Creekside Red Tractor Cabernet/Merlot 2020 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Cabernet-Merlot from Niagara that returned to the LCBO over the weekend as part of the March 4 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Red Tractor Wines are produced by Creekside Estate Winery. This new world wine brand was established by Creekside in 2011 to celebrate the past, present, and future of farming in Ontario. The red tractor symbol comes from an old Massey Harris tractor that Creekside owns and serves as a symbol of the hard work required to farm the vineyards. Red Tractor Wines honours this hard work and salutes their family of growers.

The grapes used to craft Red Tractor Wines are sourced from family farms across the Niagara Peninsula - because place matters. The wines pay homage to the vineyards and growers such as the Serluca and Smith Families, as they work alongside these second-generation farmers as they push the boundaries on innovation and lead with sustainable farming practices.

And thinking ahead to International Women's Day, which is held annually on March 8th, Yvonne Irvine leads the winemaking for Red Tractor Wines. She has over 12-years of viticultural and winemaking experience, and works closely with the family of growers while embracing the honest, hard-work required to grow and harvest quality fruit. Each vintage is a labour of love as she celebrates the growers by crafting their fruit into strong, powerful wines.

I was first introduced to Red Tractor Wines in 2019 when they launched their first Cabernet/Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines. The range now also includes a Shiraz Cabernet and a Chardonnay. While the 2017 vintage of this red wine blend was Merlot-based, this particular vintage is composed of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon (47%) and Merlot (46%), plus 7% Cabernet Franc to complete the blend. This blend celebrates the vineyards of the Niagara Peninsula and the growers that have shaped the landscape. The grapes were harvested from three vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was vinified and aged in separate small lots, and then blended after 16 months in barrel.

From the near-perfect 2020 growing season that provided structure, ripeness, and longevity to age, let's see how this 2020 Bordeaux-blend from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CREEKSIDE RED TRACTOR CABERNET/MERLOT 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#11851) (D) - $17.95
A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, this has an attractive, medium-high intensity nose that offers ripe black currant, cassis, black cherry, chocolate, and oak spice aromas with some earthy undertones and a touch of olive. On the medium-full bodied palate it has ripe, dark currant, cassis, black cherry, plum, and earthy oak spice flavours supported by fresh acidity. Structured tannins are gritty textured and quite drying, while savoury earth, cedary, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Enjoy this recommended buy with big red meats. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious Red Tractor Wines are available direct from Creekside Estate Winery in Niagara.

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Selbach Tradition Feinherb Riesling Kabinett 2020 (Mosel) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Riesling Kabinett from Mosel that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the February 4th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by J & H Selbach, a separate family business from their estate wine producing company - Weingut Selbach-Oster. The company Selbach-Oster was established as an independent business in 1964 to separate the family's estate vineyards from the rest of the business which included making wine from their own grapes and purchased grapes from small growers along the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer, in the negociant tradition.

The historic Selbach family has a winemaking and shipping tradition that dates all the way back to the 1600s, while the Oster family were winegrowers and coopers going back to the 1700s. Johannes Selbach, who is from the Osters grand-maternal line of the family, is the current owner of Selbach-Oster. He was raised in the municipality of Zeltingen, where the estate is located today within the Mosel wine region, and grew up around the family's vineyards his whole life and made his first wine at at a young age in 1975.

Today, both of Johannes children, Sebastian and Hannah, are involved in the family's small winemaking business. Sebastian has especially developed a passion for wine by working the vineyards and after completing his studies in oenology and viticulture, as well as internships in Germany and abroad, he joined the family estate in 2019. There are no official titles at Selbach-Oster as each day is a joint effort among family members and their employees.

Selbach-Oster owns and farms 24 hectares of vineyards, most of which is old, some up to 100 years old, ungrafted Riesling vines, located on the "golden mile" of Mosel which features the steep, slate slopes from Zeltingen to Wehlen to Graach, and to Bernkastel. The vines are grown in harmony with nature with lots of time-consuming, manual labour, and with meticulous care. The grapes are hand-picked, and often with multiple passes, while fermentation takes place in their cold cellars with mostly wild, indigenous yeast.

