WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for the APRIL 30, 2022 BLUE MOON release.

Hey, it's the BLUE MOON release at the LCBO....!!!!

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for APRIL 30,  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 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 recently reviewed wine bottles, from Featherstone (all available NOW at LCBO and winery) --

1.Featherstone Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +89011 Vintages April 30 and and again on October 8: 20% of this wine went into neutral Canadian oak barrel fermentation, leaving 80% for stainless steel. That contributed to the softness and to the muted tones of grassiness. Tropical flowers are accented rather than tropical fruit, and this too adds to its dryness culminating with ending citrus notes for a long finish. It's a great wine for savvy lovers who go for complexity rather than just herbs. At the same time, this allows for more food choices. Only 542 cases. 4g/L residual sugar, 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2.Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 +80234 Vintages Essential: more in the Mosel mode than Rhine wine, this delicious sipper is loaded with a nose of citrus highlights (lemon, plentiful lime, grapefruit) evolving to Ontario orchard fruit on the mid-palate with some minerality and a long lean-ish finish which also makes it nifty food wine for many Asiatic dishes. Medium body, off-dry. Suitable for aging, to get that "petrol" character. 2573 cases made. 10.5% ABV. RS 20.7g/L. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

3.Featherstone Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +89011 Vintages April 30 and and again on October 8: 20% of this wine went into neutral Canadian oak barrel fermentation, leaving 80% for stainless steel. That contributed to the softness and to the muted tones of grassiness. Tropical flowers are accented rather than tropical fruit, and this too adds to its dryness culminating with ending citrus notes for a long finish. It's a great wine for savvy lovers who go for complexity rather than just herbs. At the same time, this allows for more food choices. Only 542 cases. 4g/L residual sugar, 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

4.Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +64618
Vintages Essential: a blend  of 95% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. All US oak was used – 25% new, balance into 1 to 4 year old barrels. Full malolactic fermentation. Medium-bodied with an assortment of tastes of cherry-berries and plums, leafy qualities. Black pepper. Long, long finish showing tart-ish food-loving acid balances. Vegan. Should go well with BBQ veggies. Keep for another few years (I tasted one bottle over a week). 2106 cases. 2.59g/L residual sugar. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

5.Featherstone Estate Winery Red Tail Merlot 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +131540 Vintages April 30 and again on Nov 5: Merlot is still recovering from its dissing by Pinot Noir in the movie "Sideways". But a lot of wineries are still making it. David Johnson the winemaker has here produced a delightfully fruity but dryish (RS 2g/L) drop that is also affordable. Aged 10 months in French oak, 100% malolactic fermentation. Expect black fruit cherry-berry complexity, headed by cassis. Both a patio sipper and a food wine, and ready now for current drinking and accompanying any kind of comfort food. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday May 22 --
 
[red]CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES GAMAY NOIR VQA LCBO +57349 WAS: $ 15.95 |
NOW: $14.45  SAVE: $ 1.50.
[rose]CAVE SPRING DRY ROSÉ VQA LCBO +295006 WAS: $ 15.95 | NOW: $ 13.95 | SAVE: $ 2.00
[white]    PENINSULA RIDGE INOX CHARDONNAY VQA LCBO +594200 | WAS: $ 15.95 |
NOW: $ 13.95 | SAVE: $ 2.00
From the Vintages Catalogue --                     
Rose+559088    Malivoire Ladybug Rose $15.95, normally $17.95, save $2.
Fizz+213983    Cave Spring Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling $29.95, normally $32.95, save $3.
FizzyRose+48793 Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne $20.95, normally $22.95, save $2.

MAJOR THEME: CLASSIC EUROPEAN REGIONS

Wines Under $20
=========
W+89011    FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2021    $17.95 MVC/QPR: 92.
R+131540    FEATHERSTONE RED TAIL MERLOT    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $19.95
MVC/QPR: 92.
R+64618    FEATHERSTONE CABERNET FRANC    Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2020    $19.95      MVC/QPR: 92.
R+14667    CHÂTEAU HYOT RÉSERVE    AC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux    2018    $17.95
MVC/QPR: 89.
R+24210    PELLEGRINO CASALLAIA    IGT Toscana    2018    $17.95     MVC/QPR: 89.
R+548867    CASA SANTOS LIMA COLOSSAL RESERVA    Vinho Regional Lisboa    2018    $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.

Wines Over $20
=========
W+49302    FEATHERSTONE CANADIAN OAK CHARDONNAY    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $24.95  MVC/QPR: 92.
W+184549    LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS CHARDONNAY    VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $44.95  MVC/QPR: 90.
R+573451    CAPRAIA EFFE 55 GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG    2016    $43.95
MVC/QPR: 89.
R+165662    MONTE DEL FRÀ LENA DI MEZZO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO CLASSICO SUPERIORE    DOC    2018  Veneto  $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+460832    WOLFBERGER BRUT CRÉMANT D'ALSACE    Traditional method, AC, Alsace, $20.95 MVC/QPR: 89.

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Toronto Metropolitan University School of Journalism

http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com

REPORT ON NEW WINES FROM FEATHERSTONE ESTATE WINERY – April 22 2022 Earth Day

 

REPORT ON NEW WINES FROM FEATHERSTONE ESTATE WINERY – April 22 2022 Earth Day

 

1.Featherstone Estate Winery Four Feathers 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 +341586 Vintages on May 21 and again on November 19: a summer social sipper or quaffer (and for Thanksgiving too), combining 54% riesling and 18% chardonnay with 15% pinot grigio and 13% gewurztraminer – all highly aromatic grapes. The percentages change from vintage to vintage depending on vineyard conditions. Stainless steel fermentation. Typical fruit flavours to be found include pineapple, melon, lemon, some mango, and some sweet parts of citric tones near the finish. A popular seller with 1282 cases. Incredibly fresh and fruity tones for summer. 14g/L residual sugar. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

2.Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 +80234 Vintages Essential: more in the Mosel mode than Rhine wine, this delicious sipper is loaded with a nose of citrus highlights (lemon, plentiful lime, grapefruit) evolving to Ontario orchard fruit on the mid-palate with some minerality and a long lean-ish finish which also makes it nifty food wine for many Asiatic dishes. Medium body, off-dry. Suitable for aging, to get that "petrol" character. 2573 cases made. 10.5% ABV. RS 20.7g/L. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

3.Featherstone Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +89011 Vintages April 30 and and again on October 8: 20% of this wine went into neutral Canadian oak barrel fermentation, leaving 80% for stainless steel. That contributed to the softness and to the muted tones of grassiness. Tropical flowers are accented rather than tropical fruit, and this too adds to its dryness culminating with ending citrus notes for a long finish. It's a great wine for savvy lovers who go for complexity rather than just herbs. At the same time, this allows for more food choices. Only 542 cases. 4g/L residual sugar, 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

4.Featherstone Estate Winery Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.95 +149302 Vintages October 8: one of my faves. Over the years it has simply gotten better as the grapevines matured. Wild indigenous yeast is used. Good mid-tone oaky component (it is very easy to say it is mid-way between French and US oak) from the use of nearby Canadian oak trees. 10% new oak, 90% 1 to 5 year old. Terrific ripe orchard fruit aromas and palate. Plus vanillin and cream after the mid-palate leading to citric food- friendly finish. Needs more time for balancing, but then at that moment it will be awesome. 14% ABV. 1.69g/L residual sugar. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

5.Featherstone Estate Winery Pinot Grigio 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +20599 Vintages August 13: this is a highly competitive category, but Featherstone goes up very well against the other PGs in Ontario, especially with its slight yellow colour. It's colour and even its taste can slot it into the rose category, or even the "orange" wine area. Typical nuances include off-dry orchard fruit (peach, pear, apple) with some aromatic melon-ish overtones. It is refreshing on the mid-palate, finishing with slightly bitter citric notes. That makes it both a sipper and a food wine, suitable as a  pre-prandial in the summer. There is some Ontario cranberry tartness and some melon sweetness, but also with some peach notes. Stainless steel all the way, with half being pressed immediately and half left to soak on skins before pressing. 10g/L residual sugar. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

6.Featherstone Estate Winery Rose 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.95 +117861 Vintages May 21 and again on September 10: over the years, this rose has had different and varying amounts of grape varieties – all dependent on what wily winemaker David Johnson sees as the best possible blend. In the past it has had pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, as well as gamay noir, merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet franc. This latest vintage (2021) has cabernet sauvignon 33.3%, gamay noir 60%, and pinot noir 6.7%. It's extremely useful for any event, any occasion, with any food, or just alone as a sipper on the beach/patio/deck/terrace/backyard/porch/balcony – even in front of a roaring fireplace (as I did just this week when the snow dropped in High Park North a few days before Earth Day). Expect plenty of red fruit tones in its deliciousness. Great price. 1662 cases. 7g/L residual sugar, 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

7.Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +64618 Vintages Essential: a blend  of 95% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. All US oak was used – 25% new, balance into 1 to 4 year old barrels. Full malolactic fermentation. Medium-bodied with an assortment of tastes of cherry-berries and plums, leafy qualities. Black pepper. Long, long finish showing tart-ish food-loving acid balances. Vegan. Should go well with BBQ veggies. Keep for another few years (I tasted one bottle over a week). 2106 cases. 2.59g/L residual sugar. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Featherstone Estate Winery Red Tail Merlot 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +131540 Vintages April 30 and again on Nov 5: Merlot is still recovering from its dissing by Pinot Noir in the movie "Sideways". But a lot of wineries are still making it. David Johnson the winemaker has here produced a delightfully fruity but dryish (RS 2g/L) drop that is also affordable. Aged 10 months in French oak, 100% malolactic fermentation. Expect black fruit cherry-berry complexity, headed by cassis. Both a patio sipper and a food wine, and ready now for current drinking and accompanying any kind of comfort food. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for APRIL 16, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for APRIL 16, 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 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 Drink Books I Reviewed ---

1.THE CURIOUS BARTENDER'S GUIDE TO RUM (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2017, 2020, 160 pages, $19.95 hardbound) is by Tristan Stephenson. It was originally part of a much larger work in 2017, and now it has been abridged with an expanded Directory of Distilleries. So: there is material on the history of rum, how rum is made, and some recipes for rum cocktails – plus a glossary. Thumbnail sketches all the way and a bargain for under $20. Quality/price rating:  88.

2.WINTER DRINKS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2020, 144 pages, $19.95 hardbound) has been pulled together by Julia Charles. It's a publisher's package of previous preps by several food and drink writers, most notably Louise Pickford with 17 and Julia herself with 16. Eleven other writers also contributed. So here are 75 recipes to warm our hearts, with hot drinks, toddies, part cocktails, and mocktails. Included also are hot chocolates, warm milks, coffee drinks and teas, as well as restorative mulls, revivers and soothers. My fave is the sparkling cocktails. My wife likes the sparkling mocktails. Chacun a son gout. Quality/price rating:  89

3.SUMMER DRINKS; over 100 refreshing recipes to enjoy in the sunshine (Ryland Peters & Small, 2021, 144 pages, $20 hardbound) is an other publisher's project for Ryland Peters & Small. Here 15 UK chefs and food writers give us all the preps (with proper attribution found at the back of the book). The most prolific are Ben Reed (24, a quarter of the total) and Laura Gladwin (20). Julia Charles was the editorial director on this one, and she contributes 13 preps. Arrangement is by style: aperitifs, cocktails, spritzes, coolers, slushies, floats, punches, pitchers, mocktails and juices. More than enough preps for three months of summer!  Quality/price rating:  89

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday April 24...
 
