Château d'Aquéria Tavel 2020 (Rhône) - Wine Review

As we look forward to bright and sunny weather, tonight's wine review is a bright and lovely rosé from the southern Rhône Valley Cru of Tavel that came to the LCBO as part of the most recent LCBO VINTAGES Release on May 1st.

Perennially one of my favourite Tavel wines, this rosé takes me back to my visit to the historic Château d'Aquéria nearly three years ago. The fascinating story of Château d'Aquéria begins in 1595 when Louis Joseph d'Aqueria purchased the area of Tavel known as "Puy Sablonneux" from the monks at the Abbey in Villeneuve les Avignon. On prime vine-growing lands, his son, Robert d'Aqueria, built a home that was transformed in the 18th century into the Château that stands today. Château d'Aquéria has been owned by many families since that time, while maintaining winegrowing activities.

In 1919, Jean Olivier purchased the estate, which was then managed by his son-in-law, Paul de Bez, beginning in 1943. Today, his grandsons, Bruno and Vincent de Bez, run the estate using environmentally-friendly and sustainable agricultural principles. The climate at Château d'Aquéria is quintessentially Mediterreanean with low rainfall, plenty of sunshine, and exposure to the Mistral winds. Situated in Tavel, the distinct soils around the Château are light and sandy-clayey, and when combined with the climate are ideal for the production of the estate's great rosé wines that are both fruity and complex. Let's see how the lovely 2020 Tavel is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL 2020 - AC, Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95
A blend of 45% Grenache, 20% Clairette, 15% Cinsault, 8% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah, 4% Bourboulenc, and 2% Picpoul grown on sandy-clayey hillsides. Pretty, deep red colour in classic Tavel style. Medium-high to highly aromatic nose is bright, ripe, and sunny with lovely aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry joined by white pepper spice, mineral, and herbal nuances. The full-bodied palate is ripe and dry with lovely aromas replays, plus lavender and a tinge of honey on the flavour profile supported by fresh, vibrant, and citrusy acidity. It has a nicely textured, slightly chalky mouthfeel, while mineral notes linger on the long, balanced, and crisp finish. One of the best vintages ever? Highly recommended buy. Score: 91 pts

There's another Tavel by Aquéria available at the LCBO, while other lovely wines from this producer can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun 2018 (Languedoc) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely, unoaked red wine blend from Languedoc in the south of France. This wine comes to the LCBO just about every year and is usually on my shopping list each time. This latest vintage arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Founded in 1967, Cave de Roquebrun is located in Haut-Languedoc Natural Regional Park approximately 30 km north of Béziers, between Montpellier and Toulouse. This co-operative is the largest producer in the Saint-Chinian appellation of Languedoc, consisting of 70 winegrowers that cultivate over 650 hectares of vines, plus 30 members in the cellar. Together, their philosophy is to create wines of originality, balance, and power.

Situated in the village of Roquebrun, the exceptional, sunny Mediterranean micro-climate combined with the schist terroir typical of Languedoc allows for the production of high quality and original wines with a sense of place. The soils in the Saint-Chinian appellation are among the oldest in France at 500 million years of age, and are ideal for the cultivation of grapes. These acidic, schist soils of character make up 80% of the winegrowing lands in the area and form the base of the reputation of the quality wines from Roquebrun.

I enjoyed the 2010 Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun back in October 2018, and with a couple of other vintages still resting in my cellar, I am delighted to open the 2018 tonight. From the Saint-Chinian sub-appellation of Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun, this vintage is a blend of 45% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre that was grown on schistous soils facing south and south-east. It was vinified in whole bunches and fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. Let's see how this unoaked red wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2018 - AC, Languedoc, France (#155804) (XD) - $20.95
This blend of 45% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre from the schistous hillside of Roquebrun was raised entirely in tanks. The fragrant, spicy nose and lovely aromas of ripe dark berry, blackberry, schist mineral, and peppery aromas with touches of smoke. The full-bodied palate is ripe with dark berry, blackberry, currant, peppery spice flavours backed by lovely mineral and hints of cassis and meaty notes. It has fresh, juicy acidity, while the chalky tannins are just a touch tight at the moment. Some bitterness with smoky mineral notes linger on the finish, very good length. Enjoyable now, but will be even better in a couple of years. Recommended buy. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Cave de Roquebrun can be ordered through their Agent - Eurovintage Wines & Spirits.

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Luna Estate Pinot Noir 2016 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand. This red wine is a new arrival to the LCBO that was featured as part of the theme on "What's New, New Zealand?" from the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Luna Estate is a family owned vineyard located in Martinborough, one of the three main sub-regions of the Wairarapa wine region in the southern end of North Island. They have two parcels of land with two distinct terroirs that they use to create their range of wines. Their main philosophy is to work very hard to do as little as possible. The passionate, dedicated team tends the vineyards, hand picks and carefully selects only the best fruit, and then minimally handles the grapes at the winery to preserve the purity and integrity of the fruit.

Although the human touch at Luna Estate is ever present, the land is at the heart of the winery. Sustainable and organic principals and practices drive the farming processes across both of their thriving vineyards, thereby eliminating the need for harmful herbicides and pesticides within their ecosystems as cleaner farming is good for all. By respecting and nurturing the land, the rewards will always be seen in the wines that are crafted using modern technology and traditional winemaking techniques.

This lovely Pinot Noir is crafted from fruit grown on both of their vineyards - Puruatanga Road (Eclipse) and Dry River Road (Blue Rock). With its ideal climate and ancient rocky riverbed, winemaking in the area where the Eclipse Vineyard resides began taking shape in 1970's, with Luna Estate planting their first Pinot Noir here in 1992. The Blue Rock Vineyard is located approximately 12 km south of Martinborough on Dry River Road, on a north-facing elevated hillside with silty clay loam soils interspersed with ancient marine sediment. Vines were first planted at Blue Rock in 1986. This Pinot Noir was fermented in open topped fermenters, gently plunged by hand, then pressed to tank, followed by ageing in mostly used French oak barrels with lower toast levels for 12 months prior to bottling. The 2016 vintage was not too hot, nor too cold, and considered a bit of a 'goldilocks' vintage. Let's see how this Pinot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LUNA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2016 - Sustainable, Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand (#17544) (XD) - $26.95
Screw cap. Lovely, elegant, intense, and well-balanced aromas of raspberry, red and black cherry, and strawberry with subtle sweet spice, floral and dried cherry notes adding further complexity. The medium+ bodied palate has very good fruit concentration and flavours of raspberry-cran-cherry, mineral, earth, and touches of dried floral, and herbal notes. It has very good acidity, while the lightly structured tannins provide a pleasant grip. Nicely balanced throughout with mineral and cherry notes lingering on the long finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 3-4 years! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines from Luna Estate can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Avondale Jonty's Ducks Pekin Red 2016 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely, organic, and vegan-friendly red wine blend from South Africa. This customer favourite (and mine too) arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on May 1st.

Jonty's Ducks wines are produced at Avondale's eco-friendly estate in the picturesque Paarl region in South Africa. Avondale Wines is a family owned farm run by proprietor, Johnathan Grieve, who is sometimes also known as 'Jonty'.

The wines celebrate Avondale's natural vineyard eco-system where a posse of glossy Pekin ducks patrol the vineyards to find and eat snails which would otherwise cause serious damage to the vines. These ducks provide a very effective and eco-friendly method to manage pests while also avoiding the use of harmful chemical poisons, and is just one of the many ways Avondale works with nature to produce premium quality, organically certified wines, while also ensuring that our Earth is protected for future generations.

There are only two wines in the Jonty's Ducks range - a lovely white blend that came through VINTAGES back in December and is nearly sold out, and this red blend. Both wines are slow made with natural yeast, free of all artificial additives and low in sulphur.

I was first introduced to this wine, the 2011 Avondale Jonty's Ducks Pekin Red back in 2015 and have enjoyed it on a number of occasions since. For the 2016 vintage, this red wine is a blend of 37% Shiraz, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot, that was aged in used 225 litre barrels for 12-14 months.

Tasting Note:

AVONDALE JONTY'S DUCKS PEKIN RED 2016 - Vegan, WO Paarl, South Africa (#383547) (XD) - $16.95
Screw cap. Organic and vegan-friendly. The medium+ intensity nose has a lovely mix of red and black fruits, currant, ink, and wood spice with whiffs of wild herbs and white pepper notes adding complexity. It's full-bodied and quite concentrated and dense on the ripe palate with minty, currant, cassis, and herbal flavours surrounding a savoury, earthy core. It has juicy, succulent acids, while sweet, ripe tannins have a subtle, chalky grip. Slightly spicy on the mid-palate, while the long finish is savoury and earthy with touches of mineral. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Wines from Jonty's Ducks and Avondale Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Rare Earth Wines.

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J. Denuzière Crozes-Hermitage 2018 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Syrah from the northern Rhône appellation of Crozes-Hermitage that arrived at the LCBO this weekend as part of the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Based in Condrieu, the story of J. Denuzière begins in 1876 when founder of the estate, Joanny Paret, wished to develop the reputation and distribute local Rhône wines. Joseph Paret, son of Joanny, continued the traditions of the family business for forty years, eventually handing it over in the 1940s to his son-in-law, Pierre Denuzière. Since that time, the Denuzière name has been part of the vineyard landscape in northern Rhône Valley.

Today, J. Denuzière handcrafts a number of micro-cuvées around their Condriot heritage that strengthen with each passing vintage. In addition to owning 1 hectare vineyard plots in both Condrieu and Cornas, J. Denuzière also works exclusively and closely with a number of regional winegrowers, ensuring that each terroir is carefully studied to get the best expression of each grape variety. The vinification philosophy is to be gentle and natural, while combining tradition with modernity. Since 2010, and more recently with the help of Caroline Moro (whom I had the pleasure of meeting back in May 2018), all J. Denuzière wines are handcrafted, requiring working plot-by-plot on the terraced vineyards, and giving rise to a small quantity of wines with excellent quality.

This particular red wine is from the northern Rhône Valley's largest appellation, Crozes-Hermitage. It is 100% Syrah and was grown on old alluvial terraces with a lot of rocks and pebbles in the soils. The grapes were hand-picked, then destemmed at the cellar. Fermentation occurred in stainless steels vats, followed by ageing in barrels for 6 to 8 months. Let's see how this northern Rhône Syrah is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

J. DENUZIÈRE CROZES-HERMITAGE 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#667485) (XD) - $29.95
The medium+ intensity nose seems a bit shy, but offers dark fruited aromas of black and blueberry alongside white pepper spice, wood, and touches of floral. It's medium+ bodied with good fruit concentration on the palate and fruit forward flavours of dark berry and blackberry joined by savoury, earthy, white pepper spice, and wood notes supported by fresh acidity and refined, dusty-textured tannins. Lovely floral notes emerge on the mid-palate and linger to the stony mineral finish, with excellent length. Enjoy this classy Syrah over the next 7-8 years. Score: 91 pts

A limited number of other lovely wines from J. Denuzière are available at the LCBO, while the rest of the portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - DBINO David Beauroy Selections.

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Papale Linea Oro Primitivo di Manduria 2016 (Puglia) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely Primitivo (aka Zinfandel) that is often referred to as the Amarone of Puglia. This popular red wine returns to the LCBO this weekend and is featured as part of the theme on wines "Back by Popular Demand" from the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

This red wine is produced by Varvaglione 1921, a family that began making wine in 1921 and are one of the oldest wineries in Southern Italy. They are based in Leporano on the Gulf of Taranto, in the famous Salento region of Puglia. Four generations of the family have grown the business to become one of the biggest and fastest developing companies in Puglia. They combine the traditions of the territory with newer methods to continually evolve with trends, while never losing sight of traditions and terroir.

Owner Cosimo Varvaglione, along with his wife Maria Teresa and their three children aim for excellence by taking the best of the land and transforming it into quality wines. They own over 150 hecatres of land dedicated to the cultivation of grapes, while also collaborating with local winegrowers who have worked with them for more than 30 years.

Varvaglione 1921 produces wines from many, mostly native, varieties, but Primitivo is the most famous of the Puglian grape varieties. Primitivo has been well-known since Medieval times and is widely grown throughout the province of Taranto, especially in the area known as Manduria.

The Primitivo grapes for this wine were carefully hand harvested in the heart of the DOP, then macerated at the winery using controlled temperature. After undergoing malolactic fermentation, the wine was refined and aged for at least 10 months in French oak barrels and American barriques. Let's see how this Primitivo is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2016 - DOP, Puglia, Italy (#261784) (D) - $23.95
The rich, focused nose of medium-high intensity delivers aromas of dark berry, blackberry, currant, bramble, and spices. The chewy, full-ish bodied, structured palate is spicy with some warmth and has slightly sweet flavours of wood spice, tart cherry, dark berry, plum, and touches of leather. Bright, tart acidity lifts the palate, while ripe tannins are smooth with a slightly chalky texture. Finishes pleasantly dry with mineral notes lingering on the long finish. Quality Primitivo with high crowd appeal. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Varvaglione 1921 can be ordered through their Agent - Caliber Fine Wines & Spirits.

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Finca La Escuela La Grava Malbec 2017 (Argentina) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2016 Finca La Escuela La Piedra Malbec back in 2019, tonight's wine review is another fine Malbec from the same Estate in Argentina that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the May 1st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is crafted by TintoNegro, a producer whose name literally translates to 'black wine' in Spanish as they celebrate the Malbec varietal that is known for its dark, blackish colour. TintoNegro was founded by friends and colleagues Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach, and were joined soon thereafter by Jorge Crotta in 2013. The wines of TintoNegro are meant to reflect the heart of soul of Malbec in Mendoza with a particular emphasis on exploring the terroirs of Mendoza by isolating vineyard sites and winemaking techniques.

This lovely bottle of Malbec is from the Finca La Escuela vineyard that is named after an active 100-year-old rural school house that resides on the vineyard property in Paraje Altamira, at the base of the Andes at an altitude of 4,000 feet above sea level. This small 7.5 hectare vineyard has a very unique soil profile that consists of limo (silt), piedra (stone), grava (gravel) and arena (sand). With each soil profile lending its own aromas, flavours and textures to Malbec, a grape known for being a window to its terroir, TintoNegro crafts four distinct single soil wines that are harvested, vinified, and aged in the exact same way, thus allowing each wine to best express a sense of place.

This particular Malbec was grown on a small patch in the middle of the La Escuela vineyard where the soil is gravelly, or grava in Spanish. The vineyard has small stones and pebbles on the surface, resulting in slightly warmer temperatures, producing wines of intense floral aromas, dark red fruit flavours, and soft, supple tannins. Let's see how this Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

FINCA LA ESCUELA LA GRAVA MALBEC 2017 - Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#547851) (XD) - $24.95
The fresh, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers a lovely, complex mix of floral, earth, milk chocolate, stony mineral, dark red berry, and violet aromas in a savoury profile. The medium-bodied palate has supple, fine-grained tannins balanced with fresh, vibrant acidity that supports the lovely aroma replays joined by white pepper, slightly spicy notes on the flavour profile. Really well-balanced with stony mineral, dark red berry, and violets lingering on the long, slightly chalky finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Other lovely wines from TintoNegro can be ordered from their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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