From a very good 2020 vintage that is delivering balance and elegance, let's see how this 2020 Riesling Kabinett from Mosel is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SELBACH TRADITION FEINHERB RIESLING KABINETT 2020 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#21031) (M) - $24.95
The nose seems rather quiet with glimpses of citrus, orange, white peach, and honeyed aromas. On the rich, concentrated, and medium-full bodied palate it has deliciously off-dry and gently spicy flavours of citrus, white peach, ripe apple, and honey with touches of slatey and leesy minerals. It's nicely textured on the mid-palate with crisp, vibrant, and refreshing acidity that balances the sweetness, while leesy mineral notes linger on the sticky, juicy, long, and dry-ish finish. Recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

You may find some wines by Weingut Selbach at the LCBO, but your best bet is to reach out to their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious sweet cream Sherry that is widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario as part of the General List Collection and currently on limited time offer of $2 off until the last week of March.

It is produced by Harveys, a sherry company that was founded in Bristol, England, in 1796 by merchant William Perry who would go on to become on the largest importers of sherry from the Bay of Cadiz (Spain) to the port of Bristol.

Quality is very important to Harveys and each drop means everything to them. They have spent years finding the the best vineyards and bodegas in Spain's Jerez winegrowing region. Jerez offers its own, unique micro-climate due to the fresh and humid winds from the west. and warm and dry winds from the east. Jerez is also known for its Albariza (white) soils which are best for growing Palomino grapes, and 300 days of sunshine a year. This unique terroir makes Jerez the global centre for sherry production. The Master Blender at Harveys is Manuel Jose Valcarcel ans he has been with the company for over 20 years and makes sure that their unique liquid is always up to the highest standards.

This Cream Sherry was launched in 1882 by John Harvey II and his brother Edward and granted the Royal Warrant shortly thereafter. It is composed of 80% Palomino and 20% Pedro Ximenez, using a delicate blend of Jerez's finest wines; delicate finos, aged amontillados, fragrant olorosos, and the special Pedro Ximenez grape which provides a silky, mellow smoothness. It is known for its deep golden chestnutty and amber tones, as well as being full, fragrant, pungent, and elegant all at once, and a full bodied, rich, yet mellow experience that is long-lasting and velvety. It is best enjoyed chilled at 12°C in a wine glass or mix over ice with a slice of orange. To assist you in enjoying the Bristol Cream Sherry it at its best temperature, the "Harveys" name on the front label will turn blue. Let's see how this sweet cream Sherry from Spain is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

HARVEYS BRISTOL CREAM SHERRY - DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, Spain (#215483) (S) (750 mL) - $18.45 $16.45 until Mar. 26
Screw cap. Blend of 80% Palomino and 20% Pedro Ximenez, the medium-high intensity nose has sweet aromas of caramel, fig, burnt sugar, golden raisin, hazelnut, and floral tones. It's medium+ bodied with a sweet flavour profile of caramel, molasses, fig, hazelnut, golden raisin, and floral flavours. It has balanced acidity and some warmth on the creamy mid-palate, but still within balance, while the delicious flavour replays come through on the smooth, nutty, dry-ish, and long-lasting finish. This recommended buy is best enjoyed nicely chilled. Score: 88+ pts

Other lovely Harveys Sherrys can be ordered through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent Sangiovese based red wine from the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG in Tuscany (not to be confused with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a red wine made from the Montepulciano grape in Abruzzo). This red wine arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent February 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release and is readily available across the province.

It is produced by Poliziano, a family winery that was born in 1961 from the love for their beautiful with which they work in harmony to vibrant and representative wines with professionalism and the constant search for the most advanced viticultural and oenological techniques.

