Providing a Unique & Affordable Selection of High Quality Red Wines and White Wines for Your Enjoyment. Also featured: Rosé, Port, Icewine, Champagne and Sparkling Wine for Special Occasions. Cheers!
This is the first LCBO Vintages release of 2014 and, as always, is the annual "Smart Buys" release. New wines will be on shelves across Ontario on . There are 27 wines featured in the "Smart Buys" section and 8 made my list.
For some (strange?) reason, it's extremely rare that a "Wine of the Month" makes my list of wine picks, but this time it did. Perhaps this bodes well for subsequent Wines of the Month in 2014! The Cusumano Noà is one of this release's Wines of the Month and is also part of the Smart Buys feature. It's a blend of 40% Nero d’Avola, 30% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and definitely a worthy buy.
The 2011 Vacqueyras is featured as a Smart Buy and arrives in Vintages just 2 months after the 2010 was featured. It is a blend of Grenache and Syrah and, interestingly, priced $2 higher than the 2010.
Also from the Smart Buys section is the Valle Las Acequias Oak Malbec and the First Press (oaked) Chardonnay, while the Australian Domaine Tournon Mathilda Shiraz made by the famous Marc Chapoutier saw no oak whatsoever. Both the New Zealand white wines - Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc - did not touch any oak, which is typical for each varietal. And finally, the crowd-pleasing Flat Rock Riesling is off-dry (medium in sweetness) and comes from a local Niagara winery that focuses on environmental sustainability.
From the rest of the release, I am happy to see the 2011 Bula finally arrive in Vintages this coming weekend. I had the opportunity to taste this full-bodied red wine at the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in November and it ended up being one of my favourite wines of the night. It's a blend of 40% Carinena, 40% Garnacha (Grenache), and 20% Syrah. I enjoyed it very much and hope you will enjoy it too!
And last but not least, there are a couple of premium Bordeaux reds that are worth your consideration. The Château Caronne Ste. Gemme is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the Château Grand Village is 75% Merlot and 25% Cab Franc. Both of these wines hail from great, but very different vintages.
Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week! Cheers!
I thought it would be appropriate to finally open this wine last night as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, on the day of his memorial. Ironically, this winery began its new life when current owners Murray and Juliet Boustred purchased the land in 1994, the year that apartheid ended in South Africa.
This red wine was purchased earlier this year from the February 2nd LCBO Vintages release. And if you're looking to buy this, you will have to wait as this is no longer available at the LCBO.
REMHOOGTE ESTATE WINE 2006 - WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, South Africa (#694539) (XD) - $18.95
Tasting Note:
A blend of 40% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Shiraz, and 15% Pinotage. Plum and oak aromas from the cork. Medium-high intensity aromas of menthol, eucalyptus, licorice and bramble from the glass. Medium-full bodied with lively acids. Palate is warm with spice, mulberry, dark cherry and vanillan oak flavours. Tannis are firm, but ripe. Finishes long, bitter and smooth. Delicious. Could have been aged another 2-3 years, but enjoyable now. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts
This is the second wine sample from the fine folks at Philippe Dandurand, and just in time for the peak season of sparkling wines.
It is not widely known that in 1531 the Limoux region was the first to create sparkling wine - a full one century prior to Dom Perignon - using what is now known as the "Traditional Method". The Grande Cuvée 1531 is a tribute to that first wine and is from the September 28th LCBO Vintages release.
If you didn't find anything you liked from the last release, there are bottles of this fine sparkler available throughout the Ontario. For those that like slightly sweet sparkling wines, you will enjoy this.
AIMERY GRAND CUVÉE 1531 CRÉMANT DE LIMOUX - AC Crémant de Limoux, Southwest, France (#350371) (D) - $19.95
Tasting Note:
Blend of mostly Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, and some Pinot Noir. Medium intensity aromas of apple, mineral and chalk from the glass. Palate has flavours of poached apple and nutty notes, along with hints of peach and honey. Medium-bodied with fine mousse that is plentiful. It is off-dry with balanced acids to keep the sweetness in check. Lengthy finish that is slightly bitter and on the dry side. Quite nice and a recommended buy. Score: 88 pts
The final release of 2013 will arrive on LCBO shelves on . No surprise that this Vintages release focuses on "Fine Wines for Festive Gatherings", while the sub-focus highlights 20 Sparkling Wines for celebrations.
