Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec 2021 (Argentina) - Wine Review

With BBQ season upon us and Father's Day around the corner, tonight's red wine review is a delicious Malbec that is widely available as a VINTAGES Essentials product at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

It is produced by Terrazas de los Andes, a prominent Argentine winery renowned for its high-altitude vineyards. It was established in 1996 when a team of visionaries recognized the unique potential of Mendoza and the majestic Andes mountains, well before Argentina's oenological potential was recognized worldwide. With a firm conviction to create world-class wines, Terrazas ventured into the unexplored lands of the Andes to search for a refined, varietal expression of the vine that could only be achieved on the cool, high-altitude terraces of Mendoza - places where the sky and the earth meet in harmony.

Today, Terrazas de los Andes is located in the heart of Perdriel, at the foot of the Andes mountains, while the majority of their vineyards are situated in Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley, and surrounded by the high peaks of the Andes. They are also constantly searching for perfection and exploring the limits of high-altitude viticulture, while challenging established standards to create truly exceptional wines. Owned by Moët Hennessy Group, which itself is a division of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, Terrazas de los Andes is committed to sustainable viticulture practices which aim to reduce environmental impact and ensure the long-term health of the vineyards and surrounding ecosystems. Some of these initiatives include water optimization and promoting biodiversity. They are also reducing their carbon footprint by using lightweight bottles for all of their Reserva wines.

As Guardians of Mountain Life, Terrazas de los Andes is committed to unleashing and protecting the magic of the top of the world by preserving the Andes' sacred glacier water and living soils, mitigating their impact on the climate, engaging mountain communities, and empowering their people.

I first came across this wine with the 2018 Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec that I enjoyed just over two years ago. The 2021 vintage of this 100% Malbec is crafted using fruit from 100+ parcels (and 200+ terraces) of 8 high-altitude estate vineyards that are sustainably farmed and transitioning to organic, and in a magical place where the earth meets the sky. As great wine is grown, all the vineyards are situated between 1,000 to 1,650 metres (3,280 to 5,413 feet) above sea level, with seven of the vineyards located in the best appellations of the Uco Valley, while the eighth vineyard is in Luján de Cuyo.

To craft this wine, the grapes were harvested early and fresh, at the peak of fruit expression. The grapes were gently macerated for 15 to 20 days, with the aim of slowly and precisely extracting the right tannic structure of the wine while preserving its fineness. After fermentation, most of the wine was aged for 12 months in new to fourth-use oak barrels, with a proportion kept in tank to preserve fruit freshness and purity.

The 2021 growing season was characterized by lower than average temperatures during the ripening season, as well as above-average rainfall during the key months of January through March. It was a cool vintage and rather early, even for Terrazas as they are usually among the first to harvest. The grapes were allowed to develop intense colour and a bright, fruity profile with a vibrant and elegant mouthfeel. Each parcel was cultivated individually, including picking decisions which were made plot-by-plot. By generally picking earlier, Terrazas emphasizes elegance over power and avoids any over-ripening to preserve Malbec's bright floral and fruity aromas, and natural acidity. From a good vintage that delivered a cool growing season, let's see how this 2021 Malbec from Argentina is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES RESERVA MALBEC 2021 - Mendoza, Argentina (#29280) (XD) - $19.95
From a cooler vintage, the medium-high intensity nose is cool and fresh with green herbs and dried spices layered over dark fruit, blackberry, raspberry, white pepper, and black plum aromas with subtle touches of smoke and violet. On the medium-bodied palate it has smooth, refined, and lightly structured tannins to go along with fresh and lively acidity. It is dry with delicious dried spice, white pepper, green herbs, blackberry, and raspberry flavours, while peppery spice with touches of smoke and mineral notes linger on the long, well-structured finish. Enjoy this recommended buy over the next 3+ years. Score: 88+ pts

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PHI Chardonnay 2021 (Yarra Valley) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2019 De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay last month, we go up a notch with tonight's white wine review - a fantastic single vineyard Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley in Victoria. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO, arriving a few months ago in the March 2 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is still available for purchase Online and in-person at Flagship Exclusive locations.

It is produced by De Bortoli Wines, one of Australia's leading family-owned wine companies. De Bortoli Wines was established in 1928 after Vittorio De Bortoli, an Italian immigrant from Treviso, arrived in New South Wales to discover that the flat plains and red earth were very different compared to his homeland and purchased a 55 acre mixed fruit farm. That same year, there was a glut of Shiraz grapes in the region and Vittorio was able to get 15 tonnes of Shiraz grapes for free since other farmers preferred to let them rot. Vittorio's wine was very popular among local Italians and other Europeans in the area, and they wanted to buy the wine off him. With this first of many successes, Vittorio established De Bortoli Wines.

Vittorio married his fiancée, Giuseppina, on the farm a year later, and the 1930s brought the second generation of the De Bortoli family with the births of Florrie, Deen, and Eola. The family business continued to grow over the years, while Deen left school (against his parents' wishes) at the age of 15 in 1951 to work at the family winery, and by 1957 he was itching to modernize it. In 1958, Deen married Emeri Cunial and the third generation of the De Bortoli family arrived with the births of Darren, Leanne, Kevin, and Victor. Deen was instrumental in expanding the family business during the 1970s, and in 1987, De Bortoli expanded into Yarra Valley, Victoria. In 1990, De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate was established and led by Leanne De Bortoli and her husband, Steve Webber, and together they welcomed the 4th generation of the family. Their daughter, Kate Webber, joined the family wine business and is the winemaker for this Chardonnay.

This particular white wine is from De Bortoli's PHI range of wines. PHI is the 21st letter of the Ancient Greek alphabet and symbolizes balance, harmony, and proportion. Similarly, with PHI wines, the third and fourth generations of the De Bortoli family are working together to create Single Vineyard wines that give proportion to climate, soil, and maker.

The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's premier cool climate wine regions and is located approximately 50 km northeast of Melbourne, near the towns of Yarra Glen and Healesville. This Chardonnay was grown at the Lusatia Park Vineyard in the town of Woori Yallock, one of the most iconic single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley. The Lusatia Park Vineyard was purchased from the Shelmerdine family in 2016 and forms part of De Bortoli's plans to establish iconic vineyards to produce single plot fine wines. The 18 hectare, north-facing vineyard was first planted in 1985 at an altitude of 240 metres, while the soil is deep decomposed basalt that is quite rich in iron.

To craft this lovely Chardonnay, the grapes were hand-harvested in mid-to-late March, whole-bunch pressed, and allowed to settle overnight. The juice was then racked into older French oak casks where it underwent natural fermentation. The wine was then left on its yeast lees for 9 months, with occasional stirring.

It was a classic, cooler growing season in Yarra Valley and Lusatia Park in 2021. Spring featured timely rain, while ripening season temperatures tracked long-term averages. From a good-to-excellent vintage that featured idyllic growing conditions, let's see how this 2021 Chardonnay from Yarra Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PHI CHARDONNAY 2021 - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#33567) (XD) - $33.95
Vegan-friendly and enclosed by screw cap. The fragrant, perfumed, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely saline minerality aromas layered over green apple, lemon citrus, pear, savoury earth, and subtle spice notes. On the dry, medium-full bodied palate it has a creamy mouthfeel with lovely green apple, lemon citrus, and saline mineral flavours joined by accents of almond and mealy notes on the back palate. It's supported by fresh, lively, and slightly tangy acidity. A touch spicy on the mid-palate with a finely textured mouthfeel, while saline mineral, citrus, and apple notes linger on the long, balanced, and savoury finish. Enjoy to the early 2030s. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

The Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is still available at the LCBO, while the entire portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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Château Beau-Site 2018 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a beautiful Left Bank Bordeaux red wine from the Saint-Estèphe appellation that arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent May 11 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Borie-Manoux, a wine merchant whose origins started as a wine trading company that was established in 1870 by the Borie family. Today, Borie-Manoux is a significant wine merchant in the Bordeaux wine industry with a rich history and a diverse portfolio of estates. Borie-Manoux is currently owned and managed by the Castéja family, with Philippe Castéja as President.

Château Beau-Site is one of Borie-Manoux's Bordeaux wine estates. Situated in Saint-Estèphe, it was founded in the 18th century and is one of the oldest estates in the commune. At the time of its founding, it was part of Château Morin. Its name - Beau-Site - reflects its scenic location as it overlooks the entire vineyard and has magnificent panoramic views extending towards the Gironde river. Château Beau-Site's first owner was M. de Camiran, while in the 1860s it became the property of M. Grazilhon, at which point in time the name was changed to Château Beau-Site-Grazilhon.

The term "Cru Bourgeois" is used to describe wines of great quality and value, and graced the bottles of Château Beau-Site wines for the first time, starting in 1868. A few years later, the château was upgraded to Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and continued until the 1990s. A change in ownership in the 1920s led to the château reverting to its original name, with Mme Faugeras managing the property for several decades before selling it in the 1940s to M. Legendre.

In 1955, Château Beau-Site joined the Borie family after it was acquired by Marcel Borie. Marcel worked hard to restore the château to its former glory, and as part of this restoration, all the wines were now made and aged on-site, with the vat room filled with wooden vats. Towards the end of the 1950s, Marcel took over Château Haut-Vignoble Seguin, a 5-hectare vineyard that now produces Château Beau-Site's second wine.

After Marcel Borie died in 1961, his son-in-law, Émile Castéja, took over the reins and over the ensuing decade Émile replaced the wooden vats with epoxy-coated metal vats. By the end of the 1980s, he had replaced some of the metal vats with stainless steel vats.

In 2001, Émile Castéja retired and was succeeded by his son, Philippe Castéja. Upon taking over, Philippe quickly began work on the Château by making a number of improvements, such as digging an underground passageway between the barrel cellar and the vat room to make it easier for visitors to get around. In 2005, the tasting room was set up at the entrance to the barrel cellar and offered a view over the estuary. In 2006, the vat room's interior was completely refurbished, while the Château was completely refurbished and refurnished so that it could accommodate the family of Chantal Preben-Hansen, Philippe Castéja's sister, as well as visitors.

Sustainable winemaking practices were initiated by Philippe when he took over, and developed them further from 2014 as he was able to convince the family and team that the environment was an integral part of the wines and important for consumers. Since that time, the Casteja family has continuously sought ways to increase their commitment to sustainable winemaking. With sustainability at the top of mind, traditional vineyard work is still carried out with precision to ensure the highest quality grapes. The old vines have been carefully preserved to produce distinguished and elegant wines comparable to those of its illustrious neighbour, Château Calon-Ségur. At the winery, precision winemaking is terroir-focused.

As Saint-Estèphe is part of the Médoc region and situated at the northern tip of the Haut-Médoc, on the Left Bank of the Gironde River in Bordeaux, the area has been planted with vines since Roman times, and further developed by English merchants from the Middle Ages onwards. The drainage of marshland in the 17th century led to further increases in surface land area and vineyards. The Saint-Estèphe AOC was officially recognized in 1936 thanks to its diverse climate and geology. The oceanic climate is temperate, but warm enough for the vines to thrive, while the soils are composed of gravelly alluvium, limestone, and oyster marl.

As the flagship of the estate, the 2018 vintage of this elegant wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. The grapes were traditionally picked by hand and sorted on tables in the vineyard, then transferred into tipping buckets which carry the grapes back to the winery. Each plot was vinified separately, fermentation occurring over four weeks in small-capacity, temperature-controlled vats, at fairly low temperatures. Gentle extractions help preserve the fruit, while allowing the terroir to express itself. Each plot was aged in French oak barrels (approx. 40% new) for 6 months, then blended and aged a further 12 months prior to bottling on-site.

From the excellent 2018 vintage, let's see how this 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Bordeaux is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU BEAU-SITE 2018 - AC Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France (#647933) (XD) - $48.95
This blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot has a rich, ripe, and brooding nose with medium-high to high intensity aromatics of dark red and black fruits, currant, cassis, and black cherry notes joined by spicy, fine wood spices, and sandalwood surrounding a core of savoury forest floor. On the dry, full-bodied bodied palate it is rich, spicy, and a touch warm with savoury earth, fine wood spice, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, and graphite mineral flavours accented with dried herbs. Some licorice and clove spice notes appear on the mid-palate to add further interest. Acids are juicy and mouth-watering, while the refined, well-structured tannins have a gently chalky textured mouthfeel and are quite approachable at this stage. Savoury, graphite, and dried herb notes linger on the exceptionally long finish. Will improve further with age and enjoy into the mid-2030s. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

Other fine wines by Borie-Manoux can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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May 25, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here's my top wine picks from the May 25 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. This is the first Online & Flagship Exclusives release of the year, of which we'll see three more until the end of summer. While these wines can be ordered online as of today, I am pleased that the LCBO has also increased the number of "Flagship" stores where these wines can be purchased in-person, although I personally wish that they would open one north of Toronto in York Region. Overall, there are 32 wines in this release, with most priced north of $25.

Among my top red wine picks from this release, we'll begin in Italy with the latest vintage of the iconic Ornellaia, which is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. All the other reds are mono-varietal wines - an Aglianico from Campania, a Shiraz from Victoria (in Australia), and a Gamay from Niagara. There's also a pair of Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one each from South Africa and Chile.

All five of my white wine recommendations are also single varietal wines, with Riesling dominating the list. First up is the dry Riesling (i.e. not sweet) from Clare Valley, while the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling is from Mosel. The last Riesling is crafted in a medium-sweet style from Niagara. The other two white wines are a lovely Marsanne from Niagara, and a premium Ribolla Gialla from Friuli.

Other than reds and whites, there is also a fine Vintage Port that is crafted with 40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz, and the rest is a field blend from old vines.

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release!

Red Wine:

• KAPEMORT AVERNO AGLIANICO 2021 - DOC Irpinia, Campania, Italy (#36414) (XD) - $27.95
• JARDIN THE LONG FUSE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Vegan, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#714501) (XD) - $27.95  91+ pts  wine review
• DAGAZ GRANITO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#37741) (XD) - $29.95
• BACHELDER BATOR NIAGARA CRU SINGLE VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR 2021 - 20% Whole Cluster, Vieilles Vignes, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#38362) (XD) - $29.95
• TALTARNI PYRENEES VICTORIA SHIRAZ 2019 - Estate grown, Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia (#33496) (XD) - $32.95
• ORNELLAIA 2021 - DOC Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy (#722470) (XD) - $276.95

White Wine:

• KEW VINEYARDS MARSANNE 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• PAULETT POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING 2022 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#292268) (XD) - $22.95
• WEGELER SLATE MOSEL TROCKEN RIESLING 2022 - VDP Gutswein, Mosel, Germany (#37511) (D) - $26.95
• JERMANN VINNAE RIBOLLA GIALLA 2022 - IGT Venezia Giulia, Friuli, Italy (#29101) (XD) - $41.95
• CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241182) (M) - $44.95

Fortified Wine:

• QUINTA DA DEVESA VINTAGE PORT 2018 - DOP, Portugal (#26860) (S) - $89.95

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La Posta Malbec Rosé 2023 and Armando Bonarda 2022 (Argentina) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of delicious wines by La Posta that arrived at the LCBO as part of recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collections and are widely available across Ontario right now.

La Posta Vineyards was established at the turn of the century by Laura Catena, of the renowned Catena family, who have significant involvement and development in the Argentine wine industry. Dr. Laura Catena established this brand after she discovered a handful of growers who consistently showed impressive results with specific varietals year-after-year.

Today, La Posta focuses on producing wines that highlight not only the local, independent growers, but also the distinct terroir and grape varieties of Argentina. La Posta wines salute the hard-working growers who strive for superior flavours from the grapes they grow on their own estate. Often, La Posta wines are single-vineyard bottles which illustrate the story of each family, while the labels are inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Déco designs of the 1920s and 1930s.

The Armando Bonarda is one of the wines from the portfolio. The Bonarda grapes were grown by Estela Armando, a fourth generation winegrower from a family that has been in the wine business and growing grapes in Mendoza since their arrival from the Piedmont region of Italy in 1887. It was Estela's great-grandfather that established the family's wine business, while her grandfather and father planted the present Bonarda vineyard in 1963 - grapes which are used to craft this red wine. The combination of a unique place in Guaymallén, old vines, and very little irrigation help create grapes of high quality.

