Crios Chardonnay 2020 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review for this Family Day long weekend is this delicious Chardonnay from the Uco Valley in Argentina that arrived at the LCBO this weekend as part of the February 19 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

After deciding to follow the family business in viticulture, Susana received her degree in enology in 1991 to become the first woman in Argentina to do so. Susana worked as a consultant for many wineries in Argentina and internationally over the years, and eventually fulfilled a lifelong dream to have her own winery and create her own wines when she established Susana Balbo Wines in 1999. More recently, Susana and her team have worked tirelessly to meet international high quality standards for their wines while also showing commitment to food safety, environmental sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.

This white wine is from Susana Balbo's Crios range of wines that was borne out of her love for her children, José and Ana, and desire to forge a legacy for her family, helping them navigate their own life journeys with lessons learned from a lifetime of trailblazing entrepreneurship. The handprint logo on each Crios bottle symbolizes this relationship and illustrates the hand as powerful tool for mothers, allowing them to hold, provide warmth, nourish, and comfort, as well as teach the next generation the skills and wisdom achieved. Conviction, energy, and identity all go into making something with your hands, establishing an indelible personal mark.

To bring out the very best in Crios wines, Susana and her team choose the region of Argentina most suited for growing each particular grape, and nurture each variety to elevate its intrinsic character. Together with her children, Crios wines are crafted to be enjoyed across generations and to represent values we strive to instill in our own families, including reminding us to stop and enjoy the small pleasures of life.

This particular Chardonnay is sourced from the Uco Valley at high-altitudes averaging 1,050 metres (3,445 feet). The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-selected, followed by destemming and soft crushing. It was aged on its lees for three months in second- and third-use French oak barrels. The 2020 vintage growing season was extremely good and minimally impacted by the pandemic. Let's see how this high-altitude Uco Valley Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CRIOS CHARDONNAY 2020 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#243196) (XD) - $15.95
Screw cap. The medium-high intensity nose is fresh with ripe lemons, citrus, apple, and white peach underpinned by leesy mineral notes. It has good weight on the dry, medium+ bodied palate with fresh, zippy acidity lifting the ripe lemon, citrus, apple, white peach, leesy mineral, and grapefruit flavours with a touch of wood spice. Leesy mineral, citrusy, apple, and grapefruit notes linger on the satisfyingly long and juicy finish. Recommended buy. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious wines from Susana Balbo are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Humberto Canale Patagonia Intimo Malbec 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this delicious, organic Malbec from the southern region of Patagonia in Argentina that arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on February 19.

The family's story begins with the arrival of Humberto Canale in the Rio Negro Valley, a story that is closely linked to the growth of Argentina and the development of Patagonia. The project was made possible because of the arrival of the railway and construction of the irrigation system in the upper valley of Rio Negro at the beginning of 1900. Humberto Canale acquired 400 hectares of land in an inhospitable territory and imported tools to develop viticulture. Bodega Humberto Canale was founded in 1909 and is amongst the most southerly situated wineries in the world. By the middle of the century, they were well-established as a family winery. Five generations of the family have been involved in the business since its founding, now spanning more than 110 years, and today they have 5,000 hectares of vines across 150 vineyards. Pioneering and still family-owned, Humberto Canale combines century-old traditions and modern winemaking techniques to craft their wines. In Patagania, the air is unpolluted, while pure waters from the melting snow of the Andes irrigate the valley. The region is naturally protected by the surrounding dry desert and persistent South-West winds.

Argentina is synonymous with Malbec as the grape varietal is by far the most widely planted across the country with 84% of all Malbec in the country planted in Mendoza, and by comparison only 0.8% is planted in Rio Negro. Malbec is cultivated at various altitudes and on diverse soil types, and with these variations come different styles of wine. This Malbec is from Rio Negro, Patagonia, where the style of Malbec is actually more similar to those found in the Uco Valley with a purplish colour and notes red and black fruit, and herbal tones, a medium palate, freshness, and firmer tannins.

This particular Malbec is from Humberto Canale Intimo range of wines that are classic and traditional in concept, but also stand out for its modern style with a good combination of intense colour, lots of fruit, and just a little bit of wood to add complexity and elegance. The grapes for this 100% Malbec are from their 60+ year old vineyards located in the city of General Roca, which is situated in the northeastern part of Rio Negro. The berries were carefully handpicked and delivered to the winery a mere 1 kilometre away from the vineyard. It was fermented in large concrete vats and 10% of the wine was aged in French and Central European oak casks for 10 months. The wine was aged a further 6 months in bottle prior to its release. The 2019 vintage in Rio Negro was very balanced and produced wines of high quality. Let's see how this Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

HUMBERTO CANALE PATAGONIA INTIMO MALBEC 2019 - Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina (#144725) (XD) - $14.95
This delicious organic Malbec has a medium-high intensity nose with stony mineral aromas layered over dark red cherry, spice, and touches of ripe plum which also reveal floral and candied cherry hints with time in the glass. It's medium+ bodied and slightly warming on the palate with dark red cherry, spices, and smoky mineral with hints of licorice on the flavour profile. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the tannins are supple and fine-grained. Minerally and slightly spicy on the juicy finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 88+ pts

Other lovely wines from Humberto Canale are available through their Agent - Select Wines Merchants.

