All posts tagged Chianti

LCBO Vintages Saturday Jan 21, 2012

by Billy on January 24, 2012 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

This release contains some classic editions of wine styles. A great learning opportunity. While the Argentina Pinot is a great drinking opportunity. As ever, all my picks over-deliver for the price.

WHITE
Wine-style: Fresh White (Classic Riesling)
HENRY of PELHAM 09 Reserve Off-Dry Riesling, VQA Short Hills Bench  557165 $15.95
Precision, poise and performance. A classic Riesling with the sleek, stylish character of a fast German car. Exciting yin yang of tartness and teasing peachy fruitiness. Quite dry and refreshing right now. Riesling fans should cellars a stash for summer patio lunches over the next five years.

 

 

REDS
Wine Style: Lively/Rustic/Rich Red
ALFREDO ROCA 10, Pinot Noir, Mendoza, Argentina 32979 $12.95
Pinot purists stay away. Those looking for something new in lightish reds should get on this right away. I’m calling it my Argentinian Beaujolais. So deliciously gulpable – my bottle was empty in no time. A fun red that I’m stocking-up on for summer events. Best lightly chilled.
Wine Style: Rich Red (Classic Modern Spanish)
BODEGAS CASTANO 06 Reserva ‘Pozuelo’, Yecla, Spain 35485 $14.95
Castano is located in the blazing heat of the south of Spain but this winery manages to produce rich red wines with wonderful fresh flavours and vitality. Not to mention nourishment, mystery and drinkability. Tasty stuff that feels very real. I’ll be drinking lots of this. Yes, it’s from the same winery as La Casona, the $8  bargain at regular LCBOs.

Wine Style: Rich Red (Classic Traditional Spanish)
BODEGAS IGNACIO MARIN 08 Garnacha ‘Old Vine’, Carinena, Spain  214205 $15.95
Crafted in the style of traditional Riojas – lots of vanilla sweetness and old world flavours. Wine that suggests dinner at your favourite Ye Old Mill Restaurant. Not for everyone, but worth exploring.

Wine Style: Rich Red (Classic South of France)
CH. de TREVIAC 08 Corbieres, France  670505 $15.95
France does blockbuster. Really well too. A solid, rich red that’s very together and satisfying. A few years of bottle has brought out some soul. Most New World wineries would charge a lot more for a show this big and interesting. I’ve recommended at least two previous vintages of Ch. Treviac.
Wine Style: Rich Red (Classic Chianti Riserva)
CASA TRIACCA 08 Chianti Classico Riserva ‘La Madonnina’, Tuscany, Italy  191361 $24.95
The woodsy, haunting, rustic feeling of good Chianti Riserva. Satisfying without a trace of excess or adornment. Fit for a King but more of a Country Squire because of the woodsy quality. Best with grilled or roasted meats.

 
P.S. PETALOS 09 Descendientes de L. Palacios, Biero, Spain 675207 $22.95
This red wine (and winemaker) gets rave reviews but I fail to see anything more than density and heft. Sure there’s impact but where’s the drinkability! Maybe in 2–3 years when the wine is less solemn and serious!

LCBO Vintages Saturday November 13

by Kato on November 10, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: I am not able to report on this release because I missed the tasting due to a last minute change in the date. However, I had previously tasted a few of the wines and I’d like to take this opportunity to catch-up on earlier released Italian wines that are still available. All is not lost.

charmesWHITES
Wine-Style: Nice ‘n Easy White
Chateau des Charmes 08 Chardonnay Musque, VQA Niagara-in-the-Lake 640516 $16.95
Chardonnay Musque has become an Ontario speciality and a great example of the distinctive pure quality of local whites. A refreshing non-oaked wine with a delicate hit of Muscat. I’d call it yummy, delightful and fun. Pour this at Holiday events and watch faces light up. Joy to the world.

chiantiREDS
Wine-Style: Rustic Red
Tenuta il Corno 07 Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Tuscany, Italy 123752 $14.95
Another very traditional Italian wine. Earthy, rustic and crying out for the dinner table. With simply grilled or roasted meat.

Wine-Style: Rusticdolcetto Red
Pietro Rinaldi 08 Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Madonna di Como’, Piedmont, Italy 182261 $16.95
My second Dolcetto within a month! A must for fans of traditional very dry, rustic Italian reds. Grabs the taste buds and says let’s eat. Cannot get enough of Italian gusto.

treroseWine-Style: Rich Red
Angelini 07 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ‘Tre Rose’, Tuscany, Italy 963199 $21.95
Vino Nobile is usually serious in style and price, but here’s an exception. Rustic meets charm. A very graceful Tuscan wine with the lighter feeling of Burgundy. At peak now. A Saturday night special for sure. Best from a decanter, and Riedels sitting on linen.

JTWine-Style: Rich Red
Jackson-Triggs 07 Shiraz ‘Delaine Vineyard’, VQA Niagara 86553 $29.95
Crafted in the Rhone style but with enough spicy sweetness to get lots of wows. As exotic as we dare to get in Canada. I love the mix of refreshment and nourishment. Elegant too. I’d go with white meat. A local hero for sure.
P.S. The Delaine vineyard is on the Niagara Parkway and was planted by Donald Triggs (ex Jackson-Triggs) and his partner, Elaine – hence the name. You can find other excellent Delaine wines at WineRack Stores.

FREIWine-Style: Rich Red
Frei Brothers 07 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California 91025 $22.95
Typical Californian Pinot Noir – spicy sweet and sure to seduce. A delicious dose of niceness. You cannot fail for romance, family events or fireside sipping.

LCBO Vintages June 20, 2009

by Kato on June 17, 2009 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: There’s lots of super-rich, crowd-pleasing reds in the Malbec feature – go get em! My single  recommendation is more in the traditional style. As is the wonderful Fontodi Chianti Classico. Something different in a picnic red is the Gamay/Pinot blend from Switzerland. And fans of the juicy Porcupine Ridge will be happy to see a return visit of this South African treat.

The Viognier from Peninsula Ridge and a white from Gascony are must-try charmers for summer drinking. An Aussie and a French dry Rosé completes my  picks. You can never have enough good Rosé on hand!

REDS
andeanrich red
ANDEAN VINEYARDS 07 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 125963 $15.95
Starts out rich and yummy but there’s a solidness too – even a refreshing bite. The manly Argentina experience, with old-style French manners. Wonderful stuff. And organic too.

fontodirustic red
FONTODI 06 Chianti Classico. Italy 933317 $28.95
Fontodi is one of the few Chianti producers who hasn’t sold out to the current fashion for rich ‘n smooth. The wine is firm and gutsy with wonderful earthy flavours. Expensive but worth every penny if you love Tuscany. Wine for grilled or roasted meats.

morgeslively red
CAVE de la CÔTE 07 MORGES, Côtes Vaudoise, Switzerland 123414 $18.95
A frisky, light, refreshing red produced from Gamay, Pinot and some local oddities. Summer picnic wine – you’ll be the only on who brought Swiss.

rich red
porcupineBOEKENHOUTSKLOOF WINERY ‘Porcupine Ridge’ 08 Syrah, South Africa  595280 $15.00
Vibrant, juicy-sweet wine with enormous BBQ appeal. It’s smooth, it’s easy to like and the slight smokiness will cuddle up to food. Terribly easy to guzzle, but watch out for the high alcohol.
WHITES
penridgevionierNice and easy
PENINSULA RIDGE 07 Viognier, VQA Niagara 662601 $14.95
Viognier is the new hot white – taste and see why. Delicious honeyed-flavours and a nice-guy personality. Somewhere between Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Yummy for sure. Charred foods are a good contrast with the sweetish style of the wine.

pellehautNice and easy
DOMAINE de PELLEHAUT 08 Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne, France 126136 $14.95
Low-alcohol, light bodied white with an amazing array of smells and flavours – which might have something to do with the half dozen grape varieties used. Crisp and refreshing but also quite pretty. A Sunday brunch showstopper.
ROSÉ
lehmannroseFresh Rosé
PETER LEHMANN 08 Rosé, Barossa, Australia 34298 $15.95
Fresh, frank, mid-range Rosé. Drier than most out of Australia. And you get to enjoy bright cheerful art on the label. Perfect patio lunch stuff.

plasirRch Rosé
MAS AMIEL 08 Rosé ‘Le Plaisir’, Côtes du Roussillon, France 117051 $18.95
The rich, south of France style. Very seductive. Bring on the seafood! A bit pricy but the stylish packages softens the blow. And you gotta love a wine called Le Plaisir.

 

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