Billy Munnelly – Billy's Best Bottles Wine Blog » Wine Picks

Chardonnay au Francais

Kato — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:14:23 +0000

Here’s a fantastic Chardonnay, and an opportunity to experience the grape in its pure and original form. From the homeland.

Miquel’s Chardonnay has the poise of an athlete and the purity of a saint. It exudes minerality with a capital M. But there’s also a twinkle in the eye. Initial bracing refreshment evolves into pleasantness and charm. Even a little richness. An amazing spectrum of experiences in a non-oaked wine. And an amazing value. Could be in all three of my white wine categories. Could be the best new white wine of the year.

Enjoy before and with a light supper.

wine style/allrounder
Laurent Miquel 08 Chardonnay, VDP d’Oc, France 157909 $11.95

LCBO Vintages Saturday September 4

Kato — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:17:42 +0000

THE LOW DOWN: For many, this will be the first opportunity to experience a really good wine from Prince Edward County. Malivoire Sauvignon is another excellent local white, and I’m delighted to have my first ever recommendation of a Hungarian red.

Rhone Reds are the feature and you should be stocking up on these for winter warmth – this year and next. Cotes du Rhone, and its Villages, are France’s contribution to rich red at working peoples prices. The spicy/peppery nature gives the wine vitality so it does not tire with richness. They feel drier and more refreshing than rich reds from the New World. Flavours are complex and characterful as most wines are a blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes (sometimes more), from old vines, grown in old soils under lots of warm sun. Get some Rhone and be happy.

WHITES
wine style: fresh white
MALIVOIRE 09 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Guilty Men’, VQA Niagara 186254 $19.95
Bright and breezy Sauvignon – wonderfully refreshing without being too loud. Late summer patio lunch as aperitif. A bit pricey but always great to see quality locals.

wine style: rich white
HUFF ESTATES 07 Chardonnay ‘South Bay’, VQA Prince Edward County 88955 $29.95
Characterful Chardonnay – lots of intensity and flavour – without feeling too heavy or rich. The Burgundian style – experiencing the voice of the soil. Something deeper and more exciting than fruitiness. Enjoy with a fall supper of roast chicken. Drink NOW. This is not a keeper.
P.S. This wine has won just about every Canadian white wine award this year. And impressed the prestigious British wine experts at a big London event. It’s a ‘hot item’ and this is your only chance to buy, as it’s sold out at the winery. On a less complimentary note, I suggest you skip the cheaper Huff Chard in this release.

REDS
wine style: rustic red
TAKLER PINCE 08 Kekfrankos, Szekszard, Hungary 180141 $12.95
Fall is coming – time to start thinking about rustic reds. This has some richness but the appeal is in it’s uniqueness – an easy to like stranger. Cook a hearty meal and let it comfort and intrigue you.

wine style: rich red
THORN-CLARKE 08 Shiraz ‘Terra Barossa’, Australia 595306 $15.95
Monster wine. Shades of Port. Could get you through a nasty winter night.

wine style: rich red
PROMENADE DES PRINCES 07 Plan de Dieu, Cotes du Rhone, France 175745 $12.95
Great combination of flavours, richness and earthiness. Mature lushness but still vibrant. What a deal for winter drinking.

wine style: rich red
RESERVE DES ARMOIRIES 07 Cotes du Rhone, France 175653 $12.95
Peppery, lush with a warm fireside feeling. A slight sweetness adds to the yumminess. Another great value.

wine style: rich red
CHATEAU SAINT MAURICE 07 Laudun, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, France 177576 $14.95
A whopper. The heft and warmth of an Amarone. Sip this after dinner.

wine style: rich red
PERRIN & FILS 07 Cairanne, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, France 650960 $17.95
Richness, spicy/peppery flavours along with quite the refreshing edge. Warmhearted meets rustic. My kind of wine.

wine style: rich red
VIGNERONS de GIGONDAS 07 ‘La Font Des Grieres’, Rhone, France 175729 $21.95
Huge richness and weighing in at 15% alcohol. A shade more concentrated and serious than the precious wines. Best aged a year or two.

Argentina Goes French

Kato — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:25:26 +0000

Trapiche is red hot. Argentina’s biggest winery has upped the ante to compete with the country’s new upstarts and is sending us fantastic wines. The 09 Syrah combines peppery flavours with richness, and a down-to-earth feeling. The perfect formula for house wine. Because it’s good-with-anything.

