Marqués de Cáceres Excellens Cuvée Especial Crianza 2017 (Rioja) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I Arrive in Style with this lovely, vegan-friendly Tempranillo that came to the LCBO last weekend as part of the November 13th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Produced by Marqués de Cáceres, and although the winery was only founded by Enrique Forner in 1970, the enterprising family's origins in wine go back much further to 1920, when Enrique's grandfather and father established a family business in Valencia devoted to the production, sale, and export of wine.

Today, Enrique's daughter, Cristina Forner, manages the winery with pride. The Forner family is one of the great Spanish wine families, known for producing high-quality wines, while the wines of Marqués de Cáceres can be found globally in more than 120 countries now thanks to the key role played by Cristina. In the early years of Marqués de Cáceres, Enrique Forner was advised by a friend having success in Bordeaux to apply new growing and production techniques - vineyard control, grape selection, cold production in order to extract the first aromas, ageing in new and semi-new French oak, and long refinement in the bottle in order to strengthen the great virtues of the Tempranillo grape. All of these improvements resulted in wines of finesse and elegance. Marqués de Cáceres continues it's success today by investing in technology and innovation while offering consumers a wine they can consistently enjoy.

This 100% Tempranillo was grown on mainly clay and limestone soils, with some parcels having more iron-rich subsoils, from vineyards planted on gentle hillsides to those 'drooping' at the town's highest altitudes. The grapes were manually harvested, parcel by parcel, and took place as the grapes reached maturity, meaning that they had to return to some vineyards several times because the grape were reaching maturity at different times. At the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed, followed by fermentation and long skin-contact maceration in stainless steel tanks. It was aged for 14 months in medium-toast French oak barrels and followed by at least 12 months in bottle prior to release.

After liking the 2015 Marqués de Cáceres Excellens Cuvée Especial a couple of years ago, let's see how this bottling, which is from a very good vintage, is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL CRIANZA 2017 - Collecion Privada, Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $17.95
100% Tempranillo. The medium to medium-high intensity nose offers lovely rich black and dark red berry aromas alongside sweet & fine wood spice, tobacco, coconut, and earthy notes. On the medium-full bodied palate the sweet and fine wood spice notes really shine, followed by black and red berry, black cherry, sweet spices, clove, and savoury wet earth flavours. Acids are succulent and well-balanced, while the structured tannins are a touch chalky and drying. Earthy notes linger on the lengthy finish. Excellent, as the name suggests, and a highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Marqués de Cáceres are available through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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CR Gold 5 Monastrell/Syrah 2019 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious blend of Monastrell and Syrah that arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on November 13th.

It is produced by Crápula Wines, a project of Gabriel Martínez Valero. He was born in 1967 in the land of Jumilla, one of the Spain's prestigious winegrowing regions, and developed a passion for his homeland as a young boy. For decades, Gabriel has been an enthusiastic ambassador and great defender of Jumilla wines, convinced that this region in the south of Spain is one of the best places in the world to grow grapes due to the region's various micro-climates and terrain that provide nuance to the grapes and resulting wines.

After getting tired of working for other wineries, Gabriel decides to start his own project - Crápula - in Jumilla in 2008. The name comes from when he was tasting with a group of friends on a monthly basis, and one time he was asked to bring a bunch of bottles without labels. One of his friends, Simón, brought out some beautiful wine labels with the name Crápula. Gabriel really liked the name and Simón suggested that they make wines with the Crápula label and sell them. For Gabriel, Crápula symbolizes a good way of life. Crápula Wines are focused on Monastrell and Syrah varieties (as found in this wine) as they give the best results in this area. Gabriel strives to create wines that are modern, fruity, and elegant, while maintaining the identity and personality of the Jumilla terroir.

This red wine is a blend of equal parts Monastrell and Syrah from 30 to 50 year-old vines grown sandy clay limestone soils at 800 metres (2,600 feet) altitude. The grapes were organically farmed, hand-harvested, and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged for 5 months in a combination of 330 L neutral French and American oak barrels. Let's see how this red blend from Jumilla is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CR GOLD 5 MONASTRELL/SYRAH 2019 - DOP Jumilla, Spain (#482505) (XD) - $18.95
A 50/50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah. The medium+ intensity nose is rich and swarthy with ripe, dark fruited aromas of blackberry, black plum, purple fruit, and peppery spice. On the weighty, medium-full bodied palate it has intriguing, fruit-forward purple and black fruits mingling with pepper spice, savoury wood, and cocoa flavours. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the smooth, youthful tannins have a slightly chalky texture. Tangy notes on the mid-palate linger through to the savoury, cocoa, and cedary spiced finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious wines from Crápula can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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Satellite Pinot Noir 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the November 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Spy Valley Wines, a winery founded by Bryan and Jan Johnson deep in the Waihopai Valley (one of the Southern Valleys) in the 1990s, at a time when the Marlborough region was undergoing discovery. It was thought that this land was too considered too hard, too dry, and too unfertile for wine, but Bryan and Jan went ahead and planted 180 hectares of estate vineyards anyway. Today, Spy Valley is one of New Zealand's most successful family-run wineries. They are committed to the land and the people who tend it, firmly focused on sustainability to ensure their guardianship of this land for generations to come. Spy Valley was one of the first wineries to be proudly accredited under the New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing program which promotes economically and environmentally sustainable vineyard management.

This Pinot Noir is from Spy Valley's Satellite range of wines - a fruit-driven range that is out of this world, yet within your reach, that shows varietal typicity with balance and poise. It is crafted using fruit from selected estate vineyard blocks, all of which were kept separate until final blending. The grape bunches were mostly destemmed and all fermented naturally in open vats. After gentle plunging the wine was drained into barrels and aged for 11 months prior to blending.

The growing season in 2018 was very warm, with dry weather conditions throughout spring and summer, followed by wet conditions during the autumn harvest period. This was Spy Valley's quickest harvest ever and the Pinot Noir was rapidly picked from the vines between periods of rain. Although the vintage was difficult, quality is good and this Pinot produced great flavours. Let's see how this 2018 Pinot Noir was Marlborough is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SATELLITE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12627) (XD) - $22.95
Pretty, pale-medium ruby colour and enclosed by screw cap. Lovely, intense nose of black tea leaf, beetroot, and earth surrounds a core of red berry, strawberry, cherry, and spice aromas. On the light-to-mid weighted and ripe palate it has red fruited, strawberry, cherry, and red plum flavours accented with beetroot, earth, spice. Acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the light, rounded tannins have a pleasant, fine-grained and slightly chalky texture. Juicy with earthy, tangy black cherry, and stony minerals linger on the long, satisfying finish. Highly recommended Pinot! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Spy Valley Wines are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Montebuena Cuvée KPF 2019 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious Rioja that returned to the LCBO this weekend after a five year hiatus. This new vintage was released into VINTAGES as part of today's November 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

This red wine by Bodegas Montebuena is from the portfolio of Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd., hence the name "KPF" on the bottle. Montebuena - meaning "good mountain" - is located on the eastern part of the ancient winemaking village of Labastida, in what is considered to be one of the best vineyards in Rioja Alavesa, and covers an area of more than 160 hectares. Viticulture in Labastida goes back several centuries, but the most interesting historical evidence of winemaking in the area is its "lagares rupestres" - man-made formations carved into large rocks in the vineyards that consisted of three holes where the grapes were pressed to obtain the juice prior to fermentation - which were in use between the 9th and 18th centuries.

Montebuena sets itself apart with its unique position where the river Ebro is closest to the Sierra Cantabria mountains, creating a blend of Mediterranean and Continental climates that prevents an excess of rain and extreme cold. Moreover, the shallow and calcareous soils limit yields and the size of grapes while increasing the volume of the skin, resulting in deeper colour and greater concentration of flavours.

Kysela's Montebuena Cuvée is made with 100% Tempranillo from 20-25 year-old vines grown in Rioja Alavesa. The grapes were hand-harvested, and after fermentation the wine was aged for 3-4 months in new French oak. Having enjoyed the 2014 Montebuena Cuvée KPF five years ago, let's see how this new vintage is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MONTEBUENA CUVÉE KPF 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#211029) (XD) - $17.95
100% Tempranillo from 20 to 25 year-old vines grown in Rioja Alavesa. Screw cap. The medium+ intensity nose is very ripe with dark red cherry, black cherry, sweet spice and sandalwood aromas. On the medium bodied palate it has smooth, lightly textured tannins and fresh, lively acidity with ripe, plummy flavours of dark red cherry, black cherry, and savoury wood spice. Very good length on the savoury, earthy, and juicy finish. Highly quaffable for everyday enjoyment. Recommended buy. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines from Bodegas Montebuena can be found through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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Crasto 2019 (Portugal) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the lovely 2018 Crasto back in March 2020 when it came through VINTAGES that spring and am delighted to see the new vintage for tonight's wine review as it arrived on shelves across Ontario as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 30th.

