May 2nd Release - Food and Drink - prices are anything but special.

For Ontario wine buyers, no ‘special’ bargains but some OK options in this release.  

ARGENTINA

NORTON RESERVA MALBEC 2011   3494 cases of 12- $17.00  - An OK buy if you’re a Malbec fan.  Made the WS Top 100 last year so a multi unit purchase might be worthy of consideration, if only because BBQ season is upon us and charred red meats are in our future for some months to come.

TRIVENTO GOLDEN RESERVE MALBEC 2012 384 cases of 12-  $19.95   - Too bad for it that it’s up against Mr. Norton this release.

AUSTRALIA

  CHÂTEAU TANUNDA GRAND BAROSSA CABERNET SAUVIGNON   614 cases of 12-  $23.95  - A relative newcomer to Ontario producing quality juice.

 BRITISH COLUMBIA

JACKSON-TRIGGS SUNROCK RED MERITAGE 2010   111 cases of 6-  $29.95 – Produced using grapes from a wonderful site in the Southern Okanagan, SunRock holds a special place for me. This is a very well made wine.

CHILE

SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA CABERNET   839 cases of 12-  $17.95  - Always very good and a reflection of Chilean terroir – but definitely more green flavours than the Aussie options in this release.

MIDI

 GÉRARD BERTRAND LANGUEDOC SYRAH/GRENACHE 2011  3198 cases of 12-  $17.00  - 90 points from WS  and trumpeted as another Food and Drink ‘special’ by the LCBO. But don’t read CostcoWineBlog.com because you’ll find it there for $9.99 US. Explain to me again why we have to pay these prices?

 Dourthe Freres CHÂTEAU DE SÉRAME RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU  394 cases of 12-  $16.95 – Right there with the Bertrand and 5 cents less.

RHÔNE

BROTTE BOUVENCOURT VACQUEYRAS 2013   449 cases of 12- $23.95  - Love the fruit – and it’ll be fruity! Needs some time to come around. Give it a year or two.

E. GUIGAL CROZES-HERMITAGE 2011  302 cases of 12-  $28.95 – Lamb in your future? Go for this. Want to do an Old World Syrah vs New World Shiraz taste off? Go for this for your old world rep. Give it time and/or air. You’ll smell earth, bacon (well smokey meat fat anyhow) maybe even some barnyard. Relax, it’s part of the charm!

  PIEDMONT

G.D. VAJRA BARBERA D'ALBA 2011  273 cases of 12-  $21.95 – Want to try some Piedmontese examples but think Barolo is too expensive? Try this one.

TUSCANY

IL MOLINO DI GRACE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2011   1297 cases of 12-  $18.95 – Lots of bottles so no rush here.

 SPAIN

CASTAÑO SOLANERA VIÑAS VIEJAS 2012   999 cases of 12- $16.95 – Read carefully – this is not a recommendation but rather a FEW words of warning.   Do you already have some of this in your cellar? It wouldn’t surprise me a bit because in the August 27^th release last year it was a ‘Food and Drink Special’ at $17. Now here we are with our wonderful LCBO buying team buying less and somehow managing to sell it for less than that so called ‘Food and Drink special’. Further proof that this arm of the government is not here to serve the populace but to screw it with perhaps not false but somewhat misleading advertising! Even the laws of supply and demand don’t seem to apply to our intrepid bureaucrats.

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GRAN RESERVA 2005 - 349 cases of 12-  $29.95

WASHINGTON STATE

COLUMBIA CREST GRAND ESTATES MERLOT 2012   952 cases of 12-  $16.95 – Espresso, mocha, vanilla, black fruits. That about covers it.

BIG BUCKS

LA GERLA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009  173 cases of 12-  $49.95

BOSQUET DES PAPES CUVÉE TRADITION  Chateauneuf du Pape 2012 149 cases of 12-  $49.95

CHÂTEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE   98 cases of 12-  $59.95

BERINGER KNIGHTS VALLEY RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON   223 cases of 6 -  $69.95

BREZZA CANNUBI BAROLO 2010   99 cases of 12- $64.95 

Update on the Plan de Dieu

I've now tried 3 bottles of the 2012 Plan de Dieu from this release. One with pizza, one with mushrooms in Phyllo and one with a kale salad. It worked with all of them! It is very, very good at any price. At $14.95 you can't go wrong.  At a dollar more, the Bila Haut is much younger - a year will make a real difference to it but it too is very good.

