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!
wine is this delightful offering from Lacroix-Vanel that was purchased from a VINTAGES Release back in .
Tasting Note:
LACROIX-VANEL FINE AMOR PÉZENAS 2008 - AC Coteaux du Languedoc, Midi, France (#343418) (XD) - $19.95
About 50% Grenache, with Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Carignan making up the other half of the blend. Black cherry, plum and barnyard aromas from the cork. Medium+ intensity, perfumed nose of dried herbs, garrigue, black fruits, blackberry surrounded by earthy, barnyard elements. It is medium-to-full bodied with chunky, dusty tannins that are slightly drying, but well supported by good fruit concentration. Yummy flavours of violets, black cherry, black berry, and oak spices. It has juicy acids and is long finishing with earthy, black cherry flavours. Fantastic! Enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 90 pts
I received this wine as a gift during the Christmas holidays and opened it up . This is a VINTAGES Essentials product and is always available at the LCBO, with the 2013 vintage being the latest vintage to arrive on our shores.
Tasting Note:
ANTINORI PÈPPOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#606541) (XD) - $19.95
Blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and Syrah. Wood and black cherry aromas from the cork. Subtle notes of green olive, cherry and strawberry on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with polished tannins and flavours of cherry, wet earth, leather and a hint of barnyard. Rustic in style. Tannins become a touch grippy with air, while acids are juicy and well-balanced. Lasting finish is savoury and earthy. Score: 87 pts
The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release will be on shelves this coming Saturday and features wines from the Pacific Northwest as its main thematic - although noticeably absent this time around is the omission of British Columbia. There are two mini-themes in this release - great Australian white wines and some very fine rosés - both arriving just in time for warmer weather.
From the major theme of the release, the 8 wines from Washington are mostly a disappointment with only a dry Riesling making my list of wine picks. Meanwhile, the Oregon portion of the Pacific Northwest feature was only 6 wines, but 2 (of 4) Oregon Pinot Noirs are included among my wine picks. The Pinot from Two Messengers is a very big Pinot, but will also likely arrive late to shelves.
The first mini-theme is on great Australian whites and highlights 6 wines for your pleasure this Spring. Of the 6 wines, fully half are included among my wine recommendations. First up is an Organic Viognier from Australia's oldest family-owned winery. There's also an off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling, and from Western Australia an off-dry blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon.
A rather large selection of 12 rosé wines yielded 4 fine wines, all of which are blends from the 2015 vintage from France. From Tavel, Rhône, is the Domaine Maby rosé that is a blend of 74% Grenache Noir with the balance made up of at least 5 other grapes, while the Gabriel Meffre rose is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Cinsault added in support. Lastly, the Château La Tour de l’Évêque is a blend primarily of Cinsault (40%), Grenache (35%), and Syrah (12%), with the balance made up of 5 other varietals.
In red wines from the rest of the release, the Bordeaux red is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Wildass Red is a Meritage type of blend. In white wines, the Spanish white is mostly Albariño.
Enjoy my wine picks for this week. Cheers!
Red Wine:
CHÂTEAU DES DEMOISELLES 2011 - AC Côtes de Bordeaux – Castillon, France (#348755) (XD) - $17.95
Opened up this yummy cider ahead of its release into LCBO VINTAGES on .
This is a vintage cider from Domaine Félibre, the same producer as the Sweet Ginger Cider I opened recently. This multi-award winning cider is made with apples from the Stanstead and Compton orchards in the Quebec Eastern Townships. It consists of 90% McIntosh apples and 10% Paulared/Melba apples. To achieve the desired sweetness levels, once the apples are pressed, the juices are left to freeze outside at -30°. The concentrated extracts of these juices are then fermented at a low temperature.
Tasting Note:
DOMAINE FÉLIBRE GIVRÉ ICE CIDER 2014 - Product of Quebec, Canada (#393611) (S) (375 mL) - $21.95
Zesty, crisp apple aromas from the cork. Plenty of sweet apple, apple sauce, and hints of honey aromas in the glass. On the palate, it's medium bodied and sweet with apple, honey, tangy citrus, and orange flavours framed by crisp acids. Finish length is very good. Ideal for pairing with apple-based desserts.
, I was invited to the iYellow Wine Cave to attend iYellow's most recent #WinemakerRAW event with Emiliana Organic Vineyards from Chile.
Having tasted quite a few Emiliana wines over the past few years at the annual Chilean Wine Tasting, I had a good feeling about this tasting. This night was about getting an up close and personal look at the 2013 Emiliana Nova Gran Reserva Carménère/Cabernet Sauvignon that was just released a few weeks prior to this event at the LCBO as a general list product (and is widely available throughout the province).
In attendance representing the winery was the Winemaker Emilio Contreras, as well as the Export Director Fernando Pavon. Mr. Contreras joined Emiliana's team of winemakers in 2007 and is currently responsible for the reserve wines (including the wine below) and the two premium organic lines.
Emiliana Organic Vineyards is an organic and biodynamic winery that is focused on creating high quality wines while showing respect for the environment and their people. Emiliana firmly believes that using sustainable, organic, and biodynamic agricultural practices help produce better-balanced, healthier, and more productive vineyards, which in turn results in better grapes and unique, terroir-driven wines.
Tasting Note:
EMILIANA NOVAS GRAN RESERVA CARMÉNÈRE/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#434662) (XD) - $15.80
Blend of 85% Carménère and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium+ intensity nose of sweet oak, brett and earth with underlying sweet ripe black cherry and hints of purple fruit. It is medium-bodied on the palate with soft, rounded tannins. Black cherry, sweet vanilla and hints of cocoa on the medium-to-long finish. Organic wine made in an approachable style that should have wide appeal. Score: 88 pts
wine is this lovely Piesport Riesling that was picked up last year when it was released into VINTAGES on .
Surprisingly, there are still a few bottles of this delicious wine available at the LCBO.
Tasting Note:
REINHOLD HAART HAART TO HEART PIESPORT RIESLING 2013 - Qualitätswein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany (#672683) (M) - $19.95
Screw cap. This wine was fermented spontaneously with natural yeast and features a lovely slatey, wet stone, tangy citrus nose followed by hints of petrol. It is medium in sweetness with vibrant tangy citrus flavours on the light-to-mid weighted palate with hints of stone and honey adding interest. Acids are delicately balanced while citrus notes lingering on the very good finish. Score: 90 pts
, I enjoyed this mildly sweet cider that was recently released into VINTAGES on .
This dessert wine is produced by Domaine Félibre in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. It is located in the Hauts-Cantons region in West-Barnston (between Stanstead
and Coaticook) at an altitude of 425 metres and has an
exceptional view that extends from Mount Orford to the edges of the
Appalachian Mountains. Ciders, liqueurs, and wines are made in a traditional manner from fruit cultivation through to bottling.
This cider is infused with old ginger roots from China and a bit of honey. Try it while there are plenty of bottles still available on LCBO VINTAGES shelves!
Tasting Note:
DOMAINE FÉLIBRE GIVRÉ SWEET GINGER CIDER - Quebec, Canada (#441949) (S) (375 mL) - $19.95
Cork smells of freshly cut ginger. In the glass, it offers medium intensity aromas of fresh ginger, sweet spice, candied lemon and hints of apple and honey with much of same on the flavour profile. It's light-weighed and mildly sweet with ginger and honey tones lingering on the aftertaste. The producer recommends serving this as an apértif, but it could also be served after dinner. Would make a lovely cocktail.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
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