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February 19, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France

The streak of mono-thematic releases continues with the February 19, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release that is titled "French Connections" and focuses on the wines from France. In addition to wines on arriving on shelves across Ontario by Saturday, there is also a collection of wines in this release that are VINTAGES Online Exclusives (VOE) and can only be purchased online through lcbo.com.

We begin with the theme on wines from France, with a total of fifteen wines featured across France's top wine regions. Surprisingly, just one wine is among my top wine recommendations - a lovely Châteauneuf-du-Pape that consists of 35% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault.

Among my top red wine picks, the always top-notch Purple Angel from Chile is a blend of 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot, while the Caro from Argentina is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The only other red wine that is a blend is from Uruguay and composed of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tannat. The Australian Shiraz is noteworthy as the grapes come from a block of vines planted around the year 1894. The rest of the red wines are all single varietals, and mostly from South America with a Bonarda and pair of delicious Malbec wines from Argentina, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, and a lovely Tannat from Uruguay. From the northern hemisphere, the Spanish red is made with Garnacha, the Petite Sirah is from Napa Valley, and the Pinot Noir is from Willamette Valley.

There is only a small selection of white wines in this release and among my top white wine picks are all single varietal wines. Three of my recommendations are crafted using relatively unknown grapes - Picpoul, Grasevina, and Verdejo. There are also three different Chardonnays, each with its own fermentation and ageing style. Lastly, for sweet wine lovers, there is an excellent medium-sweet Riesling from New Zealand.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• HUMBERTO CANALE PATAGONIA INTIMO MALBEC 2019 - Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina (#144725) (XD) - $14.95  88+ pts  wine review
• SAN ALEJANDRO EVODIA 2019 - DO Calatayud, Spain (#23914) (XD) - $14.95
• SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2019 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#640854) (XD) - $17.95  90+ pts  wine review
• GARZÓN CABERNET FRANC/TANNAT 2018 - Uruguay (#12651) (XD) - $19.95
• LAURA HARTWIG SELECCIÓN DEL VITICULTOR BLOCK NOGALES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - DO Santa Cruz, Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#21951) (XD) - $20.95  89 pts  wine review
  
• EL ENEMIGO SINGLE VINEYARD LA ESPERANZA BONARDA 2017 - Mendoza, Argentina (#629782) (XD) - $21.95

• CARO AMANCAYA RESERVE MALBEC/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#21999) (XD) - $23.95  91 pts  wine review
• GARZÓN RESERVA TANNAT 2019 - Maldonado, Uruguay (#558916) (XD) - $24.95
• GIRARD PETITE SIRAH 2018 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#521542) (XD) - $44.95  VOE
• CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2018 - AC, Rhone, France (#735407) (XD) - $55.95
• ADELSHEIM PINOT NOIR 2019 - Sustainable, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#683821) (XD) - $57.95  VOE  91+ pts  wine review
• MONTES PURPLE ANGEL 2018 - DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#62364) (XD) - $74.95  94 pts  wine review
• ELDERTON COMMAND SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2017 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#716142) (XD) - $99.95

White Wine:

• BEAUVIGNAC PICPOUL DE PINET 2020 - AP, Midi, France (#350124) (XD) - $13.95
• CRIOS CHARDONNAY 2020 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#243196) (XD) - $15.95  88+ pts  wine review
• KUTJEVO GRASEVINA 2020 - Danube-Kutjevo Vineyard, Slavonia, Croatia (#519074) (XD) - $16.95
• VIÑA MAYOR VERDEJO 2020 - DO Rueda, Spain (#23254) (XD) - $17.95
• SIDEWOOD CHARDONNAY 2018 - Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#186346) (XD) - $19.95
• AIRFIELD YAKIMA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2020 - Yakima Valley, Washington, USA (#479295) (XD) - $22.95
• GREYWACKE RIESLING 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#14556) (M) - $29.95  VOE  93 pts  wine review

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Coppola Rosso & Bianco Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (California) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2018 Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Red Blend last month, tonight's wine review is another California red wine blend from the same producer. While this bottle is the 2018 vintage, it is the 2019 vintage that is coming to the LCBO this weekend as part of the February 19th LCBO VINTAGES Release as a new arrival.

