy of the fine folks at Kylix Wines. Periodically, this wine does show up at the LCBO. However, the latest vintage of this wine (2013) is currently only available via Consignment through Kylix Wines. This wine was aged 4 months (i.e. 4 meses) in French and American oak barrels.
JUAN GIL 4 MESES 2011 - DO Jumilla, Spain (#013656) (XD) - $15.95
Tasting Note:
100% Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre). Plum, prune and menthol aromas from the cork. In the glass, it has aromas of within the dark spectrum with black currant, blackberry and dark cocoa with hints of raisins. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with a complex flavour profile featuring new cedar oak, spice, new leather, wild herb, and dark fruit, along with hints of floral and violets. Acids are fresh, while tannins are still quite firm. Medium length on the earthy-toned finish. This could be cellared another 3-5 years, but is enjoyable now. Will be paired tonight with Tandoori-style chicken wings. Score: 88+ pts
After a successful run in Montreal last December, the largest and most extravagant mixology competitive event, MadeWithLove™, continues its tour across Canada to the great city of Toronto. The finals will be held on at Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex located at 25 British Columbia Rd, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $65 at www.enjoyMadeWithLove.com or at participating locations.
21 bartenders from across the city will compete during the finals to impress over 1000 cocktail enthusiasts with exclusive and innovative creations. Each cocktail will be judged based on its originality, creativity and taste. This year marks the start of a new trend at the competition, a food pairing; a promising new addition which will only serve to enhance the overall experience of the event.
Come and enjoy the cocktails created by the finalists who qualified at College Street Bar in early January (click here to watch the video):
Aaron Male, Campagnolo
Alex James, Hopgood’s Foodliner
Andrés Márquez, Fonda Lola
Andrew Hunter, The County General
Brett Intrater, Independent
Dan Tavares, Mr. Flamingo
Ger Cullen, Her Majesty’s Pleasure
Jake Valianes, Linwood Essentials
Joe Howell, The Spoke Club
Holly Dewan, The Whirppoorwill Restaurant & Tavern
Japhet Bower, Parlor Foods & Co
Mana Moghada, Blowfish Restaurant & Sake Bar
Michael Crispo. Soho House
Michael Fortier, Drake One Fifty
Michele Maffei, Balsamico
Nick Incretolli, Urban Tavern On George
Parham Rahimi, Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie
Rob Renda, BartenderOne
Rory West, Pastizza
Ryan Desjardins, College Street Bar
Will Howden, Howden Bar Service
The People's Choice and Judge's Choice winners will represent the city at the National Finale which is slated to be held in Toronto on .
Click here to purchase your tickets. Your ticket will give to access to taste the 21 cocktails, the food pairing and afford you the right to vote for the People's Choice.
Join us on at Airship 37 (37 Parliament Street, Toronto) and sample some of the best wines Prince Edward County has to offer! Over twenty different County wineries under one Toronto roof!
At the 4th annual "County in the City" presented by WineAlign, samples of more than 50 different wines will be tasted to delight the palates of Torontonians and introduce them to some of the most enticing flavours of Prince Edward County; the world’s fastest growing wine region. Over 20 small-batch and family-owned wineries will showcase their pride and joy (including new vintages and specialty wines) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Some returning wineries this year are Casa Dea Estates Winery, Lighthall Vineyards, Karlo Estates Winery, Harwood Estate Vineyard and Norman Hardie Winery to name a few. Some new-comers include Trail Estate Winery and Black Prince Winery!
Many of the County wines showcased at the event are not available at retail wine outlets in the GTA, so guests are strongly encouraged to take part in the "Try and Buy" program and have delicious County wines delivered right to their door. Mix and match bottles from different wineries and receive FREE shipping (minimum 6 bottles).
I've attended each year and will once again be in attendance. Here are past posts about this event and its wines:
Admission:
$49 (includes food and all wine samples).
$60 at the door (subject to availability)
Tickets can be purchased here and includes a FREE Thursday ticket to the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival ($20 Value) in June when you purchase your tickets using my link: http://goo.gl/KOl8Fu
The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves this . The major theme of this release highlights many of the biggest names in California's wine scene and is titled "Cali Icons". As such, we find many high-priced wines that are beyond the reach of most people. However, if you have the deep pockets or are really into wine, there are 5 wines worth your attention and all are north of $70.
First up is the Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon that hails from the Santa Cruz Mountains and contains 14% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc - it will drink well for the next 6-7 years. The Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon is organic & biodynamic and almost all Cab with just dashes of Petit Verdot (5%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Merlot (1% ). The Cade Cabernet Sauvignon is also all Napa Valley fruit, but specifically from Howell Mountain, and includes 7% Merlot to round out the blend. The Dominus is the most expensive wine in the release and it is composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc and can be enjoyed over the next decade. Lastly, the Cakebread Dancing Bear Ranch is available as part of the Flagship Store Exclusive release and contains 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot.
The mini-theme of this release features 6 big, food-friendly wines from Southwest, France. From this portion of the release, only a premium Cahors made the list - a red wine that is 100% Malbec from vines that are 60+ years old.
