WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for NOVEMBER 16, 2024 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 better or best 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 – my 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).
I was one of the first to jump on the Robert Parker bandwagon, using numerical indications for my scores in the early 1980s. Why? Because with a database I could rate, rank and order wines in any fashion. It was just so convenient using databases. Unfortunately, the numerical system has been shown to be disgraced by overuse and "inflated numbers"; thus I have quit any ranking by number. From now on, it will just be GOOD, BETTER and BEST, which will give me some wiggle room (e.g. is this wine an 87, 88, 89, or 90? Or all of them...depends on my mood and time of day). With the rigorous standards and lab testing by the LCBO, I can safely say that every single wine at the LCBO is at least GOOD, which I would numerically rank at 75-85 points. For reasons of time and space, I will NOT be listing the GOOD wines. Just the BETTER (86-89) and the BEST (90+ ) wines. This spread of points will relate to SILVER and GOLD medals, with GOOD being BRONZE. This also fits into my scheme for trade tastings.
MVC/QPR=BETTER (86-89)=my basic recommendation
MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )=superior wine
MAJOR THEME: Top wines for Gifting and Entertaining
Ontario Icewines AND Greek wine
~130 wines are released today [there are many wines at the $18.95 and $19.95 level]
Recommended Wines UNDER $20
=========================
FIZZ+23545 VILLA SANDI IL FRESCO MILLESIMATO BRUT ROSÉ PROSECCO 2023 $18.95
W+196956 JOSEPH CATTIN PINOT GRIS ALSACE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+485656 M. CHAPOUTIER BILA-HAUT CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON BLANC MIDI 2022 $16.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+527622 ZACCAGNINI TRALCETTO PINOT GRIGIO ABRUZZO 2023 $17.95
W+408146 MARIA PAPOILA LOUREIRO/ALVARINHO PORTUGAL 2023 $18.95
R+39835 FARM TO TABLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON AUSTRALIA 2020 $19.95
R+38501 MONTEVIEJO FESTIVO MALBEC 2022 ARGENTINA $18.95
R+606764 ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 CHILE $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+994616 TERRA D'ALIGI TATONE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2021 $17.95
Recommended Wines OVER $20
========================
FIZZ+167486 DEUTZ CLASSIC BRUT CHAMPAGNE $82.95
FIZZ+37482 THORN-CLARKE PINOT NOIR/CHARDONNAY SPARKLING AUSTRALIA $24.95
FIZZ+37122 MONTES ANGEL ZAPALLAR VINEYARD BRUT SPARKLING CHILE $26.95
W+172338 SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC CHARDONNAY 2020 VQA $26.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+424507 WESTCOTT ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2022 $29.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+10489 CHARTRON ET TRÉBUCHET POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2022 $49
W+40325 DOMAINE FOURNIER LES BELLES VIGNES SANCERRE BLANC LOIRE 2023 $38.95
W+33260 PAPAGIANNAKOS ASSYRTIKO GREECE 2022 $26.95
W+361220 PADDY BORTHWICK SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2023 $23.95
W+22851 LOVEBLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2022$ 29.95
R+977843 ALVARO PALACIOS VELLES VINYES LES TERRASSES SPAIN 2021 $58.95
R+41732 BACHELDER HANCK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2021 $55 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+184564 LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS PINOT NOIR VQA 2020 $52 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+312058 STRATUS RED VQA 2021 $55.20 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+38098 DOMAINE DE LA CREUZE NOIRE BELLE VUE SAINT-AMOUR BEAUJOLAIS 2022 $24.25
R+20246 CHÂTEAU FONRÉAUD BORDEAUX 2022 $36.95
R+39128 MARCHESI DI BAROLO NIZZA VINEAREI BARBERA PIEDMONT 2021 $49.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+261784 PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA PUGLIA 2020 $28 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+23374 CAPRAIA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 $38.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offer selections...these are "better" value...on sale Nov 11 through Sunday December 1. ---
+341743 Trius Rose VQA now $16.95, save $3
+326090 Oyster Bay Pinot Grigio now $17.95, save $3
