April 16th Vintages release - Not too much to get excited about.

April 16^th and the LCBO Vintages team brings us a feature called European Vocation. This terrible play on European Vacation had us looking forward to Shari Mokg Edwards starring as Clark Griswald in one of those expensive, tax payer sponsored, LCBO web videos. Sadly twas not to be. I guess she lacks the comic chops, but that’s not to say the LCBO doesn’t make us laugh with this release.

AUSTRALIA - DANDELION VINEYARDS LIONHEART OF THE BAROSSA SHIRAZ  1150 cases of 12  $21.95 – Creeping up in price but a perennial favourite here in Ontario. Big, bold, Barossa.  

BRITISH COLUMBIA -  CULMINA R&D RED BLEND 2014   166 cases of 12  $25.95  - From Don Triggs’ latest wine adventure, this is worth trying if only to see how he’s doing. The winemaker was formerly the maker at Osoyoos Larose I think.

RHÔNE - DOMAINE LE GRAND RETOUR PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES -   997 cases of 12  $14.95 – Annually a favourite chez moi and at the monopoly. Always nice to get a wine produced almost next door to Chateauneuf and at 1/3^rd the price. Good value.  

RHÔNE - SANTA DUC ROAIX LES CROTTES 2010 391 cases of 12  $19.95 – Another of the ‘under the radar’ named Villages (not quite a cru) and from a great vintage. This should be right in its drinking window now and over the next year or two. I read somewhere that this was ‘too hard to sell as ROAIX’ so the fruit is now included in the Santa Duc Quatre Terres CdR-V. A little expensive but worth a shot.

FRANCE, SOUTHWEST - CLOS TROTELIGOTTE K-OR MALBEC 2014   299 cases of 12  $18.95 – Great producer, clever name playing on the Cahors region. Give it a few years then it’d be fun to try blind with a Malbec from Argentina to see the differences in style.

PUGLIA - TORMARESCA TORCICODA PRIMITIVO 2013   274 cases of 12  $20.95 – BBQ time, so why not an Italian Zin from  ANTINORI?

TUSCANY  - SAN FELICE IL GRIGIO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2011   298 cases of 12  $27.95 – Solid producer and  year, but not cheap. One might be worth a try.

 TUSCANY  - GUADO AL TASSO IL BRUCIATO 2013   288 cases of 12  $25.95  - A blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah  also from Antinori.

SOUTH AFRICA -  RUSTENBERG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013   299 cases of 12  $19.95  - Silver medals at 4 different major wine shows as well as scores of 89 and 90 points from critics not named Suckling give this wine credibility. While new world in place, this is a slightly more Bordeaux style of cab sauv.

SPAIN - CVNE RESERVA 2011   694 cases of  6  $24.95  - Excellent producer, ageable but also drinkable now.

SPAIN -VIÑA REAL CRIANZA 2012   996 cases of 6  $18.95  - Ditto. How’s that for a detailed review?

CALIFORNIA - MICHAEL DAVID FREAKSHOW CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013   658 cases of 12  $26.95 – What a great label! Described as reminiscent of the Sgt Pepper Album cover (you kids can ask your parents), this is a big wine from the Phillips brothers in Lodi California.  

BIG BUCKS and ISDs

Tuscany -AVIGNONESI VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2012   166 cases of 12  $39.95 – Visiting the wineries around Montepulciano and gauging the locals’ impressions of the newish owners of Avignonesi was quite interesting last fall. The opinion seemed to be that they were outsiders and were not interested in the traditional ways nor integrating themselves. The locals all had another winery that they recommended we visit instead of going there. Avignonesi wines do score well though it appears they have decided to move into Brunello territory, price wise.

BURGUNDY -CHÂTEAU-FUISSÉ TÊTE DE CRU POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2012 ISD  34 cases of 12  $41.95 – Tasty chardonnay but $$’s.  

RHÔNE - DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIÈRE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2012   147 cases of 12   $43.95 

Tuscany - LA LECCIAIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010   147 cases of 6  $57.95 – Too many $$’s for me.   

Tuscany -IL GRIGIO DA SAN FELICE GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO   333 cases of 6  $46.95  - You know this was Wine Enthusiast's #1 wine last year, right? Just sayin'.

OZ - BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE EBENEZER CABERNET SAUVIGNON   221 cases of 6   $39.95 – Ebenezer syrah is (doing my best Jimmy Fallon doing his best Donald Trump) “HUUUGE!” I see no reason for the cab to be anything less.