September 7, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Ontario

Here's my top wine picks from the September 7, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. As is always the case, the first release of September features the fabulous wines from Ontario. It is a very good release with just over 100 wines, and all are readily available across the province.

We begin with the theme on wines from Ontario. Of the sixteen wines featured as part of the theme titled "Bring Home Ontario", there are five wines included among my top wine picks from Ontario, with a few others that I opted not to put on the list below because I had recommended them previously when they came through VINTAGES some months ago. White wines from Ontario continue to be a strong and consistent point, with a Chardonnay and off-dry Riesling that are both from the Niagara Escarpment. There's also a fine Marsanne - one of the few and possibly the only in Ontario - which is actually a blend of 95.2% Marsanne, 2.4% Viognier, and 2.4% Pinot Gris. The only Ontario red among my picks below is a Cabernet Franc, while the lone bubbly recommendation is a dry, traditional method sparkling wine crafted with Gamay!

My red wine recommendations from the main release are mostly blends, starting with the flagship Archimedes, which is 93.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Malbec, 1.6% Petit Verdot, and 0.2% other varieties. Lovers of Grenache-Syrah blends have a few options in this release, beginning with the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Counoise, the Vinsobres that is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, and the Roussillon red that is made with Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan. Also from France, the Madiran is a blend of 65% Tannat and 35% Cabernet Franc. The other two blends are a Super Tuscan that is composed of 42% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 15.5% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4.5% Sangiovese, and 1% Alicante, while the Portuguese red consists of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca. Among the single varietal reds, the Brunello is made with Sangiovese, the Rioja is a Tempranillo, and the Barolo is, of course, made with Nebbiolo.

Among my white wine picks, all are mono-varietal wines and starts with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Some varietals are a bit rare to find in our market, including a Picpoul from the Southwest of France, a Ribolla Gialla from Friuli, and a higher-end Muscadet, which is made with the Melon varietal. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there are nice wines from both Western Australia and Argentina. Lastly, if you enjoy some sweetness in your wine, try the Pinot Gris from New Zealand.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• TOM DE BATON DOS HEREDIAS 2021 - Tabuaço, DOC Douro, Portugal (#363168) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU PEYROS HÉRITAGE TANNAT / CABERNET FRANC 2020 - Sustainable, AC Madiran, France (#208249) (XD) - $17.95
• DOMAINE AUTRAND VINSOBRES 2022 - AC, Rhône, France (#15451) (XD) - $18.95
• IL POGGIO SANNIO AGLIANICO 2019 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#575225) (XD) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES GRENACHE / CARIGNAN / SYRAH 2021 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95
• CAVE SPRING ESTATE GROWN CAVE SPRING VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2022 - Sustainable, Unfiltered, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#523001) (XD) - $20.95

 

• PALACIO GLORIOSO RESERVA 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#930164) (XD) - $23.95
• EL ENEMIGO EL MIRADOR SINGLE VINEYARD BONARDA 2020 - Mendoza, Argentina (#15120) (XD) - $27.95  92 pts  wine review
  
• CAIAROSSA 2016 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#533117) (XD) - $48.95
• ELLENA GIUSEPPE ASCHERI BAROLO 2019 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#36670) (XD) - $53.95
• DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2022 - AC, Rhône, France (#560987) (XD) - $54.95
• FATTORIA DEI BARBI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#372938) (XD) - $69.95  93 pts  wine review
• ARCHIMEDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Sustainable, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#431825) (XD) - $99.95  94 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• ORMARINE CARTE NOIRE PICPOUL DE PINET 2023 - AP, Southwest, France (#38396) (XD) - $14.95  89 pts  wine review
• INVIVO PINOT GRIS 2023 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#367771) (D) - $19.95
• CATENA APPELLATION TUPUNGATO CHARDONNAY 2022 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#10964) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• KEW VINEYARDS MARSANNE 2020 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95  91+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE CHASSELOIR MUSCADET DE SÈVRE ET MAINE 2020 - Sur lie, AP, Loire, France (#35904) (XD) - $21.95
• OMRAH CROSSING CHARDONNAY 2023 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#17644) (XD) - $21.95  90+ pts  wine review
• URLAR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Gladstone, North Island, New Zealand (#22852) (XD) - $22.95
• GRADIS'CUITTA RIBOLLA GIALLA 2021 - DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy (#36849) (XD) - $23.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE ORGANIC RIESLING 2020 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (M) - $24.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE CHARDONNAY 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20455) (XD) - $30.00  90+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• 13TH STREET GAMAY BLANC DE NOIR SPARKLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#39728) (XD) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review

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Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé 2023 (Languedoc) - Wine Review

Tonight's rosé wine review is a delicious, vegan-friendly dry rosé wine from Languedoc that arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the August 24th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Bijou Wines, a wine producer based in the heart of the South of France. Originally established in the Languedoc in 2012, Bijou Wines has since expanded into Provence and specializes in the production of rosé wines.

With a talented team of growers and winemakers, Bijou's stance has always been to produce best-in-class wines. Bijou sources their grapes from unique, lesser-known, but authentic terroirs such as Coteaux de Béziers, Coteaux Varois en Provence, and Haute Vallee de l'Aude in Limoux. Framed as "affordable luxury", Bijou wines are comprised of the very best expressions of old and low-yielding Mediterranean grape varieties, and recognized around the world by critics as authentic and delicious, with beautiful aromas and flavours, and good structure to allow the wines to be enjoyed with or without food.

At Bijou, sustainability is always at the top of mind. The vision is to provide quality wine sustainably by using greener approaches from vineyard to packaging. In 2019, their growers in Coteaux de Béziers (where this wine is from) obtained the HVE Level 3 certification. Today, more than 95% of Bijou's wines are sustainably farmed as HVE3 and organic certified. With climate change and weather patterns changing, adapting viticulture is paramount. As such, Bijou began using the sustainable Caladoc grape varietal in their blends starting in 2019. Caladoc is a crossing of Grenache and Malbec that is resistant to intense heat and drought. In the realm of packaging, Bijou uses lightweight bottles, as well as an extraordinary range of sustainable and environmentally-friendly 1.5 L pouches that significantly lowers their carbon footprint.

This particular rosé is from Bijou's Sophie Valrose line of wines, which also includes a white and red. The "Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose" range is named after a lady who worked in the vineyards of Languedoc during the late 19th century and became a local hero. In that era, it was largely women who worked in the vineyards to prune and harvest the vines, while often mistreated, overworked and underpaid. Not pleased with the situation, Sophie fought for women's rights and drastically improved the working conditions for her fellow women who also worked in the vineyards. As a tribute to Sophie and her legacy, the back label of every bottle in this range shares her story. Each wine in this range is crafted using grapes sourced from handpicked bush vines, just like those that Sophie would have harvested herself many years ago.

The rosé is a blend of 45% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 10% Caladoc, and 5% Syrah from 25-50 year-old well-trellised and low yielding bush vines. The grapes were grown on cool, alluvial clay soils within the Coteaux de Béziers appellation of Languedoc. After harvesting the grapes early in the morning, when temperatures are cooler, in order to preserve fresh acidity and balanced sugar levels, the grapes are destemmed and direct-pressed, with the Syrah undergoing a light maceration on its skins. The four grapes separately underwent a long and cool fermentation, and were then blended together, clarified, and stabilized prior to bottling. From a growing season that was a challenging year of extremes, let's see how this 2023 rosé from Languedoc is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LE BIJOU DE SOPHIE VALROSE ROSÉ 2023 - Vegan, IGP Coteaux de Béziers, Languedoc, France (#20012) (XD) - $17.95
Enclosed by screw cap and pours a pale copper-pink colour. This blend of 45% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 10% Caladoc, and 5% Syrah has a medium+ intensity nose that delivers ripe Mandarin orange, red apple, grapefruit, citrus, and melon aromas with honeyed peach overtones. It has good weight on the medium+ to medium-full bodied and dry palate with refreshing acidity and flavours of citrus, grapefruit, red apple, strawberry, red berry, plus touches of peppery spice. It has a slightly creamy mouthfeel on the mid-palate, while hints of oyster shell and saline mineral notes appear on the citrusy, lengthy, and very juicy finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

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

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Wine Art Estate Idisma Drios Assyrtiko 2022 (Greece) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is an excellent Assyrtiko from PGI Drama in northeastern Greece. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO, coming to shelves as part of last month's August 24th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is readily available across Ontario right now.

Founded by Yiannis Papadopoulos in 1993, Wine Art Estate is a project of love and passion for wine. Yiannis, who is a civil engineer by profession, wanted to explore the vinification procedure and settled on planting a small, family vineyard on the outskirts of Drama, on the northeastern end of Macedonia in northern Greece.