+302380 Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio now $12.95, save $2
+573147 Malivoire Estate Grown Chardonnay VQA Beamsville Bench now $19.95, save $2
+40137 Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand now $20.95, save $3
+619452 Matua Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay now $15.95, save $2
+933077 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne now $34.95, save $2
+225086 Umberto Cesari Liano Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon now $24.95, save $5
+479766 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore now $26.95, save $3
+356220 Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico now $48.5, save $5
+212480 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais now $19.45, save $2
+478727 Catena Malbec now $21.95, save $2
+274753 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir VQA Beamsville Bench now $34.95, save $3
More (358 products on sale) can be found at https://www.lcbo.com/en/products#t=clp-products&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@lcbo_current_offer=[On%20Sale]
And FYI, here are the upcoming dates to watch out for LTOs sales promotions -- Dec 2 through January 5, 2025; January 6 through February 2, 2025; about every four weeks ---
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Season ---
REPORT ON MEDITERRANEAN APERITIVO MASTERCLASS 2024 MAY
It was my pleasure to attend the latest Italian seminar on its agrobusiness. This time, it was the "Mediterranean Apertivo" or MAP. There was an earlier seminar on the same topic about two years ago at Eataly with an attendance of about a dozen and a hook-up with New York city. The location now was the larger Chefs' House of George Brown College, where the audience had grown to a large number of about 75+. Wine Media and students dominated the audience. Today we heard from Christian Perreault Hamel and James Grant. They led us through an explanation of PDO and PGI, using four examples: Pecorino Toscano PDO [in order for the cheese to be granted a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) seal, all of the phases of production, transformation and processing must occur within a specific geographic area and with strict production rules established by the production regulations]; Costa d'Amalfi Lemon PGI [a European mark of quality granted to agricultural and food products which have at least ONE phase of the production process that is permanently linked to the specific geographic area of reference -- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)]; Vermouth di Torino PGI with its many layers of ginger, flowers, organic citrus fruits, spritzers, Negroni, Martini, punches, bitters, spices, ABV levels of 17%, half of the wine used is from Piedmont, et al; and Olives from Greece, a part of the Agrifood Partnership of Western Greece Region. The Protected and Partnership systems are part of the DOP program for making sure that names of products are legitimate in terms of production values. For example, the Amalfi lemons must come from Amalfi and they are guaranteed as such -- or else the seller/distributor can be penalized. For more details on all of these, check with vermouth@vermouthditorino.org, or for lemons, info@costieragrumicoop.it, or info@pecorinotoscanodop.it, or for olives, info@agrifoodwest.gr.
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 better or best 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 – my 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).
I was one of the first to jump on the Robert Parker bandwagon, using numerical indications for my scores in the early 1980s. Why? Because with a database I could rate, rank and order wines in any fashion. It was just so convenient using databases. Unfortunately, the numerical system has been shown to be disgraced by overuse and "inflated numbers"; thus I have quit any ranking by number. From now on, it will just be GOOD, BETTER and BEST, which will give me some wiggle room (e.g. is this wine an 87, 88, 89, or 90? Or all of them...depends on my mood and time of day). With the rigorous standards and lab testing by the LCBO, I can safely say that every single wine at the LCBO is at least GOOD, which I would numerically rank at 75-85 points. For reasons of time and space, I will NOT be listing the GOOD wines. Just the BETTER (86-89) and the BEST (90+ ) wines. This spread of points will relate to SILVER and GOLD medals, with GOOD being BRONZE. This also fits into my scheme for trade tastings.
MVC/QPR=BETTER (86-89)=my basic recommendation
MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )=superior wine
MAJOR THEME: Top wines for Gifting and Entertaining
Ontario Icewines AND Greek wine
~130 wines are released today [there are many wines at the $18.95 and $19.95 level]
Recommended Wines UNDER $20
=========================
FIZZ+23545 VILLA SANDI IL FRESCO MILLESIMATO BRUT ROSÉ PROSECCO 2023 $18.95
W+196956 JOSEPH CATTIN PINOT GRIS ALSACE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+485656 M. CHAPOUTIER BILA-HAUT CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON BLANC MIDI 2022 $16.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+527622 ZACCAGNINI TRALCETTO PINOT GRIGIO ABRUZZO 2023 $17.95
W+408146 MARIA PAPOILA LOUREIRO/ALVARINHO PORTUGAL 2023 $18.95
R+39835 FARM TO TABLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON AUSTRALIA 2020 $19.95
R+38501 MONTEVIEJO FESTIVO MALBEC 2022 ARGENTINA $18.95
R+606764 ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 CHILE $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+994616 TERRA D'ALIGI TATONE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2021 $17.95
Recommended Wines OVER $20
========================
FIZZ+167486 DEUTZ CLASSIC BRUT CHAMPAGNE $82.95
FIZZ+37482 THORN-CLARKE PINOT NOIR/CHARDONNAY SPARKLING AUSTRALIA $24.95
FIZZ+37122 MONTES ANGEL ZAPALLAR VINEYARD BRUT SPARKLING CHILE $26.95
W+172338 SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC CHARDONNAY 2020 VQA $26.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+424507 WESTCOTT ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2022 $29.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+10489 CHARTRON ET TRÉBUCHET POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2022 $49
W+40325 DOMAINE FOURNIER LES BELLES VIGNES SANCERRE BLANC LOIRE 2023 $38.95
W+33260 PAPAGIANNAKOS ASSYRTIKO GREECE 2022 $26.95
W+361220 PADDY BORTHWICK SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2023 $23.95
W+22851 LOVEBLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2022$ 29.95
R+977843 ALVARO PALACIOS VELLES VINYES LES TERRASSES SPAIN 2021 $58.95
R+41732 BACHELDER HANCK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2021 $55 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+184564 LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS PINOT NOIR VQA 2020 $52 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+312058 STRATUS RED VQA 2021 $55.20 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+38098 DOMAINE DE LA CREUZE NOIRE BELLE VUE SAINT-AMOUR BEAUJOLAIS 2022 $24.25
R+20246 CHÂTEAU FONRÉAUD BORDEAUX 2022 $36.95
R+39128 MARCHESI DI BAROLO NIZZA VINEAREI BARBERA PIEDMONT 2021 $49.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+261784 PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA PUGLIA 2020 $28 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+23374 CAPRAIA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 $38.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offer selections...these are "better" value...on sale Nov 11 through Sunday December 1. ---
+341743 Trius Rose VQA now $16.95, save $3
+326090 Oyster Bay Pinot Grigio now $17.95, save $3
+302380 Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio now $12.95, save $2
+573147 Malivoire Estate Grown Chardonnay VQA Beamsville Bench now $19.95, save $2
+40137 Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand now $20.95, save $3
+619452 Matua Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay now $15.95, save $2
+933077 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne now $34.95, save $2
+225086 Umberto Cesari Liano Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon now $24.95, save $5
+479766 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore now $26.95, save $3
+356220 Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico now $48.5, save $5
+212480 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais now $19.45, save $2
+478727 Catena Malbec now $21.95, save $2
+274753 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir VQA Beamsville Bench now $34.95, save $3
More (358 products on sale) can be found at https://www.lcbo.com/en/products#t=clp-products&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@lcbo_current_offer=[On%20Sale]
And FYI, here are the upcoming dates to watch out for LTOs sales promotions -- Dec 2 through January 5, 2025; January 6 through February 2, 2025; about every four weeks ---
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Season ---
REPORT ON MEDITERRANEAN APERITIVO MASTERCLASS 2024 MAY
It was my pleasure to attend the latest Italian seminar on its agrobusiness. This time, it was the "Mediterranean Apertivo" or MAP. There was an earlier seminar on the same topic about two years ago at Eataly with an attendance of about a dozen and a hook-up with New York city. The location now was the larger Chefs' House of George Brown College, where the audience had grown to a large number of about 75+. Wine Media and students dominated the audience. Today we heard from Christian Perreault Hamel and James Grant. They led us through an explanation of PDO and PGI, using four examples: Pecorino Toscano PDO [in order for the cheese to be granted a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) seal, all of the phases of production, transformation and processing must occur within a specific geographic area and with strict production rules established by the production regulations]; Costa d'Amalfi Lemon PGI [a European mark of quality granted to agricultural and food products which have at least ONE phase of the production process that is permanently linked to the specific geographic area of reference -- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)]; Vermouth di Torino PGI with its many layers of ginger, flowers, organic citrus fruits, spritzers, Negroni, Martini, punches, bitters, spices, ABV levels of 17%, half of the wine used is from Piedmont, et al; and Olives from Greece, a part of the Agrifood Partnership of Western Greece Region. The Protected and Partnership systems are part of the DOP program for making sure that names of products are legitimate in terms of production values. For example, the Amalfi lemons must come from Amalfi and they are guaranteed as such -- or else the seller/distributor can be penalized. For more details on all of these, check with vermouth@vermouthditorino.org, or for lemons, info@costieragrumicoop.it, or info@pecorinotoscanodop.it, or for olives, info@agrifoodwest.gr.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.comhttp://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
