France’s 13 best known grapes, along with Chile’s Carmenere and Irish Whiskey for St. Paddy’s Day make up the 3 points of focus of the March 3rd release. Slightly improved on the previous week’s release (or is that the previous weak release?), this one doesn’t blow my socks off but it does provide some interest. Two of the three entries in the Rhone portion of the France Focus make my top six (big surprise, I know!). Carmenere , once thought to have been merlot makes the grade with one of my top picks and returns as a choice in one of the Big Buck entries as well. The Irish whiskies? One glass too many and I think I can perform Riverdance – ‘nuff said.
Top Six
DELAS FRÈRES LES LAUNES CROZES-HERMITAGE 2009 219 cases $20.95 – If you combine price, quality and taste, I expect this one to be among the top three wines in the release. 100% Syrah from a great vintage, producer and location.
JIM BARRY THE COVER DRIVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 499 cases $23.95 - From another excellent producer, this is a really nice Cab that needs to rest a bit. I’ve found past samples to have been just good but nothing special when opened fresh from the LCBO. However, if you leave them to settle in for just a few months in the cellar they really come on. Big cassis, mint and later chocolate. Great stuff.
CONCHA Y TORO TERRUNYO VINEYARD SELECTION BLOCK 27 483 cases of 6 $29.95 – Everything you could ever want in a Carmenere. Smokey, a bit of tar, black fruit. While not cheap, the C y T Terrunyo line of wines always exhibit the highest quality. This one’ll have you saying “I like Carmenere – who knew?” especially if served with something cooked on the grill or rotisserie.
THE WATCHER SHIRAZ 2008 – $19.95 – A second Vintages release of this WS Top 100 from 2010. The earlier release of this wine was recommended and it was very good in that blousy Australian way. Big but not a blockbuster, the nose and palate combine juicy black cherries with liquorice hints, subtle wafts of meat and pepper and wait for it, is that nori I detect on the finish?
JACKSON-TRIGGS GOLD SERIES SUNROCK VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2008 223 cases of 6 $26.95 – Grapes from among the best southern Okanagan vineyards, this’ll please every palate. What every Ontario Shiraz/ Syrah hopes to be when it grows up.
PERRIN & FILS LES CHRISTINS VACQUEYRAS 2009 349 cases $23.95 – One of my go to wines but I’d prefer to go to it at $21.95. Black fruit, some red, some hints of garrigue.
One Cab gets an honourable mention. The Errazuriz Don Maximiano Single Vineyard Cabernet 2008. This one never quite lives up to the Santa Rita or the Santa Carolina Famiglia Reserva releases at about the same LCBO price but it’s always a very nice wine.
Two Cabs get dishonourable mentions for their LCBO pricing. One goes to Ravenswood’s Vintner’s Blend Cabernet at $18.95. It’s a nice easy drinking cab that’s great around the BBQ and is available in Buffalo for $6.95. Retail. Yes, $six, not $16. The average retail price of this wine in all US stores carrying it is $9. The LCBO pricing here is brutal! The second is the Hess Select. This WoM is a good easy drinking wine but should be priced with the LCBO’s Ravenswood price ($18.95) and even then it’d be well above market price south of the border.
THE LITTLE BUCKS
The reality is that none of these should be more than $10 and they don’t make the Top 6 but they’re the best bargains in the release. LCBO Bargain – isn’t that an oxymoron?
Domaine La Montagnette Sinargues Cotes du Rhone Villages 2009 – You may need a ventilator to be able to ask for this one in one breath, but it should be immediately quaffable for $13.95.
El Transito Pietro Marini Malbec 2008 – 90 points from Mr. Ninety himself, Jay Miller but at $13.95 worth trying one or two.
Palacios Remondo la Vendimia 2010 –At $14.95 I expect this’ll be another good quaffer but in the Spanish style so it will require some food or snacks.
THE BIG BUCKS
If you’ve got’em, spend ‘em.
Montes Purple Angel 2009 – A wonderful sample of Carmenere (with hints of Petit Verdot) but at $56.95 this is among the more expensive Vintages offerings from Chile. However, if you want to bring something different to a big buck wine party, this’ll fill the bill. Please note, ‘big buck’ is a relative term. What’s big bucks to me might be exorbitant bucks to some and small potatoes to others.
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Montesodi Chianti Ruffina Riserva 2007 – Always very good, I’ll take the fuller, more rounded flavours of this one over many Brunellos. $49.95
Antinori Guado al Tasso 2008 – An Italian Bordeaux blend – no indigenous grapes - $89.95
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2006 - $59.95 – The drying tannins in past vintages make this (to my palate) not quite as good as the Frescobaldi Brunello (or the Montesodi), but still a real keeper if you have the $$’s.
Caymus Special Selection Cabernet 2009 – At $119.95, this one’ll make a real dent in your budget but might almost be worth it.
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