Frind Chardonnay 2018 and Big Red 2018 (British Columbia) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a couple of lovely wines from British Columbia that are new to the LCBO, arriving on shelves across Ontario as part of last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 30th.

Frind Estate Winery was founded in 2017 by Markus Frind when he purchased the lakeside property in West Kelowna, British Columbia, from the political Bennett family who had owned the property for more than 50 years. Markus was born in Germany, a descendant of a generation of farmers, and immigrated to Canada as a young boy with his parents to a farm in northeastern British Columbia. He studied Business and Computer Science at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and developed the Plenty of Fish dating site in 2003 to great success. After many successes, Markus sold the site in 2015 to follow his ambition into B.C. wine by combining his two passions: technology and agriculture.

Markus brought on famed Winemaker Eric von Krosigk to oversee the operation and, today, Frind Estate Winery is one of the most advanced wineries in the world, using cutting edge technology to create truly distinctive wines. Some of the technology they use includes an optical sorter, automated ferment tanks, and the Willmes Sigma Press.

On the label of each Frind Estate wine is an abstract golden pinecone that represents three aspects meaningful to Markus and his family - science, symbolism and sentiment. The property is sprinkled with beautiful, old growth Ponderosa Pine trees, and one day Markus and his daughter Ava found the perfect pinecone which was artistically used for the creation of the brand. Let's see how these two wines from British Columbia are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

FRIND CHARDONNAY 2018 - BC VQA, British Columbia, Canada (#19930) (XD) - $29.95
Enclosed by Stelvin screw cap, this lovely unoaked Chardonnay has a fragrant, medium-high to highly-aromatic nose with complex aromas of lemon citrus, ripe apple, yeasty, and leesy, with subtle buttery nuances. On the weighty, impressively concentrated palate it has lovely replays of lemon citrus, ripe apple, and buttery flavours with a subtle toastiness, and supported fresh and lively acidity. The juicy mid-palate leads to more ripe apple, lemon citrus, and leesy notes on the long, crisp finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

FRIND BIG RED 2018 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#19931) (XD) - $24.95
A Merlot-dominated blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in support, all aged for 12 months in mostly neutral French and American oak. Stelvin screw cap. The medium+ intensity nose is ripe and plummy with a mix of red and black fruits, red cherry, and touches of cedary wood and stemmy characters. On the medium-bodied palate it has delicious ripe cassis, black cherry, blackberry, plummy, and sweet wood spice flavours supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity and supple, structured and slightly chalky tannins. Some minty herbals and leafy notes add complexity on the mid-palate. Juicy and succulent with cedar wood spice and savoury cocoa notes lingering on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from B.C.'s Frind Estate Winery are available through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Tarapacá Gran Reserva 145th Anniversary Special Edition 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

I've tasted and enjoyed many wines from Viña Tarapacá over the years, including most recently the 2019 Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenère back in March. For tonight's wine review, we celebrate 145 years of tradition at Viña Tarapacá with this delicious, new red wine from Chile that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend (should be in stores any day now), as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 30th.

Founded in the foothills of the Andes mountain range in 1874, Viña Tarapacá developed a reputation for crafting elegant and quality wines to become one of Chile's most traditional and historical wineries, as well as a benchmark for viticulture in Chile. Originally known as "Viña de Rojas" by founder and renowned winemaker Don Francisco de Rojas y Salamanca, the Tarapaca name enters the picture in 1892 when Doña Mercedes, the ex-wife of Don Antonio Zavala, became owner of the property as part of her alimony and renamed the winery to "Viña Tarapacá Ex Zavala" to express her gratitude to "The Lion of Tarapacá", Mr. Don Arturo Alessandri - one of the most influential Chilean politicians of the 20th century. More recently, in 2008 Tarapacá helped form part of VSPT Wine Group to become the second-largest exporter of Chilean wine.

To celebrate Viña Tarapacá's 145 years of tradition in creating wines of exceptional quality, they created this Special Edition wine from the 2019 vintage that reflects Tarapaca Estate's commitment to biodiversity. In 2016, Viña Tarapacá inaugurated their mini hydroelectric plant - a renewable energy project designed to harness the water flow from the irrigation canal that is present on the estate and supplied by the Maipo River and generates up to 60% of the energy consumption at the winery. Energy not used by Viña Tarapacá is fed back into the country's national grid. VSPT Wine Group is also awarded Green Company of the Year at the 2016 Green Awards and is recognized as a leader in Renewable Energy Implementation thanks to its firm commitment to sustainability.

Tasting Note:

TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA 145TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION 2019 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#21966) (XD) - $20.95
This delicious red wine is composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Syrah, all from vineyards planted in 1990 on the granitic hillsides of their property in Isla de Maipo. The fresh, medium-high to highly aromatic nose delivers notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry, dried herb, olive, and peppery spice with savoury undertones and a touch of meat. It's medium-full bodied with pleasing dark berry and peppery spice replays, if slightly grapey, on the palate. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the youthful, drying tannins need some time to integrate. More ripe dark berry with savoury earthy notes linger on the dry, chalky finish, with very good length. This recommended buy will be even better in a couple of years and continue to drink well over the next 6-7 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Viña Tarapacá are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the excellent 2018 San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir at the beginning of the year and for tonight's wine review I am delighted to try the next vintage that arrived at the LCBO in the October 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release over the weekend.

The Tayú project celebrates Chile's indigenous roots through an honest collaboration between the Buchahueico community in southern Malleco Valley and San Pedro Winery. The name "Tayú" means "ours" in the Mapudungun language of the local Mapuche peoples in Buchahueico.

Working with San Pedro's winemakers, the Mapuche used their intimate knowledge of the soils to craft a lovely, one-of-a-kind Pinot Noir that truly expresses its origin. The 15 hectares of vineyards are located in the foothills of the Nahuelbuta Mountains in the Purén area of the Malleco Valley in the Araucanía region, approximately 540 km south of Santiago, in south-central Chile. The soils in the vineyard at Buchahueico are very old, red-coloured, and of granitic origin with a clay-loam texture and an abundance quartz and granite. The soils are naturally acidic, which comes through as vibrant acidity in the wine.

The 2018 vintage of this wine was its debut and came from an excellent vintage, while 2019 was a warmer year which produced smaller bunches with concentrated, generous fruit. Although the Malleco Valley is considered a cool-climate winegrowing region, the micro-climate in Buchahueico is considered moderate due to its latitude and because it is protected from coastal influences by the Nahuelbuta Mountains in Traigue, thus allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and later than other regions. The grapes was fermented in a combination of concrete eggs and stainless steel tanks, followed by ageing in French oak foudre, concrete eggs, and used French oak barrels. Let's see how the 2019 is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2019 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $19.95
From a warmer vintage, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely notes of exotic spices, cinnamon, and sweet spice layered over wet earth and dark berry with a hint of minty herb. On the medium to medium-full bodied palate it is richly concentrated and slightly warming with move exotic spice, earthy, and tangy dark berry replays on the flavour profile, support by fresh, juicy acidity. Quite chalky on the mid-palate with grainy textured tannins that seem a bit tight and will reward ageing. Earthy with a slight tang on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines from San Pedro can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Juvé y Camps Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cava (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's sparkling wine review is a lovely Brut Rosé Cava made with Pinot Noir that arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago as part of the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, just in time for the holidays.

The story of Juvé y Camps begins in 1796 when a curious, meticulous, and forward-thinking winemaker, Joan Juvé Mir, laid the groundwork for the company. Some years later, his son Antoni Juvé Escaiola took over the vineyards and successfully tackled the horrible scourge of phylloxera. In 1921, Joan Juvé Baqués, son of Antoni Juvé Escaiola and husband of Teresa Camps Ferrer, set up the underground facilities in the family home in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and made the first sparkling wine under the Juvé brand name.

In 1940, The sons of Joan and Teresa - Josep and Joan Juvé Camps - joined the family business in 1940 and helped build a new winery outside of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Under the leadership of brothers Josep and Joan Juvé Camps, the underground cellars were expanded and important technical advances were introduced so that they could produce top-quality cava. During the 1970s, they expand their portfolio of top cava, growing the business to global markets by the 1980s. In 1991, construction begins on a new winery at the family estate in Espiells for making cuvees for cava and ageing still wines. Within the last decade, Juvé y Camps began moving towards integrated and organic winemaking, with a focus on obtaining better quality grapes that also express the soils where they are grown.

This Brut Rosé Cava is crafted using Pinot Noir grapes from their Espiells estate vineyard, The Espiells estate is the largest of their estates with over 200 hectares of vineyards in what is recognized as the best winemaking zone in the Alt Penedès, on the slopes of Montserrat - a mountain that emerged from the sea millions of years ago and presides over the country, protecting it from the cold, north winds. To make this Brut Rosé Cava, they used free-run juice from Pinot Noir grapes with a slight maceration to add colour, flavour, and texture. It was aged for an average of 12 months in bottle prior to release. Let's see how this fine sparkling wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JUVÉ Y CAMPS PINOT NOIR BRUT ROSÉ CAVA - Traditional method, DO, Spain (#385088) (D) - $24.95
The delicate, medium+ intensity nose offers pretty aromas of slightly sweet and honeyed red fruit notes of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. The palate is essentially dry with 10 g/L residual sugar with fresh acids and creamy, effervescent mousse supporting the toasty, flavourful red fruit replays of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry on the dry, balanced flavour profile. Some white floral and citrus notes join on the mid-palate, adding complexity, and linger through to the long, dry, clean, and crisp finish. Recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Juvé y Camps are available through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2017 (McLaren Vale) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, and perennial favourite, Petit Verdot from Australia. The latest vintage arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, where it was featured as part of the theme on Australian wines.

Pirramimma was founded by Alexander Campbell Johnston (ACJ) in 1892 and has been owned and operated by the Johnston family ever since. The Johnston family arrived in South Australia in 1839 and Alexander, the tenth of thirteen children, purchased 97 hectares of rich farmland southeast of the village of McLaren Vale in 1892. ACJ selected McLaren Vale because of the region's cooling sea breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent, the Mediterranean climate, rich & diverse soil structures and quality drainage. He named his land Pirramimma, an Aboriginal phrase meaning "the moon and the stars."

Pirramimma has been handed down familial lines, with Geoff Johnston, the third generation of the family, now the custodian. Geoff is known as a "Professor of Soil", spending over 25 years converting Pirramimma's sterile land into a living organism, as well as reducing the winery's ecological footprint through various projects including solar systems, dams, and even a wind turbine. After a trip to Bordeaux, Geoff developed an interest in the Bordeaux grape variety Petit Verdot. He then planted a small area to Petit Verdot as a trial in 1983, which has now expanded to 35 acres of mature vines. Geoff Jonhston pioneered Petit Verdot in Australia, and his Petit Verdot is now considered among the best in the world.

According to Chief Winemaker Geoff Johnston, the 2017 growing season was exceptional - providing outstanding fruit quality, great colour, varietal character, ripe tannins, and length of flavour. The 2017 vintage of this wine was twenty-second release of this Petit Verdot, and the fruit for this vintage was selected from the Siberia, Eric's, OTC, Jones, and Katunga vineyards, all within McLaren Vale, with each block providing its own distinctive profile. Let's see how the latest vintage of this Australian Petit Verdot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PIRRAMIMMA PETIT VERDOT 2017 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#986752) (XD) - $29.95
Aged for 2 years and new and used French and American oak, bottled by screw cap, this 100% Petit Verdot is ripe, black-blue fruited and spicy on the medium-high intensity nose with aromas of black cherry, peppery spice, plum, and bramble, with savoury and earthy undertones. It's full-bodied with very good concentration on the palate with delicious blackberry, cedary oak, boysenberry, and plum flavours supported by fresh, juicy acidity and woolly, finely textured, and slightly chalky tannins. Tangy black cherry, savoury, earthy, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with excellent length. Another lovely vintage for this recommended buy. Score: 90 pts