We'll begin with the Sparkling Wine section as three wines from this feature made my list of wine picks below. All three were picked with budget in mind, and range in price from $18 to $21. The vintage Cava from Spain is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, while the vintage Prosecco is a fruity sparkler made using 100% Glera. The non-vintage Brut Vouvray is made from the Chenin Blanc grape. All three sparklers are dry (i.e. not sweet) and will suit perfectly to ring in the New Year.
The primary focus of this release highlights 27 wines that would be suitable for your upcoming festive gathering this year or sometime in the future. Five wines made the list, including the Seresin Sauvignon Blanc, and the off-dry (slightly sweet) Alsace Pinot Gris. The red wines to make the list include a Chilean Carmenère, the Saltram Shiraz, and a 2009 Bordeaux blend from Château Bertinerie that consists of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Sauvignon Blanc should be opened over the next 6-12 months, while the other four wines can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years.
From the rest of the release, there is one really interesting "bottle" called the Raymond Blending Kit (#363366, $294.95), which includes four bottles of single varietal 2012 Napa Valley red wines along with cylinders, pipettes, and instructions to make your own blend. If you weren't already busy during the holidays, this will surely keep you busy and provide pleasure during the month of December.
Other red wines from this release include the Clos Malverne Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (80/20 blend), which is a great buy at $13.95. Two Grenache-based wines from the fabulous 2010 Rhône vintage also made my picks - the Gigondas is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault. Both of these Rhône reds are ageable for at least the next decade And last but not least, the Penfolds Bin 138 is a blend of 65% Shiraz, 20% Grenache, and 15% Mataro and will drink well until at least 2020.
In white wines, I've chosen a few oaked Chardonnays (Liberty School, Cave Spring, Featherstone), as well as an unoaked Chardonnay (Chablis). Both Rieslings I've picked are dry (not sweet). And if you enjoy wines on the sweeter side, you'll want to check out the Gewürztraminer from Alsace, the Botrytis-affected Semillon, and the 10 year old Tawny Port.
Enjoy the holidays with some of my wine recommendations and we'll see you early in 2014 at the Niagara Icewine Festival.
Red Wine:
CLOS MALVERNE CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT 2011 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#678433) (XD) - $13.95
JUAN GIL WHITE LABEL DE CEPAS VIEJAS MONASTRELL 2012 - DO Jumilla, Spain (#013656) (D) - $15.95
VIÑA CASABLANCA EL BOSQUE CARMENÈRE WINEMAKER'S CHOICE 2010 - Rapel Valley, Chile (#199836) (XD) - $15.95
CHÂTEAU BERTINERIE CRU RÉSERVE 2009 - AC Côtes de Bordeaux-Blaye, France (#244640) (XD) - $18.95
DANDELION VINEYARDS LIONHEART OF THE BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2011 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#167189) (XD) - $19.95
SALTRAM MAMRE BROOK SHIRAZ 2010 - Barossa, South Australia (#032227) (XD) - $26.95
LA FERME DU MONT CÔTES JUGUNDA GIGONDAS 2010 - AP, Rhône, France (#354118) (XD) - $29.95 reviewed here
CHURCHILL’S ESTATES TOURIGA NACIONAL 2009 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#351643) (XD) - $30.95
PENFOLDS BIN 138 SHIRAZ/GRENACHE/MATARO 2011 - Barossa, South Australia (#468637) (XD) - $39.95
Received this wine a couple of weeks ago courtesy of the fine folks at Philippe Dandurand Wines. It is from the June 8th release earlier this year and pretty much completely sold out at the LCBO. Not surprising as it's very nice at this price point. Recommended buy if you can find it. Keep an eye out for the 2012 vintage.