[red] +274753     Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir $34.95, now $31.95, save $3        
[rose] +14882  Arterra Saintly Rose VQA $18, now $15, save $3
[white] +84988  Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay    $26.95,  now $23.95, save $3            
[fizz] +20979 Juliet Prosecco Rose DOC $14.95, now $12.95, save $2
[splurge] +650432  Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino $53.95, now $48.95, save $5        

Wines Under $20
=========
W+928580    SANTA CAROLINA GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY    Sustainable, carbon neutral, DO Valle del Itata    2019    $18.95     MVC/QPR: 92
W+22498    MARIETA ALBARIÑO    DO Rías Baixas    2020    $18.95     MVC/QPR: 89
R+516765    JEAN-PIERRE MOUEIX BORDEAUX    AC    2018    $17.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+354134    CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE LA FORÊT    AP Fronton    2019 $14.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+573519    VILLA PUCCINI RISERVA CHIANTI    DOCG    2016    $15.95     MVC/QPR: 89

Wines Over $20
=========
W+466144    J. MOREAU & FILS CHABLIS    AC    2020    $24.95     MVC/QPR: 89
W+23728    DOMAINE JOEL DELAUNAY CASCA VIN ORANGE SAUVIGNON BLANC    France    2020    $23.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+183764    CAVE DE LUGNY CUVÉE MILLÉSIMÉE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE    Sustainable, traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France    2016    $24.95     MVC/QPR: 89
R+209148    MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA FINCA YGAY RESERVA    DOCa Rioja    2016    $32.95
MVC/QPR: 89
R+33894    LE CLOS JORDANNE VILLAGE PINOT NOIR    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+395855    HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE CABERNET/MERLOT    VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $24.95    MVC/QPR: 89       

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! *

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! *

 

TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE; classic recipes, local secrets (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021, 406 pages, ISBN 978-0-358-08676-5, $50 hardbound) is by Pati Jinich (born and raised in Mexico City), host of Pati's Mexican Table on PBS, now in its tenth season. She's won three James Beard Awards, and is the resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute. It's an enormous tome loaded with all of the classic recipes and local specialties found in the 32 Mexican states. Her arrangement is by food ingredient or course, beginning with soups and then moving on to tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tamales, salsas, guacamole, beans, rice, eggs, seafood, poultry, red meats (including goat), salads and veggies, and concluding with desserts. Throughout there are many cook's tips and notes, and awesome photographs of the plated food. Recipe titles and the index are in both Spanish and English. The over 200 recipes are complete and very easy to follow. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart (hey, there are sale potentials for the rest of the world).

Audience and level of use: those wanting a definitive Mexican cookbook.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: baila con tu mujer, carne asada, sopes con papas y rajas, goat braised with guajillo chiles, tongue tacos, aceigas con chorizo y papas, arroz con elote y poblano, venorio con chuletas de cerdo, turkey chipotle meat loaf, zucchini and corn in poblano sauce, "wedding" stew, scallops in chile water.

The downside to this book: to its detriment, there are no metric conversion charts.

The upside to this book: larger print is a definite plus.

Quality/Price Rating: 94.

 

 

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for APRIL 2, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for APRIL 2, 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 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 I Tasted Over the Past Fortnight, from the agency Majestic Wine Cellars, and all available via consignment   ---

1.Sensi 1890 Collezione Pinot Grigio dell Venezie 2020 AOC High Volume Consignment - $ 15.95: relatively full-bodied for an Italian style pinot grigio, with the emphasis on "yellow": yellow colour, yellow fruit, yellow honey. Full of citric zest, good with food beyond the first course – think peaches and lemons and apples, with some serious tones on the mid-palate. Commingling is back, with citric undertones. Flavours of stone fruit but with some yellow pear drops, rich, mid-palate crispness. Clean citric finish with minerality. Food or appetizer. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2.Rutherford Ranch Morgan Bay Cellars Chardonnay California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $17.95: cork disc closure, well-rounded texture meant to appeal to the American taste palate. There were lemons and pear, but also the softness and taste of a creamy caramel augmented by a Meyer lemon off-sweet mandarin quality. But there is also enough finishing acid for a first course. Otherwise, sip away. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 3.Morgan Bay Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $ 17.95: a great wallop of black fruit (black cherries, blackberries) begins the aromatics and dominates right through to the finish in typical Cali-style. The emphasis is on darkness, with plenty of black fruit and butterscotch tones, with some black pepper spices, and a softish finish to a medium body. Very useful as an everyday cab at a great price point. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

4.Albino Armani 1607 Tenuta di Sequals Sauvignon Friuli-Grave 2020 DOC Consignment - $20.95: very intense aromas, fruity from green fruit and herby but with a medium-body and not like Kiwi Savvy. Citric finish, very useful as a first course white wine. Good with asparagus or smoked fish. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

5.Javier Sanz Vmalcorta Verdejo Rueda 2019 Consignment - $33.95: top-rated at a pre-pandemic Rueda wine trade show in Toronto at 91+ points: higher acid food wine, floral and citric, emphasizing the brighter side of aromatic Spanish verdejo. Very well made with an exceptional, lingering finish. Perhaps best with shellfish such as oysters or mussels, clams. White flesh fish would also be appropriate. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91+ points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

6.Amastuola Primitivo Organic Puglia IGP 2019 Consignment - $20.95: this is a preferred choice from among the basic primitivos in Ontario simply because it is made with organic grapes. Expect that dense, over-the-top zinfandel-type flavour  of jamminess from plums, cherry-berry fruit, with a cinnamon spicy kick. 14%ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

