Oct. 13 - OZ and Chile get the cover but Italy gets the picks

5 Australian Artisanal wine  producers  and new  Chilean Hot spots are the focal points this week.  On the Aussie front, the optimist in me says “Cool, the LCBO is on the leading edge, finding both small but high quality producers who march to the beat of their own drummer  and new regions of exciting wine production.” The skeptical pessimist in me says,”Who are these guys and how much are their wines really worth?” Since we can’t find many of their wines anywhere else, we can’t get a real feel for the markups we’re being exposed to. So unlike the bigger international names, we don’t know how really badly we’re getting hosed.  I suppose the reality is somewhere on a scale between the optimist and the pessimist, but I’ll let you all decide for yourselves just where you think you are on that scale.

And speaking of scales, for the Aussie wines it would appear the tasters doing the reviews are using two different scales. Certainly the more generous scores are those of  James Halliday who is somewhat infamous for his high point  scores for Australian wines. Is it patriotism, or perhaps  he just really  likes the Aussie style?  Anyhow if you must have a number take his reviews with a grain of salt and subtract a minimum of 3 points.  This is also a good process to follow with some well known local reviewers of Ontario red wine too.

For the Chileans, I like the look of two whites which are outlined below. 

The VRSS this week is as good as most have been lately, which is to say mediocre,  barely over 60 points.  Both the whites and the reds that interest me are just that, interesting.  Certainly none are compelling.

 THE PICKS

MAZZEI SER LAPO 2007 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA – $24.95 - 95 points from Suckling means this WoM will blow out quickly in spite of the usual big WoM quantities. In general  the reviews in Cellar Tracker and other wine sites are positive but not quite so numerically  effusive.  In his printed review  Suckling wastes so few  words in describing  the wine’s  flavour profile that he comes across as almost  Gary Cooperesque.  I picture him slurping, spitting, squinting, stating (pause) “I’m 95 on that.”, then  riding off into the sunset. Oh, in a rented, bright red convertible, not on a horse. I will buy one or two to see if they’re up to the score.  2007 was a terrific vintage in Tuscany but this review was also from Suckling’s post Wine Spectator days, when he became more of a marketer for himself and seemingly the wineries he reviews.

SASSO AL POGGIO 2006 - $18.95 – I always have grave concerns when the LCBO comes up with a wine from someone’s Top 100 a year after the printed review was published, especially one priced and scored so well. But let’s wait and see on this one. If the wine is good enough but does not get locally reviewed it could be the sleeper in this release hidden as it is so far back and letting that big scoring  WoM gather all the attention.

MASI GRANDARELLA 2008 – $24.95 - Want an Amarone without the full Amarone price tag? This could be it.  Use of non allowed grapes means it can’t wear the name but it is there in most other ways. A very good wine.  Dry, and yet also fruity. Very worthy  if you enjoy that style, methinks.

FLECHAS DE LOS ANDES GRAN MALBEC 2009 - $21.95 – A very tasty, big steak wine, or is that a big, very tasty steak wine? If you need to bring a wine to a BBQ, you can’t go wrong here.

JEAN LUC COLUMBO LES FEES BRUNES CROZES HERMITAGE 2009 $24.95 – Syrah from a nice vintage and producer.

GUARDIAN PEAK SMG2009 – $19.95 - A South African take on the Southern Rhone blend .

PAXTON SHIRAZ GRENACHE 2010 - $19.95- McLaren Vale fruitiness means instant enjoyment for a well priced red blend.

LAN GRAN RESERVA 2004 - $27.95– A food wine with some age on it, built for roast meats or tapas. A very high quality and consistent producer,  this wine’ll accompany almost anything on a plate.   Black olives, saganaki, spanakopita (yes I know they’re Greek not Spanish),  Serrano ham wrapped fingerlings with cheese, dry rubbed ribs, grilled red meats or chicken….mmm!

Two White wine Chileans catch my eye and perhaps my palate. The CASA LAPOSTOLLE 2011 CHARDONNAY at $24.95 and the well scored single vineyard Leyda  Sauvignon Blanc 2011 at $16.95.  The latter is described as having received a perfect score of 5 stars from Decanter.  A note to the proof readers at Vintages, 5 stars is not necessarily perfect, just exceptionally good.

Two Cotes du Rhones from Caves de Rasteau should be very tasty - either one will provide pleasure. I’d stick with the ’09 and save your $$’s.

