1.Remy Pannier Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 2013 Loire, +13821, $15: one of the good values at the LCBO, constantly the top-seller for Muscadet in Ontario. Clean, clear, crisp, refreshing flavours of green apples and lemon-lime, some minerality. Best with crustaceans and bivalves such as oysters rather than with lake fish, pairs well with salads and veggies. 12% ABV. Twist top. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
2.Remy Pannier Rose d'Anjou 2014 AOC Loire, +12641, $14: the top-selling LCBO rose, now firmly entrenched and fresher than ever with the recent release of the 2014 vintage. Grapes include cabernet franc (60%), grolleau (30%), and gamay (10%). Only 10.5%, so perfect for sitting around on the deck/pool/balcony/patio. The producer recommends serving with salads or spicy foods, but I would also serve it with any first course that could play off vinous red fruit tones. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
3.Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserva Maipo 2013, +309302, $12.90: carmenere could be the national grape of Chile, just as nebbiolo is of Piedmont and sangiovese is of Tuscany. Its brisk style has been muted a bit here with a North American appeal of plums, mocha, and black cherries, reminiscent of hotter California. Oak nuances and a smooth finish complete the scenario. An all-purpose red for sipping on decks or drinking with food. 13.5% ABV, twist top. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
4.G. Marquis Vineyards Chardonnay The Silver Line 2013 Single Vineyard Niagara Stone Road VQA NOTL, +258681, $17.95 Vintages October 2015: a nifty all-purpose chardonnay with enough fruit (apples, pears, melons) and oak tones (muted vanilla), probably best as a first course or entry level wine for fish. 13.4% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
5.G. Marquis Vineyards Pinot Noir The Silver Line 2013 Single Vineyard Niagara Stone Road VQA NOTL, +258673, $19.95 Vintages Essential: a "burgundian" companion to G. Marquis Chardonnay, hand-harvested, and vinified as cool climate style with a medium-body. More fruity than some, but with a diminished Ontario cranberry feel. 13.2% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
6.Le Cirque Classique Sauvignon Blanc-Muscat 2012 Vin De France, +377093, $11.95 LCBO: an appealing and affordable wine for the summer sippers on the patio/balcony/deck/boat. It's what we used to call a zipcode wine (the only regional info was a French zipcode: here, it is F84049). Expect oranges with an overtone of light herbs, sort of like an orange salad, which I love. Best with creamy cheeses on the deck. 12% ABV, twist top.
Quality/Price rating is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
7.Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2010, $20.95 (500 mL), +980805): Hungarian nectar, full of apricot, dried peach and orange peel. 13% ABV. Try with blue cheese as an ending to the meal. No price increase over the 2008, last here at Vintages in 2014. There will not be many of these left as new Euro rules raise minimum sugar levels and increase the puttonyos to 5 or 6, eliminating all the 3 and 4 levels. Prices will rise too, through $50 a bottle. Quality/price rating 91 points by Dean Tudor.
8.Faustino VII Blanco Rioja 2013, $12.65 +399568 LCBO: an extra-dry white, with many tones of apples and lemons, finishing crisp. Better as a first course white rather than a casual social sipper. 11.5% ABV. Cork closure. Quality/price rating 87 points by Dean Tudor.
9.Faustino VII Tempranillo Rioja 2012, $12.95 +315234 LCBO: some oak showing but definite tempranillo MVC Rioja complexity, even at this price level. Expect some vanilla and mocha tones with a whiff of forest floor. 13% ABV. Cork closure. Quality/price rating 88 points by Dean Tudor.
10.Portia Ebeia Roble Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2013, $15 +307710 LCBO: a nifty Ribera at an astounding price level. A good entry into the deep and delicious world of Spanish Duero wins. Oak spices, some cloves, raspberries, rustic but the lingering finish means it might be better with food than as a social sipper. Aged in oak 4 months. 13.5% ABV, cork closure. Quality/price rating 89 points by Dean Tudor.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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