The story of Poliziano begins when Dino Carletti purchased his first parcel of 22 hectares near Montepulciano. He named the winery "Poliziano" because in Italian a native of Montepulciano is called a "Poliziano", and one of the most well-known Polizianos in the history of the region is the humanist poet Angelo Ambrogini (1454-1494) who had the nickname "Poliziano". As a tribute to Angelo, he is represented in the company's logo.

In the late 1970s, Federico Carletti, son of Dino, took over management of the property after he completed his studies in agriculture and immediately made his mark by choosing to work exclusively with their own estate grapes. Today, the estate has over 170 hectares of vineyards and the focus is on quality viticulture that is also innovative, yet respectful of the environment and tradition. Federico's pursuit of quality and excellence was present in the vineyards and cellar, while continuously looking to improve. He studied Sangiovese (aka Prugnolo Gentile) in order to find its best expression in Montepulciano, while also planting international varieties in the 1990s. For almost twenty years, Federico has focused on reaching the highest expression of this territory in his wines, with a firm belief in the potentiality, while also moving towards a more natural and sustainable approach.

Today, the family's passion for wine continues with the 3rd generation. Francesco and Maria Stella joined the family business in 2019 and 2021, respectively, as essential advisors to Federico and are ready to face both the current and future challenges.

This Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is crafted with 90-95% Sangiovese, a grape known locally by its historic name Prugnolo Gentile, and the remainder with other permitted varieties. At Poliziano, they dedicate the utmost care to growing Prugnolo Gentile, the grape that characterizes the Montepulciano area, because it expresses the full potential of the territory with its rich wine history. First produced in 1968, the grapes for this wine come from a 47 hectare vineyard situated between 300 to 400 metres above sea level on silty-clay soils with a medium presence of stones. The grapes were manually harvested and sorted by an optical sorting machine. It was macerated and fermented in stainless steel vats, followed by ageing for 14-16 months in wood barrels, with two-thirds aged in French oak barriques and tonneaux, and one-third in vats.

From an excellent 2018 vintage in Tuscany, let's see how this 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

POLIZIANO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#988055) (XD) - $34.95
Composed of 90-95% Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile), this has a beautifully elegant and highly aromatic nose of red cherry, sweet spices, baking spice, clove, wet earth, and hints of Mediterranean herb aromas laying underneath. It's medium-full bodied on the ripe, structured palate with lovely red cherry, clove, earth replays, plus sandalwood notes on the flavour profile. It is impeccably balanced with juicy, succulent acidity and well-integrated, elegantly structured, and grainy textured tannins. Savoury, earthy, chestnut, and sandalwood notes with touches of cherry lingering on the long, highly pleasurable finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 10 years, maybe a bit more. Score: 92+ pts

Minimal quantities of one other wine by Poliziano is available at the LCBO, while the rest of the portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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March 4, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Hidden Italy

Here are my top wine picks from the March 4, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release which is titled "Hidden Treasure" and looks at wines from Italy's lesser-known regions. Overall, this is a smaller-than-normal release with just 77 wines includes in the release. It's also a bit surprising to see only twelve wines over $30 in this release. Nevertheless, all of the wines in this New Release Collection should be available at LCBO outlets across Ontario by this Saturday.

As this release is a small one, the number of wines featured in the theme on Hidden Treasures from Italy's lesser-known wines regions is also not many, with just eight wines featured and two included among my top wine recommendations. The lesser-known Italian wine regions listed in the magazine are Friuli, Lake Garda, Langhe, Umbria, Taurasi, and Sicily. The recommended buys are a Etna Rosso from Sicily which is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, while the wine from Umbria is composed of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino.

Red wine picks from the release begins with the outstanding Super Tuscan that is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The only other blend among my top wine picks is the Cabernet/Merlot from Niagara that is composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. Some of the single varietal wines include a pair of high altitude Malbec wines from Argentina, as well as a pair of Southern Hemisphere Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one from Chile and the other from Australia. There are also a couple of Syrah/Shiraz wines, with the Syrah coming from Chile and the Shiraz coming from Australia.

