WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: for the May 13, 2023 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: for the May 13, 2023 release.

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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 http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

These notes for good wines available through LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis) can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca or at http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on for some time. HOWEVER, the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.

** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Month or so ---

LOIRE VALLEY WINES TORONTO!

The Date and Time: Tuesday March 28 2PM - 6PM
The Event: A tasting of some 40 wines from the Loire Valley
The Venue: Second Floor Events, King Street West
The Target Audience: wine trade and wine press
The Availability/Catalogue: the catalogue was available online
The Quote/Background: there were ten principals/wineries, and some were looking for representation in Ontario. Some had agents pouring, some wines were available in Quebec only, at the SAQ. Loire wines are almost a semi-rarity in Ontario. There is the popular Muscadet, the sauvignon blancs of Touraine, the chenin blancs and roses of Anjou, the occasional Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay, plus Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. We did not see many high end wines today.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines, but there were about 40+ wines available.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Amirault Saint-Nicolas De Bourgueil Les Quarterons Rouge 2020 +28249 $36.95 French Wine Destination Store in Ottawa
-Amirault Saint-Nicolas De Bourgueil Les Gravilices 2019 +28250 $36.35 French Wine Destination Store in Ottawa
-Lacheteau Sauvignon Blanc Haut Poitou Les Cimes +10632 $17.95 2022
-Lacheteau Muscadet Chateau de Cleray 2022
-Domaine des Tilleuls Essentielle Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie 2021 SAQ 13589133 $20.50
-Château Soucherie Savennières Blanc Clos des Perrières 2020 SAQ 13591102 $47.75
-Château Soucherie Anjou Blanc Ivoire 2022 SAQ 14221576 $25
-Famille Bougrier Confidences Vouvray Sec AOP 2021 +28239 $20.45
-Bernard Fouquet Vouvray Brut Methode Traditional NV
-La Seigneurie Saumur Fines Bulles Brut Zero 2016
-Famille Bougrier Domaine Guenault 1885 Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2022

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Lacheteau Cabernet Franc Montagueret
-Lecheteau Muscadet Heritage de Cleray 2022
-Bernard Fouquet Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Cuvée Silex Sec 2021
-Bernard Fouquet Bonnes Blanches Sec Chenin Blanc Anjou 2020
-Lionel Gosseaume Les Sauterelles Touraine Sauvignon 2022
-La Seigneurie Saumur Blanc Les Pentes 2021
-La Seigneurie Saumur Mademoiselle La Seigneurie 2022 Rose
-Domaine Des Tilleuls Sauvignon Blanc La Petite Chapelle 2022
-Domaine Des Tilleuls Chardonnay La Petite Chapelle 2022
-Chateau Soucherie Rose Pivoine 2022
-Famille Bougrier Rose d'Anjou 2022
-Famille Bougrier Vouvray Chenin Blanc Doulce 2021 +253229 $19.05
-Famille Bougrier Confidences Menetou Salon 2020 +313576 $24.10

The Food: there were servers with platters of onion custard tarts and mushroom tarts. There was a cheese platter with brie, Avonlea cheddar, Balsamic onion cheddar, Fontina, and Beemster [best cheese]. Meats included chicken liver mousse, Sacy pork sausage, and Serano ham. There were excellent fresh blackberries on the plates.
The Downside: there was very little information since the catalogue was online; my request for a PDF was stalled and it arrived at the end of April (hence, the lateness of this review)
The Upside: The chance to be at a regional wine tasting.
The Contact Person: info@loirevalleywine.com or https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/en
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 84.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday May 21...

[white] +43281 Flat Rock Riesling VQA save $2, LTO price $17.95
[white] +711556 Wakefield Estate Chardonnay Padthaway South Australia save $2, LTO price $15.95
[red] +30163 Cesari Bosan Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore save $4, LTO price $29.95
[red] +681643 Chateau Argadens Bordeaux Superieur save $3, LTO price $16.95
[red] +226944 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon save $3, LTO price $26.95
[red] +59311 Seven Deadly Zins Old Vines Zinfandel Lodi save $3, LTO price $21.95
[red] +419770 C. Smith Wines of Substance Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State save $3, LTO price $21.95.
[splurge] +996405 Stag's Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa save $5, LTO price $66.95
[fizz] +12619 Vilmart Grand Reserve 1er Cru Champagne save $5, LTO price $68.95

MAJOR THEME: Order through LCBO.COM ONLINE and/or one of the Ten Flagship Stores

Wines Under $20
=========
W+485334 Kew Marsanne 2019 VQA Beamville Bench Niagara $19.95 MVC/QPR: 90
W+32811 Rockway Pinot Gris 2021 VQA Lincoln Lakeshore Niagara $20 MVC/QPR: 89

Wines Over $20
=========
W+298240 Meyer Family McLean Creek Road Chardonnay 2021 BC VQA Okanagan Valley $47.95
MVC/QPR: 89.
W+667758 Roger et Didier Raimbault Vieilles Vignes Sancerre 2018 AC Loire $43.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+21463 Blomidon Cuvee L'Acadie Brut Sparkling Traditional Method Annapolis Valley NS $43.95 MVC/QPR: 91



Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures