July 21 Wine Picks: Cool-Climate Victoria + Loire

The next VINTAGES wine release will be in LCBO stores across Ontario on Saturday, July 21. The main feature in this release is on the cool-climate wines from Victoria, Australia, while the secondary feature is on wines from Loire. Overall, this is a very "cool" release, with white wines stealing the show.

From Central Victoria, we have a very intriguing Marsanne. From Malivoire in Ontario, we have the aromatic Gewürztraminer, while the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a steal at $20. My top white from this release is a 5-year-old Muscadet made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape from Loire (#653485, below) - the name is a mouthful, but I'm sure you will enjoy it if you like dry white wines.

Among red wines, the Grenache-blended Guintrandy from southen Rhône comes from the fabulous 2010 vintage, while the 2008 Grenache/Syrah/Carignan-blend from Gerard Bertrand comes from Midi. Pinot lovers will likely enjoy the De Bortoli offering from Victoria. My top value-red is the Castello d'Alba from Portugal and consists of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and the Port varietals Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional.

If you're in need of a summer rosé, the off-dry Syrah/Grenache offering from Château Saint-Roch is a tasty good value. Cheers!


Red Wine:

• CASTELLO D’ALBA RESERVA 2009 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#276204) (XD) - $14.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR TAUTAVEL GRENACHE/SYRAH/CARIGNAN 2008 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel, Midi, France (#272575) (XD) - $17.95
• DE BORTOLI WINDY PEAK PINOT NOIR 2010 - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#048587) (D) - $17.95
• DOMAINE LA GUINTRANDY CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES VISAN LE DEVÈS 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#277368) (XD) - $14.95
• DURIGUTTI MALBEC 2009 - Mendoza, Argentina (#246124) (XD) - $16.95
• TAHBILK SHIRAZ 2008 - Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#214742) (D) - $20.95

White Wine:

• COMTE LELOUP DU CHÂTEAU DE CHASSELOIR CUVÉE DES CEPS CENTENAIRES 2007 - AC Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, Sur Lie, Loire, France (#653485) (XD) - $18.95
• WHITEHAVEN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#278556) (D) - $19.95
• TAHBILK MUSEUM RELEASE MARSANNE 2007 - Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#276980) (D) - $22.95
• MALIVOIRE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2010 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#542522) (D) - $24.95
• LA CHABLISIENNE VAULORENT CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2009 - AC, Burgundy, France (#111666) (XD) - $31.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH SYRAH/GRENACHE ROSÉ 2011 - AC Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France (#276352) (D) - $14.95

The rest of the wines from this release can be found here.

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Wine Reviews - 2012 Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival

Here are reviews of some of the wines I tasted during my recent visit to Niagara for the 2012 New Vintage Wine Festival.

The highlights were definitely the Château des Charmes' Riesling Icewine and Equuleus, Flat Rock's Rusty Shed Chardonnay, the Passion from Stoney Ridge and lastly (but not least) the Meritage from Fielding.

For my review of the food & wine pairings using the Discovery Pass Experience, go here.

FIELDING ESTATE ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#053421) (XD) - $15.95
Muted aromas of cran-cherry and hints of strawberry that follow through on palate. Refreshing acidity leads to a clean, dry finish. Has good weight for a rosé. Pleasant. (86 pts)

FIELDING ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2011 - Estate Bottled, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#251108) (XD) - $21.95
Lovely floral, pineapple, melon aromatics. Balanced lime and citrus flavours on the palate. Finishes dry, with a touch spicy finish. (88 pts)

FIELDING ESTATE CHARDONNAY UNOAKED 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $14.95
Melon and kiwi aromas from the glass. Quite flavourful with more melon and kiwi on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied with fresh acidity. (88 pts)

FIELDING ESTATE CHARDONNAY MUSQUÉ 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $16.95
Lovely aromatics of honeydew melon and fruit salad. Replays of honeydew melon and fruit salad on the palate, plus hints of smoke and peach. Light-bodied, off-dry and with a long-finish. A nice summer wine! (89 pts)

FIELDING ESTATE CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#036194) (XD) - $21.95
Lavender aromas and flavours, plus cassis, cedar and smoke on the palate. Very well-integrated tannins on the medium-bodied, long finish. (89 pts)

FIELDING ESTATE MERITAGE 2007 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#279760) (D) - $44.95 (direct)
Currant, cranberry, sweet dark fruits and smoke aromas all come nicely together on the palate, in a balanced, rich finish. Full-bodied with fine grain tannins. Delicious! (90+ pts)

STONEY RIDGE PINOT GRIGIO 2010 (D) - $16.95
Tropical fruits and melon aromas and flavours, slightly off-dry. Crisp, balanced wine. Quite nice. (88+ pts)

STONEY RIDGE CABERNET MERLOT 2009 (XD)
Spicy vanilla, currant, cassis, smoke and black pepper aromas and flavours. Perfect complement for goat cheese. (87 pts)

STONEY RIDGE PASSION 2009 - VQA Ontario (S) - $24.95
Fortified port-style wine made with Cabernet Franc Icewine (50%), Baco Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Strawberry, rhubarb and toffee aromas and flavours. Orange marmalade also on the palate, finishes spicy. Tasty! (90 pts)

FLAT ROCK PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench (#039974) (XD) - $16.95
Cranberry aromas lead to green, herbal notes on the palate with crisp acidity and finishes a bit spicy. Some tannins evident. Easy-drinking rosé that has some body to it. (88 pts)

FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench (#286278) (XD) - $16.95
Fresh, clean aromas of apple, pear and buttered popcorn notes. On the palate, slight oakiness with more apple/butter leading to spicy mid-palate that continues to the finish. (86 pts)

FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2008 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench (#681247) (XD) - $13.95
Smoky, oak aromas. Palate has ripe fruits with oak nuances balanced throughout along hints of tropical fruit sweetness. Full-bodied and very smooth. (89 pts) I actually tasted this white wine back in October 2011 as well.

FLAT ROCK THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench (#001552) (XD) - $24.95
Fresh aromas of apple, pear, butter and some oak which all follow through very smoothly on the palate. Juicy, with creamy body and finishing clean. Very nice! (90 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES 'OLD VINES' RIESLING 2010 - Estate Btld, VQA Niagara Peninsula (#277228) (D) - $16.95
Lime, citrus aromas and hints of lemon with replays on the smooth, full-bodied palate. Finishes clean and off-dry. Quite nice. (89 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET FRANC 2010 - VQA St. David's Bench (#453415) (XD) - $25.95
Vanillan oak and dark fruit aromas. Spicy pepper and dark fruits on the palate with big, chewy tannins and finishing long. (88 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA St. David's Bench (#430991) (XD) - $19.95
Melon aromas follow through on palate, leading to fresh, clean mineral notes. Full-bodied with crisp acidity. (88 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CHARDONNAY 2007 - Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#287268) (XD) - $21.95
Smoky, mineral and butter aromas. Very smooth on the palate with butter, melon and mineral notes. Full-bodied. (89 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES EQUULEUS 2010 - Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#319525) (XD) - $40.00
Blend of 50% Cab Sauv, 25% Cab Franc and 25% Merlot brings aromas of cassis, smoke and oak. On the palate, there is more cassis, plus vanilla, oak, and chocolate. Very smooth with well-integrated tannins. Lovely! (90 pts)

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES 'OLD VINES' CABERNET-MERLOT 2007 - Estate Btld, VQA Niagara Peninsula (#222372) (XD) - $19.95
Aromas of barnyard and dark fruit with replays on the palate, some chocolate notes. Very dry with chalky tannins. Needs time. (86 pts) I tasted 2006 version back in January.

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES RIESLING ICEWINE 2009 - Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#413724) (S) (375 mL) - $59.95
Gorgeous aromas of apricot, peach and honey which all come through very nicely on the palate and balanced with fine acidity. Absolutely delicious! (93 pts) I tasted the 2007 vintage last January.

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2008 - Estate Btld, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake (S) (375 mL) - $75.00
Tart cranberry and raisin aromas. Very pleasing ripe strawberry notes on the palate that balances the acidity quite nicely. Tasty. (90 pts)

INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER'S SERIES VIOGNIER 2011 (XD)
Fresh, clean, mineral and citrus aromas in the glass with replays on the palate. Some lime flavours also on the palate leading to a crisp finish with mild acidity. Dry. (87 pts)

INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER'S SERIES PINOT GRIS 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (D)
Mineral, lime aromas that follow through on palate and joined by spicy and herbal notes at mid-palate towards the crisp finish. Off-dry and enjoyable. (88 pts)

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Reif Estate Vidal Icewine 2003 (Ontario) - Wine Review

My record keeping was sometimes a bit shoddy back in 2005, but based on evidence that lay before me, it appears I bought this wine from the November 12, 2005 VINTAGES release, where Icewine was the secondary theme of the wine release. However, the bottle I have is the 2003 vintage, while the vintage featured in the magazine is 2002. C'est la vie...

REIF ESTATE VIDAL ICEWINE 2003 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#544791) (S) (200 mL) - $24.95

Tasting Note:
Peach, apricot and some raisiny aromas from the cork. Quite aromatic with apricot, plum, raisin and hazelnut aromas from the glass, with more apricot, peach and raisin on the palate. Sweet, but has slight tartness on the medium-bodied finish. Still has good acidity. I wish I had opened this Icewine years earlier as it's definitely passed it's prime. Their recent vintages look much, much better!

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July 7 Wine Picks: France + South Africa + Cool-Climate Chardonnay

The next LCBO VINTAGES wine release is on Saturday, July 7 and the main theme of this release coincides with the 99th annual Tour de France bike race that began on June 30th and runs to July 22nd. In the magazine, you will find the bike route runs through (or nearby) various French wine regions. This wine release offers up a few wines from some of these regions.

For my wine picks, I chose to stop in Alsace for a lovely Gewürztraminer, followed by a stop in Savoie for an off-dry white made with the Altesse varietal (also commonly known as Roussette). From here, I head to Southern Rhône for a GSM-blend Gigondas (Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 25%, Syrah 15%) and remain in Southern Rhône for an off-dry rosé made with Syrah. I finish our Tour of France in Languedoc for a lovely Syrah (#277046) which isn't part of the theme in this release, but was part of the May 26th release and wasn't available. Good to see that it will be available this time!

The secondary theme of this release is on wines from South Africa, with two white wines standing out. The off-dry Chenin Blanc offers great value, while the dry Waterkloof Circle of Life is blended with 60% Sauvignon Blanc, with Chenin Blanc and Semillion making up the other 40%.

With the International Cool-Climate Chardonnay Celebration approaching later this month, VINTAGES has also chosen to feature some of these delicious Chardonnay expressions from 7 regions around the globe. My pick among these is the Rosehall Run Chard from Prince Edward County, right here in Ontario.

Enjoy my picks for this week! Cheers!


Red Wine:

• SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#275594) (D) - $17.95
• MAS D'AUZIÈRES SYMPATHIE POUR LES STONES 2009 - AC Côteaux du Languedoc, Midi, France (#277046) (XD) - $19.95
• E. GUIGAL GIGONDAS 2009 - AC, Rhône, France (#331900) (D) - $29.95
• FONTERUTOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#977629) (XD) - $25.95
• TERRESACRE NERAVITE MOLISE ROSSO 2009 - DOC, Molise, Italy (#280834) (XD) - $15.95
• GROVE STREET PINOT NOIR 2010 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#231613) (D) - $19.95

White Wine:

• PFAFFENHEIM CUVÉE BACCHUS GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2010 - AC Alsace, France (#996017) (M) - $19.95
• VINUM AFRICA CHENIN BLANC 2010 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#739995) (D) - $14.95
• BASTIANICH ADRIATICO FRIULANO 2010 - DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy (#277467) (XD) - $18.95
• DOMAINE EDMOND JACQUIN ALTESSE ROUSSETTE DE SAVOIE 2010 - AC, Savoie, France (#277335) (D) - $17.95
• ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#132928) (XD) - $21.95
• WATERKLOOF CIRCLE OF LIFE WHITE 2010 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#284588) (XD) - $26.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU VAL JOANIS TRADITION SYRAH ROSÉ 2011 - AC Luberon, Rhône, France (#707281) (D) - $14.95

The rest of the wines from this VINTAGES release can be found here.

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Featherstone Cabernet Franc 2008 (Ontario) - Wine Review

It's only fitting to sip Canadian wine to celebrate Canada Day. I purchased this red wine back in 2010 from the April 17 VINTAGES release and let it age for just over 2 years.

FEATHERSTONE CABERNET FRANC 2008 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Canada (#64618) (XD) - $16.95

Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Plum, boysenberry, cedar aromas. More boysenberry on the palate, plus brambleberry and ripe red fruits. Hints of smokiness on the long finish. Smooth, well-integrated tannins. Medium-bodied. Fresh acidity. Ready to drink now.

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2012 Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival - Review

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Niagara for the 2012 New Vintage Wine Festival. I was able to make it on the very last day of the festival, which runs for only 2 weekends in June, and managed to squeeze in 6 wineries using the Discovery Pass; we finished just as they were closing up at the last winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We started off in Beamsville at Fielding Estate Winery. This was my first ever visit to Fielding and probably won't be my last. Their 2011 Rosé paired well with the cheddar & thyme shortbread topped with a hot (and delicious!) red pepper jelly. The jelly was the dominant flavour in this pairing. The second pairing was a goat cheese & chive shortbread topped with red onion marmalade that paired well with their 2011 Estate Bottled Pinot Gris. Full reviews of all the wines tasted during our tour will be posted soon.

Next stop was Stoney Ridge Estate Winery for three delicious wines of varying styles. First pairing was the 2010 Pinot Grigio with strawberry fondue over bread - quite nice! Next was the 2009 Cabernet Merlot paired with goat cheese fondue over bread that complemented each other extremely well. They also offer a very nice selection & variety of cheeses in the winery that are worth checking out. The third and final pairing was their Icewine-infused port-style 2009 Passion - an excellent wine - that paired really well with dark chocolate fondue over a strawberry.

Our third stop on this lovely afternoon was at Flat Rock Cellars for some AVella's Wood Fired Oven pizza paired with the 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé (which will be in VINTAGES as part of the July 7 release). The Margherita pizza was juicy and quite nice, while the pepperoni pizza was very dry and over-cooked. The pairing was amicable.

For the fourth stop, we ventured into Niagara-on-the-Lake at the always enjoyable Château des Charmes for some cheese and a chocolate salted caramel. We began with their off-dry 2010 "Old Vines" Riesling paired with the chocolate salted caramel square - both items were delicious. This was followed by a pairing of their 2010 Cabernet Franc with a rather large triangle of Toscano cheese - lots of spice/pepper from both fronts going on here, with the cheese offering slightly more spiciness.

The fifth stop was regrettable. Diamond Estates offered an enticing menu of goat cheese, tomato, basil and balsamic was served on a round (stale?) cracker and paired with a much-warmer-than-room-temp 2009 Dan Aykroyd Cabernet Shiraz. There was also a too warm port-style offering paired with blue cheese on a round (stale?) cracker. It wasn't bad, but I left disappointed with the entire experience.

By now, it's about 4:45pm and things are starting to wind up as we reach Inniskillin Wines for our 6th and final stop of the tour. They offered two wines from their Winemaker's Series - the 2011 Viognier and 2011 Pinot Gris. Both white wines were similar to each other and went well with the curried-lime flavours of the tandoori chicken wrapped in roti.

This concludes my review of the 2012 New Vintage Wine Festival as we toured 6 wineries throughout the Niagara region. Next up in this series is the big event in September. I encourage everyone to get a Discovery Pass for the Niagara Wine Festival and visit a few wineries, then head on over to Montebello Park in St. Catharines for cheese, food, music, and more wine! It really is a lot of fun! Get in touch with me if you'd like to join our group.

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Fantasia Rosé 2011 (California) - Wine Review

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.

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