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!
red wine review is a lovely blend of Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon that I purchased nearly a decade ago from the LCBO VINTAGES Release. Of course, it is long sold out by now, but you can grab the latest vintage of this wine (link in product code below) as it arrived in LCBO VINTAGES late last year, with some bottles still available for purchase now.
Tasting Note:
ORESTIADI LUDOVICO 2008 - IGT Rosso Sicilia, Italy (#388645) (XD) - $19.95 This blend of Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep garnet colour. Lovely, medium-high intensity bouquet of dried floral, dried & stewed dark berry, savoury wet earth, and sweet spice aromas. It's medium-full bodied and dry with smooth, fine-grained tannins that are resolving nicely and with very good acidity. Flavours are savoury with wet earth, forest floor, and woody flavours, plus touches of desiccated dark berry, violet, and dark plum. Still quite composed and balanced, with just a touch of warmth and some chalky grip on the mid-palate. Earthy and savoury, with some stewed dark berry notes on the satisfyingly long finish. Aging nicely and should continue to drink well over the next few years. Score: 91+ pts
white wine review is a delicious, certified-sustainable Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. It is a General List products at the LCBO and, while this vintage is likely long gone, the latest vintage is widely available at the LCBO outlets across Ontario.
It is produced by Santa Carolina, an historic Chilean wine brand that was established as Viña Santa Carolina in 1875 by Luis Pereira, who named it after his wife, Carolina Iñiguez. As a renowned producer for over 150 years, Santa Carolina produces a wide range of wines with consistent quality and is noted for being among the first Chilean wineries to receive international recognition.
Viña Santa Carolina was founded in the fertile soils of a young winemaking country located at the end of the world. The underground cellar was built in 1877 and has a history that fills caves and manuscripts found within its walls, along with memories of ancestral trades, dedication, innovation, knowledge, and hard work that forged the essence of one of Chile's oldest wineries.
After nearly a century in the hands of the Pereira family, Santa Carolina was acquired in 1974 by the Larrain family. In 2010, following the devastating earthquake that struck Chile, the winery was reconstructed and restored, and reopened to the public in 2012. Santa Carolina won several prestigious awards over the ensuing years and is considered one of the world's most powerful wine brands. The winemaking philosophy at Santa Carolina is to produce wines of consistent quality, while also having wines with unique and distinctive characteristics.
This white wine is crafted with 100% Sauvignon Blanc that was grown in both the Leyda Valley and the Maule Valley. The Leyda Valley, whose signature grape is Sauvignon Blanc, is located around the mouth of the Maipo River and has a Mediterranean climate under the strong influence of the Pacific Ocean, which results in winters with moderate rainfall and cool summers. The vineyards in Leyda Valley are planted on gentle hillsides with different exposures to the sun, which results in grapes with different flavour profiles and adds complexity. To craft this wine, the grapes were mostly harvested at night, and after a cold maceration they were processed in a pneumatic press, clarified, and then underwent a temperature-controlled fermentation using selected yeasts. It was then aged on its lees for a month to enhance complexity and persistence, without the use of any oak. From a very good growing season, let's see how this 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Chile is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
SANTA CAROLINA RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Valle de Leyda / Valle del Maule, Chile (#337535) (XD) - $13.95 Screw cap. Clean, crisp and generous medium+ to medium-high intensity aromas of lime citrus, kiwi, guava, gooseberry, herbs, and green apple, with leesy mineral undertones. On the dry, medium-bodied palate it offers crisp and vibrant acidity that lifts the lime citrus, kiwi, guava, gooseberry, leesy mineral, and herbal flavours. It is nicely balanced throughout, with lime, kiwi, and gooseberry flavours tapering to leesy mineral notes on the finish, with very good length. Great buy! Score: 89 pts
Earlier this I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive media preview of the Chilled to Perfection: Inniskillin Icewine Harvest and Brunch event that is taking place on at Inniskillin Estate winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The event begins with a welcoming cup of Icewine Hot Chocolate, followed by an opportunity to mingle and get warmed up before heading outdoors. Up next on the itinerary, we were joined by Inniskillin's Winemaker, Nicholas Gizuk, and he took us through an Icewine Harvest in the vineyard.
