Michel Gassier Château de Nages JT White 2015 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely organic white wine from Rhône that most recently came to LCBO VINTAGES on May 16 and is still readily available across Ontario.

It is produced by Château de Nages, a winery in Costières de Nîmes, within the southern Rhône Valley that I had the pleasure of visiting in May 2018. In fact, I recall tasting this delicious wine when I visited the winery.

For the Gassier family, the story of Château de Nages begins when Joseph Torrès, Michel Gassier's great grandfather, purchased the southern Rhone estate during World War II. Upon Joseph's passing, his son-in-law, Alfred Gassier inherits the property while remaining in Algeria with his wife. However, his four children reconstruct their lives in France with his eldest son, Jean Gassier, arriving first and restoring the badly neglected farm. Alfred's second son, Roger Gassier, arrives soon thereafter and revives Château de Nages, eventually passing along the magnificent vineyard and exceptional winery to his son, the highly-acclaimed winemaker Michel Gassier.

The JT White is dedicated to visionary founder Joseph Torrès and uses Roussanne and Viognier grapes that come from their very best parcels in the extreme north of the appellation where the terroir consists of grès (rolled pebbles) from the Rhône River over red clay soils rich in iron. There is also some Grenache Blanc in the blend, and all of the grapes were grown according to certified organic farming techniques, with a particular attention to soil health. The fruit was manually harvested and underwent natural yeast fermentation in French oak barrels, followed by some lees ageing prior to blending and bottling.

Having tasted this particular vintage on at least three separate occasions over the last few years, I am curious to see where this barrel-fermented white wine is in its evolution. Let's see how it is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MICHEL GASSIER CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT WHITE 2015 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#485854) (XD) - $26.95
This barrel-fermented blend of 64% Roussanne, 20% Viognier, and 16% Grenache Blanc pours a medium yellow gold and has medium+ intensity aromatics featuring rich and complex notes of lemony, waxy, paraffin, butter, and pear with touches of saline. It's full-bodied on the rich palate with buttery, pear, lemon, herb, slightly smoky wood, and leesy flavours followed by touches of saline. It's nicely textured with very good acidity, but also shows some heat on the mid-palate. Long, smoky finish with touches of saline, lemon, and pear. Enjoy now, nicely chilled. Score: 90 pts

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Cave de Tain L'Hermitage Cornas Arènes Sauvages 2005 (Rhône) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I was going through my cellar and found this nugget that I acquired back in June 2013. Looking back on my tasting note from 2013, I mentioned that it would hold for another 5 years, so I am now 2 years beyond and hoping that this beautiful Cornas Syrah is still drinkable.

Founded in 1933, Cave de Tain is a pioneer and leader in the northern Rhône with its prestigious cru wines, sustainable viticulture, and conservation of their unique varieties. Knowledge has been passed down over four generations of winegrowers and today they are led by a team of young winemakers who have a desire to craft wines that express the diverse terroirs. Cave de Tain is recognized today as a jewel in the crown of the northern Rhône Valley.

Cave de Tain is located between Valence and Lyon, laying at the foot of the Hermitage hillside. Cornas - meaning "burnt earth" in Celtic - is a cru located little south of the winery, on the right bank of the Rhône River on the border of the northern Rhône Valley, and is one of 5 cru wines that Cave de Tain produces.

There is evidence that winemaking existed in Cornas dating back to the 10th century. The first terraces and "chaillées" (or walls) go back even further to the times of the Romans. In 1938, Cornas was awarded AOC status. Today, the vineyards in Cornas are abrupt, south-facing slopes that form a natural amphitheatre, protecting the vines from cold winds. This unique location also means that the Syrah grapes ripen early and are the first to be harvested in the northern part of Côtes du Rhône. The soil in Cornas is mainly made up of decomposed granite, resulting in clayey and sandy surfaces, while the foothills of the steep slopes are rich in clay. Cornas is one of the smallest appellations of the Rhône Valley, and all wines from this cru must be made with 100% Syrah.

This wine has showed up in LCBO VINTAGES previously, but newer vintages are more frequently found at the SAQ in Quebec. The agents representing this wine are Noble Estates Wines & Spirits in Ontario and Divin Paradis in Quebec. Let's see how this 15 year old red wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CAVE DE TAIN L'HERMITAGE CORNAS ARÈNES SAUVAGES 2005 - AC, Rhône, France (#11099552) (XD) - $51.50
This northern Rhône Syrah was grown on steep terraces with granitic sand and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Pours deep garnet colour. Fragrant, perfumed nose is full of savoury, leathery, and sweet spice aromas along with touches of dried berry, plum, and violet notes. It's savoury on the medium+ bodied palate with more leathery, spice, and dried berry flavours. Mature, supple tannins have nicely integrated while acids still have some zip. Some warmth on the mid-palate continues through to the long, savoury, spiced, and a touch gamey finish, with excellent length. A joy to sip. Drink now. Score: 90 pts

Tasting note from 2013:

Lovely meaty, dark fruit aromas waft from the glass. On the palate it has purple fruited, oak, and dark fruit flavours with touches of raisiny characters. Long and smooth on the finish with hints of violet throughout. It has chalky tannins and could still be aged another 5 years. Score: 91 pts

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Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Riserva 2016 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a nice follow-up to the delicious 2018 Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Classico that I enjoyed a couple of weekends ago. Like the Chianti Classico, this Chianti is a VINTAGES Essentials product at the LCBO and widely available for purchase in-store across Ontario.

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973 by film producer Italo Zingarelli to fulfill his life-long dream. It was established on a solid base of ethical values constructed by Italo and today is run by his children Sergio, Fabio, and Sandra, to become one of the largest wine producers in Italy.

Sustainability is a key pillar of Rocca delle Macìe as they continue to implement agronomic techniques that are geared not only towards constantly improving the products, but also towards respecting the environment. Some of these practices include integrated pest management, streamlining the consumption of non-renewable resources, avoiding non-essential waste of natural resources, and limiting human activity on the equilibrium of the ecosystem. By using high-precision viticulture, Rocca delle Macìe is able to make winemaking rational and sustainable, while at the same time enhancing the land. With this in mind, Rocca delle Macìe still aims to express the very best of the vine and terroir, and achieve products of the highest quality.

In addition to producing wines from the Chianti Classico and Maremma zones, Rocca delle Macìe also produces wines thanks in part to collaboration with old and new Tuscany producers in other zones such as Chianti, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri, San Gimignano, and Orvieto. This particular red wine is from the Chianti DOCG from carefully selected and ripened Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes. It is vinified with the latest controlled fermentation techniques and undergoes maturation in oak for a period of two years prior to being released.

Tasting Note:

ROCCA DELLE MACÌE CHIANTI RISERVA 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#111641) (XD) - $15.95
A blend of 90% Sangiovese with equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot completing the blend, and aged for 24 months is large oak barrels. Medium+ intensity nose is savoury with currant, plum, red cherry, and earth aromas. It's ripe fruited on the palate with currant, sour cherry, oak spice, and leathery flavours on the medium-bodied palate. Light tannins have just enough texture to keep things interesting, while lemony acids are food-friendly. Savoury, currant, and chocolate notes linger on the finish, with very good length. A fine, simple Chianti for mid-week drinking. Score: 88 pts

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May 30, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Australia

The May 30, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release is another mono-thematic Release and features top wines from the land down under - Australia. All of these wines, including those from the Main Release will be on shelves at the top 100 LCBO stores across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme on top wines from Awesome Australia. There are 14 wines featured as part of this theme and 5 are included among my top wine picks. Of course, we all know about Australian Shiraz - and there is one Shiraz (which is also the Wine of the Month) recommended from this Release - but it was quite nice to see a diverse range of other varietals and styles also featured from the Land Down Under, although notably absent are any wines from Tasmania. White wines recommended from Australia in this Release include a fine Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula, and a Hunter Valley Semillon. Red wine picks from Australia include a Bush Vine Grenache and a lovely single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red wine recommendations from the rest of the Release include a pair of budget-friendly Portuguese reds - the Dão red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, and Tinta Roriz, while the Douro red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. From Italy, the Ripasso is a blend of mainly Corvina, with Rondinella, Corvinone, and Oseleta in support, while the lovely Spanish Rioja is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta, and 5% Mazuelo. High-end single varietal wines include a Barolo made with Nebbiolo, and an organic Brunello that is made with 100% Sangiovese.

