WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for September 2, 2017.
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By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My Internet compendium "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.
So many people have asked me for wine recommendations, with numbers only. The readers' most common response is that while they like what I say, they only relate to the score. The score is a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, where e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone and not like a Northern Rhone) and Quality/Price Ratio. Let's take it for granted that, e.g., a Riesling tastes like a Riesling, and the wine has some value in the marketplace either above or below its selling price. This way too I can also cover more wines.
This restructured wine newsletter for the Ontario market (with wines available through the LCBO and Vintages on a bi-weekly basis) can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at http://www.deantudor.com
THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL FINDS --
W+405530 STREWN TERROIR AMERICAN OAK CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 2015 $23.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92.
R+487447 MAISON ROCHE DE BELLENE VIEILLES VIGNES CÔTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES 2007 $29.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
20 under $20
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R+194886 RÉSERVE DES ARMOIRIES CÔTES DU RHÔNE Élevé en fût de chêne AC
2013 $15.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+208223 LEALTANZA RESERVA DOCa Rioja 2011 $19.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+208322 SUR DE LOS ANDES RESERVA MALBEC Mendoza 2012 $15.95
14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+211904 VENTISQUERO RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC Casablanca Valley 2016 $12.95 12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+213538 TABALÍ VETAS BLANCAS RESERVA ESPECIAL SYRAH Limarí Valley 2013 $17.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+238071 DE BORTOLI GULF STATION CHARDONNAY Yarra Valley, Victoria 2016 $19.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+247882 HENRY OF PELHAM FAMILY TREE RED VQA Ontario 2014 $18.95
13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+323808 FIRESTEED OREGON PINOT GRIS Oregon 2014 $19.95 13.3% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R+338939 TOMMASI GRATICCIO APPASSIONATO Product of Italy 2014 $15.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R+354191 DOMAINE LAFAGE CUVÉE NICOLAS VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE NOIR IGP Côtes Catalanes 2015 $16.95 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+371518 BORSAO BEROLA DO Campo de Borja 2013 $18.95 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+380741 GUILLAUME AURÈLE VIOGNIER IGP Pays d'Oc 2015 $13.95
13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+398966 REDSTONE CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula 2013 $19.95
12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+421396 BORGO SCOPETO BORGONERO IGT Toscana 2014 $17.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+429928 VALPANTENA RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA DOC 2014 $17.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+446245 CHÂTEAU DE MARSAN AC Côtes de Bordeaux Cadillac 2014 $16.95
13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+486209 THE GRINDER SHIRAZ WO Coastal Region 2014 $13.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+495630 VIENI ESTATES MERLOT VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Escarpment 2013 $18.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+514166 CASA LAPOSTOLLE GRAND SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON Rapel Valley 2015 $15.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+517201 M. CHAPOUTIER RASTEAU AC 2014 $19.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+949651 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE SYRAH Columbia Valley 2013 $19.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+969469 RENZO MASI RISERVA CHIANTI DOCG 2013 $16.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+443945 EL GORÚ MONASTRELL/SYRAH/PETIT VERDOT DOP Jumilla 2015 $13.95
14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+141226 ANNE DE LAWEISS COLLECTION GEWURZTRAMINER AC Alsace 2015 $19.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
20 over $20
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R+73817 RUTHERFORD RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley 2014 $39.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91.
R+167189 DANDELION VINEYARDS LIONHEART OF THE BAROSSA SHIRAZ Barossa, South Australia 2015 $21.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90.
R+313726 SEÑORÍO DE P. PECIÑA CRIANZA DOCa Rioja 2012 $21.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92.
R+440610 CHÂTEAU DE L'OU INFINIMENT SYRAH IGP Côtes Catalanes 2015 $26.95 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+446609 SIDEWOOD MAPPINGA SHIRAZ Adelaide Hills, South Australia 2013 $49.95
14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+463273 CHÂTEAU LANGLAIS AC Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion 2000 $38.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+497065 CHÂTEAU DE LANDIRAS AC Graves 2014 $24.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+508002 MANOIR DE MERCEY CHÂTEAUBEAU MERCUREY AC 2014 $29.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+942136 FESS PARKER SYRAH Santa Barbara County 2013 $34.95 16% ABV,MVC/QPR: 89
W+421362 2027 WISMER VINEYARD FOX CROFT BLOCK CHARDONNAY VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2014 $22.95 MVC/QPR: 88
R+429829 ZENI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG 2013 $39.95
15.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+471797 CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST SYRAH VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake 2014 $24.95 12.7% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+487371 MARCHAND-TAWSE SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE LES LAVIÈRES 1ER CRU AC 2014 $61.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+512764 THE WHITE KNIGHT VIOGNIER Clarksburg 2015 $21.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+492983 CELLIER DES PRINCES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE AC 2014 $39.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
W+492272 AWATERE RIVER BY LOUIS VAVASOUR SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough, South Island 2015 $21.95 MVC/QPR: 88.
W+490110 LA CHABLISIENNE CHABLIS BEAUROY 1ER CRU AC 2014 $34.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R+489443 PAUL JABOULET AÎNÉ LES JALETS CROZES-HERMITAGE AC 2014 $26.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R+163584 CRAGGY RANGE TE KAHU SINGLE VINEYARD GIMBLETT GRAVELS Hawkes Bay, North Island 2013 $29.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com