Oz ~ great, powerful, diverse - May 11, 2013 VINTAGES release

May 11, 2013 - VINTAGES

In this release, May 11, 2013, VINTAGES release features:

• Australia the great, powerful & diverse: Barossa, Victoria, New South Wales & Margaret River
• rosés on the menu
• local talent: EPIC (Essex Pelee Island Coast) win

Recently, I have noticed that the price point of new releases is somewhat higher so I'm changing my focus for my selections.  In the past, I made a list of those most likely to make it into my bag but that leaves many intriguing choices out.  As always, my picks usually sway towards something I haven't tried before - I always like to expand my sommelier horizons.  Having said that I'm a sucker for a good wine for sipping.  Bolded text continues to indicate what caught my eye. An → signifies that it is most likely going in my shopping bag.  Please follow along as I go page by page.

My picks include ...

DOMAINE D'ORFEUILLES BRUT VOUVRAY VINTAGES 319954 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Beautifully flavourful and satisfying sparkling Vouvray with notions of lemon meringue pie, spring flowers, apricot, nectarine and freshly baked biscuits. Zippy and fresh in the mouth, with bright acidity and lively bubbles giving plenty of effervescence around a deeply fruity core. Enjoy with seafood tempura or warm lemon scones. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

CAVE SPRING ESTATE CSV CHARDONNAY 2010 VINTAGES 256552 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Delicious and wonderfully priced! Juicy chardonnay that gives and gives and gives. Mouth-watering first peaches of the season. Food matches: fresh Ontario corn hot off the barbecue and drizzled in butter. Score - 91. (Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com, Sept. 29, 2012)"

→ VINELAND ESTATES CHENIN BLANC 2011 VINTAGES 227033 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Description: "This is an extremely rich and unctuous white with layers of pleasurable fleshy peach, dry apricot and pear. Love it. Never knew that Niagara could do Chenin like this. You don't have to chill this wine as much as you might other whites as it's so aromatic (too much cold will numb those). Food matches: grilled chicken, paella, squash soup, pasta, Asian chicken salad, mild to medium curries. Drink: 2009-2016. Score: 92 (Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com, Jan. 4, 2013)"

COLCHESTER RIDGE CREW CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 VINTAGES 328385 | 750 mL bottle Price $25.00 - LCBO Tasting Note: "... It has a dark ruby colour and on the nose the hallmark Lake Erie North Shore ('LENS') rhubarb hovering about in the background in a bit of a raw yet totally harmonious mix of blueberries, black cherries and cassis encased in a lusty smoky frame ... Grab a case and let it age until 2017 ... On the palate a thick marching phalanx of sweet rhubarb, dark chocolate, cherry cola with some tobacco and a hint of percolated Colombian coffee. Despite the 24 months in oak the finish is remarkably clean and precise. The tannins and acids are relatively firm but not overpowering. The finish and body are in the medium range ... Score - 91. (Robert K. Stephen, CSW, windsorsquare.ca, Oct. 25, 2011"

→ TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 172643 | 750 mL bottle Price $15.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "A perennial favourite, this Cabernet Franc-based rosé offers appealing citrus, plum, and strawberry-rhubarb pie aromas with a backdrop of fresh spring meadow. The palate is fruity and lively, fresh and vibrant, with a surge of refreshing acidity. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

IRONY MERLOT 2010 VINTAGES 183186 | 750 mL bottle Price $19.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Lush plum pudding and berry bread aromas with a silky fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a tangy, spicy, boysenberry, nut, and mineral finish with nice chewy tannins. Excellent balanced and vibrant for sipping or paired Asian beef dishes. Score - 90. (tastings.com, Sept. 20, 2012)"