Quinta do Crasto, which means "Roman fort" in Latin, has a long history of winemaking which begins at least as far back as the year 1615. Of historical importance is that in the mid-18th century, large granite markers were installed around the Douro Valley to delineate the first ever Demarcated Region in the world, and one of these pillars is still visible near the century-old farmhouse that is located at Quinta do Crasto.

Today, Quinta do Crasto is owned by Jorge Roquette - a man who first came into contact with the Douro Valley and Quinta do Crasto in 1962 when he married Leonor Guedes de Almeida, the granddaughter of Constantino de Almeida who was the founder of the famed Constantino Port house. Since that time, Quinta do Crasto has become the Jorge's life's work, bringing immense joy. After taking over majority ownership as well as the management of the estate with his wife in 1981, they began the process of renovating and expanding the vineyards. And with the passion, hard work, and energetic commitment of their three children - Miguel, Tomás and Rita - Quinta do Crasto has earned its eminent position on the global wine map. With growing interest in Douro wines around the globe, Quinta do Crasto purchased more vineyards, as well as renovated its barrel cellar, wine cellars, and lagares, eventually leading to the addition of many Douro DOC table wines to their portfolio, including this Crasto Red.

Although the growing season of the previous two years resulted in significantly reduced yields, the 2019 growing season produced a generous harvest more in line with what they are used to seeing at Quinta do Crasto. The red wines from the 2019 vintage benefited from an equilibrium enjoyed during the vegetative cycle to produce highly complete and well-balanced wines with vibrant aromas, excellent concentration, and solid structure, with excellent ageing potential.

This red wine is a blend of roughly equal parts Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and 10% Tinta Barroca from 20+ year old vines between 120 to 450 metres above sea level on slopes and terraces. After fermentation in stainless steel vats, the majority of the wine was remained in stainless steel vats for ageing, with only 15% of the wine spending 6 months in 225 L French oak barrels. After bottling in November last year, let's see how this delicious red wine is tasting this November...

Tasting Note:

CRASTO 2019 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#81588) (XD) - $18.95
This blend of roughly equal parts Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and 10% Tinta Barroca has a fresh, ripe, medium-high intensity nose offering lovely aromas of dark berry, blackberry, schist mineral, wet earth, and spice notes with hints of wild herb. On the medium+ bodied palate it has lovely replays of dark berry, schist-smoky mineral, licorice, and wild herbs flavours supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity and structured, slightly chalky tannins. Enticing purple fruit and floral notes emerge with time in the glass. Minerally and savoury with subtle spice notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Consistently well-made and a highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Quinta do Crasto as available not only at the LCBO, but also through their Agent - Dandurand.

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November 13, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Fine Holiday Wines

The November 13, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release is a mono-thematic release that focuses on Fine Holiday Wines for gift-giving - or to add to your own personal collection. It's another big release with many wines at the higher end of the price spectrum. All of these wines should be on shelves across Ontario by thus Saturday.

We begin with the theme on Fine Holiday Wines for gift-giving. Of the nineteen wines featured, four are included my my top wine picks. At the top of the list is an excellent California Cab that is actually a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, while the 2009 Rioja is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, and the rest Mazuelo and Graciano. From Tuscany, the Chianti Classico is a blend of 83% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 2% Shiraz, while the 20-Year-Old Tawny Port is a blend of Traditional Douro grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cão.

From my top red wine recommendation, there are a pair of delicious France wines aged in concrete tanks, with the Rhône red consisting of mainly Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre completing the blend, while the Languedoc Red is a blend of only Grenache and Syrah that was raised entirely in concrete tanks. The red wine from Argentina is a blend of roughly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, and 15% Cabernet Franc, while the red from British Columbia is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 22% Cabernet Franc. From Spain, the Jumilla red is a 50/50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah, while both the 2017 and 2019 Rioja wines are made with 100% Tempranillo. Single varietal wines include a lovely Zinfandel from Sonoma and a Pinot Noir from New Zealand.

Among my white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. The most interesting of the bunch might be the NZ Sauvignon Blanc from Waihopai Valley as it was fermented in French oak for 6-10 months. For a more traditional NZ Sauvignon Blanc, the wine from Nelson should suit your palate. If you like your Chardonnay with minimal oak influence, there are three wines worth your attention - one each from South Africa, Chablis, and Napa Valley. Other single varietal white wines include a Pinot Grigio and Pecorino, both from Italy, and a Grüner Veltliner from Austria. If you like sweeter wines, look for the Riesling from Niagara.