O. FOURNIER ALPHA CRUX 2004 – $41.95 - Loads of everything in this one. The wine is expensive but at eight years old is also nicely ensconced in its drinking window so it’ll give lots of pleasure immediately. Did someone say rare prime rib?

MARCHESI DI BAROLO 2006 - $34.95 – Well priced, well scored for a bigger than some Barolo. Lay it down for a year or two, then serve with roast game. More subtle and sophisticated than many of this week’s other  picks.

ORNELLAIA LE VOLTE 2010-$29.95 –  Ornellaia’s third wine but the name Ornallaia that says it all.

THREE RIVERS RED 2009 - $19.95 – At this price  point it’s another of the same from Washington St. in a blend that’ll provide enjoyment  if not sophistication  during late season BBQs.

COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL 2010 - $29.95 – When is a Cotes du Rhone not a Cotes du Rhone? When it’s from the famed Beaucastel winery.  Priced up there with some Gigondas this is a serious, laying down and giving it some  time  kind of wine. Tannins abound and early on can almost overwhelm.  Not your mother’s Cotes du Rhone for sure!

SPICE ROUTE CHAKALAKA 2009 – $24.95 With a name like this you can’t take the wine too seriously and that’s as it should be. This wine is a blend of 6 grapes so think of it as a party with 6 of your most boisterous friends.

Sept.29th, Tuscany and Turkey

This release focuses on Tuscany, Thanksgiving, and Pinot Noirs from Oz and NZ. If I was independently wealthy, I might think this is a pretty good release. I’m not, so I think it has a few high points but overall, I’m a little let down. We’re not yet to Thanksgiving on the calendar and already you can see the prices climbing at your friendly, local LCBO Vintages section. Is it just my imagination or is Christmas coming early for our friends at the monopoly?  
 I understand the global interest in Tuscany means the wines do not come cheap but while the Tuscan focus is an interesting cross section of the various DOCGs and IGTs available, the majority find themselves in my Big Bucks category.

The Aussie/NZ Pinots, I can take or leave, so I’ll mostly leave them and the Thanksgiving feature has pretty pictures of food and wines to match but not much else going for it.

Must I buy much from this release? Nope. And a few of the ones I must buy are over my ceiling so I mustn’t buy them. There are just enough must buys to give it a VRSS score of 58.

THE WHITES OF THE RELEASE
A comment here, one of the nicest wines for summer sipping is a good, well priced Vinho Verde. It’s no longer summer but now we finally get one! Earth to the LCBO – timing is everything!

TWO SAUVIGNON BLANCS from NZ – the Babich Black Label ($17.95) and the Dog Point ($21.95) are both an excellent accompaniments to  seafood and shellfish.

SIMONSIG CHENIN AVEC CHENE 2009 - $28.95 – Want something a little different to try with your turkey? Go for this South African Chenin Blanc. It’ll be oaky and not cheap but high quality. Actually,  if you can still find some of the Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc from the July release, save yourself $11.00 and buy it.

SUB $30 TUSCAN SELECTIONS

TOSCOLO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2006 - $24.95 – I’m a sucker for a really good  C C R from a great vintage. Here we are.

MICHELE SATTA BOLGHERI ROSSO 2009 - $19.95 – From the producer of two of my favourite Italian wines (Piastraia and Cavaliere), this is the lone sub $20 offering worthy of inclusion and it makes it here on Satta’s name alone for now.

RUFFINO MODUS 2008 - $28.95 – This might not be quite up to the last two years’ efforts but is still a very good option.

DEI VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2008 - $28.95 – Dark fruits, some licorice or anisette, an OK wine.

LA PUPILLE POGGIO VALENTE MORELLINO DI SCANSCANO RISERVA 2007 – $29.95 – Worthy of a try.

THE REDS

LUCA MALBEC 2009 $29.95 – On the heels of the last release’s Luca Chardonnay selection comes another from the Catena family of wineries and fine wines. The LUCA wines promote regional terroir and reflect the high quality we’ve come to expect from Catena. This is annually a very good example of Argentina’s steak wine capability if a little pricey.  

CATHEDRAL CELLARS TRIPTYCH 2008 - $16.95 – Very good producer of crowd pleasing, quality wines. This one a blend of the big three reds – Cab sauv, Shiraz and merlot that’ll provide lots of pleasure around a late season BBQ of burgers or brats (sausages that is, not misbehaving children).