LES VIGNES BILA-HAUT CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2011 - AC, Midi, France (#168716) (D) - $14.95
Tasting Note:
This red wine is a blend of unspecified amounts of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Plum and cork with hints of purple fruit aromas from the cork. Medium-high intensity aromas of barnyard, black cherry, herbs and pepper from the glass. Medium+ bodied with racy acids. Palate has spice, anise, black cherry and black currants. Good structure with tannins that are nicely integrated. Finish is long and a touch warm. Chill slightly and drink now. Enjoyable! Score: 88+ pts
"Our finest wines and spirits for the holidays" is the theme of the next LCBO Vintages release, which will be on shelves across Ontario on . It looks as though the LCBO went the extra mile with this release as the Vintages logo on the cover received the special gold foil treatment, while inside the magazine there are many, many very nice (and pricey) wines.
In the main feature of the release, there are 30 fine wines and spirits to choose from and 4 made my list of good value buys. Somewhat surprisingly, 3 are from Ontario - the Stratus Red (42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 15% Cabernet Franc), the Stratus White (32% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Viognier, 13% Chardonnay), and the Creekside Syrah! The 4th pick from this section is a Masi Amarone.
If you're inclined, there are many other fine wines in this release from some of the biggest names in the biz, including Beaucastel, Pahlmeyer, Silver Oak, Dunn Vineyards, Paul Hobbs, Catena, Antinori, Ornellaia, Dom Perignon, and Krug. Hidden at the back of the magazine (pages 68-71) are more stellar finds that will only be available at Vintages flagship stores.
There is no secondary feature in this release, but there could have been one on Malbecs as there a 10 Argentinean samples at various price points.
From the rest of the release, the Xavier Côtes du Rhône is a blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah, while the the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is composed similarly using 70% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. The Aglianico from Molise is an organic wine, and strangely enough, the only organic wine in the whole release. The Crognolo is mostly Sangiovese, with small amounts of Merlot and Cab Sauv added. And last but not least, the Ardanza from Spain is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha (Grenache).
This is the second last release of the year. So, if you haven't already started stocking up for the holidays, I would highly recommend you begin now.
Enjoy my wine picks for this week! Cheers!
Red Wine:
XAVIER CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2010 - AP, Rhône, France (#297317) (XD) - $16.95
On , I attended the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo VIP night. The show returned for its 19th year, and this is the 3rd consecutive year (4th overall) that I attended. I always find the event to be super-busy for a Thursday night. However, it did seem like there were fewer people this year. Or, perhaps it only felt more spacious because they moved the event to the upper level of the North Building.
After purchasing some sample tickets, I walked around a bit to get a feel for everything and eventually began tasting at the Michael Andrew Brands booth to sample a selection of quality wines from Giesen (NZ) and Fielding Estate Winery (Niagara). Following that, I made an unexpected stop at the Christopher Stewart Wines & Spirits booth to taste a couple of Spanish red wines that I had never heard of. It was definitely the worth the stop as the Bula 2011 (wine review below) ended up being the best value wine of the night for me. It's arriving in LCBO Vintages in January, but you'll get a chance to pre-taste this before it hits the shelves.
While walking around, I came across the Muskoka Lakes Winery booth, with Matt French holding down the fort. We tweeted each other a couple of years ago at this very same show, but failed to meet at the time. Because of this connection, the following summer I visited the winery out in Bala, Ontario and tasted some very fine fruit wines. On Thursday, I tasted their 2010 Portage - a fortified dessert wine that was made using blueberries. It was very yummy!
I eventually found my way into the Fine Wine Lounge, where last year I tasted some amazing German Rieslings. This year, it was all about the Alsatian Pinot Gris at the Trialto Wine Group booth.
By now, I was starting to feel a little hungry and went searching for some food. I ended up having a Lobster Taco from the Rock Lobster group (booth #630). The next stop was Hidden Bench Vineyard and Winery for some top notch wines. I had tasted a couple of their white wines at the recent Taste Ontario! event, so tonight I opted for their Rosé and a couple of reds. Their Pinot Noir was easily the best wine I tasted all night, but it's $38 and only available at the winery. Definitely taste this if you get the chance!
