WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for FEBRUARY 19, 2022
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 Food and Wine Notes Reported ---
Report on Valentine's Day dinners from Hooked --
Part One -- Valentine Dinner catered from http://www.hookedinc.ca
-Cioppino broth, PEI mussels, cold smoked Norwegian skrei cod, sourdough croutons.
AND then a second course of
-Seared hokkaido sea scallops, potato puree, sauteed wild mushrooms with walnut and winter herb vinaigrette, potato crisps.
My wife Ann said "Kristin, you have outdid yourself! By 2:50 we were tucking in to the cioppino! Great broth—just enough heat. The smoked cod was unbelievable and it lent its smoke to the broth as well. We each had half a glass of bubbly while the broth was heating, and another half-glass while we devoured the mussels and cod.
Then we took a small break while our glass-top stove, not known for its speed, heated up the burners for the potato puree, the mushrooms, and the scallops. (Our 40-year-old Garland commercial gas range died last year—long story—so we now have a fancy-schmancy KitchenAid electric. Bit of a learning curve.) Your instructions are always so clear I had no trouble putting the meal together. What gorgeous scallops (and I won't forget your technique of caramelizing one oiled side before adding the butter and flipping them. Perfect.). Great combination of flavours; the mushrooms were an elegant touch. And, because I am half-Irish, you had me at mashed potatoes."
The bubbly was Crémant d'Alsace Domaine Frey-Sohler 2012 (LCBO +185511, $31.45), all riesling and Extra Brut at 3.9 g/L residual sugar and 12.1% ABV. It sat for 9 (NINE!) years of aging on fine lees. It can be an aperitif or first course wine with bivalves. It had a riesling austerity that emphasized minerality, orchard fruit and lemons. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Part Two -- More Valentine Dinner from www.hookedinc.ca (the next day)
Stuffed sea bream (Mediterranean) sustainable, tied with three strings, butterflied (bones out, head on).
Stuffing can vary depending on what is at hand; for example: ginger, scallion, filled to the brim with a beautiful stuffing of pine nuts, walnuts, quinoa, warm spices, dried cranberries and apricots, preserved lemon and kale. With a lemon and herb vinaigrette for drizzling
Accompanied by my fave rose, the Cono Sur Pinot Noir Rose Sparkling Wine $14.95 at LCBO...Just the right amount of bubbles and just the right amount of pale pink, as well as terrific watermelon flavours. QPR: 92.
And hovering in the background was a sample of the delightful Palet D'or chocolate cake with creme anglaise, accompanied by Taylor Fladgate 20-Year Old Tawny Port (left from Christmas).
We'll need more dining stuff from Hooked as this year evolves...
[PS: we paid for our own meals and wines, except for the Alsatian trade sample]
** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday February 27, 2022.
[red] +499384 Kacaba Vineyards & Winery Cabernet 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula, LCBO & Grocery: normally $15.95, now $13.95, save $2.
[white] +11452 Willm Réserve Riesling Alsace: normally $19.95, now $ 17.95, save $2.
[rose][fizz] +20995 BOTTEGA PROSECCO ROSE DOC SPUMANTE BRUT, VENETO: normally $17.65, now $15.65, save $2. Buy a case !
Major Feature: FRANCE
Wines Under $20
=========
W+119099 VIÑA COBOS FELINO CHARDONNAY Mendoza 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+39016 PIERRE SPARR BRUT ROSÉ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE Traditional method, AC, Alsace, France $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+20920 GEORGE DUBOEUF SÉLECTION JULIÉNAS AC 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+642421 VALPANTENA TORRE DEL FALASCO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO DOC 2019 $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+12281 CHÂTEAU DE RIBEBON AC Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Wines Over $20
=========
Fizz+385104 GARDET 1ER CRU BLANC DE NOIRS BRUT CHAMPAGNE $52.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+402362 MARIE-PIERRE MANCIAT BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+593996 JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula 2019 $20.95 MVC/QPR: 90.
