WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JULY 8, 2023 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JULY 8, 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 https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor 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 https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor 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).

MAJOR THEME: ONLINE AND FLAGSHIP STORE AVAILABILITY ONLY [no printed magazine catalogue] ~50 wines in total

Wines Under $20
=========
W+415604 Kew Vineyards Fume Blanc 2020 VQA, $20.95 [my artistic license] MVC/QPR: 90.
W+471300 Nortico Alvarinho 2021 Portugal, $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.

Wines Over $20
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W+33161 Lantides Abyss Assyrtiko 2020 Greece, $36.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+241182 Charels Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling 2020 VQA, $44.95 MVC/QPR: 92.
W+22776 Domaine Yvon&Laurent Vocoret Fourchaume Chablis 1erCru 2021, $52.95 MVC/QPR:89.
W+485102 Planeta Chardonnay 2021 Sicily, $54.95 MVC/QPR: 90.
W+458158 Rex Hill Seven Soils Chardonnay 2019 Oregon, $39.95 MVC/QPR: 90.
R+275735 Rex Hill Pinot Noir 2019 Oregon, $45.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+541136 Montes Outer Limits CGM 2021 Chile, $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+31184 Quinta do Pinto Reserva Touriga Nacional 2017 Portugal, $28.95 MVC/QPR: 89.

LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday July 16

W+35386 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, now $19.95, save $3.
W+326728 Oyster Bay Chardonnay New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3.
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend VQA, now $19.95, save $3.
R+597237 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 2019, now $24.45, save $3.50.
R+50203 Beronia Reserva Rioja, now $19.95, save $3.
R+322586 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Chile, now $18.95, save $3.
Splurge+95910 Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella, now $39.95, save $3.
Fizz+147504 13th Street Cuvee Brut Sparkling Rose Trad Method VQA, now $28.95, save $3.

** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past While ---

The Date and Time: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 12PM – 3:30 PM
The Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
The Venue: George
The Target Audience: wine trade, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: Four wineries presented their wines that were available in Ontario – Estate Argyros, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines and Santo Wines.
The Quote/Background: This was a walk around tasting concerned with the wines of PDO Santorini Greece. It was a great chance to explore the wine labels of a small slice of Greece. Both the still wines of assyrtiko grapes and vinsanto were poured.
The Wines: There were 14 wines in all (including four vinsanto)

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Monsignori 2020, 14.5%
-Gaia Thalassitis 2021, 13.8% $42
-Assyrtiko by Gaia Wild Ferment 2021, 14%, $50
-Gaia Nykteri 2020, 14%
-Santo Nykteri 2021, 14.1%, $43
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2021, 14.5%, $67.98

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14.4%
-Santo Santorini Assyrtiko 2022, 13.2%
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini AA 2022, 13.4%, $34.95
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini 2022, 14.5%, $53.95

VINSANTO –
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2015, 13.1%, $79.95 Rated: 92 pts.
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2002, 13.28%, $150 Rated: 93 pts.
-Gaia Vinsanto 2012, 10.9% Rated: 90 pts.
-Santo Vinsanto 2016, 11.2% $37 Rated: 89 pts.

The Food: George produced some delicious bites from PDO Santorini food products, including PDO Santorini fava bean, PDO Santorini tomato fondant with goat cheese, potato wrapped tuna, shrimp tempura, lemon thyme pettole, chicken satay, heirloom carrot and potato, oysters and lemons, chocolate beignets, tartlet of nuts and dried fruit.
The Downside: I had just come from a huge Australian wine marketing trade show.
The Upside: a chance to focus on the Santorini wines
The Contact Person: contact@johnszabo.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93






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