Ranch 32 Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (California) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely California Cabernet Sauvignon that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the August 19 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Ranch 32 Wines, a winery known for producing premium wines from Monterey County. They planted their first vines in 1972, when winegrowing in Monterey County was in its infancy, and are situated on the west side of the Salinas Valley, directly in the path of Monterey's relentless afternoon winds. Although the region was known to have special, unique qualities, it would take a few decades for the vineyards to reach their full potential.

At Ranch 32, their goal is to highlight the natural characteristics of their terroir to convey a sense of place by producing small lots of wines from their sustainable farmed estate vineyards located in Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, and Hames Valley AVAs. Their winemaking approach is very targeted, exerting the highest level of control over details such as vineyard design, pruning, tying, and picking decisions. Clone-specific blocks are harvested and fermented separately in small lots, with oak ageing applied to support the fruit and not overwhelm it. The final blend is composed just before bottling to express the nuances of each terroir and variety.

Sustainability plays a major role at Ranch 32 with a wind turbine that sits at the heart of their property. This turbine became operational in 2017 and powers the entire winery, plus an additional 125 homes with renewable energy. Using wind as a power source is ideal in this location due to the inexhaustible winds of the Salinas Valley. They also use integrated pest management strategies by allowing beneficial insects and birds to control pest populations, as well as herbal-based preparations that are applied in the vineyards to promote soil vitality through increased micro-biologic activity. Water usage is minimized by using 100% drip irrigation in all of their vineyards. Ranch 32's vineyards were certified sustainable by California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance in 2014, while their winery operation was certified in 2018.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was grown - most likely from their vineyards in San Lucas and Hames Valley - in the Monterey County AVA, which is within the much larger Central Coast AVA in California. The grapes were grown on diatomaceous shale, Lockwood and Chamise shaly loams, and in a warm climate with dramatic diurnal temperature shifts. The fruit was picked during the night, at optimum ripeness, and brought to the winery in the very early morning hours. Upon arriving at the winery, select lots of the grapes were carefully sorted, de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented dry for 10 days in open-top stainless steel tanks. It was aged in French and American oak for 12 months.

From a traumatic 2020 vintage that had to battle wildfires and the pandemic, the quality of the wines that were bottled were good to excellent. Let's see how this 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from California is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RANCH 32 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Monterey County, California, USA (#480269) (XD) - $25.95
Crafted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium-high intensity nose has attractive currant, cassis, black cherry, and chocolate aromas with hints of earth and dried herbs. It's full-bodied and dry with delicious currant, black cherry, cassis, chocolate, gentle vanillin oak spice, and earthy flavours that are supported by very good, well-balanced acidity and smooth, refined, and well-structured tannins. It's nicely balanced throughout, with currant, black cherry, savoury cocoa, and vanilla notes lingering on the finish, with very good length. Honest Cab and a recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely Ranch 32 Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Churchill Cellars.

Read More

Rodney Strong Symmetry 2017 (Sonoma) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent red blend from Sonoma County that I was first introduced to back in 2017 during a very interesting Rodney Strong Blending Seminar with Winemaker Rick Sayre. The latest vintage of Symmetry arrived at the LCBO last month, as part of the August 19 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by the pioneering and well-respected Rodney Strong Vineyards, the 13th winery that was established in Sonoma County in 1959. It was founded by Rodney D. Strong and has become one of Sonoma's leading wine producers.

Rodney Strong was an accomplished dancer, but transitioned to winemaking after acquiring a 159-acre vineyard in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, because he saw great potential for growing high-quality wine grapes. In 1979, as Mr. Strong stepped back from daily activities, Rick Sayre came on board as the new winemaker for Rodney Strong Vineyards. It was around this time that Tom Klein was introduced to Rodney Strong Vineyards and in 1989 he purchased the vineyards and winery because he truly loved being in the wine business.