We headed out to the vineyard to inspect and cut bunches of Vidal grapes for the production of Icewine. It was very interesting to see the grapes still on the vines, many of which were turning brown - a sign that the grapes are freezing, sugars concentrating, and just about ready for picking. Keep in mind that according to VQA Ontario standards, grapes for Icewine production must be picked at temperatures no warmer than -8º Celsius. Within the bunches we noticed that some of the Vidal grapes were still green. We also got the opportunity to taste the green grapes and compare them with their brown counterparts, with Nicholas explaining some of the various changes occurring within the grapes, as well as some of the flavour differences we could expect to taste between the green and brown grapes. You will also get the opportunity to experience this when you attend on the 27th.
After finishing the harvest portion of the experience and walking among the vineyards, we headed inside with Nicholas for a guided tour of the facility as he explained the process for producing Icewine from selecting and pressing the frozen grapes to fermentation, maturation, and finally bottling. At the end of the tour, we got to taste some 2022 Vidal Icewine Juice, a 2022 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine (93 pts, $50), and the 2019 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine (93+ pts). It was a cool experience to taste Icewine Juice prior to it becoming the finished product. It was also very nice to compare the 2022 and 2019 vintage Icewines side-by-side, with the 2022 offering a fresher profile, while the 2019 showing some tertiary, caramelized characters - both were excellent!
At the conclusion of the tour, we headed to the underground cellar room to enjoy an Icewine-inspired Brunch Buffet. Each item in the buffet was made with Icewine and offered a wide variety of options for all tastes. While I didn't try everything, I did enjoy everything that was on my plate, which included delicious portions of chicken, salmon, penne pasta, and cheese. The desserts were also tasty.
Co-founded in 1975 by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, Inniskillin is Canada's first estate winery. Situated in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Inniskillin is internationally renowned for its wines, especially Icewine, and played a pioneering role in establishing the Canadian wine industry. In 1984, Inniskillin had its first successful Icewine harvest of naturally frozen Vidal grapes, and in 1991, the 1989 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine was brought into the international limelight when it won the Grand Prix d'Honneur at Vin Expo in France. In 1999, Riedel Glassware and Inniskillin collaborated to create the ultimate Icewine glass - a shape that was perfected to guide the wine to parts of your palate that best interpret the nuanced flavours of Icewine. Today, Inniskillin Icewines are among the best and are enjoyed both locally and internationally.
Nicholas Gizuk joined Inniskillin in 2013, and it was clear right from the start that he was a perfect fit for the iconic winery. Nicholas was trained under the guidance of renowned Winemaker Bruce Nicholson from 2013 to 2021, and was promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2017. Four years later, Nicholas Gizuk was promoted to Estate Winemaker at Inniskillin in Niagara. Nicholas' philosophy is about making varietally true wines, while also allowing the soil and sense of place to also be expressed in each wine, with as little intervention as possible.
Chilled to Perfection: Inniskillin Icewine Harvest and Brunch tentative event schedule on :
7:00 am - Welcome with Icewine Hot Chocolate
7:45 am - Join Inniskillin Winemaker Nicholas Gizuk as he guides you through an Icewine harvest
8:15 am - Finish harvest, take a guided tour with Nicholas explaining the Icewine production process
9:00 am - Mimosas in the cellar
9:30 am - Icewine-inspired Brunch Buffet
11:00 am - Departure
Only a limited number of tickets are available for this exclusive event and the cost is $65+HST & Gratuity per guest, or $55+HST & Gratuity for Wine Club Members.
white wine review is a lovely wine crafted with the ancient and indigenous Passerina grape varietal. It is brand new to the LCBO and arrived on shelves across Ontario today as part of the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.
