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Sunday, September 26, 2021

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for OCTOBER 2, 2021

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for OCTOBER 2, 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 New Wines Tasted Over the Past Fortnight ---

The Date and Time: Friday September 10, 2021  Noon – 2:30 PM
The Event: A tasting of Vignobles de Larose wines along with a discussion on the new Classification of Crus Bourgeois.
The Venue: Boehmer, Ossington Avenue.
The Availability/Catalogue: Marchands des Ameriques is the agency (see below). Differing vintages are currently available; others will come in periodically.
The Quote/Background: Franck Bijon, the General Manager and Chief Winemaker of Vignobles de la Rose made the presentation, commenting on the company's history. It's got three major Chateaux in the Haut-Medoc: Chateau LaRose Trintaudon (huge seller in the USA), Chateau LaRose Perganson, and Chateau Arnauld, plus Chateau Tour de Pez in St. Estephe, which they bought in 2019. Area is 255 hectares of vines, production is 1.3 million bottles a year, and exports are 30% of the company totals. The company began its first rehabilitation in 1963, followed by another in 2000 to get numerous environmental certifications (and again in 2020). Franck also discussed the details on applying for classification. Crus Bourgeois were classified in 2003 and then again in 2020. Re-validation is every five years (e.g., 2025, 2030, etc.). Eligibility is mostly by blind tasting. There are 247 chateaux with three levels. The first is a basic entry, followed by "superior" and then "exceptional". He then went on to describe his own company's wines. LaRose's barrel program includes 3600 barrels (of which 900 are new) for the Trintaudon, 400 barrels (of which 140 are new) for the Perganson (superior), and 35 all-new barrels for the Arnauld (exceptional). M.Bijon then went on to taste and describe the wines he brought with him. Wines are mostly equal merlot and cabernet sauvignon, with some petit verdot. The St Estephe does have some cabernet franc, as most St Estephe wines do have.
The Wines: Kenneth Gunn of the Marchands des Vins agency has the Haut-Medoc wines for sale...but, on September 18 at Vintages, Chateau LaRose-Trintaudon  Sustainable, Cru Bourgeois, AC Haut-Médoc 2014    $28.95 +297945 went on sale in Ontario (only 400 cases available).

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chateau LaRose Trintaudon 2014 [juicy and racy]
-Chateau LaRose Perganson 2008 [my fave of the day, nicely aged, longer finish]
-Chateau Arnauld 2012 [another fave, still young, very juicy] close to Margaux

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chateau LaRose Trintaudon 2018 [intense nose, very fresh]
-Chateau Arnauld 2018 [soft on the mid-palate]

A new wine of 6700 bottles has been introduced: L'Experience Sans Sulfites Ajoutes 2019, from sustainable old vines (70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot).

Other availability:  Château Arnauld Cru Bourgeois Haut Médoc 2015 – LCBO Vintages Classics #21928 $68.00 release date : December 02 2021   - 80 cases
Consignment (currently out of stock but available soon):
Château Larose Trintaudon 2011 - $30.00 (before tax and deposit)
Château Larose Perganson 2008 - $37.00 (before tax and deposit)

The Food at the tasting: Bordeaux friendly food, such as a selection of meats (beef and lamb) atop lentils de puy, and wild mushrooms on richly buttered crostini. The main dish was classic tournedos with a wine sauce, potato puree, and grilled asparagus.
The Contact Person: kenneth@marchandsdesameriques.com

I can 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  October 10:
 
[red] Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Chile, +322586, on sale to October 10, now $16.95, down from $19.95. Buy a case.
[rose]  Cave Spring Dry Rose VQA Niagara, +295006,  on sale to October 10,  now $13.95, down from $15.95. Buy a case.
[white] Flat Rock Cellars Twisted White VQA Niagara Peninsula, +1578,  on sale to October 10 , now $14.95, down from $17.95. Buy a case.
[fizz] Cono Sur Sparkling Pinot Noir Rose Chile, +365205, on sale to October 10,  now $12.95, down from $14.95. Buy two cases.

Wines Under $20
=========
W+542746    SÁNCHEZ ROMATE FINO PERDIDO SHERRY    DO, Spain       
$18.95     MVC/QPR: 90
W+89011    FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC    VQA Niagara
Peninsula    2020    $17.95 MVC/QPR:  89.
W+83287    MORANDÉ GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY    DO Valle
de Casablanca    2019    $19.95 MVC/QPR:  92.
R+642421    VALPANTENA TORRE DEL FALASCO VALPOLICELLA
RIPASSO    DOC    2019 $18.95  MVC/QPR: 89.

Wines Over $20
=========
W+360297    JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA GRAND RESERVE WHITE
MERITAGE    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2020    $25.95     MVC/QPR:  89.
W+415901    CAVE SPRING INDIAN SUMMER SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING    Estate grown, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara  Peninsula, Ontario    2017    $24.95     MVC/QPR:  89.
R+268391    HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE PINOT NOIR Sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $24.95    MVC/QPR:  89.
R+356337    R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA RESERVA    DOCa Rioja    2009    $63.95   
MVC/QPR:  89.
R+261784    PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA DOP 2016    $22.95    MVC/QPR:  89.
R+353201    RUFFINO RISERVA DUCALE ORO GRAN SELEZIONE
CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG    2016    $49.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+157347    ENRICO SERAFINO SANAVENTO BARBARESCO   
DOCG    2017    $29.95     MVC/QPR: 89.
R+18593    POÇAS JUNIOR VINTAGE PORT    DOP, Portugal   
2017    $36.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
                                   
WASHINGTON + OREGON SPOTLIGHT [not tasted, not rated, just listed]               
   
White Wine                   
17031    ERATH PINOT GRIS    Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley   
2019    $23.95    PHILIPPE DANDURAND WINES LTD.
16996    WINES OF SUBSTANCE CHARDONNAY    Columbia
Valley    2019    $23.95    AUTHENTIC WINE & SPIRITS


Red Wine                   
546366    DEL RIO VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR    Rogue Valley   
2019    $24.95    NICHOLAS PEARCE WINES INC
17686    CARDWELL HILL ESTATE BOTTLED PINOT NOIR   
Sustainable, Willamette Valley    2016    $22.95    VINOLUNA
408864    CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE INDIAN WELLS MERLOT   
Columbia Valley    2017    $26.95    PHILIPPE DANDURAND
WINES LTD.
551473    DRUMHELLER CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Columbia
Valley    2018    $18.95    PHILIPPE DANDURAND WINES LTD.
20491    HEDGES CMS    Columbia Valley    2018    $29.95   
NOBLE ESTATES WINES & SPIRITS INC.
                   
You get old and you realize there are no answers -- just stories.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

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