LIBERTY SCHOOL ZINFANDEL 2010 VINTAGES 41095 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "This robust red offers glorious aromas of fleshy ripe purple plums and blueberries. It's succulent, smooth, lip-smacking delicious and full-bodied. Lots of juicy black raspberry on the finish will have you coming back for another top up. The winery practises aggressive canopy management, trimming back the leaves and vegetation on the vines so that more nutrients go to the grapes, which in turn become more concentrated in flavour. Zinfandel is one of the flagship red wines of California, even though it also has its roots in Europe. This is a terrific wine for movie night, especially if you're having meat lovers' or pepperoni pizza. Food matches: hamburgers, cheese, game, Mexican dishes, pizza. Drink: 2012-2015. Score - 91. (Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com, Jan 4, 2013)"

Z ZINFANDEL 2010 VINTAGES 148809 | 750 mL bottle Price $38.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The famous 'Z' Zinfandel is Jeff Runquist's flagship wine. The 2010 vintage, like all previous vintages, comes from the Massoni Ranch in the southwestern end of the Shenandoah Valley in Amador County. Due to its northern exposure and elevation the grapes ripen later in the season and hang on to their acidity and sugar builds up before they are harvested. The result is more extract and tannins and bolder colors. The 2010 'Z' Zinfandel has a gorgeous deep purple color and aromas full of raspberries and plum. This continues on to the flavors where you will also pick up notes of currant, vanilla, hazelnut, mocha and caramel. (Steve Ferree, examiner.com, Dec. 10, 2012)"

LIBERTY SCHOOL ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 276667 | 750 mL bottle Price $16.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "This orange-hued blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache is brimming with notions of raspberry tart, candied orange and smoked paprika. It's sunny, light and lithe and would make a natural companion for paprika chicken. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

CATENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 VINTAGES 985002 | 750 mL bottle Price $19.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The 2010 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon undergoes a five-day cold maceration and is raised for 12 to 14 months in barrel: first, second and third fill. It is a blend of four vineyards and is blended with 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It has a Bordeaux-like bouquet of blackberry, bilberry, graphite and dry tobacco that is well-defined and classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. There is a palpable sense of tension to this Cabernet, which exhibits great precision on the spicy, edgy finish. Full of personality, this comes highly recommended. Drink now-2017. Score - 92. (Neal Martin, erobertparker.com, Oct. 2012)"

SIMONSVLEI JA-MOCHA PINOTAGE 2010 VINTAGES 317974 | 750 mL bottle Price $15.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Moves here [New Generation range] from Hercules range. From pinotage, not as expressively 'coffee' as expected; well-rounded, wild-berry '10 has appeal without gimmicky flavouring. Score - 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Greg de Bruyn, Platter's South African Wine Guide, 2012)"

→ MULDERBOSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 999821 | 750 mL bottle Price $12.95 - LCBO Description: "Bursting with Red Delicious apple, watermelon and strawberry, this lip-smacking pink wine is Certified Sustainable and made from Cabernet Sauvignon. LCBO Tasting Note: Shocking pink in colour, '12 is well balanced, with juicy red fruit, lively acidity. Serve with cold crayfish salad. Score - 3 Stars (out of 5). (Christian Eedes, Platter's South African Wine Guide, 2013)"

→ ZANTHO SAINT LAURENT 2010 VINTAGES 315556 | 750 mL bottle Price $15.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "From one of Austria's most renowned producers, this is a great introduction to the highly aromatic Saint Laurent grape. Such lovely floral aromas, it's like bottled spring, but hold on - that's just the start, there's a good whack of red fruit, cherry, and plum notes as well. Made in an easy-drinking and approachable style that pleases from beginning to end. Try it with a spiced pork dish. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2012)"

DOMAINE DU CHARDONNAY CHABLIS 2011 VINTAGES 183574 | 750 mL bottle Price $19.95 - LCBO Description: "Traditionally styled with the aromas and flavours of green apples, lime zest, lemons and that lovely steely minerality so prized in the wines of Chablis. The palate demonstrates exquisite finesse. Classic Chablis. Perfect tonight with trout almandine, or angel hair pasta in pesto sauce."

