Vintages April 13 - NZ, Portugal and the county

The April 13^th Vintages release focuses on two of the smaller wine producing nations. New Zealand and Portugal are the features along with a nice little tourist feature on ‘the county’.  The NZ  focus is on a small number of very well known wineries  among them Kim Crawford, Cloudy Bay and Dog Point.  Among the three the cult leader  is Cloudy Bay.  Dog Point is almost as famous. Some say that’s the result of their incestuous (or was that oencestuous? ) relationship with Cloudy Bay. All of them  specialize in white wines which are particularly suited to NZ’s climate and soils.  

The second feature is Portugal. It’s interesting to see the disparate perceptions of the wines of the two countries. NZ is seen as an up and comer while Portugal, in spite of a long history of production of very good red and white table wines, is best known for the production of sweet Port. Try as they might, the Portuguese cannot shake the perception that they produce only cheap, cheerful, simple table reds. Publications like the Wine Spectator have tried to shift that paradigm by awarding midpriced Portuguese reds places in their Top 10 wines of the year but people are slow to come around. Perhaps it’s the fact that the most often used grapes are indigenous to Portugal and are simply not widely known outside that little strip of land.

As mentioned, the 3^rd feature is ‘the county’. In general, I like the whites, some sparklers  and the odd rose from the county better than the reds. That holds true for all of Ontario though.  If you’re going to take a visit and expect Niagara on the Lake pseudo-sophistication you should take a listen to the Frere Brothers for a preview of county culture. I like it. The county is a proud community of farmers who happen to be able to grow some great grapes among many other great things. 

On to the recommendations.  This is a slightly improved release, 64 points in the VRSS.

Quinta do Portal Frontaria 2009 - $13.95 for a Best Buy 90 pointer. At this price they’ll blow out of the stores I’m sure.

Delaforce Touriga Nacional 2009 -$18.95 From a renowned port house, this is a great sample of Portugal’s equivalent to Cab Sauv, Touriga Nacional. Just don’t expect it to be a cab sauv.

Marques de Caceres Tinto Reserva 2005 – $24.95 - Call me a point whore, but this one made the WS Top 100, scores 91 points from a reviewer’s palate that  I trust and is under 25 bucks!

Domaine de la Tete Noir Tradition Vacqueyras 2010 –$25.95 – Look for intense depth of flavour. A little steep in price for a Vacqueyras but I haven’t picked one in a while.

Balma Venitia Terrasse Pavee Seguret Cotes Du Rhone villages 2010 –$16.95 Another new one for me from the 2010 vintage , Seguret is one of the named ‘villages’ in the CdR. Could be very good.

Le Cirque CMS 2011 -$15.95 – From the Midi in France, I expect a big, solid mouthful at a very reasonable price. Very young , decant this bad boy  for an hour or so.

Castello di Monterinaldi Chianti Classico Reserva 2007 – From a terrific vintage, ready to drink and well priced.  New producer for me , so I’ll try one.

Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet $25.95 – Well priced for a (somewhat  atypical) Napa cab.

Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – $15.95 - New Product? I doubt it. If I could dig through my old empty bottles there’d be more than a few of these.  Given vintages predilection for alliteration, I’m surprised there is no mention of the big bull Brampton Beacon Bloomer.

Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $29.95 – If this was the actual tasting note from the Vintages tasting panel, they should all be PUNished. The male Vintages panel members gelded perhaps? 

Of the whites, any of the Kim Crawford offerings always present the best in New Zealand.

Big Bucks

Domaine Durieu  Chateauneuf du Pape 2010 - $35.95 – Still another from the brilliant 2010 vintage, new to me so I’ll buy one just to have it.

La Velona 2007  - Brunello –$38.95 -  Recommended and best served with the 1979 hit by the Knack.  Well ok make that the slightly revised hit…. Two  glasses in and I’ll be singing

Oooo my little pretty one,   my pretty one. 
When you gonna give me some wine, Velona?
Ooh you make my motor run, my motor run. 
Gun it comin' off the line, Velona

Glen Eldon Dry Bore Shiraz 2004 - $46.00 – An ISD so it’ll be rare, at 9 years old, this Barossa beauty will be drinking so well and it makes a nice juicy filling for the two Italian wafers on each side.

Ferdinando Principiano Serralunga Barolo 2007 -$41.95 – Lay it down or decant.

E Guigal Gigondas 2009 – There are Gigondas examples from the slightly better 2010 vintage available for $2 to $5 less. Take a pass for now but watch it, it could go on sale.