Both the 2022 and 2023 vintages in Argentina had their challenges. Let's see how these two wines from Argentina are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

LA POSTA MALBEC ROSÉ 2023 - Sustainable, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#24747) (XD) - $15.95
100% Malbec grown at an average of 1,000 metres above sea level. It was vinified without the use of any oak using carbonic maceration by press, with 100% whole clusters that were hand-loaded into 5,000 L stainless steel tanks. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose offers grapefruit, white pepper spice, and dried herb aromas with accents of mineral, blood orange, citrus, and red cherry. It has good weight on the dry, medium-full bodied palate with delicious grapefruit, dried herb, peppery spice, red currant-cherry, and citrus flavours. Acids are juicy and succulent, joined by some palate warmth on the mid-palate. Dried herbs, peppery spice, red currant-cherry, and mineral notes linger on the crisp and dry finish, with very good length. Chill well and enjoy! Arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on April 13. Score: 88+ pts

LA POSTA ARMANDO BONARDA 2022 - Mendoza, Argentina (#261586) (XD) - $14.95
This 100% Bonards was grown in a vineyard that was planted in 1964 in Guaymallén, in the eastern part of Mendoza, at an elevation of 700 metres, and has shallow loamy clay soil with gravel subsoil. Half of the wine was aged for 9 months in 2nd and 3rd-use French oak barrels. Fresh and fragrant, the medium-high intensity nose is ripe and fruity with dark fruited, black cherry, black plum, blackberry, and smoky oak aromas with touches of peppery spice. On the dry, mid-weighted palate it is ripe with black cherry, blackberry, plum, oak spice, pepper, and clove flavours. It has crisp, juicy acidity, along with a touch of warmth on the mid-palate. Present tannins offer a grippy, textured mouthfeel. The balanced flavour profile of black cherry, dark berry, and plum tapering to smoky oak notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Arrived in LCBO VINTAGES on May 11. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious La Posta Vineyards wines can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Tenuta Iuzzolini Madre Goccia 2022 (Calabria) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely blend of Greco Bianco and Chardonnay that is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO as part of last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on May 11.

It is produced by Tenuta Iuzzolini, a family-owned estate winery that was founded in 2004 by Fortunato Iuzzolini and his wife Giovanna Colicchio. The couple's love and passion was passed down to their four sons, who are also now part of the estate. Tenuta Iuzzolini is situated in Cirò, a small Calabrian town with Greek roots along the Ionian coast of Crotone. The Estate covers over 500 hectares of land, with 100 hectares dedicated to vineyards, 50 hectares of centuries-old olive groves, 100 hectares of arable land, and the remainder made up of pastures and woods for livestock that is raised in the wild.

The calling card of Tenuta Iuzzolini is to make quality wines. In order to realize this, they use grapes from over 500 hectares of vineyards, 100 hectares of which are situated within the Cirò DOC territory, with the remaining located in IGT Calabria, within the localities of Timpa Bianca, La Motta, and Niballo. The fertile soils where the vineyards are planted have a clayey and sandy limestone origin, and are rich in natural springs. Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, the entire area is hot with dry summers, and short, rainy winters, which provide the ideal conditions for cultivating grapevines and olive trees.

Tenuta Iuzzolini's cellar is located in the charming town of Cirò Marina and represents a unique and exceptional reality of its kind. Their cellar is the ideal place where history embraces innovation, and where tradition meets modernity. The outside structure was built with original materials from the Crotone area - original local stones, tiles, and bricks, without altering the original conformation of the territory. On the inside, the cellar makes use of high-tech and the latest systems, which are constantly renewed, including the use of stainless steel containers and high-efficiency machinery which help guarantee the use of cutting-edge winemaking methods. Day-after-day, Tenuta Iuzzolini takes care of wine production down to the smallest details with great meticulousness. Their wine laboratory is constantly analyzing the grapes and wine, from vineyard to bottle, while complying with mandatory hygiene and health regulations and protocols.

This white wine is a blend of Greco Bianco, Calabria's powerhouse white grape variety, and Chardonnay. The grapes were grown in the locality of Motta, Carfizzi, within the central-eastern part of the province of Crotone, in the region of Calabria. Situated at an altitude between 200 and 300 metres above sea level, the grapevines are planted on clayey, calcareous soil in a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers. After manually harvesting the grapes, they were destemmed and gently pressed, with a yield of free-run must for 60% of the grapes. It was vinified and matured in steel, with further maturation taking place in bottle at a controlled temperature. Let's see how this 2022 Greco/Chardonnay white wine blend from Calabria is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TENUTA IUZZOLINI MADRE GOCCIA 2022 - IGT Calabria, Italy (#36512) (D) - $22.95
This blend of Greco Bianco and Chardonnay has a lovely, fragrant, medium-high intensity nose of pretty spring flowers and ripe lemon citrus aromas followed orchard fruit, apple, and touches of leesy minerality. On the medium+ bodied palate it has sunny and ripe tropical & orchard fruit, apple, grapefruit, lemon citrus, herbs, honeysuckle, floral, and mild spice characters in a dry-ish flavour profile. There's a kiss of sweetness, but it's kept in check by the bright and refreshing acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with spice notes tapering to mineral on the long, juicy, and dry finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

