Château Renard Mondesir 2009 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Opened up this delicious red wine on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. It is produced by the Négociant Chassagnoux & Fils.

The story of Chassagnoux & Fils begins with Amedee Chassagnoux arriving in Bordeaux in the early 50's. His son Pierre discovers the vineyards of Saint Emilion and distributes them with a passion in Northern France and Belgium. Today, Pierre's son, Xavier and his daughter Laurence manage the property, marking 4 generations of family involvement.

An 18th Century residence, Château Renard was purchased in 1978 by Xavier. It is located in The Rivère within the Fronsac appellation in Bordeaux and surrounded by 12 hectares of vines planted on hillsides, ensuring fully ripened grapes.

The wine below is the first wine of Château Renard and has been regularly produced since 1990. It comes from the best plots and is a selection of rich, concentrated grapes, harvested with great care.

It will be available in VINTAGES on October 17th.

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU RENARD MONDESIR 2009 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#420299) (XD) - $26.95
Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Blackberry, dark fruits and a whiff of dried fruit aromas from the cork. Dark garnet coloured with a tinge of brown forming along the rim. Savoury medium intensity nose with earthy, cherry, dried herbs and hints of tobacco in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, spiced tobacco, black cherry, sage, and leathery notes. Has very good acidity. Finishes long and a touch warm with dark currant, earthy and mineral after taste. Enjoy over the next 5-6 years. Score: 89 pts

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Wine Picks - October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release: Napa + Barolo

The October 17, 2015 VINTAGES Release will be in LCBO outlets this coming Saturday and features wines that are especially known for its high-quality and are usually out-of-budget for the majority of wine drinkers. The major feature of this release is on wines from Napa Valley, while the mini-feature is about Barolo from the great 2010 vintage.

Unfortunately, none of the Barolo wines made my list of wine picks, while only one of the sixteen Napa wines are among my wine recommendations below. From Napa is the 2010 Heitz Cellar Cab, a special wine that is 100% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also a pair of Napa wines worth consideration that are found at the back of the VINTAGES magazine as part of that Flagship Store Exclusives (FSE) collection. The first is the Howell Mountain vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Dunn Vineyads, while the second wine is a (surprising!) Sauvignon Blanc from Joseph Phelps.

The quality of Riesling in this release intrigued me the most, with styles ranging from bone-dry all the way to nearly Icewine-sweet levels. In order from dry (i.e. not sweet) to most sweet are Riesling wines from Kilikanoon, Hiestand, Tawse, Bischöfliche and Wegeler. If you enjoy sweet wines, you should also check out the Vouvray (Chenin Blanc). Chardonnay fans should check out the pair of wines from Burgundy.

Among my red wine picks, you'll be hard pressed to find a nice, mature red from 2006 for $15, as is the Monasterio de las Viñas blend (Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cariñena) from Spain. Also a blend is the wine from CVNE that is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, while the single vineyard wine from Argentina is actually a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. And lastly, the 2009 Bordeaux wine is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS RESERVA 2006 - DO Cariñena, Spain (#166579) (XD) - $14.95
• CATHEDRAL CELLAR PETIT VERDOT 2013 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#427559) (XD) - $15.95
• 3 RINGS SHIRAZ 2013 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#015495) (XD) - $18.95
• SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#260919) (XD) - $19.95
• ALTA VISTA ATEMPORAL 2011 - Single Vineyard, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#144352) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU RENARD MONDESIR 2009 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#420299) (XD) - $26.95  reviewed here
• DOMINIO DE TARES CEPAS VIEJAS MENCIA 2011 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#379891) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• CVNE IMPERIAL RESERVA 2009 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#424390) (XD) - $38.95
• CASTELLO DI AMA SAN LORENZO CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#418897) (XD) - $45.95  reviewed here
• HEITZ CELLAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#642124) (XD) - $89.95  reviewed here
• DUNN VINEYARDS HOWELL MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#193763) (D) - $149.95  FSE

White Wine:

• ALKOOMI WHITE LABEL SEMILLON/SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Frankland River, Western Australia (#428383) (XD) - $16.95
• TRÉSORS DE LOIRE VOUVRAY 2014 - AC, Loire, France (#427427) (M) - $17.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#089029) (M) - $17.95
• HIESTAND RIESLING TROCKEN 2013 - Qualitätswein, Rheinhessen, Germany (#424515) (D) - $19.95
• KILIKANOON MORT’S BLOCK RIESLING 2014 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#428342) (XD) - $19.95
• BISCHÖFLICHE WEINGÜTER TRIER SCHARZHOFBERGER RIESLING KABINETT 2012 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#670752) (MS) - $22.95
• LOUIS MOREAU VAULIGNOT CHABLIS 1 ER CRU 2013 - AC, Burgundy, France (#525386) (XD) - $34.95
• WEGELER WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING AUSLESE 2010 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#391128) (S) (375 mL) - $36.00
• JOSEPH PHELPS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, USA (#965277) (XD) - $59.95  FSE
• PATRICK JAVILLIER LES TILLETS MEURSAULT 2013 - AC, Burgundy, France (#714899) (XD) - $75.95  FSE

Sparkling Wine:

• JANÉ VENTURA RESERVA DE LA MUSICA BRUT NATURE 2010 - DO Cava, Spain (#420364) (XD) - $17.95
• DUVAL-LEROY RESERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#661264) (XD) - $55.95

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Le Cimate Montefalco Rosso 2011 (Umbria) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine is from Cantina Le Cimate, a fairly new winery in Montefalco that was started up by Francesca Bartoloni in 2011 to continue his family's tradition in agriculture that dates back to the 1800's.

The name of the family-owned winery "Le Cimate" was inspired from the hilly area where the winery is located, and is only 1 km southwest from Perticaia - a beautiful wine I tasted in August. Le Cimate is located at the peak of a hill, where one can get a very nice view of the Martani mountains and the town of Montefalco.

Vines for this wine were planted in 2001 and sit on a silt-clay soil that is moderately calcareous, fresh and deep and faces southeast. The wine is fermented in steel tanks and macerated for 15 days. Ageing occurs for 24 months, 12 of which are in Slovenian oak barrels, and 6 months in bottle.

In Ontario, this red wine is available via private order from Cottonwood Agency.

Tasting Note:

LE CIMATE MONTEFALCO ROSSO 2011 - DOC, Umbria, Italy (XD) - $30.50
Blend of 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Raspberry and blackberry aromas from the cork. Perfumed nose of black plum, cherry, and hints of apple wood from the glass. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with black licorice, herbal, blackberry and mild cedar oak notes. Some minty flavours mid-palate. Bright acids. Finish is long with earthy and woody notes. Sweet tannins still a bit tight, but has good structure to improve over the next 2 years. Drink over the next 6-7 years. Will be enjoyed with homemade Chicken Lasagne by Chez Megz and could pair with red meats. Score: 89 pts

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Senhora Do Convento Wine Tasting

Last month, I had the pleasure of tasting the wines of Senhora Do Convento with Donald Ziraldo and his Victoria. Included in this tasting were 3 red table wines, followed by a Ruby Port and Tawny Port (both of which are readily available at the LCBO). We ended the casual walk-around tasting with a pair of aged Tawny Ports, followed by a pair of Vintage Ports.

Fine Port wines have been produced at the Senhora Do Convento property in Tavora, Portugal, within the heart of the Douro Valley, for the past 9 centuries and continues to this day. The impressive 12th Century Monastery still stands on the 150 hectare property that overlooks a 27 hectare vineyard where the grapes for fine wine were originally grown by Cistercian monks.

Besides growing grapes, the large property also has numerous almond, quince, cherry, peach, orange and fig trees along with the woods of chestnut, cork, wild cherry, oak and pine trees, many of which were planted by the Cistercian monks ages ago.

In 2006, a state-of-the-art gravity flow winery was built adjacent to the monastery to produce fine Port and table wines.

If you're new to port wine, you should find out your Port Personality on SDC's website where you can learn more about their entry-level Ruby and Tawny Ports. You will also find interesting cocktail recipes using these two port wines.

One of the most interesting things that Victoria spoke to me about was the romantic legend of Ardinia at the monastery. The love story begins with Ardinia attempting to flee to the monastery to be with her love and also convert to Christianity. Unfortunately for Ardinia, her dream was not realized as her father followed her to the monastery one day and in his rage beheaded his daughter. There have been rumours of a lady dressed in white lace known to make an appearance to the men who arrive on site. Strange sounds and objects being shifted have also been reported over the years.

The next time I visit Portugal, I am definitely making a point to visit Senhora Do Convento, and if courage allows, spend a night on the property.

Thank you to Eurovintage, Donald and Victoria for the opportunity to taste these wines. Full wine reviews of all the wines tasted are provided below. A couple of these wines are available at the LCBO, while the remainder can be purchased through Eurovintage.