FINCA FLICHMAN PASAIJE DE BARRANCAS 2009 - $17.95 – Typically Argentina, with big flavours that require equally big grilled red meat. They found a great review.

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS BV CAB SAUV 2009 - $25.95 – Slightly more Bordeaux than Napa in style but $25.95? C’mon, you can do better than that!

HOGUE GENESIS MERLOT 2008 $18.95 - Stimmell likes it which means it’ll be a pleasant, simple wine for early fall BBQ’s. Price wise, this should be $15.95 or less.

CHATEAU MAISON BLANCHE 2009 $19.95 – BP recommends a Bordeaux! Are those hogs hovering outside your second story window? Well priced and a terrific review. Give it lots of air if you open it soon, otherwise, let it rest for a time.

LES VIGNES BILA- HAUT COTES DE ROUSILLON VILLAGES 2010 $14.95 – Expect to be pleasantly surprised by this one, in a Cotes du Rhone Villages kind of way. Is it a 92-94 point wine? Nah, but you won’t regret it with grilled souvlakis, burgers or rotisseried chicken. Your problem will be finding it. At this price and with that Parker score, it’ll be gone in a flash.

DOMAINE DE BILA-HAUT OCCULTUM LAPIDEM 2009 $24.95 – As I’ve said before, I love reading those David Schildknecht reviews and this wine gets a recommendation just so you might read his review. They always contain snooty, over the top wine vernacular that is impossible not to like. Malolactic fermentation meets William F Buckley if you will.  Anyhow, back to the wine. This Chapoutier offering  has jumped in price over the last few years and it’s my opinion that quality-wise, what’s in the bottle  doesn’t merit the increase. And don’t let the LCBO tell you it’s due to currency fluctuations. A year ago a Cdn dollar bought 4.8 francs, now it’ll buy anywhere  between 5.2 and 5.4. This should be in the $19.95 range. My recommendation? Forget this and buy more of the $19.95 Gigondas that was in the previous release.

XAVIER COTES DU RHONE 2010 - $15.95 – Another ‘whatever happened to $12.95 Cotes du Rhones?’ wine from the stellar 2010 vintage. (See Canadian dollar vs. French Franc above.)

BIG BUCKS

Welcome to Tuscany my friends!

PIAN DELLE VIGNE 2006 – $59.95 - From a terrific vintage in Brunello and from a family whose life is steeped in the tradition of Tuscan winemaking.  This one provides a real temptation to ignore my self imposed $ ceiling on wine. Fruitier than many and more receptive in its youth, this is always a smashingly good wine.

SILVIO NARDI 2007 BRUNELLO -$41.95 – This’ll need time to soften and open, but is well priced for a Brunello.

LIVIO SASSETTI 2005 BRUNELLO - $39.95 – Not up to ’06 and ’07 Vintage wise, but perhaps better grapes than normal because no reserve wine was made during this vintage. Again, time is required so lay it down or open with your morning coffee to serve with supper.

POGGIO AL TESSORO SONDRAIA 2008 - $44.95 – Made the WS Top 100 last year, this Bordeaux blend from Tuscany is a worthy  cellar candidate.

JACOPO BIONDI SASSOALLORO 2008 – $35.95 - Black fruits predominate in this IGT blend.

TENUTA SETTE PONTI ORENO 2009 - $71.95- A glowing review from Galloni marks this one as a must have if you have the bucks.

FREEMARK ABBEY CABERNET 2008 -  A terrific cab, under $40 if just, the written review finds red fruit which I think is unusual for Napa. I usually find it much blacker – bing cherries into black currants with cedar.

CATENA ZAPATA NICASIA VINEYARD MALBEC 2008 – $89.95- A single vineyard offering from the famed La Consulta region of the Uco Valley in the Mendoza this should be a smashing wine. But, it’s way over my price ceiling. Damn, where’s that winning lottery ticket?

LA CRAU DE MA MERE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 2010 - $44.95 – Spices, cherry and licorice from a terrific vintage. Make a note and remember this one. It  may be worth holding out for a future markdown.


And don't miss Paso man in the previous blog entry!

Paso Man on variety...

Does a man  have only one life? Yes. One wife? Occasionally. One wine? Preposterous!

Do I smell grass? Charcoal? Church Bingo?


Real men aren't afraid of the tinting of a gorgeous juice. Real men fear only unrequited love, the road not taken, and clowns....

Your glass is waiting. It's full ........ of possibilities.

Sept.15th - The Ontario Focus

As the season moves to cooler evenings and shorter days we finally get a release that has an interesting selection of wines with a combination of quality and variety. In spite of the release’s singular Ontario focus and the accompanying provincial navel gazing, this is among the more attractive releases of the summer.  It comes in at 68-72 points on the VRSS and could go higher.  Based on past experience, my top white wine choice in the release is the somewhat expensive Luca G Lot (not Spot) Chardonnay 2010. From vineyards up to 5000 ft above sea level in Argentina, previous vintages were among the best Chards ever for me but at $27.95, this isn’t cheap.  From the Ontario focus, two other chards also get a nod – the Lailey and the JT Delaine Vineyard. Both are first rate examples of what Niagara does very well. Neither has the Paskus/ Bachelder winemaker name on them but bang for the buck, they're hard to beat!  Unfortunately, if you feel the need to drink Ontario reds you will have to look elsewhere for  recos because you won’t find any here. I will say that I am hoping for a nice, long, hot, dry, autumn so that our merlot, syrah and cab sauvs can develop more dark fruit flavours and at least for this year, our winemakers can get away from the greens and browns (pepper/ tobacco and tomato leaf/ stems) I find so prevalent in Ontario reds.  Merlot that tastes like Cab Franc is just not my cuppa. Assuming a good fall, maybe, just maybe Ontario Vintage 2012 red wine could appear in future recommendations after this smoking hot summer. Style wise and in flavour profile, I don’t expect Napa but the Okanagan would be nice!

That said, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the following global red choices. Most are unfortunately over the $20 mark, again reflecting the LCBO’s belief that we’ll spend more for wine than we should have to spend.

Best of the Release

Pick #1 (tie) LA FONT DES GRIÈRES GIGONDAS 2009 $19.95 – 299 cases – A Gigondas for under $20 at the LCBO? Really? That’s not a typo? Short term ageworthy but with air it’ll be good right away as well.

Pick #1 (tie) COLUMBIA CREST H3 LES CHEVAUX  2009 $20.95 – 231 cases – A pick in spite of it being another LCBO ‘double up’ on a $10 release from Columbia Crest’s H3 Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills) , this blend often has Merlot predominating (2009 is either 80% or 34% merlot). It’s my opinion that the Columbia Crest H3 locations and climate are best suited to merlot so this should be very enjoyable as long as you don’t look at the US pricing. Look for chocolate, black fruit, and smoky vanilla notes from a slightly heavy handed use of oak. BBQ’d ribs anyone?

Pick #2 (tie)  MARCHESI DE FRESCOBALDI TENUTA DI CASTIGLIONI 2009  $21.95 - 1100 Cases – This baby Super Tuscan is always good value for the $$’s and some years it is even a case worthy  purchase. Too many options in and around the same price point reduce that chance this time around. With air this blend can be drunk young, medium, or middle aged. I’m enjoying a case of the 2007 vintage and they  just keep getting better.

Pick #2 (tie) BARBA I VASARI OLD VINES MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2008 – $18.95 - 1299 cases - 3 glasses out of 3 from Gambero Rosso for under 20 bucks is about as good as we can ever hope for when dealing with the monopoly.   Spicy black fruit, hints of licorice, long finish and lots will be available.

CHATEAU MILLEGRAND MINERVOIS 2010 $16.95 – 599 cases – A well priced Rhone blend from the Midi, this one could be the sleeper of the release.  Try one early to see if you like it and then keep it a secret! It is close to being a pick.

FERATON PERE ET FILS PLAN DE DIEU 2009 $15.95 – 449 cases – A Cotes Du Rhone Villages from the  somewhat underappreciated ‘village’ Plan de Dieu, I’m expecting this one to deliver big things for the price. Shouldn’t be more than $14.95 but vino per $ ratio is still in your favour here.

WYNN’S COONAWARA ESTATE CAB/SHIRAZ/MERLOT $19.95 – 383 cases – Priced where the Wynn’s Estate Cab Sauv used to be and should still be, expect a real mouthful here. Black fruit and hints of eucalyptus make it a natural pairing with lamb chops. If my mood changes, this could even improve to be a ‘pick’.

