Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay 2015 (California) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a VINTAGES Essential and is always available in the VINTAGES section at the LCBO. This year, this wine celebrates its milestone 25th year as America's number one selling Chardonnay and is also the fastest growing Chardonnay at the LCBO at present.

This white wine is produced by Kendall-Jackson, a winery that has been committed to producing fine wines from grapes grown in California's cool, coastal vineyards for over three decades. The beginnings of this wine were formed in 1974 when Jess Jackson purchased an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lake County, just north of Napa Valley, and replanted it with Chardonnay grapevines. In 1982, Jess and the family set out to make a premium, yet affordable, California wine, and the first ever case of the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay was sold a year later in New York City. That same year, a Platinum Award win and some praise from First Lady Nancy Reagan added to the notoriety of this wine, eventually becoming the number one selling Chardonnay in America in 1992.

Tasting Note:

KENDALL-JACKSON VINTNER'S RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2015 - California, USA (#369686) (D) - $19.95
Whole cluster pressed, 95% barrel-fermented and aged sur lie with monthly batonnage (lees stirring) for 7 months in (53%) American and (44%) French oak. Eco-friendly, recyclable plastic cork has light stone fruit and pineapple aromas. Medium+ aromatics offer generous tropical fruit, pineapple, poached apple, sweet vanilla, and buttery tones. The palate is full-ish, soft and rounded with more ripe tropical fruit flavours surrounded by sweet vanilla oak. Acids are light and fresh, with good length on the slightly sweet finish. Easy-drinking with crowd-friendly appeal. Score: 87 pts

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Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2015 (Loire) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a nice little sipper ideal for oysters or as an apertif. This white wine will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves this weekend as part of the March 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Domaine la Haute Févrie, a winery located southeast of Nantes, in the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine DO, in the western end of the Loire Valley. The estate's 30 hectares of vines grow on the hills overlooking the river Sèvre, between the communes of Saint-Fiacre and Monnières. Terroir consists of several plots of vineyards, each with a different aspect and soil: siliceous clay or gravelly shallow, and all on metamorphic rock (gneiss, orthogneiss, and amphibolites), resulting in a range of highly individualized blocks.

The family that produced this wine has four generations of winemaking experience, and currently manages their vineyard using environmentally-friendly principles, subscribing to the Terra Vitis method of sustainable wine growing by, among other things, not using any chemical fertilizers.

Tasting Note:

LE FILS DES GRAS MOUTONS MUSCADET SÈVRE-ET-MAINE SUR LIE 2015 - AC, Loire, France (#363150) (XD) - $14.95
Nice lemon citrus and fennel aromas from the cork. Made with 100% Melon de Bourgogne that was hand-picked from 40-70 year-old vines, this has pleasing orange citrus, floral and fennel with whiffs of beeswax and mineral of medium-high intensity from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a light refreshing spritz, dry and flavourful with notes of lemon/lime citrus, and floral. Texture is slightly viscous and minerally. Crisp acids. Finishes with good length and a stony mineral flavour. Score: 87 pts

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VINTAGES Release March 18: California Stars

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES on March 18th will be on shelves this coming Saturday and is a mono-thematic release titled "California Stars" featuring the first-class wines from 16 top producers in California.

From the "California Stars" thematic, 17 wines were featured and 4 are included among my top wine picks. Single-varietal wines include a Sonoma Mountain single vineyard Chardonnay and the Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon. Meanwhile, the dry Zinfandel consists of 85% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignan, and 3% Syrah, and the Merlot usually contains small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to round out the blend.

Among red wines from the rest of the release, there is a pleasant Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Lebanon, while the mature Minervois is a blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 38% Grenache Noir, and 12% Carignan. From Spain, the Cara Nord is a blend of 42% Grenache, 38% Syrah and the little-known (20%) Garrut. From Rhône, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 43% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 22% Mourvèdre and the rest other varietals, while the Amarone is a blend of 70% Corvina/Corvinone and 30% Rondinella.

In white wines, the Soave is a blend of 85% Garganega and 15% Trebbiano, while the Côtes du Rhône is primarily Viognier (65%), but also contains 15% Roussanne, 8% Marsanne, 8% Clairette, 2% Bourboulenc, 2% Grenache Blanc. If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, there are very good options to try side-by-side from South Africa, Loire, and a barrel-fermented and oak-aged version from New Zealand. Furthermore, the Bordeaux white is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon.

There are two lovely Champagnes in this release, with the Gimonnet made with 100% Chardonnay, while the Bollinger is 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHATEAU KSARA CLOS ST. ALPHONSE SYRAH/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (#465955) (XD) - $13.95
• CHATEAU DE SÉRAME MINERVOIS 2010 - AC, South of France (#480889) (XD) - $16.95
• ANIELLO 006 MERLOT 2014 - Patagonia, Argentina (#480731) (XD) - $17.95  reviewed here
• CARA NORD RED 2014 - DO Conca De Barberà, Spain (#418186) (XD) - $18.95
• STELLENRUST PEPPERGRINDER’S SHIRAZ 2012 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#455899) (XD) - $19.95
• SEGHESIO SONOMA ZINFANDEL 2015 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#942151) (XD) - $29.95
• STAGS’ LEAP WINERY MERLOT 2013 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#655399) (D) - $39.95
• CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2013 - AC, Rhône, France (#735407) (XD) - $52.95
• SANTA SOFIA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2009 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#713669) (D) - $54.95  FSE
• TWO HANDS SAMANTHA’S GARDEN SHIRAZ 2014 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#067355) (D) - $73.95  FSE
• HEITZ CELLAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#642124) (XD) - $94.95

White Wine:

• RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#456020) (XD) - $14.95
• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI SEMI-SWEET YELLOW MUSCAT 2015 - Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary (#046508) (M) - $16.95
• PIEROPAN SOAVE CLASSICO 2015 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#946848) (XD) - $18.95
• DASHWOOD CHARDONNAY 2015 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#312942) (XD) - $19.95
• E. GUIGAL CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2015 - AC, Rhône, France (#290296) (XD) - $19.95
• 2027 WISMER VINEYARD FOX CROFT BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2014 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#421362) (XD) - $22.95  reviewed here
• LE G DE CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 2015 - AC, Bordeaux, France (#488585) (XD) - $26.95  FSE
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2015 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $27.95  reviewed here
• SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• KISTLER MCCREA VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2014 - Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County, California, USA (#353706) (XD) - $129.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PIERRE GIMONNET CUVÉE FLEURON 1ER CRU BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2009 - AC, France (#340133) (XD) - $72.95
• BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVÉE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#384529) (XD) - $78.95

Dessert Wine:

• CAVE SPRING INDIAN SUMMER SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#415901) (S) (375 mL) - $24.95

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Aniello 006 Merlot 2014 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is a new arrival to the LCBO and will be on shelves as part of the March 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Even though this wine is new to VINTAGES, Bodega Aniello is a winery that was originally built in 1927. This small estate winery began with 1 hectare of old vineyards planted in 1932, and growing to 4 hectares in 1947. Today, the winery continues to explore the value of the ancient winemaking tradition of Patagonia, while keeping a connection with one of the owner's Italian roots.

Terroir consists of alluvial soils that are very heterogeneous, moderately deep, with stone-dominated areas, and others with sandy/loamy soil types. The winery is moving towards sustainable agriculture along with integrated vineyard management to reduce their carbon footprint and use natural alternatives for fertilization, pests, disease and weed control and prevention.

Tasting Note:

ANIELLO 006 MERLOT 2014 - Patagonia, Argentina (#480731) (XD) - $17.95
Only 30% oak-aged for 12 months. Plum, red fruit and cherry aromas from the cork. Medium-high aromatics are quite complex, offering red & black fruits, raspberry, blackberry, dark currant, black plum, some green herbal, mint, and cocoa nuances. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Chocolate, oak-spiced, dark currant, and herbally flavours on the palate. Some savoury and black tea aromas and flavours emerge with air. Acids are bright and fresh. Dry overall with a nice cocoa-dusted finish. Enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts

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Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Genèse Sancerre 2015 (Loire) - Wine Review

I opened up this delicious white wine tonight ahead of it's release into LCBO VINTAGES on March 18th.

Recent vintages of this wine have been excellent, including the 2014 vintage that I tasted in November 2015 and showed up in VINTAGES on November 28 that same year. For the 2015 vintage, this wine has undergone a name change - from Cuvée G.C. to Cuvée Genèse - to reflect a change in the wine.

It is still 100% Sauvignon Blanc, but comes from "caillottes" plots located in the commune of Bué which are the ancestral lands where this estate was found. The wines produced from these plots have shaped the palate of several generations of the Roger family. These lands represent the origin of their history - the Genesis (or Genèse in French).

Jean-Max Roger took over the 4 hectares of vines left to him by his parents in the 1970s and proceeded to expand the estate to its current size of 26 hectares. The Roger family descends from a long line of winegrowers from the village of Bué, with the name being mentioned in texts as early as the 17th century.

Tasting Note:

JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2015 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $27.95
Faint aromas of lime citrus and white flower from the cork. Seems a bit shy at the moment, but offers ripe yellow plum, white floral, citrus aromas with hints of herbally and stone fruit notes that are quite appealing. It is medium-full bodied with lively acids that cut through the slightly fleshy palate. It's rich with very nice aroma replays plus some grassy flavours with good intensity. There's also a nice mineral edge arriving mid-palate and continues through to the long finish. Lovely wine that should be served with only light chill. Score: 91 pts

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Closson Chase Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine is currently only available at the winery, but is slated to arrive in LCBO VINTAGES on April 15th.

Closson Chase was founded in 1998 and since the beginning has been a quality-driven winery that helped spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry. In 2002, the century-old dairy barn where the winery is located was renovated to house the current tasting bar and processing area.

The winery uses traditional European techniques to produce their world-class wines in a sustainable and innovative fashion. In 2007, the winery began using its state-of-the-art gravity-fed processing facility and barrel cellars. Fine wines are crafted to reflect the vintage, while capturing the distinct qualities of the soil and climatic variations of the year.

I've tasted quite a few of their wines over the years and they definitely have a quality portfolio that delivers year-after-year. One of these days, I will have to make a trip out to The County (it's just over 2 hours east of Toronto) to visit Closson Chase and other fabulous wineries. In the meantime, you can order this wine online from their website.

Tasting Note:

CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2014 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#145888) (XD) - $29.95
Only 690 cases produced and fermenting/ageing occurred in French oak, 10% new. Mushroomy funk aromas from the cork. Highly aromatic on the nose with sour cherry, raspberry, wet earth, mushroom, beetroot, and gentle smoky oak spice. It's light-bodied with nice aromatic complexity showing up on the palate, plus some cranberry notes, framed by refreshing acids. Tannins are light and refined. Long, juicy finish. Gains some structure with air along with some appealing tea leaf notes. Very nice! Enjoy over the next couple of years. Score: 90 pts

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VINTAGES Release March 4: Living on the Edge + British Columbia

The main theme in the upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on March 4th is titled "Living on the Edge" - which is meant to say that tough terroir yields great wine - while the mini-theme focuses on wines from British Columbia. All of these wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves on Saturday, March 4.

Winemakers around the globe seek out challenging conditions to grow grapes and produce better wines. Some of these examples include venturing into freezing temperatures, intense heat, mountains and deserts. In this release, 13 wines are listed and 4 are included among my top wine picks. Some regions (such as Chablis in northern Burgundy and Ontario) have cool-climates and generally shorter growing seasons. White wine grapes are more suitable for this type of climate and can deliver high quality grapes year-after-after. The Chablis is made from 100% Chardonnay and receives very little oak treatment. Grapes for Icewine can only be picked (often by hand) when temperatures are -8°C or below, and produce only 15% of the juice it would for a regular table wine. In this release, the Vidal Icewine from Reif is offered. The Riesling grapes for the Piesporter Riesling Kabinett are literally living on the edge as they come from the steep, red-slate slopes on the north bank of the Mosel river in Germany. Lastly, the wine from Lebanon is approximately equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, and comes from the very warm Bekaa Valley.

From the wines of British Columbia mini-thematic, only 1 of the 6 wines is included among my wine picks. It's a quality Gewürztraminer with a fun name - something I'm seeing more and more of coming out of B.C.

Among red wines from the rest of the release, the Lafage wine us an oak-free blend composed of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, while the Greek wine is a 50/50 blend of Xinomavro and Merlot. The red wine from Portugal is a blend of 6 local and international varietals, while the Rioja is made with Tempranillo. Lastly, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is mostly Grenache (90%) and the rest other varietals.

In white wines, the Sancerre is a Sauvignon Blanc. For sweet wine lovers, look for the Fergie Jenkins Riesling as we approach the start of the Major League Baseball season.

The Champagne is a limited production wine made only in exceptional years and is a blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay that comes in a half size bottle which is certainly more wallet-friendly. This sparkling wine is released as a Flagship Store Exclusive.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• LA GARNACHA SALVAJE DEL MONCAYO 2014 - DO Navarra, Spain (#480020) (D) - $14.95
• LAFAGE CÔTÉ SUD 2014 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#395236) (XD) - $15.95
• GENESIS XINOMAVRO-MERLOT 2014 - PGI Macedonia, Greece (#465914) (XD) - $16.95
• FALCOARIA CLÁSSICO 2012 - DOC Tejo, Portugal (#379214) (D) - $19.95
• SALENTEIN RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#353177) (XD) - $19.95
• IL MOLINO DI GRACE RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#382945) (XD) - $24.95  reviewed here
• BARÓN DE LEY GRAN RESERVA 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#642496) (XD) - $29.95
• ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA ROCCHE DELL’ANNUNZIATA BAROLO 2012 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#413484) (D) - $51.95
• RAYMOND USSEGLIO CUVÉE IMPÉRIALE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2013 - Unfiltered, AC, Rhône, France (#022319) (D) - $57.95
• FULIGNI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2011 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#245225) (XD) - $61.95
• CHATEAU MUSAR RED 2009 - Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (#109413) (XD) - $61.95

White Wine:

• FERGIE JENKINS LIMITED EDITION RIESLING 2014 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485326) (M) - $15.95
• VINUM AFRICA CHENIN BLANC 2015 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#739995) (XD) - $15.95
• ANTON BAUER GMÖRK GRÜNER VELTLINER 2014 - Wagram/Osterreich, Austria (#467290) (XD) - $18.95
• DIRTY LAUNDRY WOO WOO VINES GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2015 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#246140) (D) - $18.95  reviewed here
• REINHOLD HAART PIESPORTER RIESLING KABINETT 2014 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#727461) (MS) - $19.95
• MONTES ALPHA CHARDONNAY 2014 - Casablanca Valley, Chile (#390203) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• LOIMER LANGENLOIS GRÜNER VELTLINER 2015 - DAC Kamptal, Austria (#142240) (XD) - $21.95  reviewed here
• WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#461640) (XD) - $23.95
• DOMAINE BONNARD SANCERRE 2015 - AC, Loire, France (#140525) (XD) - $24.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PAUL BARA MILLESIME BRUT GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE 2006 - Bouzy, AC, France (#487298) (XD) (375 mL) - $36.95  FSE

Fortified:

• KOPKE 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#473066) (S) - $31.95

Dessert Wine:

• REIF VIDAL ICEWINE 2014 - VQA Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#544791) (S) (200 mL) - $24.95

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