From the June 11th, 2011 LCBO Vintage Release
The following six wines are all featured in the June 11th LCBO Vintage release. The two reds are both quite fruit forward with one slightly heavier in body than the other. The white selections are very easy to sip either on their own or with a meal. As most of you know, I really enjoy a good bottle of Moscato d’Asti and this release includes a textbook example of the style. For your cellar, a big southern Rhône red that will continue to gain complexity with a few years of storage on its side.
Red
2007 Falernia, Reserva Syrah – Chile
A fantastic earthy nose misleads you, for the palate shows great red fruit and the perfect amount of acidity. Lots of extraction during the winemaking process has created a deep, dark, and full flavoured Syrah. Enjoy it with ribs on the bbq. LCBO #208371 / $15.95 (D)
2008 Zeni Costalago – Italy
Wow! You’re gonna like this one: a hint of red plum skins, mild cherry notes, smooth tannins and a great crisp acidity. LCBO #220848 / $14.95 (D)
White
2010 Famiglia Bianchi, Chardonnay – Argentina
Not a complex wine but a very enjoyable one. The nose is full of white fruit: ripe apple and pear while the palate is initially quite soft followed by a touch of heat on the finish due to the whopping alcohol factor of 14.5 %. LCBO #001461 / $12.95 (XD)
2009 Nicosia Sicily
Exotic grape varieties make up this clean crisp blend which shows lime and lychee fruit on the nose; somewhat of a different feel on the palate than expected: very light weight and crisp with just a hint of sweetness. This will work nicely with a variety of seafood dishs. LCBO #212928 / $13.95 (D)
Sparkling
2010 Batasiolo Bosc, Moscato d’Asti
This style of wine might be one of my new favourites for the summer heat. Moscato d’Asti is always light and creamy with just a spritz of fizz. Peaches and apricots abound but it’s the bizarre aroma of mild soap that I really like. At 5.5% alcohol, you can sip away at the bottle all afternoon and not have to worry about spilling any... Great stuff! LCBO #028175 / $16.95 (M)
One for the Cellar
2007 Domaine du Haut des Terres Blanches, Chateauneuf-du-Pape - France
Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) is the heart of southern Rhône. According to French AOC regulations, 13 grape varieties are allowed in the production red Chateauneuf wine, though this example contains only the three dominant varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. The fullness of the style is readily apparent in this wine and the price is actually quite modest compared to so many other examples. Expect a mouth-coating full bodied wine rich with a mix of fruit and earth. It’s good right now but it will continue to improve with a few years in the cellar. Can I suggest that you buy two: try the first one this weekend with an equally rich meal, and the second sometime after 2013. LCBO #177618 / $37.95 (XD)
- Do you receive the Vintages catalogue by mail? If not, it is free. Simply go to lcbo.com and request your copy. Then you can follow my Selections with each Vintages release.
Cheers!