LUIGI BOSCA SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2009 – 559 cases - $21.95 Red meat meet Luigi Bosca. Luigi, meet red meat. ‘nuff said.  I’m not sure the single vineyard designation is worth the extra few bucks over the Bosca Reserva but if you are an Argentine aficionado, perhaps it is.

BARON RICASSOLI ROCCA GUICCIARDA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009   $24.95 - 599 cases – I like this wine. It’s not a big, viscous wine but is terrific with food. We had a bottle of this vintage a few weeks ago while in Quebec and it was a great accompaniment to both a cheese fondu as well as a Chinese fondu combination of sliced Duck breast and Bison meat. The latter 2 were fabulous by the way so guess who might have that to look forward to next time we do Chinese fondu at home!

BODEGA LAN RESERVA 2007 $21.95 – 549 cases – A Rioja that loves food and the food loves it right back. Seeing this price I wish I’d bought more of the 1500ml bottles when they were on sale for $29.95 after Christmas.  LCBO note  -  that price ($29.95) tells me where this wine really should be priced.

MEERLUST MERLOT 2008 – Only 39 cases of 12 at $25.95, this should be a terrific wine from the Stellenbosch region (some say the best wine region in South Africa). It’s an ISD so it’ll be in short supply and in few stores. If you see it, try one.

ROLF BINDER HALES 2009 SHIRAZ – $20.95 599 cases – The entry level wine from an excellent producer of Southern Australian wines. Big, bold, and black purple, expect black fruit, pepper and strong tapenade, nori notes on a long finish.  The 95 point score is just silly but is liable to have points chasers out in force. The wine is good but not that good so if you can’t find any, don’t lose sleep. There are others just as good in the release!

GEMMA BAROLO 2007 – 299 cases - $29.95 – very well priced Barolo and well scored to boot. Everything that applies to the Gattinara below applies to this wine except for the goofy bottle!

TRAVALIGNI GATTINARA 2006 $29.95 - 600 Cases – Think of it as a poor man’s Barolo in a goofy bottle (I know, I know, it traps the sediment.) A terrific wine to accompany rustic recipes for braised meats in rich sauces. It’ll need a year or two to begin to soften and even then open it well in advance of serving or better still, decant it.

BIG BUCKS

Some tempting big dollar selections this week too.

MONTEVIEJO 2007 – $33.95 – 199 cases – A big Argentine malbec blend - nearing the top of what I’ll spend for them. Has some age on it but is it really worth that much more than the Bosca malbec?

LILLY’S GARDEN 2010 - $62.95 – 199 cases – Among the best of the Two Hands offerings, the Garden Series entries are often overshadowed by the fabulous Bella’s but this one should be terrific. Over my own self imposed $$ limit unfortunately.

G D VAJRA ALBE BAROLO 2007 –299 cases – Barely into the big buck zone we find another Barolo, this one for $34.95! What’s not to like with that?

RUFFINA DUCALE D’ORO 2007 CHIANTI CLASSICO RESERVA - $43.95 –749 cases of 6 -  Not cheap but as good or better than many a Brunello.  Ageworthy for sure.

COLLOSORBO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006 – 599 cases of 6 - Wonderful vintage for Brunello, at $49.95 this one just creeps in under my upper wine levels, price wise.

GIRAMONTE 2008 - $84.95 – 29 cases of 6.  Really? Why bother including it in the release other than to say “Look at us, look at us!”?  This should be an ISD.

BURGESS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 – $37.95 – 223 cases – There is some age on this one so it should be drinking really nicely. I expect a 90-92 pointer here.

SIGNORELLO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 - $62.95 – 167 cases – Perennially this is one of Gismondi’s Top 100 Wines.   I would categorize this as less of a fruit bomb than many Napa offerings.

JOSEPH PHELPS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 – Big, big bucks! Even the little bottle is big bucks!

THOMAS FOGARTY LEXINGTON MERITAGE 2006 - $49.95 – 111 cases – Upon release this was categorized as the best ever Lexington. Should now be ready for you to enjoy immediately but not cheap!

CHATEAU MUSAR 2002 $54.95 – With only 74 cases coming in this should also be an ISD but since I’m not a big fan, I don’t care. However Musar is quite well regarded in the wine world so if you want to try a Bordeaux blend from off the beaten path (the Bekka Valley in Lebanon), here you go

Labour Day? How appropriate because it's hard work finding a decent wine this week.

September 1 means Labour Day is next Monday.  Labour day,  a day to give the working man one last kick at the can that is summer!  The LCBO says “Let’s celebrate Labour Day by selling a bunch of over priced Champagnes!”  It’s  Labour Day! An average price of over $100 on these bubblies doesn’t say working man (or woman) to me!  Delving deeper into the release, the Fall fêtes section is pretty much a waste of paper. I will say that the scallops recipe looks terrific but I might pair it with the inexpensive Spanish Cava ($13.95) or the  DOMAINE DE VAUGONDY BRUT VOUVRAY ($16.95) from this release. The Big and Bold table setting is a laugh – too bad they couldn’t put one of the Big and Bold wines they’re trying to sell on that table!  After fall fêtes comes  the Russian Revelation  (Stop, you’re killing me with your wit!  No wait, let me get even!  I was considering the Pinot but now I’m Lenin towards the chard… or …. Where’s the informational  map of California showing the Russian River Valley with a big Karl over it? Karl Marx the spot.  Bada-boom,  I’m here until Thursday, try the veal). That focus is followed by the Ontario Royal Couple. The wines being sold almost duplicate the Russian River repertoire.  I suppose if you want to compare wines, you could use the two as a basis for that comparison. Failing that, use them to line your birdcage. 

There is nothing in this release that I just have to buy so it comes in at 51 points on the VRSS. I gave a point for the scallop recipe. But, there is some good news …. A few sort of satisfying, ‘$17 and under’ wines are available.  Finally, there’s the nod to the working man!

UNDER  $17

Two  Food and Drink ‘formerly $15 now marked up to $17 specials’ are promoted  like specials but priced  above where they should normally be sold. Both should provide some pleasure but let’s not be fooled into thinking we’re getting a deal here.  The 2008 OSCAR’S ESTATE is an Aussie Cote Rotie blend from a hot vintage in the famous Barossa Valley.  The 2010 CHATEAU DE GALIFAY CAIRANNE is a named village in the Cotes du Rhone Villages appellation meaning the bottle should contain wines of a higher quality than the standard CdR or CdRV.  Both reflect the LCBO’s opinion that Ontario wine drinkers will pay more for their wines. Note to the LCBO, we’ll pay more (and already do!!!) but  only if the wines  are worth the extra dollars – these aren’t. For instance,  below is the Wine Align review for the Oscar’s Estate Shiraz. Is a dollop of viognier really worth $4.05 more?  So Buyer beware!

TEDESCHI CAPITEL DEI NICALO APPASIMENTO 2010 – I’ve been a fan for some time. At $15.95 this is pretty well  priced. Great pizza/ lasagna wine!

ZENATO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2010 – At $15.95 I think I’d prefer the Tedeschi, but you can be the judge.

BODEGA LAN CRIANZA 2008 – Gee wasn’t  an earlier vintage of this a Food  and Drink special at $15? Yes but if it’s up to LAN’s usual standards this is OK priced at $15.95.

GERARD BERTRAND ST. CHINIAN SYRAH MOURVEDRE 2009 – $16.95 Terrific producer, this’ll be a smokey, spicy blend.

JEAN LUC BALDES TRIGUEDINA LA CHAPELLE DU CLOS MALBEC 2008 – $16.95 Give it time if you expect  to compare it to an Argentinian Malbec.

SAMPETRIANA VIGNE DEL LA MONACHE RISERVA SALICE SALENTINO 2006 – At $15.95 a 5 star winner in Decanter, this one should be right in its drinking window. Probably needs food.

LEGON CRIANZA 2008 – A 90 pointer from ‘90 points Miller’. Again at $15.95, it’s a good price for a wine that might actually evolve.

BASEL CELLARS M 2007 - $28.95 - Creeping up on the big buck segment but holding under the $30 line this  blend of  Cab Sauv and Merlot should provide sophistication and Washington State fruitiness.  I haven’t tried this one before but might be looking for one or two.

OTHERS THAT MIGHT BE GOOD

The 2010 D’ARENBERG HIGH TRELLIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON is always good and, unlike many of its siblings has managed to hold the line on pricing . At $19.95 it’s a nice round the BBQ wine.

CASTELLO DI BOSSI C. BERARDENGA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2009 at $22.95 might be allright but Mr. Suckling’s reviews seem to have slid over to the wine shill side of the ledger rather than the wine critic side since he left the Wine Spectator so keep that in mind.