April 18 - A few interesting options

 Unless you have very deep pockets, here comes another less than thrilling Vintages release. This one has a few wines that I might buy (and can afford to buy) but I expect most of my selections to be available any time in the week subsequent to the release.  That’s the upside. The downside is there’ll be no frothing, rabid, wine connoisseurs engaging in hand to hand combat over some rare beverage in the Vintages section this week. Instead, there might be a few Bentley’s quietly waiting curbside. If you are wondering, there are 30 cases of 6 of the Mouton Rothschild in the province. None of them have my name on them.

For this week, my wine selections are presented and ordered by price point.

Under $20

DOMAINE LE GRAND RETOUR PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES 2012   1298 cases of 12 $14.95 – A pleasant combination in that both the underappreciated producer and the ‘Village’ over deliver on quality. Past vintages have presented wines worthy of full case consideration.  A great option for a casual weeknight BBQ with friends.

M. CHAPOUTIER LES VIGNES DE BILA-HAUT CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON  2013- 999 cases of 12 $15.95 –Winter is over but even now we’re now having a duel of the ‘Cotes’  (Badaboom, sorry, I can never resist a bad pun). You’ll find M. Chapoutier’s name gets more press than the Plan de Dieu above, but I think the PDD is as good for a buck less.

MUGA ROSÉ 2014   2096 cases of 12 $13.95 Lots of cases and although it’s not the first rose of the year at Vintages it is a sure sign of spring.  I can almost taste some pate, jambon and cheeses on the patio deck.

Under $30

PERRIN LA GILLE GIGONDAS 2012   220 cases of 12 $29.95 - Excellent family producer with first rate production from many of the appellations of the Southern Rhone.  They get the very best out of their sites and their grapes. This one is no exception.

FRANCISCAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012   299 cases of 12 $29.95 – Just squeaks in under the $30 mark this fine sample of Cali cab – cassis, cedar, vanilla hints – is from an excellent Napa vintage. Rare beef anyone?  

POLIZIANO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2011   294 cases of 12 $29.95  Poliziano is a first rate producer but nearer to the upper price point for Vino Nobile at the LCBO. Give it a bit of time - with food this will be worth the wait.

There’s another Vino Nobile in the release as well. I’m not familiar with it but whoever proof read the tasting note should have truncated it. The second half is at best a backhanded compliment comparing the vintage in the release to the same vintner’s cheaper 2010 Rosso de Montepulciano.

CONDADO DE HAZA CRIANZA 2010   199 cases of 12 $24.95 – A young Spanish Rioja that is always very good, if more in a North American style. To my palate this one usually exhibits more red fruit than black (red cherry/ cranberry over cassis/ blackberries) and with 4 and a half years on it, it’s coming into a nice place.

CHAKANA ESTATE SELECTION MALBEC 2012   208 cases of 12 $24.95 – Did you miss out on the Chakana blend from 2 releases back? Here’s their Malbec as a consolation prize. Big, unctuous, and demands a rare steak.

ALPHA CRUCIS TITAN SHIRAZ 2012  1014 cases of 12 $24.95  - From the McLaren Vale, a lovely big wine

THORN-CLARKE SHOTFIRE QUARTAGE 2012   334 cases of 12 $21.95 – Thorn Clarke’s wines are well produced with attention to quality. Not usually for the faint of heart.

BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE SHIRAZ 2012   386 cases of 12 $21.95 – Ebenezer’s baby brother.

BIG BUCKS

ANTINORI BADIA A PASSIGNANO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 411 cases of 6 $44.95 – This week’s big buck Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is from the famous house of Antinori. In a few years it will be interesting to do a blind comparison of this to a similar vintage of the Barbi Brunello or a Antinori’s own Pian delle Vigne.

Chateau de Beaucastel 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape – superb wine if you have the time. I think it’ll be at its best in 20 years. On the other hand, I was at my best more than 20 years ago!

And last but not least, if you have somewhere between $65 and $100 burning a hole in your pocket, try either of the Vega Sicilia offerings but give them serious time.

April 4th, Happy Easter, may the bunny bring you egg-cellent wines!

Two releases ago it was Tuscany, this time around we’re off to Venice. If you’re a fan of the styles of the region, go for them. The Zenato Valpolicella is always solid but I would definitely pick a few wines from other regions that are in this release before that one. Among the reds, two Spanish, two French, then one each from Italy, Greece, OZ and Wahington St. make the grade. 

My picks, in order this week.

Muriel Reserva Vendimia Seleccionada 2008 - $18.95 – If it’s the correct wine, it was Decanter’s number 8 wine from 2013, and was terrific when previously released (last year). For under $20 it’s a thought provoking wine on its own that becomes even better with food.  Tapas here we come! Only concern is this is the second LCBO release of this wine and sometimes they’re not quite so good the second time around….. just sayin’.

Alain Jaume Clos de Sixte Lirac 2012 - $24.95 – Always superior and although ready to drink with some decanting, this one will be even better in a year or two. Look for black fruit on the palate, licorice hints on the finish. I wish it was a few dollars less, but don’t I always?

Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Reserva 2011 - $24.95 – Young but always first rate if you are patient enough. Do give it some time though.

Finca Villacreces Pruno 2012 - $21.95- If I recall correctly, two years ago this flew off the Vintages shelves. Last year it was almost as good but was a slower mover comparatively speaking. It’s all in the review I guess. Vineyards right next to Vega Sicilia, the Spanish equivalent to a Bordeaux first growth, it should be good over the next 5 or 6 years.

Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa 2012 - $19.95 – A winner in the Ontario market, and from a great Aussie vintage, this one should be superior for those fans of it. Big black fruits, white pepper, and maybe hints of soy sauce (or is that salty seaweed?). And available in two sizes so when you want a bottle and a half, you can have them (but only if you thought ahead).

Gerard Bertrand Fitou 2011 -$17.95 – This wine might be the second best buy in the release and would be higher among my picks if not for the following. At one of the Vintages consultant tastings both of the   samples were suffering from apparent premature oxidation. So try one early if you buy more than one or better still visit a store that allows tastings. Bertrand is among the finer producers in the Languedoc and his wines are generally deeply flavoured, complex and often deliver a level of sophistication and quality above their price points. There should be plenty going on here but the above concerns me.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - $17.95 Excellent producer. Two warnings – one, watch out for the oak and two, their H3, which is a slightly better wine is on sale in April for three dollars off at $16.95.  Buy it instead.

Costa Lazaridis Amethystos Red 2011 - $23.95 – Is dinner Greek themed? Saganaki, spanakopita, souvlaki and tzatziki? Try this one. Fruit forward reflecting the Michel Rolland style.  

BIG BUCKS

The choices above mean I won’t even consider going above $40 in this release.

Hess Allomi Vineyard 2012 - $39.95 – Might buy one for a special occasion. The pro reviewers rarely seem to score this one where I think it should be but given some time, it’s a very, very nice wine. Full of black current, cedar and very full bodied. $10 (a full 25%) over the US price though.

Burrowing Owl Syrah 2011 - $39.95 – Big bucks for a renowned Canuck producer of first rate wines. Maybe buy one to put away for Canada Day.

Ebenezer Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - $39.95 – Massive comes to mind when contemplating this wine. It is a big brute, vicious on your wallet, viscous on the palate to be sure. Not a brilliant vintage in South OZ but a very classy producer.

March 21, finally some interesting wines, but not the Icons.

March 21, 2015 and this Vintages release finally provides us with one that has a variety of medium  priced options that are, unlike previous releases, not lacking in interest. There are more than a few delectable, selectable wines, and considering not a single one is from this week’s Big Dollar Napa errr California  contingent, I think that’s a great percentage from the balance of the release.

Pick carefully, some of the choices are going to have to find a quiet, cool, dark spot on the floor of your basement for a while.

Here we go, once again sorted by country, my best bets get an asterisk beside their names.

FRANCE

Chateau Vincens 2011 $17.95 334 cases  ****– A Wine Enthusiast Top 15 wine from 2103. At this price you expect a fruit bomb for immediate consumption but this one wants to be treated like the cave dweller it is. Just leave it for in the dark for 3 years or more.

