Saturday July 21, 2018 - Vintages Release Report

19 Jul 2018

 

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 … Grill Factor (GF) & Lodi Lowdown (LL)
The Skinny … There are some great Lodi wines being released, which is surprising because the spotlight is usually a real hodge-podge mess of wines, like the Grill Factor wines are. If you’re a summer wine fan there is a delicious South Africa rosé available for not a lot of dough and a sparkling from Burgundy that you have to be careful when buying, but if you get the right size you’ve got a gorgeous wine. Below is the entire list of my selections for this release.

Argentina …
D.V. Catena 2015 Historic Red Blend ($19.95 - #555466) – blackberry, black cherry with a smoky finish with a hint of chocolate.  (*** ½)
De Potrero 2016 Reserva Malbec ($23.95 - #555714) – cherry, pepper and earthy notes with a touch of floral.  (*** ½)
Toso Brut Chardonnay Sparkling ($17.95 - #570390) – fun biscuit note with apple and lemon curd.  (***+)

Australia …
Jim Jim 2015 The Down-Underdog Shiraz ($16.95 - #682005) – good value with mocha, cherry, chocolate and spice.  (*** ½)
Penny’s Hill 2015 Cracking Black Shiraz ($22.95 - #396473) – cracked black pepper, smoke, licorice, leather and black cherry.  (****)

Canada (British Columbia) …
Mission Hill 2015 Reserve Merlot ($29.95 - #553313) – best of this wine in a while: smoky and spicy but also juicy black fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and floral; complex and lively.  (****+)  
Canada (Ontario) … click on wine name for full review
13th Street 2016 Gamay ($19.95 - #177824) - *** ½
2027 Cellars 2016 Edgerock Vineyard Pinot Noir ($24.95 - #561035) - ****+
Cave Spring 2016 Estate Bottled Chardonnay Musque ($17.95 - #246579) - **** … GF
Creekside 2017 Rosé ($15.95 - #048819) - *** ½+
Redstone 2016 Limestone Vineyard South Riesling ($19.95 - #381251) - ****
Rosewood 2016 Sussreserve Riesling ($15.95 - #258806) - ***+ … GF
Trius Brut Rosé ($32.95 - #184309) - ****+

Chile …
Apaltagua 2015 Envero Gran Reserva Carmenere ($18.95 - #481010) – vanilla and spice with cherry, cassis and sweet cedar.  (***+) … GF
Arboleda 2015 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.95 - #606764) – smoky, toasty with blackberry fruit.  (***+)

France (Alsace) …
Hunawihr Kuhlmann-Platz 2016 Vieilles Vignes Gewurztraminer ($19.95 - #169474) – sweet, soapy and floral.  (***)
France (Bordeaux) …
Chateau Loumelot 2015 Cuvee JJ Lesgourgues ($16.95 - #550293) – smoky, oaky, savoury and cocoa.  (*** ½)\
Chateau Tourans 2014 ($34.95 - #550459) – smooth and supple with coffee, baking spice, leather, tobacco and hints of dark fruit.  (*** ½+) … GF
France (Burgundy) …
Bailly LaPierre Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne ($19.95 - #991562) – this also comes in a half bottle, Do Not Get That One; the big bottle is the bomb though, good acidity, biscuit, apple, toasty, fresh and lively with mineral and lemon and lime.  (****+) … GF
Moillard 2015 Cuvee Prestige Rully ($28.95 - #556407) – cherry, vanilla, cranberry, floral and herbal; nice complexity and depth.  (****+)
France (Loire) …
Genetin 2015 Pouilly-Fume ($28.95 - #653154) – pretty floral, peach and orange notes.  (*** ½)
France (Rhone) …
Halos de Jupiter 2016 Cotes du Rhone ($17.95 - #276956) – plum, blackberry, black cherry with some subtle smoke and licorice on the finish.  (****)
Pierre Amadieu 2015 Les Hautes Rives Cairanne ($19.95 - #539890) – flavourful with chard-plum, pepper and boysenberry.  (*** ½+)

