Oct. 29 Wine Picks: Sonoma Special + Party Wines

The next LCBO Vintages Release on October 29 is nearly upon us. In this release, the major feature is wine from Sonoma, California. Overall, I thought many of the wines from Sonoma were overpriced and did not provide great value; however, two wines did make my Wine Picks list.

We're also fast-approaching the holiday season. As such, the secondary feature in this release focuses on "party wines" (i.e. wines that please large crowds). These wines are generally easy-drinking, ready-to-drink now, and can be sipped alone or with food.

If you want to try something new, look at either the Passerina or Sardegna white wines from Italy. Want something sweet? Then take a look at Tawse's Riesling. I haven't sipped Flat Rock's Nadja's Vineyard Riesling since the 2007 vintage - that may change soon.

Among the red wines, it's a toss up for me between the Malbec, Syrah/Viognier and the Syrah. Which one will you buy?

Hope you enjoy my latest wine picks!


Red Wine:

• FINCA EL ORIGEN GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2009 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#065425) (XD) - $19.95
• PORCUPINE RIDGE SYRAH/VIOGNIER 2010 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#079442) (XD) - $16.95
• CONCHA Y TORO WINEMAKER’S LOT 54 SYRAH 2008 - Los Brujos Vineyard, San Javier Valley, Maule Valley, Chile (#227496) (XD) - $16.95
• SEBASTIANI PINOT NOIR 2008 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#014233) (D) - $19.95

White Wine:

• FLAT ROCK CELLARS NADJA'S VINEYARD RIESLING 2010 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#578625) (XD) - $19.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#089029) (MD) - $17.95
• SILVIO CARTA BADDE ALVA VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA 2009 - DOC, Sardinia, Italy (#230599) (D) - $16.95
• ET CETERA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#264812) (XD) - $14.95
• VELENOSI VILLA ANGELA PASSERINA 2009 - IGT Marche, Italy (#230524) (XD) - $13.95

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2009 Korta Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine was purchased from the latest Vintages release.

KORTA RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Lontué Valley, Curicó, Chile (#236034) (XD) - $13.95

Tasting Note:
Cork smells of fresh berries. Cassis, raspberry, dark fruit, finishing with earthy/forest aromas. Offers berries, tar, oak and touch of mocha on the palate. Tannins could use more time to develop. Full bodied with a long finish. Overall, this wine that provides good value at $13.95, but could use another 1-3 years in cellar to mature further. An aerator or decanter would also benefit. Will be enjoying this with dal dhokli.

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Douro & Port Wine Tasting in Toronto

Earlier this week, I attended the IVDP wine tasting event in downtown Toronto. This event featured many Ports and Douros commonly found in the LCBO general list, as well as a few from the Vintages section. Some wines could only be purchase by direct order only. I was excited to find out that some wines (which are currently not available at the LCBO) were being tasted in the coming days for possible inclusion in a future Vintages release.

About 75% of the wines available for tasting were Port, and most of the remainder were dry red table wines; only a handful of white table wines were available for tasting. There was also a selection of cheeses & crackers, fruits and a delicious tray of dark chocolate truffles that go perfectly with Port.

The music from the female DJ got better as the evening progressed - I found myself bobbing my head quite a bit to the electro-tech-house tunes.

Photo Courtesy of @TylerOnWine

In all, I tasted 18 wines (and, yes, I did spit out good wine). If you're not into Port and would like to get a nice introduction, I would highly recommend the Cálem or the Warre's Otima (both reviewed below). Here are some of my tasting notes:

Red Wine:
QUINTA DO VALLADO 2009 (XD)
Red fruit aromas and cherry, blackberry flavours. Tannins present for ageing. Medium-full bodied. Looking forward to when this bottle is available in stores.

ADRIANO RAMOS PINTO DUAS QUINTAS RESERVA 2004 (XD) - $72.00
Prune, dark fruit aromas. Palate consists of dark fruits. Chalky tannins need more time to develop.

QUINTA DO NOVAL TOURIGA NACIONAL 2008 - DOC, Douro (XD)
Dark berry, oak and currant aromas all follow through on palate. A little strong on the alcohol.

VEEDHA DOURO RED 2008 - DOC (#255851) (D) - $12.95
Red fruits, pepper, spice, herbs on the palate. Ripe fruit and ready to drink now.


Port Wine:
CÁLEM FINE WHITE PORT (#224568) (S) - $13.95
Honey, caramel aromas and flavours. Very smooth and syrupy. Reminds me of a Vidal Icewine. Delicious!

WARRE'S OTIMA 10 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT (#566174) (S) - $21.95
Honey and caramel fill your senses. Smooth. Well made and highly recommended.

TAYLOR FLADGATE 30 YEAR OLD TAWNY (#540252) (S) - $183.95
Burnt honey, caramel notes. Acidic finish requires this one to be slightly chilled prior to serving. Quite good.

TAYLOR FLADGATE VARGELLAS VINHA VELHA 2009 (S) - $275.00
Very sweet with aromas of crème caramel. Tasty. Alcoholic finish.

FERREIRA LATE BOTTLE VINTAGE 10 YEARS OLD (S)
Smooth, caramel aromas and taste and very well-focused. Recommended.


Who else attended and what were your impressions?

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2008 Flat Rock Chardonnay (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a lovely offering one of our local wine producers - Flat Rock Cellars. This white wine was purchased from the Special Ontario-only Vintages release on September 10th.

FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2008 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#681247) (XD) - $16.95

Tasting Note:
A screw-top, so no smelling of the cork. Apple, toasty oak and mineral aromatics. Citrus and not over-bearing oak on the palate. Light-medium bodied with a long tropical finish. Quite tasty. It should pair well with one of my favourite Indian dishes that I'll be enjoying tonight - Chicken Korma.

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Wines of Tuscany & Piedmont + Whisky: Oct. 15 Wine Picks

The major feature in the LCBO Vintages release on October 15, 2011 are the wines from the two big powerhouses in Italy - Tuscany and Piedmont. Only one wine from Piedmont/Tuscany made my list. However, I do want to mention a 2nd - the Scopetani Chianti (#164814) - as it appears to be a good crowd-friendly wine to serve when having many guests over for dinner. Another crowd-pleasing wine in this release is the Primitivo (#230573) from Puglia.

Also featured in this release are premium wines from Argentina - all of which feature a premium price and do not provided great value. In Local Talent, the Niagara River appellation is featured with four wines, including one that made my wine picks of the week.

In spirits, there is a nice feature on Whisky and the various different styles. I've chosen one for your enjoyment.

If you want to try something new, then my top pick of the week goes to the Neagra from Romania. Enjoy my picks and share them with your friends.

Red Wine:

• LIVIA FETEASCA NEAGRA 2009 - I.G. Vrancea Hills, Romania (#244392) (XD) - $16.95
• KORTA RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Lontué Valley, Curicó, Chile (#236034) (XD) - $13.95
• KOYLE ROYALE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#255760) (XD) - $19.95
• CATHEDRAL CELLAR MERLOT 2008 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#522219) (D) - $14.95
• PODERI DI LUIGI EINAUDI DOLCETTO DI DOGLIANI 2009 - DOC, Piedmont, Italy (#232454) (XD) - $18.95
• SXS STEP TWO SHIRAZ 2008 - South Australia, Australia (#246645) (XD) - $14.95

White Wine:

• JACKSON TRIGGS OKANAGAN ESTATE SUNROCK VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2008 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#249516) (XD) - $17.95
• LAILEY RIESLING 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#072736) (MD) - $17.95
• DR. BÜRKLIN-WOLF WACHENHEIMER RIESLING TROCKEN 2009 - Deutscher Qualitâtswein Pfalz, Germany (#253955) (D) - $19.95

Spirits:

• EAGLE RARE SINGLE BARREL 10 YEARS OLD KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON - Kentucky, USA (#604785) - $47.95

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2009 Thorn-Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz (Australia) - Wine Review

Purchased this red wine over the weekend from the most recent Vintages Release.

THORN-CLARKE TERRA BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2009 - Barossa, South Australia, Australia (#595306) (XD) - $16.95

Tasting Note:
Big aromas of lush blackberry, blueberry, earth, mint and pepper. Dark fruit flavours, dark chocolate, turning a bit spicy at mid-palate. Full-bodied, chewy. Dry. Ageable, but ready to drink now. Well-made Shiraz, but is bit too bitter for my taste.

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2010 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Rosé (B.C.) - Wine Review

This pretty Rosé wine was purchased this summer as part of the July 23 Vintages Release - and what a gem it is!

MISSION HILL FIVE VINEYARDS ROSÉ 2010 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#229716) (D) - $15.95

Tasting Note:
A lot of bubbles that sink to the bottom for a wine that is not a sparkling wine. Aromas of sweet cherries, sandalwood and grapefruit. Candy covered cherries and blueberries on the palate. Off-dry and absolutely delicious! Will be enjoying this with chicken nachos. If you know someone who is not a wine drinker, this would a be a great introduction to wine for that person.

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