Vintages May 24 Release - The Southern Rhone

It’s the real May Two Four weekend!  An auspicious date for a Vintages release and it’s a Southern Rhone release to boot. If the Southern Rhone feature had lots going for it, this could be a win streak for the LCBO (two releases  in a row, wow).  Sadly it doesn’t have much going for it so the Vintages streak is stopped at one and only if you’re a  Leaf fan  does that constitute a win streak!  

For the release and perhaps to add insult to injury,  the better wine price matchups (the best QPR ones) do come from a Southern Rhone producer but from his Languedoc enterprises.

This release, in spite of the main feature being for one of my favourite regions, has a VRSS score of 58 to 62 points.

MIDI

M. CHAPOUTIER LES VIGNES DE BILA-HAUT 2011 998 cases  $14.95 – The  bargain of the release. Think of it as a very  good Cotes du Rhone Villages. And looking at many of the prices of the CdRVs in this release it is well priced too.

DOMAINE DE BILA-HAUT OCCULTUM LAPIDEM 2011 399 cases $25.95 – Annually a very well regarded wine from the Master of the Rhone Michel Chapoutier, who has become a global powerhouse. This is among his better Midi productions and is held in high esteem by everyone from Beppi  to  Parker to the WineAlign crowd to WS. Allowed to repose for a time in a dark cool place, it’ll really show its best.  

DOMAINE LES YEUSES LES ÉPICES SYRAH 2011 749cases  $14.95 – Mmmm as the name suggests, spicey!

 RHÔNE

All the Rhone wines are OK. None have me racing around trying to find them but this one should be a good buy:

DOMAINE LAFOND ROC-ÉPINE LIRAC 2011   999 cases $18.95 – Among the lesser known ‘named’ Cotes du Rhone Villages, Lirac is still somewhat undiscovered/ understood  in North America. As a result this one has held the price line nicely. You’ll get plenty of fruit and a pleasant wine for pizzas, burgers, saucisses, or charcuterie but the wine should have enough stuffing to drink and age nicely on its own.

And the following one is slightly overpriced for what you’ll get:

GABRIEL MEFFRE SAINTE-CATHERINE GIGONDAS 2011   199 cases $29.95- While the quality of the vintage may not be up to 2010 the price certainly is. I’d normally pick up a couple. This time round and at this price it’s a ‘maybe- maybe not’ proposition.

Argentina

LEO Premium Malbec 2011 $18.95  – Produced by Valentin Bianchi on behalf of and named for Argentina’s  Lionel Messi, this is a good wine to have on hand for burgers during the World Cup! And proceeds from the sale of this wine go to help underprivileged kids.

SOUTH AFRICA

THELEMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009   111 cases $28.95 – Not a huge number of cases but I expect this one to be among the better  choices in the release if you can find it. Big SA cabernet profile – means cassis, cedar and spice with perhaps a hint of tar ( or is that burnt rubber?).

Australia

ROLF BINDER ‘Hales’ – 2010 Shiraz – $18.95 - From the Barossa Valley, big bold, and a real mouthful for the price.

WASHINGTON STATE

CANOE RIDGE EXPEDITION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011   223 cases $19.95 – I was hoping for a Columbia Crest H3 clone but am not sure you’ll get all that from this one. Look for the H3 instead.

Big Bucks

LAZZERETTI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007   238 cases $42.95 – A super year in Tuscany in general and Brunello in particular, this one should provide great food friendliness immediately and long into the future.

LA CRAU DE MA MÈRE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2011   139 cases $46.95

BOSQUET DES PAPES CUVÉE TRADITION CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE   149 cases $50.95

E. GUIGAL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2007    199 cases  $59.95 – Great vintage with some age on it now so you can promote it in your cellar while waiting for the 2010’s to come around. Just over my price ceiling though. Perhaps I’ll drown my sorrows with some less expensive 2010’s,  if there are any around.