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Wednesday, September 1, 2021

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

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 or 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 recent spirits I have tasted --

1.Dun Bheagan Single Malt Islay +576397 $54.90 750mL.: extremely intense, bottled straight from the cask. Small batch.  Eight years old. Some herbal complexity with strong floral notes makes this a real treat. Smokey peaty all the way...could be challenging for some. 43% ABV. Good value. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2..Bas-Armagnac de Montal Les Hauts de Montrouge X.O. 700 mL. +21564 Vintages October 2021 $112: comes in a wooden gift box (it's that time of year again). From the producers of the finest Armagnac in the region. Armagnac has only 10% of the production of Cognac; it has a single distillation only. Uses all four grape varieties allowed. Comprised of about 12 years-old distillates, deep nose of roasted nuts, full fruity flavours with a soft peachy off-dry finish. Some mocha is evident. 40% ABV. A steal at this price. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

3.Bas-Armagnac de Montal Les Hauts de Montrouge 2002  700 mL. +11426 Vintages October 23 2021 $99.95: comes in a red gift box for the Christmas holidays. There are about 181 producers, and many make single vintage bottlings (unlike in Cognac). Hence, there are many bottles of older Armagnac brandies (10, 15, 20, 30 year olds) that sell everywhere in the world -- but in small lots. Montal's 2002 was aged a minimum of 19.5 years in oak. Armagnac sells well in Quebec – they recognize a bargain. Extremely aromatic with overtones of caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, and oak character. 40% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

4.Antica Valle Francescana Limoncino 500 mL. +17161 October 23, 2021, $45. 30% ABV, with a 2% infusion of lemon peels: decanter comes with two glasses and a gift box. Exceedingly fresh flavours with that citrus tang of sharpness from the essential oils. Largely hand-peeled in Umbria. Terrific as an ice cream topping (which is how I had my 40 mL sample). Sales of lemoncello or limoncino in total make it the number two liqueur in Italy, after Campari. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

I will also try to recommend one red, one rose, one white and one fizz wine from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...some are good values (see below)...on sale  through Sunday September 12...
 
[red] Gran Feudo Reserva DO Navarra Spain +479014, on sale to September 12 , now $16.95, down from $18.95 [save $2]
[white] Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes Argentina Dominio del Plata +1834, on sale to September 12, now $12.95, down from $14.95 [save $2}
[rose]  Muga Rose DOCa Rioja Spain +603795, on sale to September 12, now $13.95, down from $15.95. Buy a case [save $24].
[fizz] Louis Bouillot Perle D'Aurore Brut Rose Cremant de Bourgogne Traditional Method Burgundy +48793, on sale to September 12, now $20.95, down from $22.95 [save $2]

Wines Under $20
=========
Fizz+746479    CRISTINA ASCHERI MOSCATO D'ASTI    DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2019     $19.95       
MVC/QPR:  90
Rose+117861    FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ    VQA Niagara Peninsula 2020 $15.95 MVC/QPR:   90
W+557165    HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE RIESLING    Sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $19.95 MVC/QPR:  90
W+616466    HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CHARDONNAY    Sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $29.95     MVC/QPR:  90
W+18566    LACHETEAU HAUT-POITOU SAUVIGNON BLANC    AC    2020    $16.95 MVC/QPR:  90
W+95802    PETER ZEMMER PINOT GRIGIO    DOC Alto Adige    2019    $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+21538    POCAS RESERVA WHITE    DOP    2019    $19.95 MVC/QPR:  90
R+12281    CHÂTEAU DE RIBEBON    AC Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux, France    2017    $15.95  MVC/QPR: 89
R+14391    DOMAINE LA DÉCELLE RÉSERVE VALRÉAS    AC Côtes du Rhône-Villages, Rhône, France    2017    $16.95    MVC/QPR:  89
R+78725    CHÂTEAU PINERAIE CAHORS    AC    2017    $19.95    MVC/QPR: 90
R+56267    REMO FARINA MONTECORNA RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE    DOC    2018    $19.95 MVC/QPR:   90


Wines Over $20
=========
W+68817    HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment        $29.95     MVC/QPR:   90
W+469023    CUDDY BY TAWSE CHARDONNAY    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2016    $25.95 MVC/QPR:  90
R+213132    LA PIEVE BAROLO    DOCG    2017    $39.95  MVC/QPR: 90
R+113357    DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO    DOCG    2015    $65.95     MVC/QPR: 89.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

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