DOMAINE SERGE DAGUENEAU & FILLES TRADITION POUILLY-FUMÉ 2011 VINTAGES 323634 | 750 mL bottle Price $28.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Fermentation - sometimes entirely indigenous, sometimes incorporating cultured yeasts - is usually finished soon enough at Domaine Serge Dagueneau that the first racking takes place just before Christmas, and the material for what would become their 2011 Pouilly-Fume Tradition was far enough along in its assemblage to assess and offer a composite note on the anticipated final results, which will inform several slightly different bottlings in the course of the year. Sweetly floral perfume suggesting gentian and freesia; ripe apricot and mirabelle; along with a hint of nutmeg make for an exceedingly fetching aromatic display, followed by a correspondingly ripely fruited as well as silken palate impression garlanded with inner-mouth florality and laced with bright lime and grapefruit, all of which lead to a satisfyingly long finish in which hints of spice, pungent green herbs, chalk, chewy citrus rind and piquant fruit pit offer counterpoint to the wine's forward, pliable richness. This will be a delight over the next couple of years. There has been some discussion over the years with importer Peter Weygandt about separating out a second single-vineyard bottling to accompany the Les Pentes, and a tour of this estate's vineyards accompanied by the tasting of - and extrapolation from - several different interim blends in tank, leaves one in little doubt that the results would be memorably delicious, indeed, no less so than those achieved with any of this estate's existing ventures into alternative modes of harvest, vinification, and elevage. Score - 90-91. (David Schildknecht, erobertparker.com, June 2012)"

CHÂTEAU DE CHANTEGRIVE 2009 VINTAGES 321356 | 750 mL bottle Price $34.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "A major sleeper of the vintage, this blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is another 'best ever' performance. Notes of tobacco leaf, hot rocks, sweet kirsch and black currants are impressively displayed in this medium to full-bodied, velvety textured, very seductive style of wine. Drink it over the next decade. Drink: 2012-2022. Score - 90. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Feb. 2012)"

DOMAINE LES GRANDS BOIS CUVÉE PHILIPPINE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2010 VINTAGES 286344 | 750 mL bottle Price $19.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cuvee Philippine is composed of equal parts Syrah and Grenache blended with 15% Carignan from 12-80 year old parcels. Bottled unfiltered, it exhibits an opaque purple color along with a deep nose of black currants, black cherries, licorice and lavender. Complex, medium to full-bodied, rich and dense, it is a heck-of-a-bargain that should drink nicely for 3-4 years. Score - 91. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Aug. 2011)"

CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L'ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 319392 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "A blend of primarily Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvédre with some Grenache and Cabernet. This starts off with a delicate raspberry and red cherry profile on the nose, nicely accented by red and white roses. Quite zesty with a savoury herbal character that supports the red fruit through to the finish. Elegant, lithe and refreshing. Sip or enjoy with mild chickpea curries. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

→ MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 950576 | 750 mL bottle Price $14.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The nose offers good depth of red apple, red and dark cherry, and a pretty garrigue note. The palate delivers a certain gravity and vitality with quite big and bold red-fruit flavours and a substantial juiciness. The finish is dry and crisp with some herbal tones and a lip-smacking tanginess. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE LA FORÊT ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 219840 | 750 mL bottle Price $13.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "This is a blend of Negrette, Syrah and Gamay. Aromas of wild strawberries, watermelon and some red bell pepper make for a very pleasing nose. The palate is simply awash in red fruit, but the acidity works to keep everything balanced and within the frame. This is sunshiny-lightness and goodness in a bottle. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

DR. PAULY-BERGWEILER BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING AUSLESE 2010 VINTAGES 678011 | 750 mL bottle Price $29.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Quite a complex nose of mineral oil, lime cordial, paraffin wax, with a touch of poached pear. Delicately sweet with grapefruit, lime, and pear followed by a surge of refreshing acidity. The finish is long and smooth with a pleasant minerality. If you are looking to pair a wine with sushi or spicy Vietnamese cuisine then this is the one for you. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