After that I decided I was done tasting wanted to use my remaining tickets on some food items. I happened to see Paris Crepes Cafe(booth #231) and enjoyed a chocolate & fresh strawberry crepe to satisfy my sweet tooth. What happened next left a sour taste in my mouth.
There was only about 20 minutes remaining until the show was about to close, and I had 3 tickets remaining which I wanted to use on food. I happened to see a sign for IPA Kicked Chicken at the Magic Oven booth. It looked really good, and I was definitely interested in trying it. However, it was 5 tickets. So, as any savvy shopper would do, I asked the Owner if he could cut me a deal. I even offered to take a smaller portion, but he would have none of it - as he kept warming/turning samosas for what was probably Friday's crowd - and told me to go find a friend. He also made some other comments, which I won't repeat here. Suffice it to say, I wasn't pleased, especially since I have seen (and spoken to him) at wine trade tastings.
So off I go to find something worth 3 tickets and bump into Fire in the Kitchen(booth #1130), where they make specialized rubs and seasoning for grilling and oven roasting. Here, they offered a Mac & Cheese with Shredded Chicken which we could top with any of their seasonings that had been infused with oil. It was very delicious! The funny part about this is that I met the owner of Fire in the Kitchen a couple of summers ago in Bracebridge, when I was en route to Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes Winery. The rubs are quite tasty, and you can buy them at Longo's.
Bumping into friends and colleagues, and meeting new friends is always a highlight at these events. I won't name names, but you know who you are and it was great to see you! I did miss The Wine Sisters, who were apparently at the InterVin booth, but for the life of me I could not find it!
Here are my top 5 wines that you should try if you're heading out to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo this weekend. Enjoy!
Tasting Notes: HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2010 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $38
Medium-high intensity aromas that exude elegant notes of smoke, beetroot, cherry and florals. Aroma replays with ripe red fruits leading the way on the palate. Medium-bodied mouthfeel with integrated tannins and balanced throughout. The finish is medium-long and smooth. My kind of Pinot. Gorgeous. Available at the winery only. Score: 91 pts (Booth #324)
DOMAINE ZIND-HUMBRECHT CALCAIRE PINOT GRIS 2011 - AC Alsace, France (#190413) (M) - $27.95
Arrived in Vintages Nov. 9th. This white wine has a beautiful nose consisting of floral, peach and honeycomb. Juicy mouthfeel with bright acidity. Palate is medium in sweetness and has flavours similar to the aromas - peach and honey, along with minerals. Slight chalkiness arrives at the mid-palate. Finish is long and elegant. Very nice! Score: 90 pts (Booths T03 & T04)
BODEGAS BULA 2011 - DO Montsant, Spain (#292094) (XD) - $17.95
Blend of 40% Carinena, 40% Garnacha (Grenache), and 20% Syrah. Medium-high intensity aromas of red currants, cherries and subtle smoke and dried figs. Full-bodied with red fruits, licorice, new leather, and sweet vanillan notes. Good structure, with tannins integrating very nicely. Finish is long and smooth. This red wine has the stuffing to age 5 years. Stay tuned - will be in Vintages this coming January. Score: 90 pts (Booth #906)
MUSKOKA LAKES WINERY RED MAPLE 2012 - Canada (#050039) (S) (375 mL) - $23.95
Was one of my picks from the last Vintages release, but apparently didn't make it on to store shelves due to issues at the LCBO warehouse. Pleasant aromas of sweet cranberries and hints of maple syrup from the glass. Full-bodied, yet light on its feet with lovely aroma replays. Nice acidity. Hints of maple syrup continue on the medium-long finish. Sweet and delicious! Hopefully the issues will be resolved soon, as this is a recommended buy for the holidays. (Booth #817)
GIESEN THE BROTHERS LAND SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#308270) (XD) - $17.95
From the LCBO General List and readily available. Very nice and intense aromas of guava, passion fruit and nettle. Medium-bodied with bracing acidity. Aromas show through on the balanced palate. Vibrant with a lengthy, bitter finish. Chill well. Tasted this a few months ago at the iYellow Summer Wine Jam with fairly consistent notes. Score: 89 pts (Booth #913)
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
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