August 6 is here already! 3 whites, 6 reds make the grade.

Not a lot to pick from in this release but we are in the dog days of summer...

Cathedral Cellar Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine 2010 WO Western Cape South Africa,  $16.95 – Very well priced – nice with popcorn or potato chips. I know, I know, haute cuisine!

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sutherland Chardonnay 2012  South Africa, $15.95 – Well priced and very good.

Inniskillin Montague Vineyard Chardonnay 2013  Niagara,   $24.95 – Previous vintages of this were very nice. Look for it to come on sale in your local Wine Rack store.

Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Les Aspres Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah 2013 Cotes du Roussillon, $18.95 – Another of the Bertrand stable of wines. Very, very good.

Columbia Crest H3 Merlot 2013 Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Valley, $19.95 – liquid oak, vanilla and chocolate covered cherries.

Best's Bin No. 1 Shiraz 2013   Victoria,   $19.95 – The best of the Aussie shiraz this time around.

Chateau D’Angles La Clape 2012 - $17.95 – Try one, you might like it!

Ardal Reserva 2006 – $21.95 – Already with 10 years on it, this’ll be ready to go right away.

Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva 2009 Rioja, $17.95 – Older style Tempranillo – ready to go.

June 25th - Southern France this time around

It’s the June 25^th release and the LCBO has taken a full 12 pages to sell a mere 14 wines in their Southern France feature. I will acknowledge that they are covering 3 or 4 regions but if the LCBO’s retail plan was to provide Ontario consumers with more choice, someone should tell them that given the choice of more well priced, quality wine or pretty pictures on pages, we consumers will opt for the former every time.

Also featured are Canuck wines for Canada Day and some Ontario Rosés.

Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc 2015 – Available in 750ml and 1.5 litre bottles, here’s a white wine with a hint of a blush. Will satisfy both rosé fans and Pinot Gris and even perhaps Grigio fans.  Worth trying with shrimp and avocado salad.

Pierre Amadieu Le Grangeliere Vacqueyras 2014 - $22.95 – Among my favourite crus in the Southern Rhone, the wines of Vacqueyras are fruit forward and approachable but with enough tannic back bone to support some mid term ageing.

Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico 2013 - $19.95 – Annually among my favourite non reservas from the Classico zone of Chianti and usually at an attractive price. A superior option to enjoy with pizza or pasta and a tomato/ meat sauce. Not a great vintage but I think this one’ll rise above it.

Domaine Les Yeuses ‘Les Epices’ Syrah 2013 -$15.95 – Good price and a very tasty option that usually over delivers.

Vega Moragona La Duna Single Vineyard Tempranillo 2011-$17.95 – Site specific so look for terroir differences to your usual Tempranillo blends. 20% new oak so the oak should be less pronounced than in some Riojas (for instance). Smooth, ready to go right now, but not built for long term aging.

Chateau St. Roch Chimeres 2014 - $19.95 – Mostly Grenache from a slightly tougher Grenache vintage, but worthy of a try.

Domaine des Terrisses Grande Tradition Gaillac 2012 - $17.95 – Selected only because this is a blend of unusual grapes, Duras, Braucol (aka Fer in France), and a soupcon of Syrah. If nothing else this’ll be a conversation starter among your wine geek friends.

BIG BUCKS

Manus Dei du Chateau  Sixteen 2013 - $38.95 – From a ‘better than most’ recent vintage, this might be worth springing for if you’re looking for a bigger wine that you can rest for a short time.

Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino -2010 - $48.95 – Wonderful vintage but a new producer for me. Ahhh, so many producers, so little time! 

June 11th release, Bubblies, Zins and Dad's day

June 11 means it’s time for the annual Father's day release. Like a profligate, prodigal son, the LCBO spends like mad but delivers disappointment for dad. A feature that provides a few OK bubblies is backed by a page wasting Zinfandel feature and one for Dad that manages to fit more (mostly mundane) bottles into fewer pages taken by the Zins.  Some good news this week is that my regular selections are all under $20 and even the big buck ones stay under $50.  

