August 11, 2019 Newsletter

Newsletter Highlights include:

There are more wines reviewed after the Vintages Release wines that are available in LCBO stores. You’ll find nine wines that are available with Limited Time Discounts from $1 to $5 per bottle. In addition, there are 2 wines that offer bonus AirMiles.

• Exceptional-value wine  – 6 of 20 wines in this newsletter meet strict quality-price guidelines. The wines range from $12.95 (includes Limited Time Discount) to $34.95 and are found throughout the newsletter and easily identified via the value checkmark above. Strict guidelines? Click here.
• 95 points and over – two wines rang the ‘95 points and over’ bell in this newsletter – 2016 Lake Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon earned 95 points @ $34.95 found under California: Red Wine; 2016 Tenuta Sette Ponti ‘Oreno’ earned 95 points @ $86.95 found under Italy: Red Wine.
• Finding Waldo – the vast majority of grapes have green-ish/brown-ish coloured stems. Quite rare varieties have stalks that are red when the grapes ripen. One of those rare types is in this newsletter and given the price-quality ratio, is well worth purchasing.
• Vic Picks – 2016 Gérard Bertrand ‘Grand Terroir - Tautavel’ Grenache/Syrah/Carignan earned 90 points @ $19.95 found under France: Red Wine; 2016 Tenuta Sette Ponti ‘Oreno’ earned 95 points @ $86.95 found under Italy: Red Wine; 2017 Vineland Estates ‘Elevation’ St. Urban Vineyard Riesling earned 92 points @ $19.95 found under LCBO ‘Limited Time Offers’ and, of course, his exceptional-value wine reviews.

Vintages Release: August 17, 2019

Ontario: White Wine

91
Château des Charmes ‘Estate Bottled – Old Vines’ Riesling 2015

VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $18.95 (277228) 12.0% alcohol

Riesling lovers take note; sourced from vines approximately 20 years old, this is delicious and quite special. It offers classic, cool-climate, dry-riesling aromas of sharp citrus notes, gun-flint minerality and notions of petrol. There’s a bracing line of laser-like flavour streaking over the palate with tangy lime, passionfruit and saline mineral notes to the fore. This has time on its side to evolve, although you can easily drink now; try with pan-seared fish or mussels steamed in white wine and leeks. (Vic Harradine)

Ontario: Rosé Wine

89
Vineland Estates ‘The Memory - Game Changer’ 2018

VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 (498758) 12.5% alcohol

Aromas of strawberry and watermelon appear after a vigorous swirl. It coats the palate with a sweet-tinged creamy-smooth stream of bright red plum and lightly sugared strawberries supported by hints of tangy pie cherry and hints of rhubarb. This blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon and 25% cabernet franc delivers in spades. It’s good weight, nicely balanced and delivers from twist top to last drop. The finish is flavourful, crisp and refreshing. Pour with roast chicken, cold red pepper soup or pan-seared salmon. (Vic Harradine)

California: White Wine

89
Conundrum White 2016

California $21.95 (694653) 13.2%

The exact blend in this fun and refreshing wine is a closely held secret, but winemaker, Jon Bolta, claims that each vintage contains, at least, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscat canelli. The nose is dominated by aromas of lychee and peach and underpinned with a layer of minerality. It’s medium bodied on the palate with juicy flavours of apple and orange. It’s a great summer sipper. (Dave Isaacs)

California: Red Wine

95
Lake Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 

Sonoma County $34.95 [380188] 14.7% alcohol

Bright ruby shaded, this cabernet sauvignon with a splash of malbec presents with a lovely refreshing nose of purple plum, dark cherry, raspberry, violet, cedar and baking spice. This is a medium-full bodied red, matured 18 months in French oak barrels, delighting the palate with a cool flow of juicy plum, ripe blackberry, cassis and clove. Perfectly integrated alcohol with polished yet present tannin, this gem offers a long elegant spiced-fruit, dry, heartwarming finish. Pour now to 2022 alongside grilled lamb chops sprinkled with fresh mint. (Louise Boutin)

New Zealand: Rosé Wine

87
Oyster Bay Rosé 2018

Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19.95 (493171) 12.5% alcohol

This 100% gently crushed pinot noir was stainless-steel tank fermented with no malolactic conversion. It’s a medium-light bodied rosé with aromas of red cherry, strawberry and a lactic scent. On the palate, flavours of watermelon, pie cherry and cranberry pair-up to keep the acidity vibrant all the way to the fruity dry finish. This tangy patio sipper pours well with salted munchies. (Louise Boutin)

France: Red Wine

89
Château Plaisance 2006

AOC Bordeaux Supérieur $19.95 (404285) 13.0% alcohol

This is quite a treat. It shows its age in the opaque, brick-brown colour and the well-evolved aromas of old wood, dried fruit and jam. It’s wonderfully smooth on the palate with a great balance good acidity and delicious flavours of cherry and blueberry. There are still some tannins kicking around, but they’re smooth and refined. It’s not often a Bordeaux of this age, price, and quality is offered; it’s good value. Drink this soon, decanted an hour, to enjoy in its prime. (Dave Isaacs)