7.Sensi 1890 Collezione Merlot Terre Siciliane IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 15.95: This shows aromatic herbs on the nose,  red fruit (raspberries) and spice, great North American appeal in that merlot is recognizable, modest tannins, balanced on the mid-palate, okay by itself or with food as a first course red.  Velvet smooth finish. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

8.Biscardo Neropasso Rosso Veneto IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 19.95: bright red fruit dominate both its texture and its palate, evoking some minerality that cuts through the balanced fruity cherry tones. Some forest floor; some mocha tones. Intense jammy concentration of dark fruit including plums. Grape pressings are added just before spring, to give it the second fermentation oompf. Great as a sipper or with food or both, ready now at almost three years after the vintage. It was done up in stainless steel fermentation to which malolactic fermentation was employed. And then the second fermentation of ripasso began on the unpressed skins of the leftovers. Food or sip. The company's series includes Rosapasso (pinot noir rose apassimento) and Oropasso (white), all trading off on the "-passo" usage. Good price. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

9.And, from another agent,  +22850    SUNDAY SAIL SAUVIGNON BLANC    Marlborough, South Island    2021    $19.95 is  being released April 2 at Vintages....this is an exceptionally fresh savvy just loaded with citrus peel zest character (think lime, grapefruit, lemon) and that distinctive Kiwi herbal taste. Just released at Vintages, and perfect for summer patio/deck/bbq/outdoors imbibing. Make sure you get some before they run out! Try as a refreshing sipper or (because of its long finish)  with first course foods. I had mine with an herbal salad of microgreens and piquant leaves, chopped hard boiled eggs, and some squash soup with house made croutons. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday April 24...
 
[red] +274753     Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir $34.95, now $31.95, save $3        
[rose] +14882 Arterra Saintly Rose VQA $18, now $15, save $3
[white] +84988 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay    $26.95,  now $23.95, save $3            
[fizz] +20979 Juliet Prosecco Rose DOC $14.95, now $12.95, save $2
[splurge] +650432 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino     $53.95, now $48.95, save $5        

Wines Under $20
=========
W+395228    HENRY OF PELHAM SPECIAL SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL    Sustainable, VQA Ontario    2019    $19.95     MVC/QPR:  89
Fizz+646968    PONGRÁCZ CAP CLASSIQUE ROSÉ    Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+22850    SUNDAY SAIL SAUVIGNON BLANC    Marlborough, South Island    2021    $19.95 MVC/QPR:  91
Rose+559088    MALIVOIRE LADYBUG ROSÉ    VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+391847    THIERRY DELAUNAY TOURAINE SAUVIGNON BLANC    AP    2020    $16.95
MVC/QPR:  89
W+469593    THIERRY DELAUNAY LE GRAND BALLON SAUVIGNON BLANC    IGP Val de Loire    2020    $13.95 MVC/QPR:  89.

Wines Over $20
=========
W+25647    SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC RIESLING Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $22.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+82255    ROGER & DIDIER RAIMBAULT SANCERRE    AC 2019 $31.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+424507     WESTCOTT ESTATE CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Escarpment    2020 $29.95 MVC/QPR: 91
W+28845    CLARENCE DILLON CLARENDELLE BLANC    Inspired by Haut-Brion, AC Bordeaux    2020    $24.95    MVC/QPR: 89
W+140525    DOMAINE BONNARD SANCERRE AC    2020    $26.95    MVC/QPR: 89.
R+427500    WESTCOTT ESTATE PINOT NOIR VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula    2017    $29.95 MVC/QPR: 90
R+157347    ENRICO SERAFINO SANAVENTO BARBARESCO    DOCG    2018    $29.95
MVC/QPR:  89.
Fizz+227009    ANGELS GATE ARCHANGEL BRUT SPARKLING CHARDONNAY    Traditional method, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario    2014    $29.95     MVC/QPR:  89
Port+642058    POÇAS JR. LBV PORT DOP, Portugal    2015    $25.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

DRINK BOOKS OF THE MONTH!

DRINK BOOKS OF THE MONTH!

 

1a.WHEN CONCORD WAS KING! (Tellwell Talent, 2018, 163 pages, $31.87 CAD Amazon.Ca papercovers) is by Jim Warren, an acclaimed amateur winemaker who later started Stoney Ridge Winery, and who in 2000 joined the faculty of Niagara College and assisted with the development of the Vineyard and Winery Management Program, acting as both instructor and winemaker. In 1997 Jim was selected as Ontario winemaker of the year (Ontario Wine Awards) and 10 years later received the Cuvee Award of Excellence for his contribution to the wine industry. As a consultant Jim has assisted with the creation of numerous new wineries and wines in Ontario. "When Concord was King!" is a book exploring the early beginnings of the wine industry in Eastern North America, focusing on Ontario. It's more than just Concord grapes of course – it looks at all the "foxy" tasting grape wines not made from V. vinifera (European varietals). V.labrusca is the most prominent; indeed, it is called the fox grape. Cultivars and hybrids here include Concord, Catawba, Delaware, Dutchess, Niagara, and Isabella. He begins with the "southern fox" – North America's first wine – from Muscadine. He moves through the centuries and arrives in Upper Canada in 1790. A big chunk of the book deals with Ontario developments 1880 – 1980. He walks us through Prohibition, the start of the LCBO, the Depression, the Second World War – and Harry Hatch with Brights. It took until 1951 before vinifera was planted, when chardonnay was grafted onto phylloxera-resistant root-stock. It was later marketed as Pinot Chardonnay. This is a compelling read, made more vivid by Warren's writing style. He's got his reference material cited, a series of glosses in each chapter, and some critical notes and histories of many early Eastern North American grape hybrids. There is no index, which is unfortunate, but if you can get hold of the PDF or ebook version, then word searching should be no problem for all the names and places. Quality/Price Rating: 91.

 

 

1b.FROM CONCORD TO CABERNET! stepping stones and milestones in Ontario's wine making odyssey (soon to appear on Amazon.ca,  like the above book at 1a). It's a sequel from Jim Warren, relating the rest of the story from 1980 through 2020. And it has been forty years of dramatic action. Part one deals with a short history of the immediate period before 1980, with French-American hybrids and indications of the first cottage wineries in Ontario (Inniskillin in 1975, Chateau des Charmes in 1978, and Newark (now Trius) in 1979. Part two covers 1980 through 2000, with the expansion of the cottage wineries building a wine business that was quality-driven with limited production and family-run ownership. By 1980 there were several sources of "wines", such as the labrusca-based port-like and sherry-like wines sand others, the French hybrids, vinifera, and "blend" with Ontario and imported wines. Still, in 1981 vinifera had only a share of 5.6% of all vines. Jim has many stories about the 21 new wineries that existed between 1975 and 1990. He covers the explosion of winemaking in the Lake Erie North Shore region, Ontario icewine, the ethyl carbamate scandal, the blending with imported wine, the threat of NAFTA and government subsidies and competition – all leading up to the beginning of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) after 1990. He comments on the designated viticultural areas and sub-appellations, the 2001 Asian ladybug infestation, and tax reform. This is all intriguing, insightful commentary by an insider who has been in the business for decades. The 1990s saw fruit wines, VQA expansions, consolidation within the industry, the beginnings of agri-tourism and weddings at destination wineries. The decade also saw Brock University and Niagara CAAT take on wine business courses leading to degrees and diplomas, along with the start of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture institute at Brock and an actual producing winery at Niagara. Throughout it all we read about Jim's personal take on sales, marketing taxes, and LCBO listings, as well as life reminiscences and his own winery, Stoney Ridge. Chapter 9 opens part three – the new millennium post-2000. The names and numbers grow – to over 200 wineries across Ontario. But through it all we still must not forget that the five largest wineries in Ontario were responsible for 90% of that province's wine production. And that 20% of industry winemakers in Ontario are owner-operators of their own winery. Ontario winemakers and wineries are an inclusive community with new approaches such as the issue of climate change and global warming, green sustainability and organic/biodynamic principles, equality in hiring practices, making appassimento wines, making orange wines – and sharing all of this with others. To this end, Jim gives a fine appreciation of Larry Paterson, the LCBO employee who took on tasting challenges to show that Ontario wines were just as good as European wines, if not better in some cases. As Jim says, "The story of Ontario wine is not a myth about becoming the "best" or the "greatest" in the wine world but a saga of dinging success and soaring to new heights after a long and determined odyssey to achieve greatness". There are a variety of appendices. Appendix A looks at the current taxes, sales, and distribution of alcohol in Ontario with some great insight in its clear explanation of a complex, complicated subject [not for the faint of heart]. Appendix B lists the Ontario Wine Awards' Winemaker of the Year in chronological order. Appendix C covers the demise of various "ghost" wineries over the past few decades, going back to 1980. And appendix D looks at two decades of progress by VQA Ontario. This is a compelling read, made more vivid by Warren's writing style. He's got his reference material cited, a series of glosses for each chapter, and some critical notes and histories. There is no index, which is unfortunate, but if you find  the PDF or ebook version, then word searching should be no problem for all the names and places. Quality/Price Rating: 95.

 

 

SUNDAY SAIL SAUVIGNON BLANC

+22850    SUNDAY SAIL SAUVIGNON BLANC    Marlborough, South Island    2021    $19.95  is being released April 2 at Vintages....this is an exceptionally fresh savvy just loaded with citrus peel zest character (think lime, grapefruit, lemon) and that distinctive Kiwi herbal taste. Just released at Vintages, and perfect for summer patio/deck/bbq/outdoors imbibing. Make sure you get some before they run out! Try as a refreshing sipper or (because of its long finish)  with first course foods. I had mine with an herbal salad of microgreens and piquant leaves, chopped hard boiled eggs, and some squash soup with house made croutons. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MARCH 19, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MARCH 19, 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 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 REVIEWED:

1.Cantina Goccia 3Q Rosso 2018 Umbria IGT $16.95 LCBO +22878: a basic entry level "SuperUmbrian" wine made with unoaked sangiovese, cabernet and merlot grapes. So there is some red and black fruit and some dark chocolate, augmented at 2 g/L residual sugar. It is available only in a recycled paperboard bottle; there are instructions on the Frugalpac bottle on how to recycle if you are not bringing it back to The Beer Store for a deposit return. It's a great idea, first launched in Italy in June 2020. And it's a more sustainable form of packaging [packaging and transportation is more than half of the wine carbon footprint]. Frugalpac bottles are 94% recycled paper, and are used (with a separate liner) for wines, spirits and olive oils. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2.Windrush Estate Hockley Valley Jim Warren Classic Chardonnay 2018 Foxcroft Vineyard VQA Beamsville Bench $65 at winery, only 80 cases made [2019 is $49.95]: these are indeed the latest Jim Warren Classic Chardonnays available for sale. His chardonnays embrace both an opening aromatic nose and a terrific mid-palate taste of what he is known for: rich stone fruit, some tropicality and orchard fruit, a judicious use of oak, ending with a citric minerality for a strong food wine. Bearing in mind what you get from California and Europe that costs much more, this is a great price for value. 3g/L residual sugar. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

3.Colli Vicentini Romeo Prosecco DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 21434 - $14.95 (on LTO to March 27 $1 off):  this is a cute pairing (see also below), with the regular prosecco as Romeo and the rose prosecco as Juliet from the appropriate Italian region. Off-dry, frizzante style, aperitif or party wine. 100% fruity Glera grapes used, promotes an intense rich floral scent of citric tones and apples. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