Today, under the leadership of the Klein family, who are also 4th generation farmers in California, Rodney Strong Vineyards is flourishing with a commitment and passion to crafting premium wines. They are also committed to sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship, and have received certifications such as certifications such as Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing and Sonoma County Sustainable. Rodney Strong produces several ranges of wines, with Symmetry part of their Reserve collection. All wines from their Reserve collection are crafted at their state-of-the-art Artisan Winery.

The philosophy behind Symmetry is that at its heart, it is an artfully blended wine that is carefully crafted using fruit from the very best hillside vineyards in Sonoma County. Part of the goal when crafting Symmetry is to capture the essence of each varietal in the blend, while striking the perfect balance between the classic Bordeaux varieties. Only the best is selected for the final blend, which makes Symmetry a unique expression for each vintage. The name Symmetry means balance, and it is their winemakers' ultimate goal to craft a rich blend that is harmonious, elegant, and intensely flavoured.

Like the wine during the blend seminar and other vintages prior and since, this red wine is typically a blend based on at least 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, with this particular vintage composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 12% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The fruit was grown in the Cooley (45%), Brothers (30%), and Rockway (25%) vineyards. It was crafted by Winemakers Justin Seidenfeld and Greg Morthole, using their small lot winemaking facility which they call the Artisan Cellar. They employed artisan techniques such as cluster pre-sorting, berry sorting, and extended maceration, while also using small tanks and equipment sized for the most discriminating vineyard selection process. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 75% new, for 24 months. The facility is truly state-of-the-art and represents the Klein family's commitment to producing the finest wines.

The 2017 growing season was a complicated one and will be remembered for many years as the all-time precipitation record was set by mid-April, followed by six different heat waves as high as 43°C. The fruit was harvested between September 16th and October 13th. Let's see how this 2017 red wine from Sonoma is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RODNEY STRONG SYMMETRY 2017 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#641142) (XD) - $74.95
Blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 12% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Richly fragrant, fresh, and spicy on the highly aromatic nose with a lovely mélange of red and black fruits, currant, cassis, grilled herbs, and savoury earth aromas with a touch of barnyard and anise adding further complexity. It's full-bodied and dry with ripe, chewy, elegant, and well-structured tannins. Lovely, rich flavours of red and black fruits, black cherry, currant, cassis, grilled herbs, oak spice, and earth flavours. A touch palate warming on the mid-palate, but still balanced, while the acids are fresh and juicy. Grilled herbs, dark fruits, and smoky earth notes linger on the long, elegant finish. Enjoy to at least the end of the decade, and perhaps a bit longer. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

Many other fine wines by Rodney Strong are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

Read More

September 9, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Ontario

Here's my top wine picks from the September 9, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. As per usual, the first release of September coincides with harvest here in Ontario and, as such, the theme of this release focuses on wines from Ontario. It is a fairly sized release with 132 wines and more than 30 of which fall into the "Online and Flagship Exclusive" category. All of the wines should be in stores by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme, which features the brilliant wines from Ontario. There are 20 wines from 20 different wineries in the theme, and includes a mini-profile of each winery in the printed catalogue. There are many nice wines among the 20, with a few recommended previously, so I have elected to include just three wines among my top wine picks this time around - a pair of delicious Niagara Riesling wines, with the one from Vineland Estates the sweeter of the two, and the Late Harvest Vidal dessert wine which is very sweet for a Late Harvest wine.

Among my red wine picks, dominating the list is Italy with 6 recommendations. We start in Piedmont with a pair of Barolo wines which are, of course, made with the noble Nebbiolo grape varietal. The next three wines are all Chianti Classico wines from Tuscany - the Castello di Bossi, which is the Wine of the Month, is made with 100% Sangiovese, while the Volpaia is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot, and the organic Trasqua is mainly Sangiovese with about 10% each Merlot and Cabernet completing the blend. The last wine from Italy is from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna in Sicily and it is composed of Nerello Cappuccio and Nerello Mascalese. Red wines from France include a Bordeaux blend of 75% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot, while the Languedoc red is composed of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, and the Crozes-Hermitage is straight Syrah.

All of my white wine picks from the main release are single varietal wines. For Sauvignon Blanc fans, there is a Sancerre from Loire, as well as a pair of Sauv Blanc wines from Marlborough. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there is a fine Chablis Premier Cru from Burgundy. Other fine wines include a pair of Grüner Veltliner wines from Austria, and an Assyrtiko from Santorini. If you like some sweetness in your wines, try the latest vintage of a lovely Riesling from Mosel.

The only bubbles among my recommendations is a vintage Crémant from Loire that is a blend of 60% Chenin, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DE TRÉVIAC CORBIÈRES 2020 - AP, Languedoc, France (#670505) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
• VILLA TRASQUA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#121160) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• BYRON & HAROLD ROSE & THORNS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#30891) (XD) - $21.95
• CASTELLO DI BOSSI C. BERARDENGA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#994608) (XD) - $22.95  90 pts  wine review
• TORNATORE ETNA ROSSO 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#487090) (XD) - $25.95
• CAVE DE TAIN HÉRITIERS GAMBERT NOBLES RIVES CROZES-HERMITAGE 2021 - AP, Rhône, France (#572230) (XD) - $33.95
• VOLPAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#953828) (XD) - $36.95
• MICHELE CHIARLO TORTONIANO BAROLO 2018 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#586388) (XD) - $49.95  92+ pts  wine review
• AURELIO SETTIMO BAROLO 2017 - Sustainable, DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#291559) (XD) - $57.95  93 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU BRANAS GRAND POUJEAUX 2019 - AC Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#34383) (XD) - $65.95  FE

White Wine:

• HÃHÃ SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#388363) (XD) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• LITORALE VAL DELLE ROSE VERMENTINO 2022 - DOC Maremma Toscana, Italy (#17703) (XD) - $18.95
• ATTEMS PINOT GRIGIO 2022 - DOC Friuli, Italy (#707950) (XD) - $19.95
• LEINDL GV GRÜNER VELTLINER 2021 - Niederösterreich, Austria (#30599) (XD) - $19.95  FE
• 13TH STREET JUNE'S VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#147512) (D) - $21.95
• VINELAND ESTATES ELEVATION ST. URBAN VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#38117) (M) - $22.95  90 pts  wine review
  
• PAULY GENERATIONS RIESLING 2021 - Qualitätswein, Mosel, Germany (#21033) (M) - $25.95  FE  90 pts  wine review
• STADT KREMS RIED WEINZIERLBERG 1ÖTW GRÜNER VELTLINER 2021 - DAC Kremstal, Austria (#33783) (XD) - $28.95
• SAINT CLAIR WAIRAU RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#415653) (XD) - $32.95  FE
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#65573) (XD) - $36.95  93 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE HAMELIN BEAUROY CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2021 - AC, Burgundy, France (#391805) (XD) - $45.95  FE  94 pts  wine review
• VASSALTIS SANTORINI ASSYRTIKO 2022 - PDO, Greece (#33859) (XD) - $70.95  FE

Sparkling Wine:

• HENKELL BRUT CRÉMANT DE LOIRE 2016 - Traditional method, AP, Loire, France (#29893) (D) - $21.95  88+ pts  wine review
  

Dessert Wine:

• HENRY OF PELHAM SPECIAL SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL 2019 - Sustainable, VQA Ontario, Canada (#395228) (S) (375 mL) - $19.95

Read More

d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre 2019 (McLaren Vale) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious GSM blend from McLaren Vale in Australia that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the recent August 19th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by d'Arenberg, a well-known and highly regarded winery situated in McLaren Vale, South Australia. It was established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn when he planted his first eight acres of Shiraz vines on the property. The same year, Joseph was joined by his third child, Frank Osborn, who left university to take up life on the land. Joseph also sold his stable of prize winning horses to purchase the d'Arenberg property, which was originally named Bundarra.

