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 up this delicious, oaked Chardonnay to wind down what was a very hectic - and somewhat challenging - weekend. This white wine is a companion to the 2016 Konzelmann Merlot Barrel Aged Reserve that I enjoyed a couple of weeks ago.
Like the Merlot, this is a new release from Konzelmann Estate Winery and is available for purchase only at the winery or through their online web store. Use promo code FREESHIP and receive free shipping when you order 12 or more bottles.
Tasting Note:
KONZELMANN CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $17.95
Screw cap. This has medium+ intensity ripe, buttery apple and pear nose with hints of pineapple. On the creamy, medium-full bodied palate, it is a touch sweetish, but leads with a saline note followed by baked stone fruits, apple, along with hints of vanilla and baking spice. Acids are juicy and well-balanced, while the finish length is very good. A ripe, oaked Chardonnay in the New World style that should have wide appeal. Score: 88 pts
The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on features wines from the sunny Mediterranean - which in this release includes wines from France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Lebanon - that are suitable for any table and any budget is the main theme. Meanwhile, the mini-theme is titled "Fun Facts about Fine Wine". These new wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves this .
We'll begin with the main theme that lists fifteen wines from five countries, and while the list is quite respectable, just three wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is the Assyrtiko white wine from Greece that is always delicious and minerally-driven. The second white wine from this section is made with Inzolia, a grape long associated with the production of Marsala fortified wine, but now seen on its own in dry table wine. Lastly, the Château de Tréviac is a lovely blend of 60% Syrah, and 40% Grenache from 35 year old vines.
From the mini-theme of the release, the nine facts are interesting, as well as some of the nine wines listed in this feature, however, just two of these wines are listed among my wine recommendations. The fun fact tied to the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is that the Kiwis figured out how to farm sunshine - New Zealand is a cool-climate wine region and, in terms of wine, is rather difficult to get sunshine down there. The second fun fact is related to Brunello di Montalcino wines that are made with 100% Sangiovese using a specific clonal variation (natural mutation) of the grape found in Chianti, and is now found only in Montalcino.
Among my red wine picks from the rest of the release, Syrah/Shiraz plays a large part with three single varietal wines, plus the Gigondas that is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The 2008 Bordeaux red is fully mature and made with 74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Barbaresco is made with 100% Nebbiolo.
In white wines, there are a pair of interesting white blends. The Pekin White from South Africa is mostly Chenin Blanc with small amounts Roussanne, Muscat de Frontignan, Viognier and Sémillon, while the Loire white is a blend of Melon de Bourgogne, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Folle. For sweet wine lovers, the German Riesling or the Pinot Gris from Alsace are your best bets.
It's always nice to rosé arrive during the winter months, and in this release we have a dry rosé wine from Chile that consists of 56% Cinsault, 25% Syrah, 12% Grenache and 7% Mourvèdre.
Enjoy my top wine picks from this Release! Cheers!
Red Wine:
LUA CHEIA OLD VINES RED 2015 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#266882) (XD) - $13.95
CHAKANA NUNA ESTATE MALBEC 2016 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#018671) (XD) - $16.95 89 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU DE TRÉVIAC CORBIÈRES 2015 - AP, Midi, France (#670505) (XD) - $16.95 89 pts wine review
MOUNT RILEY SYRAH 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#535856) (XD) - $18.95
BOSCHENDAL 1685 SHIRAZ 2015 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#542787) (XD) - $19.95
WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE SHIRAZ 2015 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#433060) (XD) - $22.95
Days of Wine and Chocolate is Niagara-on-the-Lake’s must-do event in February! This annual event takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in February and allows you to explore the decadently sweet and savoury art of wine and chocolate pairing!
With your Touring Pass, you can visit over 20 distinctive wineries sampling chocolate-infused food expertly paired with VQA wines. It's just the thing to do to either celebrate Valentine’s Day, keep the winter blues away, or get away with some friends.
While I have never personally attended Days of Wine & Chocolate, it has been on my radar for a couple of years now. The list of wine and chocolate pairings looks fabulous again this year!
wine is a preview of a delicious red blend that will arrive in LCBO VINTAGES on .
This red wine is produced by Arnaud Sié at his family's estate that he took responsibility over in the year 2000. The southern facing vineyards are situated 200 to 350 metres elevation, on very rocky limestone-clay soils - perfect terroir for Syrah and Grenache - and surrounded by garrigue. The crop is completely hand-harvested and sorted in the vineyard, after which the grapes are then de-stemmed and crushed when they arrive in the cellar.
CHÂTEAU DE TREVIAC CORBIÈRES 2015 - AP, Midi, France (#670505) (XD) - $16.95
A blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache (35 year old vines) that was aged in tank. Faint notes of cherry from the cork. Medium-high intensity nose of cassis, licorice, and black pepper with savoury meaty notes throughout. With air, the nose reveals red currant and garrigue aromas. On the medium bodied palate, there are very nice aroma replays - cassis, garrigue, licorice and black pepper on a bed of fine, chalky textured, and slightly grippy tannins. Acids are bright and juicy. The finish length is very good with lingering earth and garrigue notes. Nicely balanced overall. Enjoy over the next 5-6 years. Score: 89 pts
wine is a delightful organic red wine that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on .