The Drama wine region is made up of quiet valleys, exceptional microclimates, and rich soil that shapes the character of the wines. Wine Art Estate's vineyards are planted on carefully chosen slopes situated between two parallel mountains - Mount Falakro and Mount Menikion - which create a unique winegrowing environment that offers amazing potential for the production of distinctive, high-quality, aromatic, flavourful, and balanced wines. Highly suitable for the cultivation of Greek and international varieties, the soil in these vineyards is mainly composed of sandy-clay over limestone layers. Moreover, the blocks in the Kali Vrisi area have been known since ancient times for the cultivation of vines and production of wines, as indicated at the ruins of the Sanctuary of Dionysus. Kali Vrisi was chosen for its rich soil and is known as a premium wine growing area.

In 2009, Akis Papadopoulos, son of Yiannis, returned from his studies in Bordeaux and took over from his father as Chief Oenologist. Iralklis Topalidis joined the team as viticulturist and, after seeing and assessing the vines, began focusing on the importance of the vineyard as a precursor to quality winemaking. After years of research and experimentation, as well as an enthusiastic response from consumers, trade and press in many countries around the world, Wine Art Estate continues its dedication to quality with a winemaking philosophy that respects harmony and balance. Additionally, the philosophy at Wine Art Estate is that great wines begin in the vineyard and are grown by those who adapt, listen to nature, and are respectful of the land's energy. With winemaking experience spanning three decades, Wine Art Estate is committed to sustainable winegrowing, while producing high quality wines without compromise, and preserving nature for future generations.

While I recall enjoying the 2019 Wine Art Techni Alipias Red Blend last November, with this wine we go up a notch to Wine Art Estate's Idisma Drios premium range of wines that showcases their commitment to quality and tradition. The name "Idisma Drios" translates to "sweetly oaked" in Greek, and reflects the careful use of oak barrels in the winemaking process for each of the four Idisma Drios wines.

This particular wine is crafted with 100% Assyrtiko that was grown in the villages of Kali Vrisi and Mikrochori, from vineyards that are under conversion to organic viticulture. The Kali Vrisi vineyard has sandy-clay soil over limestone layers, while the Mikrochori vineyard has sandy-clay soil. The climate in these vineyards is continental with intense diurnal temperature changes between day and night, along with cool, northern winds during summer. To craft this white wine, the skins were cold-soaked prior to fermentation in order to transfer aromas from the grapes to the must. After fermentation for 7 days in stainless steel tanks, the wine is transferred with its fine lees into 225 L French oak barrels where it completes fermentation. Manual bâtonnage (stirring of fine lees) is applied for about 6 months to give the wine volume, density, and creaminess.

The 2022 growing season in northern Greece can be characterized as a late year that was very demanding for viticulturists. Winter was normal, but spring had low temperatures, which delayed the start of the vegetative cycle. Normal temperatures combined with rainfall during June and July led to smooth maturation of grapes, but winegrowers did need to stay alert to protect the health of the vineyards and ensure leaf surface and yield were balanced. While August had favourable temperatures, there was also plentiful rainfall, which led to temporary interruption of harvest in some places, as well as disease-related issues. September was smooth, and the harvest was completed without any further complications. Overall, the white wines from this vintage show rich varietal aromas and good acidity. Let's see how this 2022 Assyrtiko from Greece is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

WINE ART ESTATE IDISMA DRIOS ASSYRTIKO 2022 - PGI Drama, Greece (#36834) (XD) - $28.95
Richly fragrant, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers elegant and enticing aromas of buttery and vanillin oak layered over ripe lemon citrus, apple, orchard fruit, mineral, and floral. On the dry, medium-full to full-bodied palate it is richly structured, creamy, and complex with delicious vanilla, toasty oak spice, citrus, apple, orchard fruit, and nut flavours. Touch spicy on the mid-palate, while leesy mineral notes appear on the back palate. It has tangy and juicy acidity, while vanilla, citrus, orchard fruit, and mineral notes with touches of spice lingering on the very long, succulent finish. Should drink nicely to the end of the decade and is a highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Other fine wines by Wine Art Estate can be ordered at the LCBO or through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.

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LAVAU Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2022 (France) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a delicious blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier from the Rhône wine region of France. It made its debut at the LCBO in the recent August 24th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is widely available across Ontario right now.

