Nativ Bicento Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2018 (Campania) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2013 Nativ Bicento over four years ago, tonight's red wine review is the latest edition of this terrific old vine wine from Campania that arrived at the LCBO today in the May 13 Online & Flagship Exclusives New Release Collection.

It is produced by Vini Nativ, a winery founded in 2008 on the slopes of the immaculate hills of Taurasi, in the heart of Irpinia, within the commune of Paternopoli, in the Province of Avellino, and region of Campania in southern Italy. It was formed by Dr. Mario Ercolino, an internationally renowned Oenologist, and Dr. Roberta Pirone, a Specialist in Food Science. Together, they aim to produce wines of excellence resulting from the important and deep experiences in their fields. They also aim to produce wines typical of the territory, in particular Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, Aglianico, and (like tonight's wine) Aglianico of Taurasi.

The vines for their wines are grown across 15 hectares of precious vineyards spread out between Paternopoli and Taurasi, on soils that are well-known for their fertility thanks to their volcanic origins. The name "Nativ" represents the origin of the Viticulture of Irpina, through an autochthonous production of grapes which outlines the concept of "original of the place”, and carried out through the production of wines coming from grapes typical of the territory. Each Nativ wine has a unique and unequivocal character, as it is produced through innovative winemaking methods, while respecting tradition, and always keeping the organoleptic structure of the grape unaltered. Nativ has several ranges of wines in their portfolio, with this red wine part of their top Cru range. The engine that drives the company is the love and respect for the terroir and vine, and it is the realization of a profession, way of living, and doing business.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Aglianico of Taurasi. It gets its name "Bicento", which translates literally to "twice 100", or two-hundred, because the grapes were grown on 200-year-old ungrafted vines. The vines are planted on volcanic soils situated in the hills of Taurasi, 500 metres above sea level. After hand-harvesting the grapes at the end of October, the grapes were transported to the winery and lightly pressed and macerated in steel silos. After fermentation, the wine was aged in new 225 hectolitre French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months.

The growing season during the 2018 vintage was quite problematic in Campania due to a cold winter, plentiful rain, and some hail in spring, with late summer heat helping speed up ripening. The harvest was also very small in size. Let's see how this Aglianico of Taurisini from Campania is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

NATIV BICENTO IRPINIA CAMPI TAURASINI 2018 - DOC, Campania, Italy (#575035) (D) - $44.95
100% Aglianico from 200 year-old vines, this has a clean, fragrant, and open nose that is highly aromatic with spicy notes layered over ripe dark berries, plum, and milk chocolate aromas. It's full-bodied, dense, and well-structured with ripe dark berries, black cherry, peppery spice, with savoury touches of earth, cedary oak flavours. There's a kiss of sweetness due to the ripe fruit flavours, but it comes off as dry due to the high, structured acidity. It has well-structured, mildly grippy tannins, while cedary oak, mocha chocolate, earth, and some minerality notes linger on the long, dry finish, with excellent length. Will provide pleasure now and over the next 10 years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93+ pts

Other fine wines by Vini Nativ can be ordered through their Agent - Don Ackerman's Wines & Spirits.

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Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Paso Robles) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles in California that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at the LCBO on Queens Quay (Toronto) and had signed on the spot at the bottle signing by its creator - Austin Hope. It was an honour to have this bottle signed, shake his hand, and exchange pleasantries before heading on to my next engagement. This California Cab arrived at the LCBO late last year as part of the feature on "Gifts to Celebrate" in the November 5 LCBO VINTAGES Release and is still available to buy now.

Austin Hope is the Winemaker & President of Hope Family Wines, Wine Enthusiast's American Winery of the Year in 2022. Austin is the son of Chuck Hope and was eight years old when he moved from Bakersfield to Paso Robles in 1978 with his parents. Chuck and his wife, Marilyn, sought a change of scenery and career and purchased the property in Paso Robles where Austin still lives today. They started out farming grapes and apples and soon discovered that Paso Robles was ideal for winegrowing and focused their efforts on growing high quality grapes.

Austin credits three people for his growth and encouragement on his path in wine: his father Chuck Hope, his uncle Paul, and the famed Napa Valley winemaker Chuck Wagner. In the 1980s, the Hope family began selling their grapes to Chuck Wagner for a new brand of wines Mr. Wagner was producing - a brand that was later acquired by the Hope family. Austin was a bit of a troublemaker as a kid and his punishment was to go work in the fields. However, he actually enjoyed this chore and preferred working on the ranch instead of being in school, eventually finding himself working in the vineyard alongside his father during the 80's and 90's as the Hope family expanded their winegrowing activities.

While studying fruit science at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Chuck Wagner took him under his wing and it was during this period that Austin developed a passion for making wine. Uncle Paul Hope's desire for the family was to move from simply growing grapes to producing their own wine. In 1996, when the Hope family acquired Chuck Wagner's Liberty School label, Paul was slated to lead the project. However, his untimely death shortly after the acquisition put Austin, who was only 26 at the time, in charge of the project and propel the family's addition of winemaking to their operations.

Today, Hope Family Wines has six labels of wines, each with their own unique focus and personality. The Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon is the top bottle in the Hope Family Wines portfolio. It is crafted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles and aims to express all that Paso has to offer with its
pastoral beauty, perfect soils, maritime climate, and limitless possibility. Paso Robles is one of California's most pastoral domains and its name roughly translates to "Passageway of Oaks", which comes from the majestic trees that mark the landscape. Amongst the rolling hills and native habitat lie manicured vineyards, where the ideal soil exists for farming Cabernet. The typical weather in Paso Robles are dry and warm, yet the evenings are chilled by a breeze from the Pacific Ocean just 18 miles to the west, allowing the fruit to ripen into luxurious richness.

This Cabernet was grown in several vineyards in Paso with each vineyard lot harvested and fermented individually in stainless steel tanks. Extended macerations and carefully managed pump overs enhanced the extraction of colour and tannin. Each lot was aged in mostly used French oak for 11 months, with the exact combination being 10% new, 25% second use, and 65% in third or fourth use. After tasting and analyzing each lot, the best lots were selected and blended together in late summer 2021, then aged a further 2 months in 75% new and 25% second use French oak.had

From a banner year in Paso Robles that produced grapes of excellent quality, let's see how this 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from California is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

AUSTIN HOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Paso Robles, California, USA (#578005) (D) - $74.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fragrant, highly aromatic nose is sweet vanillin oak spice and ripe, jammy black fruit driven with notes of black plum, blackberry, fine oak spice, cassis, and red licorice. On the full-bodied, richly structured palate it has sweet oak vanillin, fresh & ripe black fruit, blackberry, mocha, and black plum flavours supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity. The ripe, smooth, and refined tannins have a pleasingly mild grip on the back palate that will reward with a few years of ageing. Vanilla with roasted coffee, smoky oak, and tangy dark berry notes linger on the long, juicy finish, with excellent length. Well-balanced throughout. For the style, this is really nicely made and a highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

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

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May 13, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here's my top wine picks from the May 13 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection which will be available only Online at lcbo.com (click on the product code for each wine below to take you directly to their website) and in-store at the 10 Flagship Exclusive locations - 8 of which are in Toronto, plus one each in Ottawa and Oakville. There are 33 wines included as part of the release with more whites than reds. There is also one sparkling wine and one rosé. Overall, I would say it is a good release some fine options, with nearly half of the wines included among my top wine recommendations.

We'll begin with the red wines and only one of which is a blend - in fact, the Portuguese red wine is a field blend of 80% old vines and predominant variety is 20% Touriga Nacional. Syrah/Shiraz lovers have quite a few lovely options with a Syrah from Chile and a pair of Shiraz wines from Niagara and Australia. Lastly, at the higher end of the price spectrum there is a single clone Cabernet Sauvignon from California, while the vino from Campania is 100% Aglianico from vines that 200+ years old.

Among my white wine picks there are a couple of blends. One is a blend from Argentina that consists of 50% Chardonnay, 28% Sauvignon Blanc, and 22% Viognier, while the other is from South Africa and it is a blend of 33% Grenache Blanc, 28% Marsanne, 28% Viognier, and 11% Roussanne. Single varietal dry white wines include the Pinot Gris from Niagara, a Riesling from Australia, and a pair of Chardonnays - one each from Burgundy and Argentina. For sweet wine lovers, look to either Riesling from Germany, with the wine from Mosel being the sweeter of the two.

The lone rosé is dry and quite unique as its made with Nerello Mascalese and the ancient variety Nocera. Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• MONTES OUTER LIMITS SYRAH 2021 - DO Zapallar, Chile (#30209) (XD) - $24.95
• EASTDELL BLACK LABEL SHIRAZ 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#32809) (XD) - $25.00
• POÇAS RESERVA RED 2018 - Caedo Ervadosa, DOP Douro, Portugal (#21812) (XD) - $28.95
• BLEASDALE GENERATIONS SHIRAZ 2019 - Langhorne Creek, South Australia (#30752) (XD) - $29.95
• NATIV BICENTO IRPINIA CAMPI TAURASINI 2018 - DOC, Campania, Italy (#575035) (D) - $44.95  93+ pts  wine review
• MARIETTA GAME TRAIL CLONE 6 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino, California, USA (#30574) (XD) - $69.95

White Wine:

• ROCKWAY PINOT GRIS 2021 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#32811) (XD) - $20.00
• HEWITSON GUN METAL RIESLING 2022 - Eden Valley, South Australia (#30581) (XD) - $24.95
• CAPE ROCK WHITE BLEND 2020 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#30016) (XD) - $30.95
• HEXAMER EISENDELL AUF DER SÜDSEITE RIESLING KABINETT 2020 - Prädikatswein, Nahe, Germany (#30602) (S) - $32.95
• TAPIZ SELECCIÓN DE BARRICAS BLEND DE BLANCS 2021 - San Pablo single vineyard, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#30011) (XD) - $34.95
• MARCHAND-TAWSE VIRÉ-CLESSÉ 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#648576) (XD) - $37.95
• CATENA ALTA CHARDONNAY 2020 - Sustainable, Mendoza, Argentina (#139964) (XD) - $39.95
• MAXIMINHOF STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR *** RIESLING AUSLESE 2018 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#101873) (S) - $47.95

Rosé Wine:

• DONNAFUGATA DOLCE & GABBANA ROSA ROSÉ 2022 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#25860) (XD) - $53.95

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Cigar Box Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Chile) - Wine Review

Staying with Wines of Chile, tonight's red wine review is a well-made red wine crafted mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile that is widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

It is produced by Cigar Box Wines, a brand that was founded in 2011 with the goal of producing straight-forward, flavour-packed wines from the regions of Maipo and Leyda in Chile and the Luján de Cuyo zone in Argentina. The inspiration of the name "Cigar Box" comes from South America's cigar-making traditions in which handmade craftsmanship and adherence to quality is of great importance. To follow these traditions, each Cigar Box wine is handcrafted using grapes only from well-established, carefully managed, low-yielding, and old vine vineyards. The grapes are grown and produced using SVP and Carbon Neutral status, as well as bunch selected and hand-harvested. Cigar Box wines are meant to be enjoyed while celebrating life's everyday moments to memorable revelries, and are complex wines that still remain approachable to the average consumer.

While this wine is typically made with only Cabernet Sauvignon, this particular vintage is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah, all grown in Maipo Valley, one of the finest wine producing regions in the world. Maipo Valley is located at the northern end of Chile's vast Central Valley and is often described as the Bordeaux of South America. After high colour extraction, the grapes were fermented with selected yeasts at high controlled temperatures, followed by a fermentation at lower temperature to ensure a different extraction of the skin components. It was aged in a combination of French oak and stainless steel vats, with 60% of the wine aged in French oak for 8 months. From a good-to-excellent vintage, let's see how this 2021 Cabernet-Syrah from Chile is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CIGAR BOX OLD VINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - DO Valle Maipo, Chile (#25011) (XD) - $14.95
This blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah has a medium+ intensity nose that leads with ripe red and black cherry, followed some funky savoury wet earth aromas, plus hints of cigar box, black plum, olive, and dried herbs emerging with time in the glass. On the dry, medium+ bodied palate it has ripe red and black cherry, black plum, cigar box, and oak spice flavours. It has fresh acidity and smooth, refined, and lightly chalky textured tannins, while savoury, earthy oak spice notes longer on the finish, with good length. Score: 87+ pts

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Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère Syrah Organic 2020 (Chile) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious organic wine that is a blend of three varieties from Chile that is readily available at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

It is produced by Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery, one of the leading wine producers in Chile. Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1993 with the vision of producing premium, expressive, and innovative wines that convey the spirit of the New World. Quality, innovation, and sustainability are the three core values of Cono Sur. They are orientated towards growing quality grapes in order to produce quality wines, innovating with the creative use of technology, and respect for the environment and people. The company's name "Cono Sur" is translated to "Southern cone" and refers to company's geographic position - wines proudly made in South America's southern cone, on whose western edge lies Chile and its gifted wine valleys.

Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery is committed to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future, while also taking care of the environment without neglecting the aspects of social development and economic growth. In 1998, they switched from conventional agriculture to an integrated vineyard management system that favours natural alternatives to fertilize the soil and to prevent and control pests and disease. Their commitments have led to 17 years of organic certification, 13 years of Carbon Neutral Delivery, and 12 years of Wine Biodiversity and Climate Change. In 2007, Cono Sur became the first winery in the world to receive the CarbonNeutral delivery status, and in 2011 they were awarded Green Company of the Year by British magazine Drinks Business. Today, Cono Sur has over 300 hectares under organic management and they have vineyards in 7 of Chile's wine valleys.

This organic red wine is made with 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Carmenère, and 28% Syrah, with grapes grown in vineyards across Chile in the valleys of Maipo, Maule, Colchagua, and Limarí. Thus, this red wine bears the country of the appellation of Chile. There grapes were grown in a Mediterranean climate on various soil types, but mostly consisted of alluvial and gravelly, pumacita, red clay, and mineral soils. After a combination of hand-picking and mechanically harvesting the grapes, the wine was vinified at their estate in Chimbarongo, about 160 km south of Santiago. It was aged for 12 months, with half aged in French oak barrels and the other half in stainless steel tanks. From an extremely early and hot growing season, and a challenging harvest, let's see how this 2020 Chilean organic red wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CONO SUR CABERNET SAUVIGNON CARMENÈRE SYRAH ORGANIC 2020 - Chile (#553792) (XD) - $16.55
Enclosed by screw cap, this blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Carmenère, and 28% Syrah has a medium to medium-high intensity nose that is rich and ripe with red and black cherry, currant, cassis, peppery spice, vanilla, and cedary oak spice aromas. It's medium+ bodied on the dry palate with delicious currant, cassis, dried herbs, herbaceous, peppery spice, and gentle cedary oak flavours supported by fresh acidity and supple, fine-grained tannins. Cedary oak spice and dried herbal notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 88 pts

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Pittacum Val de la Osa Mencía 2017 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Mencía from DO Bierzo in Spain that is brand new to the LCBO, arriving on shelves across the province today as part the April 29th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Viñedos y Bodegas Pittacum, one of four member wineries that make up Grupo Terras Gauda. Present in four of Spain's principal wine regions, Terras Gauda has established itself as one of the Spain's top winemaking groups. Their main objective is to produce high quality wines with unique personalities, using noble varieties grown in ideal conditions, and vinified according to the area's tradition and crafted with the most advanced technology and the utmost care.

Acquired by Terras Gauda in 2002, Viñedos y Bodegas Pittacum is located in Arganza, a town with a longstanding vine-growing and winemaking heritage, and nestled in the beautiful landscape of the Bierzo. The Denomination of Origin Bierzo is located in the northwest of León province, in the north western part of Spain. Bierzo covers 18% of the total surface area of the province borders the provinces of Orense, Lugo, Oviedo, and is in an area of transition between Galicia, León, and Asturias. The Bierzo is a series of small valleys within this mountainous area, while the lower Bierzo is a vast and flat depression, and each area determines the crop types.

Since Pittacum first opened, it's mission has been to create wines with personality and bearing a unique stamp, without losing sight of the hallmark features of the Mencía variety and the local area and climate. They are committed to wines of personality, reliability, and quality.

The area where Pittacum is located has a very special micro-climate - its mild, calm, and rather temperate climate is regulated by a humidity similar to the humidity of Galicia. It also boasts the dryness of Castilla which helps maintain water balance. Situated at low altitude, this prevents late frosts on the whole, which also makes it mild enough for early grape harvesting that generally takes place a month earlier than the rest of Castilla and Rioja.

The soils in mountains of Bierzo are a a mixture of refined elements, quartzite, chalks, while in the lowland areas of the valleys the soils are enriched by the continuous benefits of the soil on the slopes. The vineyards in the Bierzo region are situated primarily on damp black and slightly acidic soils, and as such lack the carbonates typical of humid climates. One of the defining factors for the quality of grapes is their location. As such, the vines are situated on slightly inclined terraces closest to rivers, on semi-terraced slopes, or in vineyards with pronounced inclination and at altitudes between 450 and 1,000 metres.

To craft their wines, they use grapes from their own 5 hectares of excellent old vines, as well as sourcing the finest old vine grapes (between 50 and 80 years old) from growers in different parts of Bierzo while monitoring their development all year round as scrupulously as in our own vineyards. The Pittacum project is based on the Mencía (Men-thee-ah) variety, a rare grape variety with great potential that is only grown in two places: northwestern Spain and the northern half of Portugal.

Crafted with 100% Mencía, the Val de la Osa is born out of an ancient vineyard and land where the Mencía variety has been grown for centuries. It is a wine that speaks of the land and the conditions in which it was grown and the vines taken care of. The Mencía vines were grown on sloping, well-drained, moderately fertile, deep-seated, loamy-soil terrain. The grapes were harvested from 60+ year old vines and carefully destemmed and sorted, bunch by bunch, on the sorting table. It was fermented in temperature-controlled tanks for 20 days and then aged for 12 months in 1-year-old French oak barrels. Let's see how this 2017 Mencía from Bierzo is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PITTACUM VAL DE LA OSA MENCÍA 2017 - Old vines, enclave singular, DO Bierzo, Spain (#31200) (XD) - $28.95
From 60+ year old vines, this 100% Mencía has intriguing earthy black mineral aromas which are joined by black and blue berry fruit, plus touches of violet, black plum, olive, and spice adding complexity to the bouquet. On the medium-full bodied, dry palate it offers lovely black and blue fruit, earthy black mineral, spice, and violet replays on the flavour profile. It's supported by fresh, bright, acidity and smooth, well-structured, and fine-grained tannins. Savoury minerals with black and blue fruits linger on the long, balanced finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Other lovely wines by Pittacum can be ordered through their Agent - Eurovintage Wines & Spirits.

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Giacomo Mori Chianti 2018 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Chianti from the classic European wine region of Tuscany that is part of the theme in this weekend's April 29 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and should be widely available across Ontario by this Saturday, if not a day or two earlier.

It is crafted by Giacomo Mori, a wine producer located in the village of Palazzone, in the southeast corner of Tuscany, east of San Casciano dei Bagni, just outside of the Chianti Classico zone. The story of Giacomo Mori begins at the end of the 18th century when they were in the marketing business of processed, aged, and bottled wine from the cellars of Palazzone and Chiusi. Unfortunately, these activities slowed with the onset of World War I and eventually ceased during the economic crisis of 1927. Giovanni Mori, the son of Giacomo, started winemaking activities with his sons in 1970 and sold their wines mostly in tanks and demijohns.

With a renewed focus on making quality wines, in 1995 they began planting new vineyards with careful selection of varieties, clones, and vineyard layout. Over the next 15 years, Giacomo Mori renovated their cellars in Palazzone, as well as renovated the original building. Winemaking activities were moved to steel containers and ageing in oak barrels, as well as inside the "barriques", old containers dug in the tuff of which the ancient grottoes (caves) are made. A constant temperature of 12°C is maintained in the area set aside for ageing.

Today, this small estate has 10 hectares of land with south-southeast exposure to the sun. The planting density is 4500-5000 vines/hectare, and the vines are trained using the "cordone speronato" (pruned-spur cordon-trained) system. The main variety planted is Sangiovese, which makes up 75% of their total production. 12% of their production is devoted to Merlot, while the remainder is a mix of international and indigenous red and white grape varieties. All of the grapes are harvested manually and beginning with the 2019 vintage, all of their wines are certified organic. Emiliano Falsini is the consultant oenologist and works closely with Giacomo Mori.

I last enjoyed the 2015 Giacomo Mori Chianti about four years ago and like previous vintages, this red wine from Chianti continues to be a blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino/Canaiolo. It was fermented at controlled temperatures in 40-60 hectolitre stainless steel containers, followed by ageing for 10 to 12 months in 20 hectolitre Slavonian and Allier oak barrels, as well of 5 hectolitre tonneaux and third-use barriques. From the excellent 2018 vintage across Tuscany, let's see how this 2018 Chianti is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

GIACOMO MORI CHIANTI 2018 - Palazzone, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#68858) (XD) - $23.95
Blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino/Canaiolo. The intensely fragrant and perfumed nose offers lovely aromas of dark red cherries, baking spices, clove, and savoury earth with hints of dried herbs. It's medium+ bodied on the palate, with impressive weight and delicious tangy red and black cherry, spice, clove, rose floral, and savoury earth flavours. Quite elegant, refined, and nicely balanced throughout with fresh acidity and supple, slightly chalky tannins. Red cherry notes are joined by smoky minerals plus touches of orange and rose floral on the long, fresh finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Giacomo Mori can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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