Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun 2013 (Midi) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely GSM blend from Languedoc that I purchased from the February 6th LCBO VINTAGES Release back in 2016.

It is produced by Cave de Roquebrun with grapes from the Saint-Chinian sub-appellation of Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun in southern France. The blend consists of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre that was grown 30 km north of Beziers on the schistous hillside of Roquebrun facing south-southeast. It was vinified by whole bunch maceration and fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.

As a perennial favourite of mine, I've enjoyed many previous vintages of this wine over the years, including most recently the 2015 Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun at the beginning of the year. The latest edition is available in LCBO VINTAGES now.

Tasting Note:

CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2013 - AC, Midi, France (#155804) (XD) - $18.95
Blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre that was raised entirely in tank. Deep garnet colour. Intense, finely aromatic, and maturing notes of savoury, wet earth, dried florals, and dried dark berry. It's medium-full bodied and spicy with dried dark berry, savoury earth, dried spices, and hints of dried florals. Smooth, refined tannins have matured and integrated very nicely. Still has very good structure and juicy acidity. Well-balanced, slightly tangy, and tapering to a minerally, earthy, succulent, and long finish. Should continue to drink well for a few more years. Great buy! Score: 91 pts

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Domaine Hamelin Vau Ligneau Chablis 1er Cru 2019 (Burgundy) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is an excellent Chablis Premier Cru from the Vau Ligneau Climat in Burgundy that arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent July 28th LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release and is available purchase only through lcbo.com.

I enjoyed the excellent 2019 Domaine Hamelin Beauroy Chablis 1er Cru last month (it is still available in stores now!) and am delighted to taste another wine from the same producer. Domaine Hamelin was founded in 1840 by Gustave Hamelin when he planted two hectares of vines alongside his mixed farm. Over the next few generations, the family property was further expanded and developed. Today, Domaine Hamelin is run by the sixth and seventh generations of the family with Thierry and his son Charles continuing to perpetuate the Chablis wine tradition using the knowledge passed down over the generations. Together, they craft their wines using a mix of ancient traditions and modern techniques to create Chablis wines that perfectly represent their terroirs.

Crafted with 100% Chardonnay, the grapes for this white wine were grown in the Vallée de Vaux de Long in the village of Beines. The 3.5 hectare vineyard extends from the bottom of the valley to the end of very steep slopes, and facing south-southeast. The vines were planted between 1978 and 1980 on Kimmeridgian limestone subsoils (which are from the Late Jurrasic Epoch more than 150 million years old) and borders on the slightly younger Portlandian limestone at the top of the valley, providing elegance and body typical of Premier Cru Chablis wines such as this. The valley is quite closed, resulting in a micro-climate that is highly suitable for good grape maturation, and combined with the soils, allows the grapes to fully express itself and place.

As the 2019 vintage is described as probably one of the best vintages ever in Burgundy, one can expect this white wine from Burgundy to also be excellent. Let's see how this 2019 Chablis Premier Cru is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE HAMELIN VAU LIGNEAU CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#21405) (XD) - $39.95
Beautiful, fresh, intensely aromatic nose offers ripe lemon citrus, leesy mineral, golden apple, and lactic notes. The medium+ bodied palate is refined and elegant with more lemon citrus, golden apple, and mineral replays joined by subtle spicy tones and a twist of honey. Acids are fresh and crisp. There's good tension between the fruit and acidity, and it's nicely balanced overall. Lovely mineral, lemon citrus, and apple notes are subtly smoky on the finish, with excellent length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

One other excellent Chablis by Domaine Hamelin is available at the LCBO, while others from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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July 28, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online Exclusives

The July 28, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release is the latest in a series of monthly online-only releases that are available exclusively on lcbo.com. There are forty-six wines as part of this Online Exclusives release and twelve are included among my recommendations. All of these wines should be available for purchase online via lcbo.com by Thursday.

There is no theme for these Online Exclusives Releases, so we begin with my top red wine picks from the release. The only blend among the red wines is the wine from Greece that is actually a blend of 87% Xinomavro and 13% Syrah. From Italy, there is a fine Barolo made with Nebbiolo that has some age on it, as well as a Brunello di Montalcino that is crafted with 100% Sangiovese. The last two single varietal wines are a Hawke's Bay red that is made with Syrah, while the Australian red is crafted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Among my white wine recommendations, the only blend within the group is hails from Spain and consists of 50% Viura, 30% Malvasía, and 20% Garnacha Blanca that was fermented and aged in French oak barrels. The Pinot Grigio also spent some time in oak, while the Chinon (which is made with Chenin Blanc) was aged on its lees. The Riesling from Austria is crafted in a dry style, while the sixth wine in the group is actually an organic and biodynamic skin-fermented white wine, also known as Orange Wine, that is made with the Vidal grape variety.

For sweet wine lovers, the dessert wine from Spain is a botrytis affected blend composed of 50% Merseguera and 50% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine picks from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• DAMILANO LECINQUEVIGNE BAROLO 2013 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#454488) (XD) - $38.95
• CRAGGY RANGE GIMBLETT GRAVELS VINEYARD SYRAH 2019 - Hawke’s Bay, North Island, Marlborough, New Zealand (#22879) (XD) - $39.95
• BLACK ANGUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Single vineyard, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia (#23789) (XD) - $49.95
• KIR-YIANNI DIAPOROS SINGLE VINEYARD XINOMAVRO 2017 - PGI Imathia, Macedonia, Greece (#14131) (XD) - $49.95
• RIDOLFI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#644963) (XD) - $59.95

White Wine:

• COULY-DUTHEIL LES CHANTEAUX CHINON BLANC 2019 - AC, Loire, France (#532705) (D) - $26.95
• SIERRA CANTABRIA ORGANZA 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#26684) (XD) - $29.95
• SOUTHBROOK VIDAL SKIN FERMENTED WHITE ORANGE WINE 2020 - Estate grown, VQA Ontario, Canada (#628065) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• PETER ZEMMER GIATL RISERVA PINOT GRIGIO 2018 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#11605) (XD) - $39.95
• DOMAINE HAMELIN VAU LIGNEAU CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#21405) (XD) - $39.95  93 pts  wine review
• PICHLER-KRUTZLER RIED LOIBENBERG WACHAU RIESLING 2019 - DAC, Wachau, Austria (#25719) (XD) - $69.95

Dessert Wine:

• FINCA SAN BLAS DULCE UTIEL REQUENA 2016 - DO, Utiel-Requena, Spain (#25534) (S) (500 mL) - $57.95

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Somm Grand Cru - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a trio of lovely wines from Spain that I received back in March as part of my Somm Grand Cru Membership.

Somm is a free Wine and Culinary App that is available for both Android and iOS devices. Through the app, Somm provides free wine recommendations based on food pairings and your personal preferences. An upgrade to the Somm Cru Membership adds perks such as complimentary wine at restaurants, discounts at hotels, and free wine tastings at wineries, as well as free shipping and discounts from wine agencies.

I enjoyed the top tier Somm Grand Cru Membership, which not only includes all of the perks from Cru Membership, but also adds three specially selected bottles of wine which are delivered to your door every month. The wines are selected by a rotating group of Somm's partners, with generally two bundles for you to choose from, and wine delivery occurring at the end of the month. For March, the wine bundles were curated by Cosecha Imports.

Somm Grand Cru also includes exclusive invitations to sommelier-led virtual and in-person tastings. I attended a special in-person wine tasting event at the end of March which was hosted by Master Sommelier Elyse Lambert of Somm and focused on Celebrating Women's History Month and indigenous varieties from Spain.

