Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Les Caillottes Sancerre 2021 (Loire) - Wine Review

After enjoying the beautiful 2020 Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Les Caillottes Sancerre in April, tonight's white wine review is the latest vintage of a perennially excellent Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that arrived at the LCBO last weekend, as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on September 9th.

This white wine is crafted by one of my favourite producers, Jean-Max Roger, a renowned wine producer based in the village of Bué, just southwest of the town of Sancerre, within the Loire Valley wine region in France. The Roger family comes from a long line of winegrowers, with the first mention of the family name dating back to the 17th century. Up until the 1960s, the Roger family practiced mixed farming with animal rearing. When Jean-Max Roger and his wife, Nicole, took over the 4 hectares of vines from his parents in the 1970s, they focused their attention on developing the vineyards and estate.

Under the guidance of Jean-Max, the winery experienced significant growth and gained recognition for producing exceptional Sancerre wines. Today, the estate covers 28 hectares of vines within the Sancerre appellation, with more than 40 plots that offer exceptional diversity of exposure, slope, and soil profiles which are dispersed among the region's three most renowned terroirs - Caillottes, Kimmeridgian Marl, and Flint. This diversity, combined with the Roger family's winemaking expertise, allows each wine to express all of the uniqueness of their terroirs through their structure, elegance, and finesse.

Jean-Max Roger's passion for wine was naturally passed on to his sons, Thibault and Etienne, and in 2004, the brothers joined their father at the family estate. While complementing each other, the brothers perpetuate the family's know-how, vineyard and winemaking techniques to improve their wines with each passing vintage. The Roger family is dedicated to producing terroir-driven wines with finesse, purity, and typicity, which has helped solidify Jean-Max Roger's reputation as one of Sancerre's top wine producers.

Like previous vintages, this Sauvignon Blanc was grown in the villages of Bué, Amigny, and Sancerre, on limestone soils called "caillottes", with vineyard exposure to the south and southwest. The vines are roughly between 6 to 40 years of age and tended to produce grapes that reveal their terroir. Yields are controlled, while organic amendments and deep soil working revitalize soil life. At the winery, the wines are vinified to reflect the fruitiness and density of the vintage. After harvest, the grapes are immediately pneumatically pressed and cold settled for between 48 and 72 hours to protect the aromas. Temperature-controlled, long fermentation was carried out using natural yeasts, followed by ageing on its heavy lees to develop minerality. After fining and filtration to stabilize the wine, it was bottled at the estate using their own facilities.

The 2021 growing season in Sancerre was a complicated one with frost, mildew, and storms, with great variability on a daily basis. Yields were down with fewer clusters, but the fruit that was harvested is of high quality, resulting in wines that were surprisingly good. Let's see how this 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#65573) (XD) - $36.95
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Elegant and beautifully intense, the aromatic nose offers lemon/lime citrus, stony minerality, grassy herbs, guava, tropical fruit, and grapefruit aromas with hints of melon. It's medium-full bodied, impressively concentrated, and well-structured on the crunchy palate. Dry and complex with lightly honeyed flavours of lemon/lime, citrus, white floral, ripe apple, and pear, with touches of guava, tapering to stony mineral notes. Gently spicy on the mid-palate. It has nicely textured mouthfeel that is supported by juicy, well-balanced acidity. Stony, leesy mineral notes linger on the exceptionally long, balanced finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

Other fine wines by Jean-Max Roger are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia and Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Castello di Bossi C. Berardenga Chianti Classico 2020 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, organic Chianti Classico made with Sangiovese that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as the Wine of the Month in the September 9 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Castello di Bossi wines are produced by Bacci Wines, a family-owned winery located in Tuscany. The Bacci family has a long history rooted in Tuscany. Bacci Wines was founded by Marco Bacci, who began his working career at the age of 19 in their family business that specialized in clothing, a company that eventually became an icon in Italy's fashion sector. From this success, Marco founded a real estate company to take advantage of the period of economic growth in the sector. In a short time, Marco acquired several properties, including Castello di Bossi in 1984.

Winemaking was a pleasant pasttime for Marco until 1985, when he bottled his first wine. In 1996, he left the fashion sector to dedicate his body and soul to the wine industry and acquired several more estates to reach a grand total of 6 wine estates, mostly in Tuscany. Today, Bacci Wines is not only dedicated to producing high-quality wines from the Tuscan region, but are well-known for their commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices, prioritizing environmental sustainability, and producing their wines with great respect for the land.

Castello di Bossi is situated in the southern half of the Chianti Classico zone, within the territory of the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga UGA. The site where Castello di Bossi resides has a long history going back to when the first tower was built there in the year 1090. In 1450, the original structure was expanded into the 4-walled fortress that can be seen today. The historic castle is an iconic landmark that also serves as the centrepiece of the winery. The estate has changed hands several times over the years and now covers 650 hectares, with 124 hectares under vines that are mostly planted with Sangiovese. The grapes for this Chianti Classico are typically grown at 350 metres (1,148 feet) above sea level on tufo, brown and yellow clay, and broken stone soils.

I've enjoyed this wine for many years, including most recently the 2018 Castello di Bossi C. Berardenga Chianti Classico last year. The 2020 growing season was a challenging one (due to the pandemic), but offered winegrowers the opportunity to concentrate their efforts towards every aspect of cultivation, vineyard management, and production. While it is difficult to generalize a vintage in Chianti Classico because each UGA experiences its own unique conditions, the vintage quality and quantity in 2020 is good, and in some cases excellent. Let's see how this 2020 Chianti Classico from the Castelnuovo Berardenga UGA is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CASTELLO DI BOSSI C. BERARDENGA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#994608) (XD) - $22.95
This organic Sangiovese was aged in barrel for 12 months and is fresh and intensely aromatic with a very pretty nose of ripe pure red and dark red cherries that are joined by red currant, baking spices, clove, cinnamon, and gentle oak spice aromas. It's medium-full bodied on the palate with fresh, juicy acidity and ripe flavours of red fruited currant, plum, and cherry, plus cedary oak spice and clove notes adding a savoury component. Ripe, gently drying, and grippy tannins coat the palate. Tangy on the mid-palate, while red currant, plum, cherry, and cedary oak notes with hints of mineral linger on the long finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Castello di Bossi can be purchased from the LCBO or through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia./ Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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