Among my white wine picks, the only a blend is a barrel-fermented white from South Africa that consists of 74% Chenin Blanc, 8% Clairette Blanche, 6% Grenache Blanc, 7% Viognier, 2% Semillon Gris, 2% Viura, and 1% Verdelho. The rest are all single varietal wines such as a trio Sauvignon Blanc wines and a Chardonnay. There is also a nice wine made with the indigenous Coda di Volpe varietal from Campania. For sweet wine lovers, try both Rieslings from Niagara as they are made by the same producer, and if you like very sweet wines, the Riesling Spätlese from Germany will suit your palate.

Arriving with this Release is the much welcomed warm weather, and with that comes a slew of rosé wines. Three rosé wines are among my wine recommendations and all are of the dry variety. The rosé from Niagara is a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 27% Gamay, and 8% Pinot Noir. From France, the Tavel is consists of mostly Grenache Noir with Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Bourboulenc, Carignan, and Clairette completing the blend, while the rosé from Provence is a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache, and Merlot.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers and be well!

Red Wine:

• PEDRA CANCELA WINEMAKER SELECTION RED 2016 - DO Dão, Portugal (#14438) (XD) - $13.95
• QUINTA DA REDE RESERVA 2015 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#431742) (XD) - $17.95
• DURIGUTTI CABERNET FRANC 2017 - Mendoza, Argentina (#14916) (XD) - $18.95
• SHANAHANS THE OLD DOG SHIRAZ 2016 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#13030) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• PROVOLO CAMPOTORBIAN RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2013 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#974402) (D) - $19.95
• RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#194753) (XD) - $20.95  89 pts  wine review
• YALUMBA SAMUEL'S COLLECTION BUSH VINE GRENACHE 2018 - Barossa, South Australia (#531228) (XD) - $24.95
• NUGAN ESTATE ALCIRA VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#393686) (D) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CLOSSON CHASE CHURCHSIDE PINOT NOIR 2017 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#265074) (XD) - $39.95  FE
• FONTANAFREDDA SERRALUNGA D'ALBA BAROLO 2015 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#943290) (XD) - $49.95  91 pts  wine review
• COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#306852) (XD) - $53.95  91 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• IL POGGIO TABURNO SANNIO CODA DI VOLPE 2018 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#14270) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• VIDAL ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12636) (XD) - $19.95
• REDSTONE LIMESTONE VINEYARD SOUTH RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#381251) (M) - $19.95
• ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA COSTA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#462614) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TAWSE LIMESTONE RIDGE-NORTH ESTATE BOTTLED RIESLING 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#431593) (M) - $21.95
• WITHER HILLS RARANGI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Single vineyard, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#551721) (XD) - $22.95
• STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2018 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (S) - $24.95  FE
• BROKENWOOD SEMILLON 2018 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#657726) (XD) - $27.95
• MONTALTO PENNON HILL CHARDONNAY 2018 - Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia (#12694) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• MULLINEUX OLD VINES WHITE 2019 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#556597) (XD) - $37.95  FE
• KISTLER LES NOISETIERS CHARDONNAY 2018 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#251223) (XD) - $101.95

Rosé Wine:

• MALIVOIRE LADYBUG ROSÉ 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#559088) (XD) - $16.95
• DOMAINE MABY LA FORCADIÈRE TAVEL ROSÉ 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#701318) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE DE TRIENNES ROSÉ 2019 - IGP Méditerranée, Provence, France (#409771) (XD) - $19.95

Sparkling Wine:

• BLUE MOUNTAIN GOLD LABEL BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional method, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#206326) (XD) - $34.95  90 pts  wine review

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Villa Sandi Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2018 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious Villa Sandi Prosecco Il Fresco that I enjoyed recently, tonight's wine review is a Pinot Grigio from the same producer. Like the Prosecco, this is a General List wine and widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. It can be purchased in-store or online for pick-up or delivery.

Villa Sandi is a family-owned and operated winery situated in a Palladian style mansion that dates back to 1622 in the Province of Treviso, Veneto, in northeastern Italy. For many generations, the Moretti Polegato family, which owns Villa Sandi, have been devoted to wine culture. Today, Giancarlo Moretti Polegato proudly carries on the family tradition with his fondness and knowledge of the wine world. Being located in the region proudly known for its Prosecco, Villa Sandi is one of the regions leading producers of Prosecco sparkling wine, however, their portfolio also includes some still wines like this Pinot Grigio.