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 Food and Wine Notes Reported ---
Report on Valentine's Day dinners from Hooked --
Part One -- Valentine Dinner catered from http://www.hookedinc.ca
-Cioppino broth, PEI mussels, cold smoked Norwegian skrei cod, sourdough croutons.
AND then a second course of
-Seared hokkaido sea scallops, potato puree, sauteed wild mushrooms with walnut and winter herb vinaigrette, potato crisps.
My wife Ann said "Kristin, you have outdid yourself! By 2:50 we were tucking in to the cioppino! Great broth—just enough heat. The smoked cod was unbelievable and it lent its smoke to the broth as well. We each had half a glass of bubbly while the broth was heating, and another half-glass while we devoured the mussels and cod.
Then we took a small break while our glass-top stove, not known for its speed, heated up the burners for the potato puree, the mushrooms, and the scallops. (Our 40-year-old Garland commercial gas range died last year—long story—so we now have a fancy-schmancy KitchenAid electric. Bit of a learning curve.) Your instructions are always so clear I had no trouble putting the meal together. What gorgeous scallops (and I won't forget your technique of caramelizing one oiled side before adding the butter and flipping them. Perfect.). Great combination of flavours; the mushrooms were an elegant touch. And, because I am half-Irish, you had me at mashed potatoes."
The bubbly was Crémant d'Alsace Domaine Frey-Sohler 2012 (LCBO +185511, $31.45), all riesling and Extra Brut at 3.9 g/L residual sugar and 12.1% ABV. It sat for 9 (NINE!) years of aging on fine lees. It can be an aperitif or first course wine with bivalves. It had a riesling austerity that emphasized minerality, orchard fruit and lemons. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Part Two -- More Valentine Dinner from www.hookedinc.ca (the next day)
Stuffed sea bream (Mediterranean) sustainable, tied with three strings, butterflied (bones out, head on).
Stuffing can vary depending on what is at hand; for example: ginger, scallion, filled to the brim with a beautiful stuffing of pine nuts, walnuts, quinoa, warm spices, dried cranberries and apricots, preserved lemon and kale. With a lemon and herb vinaigrette for drizzling
Accompanied by my fave rose, the Cono Sur Pinot Noir Rose Sparkling Wine $14.95 at LCBO...Just the right amount of bubbles and just the right amount of pale pink, as well as terrific watermelon flavours. QPR: 92.
And hovering in the background was a sample of the delightful Palet D'or chocolate cake with creme anglaise, accompanied by Taylor Fladgate 20-Year Old Tawny Port (left from Christmas).
We'll need more dining stuff from Hooked as this year evolves...
[PS: we paid for our own meals and wines, except for the Alsatian trade sample]
** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday February 27, 2022.
[red] +499384 Kacaba Vineyards & Winery Cabernet 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula, LCBO & Grocery: normally $15.95, now $13.95, save $2.
[white] +11452 Willm Réserve Riesling Alsace: normally $19.95, now $ 17.95, save $2.
[rose][fizz] +20995 BOTTEGA PROSECCO ROSE DOC SPUMANTE BRUT, VENETO: normally $17.65, now $15.65, save $2. Buy a case !
Major Feature: FRANCE
Wines Under $20
=========
W+119099 VIÑA COBOS FELINO CHARDONNAY Mendoza 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+39016 PIERRE SPARR BRUT ROSÉ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE Traditional method, AC, Alsace, France $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+20920 GEORGE DUBOEUF SÉLECTION JULIÉNAS AC 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+642421 VALPANTENA TORRE DEL FALASCO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO DOC 2019 $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+12281 CHÂTEAU DE RIBEBON AC Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Wines Over $20
=========
Fizz+385104 GARDET 1ER CRU BLANC DE NOIRS BRUT CHAMPAGNE $52.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+402362 MARIE-PIERRE MANCIAT BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+593996 JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula 2019 $20.95 MVC/QPR: 90.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism
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