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!
Opened this lovely, dry rosé wine Sunday night. The packaging on this wine is well-above average as it includes an indented rose design on the bottom of the bottle and a reusable glass cork. I hope you purchased this when I recommended it back in May, as it's virtually sold out in LCBO Vintages now.
GÉRARD BERTRAND CÔTE DES ROSES ROSÉ 2013 - AP Languedoc, Midi, France (#373985) (XD) - $19.95
Tasting Note:
Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah blend. Crisp, medium+ aromas that show clean mineral, garrigue, strawberry, rose petals, and rhubarb. Has a dry flavour profile that's medium-full bodied with considerable depth and pleasing aroma replays along with hints of green apple. Feels substantial in the mouth with bright acids and lengthy finish. Not your average rosé. Recommended if you prefer dry wines and if you don't like your rosé wines sweet. Score: 89 pts
The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario on . This edition features 18 wines for pairing with various foods off the BBQ, while the secondary feature highlights 10 cool-climate Chardonnays to coincide with the upcoming 4th Annual International Cool-Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4c) that takes place in Niagara.
Only three of the eighteen BBQ wines made my list of wine picks, and two of those are recommended for pairing with veggies. First up is the just off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) 2013 Wildass Rosé that is made by Stratus Vineyards in Niagara and is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Secondly is a Grenache, Syrah and Carignan blend from Château Saint-Roch in Midi that can be enjoyed over the next few years. And finally, the dry Small Gully Australian Shiraz is recommended for pairing with Smoky Baby Back Ribs, but I would say it can also go with beef, lamb, or other red meats off the BBQ.
Two wines from the secondary feature on cool-climate Chardonnay made my list below. Chardonnay tends to develop aromas and flavours of the produce grown in its surrounding climate. In cool climates, that tends to be crisp apple, pear, peach, nectarine, citrus, and orchard blossoms. There are 3 main factors in determining whether or not a Chardonnay is considered "cool-climate":
Latitude - The further away from the equator, the cooler the average temperatures
Altitude - Vineyards high above sea level, including on mountainsides or towering slopes
Maritime Influence - Large bodies of water, including lakes and oceans, have a moderating and cooling effect on vineyards
Furthermore, cool climate Chards tend to have brilliant acidity. The two cool-climate Chardonnays that made my wine picks are the locally made Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Chardonnay and the Domaine Dublère from Burgundy. Both of these wines are oaked, however, the wood is kept in check.
From the rest of the release, in red wines, the Crianza from Abad is made using the Mencía grape, while the Château de Panigon from the excellent 2010 Bordeaux vintage is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. In white wines, the Pinot Bianco from Italy is made using the Pinot Blanc grape, which is actually a genetic mutation of the Pinot Noir grape. Also from Italy is the Fattori Motto Piane Soave that is made using 100% Garganega and was dried for 40 days - it shows some dried fruit notes, but is still dry (i.e. not sweet). And lastly, the dry rosé from E. Guigal is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
That's all for this week. Enjoy my wine recommendations for any BBQs you might have coming up. Cheers!
Red Wine:
ABAD DOM BUENO CRIANZA 2006 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#244699) (XD) - $14.95
SMALL GULLY MR. BLACK’S LITTLE BOOK SHIRAZ 2011 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#287979) (XD) - $17.95
VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2011 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $17.95
CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES 2011 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $18.95
DEI VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#285510) (XD) - $27.95
RIDGE MONTE BELLO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, California, USA (XD) (#321174) (375 mL) - $85.95 or (#320945) (750 mL) - $159.95
This red wine was recently released into the LCBO General List. I received this wine sample last week and opened it up last night. It is made using 100% Tempranillo from 12-25 year old vines, and was partially aged in French oak.
RADIO BOKA TEMPRANILLO 2012 - DO Valencia, Spain (#376145) (D) - $11.00
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Medium+ intensity nose with aromas of deli meats, cherry, strawberry and hints of milk chocolate. Full bodied with big, plumpy tannins. Plum, dark cherry, pruney and hint of cassis flavour profile. Green pepper notes develop with time. Slightly sweet, with good acids and a medium-long, slightly warm finish. Pretty good for $11. Score: 87 pts
These were the second and third Canadian beverages enjoyed on Canada Day - see yesterday's post for first items.
I received these as part of the #shareyourdare campaign. Given that these items would probably not be the first beverage I'd be reaching for on Canada Day - as it would surely be an Ontario wine - it was definitely a pleasant alternative. I dared to be different on and was not disappointed.
MOLSON CANADIAN CIDER
Made with 100% Canadian apples. Aromas of apples, pears and yeast. The palate has refreshing bubbles and sweet flavours of poached apples and pears. Finish is rather short. 5% abv. Available at the LCBO (and probably at The Beer Store) in 2 formats - $2.95 per 473 mL can OR $13.55 per 6 x 341 mL bottle
MOLSON CANADIAN STONE FRUIT CIDER
Highly aromatic peach and apricot nose. Fine mousse on the palate with more peach and apricot flavours. Medium-length finish. A joy to drink. 5% abv. Available at the LCBO (and probably The Beer Store) for $2.95 in a 473 mL can.
To kick back this , I decided to open up a few locally-made, Canadian treats that I recently received.
First up are a pair of newly launched, chef-inspired Kettle-style Potato Chips created by Neal Brothers in collaboration with Montreal chef and television host Chuck Hughes, and Vancouver-based chef and CBC's newest Dragon, Vikram Vij.
Chuck's Srirachup chips shows a nice blend of sweet ketchup and spicy sriracha on the nose with more of the same flavours, and some garlicky notes. Has a nice kick to it. Quite nice.
The Vikram's Delhi-licious chips show a blend of garam masala and curry aromas, and also reminds me of homemade white potato & green pea samosas flavoured with mineral salts.
Both of these flavours were inspired by each chef's own cuisine, and favourite spices and sauces. Neal Brothers' line of Kettle-style potato chips are hand-cut, crispy chips using naturally-grown non-GMO potatoes and contain no preservatives or artificial flavours. Chips are kettle-cooked in non-GMO sunflower oil and dusted with natural spices and seasonings.
Other flavours in this line include Himalayan Pink Salt, Sweet & Smoky BBQ, Pink Salt and Vinegar, and Maple Bacon, none of which I have tasted yet but hope to try in the near future.
Launched in May 2012, Neal Brothers Kettle-style Chips are now available at well-known retailers, independent specialty and natural food stores across Canada.
The second treat is the Chill Winston Grisette beer made by 2013 & 2014 Canadian Brewery of the Year - Great Lakes Brewery. This beer is very summery in nature and shows floral, sweet citrus and spice aromas. Medium+ bodied with medium-fruitiness on the palate and some pleasing bitter notes on the long finish. 3.8% abv. Perfect at dockside.
The main focus of the next LCBO Vintages release is on summery wines from New Zealand, while stylish Spanish wines are the secondary focus. All of these and other delightful wines will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on .
The timing and major focus of this release is perfect as the weather finally feels like summer. It's also evident as my number of white wine recommendations are greater than red wines, with many refreshing wines to choose from.
From New Zealand, refreshing whites are the order of the day. There are two 2012 Sauvignon Blancs, including a low-alcohol (only 9.5%) version from Forrest Estate, as well as a medium-dry (sweetish) Gewürztraminer from Lawson's Dry Hills. My other wine pick from this portion of the release is the Bel Echo Pinot Noir - which is also the Benchmark/Wine of the Month.
Unfortunately, the Spanish wines in this release were rather un-stylish as only the Albariño stood out.
With eight 2010 Bordeaux wines in this release, 2010 Bordeaux could have easily been the second focus. However, just one of these wines made my list of wine picks - the version from Château Gachon is a mostly Merlot-led blend. Not from Bordeaux, but 2010 vintage wines, nonetheless, are the Château de Gourgazaud Reserve that is a Syrah-based blend, and the Hidden Bench Terroir Caché Meritage that consists of 53% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Malbec and should be aged a couple of years before enjoying. Also, the Red Rooster Meritage is a blend of 40% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.