4.Colli Vicentini Juliet Prosecco Rose 2020 DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 20979 - $14.95:
  the rose version has the minimum 85% fruity Glera content to allow for 15% addition of pinot nero (noir), and it is vintage dated. Lovely rose colour after a short maceration period. Here we have floral orchard fruits such as peaches, apples, and some pinot quality raspberry tones. Excellent as an aperitif or first course wine with seafood or fish. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

5.Sensi 1890 Collezione Chianti DOCG 2020 LCBO # 20060 - $12.25: About 70% sangiovese grapes with %30 other varieties as allowed by the DOCG rules; these can be balanced in different vintage years. Aged in steel and on its lees for six months, using the micro-oxygenation technique. No wood. Fresh red cherries (slightly sour), spices, useful as a basic entry level wine at this price. Youthful – reminds me of the fiasco di vino that once was used. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

6.Passion of Chile Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Reserva 2020 LCBO # 20904 - $9.95:
opening notes of blueberry, strawberry, caramel. Long finish, great with succulent stew meat dishes. Still needs time to resolve, a hefty thick wine that dominates. Do a decant to open it up. Best for carnivores? You decide.  13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

7.Cantine Carlo Pellegrino Marsala Superiore Garibaldi DOC LCBO # 16180 - $13.80:
just that right touch of carmelized alcohol for a dessert wine full of baked vanilla and figs. Works well with creamy chocolate, eggs zabaglione, shortcakes, ice cream.
18% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value for price...on sale  through Sunday March 27:   
 
[red] +149237 The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy VQA normally $19.95, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] +608653  Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay normally $27.95,  now $24.95, save $3.
[splurge] +995910  Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella Classico normally $39.95, now $37.95, save $2.
[rose]+12641  REMY PANNIER ROSE D'ANJOU AOC normally $ 15.05, now $14.05, save $1.
[fizz] +21434 Romeo PROSECCO Veneto, normally $14.95, now $13.95, save $1.

Featured this month – GREAT CABS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Wines Under $20
=========
W+389262    ZUCCARDI SERIE A TORRONTÉS IP Salta  2020 $16.95 MVC/QPR:  89
W+599274    DR. L RIESLING    Qualitätswein    2020    $15.95     MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+311738    VALLDOSERA BRUT NATURE CAVA    Traditional method, DO, Spain $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+328567    CATHEDRAL CELLAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON    WO Western Cape        $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+337238    CONCHA Y TORO MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Puente Alto    $19.95     MVC/QPR: 89
R+209874    COLUMBIA CREST H3 MERLOT    Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley    2018
MVC/QPR: 89
R+999946    REMO FARINA RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE    DOC    2019    $18.95  MVC/QPR:  91.

Wines Over $20
=========
W+461640    WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS    AC    2019    $30.95  MVC/QPR: 89.
R+261784    PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA    DOP    2017    $21.95 MVC/QPR:  90
R+616433    HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CABERNET/MERLOT    VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $39.95     MVC/QPR: 89
R+353201    RUFFINO RISERVA DUCALE ORO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG    2017    $49.95    MVC/QPR: 89

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

RE: RECENT MAJESTIC WINES CONSIGNMENT AND LCBO PICKS -

Grazie Mille Mr. Tudor…very nice and kind of you as always!!

I look forward to seeing you at the Portuguese tasting next month

Salute,

Vince

 

From: Dean Tudor <dtudor@pathcom.com>
Sent: March 12, 2022 1:29 PM
To: blog1 <dtudor2.epicures@blogger.com>
Subject: RECENT MAJESTIC WINES CONSIGNMENT AND LCBO PICKS –
Importance: High

 

RECENT MAJESTIC WINES CONSIGNMENT AND LCBO PICKS –

 

1.Sensi 1890 Collezione Pinot Grigio dell Venezie 2020 AOC High Volume Consignment - $ 15.95: relatively full-bodied for an Italian style pinot grigio, with the emphasis on “yellow”: yellow colour, yellow fruit, yellow honey. Full of citric zest, good with food beyond the first course – think peaches and lemons and apples, with some serious tones on the mid-palate. Commingling is back, with citric undertones. Flavours of stone fruit but with some yellow pear drops, rich, mid-palate crispness. Clean citric finish with minerality. Food or appetizer. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

2.Rutherford Ranch Morgan Bay Cellars Chardonnay California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $ 17.95: cork disc closure, well-rounded texture meant to appeal to the American taste palate. There were lemons and pear, but also the softness and taste of a creamy caramel augmented by a Meyer lemon off-sweet mandarin quality. But there is also enough finishing acid for a first course. Otherwise, sip away. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

3.Morgan Bay Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $ 17.95: a great wallop of black fruit (black cherries, blackberries) begins the aromatics and dominates right through to the finish in typical Cali-style. The emphasis is on darkness, with plenty of black fruit and butterscotch tones, with some black pepper spices, and a softish finish to a medium body. Very useful as an everyday cab at a great price point. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

4.Albino Armani 1607 Tenuta di Sequals Sauvignon Friuli-Grave 2020 DOC Consignment - $20.95: very intense aromas, fruity from green fruit and herby but with a medium-body and not like Kiwi Savvy. Citric finish, very useful as a first course white wine. Good with asparagus or smoked fish. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

5.Javier Sanz Vmalcorta Verdejo Rueda 2019 Consignment - $33.95: top-rated at a pre-pandemic Rueda wine trade show in Toronto at 91+ points: higher acid food wine, floral and citric, emphasizing the brighter side of aromatic Spanish verdejo. Very well made with an exceptional, lingering finish. Perhaps best with shellfish such as oysters or mussels, clams. White flesh fish would also be appropriate. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91+ points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