Tasting Notes:

JOSEP FORASTER PETITA JULIETA 2020 - DO Conca de Barberà, Spain (XD) - $22
Blend of Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Trepat. The perfumed, medium-high intensity nose offers spicy, red cherry, red berry, funky wet earth, and wild herb aromas. On the ripe, medium-full bodied palate it has fresh, vibrant acidity and smooth, fine-grained tannins that support the cran-cherry, raspberry, earthy minerals, and wild herb flavours. A little tight on the back palate with slightly chalky tannins. Fine earthy mineral notes linger on the long, tight, and crisp finish. Enjoyable now, but should be even better in a year or two. Score: 90 pts

BARCO DEL CORNETA CUCÚ 2020 - Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Léon, Spain (XD) - $26
100% Verdejo that was organically grown at 718 metres altitude on siliceous sands and stones over clay and limestone subsoils. The grapes were handpicked and fermented in stainless steel using natural yeasts, followed by ageing for 8 months in 90% stainless steel and 10% French tonneau. Fragrant, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers elegant aromas of lemon citrus, flinty mineral, and herbs accented with ripe white peach, apple, and pear notes. On the creamy, medium-full bodied palate it has fine lemon citrus, flinty mineral, and herbal replays, along with some spice tones. Acids are crisp and juicy. Stone fruits, apple, citrus, and flinty mineral notes linger on the long, succulent finish. Score: 90+ pts

ALVAR DE DIOS HERNANDEZ TIO UCO 2020 - Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Léon, Spain (XD) - $24
This blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha was grown in the Toro appellation at an average of altitude of 750 metres above sea level on soils which are mostly sand and sandstone. It was fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of used 3,500, 1,200, and 1,000 Litre oak foudres for five months. Fresh, ripe and fruit forward aromas of red and black cherry with earthy-stony minerality rise out of the glass. On the chewy, medium-full bodied palate it has pleasing aroma replays, plus notes of pomegranate, cran-cherry, and dried spices. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the refined tannins have a slightly dusty and chalky texture. Slightly grippy and tangy on the fresh, juicy, minerally finish, with very good length. Score: 90 pts

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Domaine La Haute Févrie Sur Lie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2020 (Loire) - Wine Review

After a one year hiatus, it's great to see this lovely organic Muscadet made with the Melon de Bourgogne varietal come back to Ontario. I enjoyed the 2018 Domaine La Haute Févrie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie almost two years ago to the day, and for tonight's wine review I bring you the 2020 vintage that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the July 16 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Sébastien Branger produces this lovely Muscadet. He is an independent winemaker situated in the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation, 18 kilometres southeast of Nantes, at his family's estate - Domaine Haute Févrie. Sébastien represents the fourth generation of a family of winemakers who have been carefully tending their vines to ensure that they produce the very best grapes possible. Today, Domaine Haute Févrie has 26 hectares of estate vines and practices organic and biodynamic viticulture in order to craft wines that are pure to their origins and reflect the soils where they are grown. Sébastien has great respect for the vine and the environment and does not use any chemical fertilizers, while also controlling yields and harvesting all of their fruit by hand.

The 2020 edition from their Classiques range is crafted with the Melon de Bourgogne varietal from young vines between 15 to 35 years old grown organically on the estate. The vines are located on slopes with mostly gneiss sub-soils. The grapes were hand-harvested and aged on its lees for 7 months prior to bottling.

Leading into the 2020 growing season, the winter was the warmest ever recorded in the Loire Valley, with periods of intense rain that left the soils fully replenished. March and April were alternately warm and cool, with budbreak occurring earlier than average. Late April and May remained warm with flowering occurring earlier than normal. July began cool, but turned very warm, while August was hot. Harvest occurred after the much-welcomed rains at the end of August and throughout the fine September weather. Overall, 2020 was an excellent vintage throughout the Loire Valley with grapes showing superb concentration, freshness, and poise. Let's see how this 2020 Muscadet is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE LA HAUTE FÉVRIE SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#390625) (XD) - $15.95
100% Melon de Bourgogne. Organic. Fresh, intense aromas of ripe lemon, citrus, white floral, golden apple, and leesy minerals with a twist of honey in an elegant profile. Impressively concentrated on the dry, medium-full bodied, and crisp palate with lemon citrus, apple, grapefruit, and oyster shell mineral flavours. Tangy on the mid-palate with crisp, fresh acidity. Pure notes of oyster shell mineral linger on the long, succulent finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Other lovely wines by Sébastien Branger are available through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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July 16, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Mediterranean

The theme of the upcoming July 16, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "Sun, Sea & Sips" and focuses on wines from the Mediterranean. Also included in the magazine is a list of the next Online Exclusives collection that will be available starting July 28. Wines from this Release will be available at LCBO outlets across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme on wines from sunny vineyards along the Mediterranean coast that are synonymous with summertime sipping. Of the eighteen wines featured in the theme, six are included among my top wine picks. Starting on the eastern side in Greece is an Assyrtiko from the Florina appellation in the hills of Amyndeon. Moving westward into Italy are a pair of lovely single varietal red wines from the island of Sicily made with Nero d'Avola and Frappato. From France, there are a pair of fine dry rosé wines - the one from Provence is a blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 5% Syrah, while the Tavel from Rhône consists of 39% Grenache Noir, 25% Cinsault, 10% Grenache Blanc, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, and other varieties.

Among my red wine recommendations from the rest of the Release, the lovely GSM blend from Australia consists of 59% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, and 19% Syrah, while the Roussillon red is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Carignan in support. The rest of the reds are all single varietal wines. The Morgon from Beaujolais is made with Gamay, while the Beaune from Burgundy is Pinot Noir. There's also a pair of lovely Malbec wines from Argentina, and from Australia there is a Shiraz and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

My white wine picks from the rest of the Release are all single varietal wines. From France, there is a lovely Muscadet from Loire that is made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, while the white wine from Burgundy is made with Aligoté. For Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers, there is a Sancerre from Loire, as well as a Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough. Other dry white wines include an excellent Assyrtiko from Santorini, a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, as well as a pair of Chardonnay wines from Niagara. If you enjoy sweeter wines, grab the Riesling from Mosel.

Among my pink wine recommendations, the rosé from Niagara is a blend of 46% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Gris, and 19% Gamay, while the version from Tuscany consists of Sangiovese and Merlot. Among my pink sparkling wine picks, the wine from Provence is crafted with Syrah and Grenache, while the bubbly from South Africa is a blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2019 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#640854) (XD) - $17.95  90+ pts  wine review
• COLAB & BLOOM SHIRAZ 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#16043) (XD) - $19.95
• LAURENT GAUTHIER GRAND CRAS VIEILLES VIGNES MORGON 2019 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#279059) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
  
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES GRENACHE / SYRAH / CARIGNAN 2019 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (D) - $19.95
• DANDELION PRIDE OF THE FLEURIEU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Fleurieu, South Australia (#23778) (XD) - $21.95
• PLANETA FRAPPATO VITTORIA 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#508655) (XD) - $22.95
• TORBRECK OLD VINES GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2018 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#10223) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• FEUDO MONTONI LAGNUSA NERO D'AVOLA 2019 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#523738) (XD) - $24.95
• CATENA LUNLUNTA OLD VINES APPELLATION MALBEC 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#11769) (XD) - $24.95
• ARNOUX PÈRE & FILS LES BEAUMONTS CHOREY-LÈS-BEAUNE 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#557785) (XD) - $39.95

White Wine:

• DOMAINE LA HAUTE FÉVRIE SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#390625) (XD) - $15.95  90+ pts  wine review
• PROSPER MAUFOUX BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#23984) (XD) - $17.95
• KIR-YIANNI LE NORD ASSYRTIKO 2020 - Vegan, IGP Florina, Greece (#25707) (XD) - $18.95  review coming soon...
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET CHENIN BLANC 2021 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $19.95
• BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#302083) (XD) - $24.95
• CLOSSON CHASE THE BROCK CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#20899) (XD) - $25.00
• CHÂTEAU DE SANCERRE SANCERRE 2020 - Sustainable, AC, Loire, France (#340893) (XD) - $29.95
  