• South Africa – Mulderbosch – Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé – 2015 - $12.95 – Always an amazing combination of quality and price, this is among my favourite rosés every year.
• Rustenberg Petit Verdot Rosé 2015 – $13.95- Slightly more expensive than the Mulderbosch and an interesting new wine for me to try.  Might be the first Petit Verdot Rosé ever for me.
• Conde Valdemar Rosé 2015 - $13.95 – Mostly Grenache, this will be a delight with grilled shrimp or other seafood.
• Cattin Brut Rosé Cremant D’Alsace - $18.95 – a light rose colour adds an extra dimension to this sparkler’s strawberry notes.
• De Chancey Excellence Brut Vouvray 2013 -$19.95 – Made with Chenin Blanc, if you’re a fan, dive in to its citrus goodness.
• Rotari Brut Rosé $17.95 – Well priced for this one. Look for creamy pastry notes and sweet red fruit hints.
• Chateau Grande Moulin Vielle Vignes 2012- $15.95 – Made from vines over 100 years old, three stars from Guide Hachette and this price make this among the best options in the release.
• Domaine les Verrieres Les Sept Fontaines 2009 - $18.95 – Slightly more expensive and more aged, this is another good option. Should be right in its drinking window over the next year.
• Zonte’s Footsteps Baron von Nemesis Shiraz 2013 - $17.95 – Among the goofier wine names but the bottle contents will surprise. Better than many at $7 more.
• Balbas Reserva 2005 – Be careful here. The wine is from 2005 and the review is 6 years old. Buyer beware!
• Lopez de Haro Crianza 2010 - $15.95 – Six years old and ready to drink right now.
• Poggio Stella Vino Nobile de Montepulciano – 2011 - $24.95 – Ready to go with some air, serve with a thick, rare T bone.

Big Bucks cuz Dad’s worth it!

• Beringer Napa Valley 2013 $49.95 – Great vintage, fine producer, big $$’s.
•  Tenuta La Fuga – Brunello di Montalcino - 2010 - $42.95 – Well scored by the very credible Bruce Sanderson, from a brilliant vintage. Let Dad snooze on the sofa while this one sleeps in the cellar.

Vintages May 28th - Venice sinks and Judgement more like Judge Judy

May 28^th’s release has two features - Venice is the big one followed by a review of products from some of the American wineries involved in the Mid 70’s Judgement in Paris. On the Venice front are a few different reds but the best selections are two white styles - the well made Soave and a Prosecco. The reds? Mmmmm, my opinion right now is there is not so much to pick from up to and including a couple of Big $ Amarones.

The Judgement in Paris feature reflects the weak Canadian dollar and Napa wine prices in general.

Picks? Vintages maintains its streak of less than thrilling releases so there are few that you need to rush out for again this week.

WHITES, ROSES and BUBBLIES

Pieropan Soave Classico 2014 – Do not expect a buttery chardonnay. This is rated Dry by the LCBO, but perhaps due to its acidity, I’ve found past vintages seem dry beyond that level. Superior producer. Excellent with summer salads.

Belcanto di Bellussi Prosecco Valdobiadine $19.95 – Want a nice dry Italian bubbly? Here you go.

NZ - Saint Clair Family Estate Pinot Gris Rosé 2015 -$16.95 – Not 100% Pinot Gris but rather a blend of Pinots (Gris and Noir) combined to produce a slightly deceptively labelled rosé.

Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard rosé 2015 - $13.95 – An excellent and very well priced Ontario rosé. Serve chilled with fish tacos, chicken fajitas, or any hard/ soft cheese, coldcut combo that your heart desires.

REDS

TUSCANY - Carpineto Vino Nobile de Montepulciano Riserva 2010 - $29.95 – With 2010 being heralded as THE vintage in Montalcino, it stands to reason that the vintage should be almost the same a mere 20 kms to the east in Montepulciano. At half the price of the Banfi, look for this to be a bargain ‘baby Brunello’. Yes it is a different sangiovese clone, but very similar and great with the same types of food.

Viticcio Chianti Classico 2012 – $20.95 – Ready to drink and enjoy with any tomato sauced, pasta based dishes. Nothing too complex here but enjoyable.

SPAIN - Borsao Tres Picos 2014 - $19.95 – The last few vintages have been less to my taste but I’m willing to try again with this perennial favourite. Still not badly priced (do not take that to mean well priced), this is a quality wine and a good expression of Grenache.

Tobia Seleccion Crianza 2010 - $21.95 – A wine that comes with a warning. While being well scored by the Toronto Star wine reviewer, her review reads like this wine is a midwinter classic. If you buy, consider holding until November perhaps even until your first tourtiere of the season.

Australia - D’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2013 – A big gulp to be sure. Teethstaining grapes from the McLaren Vale.

CHILE - Montgras Antu Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 - $17.95 – A very good wine, spiced and oaked in good proportion and less of the green notes that some Chilean cabernets can propose.

ARGENTINA - Benmarco Malbec 2013-$17.95 – Huge production so it’s difficult to say if the quality can be maintained across the entire run, but this is a producer who has pleased in the past. Grill something red and don’t expect too much complexity though.

