WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

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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 LCBO 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.

 

NOTE: It is getting more difficult to endorse wines under $20 for the simple reason that the LCBO does not release many of them into the Vintages program, ones that can be deemed to be worthy of your consideration. So I will now just ADD some "under $25" suggestions, along with point values.

 

====?>>> ** BEST WINE VALUE OF THE RELEASE *UNDER* $20

 

Henry of Pelham Estate Riesling 2012 VQA Short Hills Bench Niagara, +557165, $17.95: quite a blazing riesling with intense pleasure, twist top, 11.5% ABV. Much like Rhine, off-dry finish of course, sip or food. QPR: 90.

 

 

TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $25:

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1.Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2012 VQA Okanagan, +377770, $21.95, QPR: 90.

2.Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Estate Chardonnay 2012 VQA NOTL, +287268, $21.95, QPR: 91.

3.Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2012 Casablanca, +738393, $22.95, QPR: 90.

4.Whitehaven Greg Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Marlborough, +325944, $24.95. QPR: 90.

5.Perrin & Fils Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2013, +499509, $14.95: excellent value recognition for restaurants, fruity, dry stone fruit finish, begs for food. QPR: 89.

6.Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Marlborough, +2144460, $18.95: softer vanilla  expression of savvy because of some BF in used French oak (but not Fume Blanc style), 13.5% ABV, twist top. QPR: 89.

7.Bestheim Reserve Pinot Gris 2012 Alsace, +315143, $15.95: good body, off-sweet, complex in a floral sense, nice crisp finish, serve not too cold. Gold Medalist. QPR: 89.

8.Monmousseau Clos Le Vigneau Vouvray 2012, +318840, $19.95: off-dry, complex finish with great body of chenin blanc fruit – without the sweetness. 12.5% ABV, twist top. QPR: 89.

 

TOP VALUE RED WINES under $25:

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1.Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2010, +295964, $24.95. QPR: 90.

2.Balbas Reserva 2001 DO Ribera del Duero, +85183, $20.95. QPR: 91.

3.Rancourt Meritage 2009 VQA Niagara, +394106, $20: excellent production of a bordeaux-styled blend, 13% ABV, cork closure. QPR: 89.

4.Chateau Vrai Caillou 2009 Bordeaux Superieur, +348292, $15.95: I tasted this bottle 5 hours after it had been opened and the contents aerated by others as they poured an ounce or so for tasting. It had promising value at such a price level, so you will need to decant it and let it breathe for a while. 13% ABV. QPR: 89.

5.Luigi Righetti Campolieti Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2012, +695890, $17.95: perhaps the LCBO ripasso of the month...QPR: 89.

6.Leite de Faria Animus 2012 Douro, +385302, $13.95: delicious fruit-driven wine with Rhone-like complexity, priced to go. 13.5% ABV. QPR: 89.

7.Quinta de Pancas Seleccao do Enologo 2010 Lisboa, +380931, $18.95: lots of activity going on here, being under French oak for 12 months and 13.5% ABV. A very good organic wine, with touriga nacional, merlot, cab sauv, and alicante bouschet. QPR: 89.

8.Peter Bright Terra d'Alter Reserva 2011 Vinhos Regional Alentejano, +266916, $17.95: decent wood aged wine (22 months in barrel) and 15% wallop ABV. QPR: 89.

 

VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $25

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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.Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Marlborough, +304469, $31.95 retail. QPR: 91.

2.Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2010, +512384, $29.95. QPR: 90.

3.Bouchard Pere & Fils Montagny 1er Cru 2011, +653683, $29.95. QPR: 90.

4.Jean-Marc Brocard Vau de Vay Chablis 1er Cru 2012, +159012, $29.95. QPR: 91.

5.Versado Malbec 2013 Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza, +317008, $25.95. QPR: 91.

6.Holm Oak Pinot Noir 2012 Tasmania, +376863, $28.95. QPR: 91.

7.Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2012 Clare Vally, +998476, $26.95. QPR: 90.

8.Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2012 WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valey Walker Bay South Africa, +999516, $44.95. QPR: 91.

9.Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 WO Stellenbosch, +283390, $29.95. QPR: 91.

10.Chateau Fonreaud 2010 Listrac-Medoc, +243311, $30.95. QPR: 90.

11.Domaine Jean Deydier & Fils Les Clefs d'Or Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010 Vieilles Vignes, +384370, $44.95. QPR: 91.

12.San Biagio Barolo 2009, +378000, $36.95. QPR: 90.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com