90
Gérard Bertrand ‘Grand Terroir - Tautavel’ Grenache/Syrah/Carignan 2016

AOP Côtes du Rousillon-Villages, Tautavel $19.95 (272575) 14.5% alcohol

This is very good value. Ripe, juicy dark bramble berry fruit, mixed spice and mocha aromas spill from this medium-full bodied, beautifully textured gem. Flavours of cassis, kirsch liqueur and red and black cherry interlace with hints of licorice, mineral notes, grilled herbs and excellent tang. This is dense and complex with good balance and lengthy finish and aftertaste. Pour with barbecued meats or hearty vegan cuisine. (Vic Harradine)

Italy: Red Wine

89
Valpanera Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2016

DOC Friuli, Aquileia, Italy $15.95 (10080) 12.5% alcohol

The price-quality balance here tips well in your favour. Smoky dark fruit, earthiness and dry herbs fill the air. This medium-bodied red’s grape variety, ‘refosco dal peduncolo’, is named because of its red stem; it’s grown primarily in Italy, with Friuli the preferred region, and also in Slovenia and Croatia. This is medium bodied with flavours of blackberry, tart cherry, cranberry and a savoury note emerging mid palate and persisting through the savoury, tart, drying finish. Aerate/decant one hour and pour with spaghetti and meatballs. (Louise Boutin)

95
Tenuta Sette Ponti ‘Oreno’ 2016

IGT Toscana $86.95 (735597) 15.0% alcohol

A most-affordable Super Tuscan, this vintage is worth every dollar. It’s a blend of 50% merlot/40% cabernet sauvignon/10% petit verdot. Purple-black hued, it wafts easily from the glass with aromas of baking spice, berry fruit and underbrush. A dense and intense, full-bodied river of sweet-tinged black fruit—raspberry, juicy cherry and currant—coats the palate underpinned by bold tannin and excellent acidity. The monumentally long aftertaste is a harbinger of what lies ahead—it requires careful cellaring now to 2023. (Vic Harradine)

LCBO ‘Limited Time Offers’

Regardless of vintage you purchase from the LCBO, you’ll receive the discount shown for each bottle of wine purchased from August 19 to September 15, 2019.

White Wine

• The following wine will be discounted $1.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below.

90
Flat Rock Cellars ‘Twisted - White’ 2017

VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 (1578) 11.0% alcohol

The price-quality balance tips well in your favour. Rosewater, mixed spice, green apple and lime aromas abound on the nose of this gorgeous riesling/gewürztraminer/chardonnay blend. It bathes the palate medium bodied, creamy textured with a flavour-packed mouthful of grilled pineapple, Key lime pie and lemon curd. Palate replays dominate the lingering dry and crisp, lip-smacking finish. Sip on its own or pour with an array of dishes—roast chicken, spicy Asian or white pizza and more. (Vic Harradine)

• The following four wines will be discounted $2.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below.

90
Francis Coppola ‘Diamond Collection Ivory Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon

California $24.95 (521021) 13.5% alcohol 

Wood smoke and toasty oak mingle with ripe dark fruit—mulberry, bramble berry and juicy cherry on the nose of this meaty, delectable California Cab. It’s full bodied and fully flavoured flaunting rich, concentrated and luscious flavours of spice-laden black Bing cherry and briary berry garnished with dark chocolate and cassis. The finish lingers with gorgeous replays, lip-smacking tang and a supple tannin base. (Vic Harradine) 

• The following 2018 Susana Balbo ‘Crios’ Torrontés is a Vintages Essentials wine… always available in select LCBO stores.

92  

Susana Balbo ‘Crios’ Torrontés 2018

Cafayate and Mendoza, Argentina $14.95 (1834) 14.0% alcohol

In a wine world awash with watery, sometimes bitter, Torrentés, this is an island of pure ambrosia. Honeysuckle and mixed spice aromas provide segue to a medium-bodied, nicely textured palate-bathing wash of ripe pear and honey drizzled pear that gives way to minerality and tang-infused lemon citrus providing a mouth-watering, crisp and refreshing finish and aftertaste. Pour with ceviche or pan-seared fish or grilled calamari. Just plain delicious. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2017 Vineland Estates St. Urban Vineyard ‘Elevation’ Riesling earns an exceptional-value checkmark during the limited time offer and is a relatively new Vintages Essentials wine; it’s always available in select LCBO stores.

92  

Vineland Estates ‘Elevation’ St. Urban Vineyard Riesling 2017

VQA Niagara Escarpment $19.95 (38117) 8.5% alcohol

Aromas of mandarin orange, honey-drizzled pit fruit and whiffs of fresh ginger abound on the nose of this flavourful, value-packed, iconic riesling that was sourced from some of the oldest riesling vines in Ontario. A bracing wash of tangy lime cordial and lemon curd bathe the palate persisting through the very lengthy, mouth-watering finish and aftertaste. It’s medium-bodied with good texture and pours well with baked ham dotted with cloves, or spaetzle with grilled or pan-fried bratwurst. (Vic Harradine)

• The following two wines will be discounted $3.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below. They also both earn an exceptional-value checkmark during the limited time offer.

90
Henry of Pelham ‘Estate’ Chardonnay 2016

VQA Short Hills Bench $21.95 (268342) 13.5% alcohol
This was barrel fermented and aged eight months in primarily French oak barrel. Toasty notes, baking spice and ripe apple aromas provide segue for a lively line of acidity and sweet tang interlaced with ripe orchard fruit, racy lemon and notions of flinty minerality. It’s nicely textured with good weight, depth and lengthy finish and aftertaste, Pour alongside pan-seared fish or supermarket rotisserie chicken with home-baked oven fries. (Vic Harradine)

89
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012 

Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19.95 (316570) 13.0% alcohol 

Lemon-lime citrus, grassy and pit fruit on the nose, this washes across the palate at full sail with tangy, juicy flavours of lemon drop candy, herbaceous notes and lip-smacking key lime pie flavours. Medium bodied with a silky mouth feel and consistently one of the most popular white wines in the Vintages Essentials line up. (Vic Harradine) 


Rosé Wine

• The following Three of Hearts Rosé wine will be discounted $2.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below. It also earns an exceptional-value checkmark during the limited time offer.

90  
Speck Brothers ‘Three of Hearts’ Rosé 2018
VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 (552562) 11.5% alcohol
This value-laden, gorgeous blend—88% Pinot Noir/12% Pinot Gris—offers up aromas of floral notes, red fruit and citrus. It bathes the palate with a medium-bodied juicy and tangy wash of freshly picked strawberry, mandarin orange and grilled, sugared pink grapefruit. It’s fresh on the palate and through the lingering finish and aftertaste. Lovely on its own, you can pour alongside pan-seared asparagus sprinkled with crumbled chèvre, or with grilled seafood. (Vic Harradine)

Red Wine

The following Wakefield Merlot will be discounted $1.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below. It also earns an exceptional-value checkmark during the limited time offer.

90
Wakefield Estate ‘Label’ Merlot 2017

Clare Valley, South Australia $19.95 (683201) 14.0% alcohol

This medium-full bodied red is aged in a mix of French and American oak barrels that have influenced aromas on the nose—baking spice and vanilla—underpinned by black cherry and blackberry fruit. It flows on the palate with flavours of ripe blackberry and dark chocolate lifted with tangy raspberry and an herbaceous note showing on the dry finish and aftertaste. Firm, fine-grained tannins add to the structure and cellaring potential. Aerate/decant two hours and enjoy now to 2022 with juicy, rare-grilled beefsteak. (Louise Boutin)

• The following Zenato Amarone will be discounted $5.00 per bottle purchased from the price shown below.

93
Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012

DOCG Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy $50.95 (413179) 16.5% alcohol

Wood smoke, cedar and bramble berry fruit aromas provide segue for a rich, luscious, hi-octane, though deftly balanced and simply delicious stream of ripe fruit and soft tang with dried dark fruit, black berry and dark plum front and centre along with support from spice, earthy notes and notions of ripe red cherry. This is medium-plus weight with good texture, structure and a lingering full-of-flavour finish and aftertaste. (Vic Harradine)

• You will receive 5 Bonus AirMiles for each bottle purchased of the following Sella and Mosca Cannoneau from August 18 to September 14, 2019.

89
Sella and Mosca Cannoneau Di Sardegna ‘Riserva’ 2012 
DOC Cannoneau Di Sardegna, Italy $17.95 (425488) 13.5% alcohol
This Cannoneau, a.k.a. Grenache or Garnacha, showers ripe fruit throughout along with good structure, intensity and balance. Aromas of anise, red berry fruit and wood smoke presage a steady wash of racy fruit flavour with red currant and pomegranate to the fore. It’s nicely balanced with a lengthy, dry finish layering on notions of dark coffee and spice. (Vic Harradine)

• You will receive 8 Bonus AirMiles for each bottle purchased of the following Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer from August 18 to September 14, 2019.

• The following Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer is a Vintages Essentials product always available in select LCBO retail stores.

91   
Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer 2018

AOC Alsace, France $17.95 (373373) 13.5% alcohol

A dominant and alluring aroma of rosewater provides segue to this spice-laden generously textured gem. It dazzles the palate with piquant spice carried on a medium-plus bodied river of off-dry palate flavours—lychee nut, lemon pie filling and grapefruit zest—that cleans up nicely on the mouth-watering finish and aftertaste. This is crisp and refreshing, making it a great dance partner for quiche Lorraine, pan-seared fish or baked ham. (Vic Harradine)

Cheers, Louise, Lisa, Dave, Vic