It is produced by Fazi Battaglia, a winery that was formed in 1949 by the union of two families - Fazi and Battaglia. It was founded in a small cellar in the town of Cupramontana, in the Province of Ancona, within the region of Marche, but grew into an historical wine brand only a few years later after the Angelini family got involved. In particular, it was the efforts of Francesco Angelini, founder of a pharmaceutical company and mayor of Ancona.
Angelini and Fazi Battaglia are known for their Verdicchio wines that are bottled in an amphora-shaped bottle which was inspired by ancient Etruscan containers. In the 1950s, this uniquely shaped bottle would make the little-known Verdicchio immediately recognizable, as well as be an image that would be linked not only to the winery, but also to a grape variety and the whole territory. Investments in improving the vineyard quality and a strong belief in Verdicchio also played an important role in the success of the grape, the winery, and the wine-producing region of Marche.
Today, Fazi Battaglia is back in the hands of the Angelini family as they pursue the road towards quality and innovation that they started in the 1950s. They are also taking on the role of great interpreter of the authentic identity of Italian winemaking. The philosophy at Fazi Battaglia is focused on respect for territorial suitability and promoting the identity of native varieties with transparency and precise production. The winery facility has been completely renovated, while retaining the original external architecture. In the cellar, the new smaller tanks will allow Fazi Battaglia to separate batches to enhance differences in soil, clonal selection, and vineyard exposure. With integrity and transparency, research and innovation, and exploring new production methods, Fazi Battaglia always remains anchored in tradition. While Fazi Battaglia is committed to promoting the Marche territory and synonymous with Verdicchio, they also produce wines using other Italian varieties.
This white wine is crafted with 100% Passerina, an ancient and indigenous grape variety grown traditionally and primarily in the central Italian wine region of Marche. The small grapes grow in medium-to-large clusters and are considered a high-yielding variety. For this wine, the Passerina grapes were grown on sunny hillside vineyards in Marche and picked by hand. After undergoing cold maceration in the press, the grapes were softly pressed and then fermented in steel tanks. It was aged on its fine lees for 4 months and then bottled. Let's see how this Passerina from Marche is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
FAZI BATTAGLIA PASSERINA 2022 - IGT Marche, Italy (#36275) (XD) - $16.95 100% Passerina. The lovely, medium+ to medium-high intensity nose is quite complex and evolving in the glass with delicate mineral, lemon citrus, peach, apricot, and stone fruit aromas, plus spice and herbal notes. It has good weight on the dry, medium+ bodied and fleshy palate with ripe, lightly honeyed flavours of lemon citrus, peach, stone fruit, and melon flecked with leesy minerality. It has a finely textured mouthfeel, along with juicy well-balanced acidity. Leesy mineral notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
The Verdicchio by Fazi Battaglia is available at the LCBO, while other fine wines from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.
Here's my top wine picks from the January 20, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection that features California's Central Coast as the theme of the release. Overall, it is a small release with only 70 products on offer, and more than 70% of the wines coming in at under $30. All the wines should be available on LCBO shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.
There are only nine wines as part of the theme on California's Central Coast, a vast area runs along the Pacific Ocean from the Monterey region, just south of the Bay Area in the north, to the Santa Barbara region in the south, which is just north of Los Angeles. The only wine recommendation from the theme is a sustainably crafted Chardonnay from the Monterey region, with fruit coming from San Bernabe and Santa Lucia Highlands, and was barrel-fermented and aged in predominantly French oak.
At the top of the stack of my top red wine picks from this release is a 2011 Rioja that is typically made with 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, and 10% Graciano / Mazuelo. On the local front, there are a couple of Bordeaux-blends from the great 2020 vintage - the Thirty Bench wine is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 22% Merlot, while the Creekside wine is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. From France, there are a pair of similarly blended Syrah-Grenache wines, with the Languedoc red composed of 85% Syrah and 15% Grenache, while the Roussillon red is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. Other red wines in this release include a Chianti Classico Riserva that is made with Sangiovese, a lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand, and a Nerello Mascalese from Sicily.