Kaiken Ultra Malbec -$19.95 – Knock 5 points off Suckling’s score and you’ll get what you expect.

BIG BUCKS

Domaine Mathieu Chateauneuf du Pape 2012 $41.95 – From the latest of the truly good vintages in the region, this should still be just coming into its drinking window.

Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2010 – 5 bucks lass and I’d buy but just too rich for me now.

May's Favourites Release. Really? This was the best you could do?

The first release of May oft times set us up for a summer of backyard grilling and cottage visiting. This year? Not so much. While this is supposed to be a ‘Favourites’ release, I  think there are a few options of interest but to be kind, let’s call it a release you can miss without suffering. No cabernet catatonia, no grenache grief, no merlot melancholy, no pangs of pinot envy, no syrah sorrow, not even xenophobia induced by a lack of, dare I state it, xinomavro. Just go about your life. Or check out the remnants of some past Vintages releases. Me? I’m considering the Gigondas, the Shotfire, and maybe one Barolo on price alone, but c’est tout.

There’s also a nod to New Zealand if you are a fan.

RHÔNE - PIERRE AMADIEU ROMANE-MACHOTTE GIGONDAS 2013 598 cases of 12 $24.95 – In a better year this would be a brilliant buy but even taking into account the Grenache issues for this vintage it is a pretty good option.  Look for more pepper notes than usual.

OZ - THORN-CLARKE SHOTFIRE QUARTAGE 2013   335 cases of 12 $21.95 – Well made, well done wine. Never lets you down.  

OZ - ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP LAKE DOCTOR SHIRAZ 2013 1997 cases of 12 $17.95  - Pretty good quality in the Aussie style.

MIDI -   GÉRARD BERTRAND SYRAH/GRENACHE 2013 1199 cases of 12  $16.95 – Vintages begins to be a Bertrand playground again.

MIDI - SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES SYRAH/GRENACHE 2013 615 cases of 12  $16.95 – A toss up between these two from the Midi.  

GREECE - BOUTARI GRANDE RESERVE XINOMAVRO 2010 450 cases of 12  $18.95  - A well priced entry into better, if not finer, Greek wines.

PIEDMONT - CASETTA BAROLO 2011 299 cases of 12 $29.95  - A Barolo under $30? Seems like a no brainer for at least one but hold for a few years and decant well before serving.

 TUSCANY -CASTELLARE DI CASTELLINA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013 249 cases of 12  $24.95  

TUSCANY -RENDOLA ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2009 599 cases of 12 $15.95  - Bargain priced Rosso for the BBQ  ready to drink right now if not last year.

 TUSCANY -SAN LEONINO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2012 299 cases of 12  $19.95  

SOUTH AFRICA - CATHEDRAL CELLAR SHIRAZ 2014 (KWV) 559 cases of 12 $16.95  - Solid summer quaffer.

SPARKLERS and ROSES

ONTARIO - FIELDING ROSÉ 2015 119 cases of 12 $15.95 – OK pink from a good family producer.  

SPARKLING WINE-BURGUNDY- BAILLY LAPIERRE RÉSERVE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE 800 cases of 6  $19.95  - Like a pink sparkler every now and again but don’t want to break the bank? Here it is.

BIG BUCKS

TUSCANY -VAL DI SUGA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010 198 cases of 12 $48.95 – Another from the brilliant 2010 vintage. 

RHÔNE - DOMAINE COURBIS SAINT-JOSEPH 2013 118 cases of 12 $36.95  - Vines of the Northern Rhone were not as hurt by the cold spring so this is a Rhone vintage where the North is better than the south. 

The $17 Pata Negra Reserva 2010 from Spain

Here's an update on the Pata Negra in the last release at $17.00. You may recall it got a scathing review from my brother when recently released in BC. In spite of that, and because I found a very different lot number, I bought 3 on the weekend. The lot number I bought was lot L-L095 and the bottles were terrific.  Yes I went back and bought a few more. Very similar to the first release of Muriel Reserva last year - big, dark cherry notes, some red cherry too, some vanilla from well integrated oak, and spicy notes.

If you can find that lot number, buy it. And let me know what you think. If you bought a different lot number (as you can tell from the photo it's somewhere on the back label usually) tell me which one you bought and what you thought of yours.
Update 2 - I stopped in to the Oakville Cornwall store on the weekend. They had a few of the lot number above and many from different lot numbers. The telling statement about the lots came from a consultant who mentioned that a customer had bought and returned an entire case because it was 'terrible'.

April 30th Vintages - Lots of options, I suppose.

