Rivarose Brut Prestige Sparkling Rosé (Provence) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely sparkling rosé from Provence that will be arriving at the LCBO next weekend as part of the July 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The history of Rivarose begins in 1909 when a renowned French economist, Edmond Thery, fell in love with sparkling wines. He created a wine house in the city of Rognac in Bouches-du-Rhône and created a cellar 10 metres underground below the rocks, which was unique for Provence. Until the 1930s, Edmond produced base wines for Champagne houses and had to stop when strict demarcation production areas came into effect. At this point, Edmond began producing his sparkling wines to order.

Moving to more recent history, a second production site was built in 1988 in Salon de Provence under the name of Auran and is dedicated to the production of sparkling wines using new techniques such as Charmat Method, carbonation, and the production of flavoured and alcohol-free sparkling products. In 1998, the wine house joins Famille Piffaut Vins et Domaines family to take the quality of the wines to the next level. In 2016, the production sites in Rognac and Salon de Provence were brought together on a new, larger site in Salon de Provence and Rivarose was borne to become the oldest and largest producer of sparkling wines in the Mediterranean.

This sparkling rosé wine is crafted using a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes that were grown in the Vaucluse region in the southern Rhône Valley. The grapes were carefully harvested at night in order to retain maximum freshness. Upon arriving at the winery after harvest, skin maceration is carried out and followed by pressing to extract aromatic intensity from the fruit. Syrah adds vibrant red fruit aromas, while Grenache provides aromatic intensity. After initial fermentation, a second fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled vats with frequent stirring of the lees over a period of one month. The wine is then aged on its lees for a minimum of 5 months. Let's see how this sparkling rosé is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RIVAROSE BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING ROSÉ - Salon de Provence, IGP Mediterranean, Provence, France (#515288) (D) - $19.95
Crafted in the tank method, this blend of Syrah and Grenache has a generous, medium+ intensity nose with enticing aromas of grapefruit, strawberry, orange zest, citrus, raspberry, and leesy mineral with hints of floral. The medium+ bodied palate is essentially dry with delicious grapefruit, orange, citrus, and mineral replays with red berry fruited touches like strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Fine, beady bubbles and fresh, juicy, thirst-quenching acidity carry through to the dry, minerally, floral, and lip-smacking finish, with very good length. Highly recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other delicious wines by Rivarose are available through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.

Read More

Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2019 (South Africa) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a perennially excellent Chenin Blanc from South Africa that I've enjoyed several times over the years. While this particular vintage is sold out as it arrived at the LCBO a couple of summers ago, the latest vintage (2021) came to the LCBO last month as part of the June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release - with plenty still available across Ontario.

Ken Forrester Vineyards is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the heart of South Africa's most famous wine region - Stellenbosch. It's history can be traced back to 1689 as one of the oldest farms in the Cape and changed hands over the years. In 1833, another German family took residence at the farm and happily grew vines for almost 100 years. The property fell on hard times in the early 1990s prior to the release of Nelson Mandela and the first democratic elections.

In 1993, Ken Forrester, his wife Teresa, and a young family in tow set their hearts on an historic vineyard in Stellenbosch. The farm and homestead were vacant and derelict when they bought it at a public auction in 1993 and undertook a massive renovation both in the vineyards and the house. Ken Forrester produced his first wines under his own label a year later and soon became the forefront of the Chenin Blanc revival. The grapes for his wines were grown on the property, with some of the vines planted as far back as 1970. Today, Ken Forrester's vineyards are commonly referred to as the Home of Chenin Blanc.

In 2019, Ken Forrester celebrated 25 years of wine life in Stellenbosch. With a vision for sustainable farming, Ken Forrester farms with no herbicides or pesticides. They also till, prune, and thin bunches and leaves, and harvest by hand. While labour intensive, their vision is to also improve the quality of life of their employees and the community. Beyond farming in a sustainable manner, Ken Forrester's philosophy has always been to create a range of handcrafted, individually made wines that suitably complement a wide variety of food styles and provide excellent value.

This Chenin Blanc was crafted using grapes from vines planted in 1974 on clovelly (deep yellow sand) soils. The mature, unirrigated vineyards have a south-southwest aspect with controlled yields. After hand harvesting with careful selection, the grapes were barrel and tank fermented and left on the lees (9 months in French oak with 20% new) matured on secondary lees for additional complexity.

2019 was a stellar year for Chenin Blanc in Stellenbosch with cool days and nights resulting in lovely acidity and great freshness.

Tasting Note:

KEN FORRESTER OLD VINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2019 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#231282) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Lovely, intense, and elegant nose offers leesy and paraffin aromas mingling with baked apple-pear, stone fruit, herbs, and touches of lemon citrus adding further complexities. The full-bodied palate is rich, creamy, and textured with complex layers of honey, vanilla, oak spice, baked apple-pear, white pepper, white floral, and dried herb flavours in a dry profile. Acids are fresh, zesty, and textured, while leesy mineral with touches of baked apple, dried herb, and citrus linger on the long, juicy, lip-smacking finish. Has many years of enjoyment ahead. Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines by Ken Forrester can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

Read More

Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, vegan-friendly Malbec from Argentina. A frequent visitor to the LCBO that came to Ontario last fall, the 2019 vintage arrived in LCBO VINTAGES a couple of weeks ago as part of the June 18th LCBO VINTAGES Release and is widely available for purchase across the province.

The winery where this producer resides was built in 1920, but Kaiken Wines was only established in 2001. Aurelio Montes, founder of Chilean winery Bodega Montes, travelled back-and-forth across the Andes from Chile to Argentina and in 2000 he rediscovered Mendoza as a generous land, filled with superb vines and hardworking people. Kaiken Wines takes its name from the Caiquén - a wild goose from Patagonia that flies across The Andes between Argentina and Chile, much like Aurelio Montes. Today, Kaiken Wines owns vineyards in some of Argentina's prestigious winegrowing regions with the goal of producing wines that faithfully express the terroir. Additionally, Kaiken's philosophy is to produce premium wines sustainably with respect for the environment, as well as using biodynamic farming techniques.

Kaiken produces this Malbec using grapes from three high-elevation areas of the Uco Valley in Mendoza - Los Chacayes, Altamira, and Gualtallary. The Malbec from Los Chacayes was grown at 1,250 metres (4,101 feet) above sea level in an area that has a temperate climate, with severe winters and warm summers, and cool nights. The soils at this site in Los Chacayes are rocky and mixed with coarse sand and some lime; it's also permeable and low in fertility. The Malbec from Altamira was grown at 1,200 metres (3,937 feet) elevation and has a large diurnal temperature range with cold nights and warm days, while also in a zone that experiences early and late frosts. In Altamira, the soils are chalky with sand, lime, and stones. The last parcel of Malbec comes from the very high altitude region of Gualtallary between 1,300 - 1,600 metres (4,265 - 5,249 feet) above sea level. The climate in Gualtallary also has a large diurnal temperature range, as well as instances of Zonda wind, while the soils are alluvial, poor, and stony with an important quantity of calcium carbonate and sand. The grapes were manually harvested and selected at the winery during March and April, and fermented in concrete tanks using selected and native yeasts. It was aged for 12 months in a mix of new, second-use, and third-use French oak barrels, followed by another 6 months in bottle prior to release.

With nearly ideal growing conditions, the 2018 vintage delivered well-structured wines featuring fine-grained tannins and ripe fruit flavours. Let's see how this 2018 Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KAIKEN ULTRA MALBEC 2018 - Vegan, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#50849) (XD) - $19.95
Fresh, medium-high intensity aromatics are a touch reductive with spicy, ripe dark fruit, blackberry, and stony mineral with touches of violet. It's medium to medium-full bodied with smooth, refined, well-structured, and slightly grippy-chalky tannins that support the ripe, dark fruited, blackberry, stony mineral, peppery spice, and violet flavours. Acids are fresh and juicy, while stony mineral notes linger on the long, balanced finish. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Kaiken are available at the LCBO and can also be ordered through their Agent- Trajectory Beverage Partners.

Read More

June 30, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online Exclusives

The June 30, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release features forty-four wines, of which sixteen are included among my top wine picks. All of these wines will be available for purchase exclusively online at lcbo.com beginning this Thursday. As usual, there is no theme to these Online Exclusives Releases, but there are a bunch of fine, high-quality wines.

We begin with my top red wine picks of this Release and start in Australia with a GSM blend that consists of 84% Grenache, 14% Shiraz, and 2% Mataro, while the Gigondas from Rhône is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. From Italy, the Etna Rosso is made with Nerello Mascalese, while the Barolo is made with Nebbiolo. There's also a pair of fine Pinot Noir wines from USA - one from Willamette Valley in Oregon, and the other from Sonoma Coast in California. Lastly, there is a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain.

From my white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. The Viura from Spain and Chardonnay from Niagara were both barrel-fermented and aged in oak, while the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Chardonnay from Argentina were wild fermented and aged in oak. The Riesling from Chile and Pinot Gris from Niagara are both crafted in a dry style, while the Gewurztraminer from Alsace will provide pleasure for those seeking something sweet.

Among my sparkling wine recommendations, the bubbly from British Columbia is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay, while the sparkling wine from South Africa is crafted with 100% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• PIETRADOLCE ETNA ROSSO 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#538165) (XD) - $28.95
• SERAFINO GSM 2019 - Estate grown, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#23786) (XD) - $29.95
• REX HILL PINOT NOIR 2018 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#275735) (XD) - $43.95  91+ pts  wine review
• ICARDI FOSSATI BAROLO 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#25673) (XD) - $57.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN L'ARGNÉE VIEILLES VIGNES GIGONDAS 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#14985) (XD) - $59.95
• TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - DO Penedès, Spain (#129676) (XD) - $69.95
• HARTFORD COURT LAND'S EDGE VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#919712) (XD) - $69.95
  

White Wine:

• ANDRÉ BLANCK ET SES FILS ALTENBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER 2020 - AC Alsace, France (#168906) (MS) - $19.95
• CLOSSON CHASE K.J. WATSON VINEYARD PINOT GRIS 2021 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#469445) (XD) - $24.00
• VALDEMAR FINCA ALTO CANTABRIA SINGLE VINEYARD VIURA 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#25530) (XD) - $34.95
• CASA SILVA LAGO RANCO VIÑEDO DE FUTRONO RIESLING 2019 - Sustainable, Austral, Patagonia, Chile (#23428) (D) - $34.95
• ASTROLABE TAIHOA VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Vegan, Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#22875) (XD) - $39.95
• CATENA ALTA CHARDONNAY 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#139964) (XD) - $39.95
• BACHELDER WARREN SAUNDERS 100 CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#324103) (XD) - $47.95
  

Sparkling Wine:

• GRAHAM BECK ULTRA BRUT CAP CLASSIQUE 2016 - Sustainable, Traditional Method, WO Robertson, South Africa (#435453) (XD) - $29.95
• BLUE MOUNTAIN GOLD LABEL BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional Method, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#206326) (XD) - $34.95  90 pts  wine review
  

Read More

Cabriz Colheita Selecionada 2019 and Rosé 2020 (Portugal) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of delicious, budget-friendly wines from Cabriz of Portugal. Both wines arrived at the LCBO recently as part of the June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Cabriz wines are part of Global Wines and are one of the leading brands and best-selling wines from the Dão wine region in Portugal. Quinta de Cabriz is located in the heart of Dão in Carregal do Sal and is also the headquarters of Global Wines. Dão is one of the oldest established wine regions in Portugal and it's located in the mountainous northern central part of the country and has a temperate climate. The rugged terrain has predominantly granitic soils with a high thermal amplitude. One of the main red grape varieties of Portugal is Touriga Nacional and it originated in Dão.

In 2015, Global Wines celebrated 25 years of the Cabriz brand. Today, the Cabriz portfolio consists of Colheita Selecionada everyday wines, two of which are reviewed below, along with premium Reserva wines, organic wines, as well as Portugal's first white wine made with Touriga Nacional. Cabriz also makes a range of sparkling wines and a limited production fortified wine. The wines of Cabriz are known for the consistent quality, harvest after harvest, and are very popular globally. Let's see how their Cabriz Colheita Selecionada Tinto and Rosé wines are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

CABRIZ ROSÉ 2020 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#30445) (D) - $13.95
Blend of 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Alfrocheiro that was de-stemmed and underwent soft pneumatic pressing. Unoaked and aged for at least 2 months in bottle. The medium+ intensity nose has aromas of red berry, cherry, raspberry, and grapefruit with mineral accents. It is medium+ bodied, ripe, tangy, and honeyed on the palate with cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and grapefruit flavours with a kiss of sweetness that's balanced by fresh, crisp acidity. Some apple and stone fruit flavours come through on the back palate, joining the cherry and raspberry notes, plus touches of leesy mineral that linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 88 pts

CABRIZ COLHEITA SELECIONADA 2019 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#247973) (D) - $14.95
Blend of 40% Alfrocheiro Preto, 30% Aragonez (Tempranillo), and 30% Touriga Nacional. Fresh, perfumed aromas are generously intense with dark cherry, violet, dark currant, and floral notes accented with touches of oak spice and licorice. On the medium-full bodied palate it is ripe with plummy, dark cherry, currant, and sweet vanillin oak spice flavours that have a touch of sweetness, tempered by fresh, vibrant acidity. Smooth, refined tannins have a subtly dusty and chalky texture. Cherry, plum, and smoky oak notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines by Cabriz can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

Read More

Killibinbin The Shadow Shiraz/Cabernet 2016 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon blend that is new to the LCBO and arrived on shelves across Ontario last weekend as part of the June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Launched in 2010, Killibinbin is one of a number of ranges wines produced by Brothers in Arms, a family-owned winery located in Langhorne Creek, South Australia. Although Brothers in Arms was established only in 1998, it's family history on the estate goes back to 1882 when William Formby bought the Metala Estate from an eccentric Prussian named Herman Daenke and became the first generation of the Metala story. Winegrowing entered the picture when William's second son, Arthur, took over management of the property with his brother Fred and planted his first vines on Metala in 1891 after being encouraged to do so by his brother-on-law Ronald Martin of Stonyfell fame. He planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and some of these vines are still producing premium fruit today. In 1910, Arthur handed over all winemaking tasks to Ronald and continued to make wine on the property until 1955. The cellar of Metala was closed soon thereafter as it was simpler to transport the grapes to Stonyfell for processing.

Arthur and his wife Elsie had 2 children - Myles and Mavis. Mavis married Denys Butler and together they managed Metala until Denys died too soon in 1972. Their only daughter, Helen had married Stuart Adams and they lived at his property in Finniss. Helen became heavily involved in the management of Metala and was soon joined by Guy, the second son, upon leaving school. The property and business has since flourished and today Guy Adams and his wife Liz run Metala and Brothers in Arms. Guy and Liz and have two children and represent the 6th generation of the family to live at Metala.

This red wine is a blend of 80% Shiraz and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were sourced from three individual plantings at the estate of Metala Vineyards in Langhorne Creek, within the Fleurieu region of South Australia. Langhorne Creek is primarily a red wine producing region known for its Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with 70% of plantings devoted to these two varieties. Langhorne Creek is unique in that it sites on an ancient flood plain created by the Angas and Bremer rivers, with water descending from the Mount Lofty Ranges. The climate is temperate with moderate temperatures that are cooled by breezes from Lake Alexandrina and the Southern Ocean, allowing for a growing season that is long ripening.

The 2016 growing season in Langhorne Creek was notable for its long, dry periods where effectively no rain fell. It was also warmer than normal, with the warmest springs nights ever recorded, as well as record mid-season heat. According to vintage reports, Cabernet Sauvignon was a star due to the slow ripening season. With The Shadow, Killibinbin aims to take one form and turn it into something greater, something that mesmerizes with passionate purpose, hypnotic, alluring, and thrilling. Let's see how this 2016 Australian Shiraz/Cabernet is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KILLIBINBIN THE SHADOW SHIRAZ/CABERNET 2016 - Vegan, Langhorne Creek, South Australia (#23785) (XD) - $20.95
Enclosed by screw cap, this blend of 80% Shiraz and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 18 months with 85% in seasoned French oak barriques, and the rest in new hogsheads - 10% French and 5% American. The intense nose is refined and elegant with dark berry, blackcurrant, black pepper, meaty, and savoury earth aromas with hints of blackberry jam, cedar oak, and chocolate. It's medium-full bodied on the dry palate with smooth, fine-grained tannins supporting the dark berry, currant, meaty, peppery spice, and cedar oak flavours. Succulent acids are well-balanced, while savoury oak notes linger on the long, juicy, slightly tangy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

There is a Shiraz from Killibinbin available at the LCBO, while other wines from the range can be ordered through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.

Read More

Castelo do Mar Albariño 2020 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is this lovely Albariño from Spain. I enjoyed the 2018 Castelo do Mar Albariño in December 2020 and am delighted to see the latest vintage arrive in Ontario as part of the weekend's June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Winery Veiga da Princesa produces this white wine and is part of Grupo Pazo do Mar. The winery is located in Arbo, Pontevedra, in Galicia in the northwestern part of Spain. After two years of collecting more than 200 small plots of land from more than 70 different owners, they decided to authentically farm Albariño in 2002 using trellis cultivation techniques to produce grapes that are more airy, sun-kissed and less acidic. Dedicated to Albariño, they produce and bottle their own wines with advanced techniques and careful cleaning throughout the process, with maximum respect for the varietal. The concept of the winery is "Vino de Pago", or wine made exclusively with grapes from a single estate or property. With professional management of the vineyard, they are able to grow high quality, uniform Albariño grapes.

The 2020 vintage in D.O. Rías Baixas had favourable conditions throughout the growing season which resulted in increased yields. Harvest started a little earlier than usual and it is widely anticipated that the 2020 vintage will be outstanding with exceptional aromatic intensity and balanced acidity. Let's see how this 2020 Albariño from Rías Baixas is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CASTELO DO MAR ALBARIÑO 2020 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#488734) (XD) - $18.95
100% Albariño from their 18 hectare estate in Condado do Tea. Screw cap. Elegantly fragrant and rich on the nose with ripe tropical fruit, citrus, yellow-fleshed stone fruit, mineral, and touches of white floral aromas rising out of the glass. It's medium+ bodied on the dry, lightly honeyed, and crunchy palate with yellow and white floral, citrus, tropical fruit, and ripe apple flavours that are lifted by clean, crisp, and refreshing acidity. Nicely textured with oyster shell minerals and lemon citrus coming through on the crisp, long, and very satisfying finish. Highly recommended buy. Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Veiga da Princesa can be ordered via their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

Read More