• MAX FERD. RICHTER ELISENBERGER RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2019 - Qualitätswein, Mosel, Germany (#25712) (S) - $29.95
• ARGYROS ASSYRTIKO 2020 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#387365) (XD) - $44.95

Rosé Wine:

• FIELDING ROSÉ 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#53421) (XD) - $17.95
• RICASOLI ALBIA ROSÉ 2021 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#556266) (XD) - $18.95
• VILLA AIX EN PROVENCE ROSÉ 2021 - AP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#668426) (XD) - $20.95
• DOMAINE MABY LA FORCADIÈRE TAVEL ROSÉ 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#701318) (XD) - $20.95

Sparkling Wine:

• RIVAROSE BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING ROSÉ - Salon de Provence, IGP Mediterranean, Provence, France (#515288) (D) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• GRAHAM BECK MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ PINOT NOIR / CHARDONNAY - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#175588) (XD) - $22.95

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Torbreck Old Vines Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre 2018 (Barossa) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2017 Torbreck Old Vines Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre last August, tonight's red wine review is the next vintage of this lovely GSM blend from Australia that is coming to the LCBO this weekend as part of the July 16 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Founded in the Barossa Valley in 1994 by David Powell, Torbreck Vintners was named after a forest in Scotland where David worked as a lumberjack. After gaining his winemaking experience at various Barossa wineries, David was inspired to create his own label and began to share-farm vineyards in order to obtain fruit from some of the Barossa Valley's very best vineyards.

Torbreck Vintners is owned today by Proprietor Peter Kight with a continued focus on the classic Rhône (and Barossa) varieties - Shiraz (Syrah), Grenache and Mataró (Mourvèdre) - all three of which make up this red wine. Torbreck considers Barossa to be the most exciting place to make wine in the world with its gentle Mediterranean climate and 175 years of Silesian and English commitment to grape-growing and winemaking. Torbreck works with multi-generational winegrowers whose ancestors arrived here nearly two centuries ago and have great knowledge of the seasons and soils, while working the vineyards with minimal intervention and aiming to get the best out of each vineyard site.

Compared to the previous vintage, the 2018 edition of this wine contains a little bit less Grenache (59%) and Syrah (19%), and more Mourvèdre (22%). The grapes were hand harvested from vines as much as 100 years old from the red earth sub-regions of Marananga, Gomersal, and Ebenezer of the western Barossa Valley. It was fermented in a combination of open top cement and wooden vats, as well as stainless steel tanks, followed by aging in well-seasoned French oak hogsheads for 24 months. Each parcel of grapes was vinified separately until the final stage of blending and bottling.

The 2018 growing season started with above average winter rainfall, which led into below average spring and summer rainfall, producing small bunches and berries. In the Barossa it was reasonably hot and caused considerable heat stress to some vines. However, once temperatures eased off, the dry and mild conditions allowed the fruit to fully ripen slowly, with both Shiraz and Grenache showing some great potential. Overall, quality was particularly high amongst Torbreck's red varieties Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro. Let's see how this 2018 GSM blend from Australia is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TORBRECK OLD VINES GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2018 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#10223) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap enclosure. This blend of 59% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, and 19% Syrah has a lovely, fragrant, intense nose of ripe raspberry and black cherry with underlying savoury, meaty, and wet earth aromas, plus with some black pepper spice and dried herb adding further complexity. The medium-full bodied is also quite ripe with more raspberry, black cherry, meaty, wet earth, and black pepper spice flavours. Acids are fresh, juicy, and well-balanced. Lightly structured tannins are smooth and refined. Savoury with smoky mineral notes linger on the long, lightly chalky textured finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Torbreck are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Rivarose Brut Prestige Sparkling Rosé (Provence) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely sparkling rosé from Provence that will be arriving at the LCBO next weekend as part of the July 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The history of Rivarose begins in 1909 when a renowned French economist, Edmond Thery, fell in love with sparkling wines. He created a wine house in the city of Rognac in Bouches-du-Rhône and created a cellar 10 metres underground below the rocks, which was unique for Provence. Until the 1930s, Edmond produced base wines for Champagne houses and had to stop when strict demarcation production areas came into effect. At this point, Edmond began producing his sparkling wines to order.

