WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 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 https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor 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 WORLD WINE WATCH NEWSLETTER ONLINE No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.
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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).
MAJOR THEME: Ontario Wines
Wines Under $20
Rose+117861 FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 MVC/QPR: 91
W+388363 HÃHÃ SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 New Zealand Marlborough, South Island $19.95
MVC/QPR: 89
W+17703 LITORALE VAL DELLE ROSE VERMENTINO 2022 Italy Tuscany DOC Maremma Toscana $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+492470 VINEDRESSERS CABERNET SAUVIGNON/PETIT VERDOT 2016 VQA South Islands, Lake Erie North Shore $19.95 MVC/QPR: 88
R+443374 RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 South Africa WO Stellenbosch $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+30134 CHÂTEAU DE GOURGAZAUD CUVÉE MORGANE MINERVOIS 2020 Languedoc AP $14.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Wines Over $20
Fizz+28978 KEW VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY CUVÉE SPARKLING 2016 Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $23.95 MVC/QPR: 94 [my FAVE, best choice]
Fizz+175588 GRAHAM BECK MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE BRUT PINOT NOIR/CHARDONNAY ROSÉ SPARKLING South Africa Traditional method, WO Western Cape, $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+32212 GARDET BRUT RÉSERVE 1ER CRU CHAMPAGNE $54.95 MVC/QPR: 90
W+669531 MICHEL GASSIER EMBRUNS DE VIOGNIER 2022 Languedoc IGP Pays d'Oc $21.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+183491 HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2019 VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment $24.95 MVC/QPR: 91
W+269258 A TO Z WINEWORKS CHARDONNAY 2022 Oregon $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+38117 VINELAND ESTATES ELEVATION ST. URBAN VINEYARD RIESLING St. Urban Vineyard, VQA Niagara Escarpment $22.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+33894 LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE PINOT NOIR 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+523001 CAVE SPRING ESTATE GROWN CABERNET FRANC 2021 Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment $20.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+634881 NEDERBURG THE BREW MASTER 2019 South Africa WO Western Cape $26.95 MVC/QPR: 90
R+32491 PIO CESARE NEBBIOLO 2020 Italy Piedmont DOC Langhe $44.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+586388 MICHELE CHIARLO TORTONIANO BAROLO 2018 Piedmont DOCG $49.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+10360 FRESCOBALDI TENUTA PERANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 Tuscany DOCG $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+922054 TENUTE SILVIO NARDI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2017 Tuscany DOCG $52.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale Sept 10 through Saturday October 7.:
W+250699 Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi Piedmont, now $19.95, save $3.
W+326728 Oyster Bay Chardonnay Marlborough NZ, now $18.95, save $3
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend Riesling Beamsville VQA, now $18.95, save $3
R+167189 Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz, now $20.95, save $3
R+63891 Emiliana Coyam Organic Red Blend Colchagua Chile, now $31.95, save $3
R+322586 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile, now $19.95, save $3
R+590414 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough NZ, now $19.95, save $3
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Season ---
REPORT ON THE WINES OF PORTUGAL trade show, June 2023...
The Event: Wines of Portugal: food & wine experience in Toronto
The Venue: ROM
The Target Audience: wine trade
The Availability/Catalogue: it was a full book of some 60 pages, containing 32 wineries and over 300 wines. There was a description of the ten most widely used grape varieties (out of 250 grape varieties in total) plus some indices. The table numbers ran in accord with the page numbers of the producers in the book. Each entry had full contact deets of addresses, phone numbers, agents, local names, and the like (plus a small map indicating regions). Each wine was listed by name, with year, region, and grapes. Prices were not available.
The Quote/Background: the book was excellent, except for the lack of prices.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines, missing most of the reds. Agents are listed in parentheses.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Vicente Faria Vinhos Animus 2022 Vinho Verde
-Soito Encruzado Reserva 2021
-Niepoort Redoma Reserva Branco 2021 Douro $61 (Le Sommelier)
-Azores Wine Co. Arinto dos Acores 2018 and 2021 $60 (Le Sommelier)
-Sao Luiz Winemakers Collection Folgazao & Rabigato Branco 2018 Douro (Wineworld)
-Sogevinus Veedha 2020 Red Douro +31197 LCBO $15.95 (Amethyst)
-FitaPreta Palpite Branco Reserva 2021 $44 VR Alentejano (Le Sommelier)
-Macanita Vinhos Tinto Reserva 2020 $45 Douro (Le Sommelier)
-Quinta do Mondego Branco 2019
-Quinta do Mondego Munda Encruzado Branco 2020
-J.Portugal Ramos Family Duorum Colheita Branco 2021 (Sylvestre)
-Cartuxa EA Bio 2021 (FWP Trading)
-Casa Relvas Herdade Sao Miguel Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2022
-Casa Relvas DOC Vidigueira Branco 2022
-Boas Quintas Opta Dao Encurzado 2022
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Arinto Branco Reserva 2021
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2021
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Blanc de Noir Cuvee Brut 2014 [my fave]
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Obra Prime 2022 Vinho Verde (Perigon beverage)
-Soito Espumante Blanc de Noirs 2019
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Blanc de Noirs Brut NV
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Rose Brut NV
-Enoport Caves Velhas Romeira Chardonnay 2020 Lisboa
-Enoport Cabeca de Toiro Reserva 2022 Tejo
-Quinta do Casal Branco Falcoaria Colheita Tardia 2016 Tejo [late harvest]
-Sao Luiz Branco 2022 Douro (Wineworld)
-Sao Luiz Reserva Branco 2021 Douro (Wineworld)
-Dialogo Branco Snow 2021 Douro, $19 (Le Sommelier)
-Dialogo Tinto 2021 Douro, $21 (Le Sommelier)
-NAT'Cool! Primata 2021 Douro $29 1 litre (Le Sommelier)
-Drink Me Nat'Cool Dao 2020 Red $23 l litre (Le Sommelier)
-Fresh from Amphora Nat Cool Branco 2022 (Azureau)
-Falua Reserva Branco 2020
-Churchills Estates Grafite Douro Branco 2021
-Casa Santos Lima Blend Portugal Branco 2022 Lisboa
-Boas Quintas Gandarada Encurzado Branco 2022
-Boas Quintas Fonte do Ouro Branco 2022
The Food: there was a paid event coming up in the evening starting at 6, so we were treated to some awesome food in the afternoon – Four chefs provided excellent samples, in addition to the charcuterie (nice to have smoked duck breast back again) and cheese platters.
-Chef Manuel Vilela (Chiado) gave us some fresh pan-seared cod and porcini, on a bed of lemon risotto;
-Chef Dave Junek (Salt) gave us a large wagyu slider with chimichurri aioli with a side manchego-jambon croquette;
-Chef Martine Bauer (Restaurant Pompette) presented us with a chicken and duxelles vol- au-vent AND a salmon citrus gravlax.
-Chef Rafael Covarrubias (Hexagon in Oakville) gave us a scallop crudo with buttermilk, melon and tarragon and jalapeno, PLUS a salted cod empanada, preserved tomato, nduja, and preserved lemon.
The Downside: it got crowded really fast after the masterclass finished, further antagonized by low lighting from the ceiling.
The Upside: quality food matching quality wine samples.
The Contact Person: www.winesofportugal.com; marketing@viniportugal.pt;
Lumir JARDAK <ljardak@sopexa.com>
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 94
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