PELASSA SAN VITO ROERO ARNEIS 2011 VINTAGES 317172 | 750 mL bottle Price $19.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Arneis is a white indigenous grape of Piedmonte. Due to complexity and its [prestigious] neighbourhood, it's also known as Barolo Bianco. Tropical fruit, floral notes and citrus zest on the nose, it delivers a stunning wash of beautifully balanced flavour - succulent white peach, ripe pear and green apple interlaced with minerality and racy, lip-smacking lemon tang. It's mid weight with generous mouth feel and mouth-watering finish. Score - 4 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, winecurrent.com, May 26, 2012)"

I smashed a bottle of this at work yesterday ... I can assure you that the aromas are heavenly! TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA 2007 VINTAGES 713354 | 750 mL bottle Price $29.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Beginning to show some maturity, the nose here has touches of saddle leather, dried cranberry and cherry pie layered on sour cherry, pomegranate and cinnamon notes. The tannins are quite sinewy and are softening nicely around a core of plentiful red fruit. Try this with a charcuterie platter or a rabbit stew. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

ZENATO BARDOLINO CHIARETTO ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 45203 | 750 mL bottle Price $12.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "Fans of Valpolicella will be pleased to know that some old friends, namely, Corvina and Rondinella, are two of the grapes used to make this rosé. This wine was allowed only a few hours' rest on the grape skins. It's got a very light spritz when first poured. Subtle notes of maraschino cherry, candy apple, raspberry, and strawberry on the nose. There is a gentle kiss of sweetness on the soft, juicy palate and more dynamic flavour than the nose suggests. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

LA MARQUESA VALSERRANO RESERVA 2007 VINTAGES 314963 | 750 mL bottle Price $25.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The 2006 Valserrano Reserva was a small production and is already sold out. The 2007 Valserrano Reserva is Tempranillo from older vines blended with some Graciano raised for around 20 months in American and French oak. The nose is well-defined with notes of dark chocolate, dark berry fruits, a touch of mint and singed leather. The palate is medium-bodied with lively red berries intermixed with orange peel and white pepper on the entry. It is well-balanced with good volume, fanning out nicely with some cloves and sage towards the finish that is crisp and does not outstay its welcome. Drink 2013-2018. Score - 91. (Neal Martin, erobertparker.com, Aug. 2012)"

SAN JOSÉ DE AGUARÓN MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS RESERVA 2006 VINTAGES 166579 | 750 mL bottle Price $14.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The 2006 Reserva is a blend of 70% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo, and 10% Carinena aged in barrel for 12 months. Spice box, pepper, violets, mineral, black cherry, and plum aromas are followed by a ripe, plush, pleasure-bent red that has enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. Drink this outstanding value over the next 6-7 years. Score - 90. (Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, June 2011)" 

→ VINOS SIN LEY PUERTA BONITA GARNACHA 2009 VINTAGES 132266 | 750 mL bottle Price $18.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "The 2009 Puerta Bonita (G5) is made from 120-year-old Garnacha vines. Dark ruby, on the nose it displays baking spices, wild berries, and cherry blossoms. This leads to an intensely flavored, concentrated offering displaying the essence of the Garnacha fruit from which it was made. It contains a bit of structure and might actually deliver a bit more complexity with a year of bottle aging. However, there is really no reason to hesitate. This is a superb value. Score - 91. (Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, April 2010)"

→ MUGA ROSÉ 2012 VINTAGES 603795 | 750 mL bottle Price $12.95 - LCBO Tasting Note: "A rich blend of Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo, and Viura that offers up lively red berry, rosewater, citrus, and peach notes. The fruit on the palate presents a sweet-and-tangy complexity backed by bright acidity. A very nice, crisp finish that conjures up some apple towards the end. A fine, versatile rosé that will definitely make some friends at the dinner table. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)"

So there you have my very long list from May 11th VINTAGES release.  You may notice that the bulk of what is going in my shopping bag is rosé ... I simply adore rosé!

sit. sip. savour.
Éva Nagy - accredited sommelier & yummy food enthusiast