In white wines, if you think the Lawson's Dry Hills Gewürz won't be sweet enough for you, then you'll want to go up a few sugar cubes to the version from Kuhlmann-Platz. In Riesling, the version from Jim Barry is off-dry (slightly sweet), while the version from Alsace's Dopff & Irion is medium in sweetness. The wine from Château des Charmes Chardonnay Musqué is made using a clone of the Chardonnay grape (specifically Clone 809) and is unoaked.
And last but not least, the rosé wine from Château de Lancyre is a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 10% Cinsault.
Enjoy my wine picks from this release. Cheers!
Red Wine:
CHÂTEAU DE GOURGAZAUD RÉSERVE 2010 - AC Minervois La Livinière, Midi, France (#986083) (XD) - $16.95
CHÂTEAU GACHON CUVÉE LES PETITS RANGAS 2010 - AC Montagne Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France (#280040) (XD) - $18.95
CHÂTEAU LOS BOLDOS VIEILLES VIGNES SYRAH 2011 - Single Vineyard, Cachapoal Andes, Chile (#371187) (XD) - $18.95
BEL ECHO PINOT NOIR 2012 - 'Terroir: Greywacke', Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#159137) (XD) - $22.95
RED ROOSTER RESERVE MERITAGE 2011 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#366187) (XD) - $24.95
As I write this from sunny California after having spent the better part of touring and tasting in Napa, back home, the next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves on . This edition is titled "Grape Expectations" and focuses on 17 grapes and where they are grown best. This is broken down into two parts - 9 grapes which were transplanted from their original home and now thriving outside its homeland, and 8 other grapes that currently thrive in just a single wine region in the world. The second focus of the release are Canadian wines for .
For Canada Day, the rosé from Tawse would make an excellent sipper. It is off-dry (slightly sweet) and likely contains some Cab Franc and Pinot Noir. Not from the Canada Day feature but locally made is the Norman Hardie Riesling that blends grapes from both Niagara and Prince Edward County.
Riesling is one of the 9 grapes that thrive in multiple regions, and the Norman Hardie Riesling is one of the two wines featured. Ontario is the newbie on the wine scene and makes some great Riesling, while Riesling dates back to at least the year 1435 in Germany. The Riesling Kabinett from Schloss Schönborn is fabulous! Both of these wines are off-dry.
Crisp, dry, white wine lover's will want to look to Chenin Blanc. It's original home is in Loire, specifically in Vouvray. In the new world, Chenin Blanc has made a name for itself in South Africa.
Syrah is most prominent in Rhône, and Shiraz is grown widely in Australia - they are the same grape, in case you didn't know. Styles tend to differ between the two regions. and even though the version from Saltram is a Shiraz, it is more like a Syrah.
Other grapes that were featured include Sauvignon Blanc from Loire and New Zealand, Chardonnay from Burgundy, California and Ontario, Pinot Noir from Burgundy and New Zealand, Malbec from Southwest France and Argentina, Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux and California, and Primitivo/Zinfandel (again, same grape, different name) from Puglia (Italy) and California. Keep this in mind the next time you're shopping for wine.
Grapes that excel in just a single wine region include Bonarda in Argentina, Nebbiolo in Piedmont (Italy), and Tempranillo in Spain. Each of these grapes made my wine picks below.
From the rest of the release, the Château Canteloup is from the great 2010 Bordeaux vintage and consists of 55% Merlot and 45% Cab Sauv, while the Rhône wine from La Ferme du Mont is a Grenache-led blend that returns to Vintages $3 higher than last year. There are also a pair of Italian wines made using some relatively obscure grape varieties. From Piedmont, the Malvirà Roero is made using 100% Arneis, while the Poggio Al Tufo is made with 100% Alicante Boushet. And finally, the dry rosé wine from Provence is a blend of Cinsault and Grenache.
That's it for my wine recommendations for this week. Enjoy!
Monday, July 14, 2014
Tasting Note:
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