Among my top white wine recommendations, the only blend is the 2019 white wine from Sicily that is crafted with 90% Catarratto and 10% Chardonnay. The other whites are a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a Chardonnay from Sicily, and if you want to go off the beaten path, try the white wine from Marche that is made using the rare Passerina varietal.
Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!
red wine review is the latest vintage of a delicious and consistently well-made Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia that arrived at the LCBO just over a week ago as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on .
It is produced by the renowned and well-respected Wakefield Wines, a winery that is also known in its home market of Australia as Taylors Wines. The estate winery was established by Bill Taylor Sr. and his sons in 1969 in the Clare Valley, South Australia. At the time, Bill Sr. was already an experienced wine merchant with a deep passion for the wine industry. However, he wanted to create his own exceptional wines bearing the family name and sought out a parcel of land to make this dream come true. Bill Sr. established the estate after acquiring a parcel of land by the Wakefield River in Clare Valley.
Today, Wakefield Wines is run by the third generation of the Taylor family - brothers Mitchell, Justin, and Clinton. Together, they carry on their grandfather's tradition of staying true to their core values of quality, authenticity, and craftsmanship. As stewards of the land, the Taylor family is also committed to sustainability. With a passion for winemaking using innovative techniques, attention to detail, and dedication to quality, the Taylor family continues to craft exceptional wines and are one of the most respected wine producers around the globe.
With several ranges in the Wakefield portfolio, this particular red wine is from their Estate Label range, which celebrates the family's wine business that was established in 1969 after they decided to create a proper "old world" style estate in the Clare Valley. The term "Estate", in the language of wine, means that the vineyards and the winery are in the same location. The Taylor family was inspired by the great producers of Bordeaux, in particular Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, and gave the family ultimate control over the vineyards, winery, and bottling. These days, all the wines are crafted and bottled at the estate, but not all the fruit for Estate Label wines are grown at the property. This Cabernet Sauvignon (and a Shiraz) were the first wines the family released and are the heart and soul of the business.
Like recent vintages, including the 2020 Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that I enjoyed last year, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted using fruit from both the Limestone Coast and Clare Valley, with the percentage of fruit from each region almost equal this time around with 52% coming from Limestone Coast and 48% from Clare Valley. The grapes from the two regions were kept separate during vinification, and matured for up to 10 months in used French oak barrels, with half in 2-year-old oak and the other half in 3-year-old oak. After maturation, it was then finally blended and bottled.
The 2021 vintage growing conditions across most of Australia were idyllic, with slightly warmer than average temperatures. The season was markedly calm, with a near perfect ratio between warm, sunny days and intermittent rain. In the Limestone Coast sub-regions of Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, and Padthaway, the warm conditions during flowering locked in big yields, followed by much colder than normal conditions. A long, cool, and dry ripening season made for a late harvest, reminiscent of the late 1980s and 1990s. In the Clare Valley, the high-quality grapes produced wines of excellent quality and high acidity. Let's see how this 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Limestone Coast / Clare Valley, South Australia (#744235) (XD) - $19.95 Screw cap. The fragrant, medium-high intensity nose offers a perfumed bouquet of black & red fruit, currant, cassis, grilled herbs, tomato leaf, mint, and gentle oak spice aromas. It's full-bodied and quite salty on the well-structured palate with currant, cassis, cranberry, tomato leaf, mint, herbal, cocoa, and mild oak spice flavours. Tangy acids are juicy and succulent, while the smooth, refined tannins have a lightly chalky textured grip. Earthy and cocoa notes, with smoky overtones linger on the long, savoury finish. Another solid, recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
A broad selection of fine wines by Wakefield Wines are available both at the LCBO and through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.
red wine review is an excellent Amarone della Valpolicella that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.
