All posts tagged South Africa

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 July 9, 2011

by Kato on July 7, 2011 in Vintages Picks with No comments

LCBO Vintages, Saturday, July 9/2010

THE LOW DOWN: Vintages serves two purposes: the supply of high-priced wines for those that need them, and the supply of everyday-priced wines in styles not available at regular LCBOs. My picks are mainly from the later category – wines for the enthusiast seeking adventure in their drinking.

South Africa is this week’s star in Rosé, especially the sparkling. Check out Ch. Ferran and I’m sure agree that good white Bordeaux is due a come-back. John Howard has the most impressive Niagara cellar at Megalomaniac and his semi-dry Riesling is no slouch either.

Fans of Cabernet Franc will want to explore the original from Chinon and if it’s  a hit of Tuscany you’re after look for Castellani Chianti. Stratus is also offering rustic in the form of an earthy Rosé. Barbaresco is usually a bit pricy but not so the seductive Santa Vittoria, and my blockbusters from Argentina and France also offer great value.

I did find one wine – Groth Chardannay, in the catalogue’s high priced and high score feature that delivers some magic.

Slainté.

Billy

ROSÉ
BeckBrutRosewine style: sparkling dry Rosé
GRAHAM BECK Brut Rosé, South Africa 175588 $18.95
Best value sparkling Rosé on the planet. Classic Champagne styling and elegance. A no-brainer to kick off summer events. Get a case.

wolftrapwine style: dry Rosé
BOEKENHOUTSKLOOF 2010 Rosé ‘The Wolftrap’, South Africa 169409 $12.95
Dry Rosé with a little smokiness – the perfect BBQ partner. Light the charcoal!

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LCBO Vintages Saturday June 25, 2011

by Kato on June 23, 2011 in Vintages Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: A really good line up of summer whites for refreshment or lazy time sipping. And a local sparkling with the style and feel of Champagne.
You’ll find lots of charm and seduction in my three rich red picks, and Piccini Chianti Riserva is an amazing buy for fall and winters dinners. For something rustic check out Featherstone Cab Franc or Madiran from the southwest of France.
A fun and a substantial Rosé will ensure you’re covered in that department. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything to recommend in the Argentinian or PEC features.

entourageSPARKLING
wine style: dry sparkling
JACKSON TRIGGS 06 Sparkling Brut ‘Entourage’, VQA Niagara 234161 $22.95
The austere Champagne style with warm, toasty flavours. Seriously good and under-priced. Enjoy before and with the meal.

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LCBO Vintages Saturday June 11, 2011

by Kato on June 11, 2011 in Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: Couldn’t attend the catalogue tasting but here are a few wines I’d previously experienced. A great value rich Chard and three even better value big reds for BBQs. And one of my favourite refreshing, summer reds.
Enjoy the weekend!
Billy

WHITES
wine style: rich white
KWV ‘CATHEDRAL CELLARS’ 09 Chardonnay, South Africa 328559 $14.95
Big, over-the-top Chardonnay at a Costco price. A great partner for hot ‘n spicy BBQ’d white meats.

REDS
wine style: fresh red
MONTE DEL FRA 10 Bardolino, Veneto, Italy 134544 $11.95
Every bit as good as all the previous delicious wines from Monte del Fra. Bardolino is Valpolicella’a young cousin. A light red offering brisk, tangy refreshment – with a bowl of cherries feeling. Very summery. Lightly chill and have with lunch, a picnic, early in the evening or anytime the mood is lighthearted.

wine style: rich red
KWV ‘CATHEDRAL CELLARS’ 09 Shiraz, South Africa 561142 $14.95
An upscale edition of the excellent KWV reds in regular LCBOs. Rich with very appealing peppery, spicy sweetness. A steak lovers delight.

wine style: rich red
CONO SUR ‘Vision’ 07 Syrah, Chile 24661 $15.95
Loved the earthiness of this wine when it appeared last year. Now you also get a mellow warmth. Very suggestive of the South of France. Very suggestive period.

wine style: rich red
CONO SUR ‘Vision’ 09 Pinot Noir, Chile 689992 $15.95
Cono Sur produces some of the best New World Pinot. Sensual, but  with a firm handshake. I can see this working well with almost any summer BBQ.

LCBO Vintages Saturday May 28

by Kato on May 25, 2011 in Vintages Picks with 1 Comment

THE LOW DOWN: Didn’t plan it but I ended up selecting an excellent Variety 6-Pack of white wines. Gruner, Verdejo, Riesling, Chenin, Chardonnay and Muscadet. And a Sparkling – so I guess it’s a 7-Pack. Should get you through the weekend. But you’ll also need some Rosé – primo local or a Chilean bargain.

Carmenere and Ripasso are the best bets in red but you must have at least one summer supper with Moulin-a-Vent, the queen of Beaujolais.

SPARKLING
naparosewine style: dry sparkling
MUMM NAPA Rosé Sparkling, Napa Valley, California 205641 $29.95
Champagne-style wine and quality at half the price. Elegant and exciting way to start an event. Best sparkling I’ve tasted in a long time.

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