Chakana was founded in 2002 and is dedicated to the study and understanding of some of the best terroirs in Mendoza and produce authentic wines that express the character and identity of the Andean soils. In 2012, Chakana began a conversion process to become an organic/biodynamic producer, and this Malbec is just one of the results from this conversion. The winemaking style at Chakana subscribes to the minimum interventionist style by using indigenous yeasts, minimizing the use of sulphur and other additives, and selecting porous materials for ageing that are adapted to preserve the grape's sense of place.
The winemaker is Gabriel Bloise and is a member of the new generation of Mendoza winemakers, and also has experience with harvests in Tuscany, California, Priorat, and Australia. He believes that winemaking is a tool to express nature, and the best wines are those that hide the hand of the maker.
Tasting Note:
CHAKANA NUNA ESTATE MALBEC 2016 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#018671) (XD) - $16.95
100% Malbec grown at 960 metres elevation, this was aged for 10 months in concrete vats, followed by further ageing in used barrels. Faint nose of dark plum and earth from the cork. In the glass, this has a fresh, medium-high intensity bouquet of exotic spice, tea leaves, blackberry, black plum, and hints of purple flower aromas. It's medium-bodied on the palate with fine tannins offering nice texture and building with air. Flavours lead with tea leaves, spice, and graphite layered on top of floral and dark plum notes. Fresh acids are bright and juicy. Some warmth on the mid-palate. Shows fine balance overall, finishing with graphite and dark berry flavours. Really digging concrete-aged wines like this. Enjoy this organic wine over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts
The winery was founded in 1984 by Herbert Konzelmann, a fourth-generation winemaker and the first in the family to leave Germany in search of the next perfect spot to grow grapes. He discovered the site on a property alongside the shores of Lake Ontario in Niagara-on-the-Lake. What attracted him to this site was the micro-climate, which is similar to Alsace with a wonderful balance of sun, soil, airflow and moisture conditions. This type of micro-climate is ideal for making clean, aromatic, and fruity wines. Konzelmann is Niagara’s only lakefront winery.
This delicious Niagara red wine is available for purchase either by visiting their picturesque property in Niagara-on-the-Lake or through their online web store. They have a promotion on now where you can get free shipping within Ontario when you buy 12 or more bottles or spend more than $150. Use promo code FREESHIP to take advantage of this offer!
Tasting Note:
KONZELMANN MERLOT BARREL AGED RESERVE 2016 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
Screw cap. From a very good 2016 vintage, this has a medium-intensity, dark fruited nose of crushed blackberry, dark cherry, currant and cocoa, with underlying subtle sweet oak spices, earth and stony minerality. It is medium-bodied on the dry palate with ripe flavours of blueberry, currant, dark cherry, cocoa and nicely integrated oak flavours. Pleasant smoky black pepper notes emerge with time. Juicy acids are clean and nicely balanced. Sweet, ripe tannins are well-knit and nicely fold into the wine. The savoury finish is long with smoke and earthy notes. Pretty solid for a Bordeaux-varietal red in Niagara at this price point. Score: 88 pts
The value-based releases of 2018 continues with this second release of the year. The main theme of the VINTAGES Release focuses on sustainable and green wines from Chile, while the mini-theme highlights the wines from the varied regions of Portugal. New wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves this .
Chile shines in this release, with nine of the fourteen wines included in my top wine picks. We'll begin with the organic sparkling wine that is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Among the white wines from Chile, there is a single vineyard oaked Chardonnay, as well as an interesting blend from coastal vineyards made with 85% Chardonnay (oaked) and 15% Viognier. Among the reds there are numerous single varietal wines to choose from, including Syrah, Cot (the original name for Malbec in France), Carmenère, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The blends include a 2010 that consists of 80% Carignan from dry farmed 60-year-old vines, with the balance Mourvèdre. And lastly, the LFE 900 is a blend of 77% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Mourvèdre, 4% Tempranillo, and 1% Grenache.
The mini-theme from Portugal is very small, with just five wines listed, and the only one included among my wine picks is a dry, unoaked white wine made with the Avesso varietal from the Vinho Verde wine region in northwestern Portugal. It's not common to see single varietal wines made with this grape, and is very uncommon to see in our market.
From my top red wine picks in this release, the 2008 Bordeaux is a blend of roughly 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Flagship Store Exclusives (FSE) in this release are also very good. From South Africa, the Optima is a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Franc, while the Languedoc red is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and 20% old vine Syrah. There are also a pair of very fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines - the 2015 is a blend of 95% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre / Vaccarèse / Cinsault, while the 2004 has Grenache as the main component, and but contains other varietals typical for the region.
Among my white wine picks, the Bila-Haut is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% Macabeu, 10% Marsanne, and 10% Vermentino, while the rest are all single varietal wines. For sweet wine lovers, the Gewürztraminer is a must buy; there is also a Niagara Riesling which is a blend of grapes from both the Ivan and Picone vineyard.
It's refreshing to see rosé wines on VINTAGES shelves in the middle of winter. The Il Borro is a dry, organic rosé wine from Tuscany made with 100% Sangiovese.
Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Salud!
Monday, January 29, 2018
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