Moving to more recent history, a second production site was built in 1988 in Salon de Provence under the name of Auran and is dedicated to the production of sparkling wines using new techniques such as Charmat Method, carbonation, and the production of flavoured and alcohol-free sparkling products. In 1998, the wine house joins Famille Piffaut Vins et Domaines family to take the quality of the wines to the next level. In 2016, the production sites in Rognac and Salon de Provence were brought together on a new, larger site in Salon de Provence and Rivarose was borne to become the oldest and largest producer of sparkling wines in the Mediterranean.

This sparkling rosé wine is crafted using a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes that were grown in the Vaucluse region in the southern Rhône Valley. The grapes were carefully harvested at night in order to retain maximum freshness. Upon arriving at the winery after harvest, skin maceration is carried out and followed by pressing to extract aromatic intensity from the fruit. Syrah adds vibrant red fruit aromas, while Grenache provides aromatic intensity. After initial fermentation, a second fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled vats with frequent stirring of the lees over a period of one month. The wine is then aged on its lees for a minimum of 5 months. Let's see how this sparkling rosé is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RIVAROSE BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING ROSÉ - Salon de Provence, IGP Mediterranean, Provence, France (#515288) (D) - $19.95
Crafted in the tank method, this blend of Syrah and Grenache has a generous, medium+ intensity nose with enticing aromas of grapefruit, strawberry, orange zest, citrus, raspberry, and leesy mineral with hints of floral. The medium+ bodied palate is essentially dry with delicious grapefruit, orange, citrus, and mineral replays with red berry fruited touches like strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Fine, beady bubbles and fresh, juicy, thirst-quenching acidity carry through to the dry, minerally, floral, and lip-smacking finish, with very good length. Highly recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other delicious wines by Rivarose are available through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.

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Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2019 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a perennially excellent Chenin Blanc from South Africa that I've enjoyed several times over the years. While this particular vintage is sold out as it arrived at the LCBO a couple of summers ago, the latest vintage (2021) came to the LCBO last month as part of the June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release - with plenty still available across Ontario.

Ken Forrester Vineyards is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the heart of South Africa's most famous wine region - Stellenbosch. It's history can be traced back to 1689 as one of the oldest farms in the Cape and changed hands over the years. In 1833, another German family took residence at the farm and happily grew vines for almost 100 years. The property fell on hard times in the early 1990s prior to the release of Nelson Mandela and the first democratic elections.

In 1993, Ken Forrester, his wife Teresa, and a young family in tow set their hearts on an historic vineyard in Stellenbosch. The farm and homestead were vacant and derelict when they bought it at a public auction in 1993 and undertook a massive renovation both in the vineyards and the house. Ken Forrester produced his first wines under his own label a year later and soon became the forefront of the Chenin Blanc revival. The grapes for his wines were grown on the property, with some of the vines planted as far back as 1970. Today, Ken Forrester's vineyards are commonly referred to as the Home of Chenin Blanc.

In 2019, Ken Forrester celebrated 25 years of wine life in Stellenbosch. With a vision for sustainable farming, Ken Forrester farms with no herbicides or pesticides. They also till, prune, and thin bunches and leaves, and harvest by hand. While labour intensive, their vision is to also improve the quality of life of their employees and the community. Beyond farming in a sustainable manner, Ken Forrester's philosophy has always been to create a range of handcrafted, individually made wines that suitably complement a wide variety of food styles and provide excellent value.