BIG BUCKS

Ignoring  the big buck champers  there are a number of more expensive options that might be tempting.

SEBASTIANI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 – Cassis hits big time but too highly priced at $34.95.

WAKEFIELD ST. ANDREWS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 – Wakefield is a wonderful producer of value priced Aussie wines. If you enjoyed their regular releases and want to try taking a (big) step up, try this one at $49.95. Is it 3 times as good as their normal listing?

CASCINA BUSSIA DARDI BAROLO 2006 – Ageworthy and well priced for a great Barolo vintage at $39.95.

BANFI BRUNELLO 2007 – At $59.95, this is out of my self imposed  price range but the quality is always there – needs more than a few years to settle in.

FATTORIA DEI BARBI BRUNELLO 2006- Oft times a bit more approachable in its youth than the Banfi, softer, more fruit forward perhaps.  A terrific vintage and at $41.95, ok priced for a Brunello.

No time for bad wine - Geyser Peak is headed back!

Last week I recommended the Walking Tree Cabernet from Geyser Peak. This week I'm recanting that recommendation. The wine is short, fruit seems both green and prematurely oxidized, tannins are there but not in concert with the wine. All in all a very disappointing  bottle. Perhaps it was the beginning of  a headcold? Nope, my wife shared my opinion - from the first mouthful to the last it was drudgery to drink. Served with BBQ'd Whole Foods filets ( holy crap, pricewise they're the LCBO of food stores), I expected a dynamic duo, a perfect pair on the palate. Too bad, they were great steaks! I bought two of the Geyser Peaks - where's that receipt? The second one is headed back.

August 18 - Southern Rhone, PNW, and Sake

The August 18^th release is almost upon us which means we’re in the home stretch of another summer. Good Grief, where did it go? Weather wise, it has been spectacularly warm. Vintages release wise? Not so hot.  This release seems to be a continuation of that trend. Originally, when I read the focal points of this release were to be the Rhone and Pacific Northwest I thought “Oh boy, I’m going to love this one.”, but after giving the release notes a quick perusal, mmmmm, not so much.  These two wine producing areas should yield a bonanza of wine selections. Somehow though the LCBO has managed to put as few wines as possible per page and make it into a boring rehash. The VRSS comes in at 62 for what had the possibility to be no less than an 81 to 84 VRSS point release!

The 2010 Southern Rhone should offer some very good alternatives. But please, 10 pages to sell only 13 different wines? That’s a remarkably wasteful and inefficient use of both printed material and bits and bytes.  The Pacific Northwest focus , which completely underwhelms with a staggeringly low  6 wines on 8 pages is even worse. Seeing how many cases of each wine they’re bringing in (where are you when I need you Michael Vaughan of Vintage Assessments?) may change my opinion but the $ performance per page for this release appears to be absolutely mind numbing to anyone familiar with a real retail business!

The third focus this week is Sake. I like sake once in a while with my sushi but I actually prefer a beer or two.  I never consider it other times. Result? The Sake section is a complete nonstarter for me. YMMV.

THE RHONE

The Rhone opens with two entry level Cotes du Rhones and a CdR Villages. It’s an inauspicious beginning  when the same winery is shown to have two different owners (Farjon Besnardeau  and  Barjon Besnardeau. Who proof reads these things? It’s Farjon by the way).  Either way, Domaine les Grand Bois has two wines here. One’s a Cotes du Rhone, the other a CdR V. Both should be good if a bit overpriced. Cambie’s Halos de Jupiter is also good but I expect we’ll get as good for less as more samples of the  2010 vintage show up in later Vintages releases.

Among the named villages (and ignoring for the moment Chateauneuf du Pape), Vacqueyras and Gigondas are my favourites but Cairanne and Vinsobres are always good as well.  It seems like yesterday that  Vintages sold 5000 cases of  Perrin’s  Vinsobres Les Cornuds at a cool $15. And this year’s comes in at $17.95. Is that a 20% increase year over year? Yes it is! Nice negotiating there LCBO. A new label should not cost me $2.95 more!  I’ll  negotiate by  taking a pass on the Vinsobres for now and recommend you readers do the same. Too bad – it’s a good wine but ….