If you find that this wine tastes a lot like Cotes du Rhone – you’re absolutely right. The Syrah grape originated in the Rhone, and there is a strong resemblance here.

This is one of the best wine buys of the year.

Trapiche 09 Syrah, Mendoza, Argentina 26898 $8.95

Move Over Beaujolais

Kato — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:40:39 +0000

The light/lively red wine category has a new star. I’ve just finished off the bottle of Folonari Valpol in record quick time. So refreshing and such tasty fruitiness. So simple and so gulpable. So Summery. A hero of the season for sure. Lightly chill and decant into a clear glass bottle so you can enjoy the cherry red colour. And have before dinner.

The Folonari winery is on a roll and expect to see lots of their wines in my 2011 guide book….coming early NOVEMBER! The 21st edition.

wine style: lively red
FOLONARI 09 Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 828 $12.95

Value Priced Local Whites

Kato — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:37:05 +0000

The two big Lake Erie wineries are the kings of value in local wine. Large scale production and a strong everyday focus combines to create wines that can compete with budget priced imports. Especially if you purchase the larger size bottle.

Pelee’s Blanc de Blanc has the invigorating quality of Riesling along with a trace of peachy Vidal flavour. Lots of pucker-power for the big thirst, the big bash, or a hot afternoon on the beach. Pelee is really good at cheapo local.

You’ll find the same low on flavour but big on refreshment quality in Colio’s Moonlight. Shades of a good Italian café wine – at an Italian price. Stick a bottle in the fridge for everyday sloshing. And it’s low alcohol to boot.

Pelee Island 09 ‘Blanc de Blanc’ Vidal/Riesling, VQA Ontario 276170 $9.95 (308585 $16.95/1500ml)

Colio 09 Lake & River ‘Moonlight White’, VQA Ontario 42100 $10.95

LCBO Vintages Saturday August 21

Kato — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:45:36 +0000

THE LOW DOWN: I didn’t get to the Vintages press tasting for this Saturday’s release but here’s a couple of delicious reds I tasted elsewhere. The Rhone is all charm and the Pinotage delivers a bit mre grit. Both are wonderful wines and values – and who knows? They may be the best two wines in this release.

wine style: rich red
LA FERME DU MONT 07 Cotes du Rhone ‘Le Ponnant’, France
171371 $17.95
I grew up drinking Cotes du Rhonme and have never stopped drinking it and encouraging others to do likewise. If you’re not yet converted this bottle should do the trick. Peppery and spicy flavours combine with great vitaltiy for a feeling that is both warmhearted and lively. Rich wine that seduces with charm rather than heft. Equally good with red or white meats. A lovely treat.

wine style: rich red
LAMMERSHOEK 07 Pinotage, South Africa
954594 $18.95
Lammershoek does for Pinotage what Henry of Pelham does for Baco. It puts a charming spin on a rustic grape variety. This combine the lush richness of a Rhone with the earthy feeling of a Portuguese red. Sexy with a light roughness. Wine to flatter any homecooked meal – as it’s more hearty than fancy.

LCBO Vintages Saturday August 7

Kato — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:49:03 +0000

THE LOW DOWN: South and central Italy is the feature and I’m recommending four wines which deliver something different – along with great value. Beaujolais, Chianti, Pinot and a blockbuster Syrah are my red picks. A buy of the year is Graham Beck sparkling Rosé and Mike Weir sparkling is worth checking out. Malivoire Ladybug Rosé is almost a Niagara icon, while Stratus does Rosé in a dinner party style – substantial.

WHITES
wine style: nice & easy white
AGRIVEREE 09 Trebbiano ‘Natum’, Abruzzo, Italy 179267 $11.95
The humble Trebbiano grape puts on a dazzling show! Gentle breeze feeling. Zesty with refreshing mineral and herbal flavours. Could be related to Sauvignon Blanc. Organic. This is about the 11th Italian white I’ve recommended this year.

wine style: nice & easy white
MARCHETTI 08 Verdiccchio, Umbria, Italy 104869 $12.95
One sip and you’ll see why I (and other wise ones) consider Verdicchio to be the most pleasant white wine on the planet. Nice, as in well mannered and charming.

SPARKLING
MIKE WEIR 07 Sparkling Brut, VQA Niagara 187294 $24.95
Really good, Champagne-style Sparkling. For a fancy dinner party. Don’t wait for Mike to win another major!

GRAHAM BECK Sparkling Rosé Brut, South Africa 175588 $17.95
Yeasty, austere Sparkling wine – an elegant apertif. Pretty pink. The Graham Beck winery has consistently produced one of the world’s great values in Sparkling wine. Toast the founder who passed away just last week.