This Chenin Blanc was crafted using grapes from vines planted in 1974 on clovelly (deep yellow sand) soils. The mature, unirrigated vineyards have a south-southwest aspect with controlled yields. After hand harvesting with careful selection, the grapes were barrel and tank fermented and left on the lees (9 months in French oak with 20% new) matured on secondary lees for additional complexity.

2019 was a stellar year for Chenin Blanc in Stellenbosch with cool days and nights resulting in lovely acidity and great freshness.

Tasting Note:

KEN FORRESTER OLD VINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2019 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#231282) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Lovely, intense, and elegant nose offers leesy and paraffin aromas mingling with baked apple-pear, stone fruit, herbs, and touches of lemon citrus adding further complexities. The full-bodied palate is rich, creamy, and textured with complex layers of honey, vanilla, oak spice, baked apple-pear, white pepper, white floral, and dried herb flavours in a dry profile. Acids are fresh, zesty, and textured, while leesy mineral with touches of baked apple, dried herb, and citrus linger on the long, juicy, lip-smacking finish. Has many years of enjoyment ahead. Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines by Ken Forrester can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, vegan-friendly Malbec from Argentina. A frequent visitor to the LCBO that came to Ontario last fall, the 2019 vintage arrived in LCBO VINTAGES a couple of weeks ago as part of the June 18th LCBO VINTAGES Release and is widely available for purchase across the province.

The winery where this producer resides was built in 1920, but Kaiken Wines was only established in 2001. Aurelio Montes, founder of Chilean winery Bodega Montes, travelled back-and-forth across the Andes from Chile to Argentina and in 2000 he rediscovered Mendoza as a generous land, filled with superb vines and hardworking people. Kaiken Wines takes its name from the Caiquén - a wild goose from Patagonia that flies across The Andes between Argentina and Chile, much like Aurelio Montes. Today, Kaiken Wines owns vineyards in some of Argentina's prestigious winegrowing regions with the goal of producing wines that faithfully express the terroir. Additionally, Kaiken's philosophy is to produce premium wines sustainably with respect for the environment, as well as using biodynamic farming techniques.

Kaiken produces this Malbec using grapes from three high-elevation areas of the Uco Valley in Mendoza - Los Chacayes, Altamira, and Gualtallary. The Malbec from Los Chacayes was grown at 1,250 metres (4,101 feet) above sea level in an area that has a temperate climate, with severe winters and warm summers, and cool nights. The soils at this site in Los Chacayes are rocky and mixed with coarse sand and some lime; it's also permeable and low in fertility. The Malbec from Altamira was grown at 1,200 metres (3,937 feet) elevation and has a large diurnal temperature range with cold nights and warm days, while also in a zone that experiences early and late frosts. In Altamira, the soils are chalky with sand, lime, and stones. The last parcel of Malbec comes from the very high altitude region of Gualtallary between 1,300 - 1,600 metres (4,265 - 5,249 feet) above sea level. The climate in Gualtallary also has a large diurnal temperature range, as well as instances of Zonda wind, while the soils are alluvial, poor, and stony with an important quantity of calcium carbonate and sand. The grapes were manually harvested and selected at the winery during March and April, and fermented in concrete tanks using selected and native yeasts. It was aged for 12 months in a mix of new, second-use, and third-use French oak barrels, followed by another 6 months in bottle prior to release.

With nearly ideal growing conditions, the 2018 vintage delivered well-structured wines featuring fine-grained tannins and ripe fruit flavours. Let's see how this 2018 Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KAIKEN ULTRA MALBEC 2018 - Vegan, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#50849) (XD) - $19.95
Fresh, medium-high intensity aromatics are a touch reductive with spicy, ripe dark fruit, blackberry, and stony mineral with touches of violet. It's medium to medium-full bodied with smooth, refined, well-structured, and slightly grippy-chalky tannins that support the ripe, dark fruited, blackberry, stony mineral, peppery spice, and violet flavours. Acids are fresh and juicy, while stony mineral notes linger on the long, balanced finish. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Kaiken are available at the LCBO and can also be ordered through their Agent- Trajectory Beverage Partners.

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