6.Amastuola Primitivo Organic Puglia IGP 2019 Consignment - $20.95: this is a preferred choice from among the basic primitivos in Ontario simply because it is made with organic grapes. Expect that dense, over-the-top zinfandel-type flavour  of jamminess from plums, cherry-berry fruit, with a cinnamon spicy kick. 14%ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

7.Sensi 1890 Collezione Merlot Terre Siciliane IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 15.95: This shows aromatic herbs on the nose,  red fruit (raspberries) and spice, great North American appeal in that merlot is recognizable, modest tannins, balanced on the mid-palate, okay by itself or with food as a first course red.  Velvet smooth finish. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Biscardo Neropasso Rosso Veneto IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 19.95: bright red fruit dominate both its texture and its palate, evoking some minerality that cuts through the balanced fruity cherry tones. Some forest floor; some mocha tones. Intense jammy concentration of dark fruit including plums. Grape pressings are added just before spring, to give it the second fermentation oompf. Great as a sipper or with food or both, ready now at almost three years after the vintage. It was done up in stainless steel fermentation to which malolactic fermentation was employed. And then the second fermentation of ripasso began on the unpressed skins of the leftovers. Food or sip. The company's series includes Rosapasso (pinot noir rose apassimento) and Oropasso (white), all trading off on the “-passo” usage. Good price. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

9.Colli Vicentini Romeo Prosecco DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 21434 - $14.95 (on LTO to March 27 $1 off):  this is a cute pairing (see also below), with the regular prosecco as Romeo and the rose prosecco as Juliet from the appropriate Italian region. Off-dry, frizzante style, aperitif or party wine. 100% fruity Glera grapes used, promotes an intense rich floral scent of citric tones and apples. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Colli Vicentini Juliet Prosecco Rose 2020 DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 20979 - $14.95:  the rose version has the minimum 85% fruity Glera content to allow for 15% addition of pinot nero (noir), and it is vintage dated. Lovely rose colour after a short maceration period. Here we have floral orchard fruits such as peaches, apples, and some pinot quality raspberry tones. Excellent as an aperitif or first course wine with seafood or fish. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Sensi 1890 Collezione Chianti DOCG 2020 LCBO # 20060 - $12.25: About 70% sangiovese grapes with 30% other varieties as allowed by the DOCG rules; these can be balanced in different vintage years. Aged in steel and on its lees for six months, using the micro-oxygenation technique. No wood. Fresh red cherries (slightly sour), spices, useful as a basic entry level wine at this price. Youthful – reminds me of the fiasco di vino that once was used. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

11.Passion of Chile Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Reserva 2020 LCBO # 20904 - $9.95:  opening notes of blueberry, strawberry, caramel. Long finish, great with succulent stew meat dishes. Still needs time to resolve, a hefty thick wine that dominates. Do a decant to open it up. Best for carnivores? You decide.  13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

13.Cantine Carlo Pellegrino Marsala Superiore Garibaldi DOC LCBO # 16180 - $13.80: just that right touch of carmelized alcohol for a dessert wine full of baked vanilla and figs. Works well with creamy chocolate, eggs zabaglione (!!), shortcakes, ice cream.  18% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

RECENT MAJESTIC WINES CONSIGNMENT AND LCBO PICKS –

RECENT MAJESTIC WINES CONSIGNMENT AND LCBO PICKS –

 

1.Sensi 1890 Collezione Pinot Grigio dell Venezie 2020 AOC High Volume Consignment - $ 15.95: relatively full-bodied for an Italian style pinot grigio, with the emphasis on "yellow": yellow colour, yellow fruit, yellow honey. Full of citric zest, good with food beyond the first course – think peaches and lemons and apples, with some serious tones on the mid-palate. Commingling is back, with citric undertones. Flavours of stone fruit but with some yellow pear drops, rich, mid-palate crispness. Clean citric finish with minerality. Food or appetizer. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

2.Rutherford Ranch Morgan Bay Cellars Chardonnay California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $ 17.95: cork disc closure, well-rounded texture meant to appeal to the American taste palate. There were lemons and pear, but also the softness and taste of a creamy caramel augmented by a Meyer lemon off-sweet mandarin quality. But there is also enough finishing acid for a first course. Otherwise, sip away. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

3.Morgan Bay Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon California 2019 High Volume Consignment - $ 17.95: a great wallop of black fruit (black cherries, blackberries) begins the aromatics and dominates right through to the finish in typical Cali-style. The emphasis is on darkness, with plenty of black fruit and butterscotch tones, with some black pepper spices, and a softish finish to a medium body. Very useful as an everyday cab at a great price point. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

4.Albino Armani 1607 Tenuta di Sequals Sauvignon Friuli-Grave 2020 DOC Consignment - $20.95: very intense aromas, fruity from green fruit and herby but with a medium-body and not like Kiwi Savvy. Citric finish, very useful as a first course white wine. Good with asparagus or smoked fish. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

5.Javier Sanz Vmalcorta Verdejo Rueda 2019 Consignment - $33.95: top-rated at a pre-pandemic Rueda wine trade show in Toronto at 91+ points: higher acid food wine, floral and citric, emphasizing the brighter side of aromatic Spanish verdejo. Very well made with an exceptional, lingering finish. Perhaps best with shellfish such as oysters or mussels, clams. White flesh fish would also be appropriate. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91+ points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

6.Amastuola Primitivo Organic Puglia IGP 2019 Consignment - $20.95: this is a preferred choice from among the basic primitivos in Ontario simply because it is made with organic grapes. Expect that dense, over-the-top zinfandel-type flavour  of jamminess from plums, cherry-berry fruit, with a cinnamon spicy kick. 14%ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