It is produced by Cantine Bertani, an Italian winery situated in the heart of Veneto with a long and storied history that began in the mid-19th century. It was established in Valpantena in 1857 by the Bertani brothers - Gaetano and Giovan Battista - after Gaetano returned from Burgundy where he learned from his friend and well-known winemaker Jules Guyot about the most modern techniques in viticulture and winemaking.
In 1860, inspired by the modern French winemaking techniques, Bertani introduced a revolutionary dry style of wine at a time when the sweet Recioto was the everyday wine in Valpolicella, and a decade later Bertani was awarded internationally for its premium quality wines and innovative winemaking techniques. In 1889, the Veronese Academy of Agriculture awarded a gold medal to Bertani for its exceptional wines, while in the same year a Symposium was held by a group of specialists to discuss the Secco-Bertani winemaking process to create dry table wines. The early years of the 20th century had Bertani linked to royalty, while 1958 marked a turning point as Bertani produced their first Amarone della Valpolicella Classico using the natural appassimento method.
The core values at Bertani are based on respect, coherence, and patience. These values are the foundation of their 150-year history - respect for their own territory, stylistic coherence that has never flirted with easy production options, and the patience required to produce an iconic wine like Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. At Bertani, perpetuating a style has never sufficed. As such, they are always using innovation as respect for tradition - meaning that they respect what has been done and, at the same time, re-evaluating it every day in order to assure quality worthy of their potential and reputation. Further developments over the years, including a focus on territory, led to the introduction of single vineyard Amarone della Valpolicella wines.
A territory only has value if one is able to fully express its full potential. The Veronese zone is a varied territory with a long oenological tradition that is known as one of the most prestigious wine regions in Italy. Historically, Bertani has always believed in the individual territories of the Veronese zone, from Valpolicella Classico to Valpantena, from Soave to Lugana, and used an approach that is respectful to both the vineyard and the cellar to develop a style that has been rethought over the years, thus staying up-to-date and modern, without ever compromising.
This Amarone is from Bertani's Territory range of wines. It is crafted with 80% Corvina Veronese and 20% Rondinella, with the fruit grown in the Valpantena territory, which is located in the northeast of Verona. Valpantena is a pre-alpine valley at the heart of the Monti Lessini mountain range and has been known since ancient times for its fertile soil, as well as being rich in iron and calcareous marl. The name Valpantena means "Valley of the Gods", and is derived from the pantheon built at the entrance of the valley. The wine comes from vineyards that feature marl-limestone soil on the eastern slope of the valley and clay-limestone soil on the western slope. The vines average 15 to 20 years old and were trained using the Guyot and Pergola systems. To craft this wine, the grapes were dried in drying rooms at the winery located in Grezzana. It was fermented with a long maceration time on the skins to extract fruit notes, followed by ageing in a combination of 30, 54, and 75 hectolitre barrels for 24 months, and underwent further maturation in bottle for 6 months.
The 2020 growing season was a warm vintage that produced bright fruit and acidity, along with excellent concentration and elegant tannins. Let's see how this 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA 2020 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#568741) (D) - $57.95 Blend of 80% Corvina Veronese and 20% Rondinella. The nose takes some coaxing to reveal itself at this stage with intriguing red & black cherry, blackberry, and spice aromas followed by hints of cocoa, cinnamon, tobacco leaf, and floral. It is medium-full to full-bodied on the dry, rich, and warming palate with lovely and complex black cherry, savoury spice, cinnamon, blackberry, floral, plum, oak spice, tobacco leaf flavours. Acids are crisp, juicy and succulent, while the smooth, refined, and well-structured tannins have a touch of grip. Cherry notes taper to minerals on the long, crisp finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy now or over the next 15+ years. Score: 93 pts
Only small quantities of other fine wines by Bertani are available at the LCBO, while the full range can be ordered through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
