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LCBO Vintages Saturday December 10

by Billy on December 9, 2011 in Vintages Picks with No comments

LCBO VINTAGES Saturday December 10/2011
This release is mainly about deluxe stuff for the Holidays, but I did find a few values. However, I’m including some of the fancy bottles too. ‘Tis the season.
P.S. Keep reading this blog for more Holiday drink ideas.

Sláinte.
Billy

 

WHITES
Sparkling
13th STREET ‘Cuvee 13’, Sparkling Brut Rosé, VQA Niagara
147504 $24.95
Classy dry sparkling in pretty pink. What’s not to like! Stylish package too. Parties, aperitif and gift giving.

 

ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT SPARKLING, California
294181 $28.95
Very Champagne-ish. Roederer makes the most elegant Californian bubbly. Great value.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK BRUT RESERVE Champagne, France
36962 $54.95
Always the most toasty, sensual Champagne. For loved ones.
 
WHITES
PETER ZEMMER 10 Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy
95802 $15.95
Gourmet Grigio. Delicate flavours and bags of charm. Refreshing too. Lovely opening act for the Holidays.

 

CHATEAU DES CHARMES 08 Riesling ‘Old Vines’, VQA Niagara–on-the-Lake
277228 $16.95
Off-dry Riesling that’s starting to deliver mature/exotic flavours. Zesty, spicy and delicious. Sip anytime. You’ll be hugely popular pouring this over the Holidays.
 
G. MARQUIS 08 Chardonnay, ‘Silver Line’, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
258681 $16.95
Chard for the seasoned drinker. Earthy, savoury and really good with food. Crafted in the very dry, traditional style. Dinner party wine.
P. S. G. Marquis is a new brand by Magnotta winery.

 

REDS
CLOSSON CHASE 09 Pinot Noir, VQA Prince Edward County
145888 $39.95
Here’s the deal. This is classic County wine that should appeal to the Pinot fan. Crafted in the pure, Burgundian style – feels tight/austere right now, but with a year or two of cellaring it should be a wonderful partner for grilled or roasted meats.
 
OSOYOOS LAROSE 07 RED, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
662759 1500ml/$99.95
Don’t flip out – this is a big bottle. And a candidate for gifting or cellaring, rather than a bash this month. Osoyoos is a Canadian/French project set in the desert-like climate of Southern British Columbia. It’s crafted from the five Bordeaux grape varieties by French winemaker Pascal Madevon, and guess what? It’s very similar to Bordeaux. With a hint of the mountainside herbal flavours you find in Rhone wines. Elegance with some earthiness – my favourite combination.
 
SWEET
QUADY Orange Muscat ‘Essensia’, California
299552 375ml/$13.95
Muscat is the hot new white in the US and here’s a delicious sweet edition by a winery that’s been playing the Muscat tune for as long as I’ve been reporting. Gorgeous orange flavours. And value. Chill well and enjoy with your favourite tart. Food, or other.

LCBO Vintages Saturday Nov 26

by Billy on November 25, 2011 in Vintages Picks with 2 Comments

THE LOW DOWN: This release is loaded with big name, hundred dollar-plus wines. I tasted most of them – felt like being in a boardroom. Lots of power. But there’s wasn’t a wine I’d want to splurge on, or invite to dinner.

My picks include some fabulous Holiday wines and a few others for Winter drinking.

Enjoy.

WHITES
Crowd-pleasing bubbly
BELCANTO DI BELLUSSI N/V Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
53215 $17.95
Delicious fruitiness and drinkability. Off-dry and perfect for any Holiday moment.

Oysters or any seafood
GROTTA DEL SOLE 09 Falanghina, Campania, Italy
247940 $15.95
Crisp, pure and refreshing. Not unlike a $25 Chablis. Perfect seafood partner. Falanghina is an underrated native Italian white grape.

Gorgeous sipper
KURT DARTING 08 Riesling Spatlese, Pfalz, Germany
963207 $19.95
Honeyed flavours combined with lemony freshness. Super light with a suggestion of sweetness. Semi sweet but also feels dry. Exotic/sexy but also pure as snow. Welcome to the German Spatlese  (late harvest) experience. Gorgeous anytime sipper. Or partner for the big bird.

