WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR OCTOBER 3, 2015
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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", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been 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. 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
Angels Gate Mountainview Chardonnay 2010 VQA Beamsville Niagara, +116384, $19.95: great value for a chardonnay while under $20 in price, 13.5% ABV, barrel fermentation, eight months in new and used French oak. Nicely aged to richness, "subtle" oak is now more strongly nuanced but the fruit remains vivid. Gold Medal winner. QPR: 91.
TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $25:
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1.Domaine Seguinot-Bordet Chablis 2014, +289371, $22.95. QPR: 89.
2.Doudeau-Leger Sancerre 2014, +426866, $21.95. QPR: 90.
3.Santa Alicia Gran Reserva de Los Andres Chardonnay 2013 Maipo, +406991, $18.95: delightfully fresh, but still needs time to open up. Very well-presented butterscotch with US oak component (coconut and toast). QPR: 89.
4.Chateau de l'Orangerie 2013 Entre-deux-Mers, +425520, $14.95: soft, not too zesty, just 85% sauvignon blanc. Sip or food. Gold medal winner. QPR: 89.
5.Gorgo San Michelin Custoza 2014 Veneto, +428045, $14.95: dry blend of four indigenous grapes really works, 12.5% ABV, fresh fruit on the nose. Sip or first course. QPR: 89.
6.Quinta da Murta White 2013 Bucelas Portugal, +380279, $14.95: another aromatic white with plenty of delicious fruit tones. It also comes with a finish suitable for food. 12.5% ABV. QPR: 89.
TOP VALUE RED WINES under $25:
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1.Henry of Pelham Reserve Baco Noir 2012 VQA Ontario, +461699, $24.95. QPR: 90.
2.Marques de Caceres Reserva 2009 Rioja, +702761, $24.95. QPR: 89.
3.Escorihuela Gascon 1884 Estate Grown Malbec 2013 Mendoza, +375444, $16.95: exceedingly great value, toasty mocha nose with red and black fruit in its plumminess. Cork closure. 14% ABV. QPR: 89.
4.Vina San Esteban In Situ Reserva Carmenere 2012 Aconcagua Valley, +37952, $15.95: deliciously herby, dense plums, mocha, balanced now but ready soon. 14.5% ABV. Gold Medal winner. QPR: 89.
5.Tabali Reserva Syrah 2012 Limari Valley, +662692, $14.95: intense syrah component, with blackberries and French oak tones, very Euro in style and feel. Good wine. QPR: 89.
6.Chateau de Lisennes Cuvee Tradition 2010 Bordeaux Superieur: very tasty, ready soon, good barrel aging showing (elevee en barrique), 12.5% ABV, 78% merlot/20% cabernet sauvignon/2% cabernet franc. Typical MVC for Bordeaux at a great price. QPR: 89.
7.Chateau Les Tourelles 2010 Bordeaux, +426247, $14.95: another typical MVC Bordeaux with black fruit all over it, cigar box (of course) in mute tones. 13% ABV. Gold Medal winner. Decent price. QPR: 89.
8.Rivera Cappellaccio Riserva Aglianico 2008 Castel de Monte Puglia, +305276, $17.95: a firm wine with good depth, lots of smoke and development, now 7 years old – enough to tame down the aglianico. Well-priced for a wine that has been in storage by somebody else. 13.5% ABV. QPR: 89.
9.Tommasi Graticcio Appassionato 2013 "Product of Italy", +338939, $15.95: air-dried concentrated grape flavours in the Amarone style are all the rage, and at this price level, you can get a decent copy, with value for its density. Who knows where the grapes are from, but they have been air-dried and Tommasi is a major company in the graticcio business. Some oak treatment, 13% ABV. If you want to know what all the excitement is about, you cannot go wrong with this tasting sample at $15.95. QPR: 89.
VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $25 RETAIL
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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.Nicolas Potel Montagny 1er Cru 2010, +127431, $28.95 retail.
2.Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2013 Mosel, +336396, $28.95
3.Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2010 VQA Short Hills Bench Niagara, +616433, $39.95.
4.Vineland Estates Kevin O'Leary Trevor Family Reserve Red 2012 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +421347, $29.
5.Pahlmeyer Merlot 2012 Napa, +978023, $133.95. This month's $10 mark-up special!
6.Dobbes Family Estate Grande Assemblage Cuvee Pinot Noir 2012 Willamette Valley, +70565, $42.95.
7.Chateau Tourbadon 2008 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, +425470, $27.95.
8.Vieux Chateau Gachet 2000 Lalande-de-Pomerol, +191023, $29.95.
9.Roche Costamagna Rocche dell'Annunziata Barolo 2010, +413484, $44.95.
10.Tenuta San Vincenti Gran Selezione Chianti Classico 2011, +414417, $54.95.
11.Baron de Ley Gran Reserva 2008 Rioja, +642496, $29.95.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
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.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
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.
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
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.
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