PICK # 1- GIGONDAS PERRIN LA GILLE 2010 - $29.95 – Not cheap but worth it if you have somewhere to keep the wine for a few years. On the nose, expect olive notes, dark berry fruits, hints of meat and as it opens taste it pass through raspberry and blackberry fruitiness. Nice wine but does need some time. I had a 2006 last week that was superb. Tannins? Soft and completely integrated. The Clos de Cazeaux might be almost as good but for less.

DOMAINE GRANDY VACQUEYRAS 2010 – At $18.95 this is a well priced WoM and there should be lots around. A touch fruitier and more approachable now than the Gigondas but also substantially less expensive.

See the Big Bucks notes below for the Chateauneuf du Pape picks available in this release

PACIFIC  NORTHWEST

The lone possible pick among  the Pacific northwest wines is the 2009 COLUMBIA CREST  H3 Cabernet. This  is a rerelease (A special focus and they rerelease wines and vintage) of a very good, if slightly overpriced  wine. It’s not quite up to the merlot from the same vineyard in the last few years but it’s still a very good cab sauv option especially around a BBQ. It’s also my only reco from this focus, although the also rereleased Ste. Michelle Chard is always good.

THE REST OF THE RELEASE

 WAKEFIELD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 $17.95 – From the cooler  (for Oz) Clare valley, Wakefield’s products always offer terrific value and quality. Better price than the H3 and equal in every way.

PICK #2  GEYSER PEAK BLOCK COLLECTION WALKING TREE VINEYARD 2007 $28.95 – Always tasty and rich. A real mouth full of cassis hits, some cedar notes. Big.  I’m a sucker for the Geyser Peak Block Collection wines and am not ashamed to admit it. But it’s expensive compared to the H3 or the Wakefield so I could waffle as it gets closer to time to open the wallet!

SUMMERS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 – At $29.95 there is quality in the bottle and it’s a toss up between this and the Geyser Peak but I know the Geyser Peak. DO I spring for a couple of both or just load up on the H3/ Wakefield combo?

EVANS AND TATE METRICUP ROAD SHIRAZ 2009 $19.95 A WoM from Western Australia wine, so expect more subtlety  than the ZONTE’S FOOTSTEPS  and perhaps a bit more sophistication. Grilled lamb anyone?

ZONTE’S FOOTSTEPS LAKE DOCTOR SHIRAZ $16.95. – This one hails from the Langhorne Creek region so you can taste the regional differences between there and the Barossa if you still have some of the recently released Baron von Nemesis. Not a bad price for another  BIG, bold Aussie.

PICK #3 RENZO MASI CHIANTI RISERVA 2008 Another $15.95 bargain – Reviewed as a  smart buy  by Bruce Sanderson in Wine Spectator, this should provide instant pleasure at such a good price!

ALTESINO ROSSO DI ALTESINO 2009 $18.95 – From an excellent producer of Brunellos, this wine gets additional oomph from touches of cab and merlot. Very tasty and easy to drink.

DI MAJO NORANTE CONTADO RESERVA AGLIANICO DEL MOLISE 2009 - $15.95 and 91 points from Galloni? A buy if you like tarry, licorice-y fruity wines. So close to being a pick!

CELLAR BESLLUM 2008 – A nice Spanish option at $15.95. This one earned  93 points from Jay Miller, the 90 point man himself. Expect fruit, smoke, tar and even leather on this youngish wine. Could be a real bargain.

TORBRECK’S WOODCUTTER BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2010 – Don’t do it! At $30.95, this wine has steadily increased in price over the last few years and is no longer worth the $$’s. It should be mid twenties at most and $19.95 on promotion. It’s among Torbreck’s entry level wines.  If you do spring for it, decant carefully first as it’s unfined and unfiltered. If you don’t decant, pour with a gentle hand and you’ll want to beware of the chewy gunk in the final glasses. Wine gunk can be like fresh spinach when strained  through your teeth – not too nice to look at!

BIG BUCKS

VERBENA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 – Terrific score from Monica Larner, even if it’s three points less at 91 this is pretty well priced for a Brunello at $37.95

Among the Chateauneuf du Papes available in this release I’d spring for the SAINT SIFFREIN first, then perhaps the BOSQUET DES PAPES  CUVEE TRADITION.  Even very young, the 2009 Saint Siffrein was excellent.

SBRAGIA MONTE ROSSO VINEYARD 2006 – At $54.95, this one isn’t cheap but comes with a pedigree and will age for some time.