NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING –

NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING  –

 

1.Gerard Bertrand Terroir Languedoc Red 2015 +413237 October Vintages, $16.95: the last vintage here was 2013. This is a re-order of the 2015: it's a blend of syrah and grenache, promising both black fruit and red fruit tones at an affordable price. Local garrigue is apparent, complemented by some fennel. Part of the wine is transferred over to 225-litre oak barrels where it is aged for roughly 10 months. 14% ABV. Good price. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

2.Henry of Pelham Riesling Estate 2018 VQA Short Hills Bench, +557165 Vintages, $19.95: intense riesling in a Rhine style of cool fermentation, with very off-dry palate but dry finish (good acid levels on the finish) – broad grapefruit and lemons on the mid-palate, sip (mainly) or food. 10.5% ABV, 17g/L RS, twist top, from HOP's oldest Estate vineyards (33+ year old riesling vines). Should also age well. Try with fish that live in water but die in wine. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

3.Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir Speck Family Reserve 2017 VQA Short Hills Bench, +657874 Vintages November, $34.95: this is an LCBO re-order of a 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 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

4.Cantina Valpantena Veneto Chardonnay IGP 2017 $13.95 Consignment Majestic Wine Cellars:  It's a definite antipasto or pre-prandial wine since it was light lemons with lively acidity, some tart apples, 12% ABV, and a longer finish than I was expecting. Quite pleasant. Under composition cork. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

5.Albino Armani 1607 Chardonnay Capitel 2017 Trentino DOC, $19.95 consignment Majestic Wine Cellars. From the Adige Valley region, it's a mellow, rounder wine with less acid (sweet apples) but a long honeyed finish in the mouth. Composition cork, and it too had sweet apples, limes and citrus, and a bright freshness from the stainless steel. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

6.Biscardo Oropasso Originale 2018 IGT Veneto $17.95 consignment from Majestic Wine Cellars: made from 60% garganega (basis of soave) and 40% chardonnay juice. No oak, just stainless steel for freshness. But a longer fermentation than usual, and five months on the lees. Results? An engaging floral, off-sweet bouquet leading to nuts and tropical fruits on the palate with citrus running in the background. A good seam of acidity through to the spicy finish. Best with food, but possible also as a sipper. A very nice riff on Soave. The company's series includes Rosapasso (pinot noir rose) and Neropasso (red), all trading off on the "oro-" gold usage. 13% ABV. Good value. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

7.Morgan Bay Cellars Chardonnay 2017 California appellation $17.95 Majestic Wine Cellars Consignment:  cork disc closure, well-rounded texture meant to appeal to the US palate. There were lemons and green apples, but also the softness and taste of a creamy caramel. But there is also enough finishing acid for a first course. Otherwise, sip away. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay 2016 Napa $25.95, Consignment from Majestic Wine Cellars: a soft wine full of orchard fruit (baked apple, pear), creamy, bright, some vanilla but a little toasted French oak (and lees) with spices. Aperitif or with seafood. 13.5% ABV. RS a meagre 0.1 g/L. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Jim Barry The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Coonawarra Terra Rossa South Australia, $19.95 +677476 Vintages October: it's been awhile since I've had an affordable dense cabby from Oz (since the days of Hill Smith?). This one's loaded with juicy cassis and black cherry notes. Some Bordeaux-like tones come into play (leafy tobacco, cedar box, anise, some herbaceousness. Near the finish there is a softness that may seem out-of-place, but the wine is now almost four years old. Coonawarra produces only 1.5% of Australian wine; the exceptional Terra Rossa section is but a small part of this tiny percentage. A winner all round. 14.3% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

11&12.Chateau des Charmes Atelier White 2017 VQA NOTL $14.95 LCBO +688499, and

Chateau des Charmes Atelier Red 2017 VQA NOTL $14.95 LCBO +688523, both also at winery and online: these two wines represent the latest blended wines from Chateau des Charmes

as Generation Seven Red and White came a decade ago. The white is unusual in that it's an Ontario version of the Alsatian Edelzwicker, with its Riesling-Gewurztraminer-Auxerrois blend of noble varieties. 1800 cases of social wine (parties, pre-prandials, first course food accompaniments) in the mainly popular riesling-gewurz style favoured by a lot of wineries world-wide. The red, to continue a French analogy, is Burgundy meets Bordeaux, with five different grapes: Gamay noir-Pinot noir-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc. 4000 cases of social wine or first course food accompaniments. Both wines are produced from the Chateau's own estates, and are light-bodied (no oak) and fruity (floral in the white, berries in the red), to accompany friends or simple foods as a social wine. 12% ABV for both. Both are also part of the Limited Time Offers running from the Sept 16 through Oct 13 period, reducing the price to $13.95 apiece. Quality/Price rating of both is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

13&14.Toro Bravo Tempranillo Merlot 2018 Valencia, $7.95 LCBO +635755, and Toro Bravo Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc 2018 La Mancha, $7.95 LCBO +10711: these are not the cheapest wines at the LCBO but they do appear to be the most reasonable. The trend in lower-end pricing or entry wines has always been to the bi-varietal spectrum, such as most of the wines from Latin America, especially the ones in magnums. This works in Europe too. Here we have a Tempranillo and Merlot mix from Valencia, where the blend neatly plays down any shortcomings and plumps up the softness and rich readiness of the lowered tannin finish. Fruity, best suited to red wine drinkers on the patio who like just red wine without any food. Sip or quaff. 13% ABV. The white (Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc) to my mind tastes better: more citrus and orchard stone fruit. It is nicely blended and can serve as a patio wine or aperitif or first course wine with light food, showing off a light minerality. 11.5% ABV. Both have a twist top, of course, and both are value wines. Quality/Price rating of the red Toro Bravo is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures. Quality/Price rating of the white Toro Bravo is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com