It is produced by Maison LAVAU, a winery that was founded by the Lavau family in 1965. The Lavau family had already been involved in winemaking for several generations when Jean-Guy Lavau, the third generation of the family, and his wife, Anne-Marie, returned to France from Tunisia in the mid-20th century. By 1964, the couple decided to take over a small winemaking cellar in the southern Rhône Valley village of Sablet. Together, the Lavau's built a reputation as one of the region's top winemakers thanks to their dedication to high-quality standards, attention to detail, and thirst for excellence.

Today, Maison LAVAU is a major player locally in the Rhône Valley as it has developed close ties with other winegrowers in the region. Maison LAVAU is led by brothers Frédéric and Benoît Lavau, the sons of Jean-Guy and Anne-Marie. The brothers completed their studies in Canada and joined the family business - Frédéric in 1995, followed by Benoît two years later, and by 2000, the Lavau brothers had taken over the family business because their parents opted to retire. Frédéric and Benoît's youthful energy and adventurous spirit allowed them to further structure, develop, and improve the Maison, including building a new cellar in Violès and investing in modern, high-performance cellar facilities. Maison LAVAU has long-running partnerships with more than 250 winegrowers who have over 140 hectares of vines across the appellations of Rhône Valley. Moreover, the Lavau brothers are also talented winemakers and wine traders, and invested in vineyards so they could produce their wine using their own grapes. As one of the last family-run and independent wine estates in the Rhône Valley, Maison LAVAU's main objective is to offer the very best of the Rhône Valley by producing quality wines that are fine, generous, and affordable, while also expressing the unique characteristics of the Rhône Valley's terroirs.

This white wine is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Viognier that was grown in selected vineyards in the Vaucluse and Gard departments of the Rhône wine region, from vines planted in clay-limestone soil on plains and hillsides. Upon arriving at the winery, the grapes underwent a light skin maceration, then pressed and placed into temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Fermentation was carried out at a low temperature to preserve the fruit. The wine was aged in stainless steel vats, on its fine lees, without malolactic fermentation, in order to preserve the crisp and crunchy character of the wine.

The 2022 growing season was the hottest and driest vintage in the Rhône since 1950! The season was marked by extremes, beginning with a dry winter that saw very little precipitation, while spring rapidly warmed up, although there was a fleeting cold snap in April. Budburst and flowering were a success, even though temperatures continued to rise. May was abnormally hot, while June brought some relief with rain. Summer was marked by heat and drought, with rot and disease mostly kept at bay, while August brought some humidity which helped revive some of the vines. Faced with the increasing regularity of these growing conditions, it would appear as though the vines have learned to adapt by slowing down their growth rates and maturity cycles. From a vintage that favours white grape varieties, let's see how this 2022 Côtes du Rhône Blanc is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LAVAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2022 - AC, France (#36914) (XD) - $16.95
This 60/40 blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier has a fresh, medium+ intensity nose offering attractive aromas of fresh and ripe pear, apple, lemon citrus, Mediterranean herbs, and grapefruit with accents of white floral and white peach. Intriguing leesy and mealy aromas emerge with time in the glass. On the weighty, medium-full bodied, and dry palate it has very good concentration with a fleshy mouthfeel and delicious ripe pear, apple, white floral, yellow fruit, lemon citrus, grapefruit, and spice flavours with some honeyed overtones. It has very good acidity, while pear, apple, floral, and spice notes linger on the long-lasting and juicy finish. With the alcohol starting to peak through, you'll want to chill well and enjoy this recommended buy over the coming year. Score: 88+ pts

Other lovely wines by Maison LAVAU can be found at the LCBO, or ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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August 24, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here's my top wine picks from the Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE) section of the August 24, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. There are more than 40 wines listed as OFEs, and as is typical of the category, nearly all the wines are priced north of $20. All the wines should be readily available online and at the 16 Flagship stores in Ontario.

We'll begin with the red wines, and each of my top red wine picks is a mono-varietal wine. From Italy, both the Brunello di Montalcino and the Chianti Classico are crafted with 100% Sangiovese, while the wine from Marche is composed of 100% Montepulciano. For Pinot wine lovers, there is a fine Pinot Noir from Burgundy, as well as a Pinot Noir from Central Otago. South America is also represented among my red wine picks, with a fine Malbec from Argentina, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