The grapes for this white wine come from two of Villa Sandi's five estates - the Crocetta del Montello Estate in the Veneto region, and the Spilimbergo Estate located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, thus designating this wine as a delle Venezie. The Crocetta del Montello Estate vineyards are in close proximity to the Piave River with soils containing pebbles, stone, sand and some clay which help produce grapes with freshness and pleasant acidity. The Spilimbergo Estate vineyards are located in a flat area of the Fruili Grave and are composed mainly of stone and gravel soils which produce grapes with complexity and rich, fruity aromatics.

Tasting Note:

VILLA SANDI PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE 2018 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#580324) (XD) - $12.75
Screw cap. Clean, fresh stone fruit aromas with grapefruit, citrus, white floral, and whiffs of mineral. The light-to-medium bodied palate is ripe and honeyed, yet dry, with grapefruit, melon, peach, and lemon citrus flavours. It has gentle acidity and hints of mineral on the mid-palate with a slightly viscous texture. Some bitter, grapefruit pith, and lemon peel notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Score: 86 pts

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Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz (Ontario) - Cocktail Review

While enjoying the great weather we're having today, I opened this Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz that recently launched at the LCBO. It is locally made with premium ingredients here in Ontario and comes in packs of 4 for $12.95.

What is an Aperitivo (Spritz)? The word "Aperitivo" is derived from the Italian verb "aprire" (ah-pree-ray) and means "to open". In Italian culture, an aperitivo is a bitter-sweet herbal meant to whet your appetite. An aperitivo "spritz" adds sparkling wine or soda water to the bitter-sweet aperitivo to make it more refreshing and perfect for hot weather - like today!

In the Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz, they use 22% real sparkling wine, and not "wine flavours" like other ready-to-drink cocktails. Their bitter-sweet aperitivo is made in-house using an infusion of burnt orange and tangerine peels, along with a blend of herbs and roots including quinine. To bring the alcohol down to a highly-quaffable 5%, they use both sparkling wine and soda water, making it well-balanced, easy to drink, and refreshing.

It is best enjoyed during Aperitivo Hour - which is like Happy Hour, but in the style of "La Dolce Vita" - giving particular importance to the inclusion of food and socializing (while practising physical distancing during these novel times). Aperitivo Hour is an Italian tradition that occurs every day at sunset when restaurants and bars set out small snacks, called "cicchetti" (chee-ket-eeh), to accompany the palate-opening drinks. As they say in Italy - Cin cin!

Tasting Note:

AMALFI APERITIVO SPRITZ - Ontario, Canada (#14515) (4 x 355 mL) - $12.95
This ready-to-drink cocktail has pleasing bitter-sweet flavours with touches of orange, citrus, and herbal root notes, while the spritz adds a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel and finish. Ideally served over ice in a stemmed wine glass and garnished with an orange.

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Rioja Bordón Reserva 2013 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a nice, consistently well-made Rioja from Spain that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on May 30th. I have tasted quite a few vintages of this wine and have enjoyed them all, including the 2012 Rioja Bordón Reserva late last year.

Rioja Bordón wines are produced by Bodegas Franco-Españolas, a winery that was founded in 1890 by Frenchman Frederick Anglade Saurat. It was borne out of a partnership between France and Spain at a time when France was attempting to replace their vineyards that were devastated by phylloxera. The winery was renamed to Rioja Bordón in the 1950's, and, today, the winery is in the hands of the 3rd generation of the Eguizábal family, which has been the owner since 1984.

Like previous years, the 2018 vintage of this red wine is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta, and 5% Mazuelo from grapes grown in the three sub-Rioja soil types - Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental - on the north-facing foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda. After carefully selecting the fruit, the grapes are de-stemmed from the bunches and lightly pressed before undergoing alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 18 months in white American (Ohio) and French oak barrels.

In addition to this Reserva, their lovely 2009 Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES next month. Other wines from the Rioja Bordón lineup can be ordered through their agent, Churchill Cellars.

Tasting Note:

RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#194753) (XD) - $20.95
The medium+ intensity nose is oak spice driven with savoury, Asian spices, dark red berry, dark currant, and whiffs of dried berry, chocolate and coffee notes. It's medium-full bodied on the structured palate with fresh, juicy acidity and drying tannins that still seem a bit tight. Savoury, sweet oak spices, and red cherry flavours, along with some chocolate and toffee notes carry through to the long finish. Enjoy over the next 4-5 years. Score: 89 pts

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