ROSÉ
wine style: dry rosé
MALIVOIRE 09 ‘Ladybug’ Rosé, VQA Niagara 559088 $15.95
Malivoire started the craze and set the standard for local dry Rosé. Each vintage has been a little different of course, but there’s always lots of freshness and fruitiness. This 09 is really yummy.

wine style: dry, rich Rosé
STRATUS 08 Wildass Rosé, VQA Niagara 71712 $19.95
This is really a light red so don’t freak over the price. Shades of a rustic French country wine – in need of a bistro supper. Have it with BBQ’d chicken.

REDS
wine style: lively red
DOMAINE de la MADONE 09 Beaujolais-Villages, France 981175 $13.95
La Madone is always more rustic and earthy than most Beaujolais. Perfect summer red for BBQ’d white meats or seafood.

wine style: lively red
CASTELLO di QUERCETO 08 Chianti, Italy 164798 $12.95
Great to see Chianti in its original form and spirit. Light, vibrant, gutsy – inviting chilling and gulping.

wine style: rich red
SANTA MARIA La PALMA 08 Cannonau ‘Villassunta’, Sardina, Italy 180299 $11.95
Shades of Côtes du Rhone blended with Tawny Port. Pale coloured with mellow, mature flavours. Definitely different, and hugely yummy. Perfect partner for spicy ribs or any well seasoned foods. A bargain, for sure.

wine style: rich red
TERRE di VULCANO 07 Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata, Italy 106302 $14.95
Wonderful mix of rich, rustic and vigour. Southern Italy’s answer to Ripasso. Shades of South Africa too with smokey flavours from volcanic soils. Needs hearty foods – now or over the winter.

wine style: rich red
MONTES 09 Pinot Noir ‘Limited Selection’, Chile 37937 $14.95
Spicy/sweet, lush, sexy red. A bit over-the-top but this is the perfect wine style for any hot ‘n spicy dish. Or just to spice up your life. A huge crowd-pleaser, and value.
P.S. Montes Sauvignon Blanc (32060 $14.95) is also crafted in the over-the-top style – a big lush. Millions will love it.

wine style: rich red
STOLPMAN 07 Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, California 185264 $32.95
Outside my normal price range, but worth the splurge. A blockbuster with peppery, voluptuous flavours. The Santa Ynez Valley produces some of the best Syrah wines outside of France.

Get the Best Rosé – Buy Local

Kato — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:24:30 +0000

In our rush to produce world class whites and reds no one has noticed that we already have a champion in dry Rosé. Light, low alcohol wines with great refreshment and flavour. Wines that hot climate countries simply cannot produce.

I just had lunch with a few glasses of Cattail Serendipity – a perfect blend of refreshment and tasty fruit flavours. Light and playful. Just the thing for any summer moment or event. Check older blogs for more recommended local Rosés.

CATTAIL CREEK 09 Serendipity Rosé, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara (at Vintages and winery)
118059 $14.00

www.cattailcreek.ca

30 Air Miles on Dom

Kato — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:21:40 +0000

Dom Perignon Champagne is currently offering 30 Bonus Air Miles per purchase.

How can you resist?

Invite me over and we’ll celebrate.
(280461 $219.95)

Terrific Torres

Kato — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:45:39 +0000

There is no such thing, but if I had to nominate some candidates for the perfect everyday red, Torres Sangre de Toro would be on my list. It’s produced from Grenache grapes (responsible for Cotes du Rhone’s delicious flavours) but it can also be likened to Pinot Noir. Especially when lightly chilled. It combines lovely berry/spicy flavours with charm and great drinkability. A give-me-more wine. Not too big, not too light – sort of perfect. Especially with white meats, tomato sauced pastas, and party sipping.

Torres Coronas has the same ‘great everyday’ feeling but with more masculinity – more solid. It’s produced from Tempranillo (Rioja grape) and feels like a Cabernet. The perfect burger wine.
Gran Coronas is Torres’s very successful venture into the world of Cabernet Sauvignon. A dazzling, show of richness, flavour, power and charm. Dinner party wine for when you need to impress. And make the steaks taste great.

TORRES 07 Sangre de Toro, Catalunya, Spain 6585 $11.75
TORRES 06 Coronas, Catalunya, Spain 29728 $13.45
TORRES 05 Gran Coronas Reserva, Catalunya, Spain 36483 $18.95 (Vintages Essentials)