Among my white picks, there's only wine that is a blend - the Tuscan white that is mainly Vernaccia di San Gimignano with 5-7% Manzoni and Trebbiano to complete the blend. Other white wines include a pair of higher-end Chardonnays from Burgundy, a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and an off-dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CASAS DEL TOQUI GRAN TOQUI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Sustainable, DO Valle de Cachapoal, Chile (#37751) (XD) - $26.95
• UMANI RONCHI CÚMARO CONERO RISERVA 2019 - DOCG, Marche, Italy (#27811) (XD) - $26.95
• ARGENTO SINGLE BLOCK #1 MALBEC 2021 - Vegan, Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#36179) (XD) - $35.95
• LOOP ROAD PINOT NOIR 2022 - Cromwell, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (#25948) (XD) - $37.95
• QUERCIABELLA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - Vegan, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#728816) (XD) - $40.95
• PODERI 322 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#39101) (XD) - $59.95
• CHARTRON ET TRÉBUCHET LES GRAND EPENOTS POMMARD 1ER CRU 2020 - AP, Burgundy, France (#37917) (XD) - $135.95

White Wine:

• TIKI SINGLE VINEYARD NORTH CANTERBURY PINOT GRIS 2023 - North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand (#36881) (D) - $22.95
• PANIZZI VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#36446) (XD) - $23.95
• PREISS KAMMERLING GRÜNER VELTLINER 2022 - DAC Traisental, Austria (#37421) (XD) - $23.95
• CHARLY NICOLLE LES FOURNEAUX ANTE MCMLXXX CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2020 - AP, Burgundy, France (#24945) (XD) - $52.95
• CHARTRON ET TRÉBUCHET CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 2021 - AC, Burgundy, France (#37916) (XD) - $127.95

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Domaine Terre Davau Tavel Rosé 2023 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's rosé wine review is a lovely, organic Tavel from Rhône that is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO and landed on shelves across Ontario in last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on August 24th.

It is produced by the Château de Manissy, an historic winery situated in the Tavel appellation of the southern Rhône Valley in France. The Château has a long history dating back to the 17th century. In more recent history, the Château and its lands were bequeathed to the Missionary Brothers of the Holy Family after the First World War. Soon thereafter, the Brothers planted their first vines and released their first Tavel wines for use at Mass and general consumption. The motto of the estate was introduced as "Auspice Clara Manissy Stella" – "Under the Protection of the Bright Star of Manissy", and continues to be used today, which also led to the estate's name - Château de Manissy.

Even though the brothers lived at the Château all those years (and continue to do so today), as they grew older they decided that they needed someone new to manage the vineyards. As such, in 2003, the young Tavel winemaker Florian André arrived at the estate and wholeheartedly carried out the brothers' work. Florian comes from 7 generations of Tavel winegrowers who know and love their terroir. With great respect for the vine and wine, Florian began converting all the vineyards to organic in 2009, followed by the progression to biodynamic agriculture. After joining Château de Manissy, Florian also created a new range of wines - one of which is the Domaine Terre Davau line.

Today, all Château de Manissy's vineyards, which are spread over 60 hectares across the appellations of Tavel, Lirac, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Cotes du Rhône, are farmed biodynamically. The soils in these vineyards are sandy clay and topped with either limestone fragments or "galets roulés", Rhône Valley's classic rounded pudding-stones. The vines get plenty of Mediterranean sunshine and are swept by Mistral wind, the ideal conditions for vinegrowing which dry up excess moisture in the soil and helps prevent disease, resulting in a healthy vineyard full of healthy grapes.

Domaine Terre Davau is Château de Manissy's winegrowing estate in the village of Roque sur Cèz (considered officially as one of the most beautiful villages in France), in the northeast of the department of Gard, about 40 km northwest of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and is a true gem of the Rhône Valley. The estate of Domaine Terre Davau is named after a savoury herb and medicinal plant, locally once known as "davau", which grows freely in the area. The domaine's historic vineyards are situated on south-facing terraces, ascending a gentle slope, and have been in the hands of Florian's mother's side of the family for six generations. The grapes of Domaine Terre Davau are vinified at Château de Manissy's site in Tavel.

This Tavel Rosé is crafted using a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Clairette, and Cinsault from 40 to 50-year-old vines that were grown on a small, 13-hectare parcel that has pudding stones over sand and blue clay soil. The grapes were hand harvested, and upon arriving at the winery they were destemmed, crushed, and cold-soaked for 12–24 hours prior to pressing. It underwent alcoholic fermentation by native yeasts at low temperatures for about 15 days, without malolactic fermentation, and was aged in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling.

From a promising vintage across the southern Rhône Valley, let's see how this 2023 Tavel Rosé is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE TERRE DAVAU TAVEL ROSÉ 2023 - AC, Rhône, France (#37680) (XD) - $19.95
This organic rosé is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Clairette, and Cinsault. It has a hint of reduction that gives way to reveal a medium-high intensity nose of stony minerals and a red berry medley of strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry, and currant aromas, as well as some dried herbs and white pepper spice. On the dry, flavourful, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it has lovely red berry, currant, pomegranate, strawberry, and cherry flavours, plus savoury stony minerals, dried herb, and peppery spice replays Slightly creamy mouthfeel with crisp, juicy acidity on the well-structured palate. Red berry, currant, spice, and mineral notes linger on the long, crisp, dry, and gently chalky finish. Should be even better in a year or two. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Château de Manissy can be ordered through their Agent - Rare Earth Wines.

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Alpha Estate Turtles Single Vineyard Malagouzia 2023 (Greece) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is an excellent Malagouzia from Greece. It arrived at the LCBO over the weekend and is featured as a Hand-Picked Gift in the August 24 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Alpha Estate, a winery that was established in 1997 by Makis Mavridis, an experienced viticulturist, and Angelos Iatridis, a chemist-oenologist. After gaining years of experience in their fields in Greece and abroad, they decided to create their own wines and settled in the Amyndeon region of Florina, Macedonia, in northwestern Greece.

Today, Angeliki Iatridou and Emorfili Mavridou, the daughters of the founders, carry on the knowledge and love for winemaking with passion, while respecting traditions and evolving to participate in Alpha Estate's common vision. They have a privately-owned 220 hectare vineyard with a unique ecosystem, but the soul of their work are the people that contribute every day to the dream, while respecting nature and using the most recent international standards in eco-friendly growing practices of sustainable viticulture and winemaking. All wines bearing the Alpha Estate label are crafted with professional know-how, experience, and with a team effort throughout all the stages from production to promotion.

The winery is located in the heart of the vineyard, thereby allowing the grapes to arrive at the winery in the shortest amount of time as possible in order to protect the grape's organoleptic characteristics. Moreover, the winery was designed to exploit gravity, which minimizes the stress experienced by the grape and wine, as well as constructed using materials that allowed for completely neutral atmospheric conditions inside the winery. Alpha Estate has also implemented an integrated Building Management System, which allows for remote monitoring of all machinery and mechanical functions. The cellar is located underground where wine is aged in casks at ideal and optimum conditions throughout the year.

This white wine is crafted with 100% Malagouzia that was grown in PGI Florina, one of the coolest and most mountainous PGI zones in Greece. The privately owned vineyard is planted on the Amyndeon plateau in northwestern Macedonia, within the "Turtles" sub-region that is situated at an average 670 metres above sea level, facing Mount Voras, and with northwestern exposure to the sun. The soil in this vineyard is sandy, with a sandy clay soil over limestone that has excellent drainage qualities. The climate in this area is semi-continental, with important rain and snowfall, while summers are generally fresh and dry, with a high diurnal temperature range and cool nights. Furthermore, the two neighbouring lakes, along with the prevalence of northwesterly winds, help regulate weather extremes and allow vine cultivation to thrive. After the grapes were harvested by hand in small picking baskets, they were destemmed, optically sorted, and then lightly crushed. With skin contact, it underwent a temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, and spent two months "sur lie" with regular stirring.

The 2023 growing season began very dry, without the usual snowfall, and an almost warm winter, followed by a nice, cold spring. June was very wet and presented some challenges, while heatwaves arrived in July and stressed the vines. What saved and made the vintage were the warm days and cool nights during harvest. Let's see how this 2023 Malagouzia from Greece is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ALPHA ESTATE TURTLES SINGLE VINEYARD MALAGOUZIA 2023 - Vegan, PGI Florina, Greece (#32161) (XD) - $18.95
100% Malagouzia. Intensely fragrant and highly aromatic, this has a lovely, attractive, complex, and perfumed nose of ripe grapefruit, lemon citrus, spring flowers, apple, tropical fruits, lychee, and fennel aromas with underlying minerals. On the dry, medium+ bodied, well-structured palate, it is lightly spicy with citrusy, grapefruit, apple, mineral, spring flowers, and lychee flavours supported by juicy, structured acidity. It has a fine, textured mouthfeel, plus some spice notes on the mid-palate. Nicely balanced with tangy citrus and mineral notes lingering on the exceptionally long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other fine wines by Alpha Estate can be found at the LCBO or through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.

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