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!
Tonight's wine is a sweet sparkling rosé from Castello di Amorosa that is ideally suited for prior to dinner or with dessert. I believe this is also the first time I've ever had a "Sparkling Rosé" at home.
FANTASIA ROSÉ 2011 - Napa Valley, California, USA (M) - $28
Tasting Note:
Normally, I don't comment on colour, but this one has a gorgeous raspberry colour to it. Fresh & sweet aromas of red cherry and ripe strawberry. Smooth flavours of strawberry on the palate, joined by peach & apricot mid-palate. Round, short finish with hints of honeycomb. Medium in sweetness. Light-bodied. Easy-drinking, low-alcohol (7%) wine with light carbonation. Serve with strawberry shortcake.
Purchased this one back in November from the Holiday Magic VINTAGES wine release. There are still a few available in the VINTAGES section of the LCBO across the province.
LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2010 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#142836) (XD) - $17.95
Tasting Note:
Melon/peach aromas from cork. Mango, pineapple, oak and barnyard aromas from the glass. Tropical fruits with hints of juicy sweetness dance with apple and butter notes, giving way to oaky finish in this dry, full-bodied white wine. This could be enjoyed on its own or paired with Dungeness Crab served with drawn butter. Tasty!
Just in time for summer, the next VINTAGES release will be out in LCBO outlets on and is appropriately titled "Refresher Course - Fine Wines for Summer Sipping".
Among the many refreshing summer sippers in this release, my top pick in white wines is the dry Italian Pinot Grigio. Another dry white wine worth checking out is the Spanish Albariño. If you're looking for something off-dry, your best bets are a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, or the Grüner Veltliner from Austria.
Also from the Refresher Course feature in this release is an off-dry rosé from Francis Coppola and a relatively sweet Moscato d'Asti sparkler from Michele Chiarlo.
In red wines, Concha y Toro brings us their lovely 2010 Carmenère. The Barón de Magaña from Spain is a blend made with Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Tempranillo 10% and other varietals to make up the last 10%.
Enjoy my picks for this week!
Red Wine:
CONCHA Y TORO MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA CARMENÈRE 2010 - Peumo Vineyard, Rapel Valley, Chile (#169862) (XD) - $17.00
BARÓN DE MAGAÑA 2007 - DO Navarra, Spain (#280552) (XD) - $17.95
The next VINTAGES Wine Release will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on . The major feature in this release is on food-friendly Chilean wines - and there are some good values to be had.
We've got two wines from Concha y Toro's "Maycas del Limarí" label. Their Reserva Especial Syrah and Chardonnay are both very good. Chile is known for it's Carmenère and is one of my favourite varietals; if you've never tried this grape, the Mayu Reserva is a good place to start.
The 1st of two secondary features in this release focuses on wines from the South of France. In general, I have found that this region in France offers the best value wines in the country. Among these wines, the Syrah/Carignan/Grenache blend from Mont Tauch made my picks. The 2nd minor feature in this release is all about Father's Day. From this section, the Barolo from Marziano Abbona is a heavy-hitter and would make an excellent cellaring candidate.
A couple of wines that struck me, but aren't listed below, are worth a look if you want to try something a bit different. Firstly, the Domaine Boyar Royal Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (#259747, $13.95) is a nice introduction to wines from Bulgaria. The second wine is an unusual Italian red that tastes like a Gewürztraminer - the Ramosceto Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2010 from Marche (#277889, $14.95).
Enjoy my picks for this week! Let me know if you try any of these. Cheers!
Red Wine:
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 - Columbia Valley, Washington, USA (#269357) (XD) - $19.95
MAYCAS DEL LIMARÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL SYRAH 2008 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#269423) (XD) - $19.95
MAYU RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2009 - Elqui Valley, Chile (#090035) (XD) - $17.95
Tonight's wine is the red version of Diamond Estates' "Hat Trick" series, the white version was reviewed last week. This red wine is a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 24% Shiraz and is available from the LCBO General List.
HAT TRICK RED 2010 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#273854) (D) - $12.95
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Mulberry, dark fruit and cedar aromas. Balanced flavour profile with plush cassis, red fruits, black cherry and hints of vanilla. Medium-bodied, easy drinking wine. Tannins are well-integrated. Paired nicely with shish kebobs and homemade piri-piri chicken burgers.
This is a new wine that just launched recently from Diamond Estates and is part of the LCBO General List. Blended with 50% Gewürztraminer, 35% Riesling, and 15% Chardonnay, this white wine received a Bronze medal at Cuvée 2012. Here is my wine review...
HAT TRICK WHITE 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#273862) (D) - $12.95
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Mostly tropical fruits, citrus aromas, with some melon. Manuka honey with more tropical fruits on the palate. Finishes dry with a crisp seam of acidity, almost lip-smacking. Well-balanced. Medium-bodied. Quite nice for $12.95.
The next VINTAGES wine release from the LCBO will be out in stores across Ontario on . The theme of this release is on wines that scored 90 and higher. I've whittled down the many 90+ wines from this feature into a few that are worth pursuing.
Among them are the following red wines Lealtanza from Spain made with 100% Tempranillo; the Sequillo Cellars Red from South Africa that is a GSM blend plus Carignan and Cinsault, while the Antinori Brunello di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese. In white wine, we have the C.H. Berres Riesling Kabinett, the Vasse Felix Chardonnay, and the Cave Spring CSV Riesling.
One wine that is not listed below but deserves a mention is the Mas d’Auzières Sympathie pour les Stones 2009 from Midi (#277046, $19.95). It's part of the 90+ feature but there's a note saying the product is currently not available. Why they would include this wine in this release if it's not going to be available?? I would keep an eye out for this once it does arrive in stores.
The secondary feature in this release is on wines from Portugal's hotspots. My pick from Portugal is the Cunha Martins, made from the varietals Touriga-Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro-Preto and Jaen.
Among the rest of the my wine picks, the Umani Ronchi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an Organic wine made with 100% Montepulciano and has a very high QPR. As the weather gets warmer, rosés tend to quench the thirst. The 13th Street version is made using 6 different red and white varietals, while the Château Montet is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.
There are lots of good wines to choose from this release. Hope you enjoy my picks! Cheers!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tasting Note:
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