August 4th - Showtime? More like slowtime. Blockbusters? I don't think so.

Another “Gee, they get paid for that?” release from the buyers at Vintages.  A few new wines to try out and a few old favourites to replenish with but  by and large a release that if you miss it, you won’t really be too upset.  The ‘Summer Blockbusters’ are anything but. Only a couple of them are worthy of the moniker blockbuster  and even then only if your idea of a blockbuster is  Repo Man. The Romance movie equivalents seem to be stuck in the paradigm that only French or Italians are capable of romance. The ‘Action’ entries are not the vinous equivalents of Dirty Harry but are more like  Sleepless in Seattle.  These wines all make a statement and the statement isn't  “Make my day”, it's more like “I’ll have what she’s having!”

The other focal point is 5 single vineyard German reislings (and a Gerwurtz).  I think Kung Fu Girl might kick their asses.

The VRSS total is 62 this week.

 ARGENTINA

PASCUAL TOSO RESERVE MALBEC 2009 594 cases $19.95

BENMARCO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 (Dominio del Plata) 539 cases $17.95 – A nice sample of a simple, reasonably priced  Arg. Cabernet.

CICCHITTI GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2004 259 cases $21.95 – This one has some age on it – should be smooth and will show you what your malbecs can become if you take care of them or can leave them alone for long enough.

AUSTRALIA

Pick #2 - SCHILD ESTATE OLD BUSH VINE GMS  299 cases $21.95 – Nice political paragraph about what a pillar Mr. Schild is (overlooking and in spite of getting caught with his pants down in their WS Top 100 fiasco).  I’ll give Schild the benefit of the doubt and hope they are working hard to overcome that black eye from a few years back, this one should be a tasty Southern Rhone blend from OZ.

Pick #3 –Tie-  PIRRAMIMMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009  999 cases $24.95 – I’m a fan. Excellent producer and their cab is always on par with their Shiraz .

GRANT BURGE BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2010 728 cases $18.95 – Reasonably priced for a quality producer.

PETER LEHMANN LAYERS 790 cases $17.95 – A juicy crowd pleaser for back yard BBQs.

 CANADA BRITISH COLUMBIA

Pick #3 –Tie-  SANDHILL SMALL LOTS ONE 2008 111 cases $36.95 – Ok, so it’s too expensive for what you get but if I’m going to buy a Canadian red, I’d  buy some of these before anything with Niagara on the label. Why?  Bigger, blacker fruit, cedar hints, a touch of olive, and usually far fewer  green notes.

MIDI

 Pick #3 –Tie-  Picked on price alone. DOMAINE LES YEUSES LES EPICES - $13.95 for a gold medal winner seems too good to pass up. Expect peppery  syrah flavours.

 CHÂTEAU D'ANGLÈS LA CLAPE CLASSIQUE  449 cases $14.95 – Well priced from one of the best wine growing regions in the Languedoc.

RHÔNE

 Pick #1 - DOMAINE DU GRAPILLON D'OR GIGONDAS 2010   499 cases $28.95  - Consistently a very well made wine, but will need some time.  Vintages first foray into the 2010’s from Gigondas, this was another wonderful vintage in all of the Southern Rhone.

SPAIN

BURGO VIEJO GRAN RESERVA 2001 Rioja – Decanter Gold medal winner and 11 years old  for $21.95. Long and leather-y  -  don’t expect a fruit bomb!

 CALIFORNIA

PLUME CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009   223 cases $29.95 – First vintage from a new Okanagan – Napa combo entry.

Pick #3 –Tie-  BEAULIEU VINEYARD BV TAPESTRY RESERVE 2008   207 cases $34.95 – Try this and the Sandhill blind. You might be surprised!

BIG BUCKS

A pair of Brunelli 
The first  one an ISD, 39 cases of 12 of the CAPANNA BRUNELLO 2007 @$45.95 which was scored 97 points by the Wine Enthusiast and 93 points by Antonio Galloni. The other, the PININO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006   329 cases $38.95 – A reasonable price for a sometimes brilliant, sometimes only average Brunello.  History has shown this wine to be an adventure because the same vintage, no the same case,  can supply you with both ends of that spectrum! Watch for the Capanna. It'll be in a very limited number of stores and I expect it'll be a dog fight for those few cases! If you see one, buy one.

OTHELLO 2008 (Christian Moueix)   249 cases $41.95 – Full of pomp and circumstance, at this price, here's a wine you'll love not wisely but  too well.  Available only in Japan and Ontario but was originally available on the Scottish Moors (ok bad review and even worse geographic pun based on Othello being a Moor which I know has nothing to do with Scotland but at least I tucked way down here so only the serious readers have to put up with its badness)!