7.Sensi 1890 Collezione Merlot Terre Siciliane IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 15.95: This shows aromatic herbs on the nose,  red fruit (raspberries) and spice, great North American appeal in that merlot is recognizable, modest tannins, balanced on the mid-palate, okay by itself or with food as a first course red.  Velvet smooth finish. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Biscardo Neropasso Rosso Veneto IGT 2019 Consignment - $ 19.95: bright red fruit dominate both its texture and its palate, evoking some minerality that cuts through the balanced fruity cherry tones. Some forest floor; some mocha tones. Intense jammy concentration of dark fruit including plums. Grape pressings are added just before spring, to give it the second fermentation oompf. Great as a sipper or with food or both, ready now at almost three years after the vintage. It was done up in stainless steel fermentation to which malolactic fermentation was employed. And then the second fermentation of ripasso began on the unpressed skins of the leftovers. Food or sip. The company's series includes Rosapasso (pinot noir rose apassimento) and Oropasso (white), all trading off on the "-passo" usage. Good price. 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

9.Colli Vicentini Romeo Prosecco DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 21434 - $14.95 (on LTO to March 27 $1 off):  this is a cute pairing (see also below), with the regular prosecco as Romeo and the rose prosecco as Juliet from the appropriate Italian region. Off-dry, frizzante style, aperitif or party wine. 100% fruity Glera grapes used, promotes an intense rich floral scent of citric tones and apples. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Colli Vicentini Juliet Prosecco Rose 2020 DOC Extra Dry LCBO # 20979 - $14.95:  the rose version has the minimum 85% fruity Glera content to allow for 15% addition of pinot nero (noir), and it is vintage dated. Lovely rose colour after a short maceration period. Here we have floral orchard fruits such as peaches, apples, and some pinot quality raspberry tones. Excellent as an aperitif or first course wine with seafood or fish. 11.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

10.Sensi 1890 Collezione Chianti DOCG 2020 LCBO # 20060 - $12.25: About 70% sangiovese grapes with 30% other varieties as allowed by the DOCG rules; these can be balanced in different vintage years. Aged in steel and on its lees for six months, using the micro-oxygenation technique. No wood. Fresh red cherries (slightly sour), spices, useful as a basic entry level wine at this price. Youthful – reminds me of the fiasco di vino that once was used. 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

11.Passion of Chile Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Reserva 2020 LCBO # 20904 - $9.95:  opening notes of blueberry, strawberry, caramel. Long finish, great with succulent stew meat dishes. Still needs time to resolve, a hefty thick wine that dominates. Do a decant to open it up. Best for carnivores? You decide.  13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

13.Cantine Carlo Pellegrino Marsala Superiore Garibaldi DOC LCBO # 16180 - $13.80: just that right touch of carmelized alcohol for a dessert wine full of baked vanilla and figs. Works well with creamy chocolate, eggs zabaglione (!!), shortcakes, ice cream.  18% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MARCH 5, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MARCH 5, 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 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 I Tasted Over the Past Fortnight ---

I've been tasting a whack of Chardonnays for the past two years, and I have found some good quality wines for under $20. These are on General List or they are available on a Rolling Release basis. Check to see which LCBO locations have them. Vintage dates do not seem to matter; their style is mainly some nuances of oak, vanilla, orchard fruit, and tropicality with a long citrus finish. Sometimes they go on LTO sale (at $2 off). In order of current price --

-Spier Signature Chardonnay [South Africa] 2g/L residual sugar +487181 $13.05  QPR 89 pts
-Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay [France]  5g/L RS +375071 $16.40  QPR 89 pts
-Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay [South Africa] 2g/L RS +367698 $16.95  QPR 92 pts
-Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay [South Africa] 2g/L RS +328559 $17.95   QPR  92 pts
-Santa Carolina Gran Reserva Chardonnay [Chile] 4g/L RS +928580 $18.95  QPR 90 pts
-J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay [California] 5g/L RS +258699  $19.95  QPR 91 pts

There is one consignment Chardonnay that I have made my house white wine:  Darling Cellars Reserve "Quercus Gold" Chardonnay [South Africa; 100% bush vine chardonnay, left on lees for 3 months for fuller mouth feel and complexity]  $14.60 per bottle,  minimum one case: $175.20 cash or cheque, free delivery in Toronto. For queries and orders, email lamprechtinternational@gmail.com.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value for price...on sale  through Sunday March 27:   
 
[red] +149237       The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy VQA normally $19.95, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] +608653  Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay normally $27.95,  now $24.95, save $3.
[splurge] +995910  Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella Classico normally $39.95, now $37.95, save $2.
[rose]+12641  REMY PANNIER ROSE D'ANJOU AOC normally $ 15.05, now $14.05, save $1.
[fizz] +85316 BLU GIOVELLO PROSECCO, normally $16.30, now $14.30, save $2.
Featured this release:  TUSCAN wines

Wines Under $20
=========
W+21984    ATAMISQUE SERBAL VIOGNIER Tupungato, Mendoza     2019    $16.95    MVC/QPR: 89
W+225557    ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC    Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island    2020    $19.95    MVC/QPR: 89
W+107128    DOMAINE DU PRÉ BARON TOURAINE SAUVIGNON BLANC    Sustainable, AC    2020    $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+484139    DOMAINE DU TARIQUET SAUVIGNON BLANC    Vegan, sustainable, IGP Côtes de Gascogne    2020    $13.95    MVC/QPR: 89
W+311563    CANNONBALL CHARDONNAY    California    2020    $19.95     MVC/QPR: 89.

Wines Over $20
=========
R+17704    CANTINA DI MONTALCINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO    DOCG    2016    $39.95 MVC/QPR:  89.
R+48884    COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL CÔTES DU RHÔNE    AC    2019    $29.95    MVC/QPR:  89.
                
Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism