SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING REVIEWS THIS MONTH

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING REVIEWS THIS MONTH –

 

1.Vinha do Cais Ribeira Douro Reserva 2015 +523639 Vintages $13.95: a fine wine from the vineyards of Barao de Vilar in the hills of Douro Superior. The red blend contains tourigas nacional/franca/barroca and tinta roriz (the same grapes as in Port: winemaker Alvaro van Zeller is well-known for his award-winning Ports). The table wine is named after one of the top 31 streets in the world for walking (Conde Nast). It's a little dense right now (as most Douro table wines are) and needs to open up, despite three years in bottle: I did a double decant over four days and – bingo – great fruit, soft aromas, fat/fleshy/fresh/fruity flavours, at a marvelous price. 13% ABV. And as the price has not changed, an even greater value than the 2014. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

2.The Barry Bros Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Clare Valley +632059 $19.95 Vintages January: a new SCS blend, this one 65% shiraz and 35% cab sauvignon. A combo of cherry-berry red and black fruits served up with typical shiraz dusty spices. French oak is used, and shows in the tannin resolution at the finish. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

3.Champagne Taittinger Nocturne Sec NV +618389 $69.95 Vintages December: this wine has been at this price level for at least the past 5 years. The one at the LCBO is the Disco Ball design bottle. Champagne for the end of dinner with dessert or a savoury, or by itself socially for later in the evening (hence the name). Actually, a social Champagne for party goers. The blend is chardonnay 40%, pinot noir 35%, and pinot meunier 25%, from 30 different vineyards from various vintages, and cellared for 4 years before disgorgement. The end result is smooth and creamy, with a long flavourful off-dry ("Sec" - 17.5 g/L dosage) finish. So it lies somewhere between Extra-Sec and Demi-Sec categories, perhaps closer to the "extra" level. Absolutely delightful for New Year's Eve. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

4.Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blanc 2013 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +315200 Vintages December, $44.95: there is not much more to say about this wine that I haven't already said over the years – it's simply one of the top performing bottles of Traditional Method or secondary fermentation in the province. The price has not changed over the years, still $44.95 (going back a l-o-n-g time), but the grapevines are older and producing quality material. This is estate grown (Short Hills Bench) 100% chardonnay, the best juice selected for 20% barrel fermentation and then aged for up to 60 months in the bottle before being disgorged. Very close to champagne, with its elegance and smoothness plus citric overtones especially in the finish, and that typical yeasty baked goods aromatics. 12.5% ABV, a personal fave of mine. Needs another six months for the disgorgement addition to come together. The 2012 was a Gold Medal winner at 2017 All Canadian Wine Championships. 308 6-btl cases in a small lot production. Quality/Price rating is 93+ points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

5.Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2015 Mendoza, +128629, $19.95 Vintages March 2019: black fruit dominates this substantial wine. Made from older vines (many are 50 years old). Ageing in French and US oak barrels for 14 months, still needs time to resolve despite 4 years of age. 14.2% ABV, a hefty thick wine that dominates. Best for carnivores? You decide. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

6.Luigi Bosca Malbec Terroir Los Miradores 2014 Single Vineyard Valle de Uco Mendoza, +568899 Vintages, $32.95: Lately, we have seen many high priced Argentine malbec wines from single vineyards and with special handling in the Ontario marketplace, at about the $25 – 39 price range. Here is another one – 30% of this wine was aged in new French oak for 12 months with ML fermentation, rest in stainless steel tanks. Highly structured but with dark red fruit, dried figs, and mocha nuances, not light (14.3% ABV). Oak aging adds some toastiness and cedar tones. Could handle up to 15 years of aging. Needs food such as heavy red meat and game. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

7.Henry of Pelham Cabernet-Merlot Estate 2015 VQA Short Hills Bench, +395855 Vintages, $24.95: both cabernet franc (4%) and sauvignon (50%) are used in this Bordeaux-styled blend which comes across as a mid-Atlantic version of Cali/Bordeaux New World and Old World. It is still in its youth at 3 years of age, and it would be a shame to consume it this young. You could do what I did: open it and drink it over a couple of weeks, exposing it to air gently or speeding up the process by double-triple decanting. You will get several different wines out of one bottle over the course of time. Extended maceration in stainless, followed by French and US oak (40% new) for 18 months. Currently, you could match it with heavy meats. 13.5% ABV on label. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir Speck Family Reserve 2017 VQA Short Hills Bench, +657874 Vintages, $34.95: top of the line pinot noir from Ontario, fruit-forward with enough black/dark tones of cherry-berry capable of long cellar aging. The winery says Clones 667 on Block 100 were used for 250 cases. Tank fermentation with 10 months small European oak barrel aging, finishing as blended in an oak tank. Very, very food friendly. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

9.Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Les Aspres Syrah Mourvedre Grenache 2015 Cotes du Roussillon, +413245, $18.95 Vintages Nov: 14% ABV, GSM style all the way. One third of the wine is matured in barrels for 9 months and then blended with vatted wines. Jammy, upfront black fruit coupled with both mocha and subtle spice cake tones. Sip or with food. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Gerard Bertrand Reserve Speciale Viognier 2016 IGP Pays d'Oc, +147975, $14.95 Vintages January 2019: aromatic but on the dry side, perfect as a social wine or for first course. Expect peachy and orange character, but of course no oak. Youthful and useful with nuances of orchard fruit and spicy nuts. No malolactic fermentation. Could go either way with or without food, hence versatile. 13.5% ABV, cork closure. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

11.Quinta de Curvos Loureiro Vinho Verde 2017, +471284, $12.95 Vintages January 2019: 12% ABV, with lightly floral tones on the nose and on the palate, ending with aromatic softness. 100% Loureiro as a vinho verde. Best sipped or with Asiatic appetizers. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

12.Baron de Hoen Pinot Gris Reserve 2016 Alsace, +461657, $16.95 Vintages: stainless steel production, 12.5% ABV. Plenty of dried fruit tones, good body with some biscuits. Alsatian pinot gris is among the best of all pinot gris – and this one is at a concentrated, reserve level. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

13.Abeille-Fabre Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2015, +959627, $45.95 Vintages December: a bargain wine for its price (up only two bucks since the 2011 vintage), but still too young to consume unless you double-decant and drink it over a few days. Half of the wine was made in barrels, the other half in vats. A selection of the better barrels is made into a single blend after 18 months, and stored for four to six months before release. It will be well-aged after another 10 years. Of the 13 permitted varieties, grenache, syrah, and mourvedre are dominant, with cinsault, counoise, muscardin, and vaccarese added. Still tight but plenty of black fruits and spices. 14.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com