WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for DECEMBER 17, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for DECEMBER 17, 2022 release.

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 for 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 I Tasted Over the Past Month or so  ---

The Date and Time:  Wednesday October 19 2022  2P - 9P
The Event: STEM Wine Group Family of Wines Portfolio Tasting 2022 (Toronto)
The Venue: Globe and Mail Centre 17th Floor
The Target Audience: private clients, restaurants, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: everything was available by the case. There were over 250 wines, beers and spirits from 60 producers, 40 of them from Italy. Each had a page describing the attributes of their winery, and a page or so of illustrated labels with grape and vineyard designations, and prices per bottle. Over 40 suppliers sent representatives to show off their wines and guide tasters from behind their tables.
The Quote/Background: For two years in a row, Stem Wine Group has been the number one Consignment Agency in Ontario. The wine tasting  was extremely popular and got very crowded very early. I arrived at 2PM and stayed for two hours.
The Wines: I did not (could not) taste every wine. What follows are highly recommended wines arrived at by my eclectic wanderings. I did not try beers or spirits.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Tombacco Pecorino IGT Terre di Chieti Abruzzo 2020 $15.99
-Villabella Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2017 $64.99
-Villabella Fracastoro Riserva Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2012 $74.99
-Zyme Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2017 $189.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Brut DOCG $37.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Rose DOCG $42.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Pas Dose DOCG $46.99   [my fave fizz of the day]
-Ronco del Gelso Siet Vignis Chardonnay DOC 2020 Friuli Isonzo $32.99
-460 Casina Bric Sparkling Nebbiolo d'Alba Brut Rose $33.99
-460 Casina Bric Nebbiolo d'Alba Spumante Brut Rose Magnum Metodo Classico 1.5 litre bottle $144.99
-Gaja Rossj Bass Langhe DOP 2021 $119.99
-Gaja Barbaresco DOC 2019 $369.99
-Camarcanda Bolgheri DOP 2019 $269.99
-Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Cabernet Swauvignon 2017 Colline Teatine IGT Abruzzo $84.99
-Mandrarossa Passito di Pantelleria DOC 2020 $59.99
-Daniel Chotard Sancerre Blanc AOC 2020 $33.99
-La Manufacture "Blanchat" Chablis Grand Cru AOP 2019 $139.99
-Cassetania Cava Brut Reserva $21.99
-Citation Cornerstone Un-Oaked Chardonnay Willamette Valley OR 2017 $24.99
-Citation Pinot Noir Oregon 2006 $119.99
-Citation Chardonnay Oregon 2015 $59.99
-Precision Adorn Chardonnay California 2019 $16.99
-Grand Napa Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $114.99
-Grand Napa Heir Apparent Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $159.99
-Grand Napa Heir Apparent Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $139.99
-Husic Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2018 $99.99
-Husic Palm Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016 $139.99
-Husic Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016 $199.99
-Bella Terra Fume Blanc Corus Vineyard VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $34.95
-Bella Terra Barrel Fermented Chardonnay Four Mile Creek 2018 VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $39.95

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Anno Domini Diamond Vino Spumante Rosato Bio Vegan $18.99
-Anno Domini Moscato IGT Veneto Frizzante $15.99
-Delibori Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOCG 2017 $42.99
-Forchir Famiglia Bianchini Ribolla Gialla IGT 2021 $21.99
-Azienda Agricola Inama Vin Soave Classico DOC $24.99
-Ca' del Baio Autinbej Barbaresco DOCG 2019 $49.99
-Il Borro Toscana Lamelle Chardonnay IGT 2021 $34.99
-Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi DOCG 2017 $54.99
-Daniel Chotard Sancerre Rouge AOC 2020 $44.99
-La Manufacture Petit Chablis AOP 2020 $34.99
-La Manufacture "Forets" Chablis Premier Cru  AOP 2020 $59.99
-Vina Bujanda Petra de Valpiedra DO Rioja 2018 $79.99
-Cassetania Cava Gran Reserva 2018 $29.99
-Precision Calculated Chardonnay California 2021 $18.99
-Grand Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $84.99
-Husic Palm Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 $139.99
-Bella Terra Sparkling Brut VQA Niagara Peninsula 2020 $24.95
-Bella Terra Sauvignon Blanc Corus Vineyard VQA Niagara Peninsula 2021 $19.95
-Bella Terra Wild Ferment Riesling Four Mile Creek 2019 VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $24.95

The Food: In the tasting room itself there was a scooped-out half-wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano with chunks of cheese. Outside, there were four stations: Grano Duro pasta by hand with elbow rigatoni ragu and polenta-filled twisted bows (culurgiones); Tutto Pronto with eggplant parmigiano and mozzarella sliders, truffled sauteed mushrooms on grilled crostini, and artichoke crostini with lemon ricotta; Mattachioni supplied a brilliant porchetta bun with pepperoncini; Francobello did a butternut squash risotto with peas and mushrooms. Rufino Espresso provided the coffee, while GP8 provided the bottled oxygen water.
The Downside: lots of people, lots of chatter, and the 160 page catalogue was enormously heavy to play with (but useful, of course!).
The Upside: a chance to re-connect with Stem and some of its producers who I have not seen for three years.
The Contact Person: tania@stemwinegroup.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93.


** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  now through Sunday January 1, 2023 --
 
Fizz+224766    Chateau des Charmes Brut Methode Traditionelle  normally $25.95 now    $21.95 save $4
Fizz+48793    L.Bouillot Perle D'Aurore Rose Cremant Bourg  normally $23.95 now $21.95 save $2
Fizz+370361    Tawse Riesling Sparkling Limestone Ridge  VQA normally $21.95 now $19.95 save $2
Fizz+147504    13th Street Cuvee Rose Brut VQA normally $29.95  now     $26.95 save $3
Fizz+687582    S. Margherita Prosecco Di Valdobbiadene Brut  normally $20.95    now $18.95 save $2
White+608653 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Russian  River Ranches normally $29.95 now $26.95 save $3
Red+413179    Zenato  Amarone Classico Valpolicella  normally $54.95 now $49.95 save $5
Red+149237    The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy Ripasso Style  VQA normally $19.95    now $16.95 save $3
Splurge+708982 Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon     normally $89.95 now  $84.95 save $5
Splurge+996405 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon normally  $69.95    now $64.95 save $5


MAJOR THEME:   Pop, sparkle, sip: Celebration Wines

Wines Under $20  [of what I tasted,  none to recommend]
=========

Wines Over $20
=========   
W+707950    ATTEMS PINOT GRIGIO    2021    DOC Friuli $20.95  MVC/QPR: 89
R+638312    FONTANAFREDDA LANGHE NEBBIOLO    2020    Piedmont    DOC $20.95 MVC/QPR:  90
R+426833    COLCHESTER RIDGE CREW MERITAGE    2018    VQA Lake Erie North Shore     $21.95  MVC/QPR:  89
R+73817    RUTHERFORD RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON    2019    Napa Valley $43.95
MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+53215    BELCANTO DI BELLUSSI SPECIAL CUVÉE EXTRA DRY PROSECCO DI VALDOBBIADENE SUPERIORE     Veneto DOCG $21.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+18133    CHARLES MIGNON CUVÉE COMTE DE MARNE BRUT GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE  $69.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+15688    BENJAMIN BRIDGE MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ        Nova Scotia    Traditional method $34.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+234161    JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE GRAND RESERVE BRUT SPARKLING    2017    Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula  $29.95  MVC/QPR: 91
Fizz+142679    13TH STREET PREMIER CUVÉE SPARKLING    2015    Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula $39.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism

Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures