Sept. 14 LCBO Wine Picks: Ontario Wines

The next Vintages release will be on LCBO shelves on Saturday, September 14. This edition is titled "Shine ON" and focuses on Ontario wines that shine brightly on the world stage. It appears to be somewhat of an annual event as last September there was a special release including strictly only Ontario wines.

This year, the celebration begins with over 130 restaurants across Ontario, from September 15 to October 12, offering local wines by-the-glass to pair with local food. Furthermore, the LCBO and Wine Country Ontario are jointly hosting public walk-around tastings at the beginning of October in both Toronto and Ottawa. And if that's not enough, there's also the annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival that runs for 3 weekends this month. Of course, all of this stems from the fact that it's harvest season for grape growers here in Ontario and many new wines are released around this time of the year.

In this release, there are 23 Ontario wines featured, and 8 made my list of wine picks. When looking at white wines in Ontario, in general, you will find that Ontario makes Chardonnay and Riesling very well. In red wines, Ontario makes Cab Franc and Pinot Noir quite well. Among my picks, you will find 2 Rieslings (both medium in sweetness) and a Chardonnay from Niagara. You will also find a very delightful Prince Edward County Chardonnay from renowned producer Norm Hardie.

In reds, there is a Pinot Noir from Niagara, while Foreign Affair Winery brings us "The Conspiracy", which is made in a ripasso-style (Appassimento-method) of winemaking that is gaining in popularity within the region and consists of 85% Cab Sauv and 15% Cab Franc.

And finally, one cannot mention Ontario wine without including Icewine in the conversation. Ontario is known globally for its Icewine and is most often made using the Vidal grape, such as Reif Estates Winery's version in this release. On the other hand, Stratus' Red Icewine is a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and Syrah.

From the rest of the release, three French red wines are Aidie L'Origine (Tannat and Cab Franc blend) from Southwest region; the Estanilles L'Impertinent (30% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvèdre) from Midi; and the Vacqueyras (Grenache, Syrah, old vines Cinsault and Mourvèdre) from the fabulous 2010 Rhône region. From Spain, the Ónra Negre is a blend of Grenache, Merlot and Cab Sauv; the Lan Gran Reserva is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo (Carignan) and 10% Garnacha; and the JC Vizacarra is 100% Tempranillo.

Remember, if you plan on buying wines from this or any Vintages release, it's best-practice to purchase them the day they are released (Saturday), as many wines are only available in limited quantities, and extremely popular wines can sell out on the first day.

Enjoy my picks for this week, and I hope to see you in Niagara for the wine festival in a couple of weeks!


Red Wine:

• AYDIE L’ORIGINE 2010 - AC Madiran, Southwest, France (#343566) (XD) - $15.95
• ÓNRA NEGRE 2009 - DO Costers del Segre, Spain (#343079) (XD) - $16.95
• THE FOREIGN AFFAIR THE CONSPIRACY 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#149237) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU DES ESTANILLES L’IMPERTINENT 2010 - AP Faugères, Midi, France (#344879) (XD) - $19.95
• COYOTE’S RUN RED PAW VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2011 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#079228) (XD) - $22.95
• ALAIN JAUME & FILS GRANDE GARRIGUE VACQUEYRAS 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#233916) (XD) - $24.95
• LAN GRAN RESERVA 2005 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#928622) (XD) - $27.95
• BODEGAS VIZCARRA JC VIZCARRA 2010 - DO Ribera del Duero, Spain (#214650) (XD) - $28.95
• CORTE PAVONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#237263) (XD) - $49.95

White Wine:

• MIGUEL TORRES SANTA DIGNA RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 - Curicó Valley, Chile (#177444) (XD) - $13.95
• FLAT ROCK RIESLING 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#043281) (M) - $16.95
• FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#080234) (M) - $16.95
• CONCHA Y TORO MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA CHARDONNAY 2012 - Limarí, Chile (#342857) (XD) - $19.95
• BACHELDER NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#302083) (XD) - $29.95
• NORMAN HARDIE UNFILTERED CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#184432) (XD) - $35.00
• DOMAINE BERNARD DEFAIX CÔTE DE LECHET RESERVE CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2010 - Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, AC, Burgundy, France (#017541) (XD) - $33.95
• RAMEY SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2010 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#288035) (XD) - $41.95

Sparkling Wine:

• CHÂTEAU GAUDRELLE BRUT CRÉMANT DE LOIRE - AC, Loire, France (#339986) (D) - $19.95

Dessert Wine:

• REIF VIDAL ICEWINE 2011 - VQA Niagara River, Ontario, Canada (#544791) (S) (200 mL) - $24.95
• STRATUS RED ICEWINE 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#056689) (S) (200 mL) - $39.95

Fortified:

• QUINTA DE VENTOZELO VINTAGE PORT 2003 - Not Filtered, DOC Douro, Portugal (#336354) (S) - $48.95

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

Read More

Bodegas Valdemar Inspiración Valdemar 2005 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Purchased this red wine from a Vintages release back in May of 2010 and obviously no longer available for purchase. However, the 2008 came out in Vintages in last March and is still available in select Vintages stores.

BODEGAS VALDEMAR INSPIRACIÓN VALDEMAR 2005 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#166512) (XD) - $19.95

Tasting Note:
Blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Oak and baked prune aromas from the cork. Leather, earth, barnyard, prune and burnt dark fruit aromas in the glass. Full bodied with dark fruit, wood spice, and hints of prune and espresso on the palate. Big tannins are chalky. Very good acidity. Lengthy finish is spicy. Could be aged another 3-4 years. It's good, but was expecting more. Wouldn't hesitate to taste the 2008 or future vintages.

Read More

Loan Wines Unwooded Special Reserve Semillon 2004 (Barossa) - Wine Review

Purchased this organic white wine earlier this year from the April 27 release. At 9 years old, you would think this is well passed its prime, but it definitely is not! Hopefully you picked this up when I recommended it back in April, because it's no longer available.

LOAN WINES UNWOODED SPECIAL RESERVE SEMILLON 2004 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#301127) (D) - $15.95

Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Complex aromas of orange, tropical fruits, tea leaf, and beeswax. Medium-full bodied with an oily and very creamy texture. Palate is ever-so-slightly off-dry (slightly sweet) and has tropical fruits, tea and beeswax flavours. Smooth, lengthy finish that is slightly tart, bitter and extra dry. For a 2004, this is drinking very well, but drink this yummy white now. It's different. I enjoyed it!

Read More

Aug. 31 Wine Picks: 90 Plus Wines + Champagne

The next Vintages wine release will be on shelves at the LCBO on Saturday, August 31st. The main feature in this edition (which is done annually) focuses on wines from around the globe that scored 90+ points.

In all, there are 30 wines that are part of the "90+" wine feature. If you're looking for a big, oaky, Chardonnay, then look no further than Gallo Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. If you prefer the less oak in your Chardonnay, then I invite you to check out Maison Champy's 1er Cru - your wallet may become lighter, but you won't be disappointed. Both can be aged for 3-4 years. In other whites, there is a very ageable Riesling that is slightly off-dry from Alsace that can be enjoyed now or in a decade.

In reds from the 90+ feature, fans of Malbec will find a fruity version from Achaval Ferrer. There's also finally an Australian Shiraz worthy of my recommendation that is relatively easy on your wallet and will provide pleasure. And continuing to reach our shores are the newly-released 2011 (Southern) Rhône wines, with the Perrin Peyre Blanche consisting of a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. From Northern Rhône is the Pierre Amadieu Gigondas that it is also a 2011 and a blend of Grenache and Syrah. Last but not least the 100% Aglianico from Rivera that is already 7 years old, but will age gracefully for almost another decade.

The secondary feature in this release coincides with TIFF and features the big names from the world of Champagne - Dom Perignon, Cristal, Laurent-Perrier, Taittinger and Billecart-Simon.

From the rest of the release, there is a 100% Tempranillo from Spain, and the Mandrarossa from Sicily is 100% Nero d'Avola. Both of these wines can be enjoyed now or over the next 2 years.

That's it for this week. Enjoy my wine picks and I'll see you in September!


Red Wine:

• BARCO DE PIEDRA TINTO 2011 - DO Ribera del Duero, Spain (#336289) (XD) - $17.00
• PERRIN PEYRE BLANCHE CAIRANNE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2011 - AC, Rhône, France (#650960) (XD) - $17.95
• RIVERA CAPPELLACCIO RISERVA AGLIANICO 2006 - DOC Castel del Monte, Puglia, Italy (#305276) (XD) - $17.95
• MANDRAROSSA CARTAGHO 2009 - IGT Sicilia, Italy (#346593) (XD) - $19.95
• ACHAVAL FERRER MALBEC 2011 - Mendoza, Argentina (#024737) (XD) - $24.95
• NUGAN ESTATE MCLAREN PARISH VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2010 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#072603) (D) - $24.95
• PIERRE AMADIEU ROMANE MACHOTTE GIGONDAS 2011 - AC, Rhône, France (#017400) (XD) - $24.95

White Wine:

• SANTO ASSYRTIKO 2011 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#627760) (XD) - $16.95  reviewed here
• CALAMUS RIESLING 2011 - VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#158642) (XD) - $16.95
• LAILEY CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#193482) (XD) - $19.95
• GALLO FAMILY LAGUNA VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2009 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#544981) (XD) - $19.95
• BOLLIG-LEHNERT TRITTENHEIMER APOTHEKE RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2011 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#338186) (M) - $20.95
• ZIND HUMBRECHT TURCKHEIM RIESLING 2010 - AC Alsace, France (#031039) (D) - $26.95
• CHAMPY PERNAND-VERGELESSES EN CARADEUX 1ER CRU 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#344143) (XD) - $49.95

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

Read More

Château Kamnik Temjanika 2011 (Macedonia) - Wine Review

This white wine is from the July 20 Vintages release. I was gifted this wine from a good friend of mine who is Macedonian. This was my first time tasting a wine from Macedonia, and I was quite pleasantly surprised.

CHÂTEAU KAMNIK TEMJANIKA 2011 - Skopje, Macedonia (#317305) (D) - $17.95

Tasting Note:
Made from 100% Temjanika, which is a variety of very aromatic Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Cork was a bit depressed inside the neck and seemed a bit loose as it was removed quite easily. Aromas of orange, incense and wild honey from the cork. Intense, full on ripe peach and tropical aromas with incense in the background from the glass. Medium-bodied with strong flavours on the palate consisting of guava, passion fruit, and tropical fruits. Off-dry with a medium-long finish. Quite nice and definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Read More

Aug. 17 Wine Picks: Italy + Aussie Whites

The next batch of wines will be on LCBO Vintages shelves this Saturday, August 17th. This edition highlights Italian wines off the beaten path from regions such as Calabria and Sicily from the south, Abruzzo, Lazio, and Umbria in central Italy, and Alto Adige/Trentino in the north. There's also a red wine from the island of Sardinia. These regions produce wines using local varietals that are generally not grown anywhere else and are relatively unknown around the globe.

Of the 16 wines featured from the nether regions of Italy, I can recommend three worthy buys. From Puglia in the south (the heel of the country), we have a Salice Salentino Rosso that is 80% Negromaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. Also from the south in Campania is the consistently good Greco di Tufo from Terradora. And finally, from the Friuli region in the north (near Veneto), we have a very interesting 100% Friulano. This is a great opportunity to try some new grapes!

The secondary feature highlights 4 summer white wines from Australia that are BBQ-friendly. The Yalumba Viognier should go nicely with seafood and vegetables off the grill, or even rotisserie chicken.

From the rest of the release, I was shocked to find the new wine from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's estate in this release. The Miraval Rosé is organically cultivated (but not certified) and consists of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Rolle. A little pricey, but worth the hype! The bottle is quite pretty too! The latest iteration of Rimauresq rosé wine makes its way into Vintages again with a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. The third and final rosé is a Tavel and also extra dry and made with 60% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 5% Carignan and 4 grapes making up the balance.

In red wine, the Caparzo is from Tuscany - probably the best-known wine region in Italy - and made with 100% Sangiovese. There are also 3 French wines that you should consider. A traditional GSM-blend from the famed 2010 Rhône vintage is the Domaine Marie, consisting of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre. Next are a couple of Bordeauxs from the very good 2009 and 2010 vintages. The 2009 Croix-Mouton is 86% Merlot and the rest mostly Cab Franc, while the 2010 Peyrabon is a blend of 60% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 6.4% Cab Franc, and 3.6% Petit Verdot.

That's it for this week. Enjoy my wine picks!


Red Wine:

• TAURINO RISERVA SALICE SALENTINO ROSSO 2009 - DOP, Puglia, Italy (#177527) (XD) - $14.95
• DE MARTINO LEGADO RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2010 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#236059) (XD) - $15.95
• DOMAINE MARIE BLANCHE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES SIGNARGUES 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#328179) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU CROIX-MOUTON 2009 - AC Bordeaux Supérieur, France (#192120) (XD) - $19.85
• CAPARZO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2010 - DOC, Tuscany, Italy (#333575) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CLOS DE SIXTE LIRAC 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#076349) (XD) - $23.95
• CHÂTEAU PEYRABON 2010 - AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#336925) (XD) - $28.95
• KENWOOD JACK LONDON VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - Sonoma Mountain, California, USA (#944843) (XD) - $39.95

White Wine:

• ANDRÉ BLANCK ET SES FILS ROSENBOURG PINOT BLANC 2011 - AC Alsace, France (#626606) (XD) - $14.95
• YALUMBA THE Y SERIES VIOGNIER 2012 - South Australia (#624502) (XD) - $16.95
• TERREDORA LOGGIA DELLA SERRA GRECO DI TUFO 2011 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#983197) (XD) - $17.95
• BASTIANICH ADRIATICO FRIULANO 2011 - DOC Coli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli, Italy (#277467) (XD) - $19.95
• SIMONNET-FEBVRE CHABLIS 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#041780) (XD) - $19.95
• J. LOHR OCTOBER NIGHT CHARDONNAY 2011 - Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, California, USA (#225375) (XD) - $26.95

Rosé Wine:

• PETIT RIMAURESQ GRENACHE/CINSAULT/SYRAH ROSÉ 2012 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#276360) (XD) - $13.95
• DOMAINE LAFOND ROC-ÉPINE TAVEL ROSÉ 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#950709) (XD) - $17.95
• MIRAVAL ROSÉ 2012 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#342584) (XD) - $24.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PIERRE SPARR BRUT ROSÉ CRÉMANT D’ALSACE - Méthode Traditionnelle, AC, Alsace, France (#039016) (D) - $17.95

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

Read More

Studert-Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2007 (Mosel) - Wine Review

Opened this on Monday to celebrate the recent birth of my first born. Purchased in March 2012 from a Vintages release that focused on food-friendly wines for Easter. This is a white wine that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with food. I hope you bought this gorgeous wine last year, because it is sold out now.

STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2007 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (M) - $17.95

Tasting Note:
Lime and orange aromas from the cork. Fresh floral and honey aromas waft from the glass, which turn into orange, tropical fruit and mineral aromas as it warms up in the glass. Crisp acidity, tropical fruits and orange on the palate. Nicely balanced with a lengthy wet stone finish. Fabulous and highly recommended if you can get your hands on it.

Read More