 ARGENTINA

LUCA LABORDE DOUBLE SELECT SYRAH 2012 335 cases of 6 $24.95 ****– Among the upper level of the Catena brands, the Luca Syrah has managed to consistently pull down scores of over 90 points for its sophistication, flavor profile and depth.

Chakana Estate Selection Red Blend 2012 $26.95 **** but only 249 cases of 6 – Malbec, Cab Sauv, and Syrah. Strap on the elbow pads and call in the favours. If you can find a few of these, I’m sure there’ll be a battle to buy them just based on Parker’s review.

 PASCUAL TOSO BARRANCAS VINEYARDS RESERVE CABERNET 349 cases of 12 -  $19.95 – Probably will be almost as good as the above and all cab.

CHILE

BISQUERTT LA JOYA GRAND RESERVE SYRAH 2012 495 cases $16.95 ****– Another end of year Top 100 wine, this time from Wine Spectator, this one should be good and solid, especially at the price.

AUSTRALIA

SCHILD ESTATE SHIRAZ 2012 599 cases of 12 $24.95   - A blind taste off between this and the Luca might yield some very interesting and surprising results.  Keep in mind that Schild has tried to go upscale with some single vineyard products so what was their ‘estate’ shiraz in past years may not be the same this year. Spiffy label though.

 YALUMBA THE GUARDIAN SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2010   447 cases of 10 - $21.95 – Another Cote Roti-esque option from Oz.

SOUTH AFRICA

THE MENTORS  SHIRAZ 2011  KWV   139 cases of 6 $29.95 – A few bucks over the Luca and Schild but worth buying if you’re going to have a shiraz-fest and want the out of town sleeper. 

TUSCANY

MARCHESI DE' FRESCOBALDI TENUTA DI CASTIGLIONI 2011 ****  600 cases of 12 $21.95  - Always a very solid performer. Best left alone for a year (up to 7 or 8) but can be decanted and enjoyed right now with something red on a plate. Disregard Suckling’s comment. He has scored this wine the same in past vintages.

 VILLA CERNA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2010   270 cases of 12 $28.95 – Worth one if only for the vintage.

GREECE

BOUTARI GRANDE RESERVE 2008 ****   299 cases of 12 $17.95 – A well priced Xynomavro – think cab franc visits the nude beaches of the Aegean.

Big Bucks

 BREZZA BAROLO 2010 217 cases of 12 -$46.95

Chateau Pinerai l‘Authentique 2011 only 116 cases of 6 - $39.95 – 5 Stars from the oft derided Decanter magazine, but that is a terrific score. While this one appears readier to consume, it’ll still benefit from a bit of time.

CASTELLO DI AMA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009 184 cases of 12 - $16.95 – Small bottles for those of you who are fans of the producer. I am, and bought a bunch of the 750ml bottles so I can open these to see how the bigger brothers are maturing. Makes the big bucks because these are half bottles.

And a bunch of overpriced Cali stuff that is way above my level of affordability. YMMV.

January 24th Vintages, these really are the dog days of winter!

First off, let’s take a quick look at the LCBO Vintages email for this release. It indicates that this week will have Superstars from Argentina and Chile but looking at the selection, these are the Dave Clarksons of South American wine, not the Sidney Crosbys. Buyer beware!

This week does have very few good options  below $20 but if you’re willing to spend more than $30, then there are a few worthy of your attention. Spain continues to be a source of well priced age worthy reds but not many here excite me. It’s not the only country represented in my choices though. France, Italy and the USA all earn mentions in the sub $30 range but not for the right reasons. There are a trio of  higher priced wines that will provide real pleasure for you.

El Molar 2011 - $17.95- Want a wine that you can sink your teeth in to? This is it. (Oh I kill myself sometimes!)  From Spain, this is among the better ones available.

Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Syrah 2012 – Very nice Chilean syrah from the Casablanca Valley. Here’s looking at you kid.

Zonte’s Footsteps The Chocolate Factory Shiraz 2012 - $17.95 – Hate the producer’s name and the names they call their wines but the wines produced are first rate.