Find other lovely wines from Pirramimma through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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October 30, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: California + Sicily

The main theme of the October 30 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "California Classics", while the mini-theme takes a look at Signature wines from Sicily. All of these wines, plus those from the main release should be available on shelves across Ontario by Saturday.

We begin with the main theme on classic California wines. In total, there are thirteen wines featured as part of this theme, and three of these wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley that actually includes 13% Merlot, plus some Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, while the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. The third wine is an always top-notch Chardonnay from Sonoma Mountain in southern Sonoma County. Lastly, although not part of the feature as it is listed as a Flagship Exclusive (FE), there is a lovely California Chardonnay from Napa Valley.

Only six wines are featured in the mini-theme on Signature wines from Sicily. However, the wines do provide a nice overview of the prominent varietals grown on the volcanic island of Sicily. Just one wine from this theme is on my recommended list - the latest vintage of a personal favourite that is made with the indigenous Carricante.

From my red wine recommendations, the Tarapacá is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Syrah, while the red from British Columbia is a Merlot-based blend. From France, the Ventoux is an unoaked blend of approx. 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, with trace amounts of Cinsault and Carignan, all raised in stainless steel and concrete tanks. From Bordeaux, the Fronsac is 100% Merlot, while the Bordeaux Supérieur is 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. The last blend is a red from Portugal that consists of traditional Portuguese varietals Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Barroca. Beyond the blends, there are a pair of lovely Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one from Argentina, the other from Australia - that would be interesting to taste side-by-side and compare. And lastly, the latest vintage of the excellent Pinot Noir from Chile is not be missed.

Among my white wine picks, the only blend is a fine, locally made white wine crafted with 68% Marsanne and 32% Viognier from Niagara. For minimal-to-unoaked Chardonnay wine lovers, there is an unoaked Chardonnay from South Africa, and a minimally oaked Chardonnay from British Columbia for your pleasure. For sweet wine lovers, you'll want to pick up either (or both!) the Niagara Riesling or the lovely Gewurztraminer from Alsace.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• EL ESTECO BLEND DE EXTREMOS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Valle de Cafayate, Salta, Argentina (#19237) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU HAUT CLARIBÈS 2018 - AC Bordeaux Supérieur, France (#21404) (XD) - $17.00
• CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2018 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
  
• PESQUIÉ ÉDITION 1912M VENTOUX 2019 - AP, Rhône, France (#636159) (XD) - $17.95
• CRASTO 2019 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#81588) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2019 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $19.95  92 pts  wine review
• TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA 145TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION 2019 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#21966) (XD) - $20.95  90 pts  wine review
• FRIND BIG RED 2018 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#19931) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• LARRY CHERUBINO PEDESTAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#20885) (XD) - $24.95
• ROBERT YOUNG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#16404) (XD) - $59.95
• ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA ROCCHE DELL'ANNUNZIATA BAROLO 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#413484) (XD) - $59.95
• GROTH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Oakville, Napa Valley, California, USA (#606517) (XD) - $119.95

White Wine:

• NIETO SENETINER SEMILLON 2019 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#19399) (XD) - $15.95  90 pts  wine review
• DE WETSHOF BON VALLON UNWOODED CHARDONNAY 2020 - WO Robertson, South Africa (#403675) (XD) - $19.95
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET CHENIN BLANC 2020 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $19.95
• KEW MARSANNE/VIOGNIER 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95
• TAWSE LIMESTONE RIDGE-NORTH ESTATE BOTTLED RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#431593) (M) - $21.95
• TORNATORE ETNA BIANCO 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#577676) (XD) - $24.95
• LETH RIED BRUNNTHAL 1ÖWT GRÜNER VELTLINER 2019 - Qualitätswein, Wagram, Niederösterreich, Austria (#12278) (XD) - $25.95
• PIERRE SPARR MAMBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER 2018 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#915157) (S) - $28.95  91+ pts  wine review
• FRIND CHARDONNAY 2018 - BC VQA, British Columbia, Canada (#19930) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CAKEBREAD CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#709717) (XD) - $69.95  FE  92 pts  wine review
• KISTLER SONOMA MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY 2019 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#183921) (XD) - $114.95

Sparkling Wine:

• TRIUS BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING - Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#17690) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• BOLL & CIE EXTRA BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE 2010 - AC, Champagne, France (#21979) (XD) - $127.95  FE

Dessert Wine:

• LAKEVIEW CELLARS VIDAL ICEWINE 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#522672) (S) (200 mL) - $22.95
• DE BORTOLI NOBLE ONE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON 2017 - New South Wales, Australia (#917252) (S) (375 mL) - $29.95  FE
• INNISKILLIN SPARKLING VIDAL ICEWINE 2018 - Charmat method, VQA Ontario, Canada (#560367) (S) (375 mL) - $79.95

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Wakefield Jaraman Chardonnay 2018 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Chardonnay from Australia. It's a new arrival to the LCBO that was featured in the theme on Australian wines in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

After making wines for many years, the Taylors family founded Wakefield Wines in 1969 in the Clare Valley, South Australia, to make their own wines. With three generations of the family involved in the business today, Wakefield is one of the most respected names and consistently reliable producers in the industry.

This white wine is from the Jaraman range of wines. Australia's iconic wine regions provide great diversity of high quality fruit, and with the Jaraman range, the Taylors family seeks extraordinary parcels of fruit to showcase their distinctive regional characteristics and style. These wines showcase the skill and dedication of Wakefield's winemakers to their philosophy of respecting the fruit.

Although earlier vintages of this wine may have been crafted using fruit from only Clare Valley, more recent vintages have been regional blends. The 2018 vintage is 100% Chardonnay crafted with fruit from Clare Valley (66%) and Margaret River (34%). The growing season in Clare Valley in 2018 was warm and dry, and calm and controlled without any major heatwaves. Overall, the quality was very good with white varieties delivering high aromatics and very pure, distinct varietal characteristics. In Margaret River (Western Australia), the vintage was extraordinarily good with above average rainfall throughout winter and the start of spring that resulted in very good vine health at the start of the growing season. With ideal conditions conditions throughout the growing season and ripening phase, many consider the year in Margaret River to be an exceptional vintage.

The vinification of this wine is rather interesting. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels, 60% new, while the rest was in barrel-fermented in 2nd and 3rd use barrels to give great structure while retaining the vibrant fruit. Half of the parcels were wild fermented, while the other half was fermented using a strain of yeast designed for barrel ferments. After resting on its yeast lees and maturation for 8 months in barrel, the final wine was blended from both regional parcels and bottled with minimal fining and filtration. Let's see how this Australian Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD JARAMAN CHARDONNAY 2018 - Clare Valley/Margaret River, Australia (#18921) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. This 100% Chardonnay was barrel-fermented and has a medium-high intensity nose offering lovely oak-infused aromas of buttery, vanillin, and sweet oak spice that sits a top of poached apple, pear, and hints of pineapple and ripe tropical fruit. The weighty, medium-full bodied palate has buttery, lemon curd, ripe apple, sweet oak vanillin, and tropical fruit flavours with a twist of honey. Some spiciness on the mid-palate, along with fresh, juicy acidity. Buttery and flinty with a tinge of caramel lingers on the chalky textured finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Wakefield are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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