Tasting Notes:

SENHORA DO CONVENTO DOURO RED 2012 - Douro, Portugal (XD) - $18.95
Medium+ intensity aromas of oak spice, red fruits, spices, herbs and a hint of lavender. Soft, integrated tannins on the medium+ bodied palate with nice aroma replays. Good acids. Bitter on the medium-to-long finish. Blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. Score: 88 pts

SENHORA DO CONVENTO AGUIAS 2012 - Douro, Portugal (XD) - $39.95
All estate fruit. Nose somewhat closed but showed black cherry, blackberry and vanillan oak aromas which echoed on the soft, rounded palate. It has balanced acids and a lengthy finish. Score: 87 pts

QUINTA DO CONVENTO 2009 - DOC Douro, Portugal (XD) - $24.95
A blend of 25-year-old Touriga Nacional and 22-year-old Tinta Roriz, both from schist soils, and Touriga Franca from granitic soils. Pleasing, elegant nose showing good savoury/fruit balance with notes of tilled earth, forest floor, dark berry, cherry and spice aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with nice aroma replays and a mineral component. It is well-balanced with tannins nicely integrated, good structure and balanced acidity. The smooth finish is very long. Score: 90+ pts

SDC RUBY PORT - Portugal (#398230) (S) - $16.95
Pleasing aromas of ripe berries, blackberry jam, and some herbal complexity that follow through on the sweet palate. Soft mouthfeel, smooth with some alcohol heat on the long finish. Score: 87 pts

SDC TAWNY PORT - Portugal (#398248) (S) - $16.95
Highly aromatic and perfumed nose with dried fig, raisin, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and cherry notes with nice, sweet flavour replays. The medium-bodied palate become a touch hot mid-palate. The finish length is very good with spice and hazelnut flavours. Score: 86 pts

SENHORA DO CONVENTO 10 YEAR TAWNY PORT - Douro, Portugal (#298554) (MS) - $19.95
Golden amber colour. Medium-to-high aromatics of butter caramel, dried cherry, brown sugar, fig and woody notes. On the palate, it's medium-bodied and quite sweet with wood, mineral, butter caramel and vanilla flavours. It has good acidity and a very good length on the finish. Score: 88 pts

SENHORA DO CONVENTO 20 YEAR TAWNY PORT - Douro, Portugal (S) - $29.95
Golden amber colour. Highly aromatic nose featuring burnt caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. The palate is medium+ bodied with hints of Meyer lemon and spice to go along with echoes from the aroma profile. Good, crisp finish. Score: 89 pts

SENHORA DO CONVENTO VINTAGE PORT 2009 - Douro, Portugal (S) - $28.95
Deep, dark red, almost black colour. Medium+ intensity aromas of cherry, red berry compote, subtle oak spice and some tartness on the nose. It's full-bodied with lovely cherry liquer and black cherry flavours. Smooth with balanced acids and a finish that goes on and on. Score: 91 pts

SENHORA DO CONVENTO VINTAGE PORT 2011 - Douro, Portugal (S) - $89.95
Dark red colour. Medium+ intensity nose of blackberry liquer, dark cherry and some white pepper spice. On the palate, it's full-bodied with very nice, balanced aroma replays and subtle oak spice. Excellent alcohol, fruit, oak, acid and tannin balance. Smooth, lingering finish. Very good structure will allow this port to age for 20 years. Score: 92 pts

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Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas Mencía 2011 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a sneak preview of a wine that will be in the LCBO in a couple of weeks as part of the October 17 VINTAGES Release.

Dominio de Tares is located in El Bierzo, within the province of León in the northwestern part of Spain, just north of Portugal. The estate is surrounded by top quality vineyards with plantings of indigenous varietals, the majority being Mencia and Godello. The goal of this winery is to produce to produce wines that express the true terroir of the DO Bierzo and its long tradition of winemaking.

This red wine is made from the Mencía grape, from bush-vines that are 60+ years old on lime and calcareous slate soils with high ferric content. It was hand harvested bunch-by-bunch and fermented using natural yeasts over 12 days, followed by malolactic fermentation, and aged for 9 months in French and American oak, plus another 6 months in bottle.

Tasting Note:

DOMINIO DE TARES CEPAS VIEJAS MENCÍA 2011 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#379891) (XD) - $29.95

Curranty red fruit, flower and woody aromas from the cork. Medium+ intensity nose that goes back and forth between savoury and fruity with freshly tilled earth, blackberry, dark currant with hints of herb and spice. The palate is medium+ bodied with appealing eucalypt, black licorice, dark currant, earth flavours. Quite complex. It's well-balanced with mouth-watering acids, and in a good place right now. Hints of violet on the long finish. Dusty tannins with good structure will drink well for the next 5-7 years. The braille on the label is an interesting touch that reads "Cepas Viejas" and translates to "Old Vines". Perfect for pairing with lamb. Score: 90 pts

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VINTAGES Release October 3: Bordeaux + Spain + Thanksgiving

The main theme from the October 3, 2015 VINTAGES Release is on wines from Bordeaux, while mini-themes feature premium-priced wines from Spain, and wines for Thanksgiving Day celebrations. All of these wines will be on LCBO shelves across Ontario this coming Saturday.

Generally speaking, the wines from the Bordeaux feature were all quite good, however, it was difficult to find really good values. Having said that, the Château Guiraud Sauternes (65% Sémillon / 35% Sauvignon Blanc) dessert wine is an excellent buy. The other Bordeaux wine is a fruit-forward red blend consisting of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and a very good value from the excellent 2010 vintage.

The Spanish feature with 7 wines revealed an exemplary white wine blend from Rías Baixas DO that consists of 70% Albariño, 18% Loureiro and 12% Caíño Blanco. This was the only white wine among the featured Spanish wines. While many of the red wines were also good, they were priced a little bit too high in my opinion.

For Thanksgiving, the Alsatian Riesling is a food-friendly, off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) that will surely delight with your turkey or served with appetizers. Having said that, many of the white wines recommended below will pair nicely with turkey, such as the wine from Gorgo that is new to our market and consists of Cortese, Tocai, Trebbiano Toscano, and Garganega, and the 100% Fiano; both of these wines are from Italy.

Among red wines, from Greece is a 100% Agiorgitiko, while the red wine from Argentina is a Malbec-led blend. There is also a trifecta of Chianti Classico's available: the Fonterutoli is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Malvasia Nera / Colorino / Merlot, the Riserva (aged 2 years in oak) is 100% Sangiovese, and the Gran Selezione is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot. Another wine from Italy is made with 100% Grignolino, a single varietal wine from a grape we don't see too often.

Enjoy my wine picks from this VINTAGES Release and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU LES TOURELLES 2010 - AC Bordeaux, France (#426247) (XD) - $14.95
• TABALI RESERVA SYRAH 2012 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#662692) (D) - $14.95
• CAVINO GRANDE RESERVE 2008 - PDO Nemea, Greece (#295618) (D) - $17.95  reviewed here
• FINCA FLICHMAN PAISAJE DE TUPUNGATO 2012 - Mendoza, Argentina (#415034) (XD) - $17.95
• ACCORNERO BRICCO DEL BOSCO GRIGNOLINO DEL MONFERRATO CASALESE 2013 - DOC, Piedmont, Italy (#426635) (XD) - $19.95
• ROSEWOOD ORIGIN CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#427534) (XD) - $25.95  reviewed here
• FONTERUTOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2012 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#977629) (XD) - $25.95
• PENFOLDS BIN 128 SHIRAZ 2013 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#509919) (D) - $34.95
• CASTELLO DI VOLPAIA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2012 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#705335) (XD) - $41.95  FSE
• TENUTA SAN VINCENTI GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2011 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#414417) (XD) - $54.95
• LE VIEUX DONJON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2013 - AC, Rhône, France (#700922) (XD) - $58.95

White Wine:

• GORGO SAN MICHELIN CUSTOZA 2014 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#428045) (XD) - $14.95
• PIERRE SPARR LIEU DIT ALTENBOURG RIESLING 2013 - AC Alsace. France (#906016) (D) - $16.95  reviewed here
• DONNACHIARA MONTEFALCIONE FIANO DI AVELLINO 2013 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#372482) (XD) - $17.95
• SANTA ALICIA GRAN RESERVA DE LOS ANDES CHARDONNAY 2013 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#406991) (XD) - $18.95
• JULES TAYLOR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#224428) (XD) - $19.95
• SERESIN CHARDONNAY 2012 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#019190) (XD) - $24.95
• TERRAS GAUDA O ROSAL BLANCO 2013 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#040238) (XD) - $24.95
• JOH. JOS. CHRISTOFFEL ERBEN ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2013 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#336396) (S) - $28.95  FSE
• HENRI BOURGEOIS LA CHAPELLE DES AUGUSTINS SANCERRE 2012 - AC, Loire, France (#322628) (XD) - $29.95  FSE
• 2027 WISMER VINEYARD FOX CROFT BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#421362) (XD) - $30.00

Dessert Wine:

• CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 2011 - 1er Grand Cru Classé en 1855, AC Sauternes, Bordeaux, France (#298943) (S) (375 mL) - $39.85

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San Raffaele Monte Tabor Pinot Grigio 2014 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is an organic wine that will be in stores as part of the October 17th LCBO VINTAGES release.

Monte Tabor has been cultivating vines organically since 1970. In 2006, Monte Tabor began managing another 50 hectares of Soave vineyards in Illasi. Today, viticulturalists and oenologists collaborate on the production of organic wines from these vineyards with the Fasoli family - a family that has been organic producers in the area for over 25 years.


SAN RAFFAELE MONTE TABOR PINOT GRIGIO 2014 - IGT Veronese, Veneto, Italy (#204768) (XD) - $13.95

Tasting Note:

Organic Pinot Grigio. Lemon peel and citrus scents from the cork. Subtle nose of lemon, citrus, white grapefruit with a slightly oxidized character. The palate is medium-bodied and dry with lime peel and grapefruit flavours. It has crisp, balanced acidity and some bitterness on the lingering finish. Score: 86 pts

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