WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for APRIL 12, 2025 release.
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of wine 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)=basic recommendation
MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )=superior wine
MAJOR THEME: Perfect Pairings for Easter and Passover
Recommended Wines UNDER $20
=========================
FIZZ+352856 CYGNUS SADOR ORGANIC RESERVA BRUT NATURE CAVA $19.95
W+918805 CATENA HIGH MOUNTAIN VINES CHARDONNAY ARGENTINA 2023 $20.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+166942 WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC AUSTRALIA 2024 $17.95
W+89011 FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC VQA 2024 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+44286 SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE WHITE VQA 2023 $19.95
W+519025 FEATHERSTONE PHOENIX VQA 2024 $18.95
W+99309 LEYDA GARUMA COASTAL VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC CHILE 2023 $18.95 W+259788 JOSEPH CATTIN RIESLING ALSACE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+39443 TENUTE ORESTIADI MOLINO A VENTO CATARRATTO SICILY 2023 $14.95
W+39393 ASSULI CARINDA INSOLIA SICILY 2023 $19.95
W+13338 RADFORD DALE VINUM CHENIN BLANC SOUTH AFRICA 2023 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+218354 GARCIARÉVALO FINCA TRES OLMOS LIAS VERDEJO SPAIN 2023 $14.95
R+ 261867 FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA MALBEC ARGENTINA 2023 $19.95
R+744235 WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON AUSTRALIA 2022 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+14148 EMILIANA NOVAS GRAN RESERVA PINOT NOIR CHILE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+23259 TOMMASI RAFAÈL VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2022 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+421024 LAVAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2020 $16.95
Recommended Wines OVER $20
========================
FIZZ+42732 OEDORIA DIAMANT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE BRUT SPARKLING $24.95
ROSE+319368 CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2024 $24.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
ROSE+493171 OYSTER BAY ROSÉ NEW ZEALAND 2024 $20.95
W+99309 BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY VQA 2022 AND 2023 $25.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+461640 WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2023 $38.95
W+648691 STAETE LANDT ANNABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2022 $24.95
R+213132 LA PIEVE BAROLO 2021 $49.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+236257 GRANT BURGE THE HOLY TRINITY GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MOURVÈDRE AUSTRALIA 2021 $39.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+312082 STRATUS GAMAY VQA 2023 $35.20 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+427500 WESTCOTT ESTATE PINOT NOIR VQA 2021 $31.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+392738 DOMAINE QUEYLUS TRADITION PINOT NOIR VQA 2021 $35.70 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+230391 CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE BORDEAUX 2022 $23.95
R+20246 CHÂTEAU FONRÉAUD BORDEAUX 2012 $33.95
R+276576 POGGIOTONDO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 $55.95
R+42287 BERONIA 198 BARRICAS RESERVA SPAIN 2019 $25.95
LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offer selections...these are "better" value...on sale through Sunday April 27, 2025....
Fizz+991562 Bailly Lapierre Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne, now $23.45, save $1.50
W+68817 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Chardonnay VQA Beamsville Bench, now $29.95, save $3
W+35t386 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3
W+89037 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Chardonnay VQA, now $19.95, save $2
W+711556 Wakefield Estate Label Chardonnay Clare Valley South Australia, now $15.95, save $2
R+64618 Featherstone Cabernet Franc VQA Niagara, now $19.95, save $2
R+258673 G. Marquis The Silver Line Pinot Noir VQA NOTL, now $17.95, save $2
R+274753 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir VQA Beamsville Bench, now $34.95, save $3
R+58339 Kaiken Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina, now $16.95. save $2
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of wine 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)=basic recommendation
MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )=superior wine
MAJOR THEME: Perfect Pairings for Easter and Passover
Recommended Wines UNDER $20
=========================
FIZZ+352856 CYGNUS SADOR ORGANIC RESERVA BRUT NATURE CAVA $19.95
W+918805 CATENA HIGH MOUNTAIN VINES CHARDONNAY ARGENTINA 2023 $20.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+166942 WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC AUSTRALIA 2024 $17.95
W+89011 FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC VQA 2024 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+44286 SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE WHITE VQA 2023 $19.95
W+519025 FEATHERSTONE PHOENIX VQA 2024 $18.95
W+99309 LEYDA GARUMA COASTAL VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC CHILE 2023 $18.95 W+259788 JOSEPH CATTIN RIESLING ALSACE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+39443 TENUTE ORESTIADI MOLINO A VENTO CATARRATTO SICILY 2023 $14.95
W+39393 ASSULI CARINDA INSOLIA SICILY 2023 $19.95
W+13338 RADFORD DALE VINUM CHENIN BLANC SOUTH AFRICA 2023 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+218354 GARCIARÉVALO FINCA TRES OLMOS LIAS VERDEJO SPAIN 2023 $14.95
R+ 261867 FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA MALBEC ARGENTINA 2023 $19.95
R+744235 WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON AUSTRALIA 2022 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+14148 EMILIANA NOVAS GRAN RESERVA PINOT NOIR CHILE 2023 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+23259 TOMMASI RAFAÈL VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2022 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+421024 LAVAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2020 $16.95
Recommended Wines OVER $20
========================
FIZZ+42732 OEDORIA DIAMANT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE BRUT SPARKLING $24.95
ROSE+319368 CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2024 $24.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
ROSE+493171 OYSTER BAY ROSÉ NEW ZEALAND 2024 $20.95
W+99309 BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY VQA 2022 AND 2023 $25.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+461640 WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2023 $38.95
W+648691 STAETE LANDT ANNABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2022 $24.95
R+213132 LA PIEVE BAROLO 2021 $49.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+236257 GRANT BURGE THE HOLY TRINITY GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MOURVÈDRE AUSTRALIA 2021 $39.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+312082 STRATUS GAMAY VQA 2023 $35.20 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+427500 WESTCOTT ESTATE PINOT NOIR VQA 2021 $31.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+392738 DOMAINE QUEYLUS TRADITION PINOT NOIR VQA 2021 $35.70 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+230391 CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE BORDEAUX 2022 $23.95
R+20246 CHÂTEAU FONRÉAUD BORDEAUX 2012 $33.95
R+276576 POGGIOTONDO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 $55.95
R+42287 BERONIA 198 BARRICAS RESERVA SPAIN 2019 $25.95
LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offer selections...these are "better" value...on sale through Sunday April 27, 2025....
Fizz+991562 Bailly Lapierre Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne, now $23.45, save $1.50
W+68817 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Chardonnay VQA Beamsville Bench, now $29.95, save $3
W+35t386 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3
W+89037 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Chardonnay VQA, now $19.95, save $2
W+711556 Wakefield Estate Label Chardonnay Clare Valley South Australia, now $15.95, save $2
R+64618 Featherstone Cabernet Franc VQA Niagara, now $19.95, save $2
R+258673 G. Marquis The Silver Line Pinot Noir VQA NOTL, now $17.95, save $2
R+274753 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir VQA Beamsville Bench, now $34.95, save $3
R+58339 Kaiken Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina, now $16.95. save $2
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
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