 

REDS
Light red for cold nights
REICHSRAT VON BUHL 08 Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany
249649 $19.95
Light Pinot with mature flavours. Woodsy and cuddly. Yes, Germany does Pinot.

Raunchy
ERRAZURIZ 10 Pinot Noir ‘Wild Ferment’, Chile
510396 $19.95
Gamey, raunchy Pinot – strictly for the fan. Drier and more real than most New World Pinots. Needs well seasoned meats, and company. Fermented with natural yeasts – the old fashioned way.

Almost rich red – for almost any situation.
LA FERME DU MONT 09 Cotes du Rhone ‘Le Ponnant’ France
171371 $17.95
Tasty fruit/spice/earthy flavours. And great vitality. Lovely  combination of wine character and sense of fun. Guaranteed to please.

Bistro-style
DUCA DI SALAPARUTA 08 Nero d’Avola, ‘Passo delle Mule’, Sicily
250928 $19.95
If the French grew Nero d’Avola it would be poured at every Bistro in that country. A gutsy red with bright flavours and a drink-lots feeling. Works with just about any food.

Winter nourishment
FATTORIA VALIANO 06 Chianti Classico ‘Poggio Teo’ Tuscany, Italy
250563 $17.95
Mature Chianti with a warmhearted, fireside feeling. Soulful too. Best with grilled meats. Sure to appeal to your Italian spirit.

Really wild
FLAGSTONE 09 Pinotage ‘Writer’s Block’, South Africa
243337 $19.95
Think Baco on steroids. Red wine with intense gamey, backwoods character. Wild and really good at it. A novel experience for a winter night.

Formal local
STRATUS 07 Merlot, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
131003 $42.20
Not the usual flamboyant Merlot, but one crafted the very dry, Bordeaux style. Concentrated and earthy with a traditional/formal dinner party feeling. Deep at first, becoming delicious later. Needs big glassware and a primo roast of beef or lamb. Impressive gift.

 

SWEET
Exotic Aussie Port
GRANT BURGE 10-Year-Old Tawny, Barossa, Australia
58388 $30.95
Feels warm, exotic and powerful. Somewhere between Tawny Port and a liqueur. Lots of Pow! Sip after dinner, or with all the Christmas candy!

Great mixer
ST-GERMAIN Elderflower Liqueur ‘Delice de Sureau’, France
180695 $49.95
The delicate and hard-to-describe flavours in this liqueur put a lovely spin on just about any cocktail. Shake it up with vodka/gin or add to sparkling wine. Stylish Art Nouveau bottle.

LCBO Vintages Saturday Nov 12

by Billy on November 12, 2011 in Vintages Picks with No comments

Billy Munnelly’s recommendations for LCBO Vintages, Saturday November 12, 2011
I’m entertaining more expensive and classic wines as we head into the holiday season. Treats for yourself, to share, or give as gifts. This is a good time of the year to use Vintages.

Continue reading →

LCBO VINTAGES – HOLIDAY WINES

by Billy on November 8, 2011 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with 1 Comment

LCBO VINTAGES – STOCKING UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Wines released October 29, 2011

These and all my November picks will be selected with the Holidays in mind. Start building your stash now so you can relax and enjoy yourself – with a collection of wines that you simply cannot put together on a cold, busy afternoon in mid-December.

Continue reading →

Thanksgiving White

by Kato on October 6, 2011 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

MikeWeirRieslingIn a recent judging competition (blind) I gave a top score to a wine I’d previously recommended here on the blog. Mike Weir Riesling is still available at Vintages and I suggest you grab a few bottles for the weekend. It’s zesty, spicy with a lovely summer day feeling – perfect for our Indian summer weather. My choice in red would be a Niagara Gamay from Malivoire, Henry of Pelham or Angels Gate.

MIKE WEIR 08 RIESLING, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 220286 (Vintages) $14.95

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