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

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Mega Spileo Malagousia 2022 (Greece) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Malagousia from Greece. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO and was featured as part of the theme on Classic Euro Regions in the May 11 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Like the excellent 2015 Mega Spileo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon I enjoyed last month, this white wine is made by the same producer - Mega Spileo Estate. The historic and significant Mega Spileo monastery and winery is situated near the town of Kalavryta, within the Achaea region of the Peloponnese. As the oldest and continuously occupied institution in Greece, and the 2nd oldest in the world, the estate is built inside a large cave overlooking the Vouraikos Gorge and provides stunning, natural surroundings. The monastery was established in 362 A.D. by brothers who were also monks, with vine cultivation entering the picture from the mid-15th century onwards, as the monks grew grapes to produce wine for the Holy Communion and as a nutritious dietary supplement. During this period, a massive barrel called "Angelis" was acquired and used to store 12 tonnes of wine - it still survives to this day.

The latest chapter of Mega Spileo Estate began in 1999, when brothers Giannis & Theodoros Anastasiou received a long-term lease on the Estate from the Monastery. The Anastasiou brothers are guided by their vision to revitalize the historical vineyard using a team of experienced wine producers and oenologists who re-planted vines and implemented best practices, including sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, for the cultivation and production of high-quality wine to create a completely new and unique estate. Cultivating both local and international varieties, Mega Spileo produces top-quality products that have become a significant point of reference for Greek wine production.

Crafted with 100% Malagousia, this white wine was organically cultivated in vineyards on the Trapeza Plateau and in Vrosthena. The Trapeza vineyard is located at Agios Nikolaos, in Pera Kampos at Trapeza, Diakopto, along the northern coast of the Achaia region in West Greece. The Trapeza vineyard is planted on an amphitheatrical plateau at an altitude of about 830 metres, overlooking the Corinthian Gulf, and is a passage for visitors to the Palaeomonastero of Agios Nikolaos, and is connected to the mountain village of Trapeza via a provincial road. Spread over 13 hectares, the vineyard has sand and clay soil of varying depths and has good humidity retention. The ground also has a striking red colour due to iron oxides in the soil. The local microclimate is mild and quite dry, especially from April onwards, and is directly exposed to winds from all directions. With its proximity to the sea, the grapes benefit from both mild local temperatures and humidity, and allow the grapes to ripen earlier.

The Malagousia in this wine also comes from the Vrosthena vineyard, which is located at Apidies of Lofos, a small mountain village near Diakopto in Achaia Prefecture. This 2 hectare vineyard is planted at an altitude of between 800 and 850 metres, on a northward slope of sand and clay with good depth and drainage, with views of the Trapeza plateau and the Corinthian Gulf. Exposure and altitude form the mild local microclimate, with stable temperatures and year-round rains allowing the grapes to ripen properly.

After harvesting the grapes in early-September, it underwent a pre-fermentation extraction for about 3 hours, followed by static racking and alcoholic fermentation using selected yeasts at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine stayed in contact with its fine lees, while gently stirred, for 4 to 5 weeks. Let's see how this 2022 Malagousia from Greece is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MEGA SPILEO MALAGOUSIA 2022 - PGI Achaia, Greece (#36837) (XD) - $19.95
Fresh and fragrant, the lifted, highly aromatic nose offers pretty aromas melon, lychee, honeysuckle, floral, and grapefruit citrus. On the dry, medium-bodied palate it has gently spicy notes followed by melon, honeysuckle, floral, lychee, and citrusy aromas replays on the flavour profile. It has juicy, bracing, and tangy acidity, while leesy mineral notes with some pleasing bitterness linger on the juicy, lightly chalky textured finish, with very good length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Mega Spileo Estate can be found at the LCBO, or ordered through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.

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