If you're seeking some finely aged Champagne, look for a pair of offerings from Moët & Chandon. The 2013 Brut Champagne is composed of 41% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, and 21% Meunier, while the 2013 Brut Rosé Champagne is made using 44% Pinot Noir (14% red wine), 35% Chardonnay, and 21% Meunier. Lastly, the 2008 Colheita Port is a traditional blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• MATHILDE CHAPOUTIER SÉLECTION LANGUEDOC RED 2020 - AP Languedoc, France (#644468) (XD) - $15.95
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2019 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $16.95  88+ pts  wine review
• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL CRIANZA 2017 - Collecion Privada, Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
• MONTEBUENA CUVÉE KPF 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#211029) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• CR GOLD 5 MONASTRELL/SYRAH 2019 - DOP Jumilla, Spain (#482505) (XD) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
• SATELLITE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12627) (XD) - $22.95  90 pts  wine review

• UNÁNIME GRAN VINO TINTO 2017 - Sustainable, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#466938) (XD) - $29.95
• ISOLE E OLENA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#704346) (XD) - $39.95
• CULMINA HYPOTHESIS 2014 - Golden Mile Bench, BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#414243) (XD) - $42.95  FE
• R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA BOSCONIA RESERVA 2009 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#529586) (XD) - $49.95
• SEGHESIO CORTINA ZINFANDEL 2017 - Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#200840) (XD) - $54.95  FE
• STAGS' LEAP WINERY THE LEAP CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Estate grown, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, USA (#142844) (XD) - $119.95

White Wine:

• UMANI RONCHI VELLODORO PECORINO 2020 - IGT Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy (#289553) (XD) - $16.95
• CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2020 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#328559) (XD) - $17.95
• KAHURANGI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Nelson, South Island, New Zealand (#14567) (XD) - $19.95
• CAMPBELL KIND WINE TAWSE RIESLING 2019 - Vegan, Limestone Ridge Vineyard, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#21698) (M) - $19.95
• LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2019 - DAC Kamptal, Austria (#142240) (XD) - $22.95
• TRAMIN UNTEREBNER PINOT GRIGIO 2018 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#541763) (XD) - $29.95  FE
• SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $29.95  FE  91 pts  wine review
• CHRISTOPHE PATRICE BEAUREGARD CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#14872) (XD) - $35.95
• STAGS' LEAP WINERY CHARDONNAY 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#655381) (XD) - $39.95

Sparkling Wine:

• MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE EXTRA BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2013 - AC, France (#69773) (D) - $96.95
• MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE EXTRA BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE 2013 - AC, France (#69831) (D) - $102.95

Fortified:

• POÇAS COLHEITA PORT 2008 - Aged in cask, DOC, Portugal (#21813) (S) - $36.95
• KOPKE 20-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#368340) (S) - $58.95

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Château Hauchat 2018 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review (Nov. 2021)

I enjoyed the 2018 Château Hauchat from Bordeaux when it showed up at the LCBO last November, and tonight's red wine review is from a new batch of the same vintage that was released in LCBO VINTAGES back in August, and again last month as part of the October 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

For nine generations, the Saby family have been crafting wines on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in Saint Emilion. The dynasty of great winemakers started in the 18th century with Jean Saby and the family vineyard properties which have been passed down through each generation. Today, Famille Saby is led by the 8th generation of the family - Jean-Bernard Saby and his two sons, Jean-Christophe and Jean-Phillippe.

The Saby family owns three vineyard properties in Bordeaux, and this Merlot is from the Hauchat Vineyard. Château Hauchat is located on a high plateau within the commune of Saint-Aignan, to the west of neighbouring Pomerol and Saint Émilion. It was re-acquired by the Saby family in 1973 to become the third family estate. Situated in one of the finest growing areas of the Fronsac appellation, Château Hauchat has homogeneity of the soil that is well-drained and consists of clay-limestone, as well as perfect sun exposure. The terroir here is ideal for cultivating Merlot - the only grape varietal grown on the property. From an exceptional 2018 vintage, let's see how the new lot of this 2018 Merlot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2018 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95
100% Merlot that was aged for 15 months in evenly split new, 1-year-old, and 2-year-old barrels. Open, fragrant, and highly aromatic on the nose with lovely, complex mix of black raspberry, savoury, earthy, green herbs, currant, and wood spice aromas with graphite and mineral accents. It's medium+ bodied on the chewy ripe, and slightly warming palate with delicious dark berry, black raspberry, blackberry, earthy, and graphite, savoury cocoa, and wood spice flavours. Still showing fine balance with balanced acids and maturing, palate-coating, dusty, and chalky-textured tannins. Savoury, graphite, and dark berry notes linger on the long, satisfying finish. In a very good place right now and should continue to drink well over the next 3-4 years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other delicious wines from the Saby family are available through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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