Following many years of success in the world of cinema, the Coppola family established Francis Ford Coppola Winery in 2006 after the purchase of a historic winery in Sonoma County, California. Their desire was to create a resort, a wine wonderland, and a place to celebrate the love of life, and after two years of renovations the winery opened in 2010 with a brand new tasting room, museum, and restaurant. And just like in many of their other business endeavours, the Coppola family is firmly committed to preserving the land for future generations, while also practising sustainability and promoting biodiversity in the vineyard.

This red wine is from Coppola's Rosso & Bianco collection that consists of three wines. Francis Ford Coppola grew up with wine on the family table. Rosso & Bianco wines are very special to the family as they pay tribute to their family's Italian heritage. As the story goes, Francis Ford Coppola used to hear stories from his father about how Grandpa Agostino Coppola made wine in the tenement in New York City during Prohibition. Grandpa Coppola's wines weren't fancy, but pleasurable, everyday wines that reflected the comfort of home. This Cabernet Sauvignon (blend) is crafted in the same spirit - a wine for everyday life. Let's see how this California Cabernet Sauvignon is tasting on this Tuesday night...

Tasting Note:

COPPOLA ROSSO & BIANCO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - California, USA (#23646) (D) - $19.95
This blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Petite Sirah, and 4% Segalin was aged for 12 months in French oak. The medium+ intensity nose has oak driven aromas of wood spice, caramel, and clove surrounding a core of ripe currant, cassis, and blueberry. It's medium+ bodied and ripe with sweet oak vanillin, currant, cassis, clove spice, milk chocolate, cold cream, and blueberry flavours on the verge of being jammy. Juicy acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the polished tannins are smooth and rounded. Coffee, milk chocolate, and clove notes linger on the finish, with good length. Easy drinking crowd pleaser. Score: 87 pts

Other delicious wines Francis Ford Coppola are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina that arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the feature on wines from Argentina in the February 5 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

This red wine is produced by Bodega Luigi Bosca, Argentina's oldest family-run winery. It was founded in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu and soon after joined forces with the Bosca family that emigrated from Piamonte, Italy, to form Bodega Luigi Bosca - Arizu Family. Celebrating it's 120th anniversary last year, Luigi Bosca is regarded as one of Argentina's pioneers in winemaking. Luigi Bosca helped establish Argentina's first D.O.C., paving the way for the development of new Geographical Indications (GIs) throughout Mendoza. Today, the historic Luigi Bosca is run by the fourth generation of the Arizu family based in Mendoza's original premium zone - Lujàn de Cuyo.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the third most planted red variety in Argentina with more than 35,000 acres planted, representing approximately 12% of all red varieties. More than three-quarters of all Cabernet Sauvignon planted within the country is in Mendoza, with Maipú and Luján de Cuyo the historical regions with older vines - and also where this wine is from. The Maipú sub-zone is located on the southern outskirts of Mendoza City, dominated by flat vineyards at high-altitudes, while Luján de Cuyo is situated just west of Maipú and south of Mendoza City. Cabernet Sauvignon is also one of the most researched varieties in Argentina, and the majority of new plantings are located in the premium growing zones, such as the Uco Valley. In Maipú and Luján de Cuyo, the climate is warm and dry, helping Cabernet ripen and give it an intense and voluptuous style with good body and structure. In Maipú, Cabernet has a classic profile of black fruits and spices, while in Luján de Cuyo, with its deep silty, clay, and sandy soils, delivers good varietal typicity reminiscent of black fruits and a broad, rounded palate.

This particular Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted with grapes grown in Luigi Bosca's own vineyards located in Maipú and Luján de Cuyo. This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from vines that are on average 40-years-old. The grapes were manually harvested, bunch selected, and de-stemmed, followed by fermentation in stainless steel. After ageing for 14 months in French and American oak barrels, the wine is gently filtered and bottled. The 2019 vintage is considered excellent with a slightly cooler than normal growing season resulting in concentrated and balanced wines, albeit with yields slightly lower than normal. Let's see how this 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LUIGI BOSCA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Maipú & Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#128629) (XD) - $18.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 40-year-old vines grown between 800 to 1,000 metres (2,600 to 3,200 feet) elevation. The fresh, medium-high intensity nose is black fruited with dark currant, spice, and woody aromas with a hint of vanilla. On the medium-full bodied palate, it has delicious ripe black and red fruits, currant, cassis, spices, and wood flavours supported by fresh acidity. Structured tannins are smooth and refined. Spiced wood notes linger on the crisp, juicy finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines from Luigi Bosca are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - FWM Canada.

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Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is this delicious Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that returned to the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 5 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The idea of Trinity Hill was formed by three individuals in the late 1980's - winemaker John Hancock and restaurant owners Robyn and Robert Wilson. In 1993, the idea became a reality on a stony site in Hawke's Bay with the goal to produce world-class wines from classic grape varieties, using the spiritual homes of these varieties as inspiration. Today, the winemaker is Warren Gibson, a man who has spent many vintages throughout the world soaking up inspiration and joined the team at Trinity Hill in 1997. Trinity Hill wines are produced with the utmost care and respect for the grapes and with minimum intervention.