In 1913, Frank Osborn harvested his first vintage at the Bundarra property in McLaren Vale, with grape prices reaching an unheard of price of £20 per tonne. After several years serving in the army, Frank married Helena d'Arenberg in 1920. A year later, Jane Antoinette (Toni) Osborn was born, followed by the birth of Rowen Frederick Osborn in 1924. In 1926, Helena Osborn died after giving birth to their third child, Francis d'Arenberg Osborn, who was also always known as d'Arry.

After encouragement from Sam Tolley, Frank's brother-in-law and wine industry mentor, in 1927 Frank decided to build a winery and produce his own wine. Frank spent some time learning about winemaking, while Sam was largely responsible for building the winery. In 1928, Frank Osborn produced his first wines, which were labelled "Bundarra Vineyards by F. E. Osborn & Sons". Production ceased in 1942 due to Frank's health, but resumed when d'Arry Osborn left school at the age of 16 to join the family business in 1943 and work at the winery full-time.

Modernization began during this period when the first tractor with rubber tires was purchased in 1946, followed by electricity and the electrification of the production area in 1951. In 1959, d'Arry Osborn launched his own wine label with a distinctive red stripe, while also designing the family crest that has the Latin words "Vinum vita est", which translates to "Wine is Life", and the fertility symbol in the top right corner of the crest, and grapes in the opposite corner.

On a day that was hailed as a good start to the financial year, Chester d'Arenberg Osborn was born on July 1, 1962. In 1963, they purchased their first hydraulic basket press and a year later they built their first tasting room. To this day, traditional winemaking methods are still used, with all of the wines basket pressed and all the red wine ferments foot trodden. In 1965, d'Arry received a letter from another well-established winery who had applied for trademark protection for the name "Bundarra", and by mutual agreement, d'Arry agreed to let the name go and stop using the Bundarra name.

The name change didn't hinder progress or success, as d'Arenberg had to build another tasting room to accommodate the ever increasing number of visitors. In 1971, they installed their own bottling line. Starting in the late 1960s, d'Arenberg was awarded many trophies and awards for their wines.

d'Arenberg's success continued when Chester Osborn, the fourth generation of the family, took over as Chief Winemaker, focusing his efforts on producing high quality and distinctive wines, while also reducing yields in the vineyards by eliminating fertilization and minimizing irrigation. d'Arenberg is also focused on natural and environmentally-friendly philosophies which encourage strong root systems that penetrate the soil, which in turn results in lively tannin structures, soil characters, and fine minerality. Moreover, all d'Arenberg estate owned and leased vineyards are NASAA Certified for organic and biodynamic processes. d'Arenberg is also a founding member of Australia's First Families of Wine.

This particular red wine is from d'Arenberg's "The Stump Jump" range of wines. The name comes from a rumour that the inventor of the Stump Jump plough, which enabled a ploughshare to jump over tree roots, had poor eyesight and required regular eye tests to ensure he could still operate machinery safely. The label design of The Stump Jump range is inspired by an optometrist's eye chart and serves as a
makeshift sobriety test - if you can hold the bottle at arm's length and still read the front label, you can enjoy another glass. There are half a dozen wines in the range, and this particular wine is a blend is approximately equal parts Grenache and Shiraz, with Mourvèdre completing the blend. The grapes used to craft this blend were mostly from very old bush vines that underwent gentle crushing and were fermented in traditional, open tank fermenters, followed by basket pressing and maturation in oak prior to bottling.

During the 2019 growing season, winter was quite dry with sporadic light showers that didn't penetrate the soil very deeply. Although bud burst was impacted, it was managed with irrigation. During spring, a strong wind event at the time of flowering upset some of the growth, especially in Shiraz, while summer was hot with an extreme heat wave and a record high temperature of 46.6°C. Yields were down on most varieties. However, the quality was excellent, with the grapes exhibiting very typical varietal characteristics. From what is classified as a good vintage, let's see how this 2019 McLaren Vale GSM is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

D'ARENBERG THE STUMP JUMP GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#173294) (XD) - $17.95
Enclosed by screw cap, this GSM blend has a fresh, medium+ to medium-high intensity nose that offers lovely black pepper, spice, raspberry and blackberry aromas layered over earthy and meaty notes. It's full-ish bodied, dry, and sweetly fruited with ripe dark red berry, blackberry, black raspberry, black pepper, oak spice, earth, and meaty flavours which are supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity and smooth, firm, and somewhat grippy tannins that are youthful. Some minty herbal notes on the mid-palate. Savoury with cedary wood spice and earth notes linger on the finish, with very good length. A solid, highly recommended buy to enjoy over the next few years. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by d'Arenberg can be found at the LCBO (with some in very limited quantities), while the whole portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Churchill Cellars.

Read More

Cellier du Château de la Chaume Chablis 2022 and Beaujolais 2022 (France) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of delicious wines that are brand new to the LCBO, arriving earlier this summer as General List wines that are widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario right now.

Both of these wines are produced by Cellier du Château de la Chaume, a very old Maison that is located in Burgundy, in the commune of Corgoloin, Côte de Nuits, and is surrounded by a 10 hectare park of trees. The castle belonged to the very influential Marey-Monge family from Beaune, while the Monge name was known because of Gaspard Monge (1746- 1818), a famous mathematician who created descriptive geometry. Some time later, the castle was sold to the former owner of Corgoloin's famous quarries. The high-quality marble from these quarries was distributed throughout the world to build monuments, squares, and roads.

Cellier du Château de la Chaume strives to work closely with winegrowers that share their values, which most importantly is the desire to create wines of excellence. The vines are trained while respecting viticultural tradition and methods in order to obtain high-quality and mature grapes. Partnership winegrowers are asked to favour working the soil and limit synthetics in order to favour environmental balance, while seeking Burgundy terroir and climate expressions.

The wines are vinified in the cellar of Château de la Chaume, which was created in 1993, and the winemaking facility was completely redesigned and modernized with a stainless steel wine storehouse. Each vintage is different, thus the wines are vinified according to the climate of the vintage, with length of maceration and extraction more or less pronounced, as well as ageing in tank and barrel, in order to highlight the terroir and qualities of the vintage, while trying to obtain wines with the best balance. The wines are carefully vinified to develop and amplify the original organoleptic qualities of the wines, resulting in wines that are rich, delicate, attractive, refined, complex, and smooth.

Cellier du Château de la Chaume has four ranges of wines across Burgundy (and Beaujolais) - Regional, Village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. The Beaujolais would fall under their Regional appellation range, while the Chablis is from their Village appellation range. The Village appellation wines are meant to be the first introduction to the complexity of Burgundy terroir, with limited yields that deliver nice concentration. The grapes are grown on clayed-chalky soils, hand harvested, and de-stemmed prior to fermentation in stainless steel or wood tanks, followed by ageing in mostly used barrels.

From a 2022 vintage that was very good in both Beaujolais and Burgundy, let's see how these two wines are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

CELLIER DU CHÂTEAU DE LA CHAUME CHABLIS 2022 - AC, Burgundy, France (#32568) (XD) - $35.95
From clayed-chalky soils, this Chardonnay has elegant, concentrated, and medium-high intensity aromas of ripe lemon citrus, apple, and pear with hints of stony minerality. It's light-to-medium bodied on the dry, ripe, and lightly honeyed palate with lemon citrus, apple, pear, and floral flavours, plus touches of oyster seashell mineral notes. Gently spicy on the mid-palate. It's all supported by crisp, bracing acidity. Juicy and lip-smacking, with seashell mineral notes lingering on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

CELLIER DU CHÂTEAU DE LA CHAUME BEAUJOLAIS 2022 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#32624) (XD) - $18.95
100% Gamay. Fresh, medium-high intensity aromatics offer red and black cherry, wild berry, pomegranate, and raspberry fruit aromas that are accented with dried herbs and spice. It's medium-bodied on the dry and very ripe palate with fruit forward red and black cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and currant flavours with hints of dried herbs. Juicy acids are well-balanced, while the light tannins offer a supple, lightly grippy texture. Fruity with a savoury, mineral edge on the finish, with very good length. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines by Cellier du Château de la Chaume can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