If you're looking for quality red wines under $20, this release is a little light. However, there is a big 100% Xinomavro from Greece that could be aged for at least another 10 years. There is also traditional Bordeaux-blend from Ontario - a 2012 Cab Franc/Cab Sauv/Merlot blend from Pondview. Actual Bordeaux wines that are worth considering are a Cab Sauv/Merlot blend from Les Charmes de Magnol and a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot (60/35/4/1%) from iconic Château Pontet-Canet.
In white wines, the only blend is from Rhône's E. Guigal and it consists of 65% Viognier, 15% Roussane, 10% Marsanne, 8% Clairette, and 2% Bourboulenc. For sweet wine lovers, you'll want to check out either Riesling from Germany or Ontario, or the Pinot Gris from Alsace.
Enjoy my wine picks for this week. Cheers!
Red Wine:
CASTELLO DI AMA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#403824) (XD) (375 mL) - $16.95
On , I attended an exclusive tasting of Vidal table wines at the iYellow Wine Cave. This tasting was born out of a conversation about Vidal between Angela Aiello and André Proulx at this very same venue back in January during a promotional event for Niagara Chilled. Krista Lamb and I were nearby and eventually got involved in the discussion. The conversation eventually led to André proposing a tasting of Vidal table wines to see how they fared.
There were 6 Vidal wines available for tasting on this Wednesday evening. All the wines were brown-bagged so we could taste them blind. However, we were told that all the wines were from Ontario and ranged in vintage from 2011 to 2013. Looking at the labels of each of the wines at the conclusion of the tasting, I couldn't help but notice that all the wines were designated VQA Ontario. If I'm not mistaken, the fruit for five of the six wines came from Niagara, while the fruit for the Monarch came from Pelee Island.
The results from tasting the wines blind was interesting. In general, these Vidal wines all featured varying degrees of sweetness, ranging from just off-dry (slightly sweet) to semi-dry (quite sweet). Furthermore, the palates were generally light-to-mid-weight. The biggest surprise I discovered on this night was the balanced acidity. Generally speaking, Icewine made with Vidal tends to lack the acidity desired to balance the sweetness, while also making the wine have a somewhat flabby mouthfeel. However, when sugar levels are lowered, in cases such as the below table wines, the acids are quite balanced.
We tasted the wines in the order listed below. Bottles #2 and #3 seemed off to my nose and may require re-tasting at a future date when visiting the winery. It was interesting to note that André's favourite was the first wine (Lailey Vidal 2011), while Angela and myself preferred Sandbanks Dunes Vidal; Krista's favourite was a toss up between these two wines. The Sandbanks version is a good, cheap alternative for those who prefer sweet wines and want to try something else other than a Riesling.
If you're interested in purchasing any of these wines, all are available through the winery, while the wines from Pelee Island and Sandbanks are readily available at the LCBO.
Lastly, thank you Andre for proposing the idea, arranging the tasting and securing the wines. Also thank you Angela for hosting us at your fantastic Wine Cave. And finally, thank you to all the wineries who provided the samples for us to taste.
LAILEY VINEYARD VIDAL 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (D) - $12.20
Medium intensity nose featuring floral, wild herb, iodine and acetone aromas. It's light-to-mid weight on the viscous palate with off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) wildflower, green melon notes. Mouthfeel has a chalky mineral texture, while acids are balanced. Medium-long finish that is a little warm. Score: 86 pts
SUE-ANN STAFF VIDAL 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (MD) - $13.95
Unpleasant, medium intensity, oxidized aromas of egg and funk. The light-to-medium bodied palate is quite different with quite sweet fruity, floral, and melon flavours and a slightly chalky mouthfeel. Balanced acids tone down the semi-dry sweet flavours, while the finish is short. Score: 82 pts (flawed bottle?)
REIF ESTATE VIDAL 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $10.95
Medium intensity nose, oxidized, with underlying orchard apple and poached pear aromas. Medium bodied palate comes off as extra dry due to high acidity. Hints of apple flavour profile and finishing short. Score: 80 pts (flawed bottle?)
PELEE ISLAND MONARCH VIDAL 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#393405) (D) - $10.95 $9.45
Blend of 85% Vidal and 15% Geisenheim. Nose was somewhat closed but showed subtle off-dry hints of melon, honeysuckle, floral notes. Palate is light-to-mid weighted and quite sweet with melon, honey flavours which taper off on the long, bitter finish. Crisp, balanced acids with good balance overall. Currently on sale until March 29th. Score: 87 pts
LAILEY VINEYARD VIDAL 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (D) - $12.20
Slightly oxidized with a nose that seemed closed but showed hints of floral, wild herb, grass, gooseberry aromas. Medium-to-full bodied on the palate with a chalky mineral texture and flavours consisting of floral and pink grapefruit. Palate begins off-dry, but tapers off into the dry (i.e. not sweet) zone. Balanced acids and lengthy finish. Score: 85 pts
SANDBANKS ESTATE DUNES VIDAL 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#110031) (M) - $12.95
Very focused medium+ intensity aromas of wildflower and honey. The palate is medium bodied and medium in sweetness with exotic wildflower, Flintstones vitamin flavours and a slightly chalky texture. It has balanced, vibrant acids and a long, focused finish. Score: 88 pts
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Tasting Note:
