February 16 - Tuscany and Passover - ho hum.

Tuscan Triumphs and Passover Prerequisites – still more alliteration from our moribund monopoly’s marketing mooks and midriffs (ah ha, two can play at that game!). The Tuscan feature is an interesting history lesson but not a compelling reason to spend.  Once again the Passover wines are just that, wines I’ll pass over. Another ho hum release barely scores 62 points on the VRSS.

Best wine for the $ in the release is the Delas Freres Crozes Hermitage Les Launes 2010 – $20.95 199 cases The pick of the release for me. Last year’s and many  vintages  prior have been excellent . Expect  full, ripe, black fruit, hints of pepper and licorice. If you must open now, decant it otherwise give it a year or more in a nice quiet place.

Schild Estate Shiraz 2009 – 499 cases, the inside back cover and 92 points counterbalance the higher price of  $28.95. This winery has been the subject of a number of reports outlining some  questionable conduct concerning re (and re and re)  releases of  their WSTop 10 wine a couple of vintages ago.. Even yours truly chimed in at one point. But the wine always scores well in the WS and has made their Top 100 multiple times.   Expensive and getting more so but next to the pricing insanity that is the Penfold’s lineup (see Bin 389), it appears to be downright cheap!

Palacios Remondo La Montesa 2009 - $17.95 - A real bargain for a Rioja. 349 cases.
Turkey Flat GSM sorry SGM, 2010- $19.95. Full ripe southern Rhone blend from Oz. Unlike last release’s the Strapper, there’s more Shiraz than Grenache this time. Look for a meatier wine with just hints of raspberry.

OK there is a Tuscany feature so I should find a couple to put in the top 10 – my best bets are:

Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva 2008 – $27.95 Calls out for a multi course Tuscan feast. These wines are so good with food.

Poliziano – Vino Nobile de Montepulciano- 2009 - $25.95- Black fruits, good mouthfeel, very tasty.

Bodegas Balbas Ardal 2005 $16.95 – Ready to drink immediately, this has as much age as it’ll need and should be soft and smooth.

McPherson Basilisk 2010 Shiraz/ Mourvedre 2010 - $18.95 –Based on the image, the bottle appears to be festooned with multitudinous gold medals.  If the wine lives up to half of them this should be pretty good. But look carefully at them to be sure they’re not all from the Humptydoo Tractor Pull and Wine Show.

Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – At $17.95, this is a terrific, crowd pleasing cab value. Burgers are calling from the ‘Q!

Big Bucks

Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - $36.95 – My choice for the Cabernet of the release. Coonawarra terrior will impart mint and black fruit flavours, not as cassis-y as a Napa Cab but the climate and soils of the region really lend themselves to this grape.

Terre Nere Brunello di Montalcino 2006 - $34.95 – A Brunello at Chianti prices. Among  the buys of the release! Of the other Three Brunelli, I prefer the Altesino – too bad it’s over my price ceiling!