Read More

Davis Bynum Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 (California) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a beautiful Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley that arrived at the LCBO as a Summer Smart Buy in the August 19th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Davis Bynum Winery - the original Russian River Valley Pinot Noir wine producer. The story begins in 1973, when Davis Bynum released his first small lot single vineyard Pinot Noir from the famed Rochioli vineyard in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. At the time, Pinot Noir was a relative stranger to the region, but this fickle grape thrived in the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley. As Davis Bynum was the first to produce a single vineyard, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, his efforts paved the way for the Russian River Valley winegrowing region to become one of California's finest for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 2007, Davis Bynum Winery was sold to proprietor Tom Klein and his family, 4th generation California farmers who shared the same values and principles that he built his own reputation on. Today, it remains in the capable hands of Tom Klein and winemaker Greg Morthole, as they honour the expertise and innovative winemaking spirit of founder, friend, and mentor Davis Bynum. Together, they are humbled and proud to carry on the Davis Bynum legacy while staying true to Bynum's philosophy.

The philosophy at Davis Bynum is based on intuitive winemaking - the techniques and technicalities of winemaking should be mastered to the extent that they take a backseat to instinct and intuition. With four decades of understanding the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley, this knowledge allows Davis Bynum to craft wines with emotion and soil at the forefront, but anchored by the innate understanding of this terroir's complexity. In the vineyard, they use certified sustainable vineyard practices, while opting for minimalist viticulture and handling the fruit with the utmost care. The grapes are also handpicked at night, before sunrise, which ensures that the grapes have stable sugar levels and, since they are already cool, the grapes require less chilling prior to crushing, thus saving energy. In keeping with their "hands off" approach, the grapes are naturally fermented in barrel using wild yeasts and bottled unfiltered. Each wine bearing the Bynum name is estate grown, bottled, and produced.

All of their wines are crafted with fruit exclusively from the Russian River Valley, a winegrowing region that has cool, maritime conditions that are ideal for early ripening varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The climate in this region is influenced by the consistent creep of cooling fog from the Pacific Ocean a few miles to the west. This fog ebbs and flows through the Petaluma Wind Gap and the channel cut by the Russian River across the coastal hills, typically arriving in the evening and dropping temperatures, and retreating to the ocean the following morning. This naturally cool climate allows wine grapes to develop full flavour maturity over an extended growing season, while retaining their natural acidity.

While Davis Bynum is distinguished as the first winery to produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, with their 1973 Pinot Noir from the Joe Rochioli vineyard, this particular Pinot is hand-crafted with grapes from four vineyards which reside on Goldridge sandy loam soils: Jane's, Dutton Lorenzo, Dutton Gregori, and Dutton Barron. This particular vintage blends the characteristics of two separate neighbourhoods - the warmer Santa Rosa Plains that provide darker fruit tones and velvety tannins, and the much cooler Green Valley that adds brightness and vibrant acidity. By blending warmer climate fruit with cooler climate fruit, Davis Bynum is able to craft a wine with tension between the rich fruit and lush mouthfeel of a centrally located Russian River vineyards in Santa Rosa against the bright fruit and racy acidity of the westernmost vineyards in the Green Valley. The final blend of this Pinot Noir was created after each different vineyard block was fermented and aged separately for 13 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, 22% new.

The 2018 growing season was mild with low precipitation at just under 2 feet of rain, while summer saw only a handful of days warmer than 32°C, but none over 38°C, at their Jane's Vineyard, located in the warmer Santa Rosa Plains. The grapes were harvested into early September on cool and overcast mornings. From near-perfect growing conditions, let's see how this 2018 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DAVIS BYNUM RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, Sonoma County, California, USA (#458893) (XD) - $34.95
Elegant, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely bright red cherry aromas that mingle with musky, strawberry, gentle oak spice, and earth, plus hints of tea leaf, beetroot, and plum adding further complexity. It has good weight and concentration on the medium to medium-full bodied, dry palate with ripe red cherry, dark berry, strawberry, gentle oak spice, tea leaf, earth, and beetroot flavours in a nicely balanced profile. Acids are crisp, fresh, and juicy, while the refined tannins are lightly grippy, offering a pleasing mouthfeel. Tangy dark red berries with earthy mineral notes linger on the long, crisp finish. Should drink nicely over the next 5+ years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Other fine wines by Davis Bynum are available through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

Read More

Cellier des Dauphins Vinsobres 2019 (Rhône) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2019 Cellier des Dauphins Réserve a couple of years ago, we move up a notch with tonight's red wine review that is a Cru wine from the same producer. It arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on August 19.

Cellier des Dauphins is a co-operative winery that was founded in 1967 when the Union of Côtes du Rhône winegrowers (UVCDR) was established. The UVCDR brought together 2,300 winemaking families in the southern Rhône Valley, a territory that covered 2,500 hectares of vines and approximately 20 AOCs. As a co-operative, member growers pool their resources together to produce and market their wines. Additionally, they have also invested in modern winemaking techniques and facilities to ensure consistent quality across its range of wines, while also focusing on sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.

Today, Cellier des Dauphins is the pride of UVCDR, and is particularly renowned for its Côtes du Rhône wines. The name "Cellier des Dauphins" translates to "Cellar of the Dolphins", and is an historical reference between the Dauphiné region, which is located in the southeastern part of France, and the dolphin emblem associated with the French royal family. The founding members of Cellier des Dauphins are proud of their terroir and driven by constant innovation, while preparing for the future and striving relentlessly to raise the quality from vine to glass. Cellier des Dauphins is committed to sustainable agriculture and has launched various eco-friendly initiatives, while also having over 1,000 hectares of organically farmed vines. While Cellier des Dauphins has a wide variety of soils and terroirs within their vineyards, offering oenologists a rich palette of grapes for blending, for this particular bottling they have decided to craft it as a Cru wine from Vinsobres.

This red wine is crafted using grapes grown in the Cru of Vinsobres, whose name is derived from the Latin word "vinsobrio", which means wine and work. It is a blend of primarily 70% Grenache and 20% Syrah that was grown in the hills of the Southern Rhône Cru of Vinsobres, at 500 metres above sea level, in a region that was historically part of the estates of the King of France's sons. The region experiences a sunny, Mediterranean climate that is cooled by Mistral winds. It has dry winters and summers, with particularly high temperatures in summer, while rainfall occurs primarily in autumn and spring. The soil in Vinsobres is covered in stones, which enables the heat of the day to be accumulated and encourages early ripening and concentration in the grapes. The wine was crafted with meticulous attention at every stage, culminating with it being aged in cask for 12 months to develop smoothness and suppleness in the tannins.

Like the wine I enjoyed a couple of years ago, this red is also from the same vintage in the Southern Rhône. The 2019 growing season was a swelteringly hot and very dry year that was surprisingly successful. Grenache excelled during this vintage, producing wines that are rich, ripe, and expressive, with refined textures. Let's see how this 2019 Rhône red from the Vinsobres Cru is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CELLIER DES DAUPHINS VINSOBRES 2019 - Cru des Côtes du Rhône, AC, France (#15448) (XD) - $19.95
Blend of mainly 70% Grenache and 20% Syrah, this has an enticing, medium-high nose that offers lovely aromas of black raspberry, licorice, garrigue, and baking spices with a touch of floral. It's medium-full bodied with velvety smooth, refined tannins and fresh, well-balanced acidity that supports the ripe black raspberry, red plum, baking spice, licorice, stony mineral, and meaty notes in a dry flavour profile. It's nicely balanced throughout, even showing some elegance, while stony mineral notes linger on the long, crisp, and very satisfying finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other delicious wines by Cellier des Dauphins are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Churchill Cellars Ltd.

Read More