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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR APRIL 28, 2012

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR APRIL 28, 2012
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By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com.
Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at
http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com. My Internet compendium
"Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net" is a guide to thousands of news
items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, at
www.deantudor.com since 1994. My tastings are based on MVC (Modal
Varietal Character); ratings are QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). Prices
are LCBO retail. Only my top rated wines are here. NOTE: The LCBO does
NOT put out all of the wines of the release for wine writers or product
consultants. Corked wines are not normally available for a re-tasting.
 
TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $20 or so.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1.Flat Rock Cellars Riesling 2010 VQA Twenty Mile Bench Niagara:
sipper, off-dry, but enough finishing acid for first course foods.
10.5% ABV. +43281, $16.95, QPR: 89.
2.Malivoire Riesling 2010 VQA Niagara: very good, true to MVC, dry
mode, traditional. +277483, $15.95, QPR: 90.
3.Calina Chardonnay 2010 Aconcagua Valley Chile: buttery and rich,
modest finish, better as sipper. 13.5% ABV. +640912, $14.95, QPR: 89.
4.Lawson's Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 2009 Marlborough: gorgeous
interpretation of New World Gewurz, great MVC with finishing
bitterness. +60129, $17.95, QPR: 91.
5.Willy Gisselbrecht Tradition Riesling 2010 Alsace: another great
Riesling food wine, orchard drops and minerals, 12% ABV. +169011,
$15.95, QPR: 90.
6.Chateau de Navarro Blanc 2010 Graves: ab fab price, zest but fruity
enough for sipping. Typical Graves minerality and earth. +264739,
$14.95, QPR: 90.
7.Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Vins de Pays du
Jardin de la France: basic entry level wine from a master, very zesty,
good price, 12.5% ABV.
8.Vinea Garganega 2010 IGT Veronese: half of this is briefly wood aged,
13% ABV. Quality character, some slight creaminess.
 
TOP VALUE RED WINES under $20 or so.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1.Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red 2010 California: good wine for a wine
tasting ringer. BBQ all the way, something for everybody. 13.5% ABV.
+665158, $17.95, QPR: 90.
2.Los Haroldos Reserva de Familia Malbec 2008 Mendoza: plummy soft
fruit, some mocha tones, BBQ, North American appeal, finishes with
toasted oak. +269068, $14.95, QPR: 89.
3.Niquen Antu Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere 2010 Colchagua Valley Chile:
another full-flavoured exception BBQ wine, 14% ABV. +59329, $16.95,
QPR: 89.
4.Escapade Southern Cross Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 WO Bottelary-
Stellenbosch: full body, black fruit, long finish, BBQ, maturing nicely
now (5 years old). +26721, $17.95, QPR: 92.
5.Domaine de Rochebin Clos St. Germain Vieilles Vignes Bourgogne 2009:
overripe red fruit, good for North American market, good depth, 12.5%
ABV. +264549, $17.5, QPR: 89.
6.Chateau des Aladeres Corbieres 2008: black fruit, depth, some caramel
from toasty wood, BBQ, 3.5 years old already, 14.5% ABV. +276063,
$16.95, QPR: 90.
7.Canonica a Ceretto Chianti Classico Riserva 2007: wood aging shows
vale. +275867, $17, QPR: 89.
8.Stefano Accordini Acinatico Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore
2009: "Ripasso of the Month", +85159, $19.95, PR: 89.
9.Bodegas Olarra Anares Reserva 2005 Rioja: exacting quality of the
basics (Tempranillo, US oak, traditional style), yet 13.5% ABV and
under $20. There's value here. +244723, $17.95, QPR: 90.
 
VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $20
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Restaurants should consider offering these FINE VALUE wines at a $10
markup over retail; the wines are READY to enjoy right NOW. Consumers
should buy these wines to bring to restaurants with corkage programs.
 
1.Le Clos Jordanne Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 Twenty
Mile bench VQA Niagara, +33910, $40 retail.
2.Cuvaison Chardonnay 2009 Carneros Napa Valley, +988261, $29.95.
3.Two Rivers of Marlborough Convergence Sauvignon Blanc 2011, +277707,
$29.95.
3.Domaine Bachey-Legros Vieilles Vignes Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot
1er Cru 2009, +268508, $53.95.
4.Summers Andriana's Cuvee 2007 Knights Valley Napa, +275719, $26.95.
5.Chateau des Moines 2009 Lalande de Pomerol, +206789 $21.95.
6.Marziano Abbona Terlo Ravera Barolo 2006, +67918, $42.95.
7.Brancaia Tre 2009 IGT Toscana, +164715, $22.95.
8.Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2008, +356220, $49.95.
 
Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.
Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com

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