Hedges CMS -$19.95 – Too expensive really, but good nonetheless. Should be $17.95.

Vignobles de Balma-Venitia Cuvee St. Roch Vacqueyras 2011 - $24.95 – A new one for me, but I’ll try it. I like this village in the Southern Rhone.

Chateau Haut –Monplaisir Malbec 2011 -$17.95 –Want to compare a French malbec to the recently released Zolo from Argentina? Here it is, but leave it alone for a few years and serve it alongside something charred, yet red and bloody. Perhaps an earlier season  Game of Thrones episode?

Durigutti Cabernet Sauvignon  2010 - $19.95 – 2 bucks more than the Ravenswood, this is a better buy!

Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon $17.95 – Usually a well priced example of non Napa Cali fruit, this is nowhere near past examples but is an OK $13.00 wine.  Too bad it’s priced 5 bucks above that.

Big Bucks

Luca Malbec 32.95 – From Laura Catena and this year it made it to #19 in the the WS Top 100. The Luca brand is nestled above the Catena brand  in the upper middle of their marketing scheme and is quite excellent. Their  Chardonnay has been  one of my favourites for quite some time as well. This is as close to a superstar as there is in the release!

Gemma Barolo 2010 - $29.95 – Looking for a Barolo but don’t want to break the bank? Here’s another one hot on the heels of last release’s $32  one.

Chateau Fortia Cuvee du Baron Chateauneuf du Pape 2012 - $39.95 – If you have 5 years and a quiet dark place, this is the wine to buy.

January 10th 2015 Release - Cheapies

January 10^th and the new year starts with the traditional Vintages Smart Buy issue. In many cases you will be further ahead to watch for upcoming price reductions on higher quality, slower moving in store items than to buy from this collection. Which reminds me, as a tax paying citizen why do I have to rely on my local Vintages consultant to put up sales item signage when items are discontinued? Why can’t I find out the week or two before? Given ample patience and a few clever search keys, we used to be able to search the LCBO B2B website to freely see upcoming delists the week before the reductions took effect. At least then we were free to strategize our shopping to pick up the few true LCBO bargains available. (This has to be one of the few times where free, bargain, and the LCBO are used in the same sentence). But for at least a year now, my government’s retail monopoly has chosen to hide that info behind its firewalls. The info seems to be made available to a select few. Some websites seem to be able find the info and then use it as a carrot to sell access and to make a profit. Hmmm, they get access to the info and sell it to make a profit while you and I can’t access it to save ourselves a few measly bucks.  Life with the LCBO, ain’t it grand?

The RED selections

Poggio al Tuffo Rompicollo 2011 -$17.00 – Interesting how two reviewers can differ on a wine. Wine Advocate scored this one 87 points, Wine Spectator  92 points. Both reviews are positive but if your palate matches the WS reviewer’s then this is a well priced WS Top 100 wine.

Zolo Reserva Malbec 2011 – Another 2014 WS Top 100 wine but the LCBO had chosen to stealth release this one for some reason. At $17.95 you can do a lot worse, especially if you’re serving rare, grilled red meat on a platter.

Columbia Crest H3 Merlot - $19.95 – Consistently very good if you like ‘em woody (lots of oak).

Concha Y Toro  Serie Riberas Cabernet Sauvignon - $17.95 – A well scored, well priced, bargain from one of Chile’s  premier producers across all price points. Look for green and brown aromas and flavours  backing up dark purple fruits.

Puig – Parahy Cuvee Georges 2011- $16.95 – New to me and with a very interesting review from David Schildknecht, this seem like it’s worth a try – a red wine with Shrimp on the nose and Swiss Chard on the palate. Hmmm.

The White selections

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc $14.95 – tasty and a change from Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

Wakefield from Oz and See Ya Later Ranch chardonnay from the Okanagan. Both under $18.

Big Bucks

Barolo – La Pieve - $31.95 –2010 – Perhaps one of the better Barolo vintages on record, some Barolophiles have been ignoring the last few vintages awaiting this one. Remember what I said about the 2010 vintage in the Southern Rhone? Well, it now applies to Barolo. This is not for immediate consumption though. Even at almost 5 years of age, this’ll enjoy a few more years in a quiet, dark place.