Jan. 10 LCBO Wine Picks: Smart Buys

The new year is upon us and, as such, we have the annual "Smart Buys" release from VINTAGES that arrives on LCBO shelves this Saturday, January 10th. The magazine is quite noticeably lighter than the massive releases we had in November and December leading up to the busy holiday season. The secondary mini-feature in this VINTAGES release highlights a few Scotches to salute...

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Château Ampélia 2005 (Bordeaux) - Bottle 3 of 3 Wine Review

To ring in the New Year, I decided to open this red wine that turns 10 years old in 2015. This is the last of the 3 bottles I purchased from the VINTAGES Bordeaux Futures program way back in February of 2006. The 2nd bottle of this wine was opened in March 2012. At that point in time, I commented that the tannins could have used more time to soften. Let's see how this red...

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Parés Baltà Brut Cava (Spain) - Wine Review

Opened this organic sparkling wine from Spain tonight to celebrate Christmas with the family. Available by consignment only from Trialto Wine Group. PARÉS BALTÀ BRUT CAVA - DO Catalunya, Spain (#661586) (XD) - $13.95 Tasting Note: Non-vintage, organic sparkling wine made using 58% Parellada, 25% Macabeo and 17% Xarel-lo. Lifted nose featuring leesy, green apple and toast...

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Pillitteri Chardonnay Icewine 2007 (Niagara) - Wine Review

To celebrate Christmas Eve, I opened this Icewine that was first tasted last January during the Icewine Festival. This delicious Icewine is only available at the winery, but can be ordered online via their website. PILLITTERI CHARDONNAY ICEWINE 2007 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#) (S) (375 mL) - $60.10 Tasting Note: Hints of honeysuckle aromas from the cork....

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Herdade do Sobroso Sobro Red 2012 (Portugal) - Wine Review

Opened this delicious red wine last night. It was purchased from the July 19 VINTAGES release and tiny quantities are still available at the LCBO. HERDADE DO SOBROSO SOBRO RED 2012 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#306563) (D) - $14.95 Tasting Note: Blend of 30% Aragonez, 30% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Syrah. Plummy aromas from the cork. In...

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Southbrook Transitions (Niagara) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wines are from Southbrook Vineyards' and appropriately part of their "Transitions" line as they are all currently undergoing transition to organic certification. All of the grapes for these wines were handpicked. These wines are available to licensees only, via Trialto Wine Group - look for them in restaurants, as they are not available at the LCBO. Tasting...

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Miguel Torres Ibéricos Crianza 2010 (Spain) - Wine Review

Somehow I missed posting this red wine review of a bottle I opened a couple of Fridays ago. The 2011 vintage of this wine was released in VINTAGES in September and is still quite readily available in stores. MIGUEL TORRES IBÉRICOS CRIANZA 2010 - DOC Rioja, Spain (#381046) (XD) - $16.95 Tasting Note: 100% Tempranillo. Woodsy, cedar and currant aromas from the cork. Medium-intensity...

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