This final release of April means 4 months have gone in another year. Holy smokes, time flies when you’re drinking wine. This week’s Vintages release is a cornucopia of diverse wines and styles. Three different options this week - The Pacific Northwest, Australian Whites, and lastly Roses from around the world. It’s a release that has a lot of promise. Most of it unfulfilled. Ah well.

WHITE TABLE WINE

LOIRE -   CHÂTEAU DE LA BRETESCHE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE SUR Lie  799 cases of 12  $13.95 – Melon de Burgogne grape  doing a great impression of an unoaked, full fruit, bargain priced chard.

BURGUNDY - VIGNERONS DE BUXY LES CHANIOTS MONTAGNY 1ER CRU 2013   219 cases of 12 $24.95  

BURGUNDY -   VINCENT MOTHE CHABLIS 2014    249 cases of 12 $26.95  

RED TABLE WINE

WASHINGTON St - HOGUE Genesis Meritage – Good, solid wine for the upcoming BBQ season. Black fruits with oak in support. If you like the CC H3 red blend, this’ll be right for you too.

ARGENTINA - LAMADRID SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA MALBEC 2012   2998 cases of 12  $17.00  A good wine, not up to Suckling’s score but probably 90. Great for the BBQ with marinated steak, burgers or rare lamb chops.

AUSTRALIA -   WAKEFIELD JARAMAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013   380 cases of 12 $24.95 – Wakefield is renowned for the QPR of their wines. This one goes a little upscale but should be very nice.

Australia – SIDEWOOD SHIRAZ 2013 -$19.95 – Festooned with plenty of gold and scored like crazy by Halliday, this is a new Shiraz for me but I’ll be trying it. The ‘drink by 2043’ is pretty difficult to believe. I expect to be long gone by then but so will Halliday, so how is anyone going to call him on it?

AUSTRALIA -   MITOLO JESTER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013   493 cases of 12 $22.95 – Good stuff this.  

RHÔNE -LE GRAVILLAS PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2014   598 cases of 12 $17.95 – As good as the Domaine le Grand Retour from recent releases? This one is a year younger and 3 bucks more. I’d buy the latter if it’s still available.

TUSCANY - TENUTA DI CAPRAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013   649 cases of 12 $21.95 – Nice, fruit driven Chianti Classico – not a great year though. Did I say it was cold and wet that May?

SPAIN - DOMINIO DEL VIENTO CRIANZA 2011   712 cases of 12  $16.95  - Might be the better of the two Spanish selections this week.

SPAIN -  MARQUÉS DE CARRION PATA NEGRA RESERVA 2010   2991 cases of 12 $17.00 – Price is right but only if this comes in like the Muriel 2008 Reserva of last year. If so, it might be a box worthy purchase. However, two bottles of this were thin, insipid, uninspired, oaky messes when bought and tried at two different times by my brother and sister in law in B.C. The wine was released there recently (for substantially more $, I might add) so I was looking forward to their opinions. Their palates are finely tuned to the old world so for them to be so unimpressed, it had to be less than mediocre. Here’s the lot number from their second bottle – my public service announcement now comes to a close with two words – buyer beware.

ROSE TABLE WINE – Sitting on the deck

ARGENTINA - BODEGA SANTA JULIA VIDA ORGÁNICA MALBEC ROSÉ 2015   523 cases of 12$13.95  

 MIDI - L'OSTAL CAZES ROSÉ 2015   447 cases of 12 $14.95  

PROVENCE - GASSIER SABLES D'AZUR ROSÉ 2015   1199 cases of 12$15.95  

ITALY- FRIULI- DUCA CATEMARIO DI QUADRI COLLEZIONE PRIVATA PINOT   396 cases of 12 $14.95  

SPAIN - VIÑA REAL ROSADO 2015   794 cases of  6 $15.95; MUGA from the previous Catalogue -$13.95

BIG BUCKS and ISDs

ARGENTINA -TRAPICHE TERROIR SERIES FINCA AMBROSIA SINGLE VINEYARD – An ISD so 49 cases of 6 at $39.95 – I love these single vineyard productions from Trapiche. Impenetrably dark, unctuous fruit and a bottle made for wrist curls or for bar fights.

NORMAN HARDIE UNFILTERED CHARDONNAY 2014   131 cases of 12 $39.00 – Perhaps not quite so puckering as his PEC Chard, but very good nonetheless.  

Tuscany-RENDOLA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2004   300 cases of 12  $39.95 – Want to know what your 2010’s will be like in 12 years? Try one of these. 2004 was almost as good a vintage as 2010 so fear not.