All of my white wine picks are single varietal wines, with Sauvignon Blanc leading the way with three examples from New Zealand and one from South Africa. If you enjoy Sauv Blanc, get all four to compare and contrast. There is also a fine Grüner Veltliner from Austria, as well as an organic Pinot Grigio from Italy. Lastly, if you like some sweetness in your wine, try the off-dry Riesling from Niagara.

Among my sparkling wine picks, the Rose Prosecco is a blend of 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Nero, while the vintage Champagne is crafted with 100% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cincin!

Red Wine:

• FINCA SOPHENIA ALTOSUR MALBEC 2021 - Gualtallary, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#13113) (XD) - $17.00
• CREEKSIDE RED TRACTOR CABERNET/MERLOT 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#11851) (D) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• ROCKWAY VINEYARDS GAMAY NOIR 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#32022) (XD) - $19.00
• ESCUDO ROJO RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Sustainable, Valle del Maipo, Chile (#13434) (XD) - $19.95
• LUNGAROTTI RUBESCO ROSSO DI TORGIANO 2019 - DOC, Umbria, Italy (#368548) (XD) - $21.95  88+ pts  wine review
• MANOS NEGRAS STONE SOIL MALBEC 2019 - Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#482109) (XD) - $21.95  89 pts  wine review
• FALERNIA TITÓN SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA SYRAH 2017 - DO Valle del Elqui, Chile (#27198) (XD) - $22.95
• ANGOVE FAMILY CREST SHIRAZ 2019 - Vegan, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#12842) (XD) - $23.95
• WAKEFIELD JARAMAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Clare Valley & Coonawarra, South Australia (#142398) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• TORNATORE ETNA ROSSO 2018 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#487090) (XD) - $24.95
• TENUTA SAN GUIDO GUIDALBERTO 2020 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#72439) (XD) - $70.95  93 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• FASOLI GINO SAN RAFFAELE PINOT GRIGIO 2021 - Vegan, DOC delle Venezie, Italy (#204768) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• CAPE OF GOOD HOPE ALTIMA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - WO Elandskloof, Western Cape, South Africa (#15713) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRASSEN FEDERSPIEL GRÜNER VELTLINER 2021 - Vegan, sustainable, Qualitätswein, Wachau, Austria (#31534) (XD) - $20.95
• DUCK HUNTER SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Vegan, sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#26127) (XD) - $21.95  90 pts  wine review
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $21.95
• SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC RIESLING 2021 - Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#25647) (D) - $22.95
• VILLA MARIA WAIRAU VALLEY RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#536201) (XD) - $27.95

Sparkling Wine:

• VOGA ROSÉ PROSECCO 2020 - Sustainable, DOC, Italy (#27125) (D) - $19.95
• MANDOIS VICTOR VIEILLES VIGNES BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2012 - AC, France (#29945) (XD) - $84.95

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Treana Chardonnay 2021 (California) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2020 Treana Cabernet Sauvignon late last year, tonight's white wine review is its companion Chardonnay that arrived at the LCBO last month in the January 7th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Hope Family Wines, a winemaking family that has been farming the lands in Paso Robles, a sub-region within the Central Coast AVA, for over 30 years. When the family first arrived in this barely-discovered region, they planted apples and grapes. Over time, the rolling, oak-studded terrain of Paso Robles would become a viticultural terroir of significance and one of the top winegrowing regions for quality red wine within the Central Coast.

Hope Family Wines consists of five individual wine brands. Like the aforementioned Cabernet Savuginon, this white wine is from the Hope family's Treana line of wines. The name "Treana" is inspired by Spanish word for trio of natural elements. It represents the sum of three elements that influences their wines: the land that their families farm, the warm California sun that nurtures, and the cooling ocean breeze that balances.

This Chardonnay is crafted with fruit sourced from some very distinctive vineyards mainly in Santa Barbara County - all of which have sandy loam soils that provide good drainage and a climate that experiences marine layers that typically dominate the summer mornings and lead into warm afternoons. After harvesting, the grapes were whole-cluster pressed into stainless steel tanks. The juice was fermented in a combination of barrel and stainless steel. 65% of the wine was barrel-fermented in American and French oak followed by 7 months of sur-lie ageing, while the other 35% was fermented in stainless steel. The two wines were blended together and a portion was barrel-aged for 1 month in new French oak. The barrels used to craft this wine offer a distinctive nuance. Let's see how this 2021 California Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TREANA CHARDONNAY 2021 - Central Coast, California, USA (#481523) (D) - $25.95
Screw cap. Rich, fragrant aromas of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, pineapple, butter, and poached apple rise out of the glass. On the medium-full bodied palate it is ripe, creamy, and sweet with oak-influenced flavours of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, lemon, pineapple, butter, and apple. The textured mid-palate gives way to smoky, toasty oak flavours on the finish, with good length. A crowd-pleasing Chardonnay. Score: 87 pts

Other delicious wines from Hope Family Wines are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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Zingari 2019 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2018 Zingari last year, tonight's red wine review is the latest edition of this lovely Super Tuscan that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Petra, a winery and estate whose modern story was conceived in the late 1990's with the intention of bringing together some of the greatest pioneers of Italian wine to create a new benchmark for Super Tuscans - wines made using international grape varieties grown and vinified on Tuscan soils. Petra is situated close to the ancient village of Suvereto, in northern Maremma of Tuscany, on the ferrous hills of the Val di Cornia where you can see as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Although Petra was only conceived fairly recently, it's roots go back to 1808 when Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleone's sister, Princess of Lucca and Piombino and grand duchess of Tuscany, chose this place in Maremma to establish the first seed of an agricultural and viticultural project. Nearly two centuries later, Francesca Moretti fell in love with the history and the culture of the chateaux in Bordeaux and began studying agriculture and oenology. She eventually settled in the fertile Val di Cornia and in 1997, her father Vittorio Moretti, one of the greats of Italian wine, purchased 60 hectares in San Lorenzo and 45 hectares in Campiglia Marittima, a few kilometres from Piombino, in the Suvereto area, as the start of the contemporary project that would become Petra.

While still in university, Francesca planted her first varietals at the winery based on the terroir and her vision and favouring international varieties in the Princess Vineyard, a 5 hectare plot where Elisa Bonaparte had also planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes two centuries earlier. The vineyards of Petra are located in a pristine, "wild" part of Maremma along the Tuscan coast where biodiversity is vibrant. The vineyards are managed according to organic practices while in the process of being certified, as well as reducing environmental impact.

The Zingari wine was born as an experimental vineyard on loamy-sandy textured and slightly calcareous soils to test the attitude of its varietals: Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot. The wine traces its roots to an ancient water spring that was a stop-over for pilgrims and wayfarers who were travelling along the Aurelia Street, hence the name Zingari (aka Gypsies), and could seek refreshment by resting near by its crystal clear waters. The decision to plant not only autochthonous grape varieties, but also international varieties, was to underline and narrate the migrating nature of the wine. The grape varieties used in this wine travelled distances to finally find comfort within the water spring of Zingari! It was aged in barrels and barriques for at least 12 months, and then at least a further 3 months in bottle prior to release.

By most accounts, the 2019 growing season in Tuscany was extremely good, marked by extreme summer heat and life-saving rains which fell towards the end of July that prevented the onslaught of drought. The weather stayed fine and stable through to harvest period, raising expectations for producing some excellent wines. Let's see how this 2019 Super Tuscan is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ZINGARI 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#244228) (XD) - $19.95
This Super Tuscan is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot has clean, fragrant, medium-high intensity aromatics that deliver spicy, dried herbs, dark-black cherry, cocoa, clove, earthy mineral, and balsamic notes with impressive complexity. On the dry, chewy, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it has ripe dark berry cherry, cassis, black plum, mineral, and dried herbs flavours with a saltiness that permeates throughout. Acids are fresh and succulent, while the supple tannins have a lightly pleasant chalky grip. Salty minerals, dark berry, cherry, sweet cassis, and cedary oak notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Better than the previous vintage and a highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other delicious Petra Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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