Oct.16th Release – Not a Bad One but Buyer Beware!!!!

Buyer Beware indeed! Don’t expect to be able to hold your wines and then try them when they reach their drinking window. Because if you do and you decide you don’t like them, you cannot return them. The LCBO has very quietly revised their returns policy in two ways. The first is to require the purchase receipt for any product returned and unless that product is defective, if you bought it more than 30 days previously it cannot be returned. If I understand the policy correctly, you still require the receipt to make that return even if it is defective. “What’s the big deal BP? This is retail. I can just take my business to the store next door. Oh I forgot, there is no store next door - this is the Liquor Monopoly of Ontario!”
Here’s the policy: http://www.lcbo.ca/products/returningproducts.shtml

And here’s some weak background on it – you can bet they’ve been working on this for some time:
http://www.ipc.on.ca/images/Findings/pc07-100-lcbo_374308213204.pdf

The head office bureaucrats spend hundreds of thousands of $$’s telling you that you are really missing out if you don’t buy your Bordeaux futures. For that privilege, they’ll take half your money and hold it for two years while at the same time they’re revising their policies so that once you have bought and taken possession of the damn things you can’t hold them for more than 30 days to return them. Tell that to any wine drinker with even the tiniest bit of wine knowledge and they will tell you that these wines will not be enjoyable for at least a few years. Read your Vintages Catalogues carefully my friends. When the LCBO tells you a wine can age for 15 years, they really mean it can age for 29 days. If a review says “best after 2011”, it really means “best for the LCBO after 2011” because if you buy more than one bottle and wait that long to find out that you don’t like it you can’t take the others back!

Why aren’t we seeing the standard style of LCBO glossy catalogues outlining this new policy? This should be good for 20 or 30 pages showing harried, front line store clerks getting beaten by Brunellos, bashed by Barolos, bonked by Bordeaux, reamed by Riojas and just generally cursed by customers. The store staff are the ones who’ll take the flack, not the overpaid and overblown ‘executives’ of the LCBO. Meanwhile, Ontario’s imported wine customers now have one more important right taken away by these small timers. The rationale for this change is so transparent. It comes back to bloated profit margins which are directly tied to executive bonuses. You see, the bloated prices we pay for most wines is supposed to offset the LMoO’s, ooops, the LCBO’s, formerly excellent returns policy. Now that we don’t have that, why are we still being expected to pay loan shark prices for wines? I didn’t notice any across the board - sorry about the pun - price chops.

I guess there is some good news. After last week’s announcement by the SAQ that the SAQ has plans to become a major wine distributor in North America, the Ontario taxpayer will no longer have to foot the bill for Bob Peters’ boys and girls to make their overseas buying trips to procure wines and spirits. They can just take the Greyhound down the 401, stay in the Motel Metropole, dine on steamies and poutine and save us all a fortune there! (Note to Bob - Imagine the reduced travel costs, reduced per diems and the increased profits!)

All kidding aside, no monopoly should be allowed to unilaterally put such limitations on its customers. And make no mistake, the LCBO is a monopoly. There is no other option available to the citizens of Ontario to legally purchase imported wine and spirits. We can vote with our wallets I suppose. How BP? Well, all those untried, new wines from obscure locations will have to remain just that – untried. Why take a chance knowing we can’t take it back if we don’t like it? Buy three for the cellar? Not a chance – BP’s new policy will be “Drink the cellar down to zero bottles and when I do buy, BUY ONE bottle!

Bi-Weekly rant done, this is not a bad Vintages release. There are plenty of international options in the release and my picks include at least one representative red from OZ, Chile, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa, all in the $15 - $27 range. By the way, if I have time, I’ll do a quick price comparison to other stores (little US stores without the buying grunt of the LCBO) for some of the wine picks.
The $15 to $27 Range – My Picks
Before we get into my picks, the best wine in the release is probably an ISD - the Alta Catena Cab way down at the end.

Australia
CAT AMONGST THE PIGEONS NINE LIVES SHIRAZ 2007 $17.95 – almost 2000 cases – there’ll be lots of it and it should be good. Think ‘the Formula’ with a niftier label. But see my note on the Jip Jip Rocks too!
South Africa
PORCUPINE RIDGE SYRAH/VIOGNIER 2007 $17.95 – This one might just out Aussie the Aussies! Blind against a Footbolt would be interesting but won’t happen now.
TOKARA DIRECTOR'S RESERVE RED 2006 $26.95 – OK so I changed the range just to fit this one! I’ll try one – I expect big things here. A more tannic Gamekeeper’s Reserve, perhaps like a Meerlust Rubicon and no S.A. burnt rubber. How’s that for an intriguing preview?
Portugal
PORCA DE MURÇA RESERVA TINTO 2006 $16.95 – should be good, and even better with food.
Chile
VENTISQUERO QUEULAT GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 $16.95 –the Maipo Valley Chilean flavor profile – cassis, chocolate, coffee.
Italy – Veneto
TEDESCHI CAPITEL DEI NICALÒ VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2008 $14.95 – this has come down in price to levels not seen in years.
Italy – Tuscany
DEL CERRO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2006 $25.95- Super vintage – big wine, full of rich fruit, hints of anise.
Spain
CUATRO PASOS MENCÍA 2008 $16.95 – This one may be as good as the Petalos of a few years back. Speaking of that, I had recommended it a few releases back and was disappointed in the bottle opened at Thanksgiving. Harsh, astringent and lacking the fruit came to mind. Perhaps a bit of time will help it – stay tuned and we’ll see.
R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA CUBILLO CRIANZA 2004 $24.95 ISD – Will be an ‘old style’ crianza and I find my palate is moving in that direction sometimes. I expect a style and taste profile that is as opposite to the Nine Lives as it can possibly be. It’s great being a Gemini!

Best of the Rest
U.S.A. – California
RUTHERFORD RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 $19.95 – nothing special but a good solid performer that will not offend anyone.
Australia
JIP JIP ROCKS SHIRAZ 2008 $15.95 – Might be the best buy in the release and I’ll try one before I try the Cat Amongst the Pigeons. There is a lot of the latter, not as much of the Jip Jip and for two bucks less, I’ll try one of these first.
Argentina
ZOLO RESERVE MALBEC 2007 $16.95 – still have a few malbecs so no rush on this one.
Chile
SANTA CAROLINA RESERVA DE FAMILIA CARMENÈRE 2008 $17.95 – SC’s Reserva de Familia is always very well made wine – expect no less here. Don’t fear the Carmenere – to my palate it’s a merlot-y cab, or is that a cabby malbec?
France – Rhône
CAVE DE TAIN LES HAUTS DU FIEF CROZES-HERMITAGE 2007 $24.95 – super syrah.
RAVOIRE & FILS LE PRIEURE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2007 $14.95- well priced but the ’07 CdRV’s are pretty much picked over by now.
Greece
KIR-YIANNI RAMNISTA XINOMAVRO 2007 $17.95 – want to try something a little different?
France – Southwest
CHÂTEAU LA CAMINADE CAHORS 2006 $15.95 – If you liked the La Coutale Cahors from a few releases ago, try this one. I expect earth, hints of tobacco, green pepper and tomato leaf, some dark fruit, tannins and will take a pass.

The Big $$ Items – Anything over $28 this week
The Two Bold Tuscans take the cake!!!

U.S.A. – Washington State
HELIX SYRAH 2006 (Reininger Winery) $29.95
Australia
CHARLES CIMICKY AUTOGRAPH SHIRAZ 2004 $39.95
Argentina
O. FOURNIER ALFA CRUX TEMP/MALBEC/MERLOT 2002 $39.95 - WS Top 100 a few years ago, this one should be ready to drink, especially with an Indian Summer BBQ’d steak
France – Bordeaux
CHÂTEAU PIPEAU 2005 $42.95 – Perennially a WS Top 100 wine but too expensive.
Italy – Tuscany
FATTORIA CARPINETA FONTALPINO DO UT DES 2007 $39.95 - 94 Points from James Suckling – some would scoff – but that is a great score for a very good vintage.
LA VELONA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2004 $43.95 – 92 Points from Galloni
TENUTA SAN GUIDO GUIDALBERTO 2008 $54.95 – Over priced for what you get.
Spain
TORRES SALMOS 2007 $33.95

The ISD’d – Rare, usually expensive
Australia
CLARENDON HILLS ONKAPARINGA GRENACHE 2006 $89.95 – Man o man, why wasn’t I born rich instead of good looking?
Argentina
CATENA ALTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 $47.95 – This is my pick as the best wine in the release. Too bad it’s an ISD and there is so little of it!