The fruit for this Sauvignon Blanc is mainly from Mangaorapa Station in southern Hawke's Bay that has a cool climate and argillite soils which provide beautiful aromatic characters and salivating acidity. With optimal vineyard management and attention to detail, the grapes were harvested when flavour profiles were at their maximum potential. Upon arriving at the winery, the fruit was gently pressed and the majority was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks. Each batch spent 3 months in contact with lees in tank before blending. A small component was fermented and aged in small 228 L barriques to enhance texture and complexity.

I last enjoyed the 2019 Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc in November 2020 and am curious to see how it has evolved over last 15 months. The 2019 vintage was considered exceptional for white wines from Hawke's Bay. Three years from vintage, let's see how this Sauvignon Blanc from Hawke's Bay is holding up tonight...

Tasting Note:

TRINITY HILL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Sustainable, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#247221) (XD) - $19.95
Screw cap. The elegantly intense aromatics offer lovely notes of tangy citrus, grapefruit, gooseberry, and stone fruits, all surrounded by earthy minerality in a slightly reductive and smoky profile. It has good weight on the dry, tangy palate with citrus, gooseberry, grapefruit, and apple flavours supported by juicy, well-balanced acidity. Lightly chalky textured mouthfeel on the mid-palate, with leesy mineral and tangy notes lingering on the long, juicy finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from Trinity Hill are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Wow. I can't believe how the time flew by. In October 2020 I recall enjoying the 2017 El Enemigo Chardonnay - a wine that was excellent upon opening, but really blossomed into something special over the course of 7 days that I had it open. For tonight's white wine review, I opened the latest vintage of this terrific wine that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend along with a pair of excellent Bonarda wines from the same producer as part the feature on wines from Argentina in the February 5th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

El Enemigo Wines is a passion project founded by Catena Zapata head winemaker Alejandro Vigil and historian Adrianna Catena, Dr. Laura Catena's younger sister. The name El Enemigo, which means 'the enemy within', was inspired by Dante Alighieri's poem "The Divine Comedy", and the goal was to produce wines that would respect history while rejecting the status quo. El Enemigo has gained global recognition for many of their wines by displaying the best of the Mendoza and Uco Valley soils, while also combining old and new winemaking techniques.

Chardonnay is Argentina's third most widely planted white wine varietal with more than 14,400 acres planted and representing 16% of all white wine varieties planted in the country. Chardonnay is the queen of white grapes and produces wines of great character and personality, all of which depend on the terroir where it's grown and techniques used by the winemaker in the vineyard and cellar.

In Argentina, Chardonnay has historically been grown in Luján de Cuyo and Maipú, Mendoza, where the elevation is between 700 and 1000 metres above sea level and the climate is hot, dry, and sunny. More recently, since the early part of the 2000's, many producers have migrated their vineyards to higher areas, in the mountains, in the search for a cooler climate. For every 100 metres in elevation, the temperature drops by about 1°C. Mountain vineyard Chardonnay resides mainly in the Uco Valley, with Tupungato having the most vineyards, but the pinnacle for Argentine Chardonnay is in Gualtallary - where this wine is from. These regions offers a combination of alluvial, stony soils with high calcium content, and a cool climate, along with the orientation and layout of the vines that all contribute produce high quality wines that are Burgundian in style. Argentina's high elevation vineyards and intense sunlight allows Chardonnay to ripen fully while maintaining bright acidity.

Like the previous vintage, the grapes for this Chardonnay were grown in Gualtallary - a high-altitude region situated within Tupungato, which is at the northern reaches of the Uco Valley - at an elevation of 1,470 metres (4,822 feet) above sea level on deep-calcareous, rocky soils. The grapes were barrel-fermented using wild yeasts in 500 L French oak barrels, then aged for 9 months in French oak with veil. With near ideal growing conditions, the 2018 vintage produced excellent quality fruit and a bumper crop, resulting in excellent wines across Argentina. Let's see how this 2018 Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL ENEMIGO CHARDONNAY 2018 - Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#482984) (XD) - $24.95
Beautifully fragrant, elegant, refined, and complex with minerality, nut, and mealy aromas accented with ripe orchard fruit, apple, pear, lemon citrus, and a touch of honey. On the dry, medium-full bodied palate it is creamy and spicy with bright acidity. It is lightly honeyed with baked apple, lemon citrus, mineral, and mealy with some nutty tones on the flavour profile. Nicely textured on the mid-palate. Long, juicy, and succulent on the finish with lingering minerally and leesy notes. Gorgeous! Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other fantastic bottlings from El Enemigo Wines are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Noble Estates Wine & Spirits.

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