Saturday September 13, 2014 - Vintages Release Report
11 Sep 2014- Details
- Category: Vintages Releases
To print this report click here for the PDF version.
Key to the 5-star rating system:
5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good
Wine colour indicators - Red, Whites, etc.
The Foci … Ontario Wine (OW) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (VNM)
The Skinny … Ah, the annual release where the LCBO deems to shine their illustrious light on some Ontario wines – we should all be so happy and thankful that we genuflect to the big wigs at the board. Thank you LCBO, thank you from all the wineries of Ontario (do you read some sarcasm here???).
Australia …
Wits End 2012 Luna Shiraz ($18.95 - #311258) – not typical but with nice dark fruit with subtle smoky nuances. (*** ½+)
Canada (Ontario) … click on wine name for full review
13th Street 2012 Cabernet/Merlot ($19.95 - #56598) - *** ½+ (OW)
Angels Gate 2012 Mountainview Merlot ($18.95 - #299172) - **** (OW)
Chateau des Charmes 2012 Merlot ($29.95 - #453431) - **** (OW)
Colio 2013 Bricklayer’s Reward Big Pond Sauvignon Blanc ($15.95 - #391466) - *** ½ (OW)
Charles Baker 2011 Picone Vineyard Riesling ($35.20 - #241182) – **** (OW)
Coffin Ridge 2013 Bone Dry Riesling ($17.00 - #232744) – *** ½+ (OW)
Domaine Queylus 2011 Tradition Pinot Noir ($29.95 - #392738) - **** (OW)
Flat Rock Cellars 2013 Riesling ($16.95 - #43281) - ****+ (OW)
Lailey 2012 Syrah ($27.20 - #184523) - **** ½ (OW)
Norman Hardie 2012 County Unfiltered Pinot Noir ($39.00 - #125310) - **** (OW)
Rosehall Run 2011 Cuvee County Chardonnay ($21.95 - #132928) - *** ½+ (OW)
Southbrook 2012 Triomphe Cabernet Franc ($21.95 - #275958) - **** (OW)
Sprucewood Shores 2013 Hawk’s Flight Reserve Unoaked Chardonnay ($16.95 - #3911730) - *** ½+ (OW)
Tawse 2011 Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc ($31.95 - #130997) - ****+ (OW)
Thirty Bench 2012 Red ($24.00 - #320986) - **** ½ (OW)
Chile …
Chateau Los Boldos 2012 Vieilles Vignes Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.95 - #000661) – nice chocolate, cedar and smoked-blackberry. (*** ½+)
Ninquen 2011 Antu Chilean Mountain Vineyard Syrah ($17.95 - #675371) – the catalogue says the 2012 but we tried the 2011 at the early tasting: smoky, good dark fruit, meaty with hint of mint. (****)
France (Beaujolais) …
Chateau de Pierreux 2013 Brouilly ($18.95 - #005496) – rich of dark fruit with strawberry backing with nice tannins and hint of bitterness, taken away by a little chill. (*** ½+)
France (Bordeaux) …
Chateau Cissac 2010 ($29.95 - #324665) – coffee bean, vanilla, cassis and plum. (****)
Chateau de la Grave Caractere 2010 ($19.95 - #224683) – good value with cassis, smoked-plum, black cherry and a long finish. (****+)
France (Burgundy) …
Louis Jadot 2012 Pouilly-Fuisse ($35.95 - #732917) – oaks kicks in quite readily with caramel-apple core and peach. (*** ½+)
Mallory and Benjamin Talmard 2012 Macon-Uchizy ($16.95 - #733956) – pretty and full-flavoured with vanilla, pineapple and apple. (*** ½+)
France (Champagne) …
Gobillard & Fils Tradition Brut Champagne ($42.95 - #385807) – nice apple seed and pear notes with some breadiness, pleasant but with a little sweetness in the finish. (****)
France (Midi) …
Chateau Saint-Esteve 2011 Corbieres ($17.95 - #377218) – rich plum finish with cherry and smoky-vanilla notes. (****)
France (Rhone) …
Domaine Grandy 2012 Vacqueyras ($19.95 - #287532) – raspberry, strawberry with plum backing. (*** ½+)
Gabriel Meffre Laurus 2012 Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($18.95 - #376574) – there’s green apple and tropical fruit backed by an element of sweetness. (*** ½+)
Manus dei du Chateau Sixtine 2011 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($39.95 - #719120) – bold and spicy with lots of red and black fruit. (****+)
Germany …
Bischofliche Wienguter Trier Dom Riesling Kabinett 2011 ($18.95 - #378828) – nicely balanced acidity to sweetness ratio with a dry finish. (*** ½+)
Konigschaffhausen Steingruble Pinot Noir 2011 ($15.95 - #460410) – easy, gentle with lifted red fruit and hint of mineral. (*** ½+)
Studert-Prum 2012 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett ($20.95 - #160853) – good mineral, talc and nice white fruit. (*** ½+)
Italy (Puglia) …
Cantine Ferri 2008 Oblivio Nero di Troia ($19.95 - #380600) – big cherry aspect to this wine with raspberry and tannins. (*** ½+)
Italy (Tuscany) …
Castellani Filicheto 2010 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($19.95 - #184937) – floral, dried cherry and raspberry. (*** ½+) – VNM
Gattavecchi 2010 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($19.95 - #672642) – pretty good acidity, dried cherry and plum, and well-priced for a multiple purchase. (****) – VNM
Le Volte dell’Ornellaia 2012 ($29.95 - #964221) – nice balance of dark fruit, acidity, and smoke; great complexity and worth it. (****+)
Poliziano 2011 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($29.95 - #988055) – shows a real purity of fruit keeping the acid and blackberry, cassis and cocoa notes in balance. (****+) – VNM
Italy (Veneto) …
Masi 2009 Brolo Campofiorin Oro ($26.95 - #976092) – very smoky with tobacco and bitter chocolate, hints of tar and chewy tannins. (*** ½+)
Macedonia …
Stobi 2010 Vranac ($13.95 - #317297) – lots of deep dark fruit, a smooth palate; quite the drink now style of wine. (*** ½)
New Zealand …
Auntsfield 2013 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($20.95 - #663286) – nice citrus and pink grapefruit with touches of grass and floral. (****)
Portugal …
Offley 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($25.95 - #297788) – unexpectedly creamy but with lovely acidity to balance out that big hit of cherry. (****)
Quinta da Ponte 2012 Pedrinha ($16.95 - #219188) – lovely bit of raspberry and vanilla. (****)
South Africa …
Cederburg 2010 Shiraz ($24.95 - #374199) – still shows that typical South African aromas and flavours but it works here with good smoky, coffee and meaty notes. (****)
Fairview 2010 Extrano ($15.95 - #377234) – decent flavour of dark fruit with finish that hint at the road tar of South Africa maybe in another year or two it will vanish. (*** ½+)
Stellenrust 2011 Wild Yeast Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($17.95 - #382218) – unlike any other South African Chard I have tasted, there’s a finish here that’s quite delicate and interesting. (*** ½+)
Spain …
Luzon 2008 Seleccion 12 Meses Crianza ($17.95 - #310219) – smooth and sexy appeal with rich and dark fruit, vanilla and black cherry also good acidity and tannins. (****+)
Miguel Torres 2011 Ibericos Crianza ($16.95 - #381046) – nice smoky vanilla and blackberry. (*** ½+)
Muruve 2010 Crianza ($17.95 - #67546) – nice chocolate and black cherry. (*** ½+)
Villa Conchi Brut Seleccion Cava ($15.95 - #386979) – fresh, clean, bright and bready; good acidity on the finish – all at a nice price. (****)
United States (California) …
Kunde 2012 Chardonnay ($21.95 - #745406) – apple and vanilla lead the charge with decent acidity on the finish. (***½+)
La Crema 2012 Pinot Noir ($31.95 - #719435) – juicy of cranberry-cherry, raspberry and strawberry with a red berry-earthy finish. (****)
Lake Sonoma Winery 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($27.95 - #380188) – there’s a vanilla, chocolaty note within this wine that makes it so worth it. (****)
Toasted Head 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon ($20.95 - #686824) – pleasant black fruit with vanilla, cinnamon and toast oak, surprising huh? (*** ½+)
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In-Store Discoveries – wines that appear on the shelves of your local Vintages outlet …
Chateau Destieux 2010 ($71.85 - #259135) – France *** ½+
Domaine du Petit Metris 2009 Les Tetueres Coteaux de Layon-Chaume ($38.95 - #382952) - France ****
Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet 2010 ($62.85 - #258343) – France ****
If You Can Afford It – wines worth their high price …
Beaulieu Vineyard 2009 Georges de LaTour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($100.95 - #80218) - USA … ****+
Chateau Montelena 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon ($59.95 - #718452) - USA … *** ½+
Duckhorn 2011 Merlot ($59.95 - #992529) - USA … *** ½+
Izway Bruce 2010 Shiraz ($62.95 - #379164) – Australia … ****
Joseph Phelps 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon ($89.95 - #189795) – USA … ****
Pahlmeyer 2011 Proprietary Red ($160.95 - #329375) - USA … ****+
Villa I Cipressi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino ($51.95 - #214619) – Italy … ****+
What I’ll Be Lining Up For – September 13, 2014 …
Chateau de la Grave Caractere 2010 ($19.95 - #224683) – France
Luzon 2008 Seleccion 12 Meses Crianza ($17.95 - #310219) – Spain
Villa Conchi Brut Seleccion Cava ($15.95 - #386979) – Spain
Happy Shopping