Italy (Campania) …
Claudio Quarta Sanpaolo 2016 Fiano ($14.95 - #562231) – light and crisp with lemon, lime and grapefruit notes.  (*** ½+)
Italy (Piedmont) …
FontanaFredda 2016 Gavi di Gavi ($18.95 - #366948) – yellow plum, white peach, citrus and floral.  (*** ½)
Italy (Puglia) …
Il Bruno dei Vespa 2016 Primitivo ($16.95 - #570065) – sweet vanilla, very American in style: juicy with plum and black cherry.  (***+) … GF
Italy (Tuscany) …
San Claudio 2013 Il Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($27.95 - #541292) – earthy, sour cherry, licorice and clove.  (*** ½)
Italy (Veneto) …
Scaranto 2015 Ripasso della Valpolicella ($16.95 - #556761) – shows a softness and elegance with savoury and spicy exterior.  (*** ½+)

New Zealand …
Pencarrow 2016 Pinot Noir ($24.95 - #692301) – smoky, floral, spiced-cherry, vanilla-cedar, earthy and juicy.  (****+)

Portugal …
Porca de Murca 2014 Reserva Tinto ($18.95 - #684753) – blackberry, black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla and mocha.  (*** ½+) … GF

South Africa …
Ken Forrester 2017 Petit Rosé ($12.95 - #553040) – gentle and easy with raspberry and orange flavours all at a great price.  (*** ½+)
Rustenberg 2017 Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc ($14.95 - #456020) – tropical, melon and peach; very summery.  (*** ½)

United States (California) …
Ironstone 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.95 - #537597) – juicy to the core with blue and red fruit.  (*** ½) … LL
Ivory & Burt 2015 Zinfandel ($19.95 - #479303) – sweet juicy core with lots of cola and cherry, vanilla and baking spice.  (*** ½) … LL
Klinker Brick 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.95 - #575464) – lovely Cabernet with lots of red and black cherry and plum.  (*** ½+) … LL
Klinker Brick 2014 Farrah Syrah ($31.95 - #575472) - white pepper, black cherry, cassis, with a meaty character, good acidity, black licorice, hint of cedar and floral.  (****+) … LL
Lange Twins 2015 Old Vine Zinfandel ($24.95 - #575480) – less sweet than most and more savoury but still with a juicy middle.  (*** ½+) … LL
Michael David 2015 Petite Petit ($28.95 - #213017) – fun little wine with a smoky-vanilla, blueberry, blackberry with a plush finish.  (*** ½) … LL
United States (Washington) …
Milbrandt 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.95 - #551481) – cherry and tea flavours; pleasant and polished.  (*** ½)
________________________________________

In-Store Discoveries:  wines that appear at selected Vintages outlets …
Bremerton 2015 Batonnage Shiraz/Malbec, Australia ($34.95 - #558684) - ****
Casasmith 2016 Cinghiale Sangiovese, Washington ($34.95 - #575423) - ****+
Denis Pere et Fils 2015 Pernaud-Vergelesses, Burgundy ($44.95 - #559906) - *** ½+
Louis Roederer Premier Brut Champagne, France ($39.95 - #093054) - **** ½
M. Chapoutier 2015 Deschants Saint-Joseph, Rhone ($33.95 - #728501) - ****


If You Can Afford It:  wines worth their high price …
Caymus 2014 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($199.95 - #711663) - **** ½
Chateau la Nerthe 2014 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France ($54.95 - #735407) - ****
Collosorbo 2012 Brunello di Montalcino, Italy ($59.95 - #408492) - ****


Best Values in this Release (July 21, 2018) …
Bailly LaPierre Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne ($19.95 - #991562) – France
Ken Forrester 2017 Petit Rosé ($12.95 - #553040) – South Africa

Happy Shopping

 

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