With their April 12th release Vintages does
little to change the LCBO’s 2014 record as one of the world’s largest purveyors
of often overpriced, often poor quality wines. To say that there is a dearth of
vinous options in this release is a fair assessment methinks. The big features
are appassimento wines and Easter wines, so if you are a fan of Amarone or Riesling
you might be very happy. While there is nothing in the release that I
absolutely have to buy, the Catena’s
Cabernet (in spite of the over blown review), Zonte’s Footsteps Baron van Nemesis Single
Site (in spite of the dumb name) and Jim
Barry’s the Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 are my only recommendations. In the
past I have been a proponent of l’Ecole
41 wines but this time around I have to issue a buyer beware.
I haven’t seen any glowing reviews of the one in this release and at
this price, the reviews should be glowing. If you can drop by a local LCBO that has a tasting
bar do so before spending your hard earned cash on this one. The big buck Amarones
from the Feature don’t hold much allure but In the past I have recommended a
couple of the more reasonably priced ripasso
wines - The Zenato Ripasso and the
Capitel Dei Nicalo are both always quite solid .
So what will I be doing this weekend? Probably ignoring this release and picking up ones
and twos of recommended wines from previous releases that are still
available . If you can find the
Tassinaia 2006 do so. To my palate it’s
close to the Sette Ponti’s Oreno for about two fifths the price. I’m also
thinking that the Castello di Ama 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva is a good
option if a little expensive. The 09
was a blend of grapes from their single vineyards blended with those usually
used in their Riserva. With the next vintage being officially the first of the
new Grand Selezione category, positioned
above the Chianti Classico Riserva, the 09 could actually be a Grand Selezione
in Riserva’s clothing. Properly marketed I expect this new category of Chianti
Classicos to edge into Brunello territory price wise going forward. Still
another great option from a few weeks ago is the Montirius Gigondas 2007 if you can find any of them and if you like
the Southern Rhone.
Looking ahead, the big features of the April 26th release
are B and B’s - Bordeaux and Bubblies. In general terms, I’m not a fan of Bordeaux. Tobacco
and green flavours, not enough fruit and
of course way over hyped and too often
overpriced. Surprisingly the prices aren’t bad for the Bordeaux in this release and it is better than recent
ones. But it’s still not a great release.
My first recommendation is to shop the Spanish
reds in this release. There are values at every price point from Spain
including one that was the decanter number
1 wine of the year and which received a
100 point score from one of their reviewers. With a trio of tasters the I Faustino 2001 ended at 97 points which means the other two scored it around 95
points. Not too shabby if you trust the decanter
palates. Considering the price of the 100 point Dominus in a recent
release, this one at $32.95 is a buy. Just be prepared to line up early and
hope you like that old time Spanish profile.
If you’re not a fan of Spain and you must shop the new
release for a red, go to Washington St. or Argentina. From Washington, try the
Three Rivers ‘Rivers Red’ 2011. The wine is slightly overpriced at $19.95 but
should be good. From Argentina, the best
choice appears to be the Casarena Ramanegra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011,
from 80 year old vines, this one should be a beaut. A third option might be the
Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico 2010. All three of these choices are under $20
and should be good.
If you’re looking for whites, try one of the following
chardonnays:
Gray Monk unwooded Chardonnay 2012 - $19.95 – A very good
Okanagan producer. Remember we’re not going for the vanilla buttery notes here
but rather all fruit.
From Burgundy, Roche de Bellene Montagny Premiere Cru 2011 –
This should be very tasty but for $26.95 it ought to be. It is the midpriced
option of three of the producer’s chardonnays that the LCBO has sold in the
last few months. A less pricey and
perhaps less sophisticated sibling was released in February this year and was very nice – green apple,
some lemon-y acidity and quite vibrant. The more expensive (almost $50)
bigger brother was in the March 29th release.
Among the Big buck options, Les Terrasses from Priorat in
Spain is often superb but also often ends up on the Bin End markdown sale list.
Because it was #26 in the WS Top 100 last year, it should sell through this
year. For those looking for something different the Mitolo Serpico is one release late coming to the party. This is an
Aussie Cab Sauv made in the Amarone style. Where was it last release?
Let’s all hope for continued improvement and better things to come in May!
