Justin's Wine Picks, November 20, 2012

JUSTIN'S WINE PICKS, NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Wines available for purchase on Saturday November 24, in Ontario.

Well kids you are going to need very large denominations of cash to shop this time. You know you are in trouble when the bargain buys are in the $40.00 range!

Nonetheless we will forge on. The first section of wines reviewed this time will be for those whose lucky numbers came up in Lotto Max, or whose last name is Romney. Some of these wines would be just the thing to slack your thirst after a hard day shifting the Rolls and Mercedes around the garage. Thank God for that car elevator!

Stupidly Expensive and Very Tasty Section.

The finest liqueur I have ever tasted is Grand Marnier Cuvee Du Cent Cinquantenaire, a steal at only $239.95. This tastes like essence of Orange Marmalade, squared. Absolutely amazing in your mouth!

Glendronach 18 Years Old Allardice Highland Single Malt $139.95 is described as the ultimate sherry cask whisky! “Faultless and truly astounding!”

Buy two of Bowen XO Cognac $184.95 in case it gets really cold! “ The layers of flavour sail on throughout the sensationally long finish.”

Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 2000 $79.95. Absolute Ambrosia!

Dom Perignon Brut Rose Champagne 2000 $299.95. Just the thing to wash down those leftover turkey sandwiches on Boxing Day!

Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay 2010 $85.95. “aromas of coconut toast, baked pear and apple.”

Far Niente Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Napa $139.95. A cult classic.

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2008 $224.95. Anticipated Maturity 2018-2038.

Elderton Command Single Vineyard Shiraz 2008 $89.95. Vines planted in 1894.

Yalumba The Octavius Old Vines Shiraz 2006 S. Australia $110.95. Parker Score 95.

Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montachet Les Chaumees 1er Cru 2008. Chardonnay perfection!

Chateau De Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape 2010 $89.95. Age at least 5 years and drink over the following three decades.

Ornellaia 2009 Bolgheri $189.95 and Sassicaia 2009 $179.95. Super Tuscan hedonism!

Masi Mazzano Amarone 2004 $99.95. “Silky texture...very stylish.”

Best of The Rest!

Top White: Cave Kientzheim-Kayserberg Anne Boecklin Schlossberg Riesling 2009 $23.95. Lovely apple & pear on the nose and palate. Fine acidity.

Excellent Whites.

Filippino Moscato D'Asti 2011 Piedmont $17.95. Luscious, mildly bubbly, gently sweet, low alcohol treat! Serve with fruit.

Malivoire Moira Chardonnay 2009 $39.95. In my books this is consistently the BEST Niagara Chardonnay out there. Resembles fine Burgundy.

Pewsey Vale Riesling 2011 Australia $19.95. “Vibrant, bracing and compelling.”

Framingham Pinot Gris 2010 N.Z. $19.95. Kiwis are doing fine things with this grape.

Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc N.Z. 2011 $18.95. Great with hors d'oeuvres before Christmas dinner.

Domaine Vincent Sauvestre Chablis 2011 $19.95. Mineral with almost crunchy apple notes! C.H. Berres Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2009 Mosel $19.95. “snappy, apple, peach, pear.”

Dr. Fischer Ockfen Bockstein Riesling Spatlese 2010 Mosel $24.95. For your turkey or ham.

Castel Sole Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico 2011 $15.95. Very Dry! Seafood heaven.

Top Red: Citille Di Sopra Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 $39.95. Great Vintage! This is stunning wine but you can't even think of drinking it for at least 12 years.

Excellent Reds.

Mas Estella Quindals Spain 2007 $17.95 Rich, oaky lush wine.

Cortes De Cima 2009 Portugal $21.95. A rock solid, fruity vino that loves your palate!

Salcheto Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2006 $24.95. Wonderful wine that should be drunk now.

Cennatoio Chianti Classico 2010 $15.95. This wine is a superb food match!

Domaine Rotier Les Gravels Gaillac 2009 $15.95. “...intense and concentrated.”

Villa Ponciago La Reserve Fleurie 2011 $21.95. lovely Cru Beaujolais!

Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2011 N.Z. $19.95. Try all of the Oyster Bay Products. Great quality!

Ballast Stone Shiraz 2009 McLaren Vale $18.95. Very, VERY rich wine!

Hardy's HRB D641 Shiraz 2007 $35.95”A very fine and elegant Shiraz.”

Santa Carolina Specialties Dry Farming Carignan Chile $15.95. “Penetrating and spicy.”

Great Reads: The New York Times Guide To Essential Knowledge. Everything you ever wanted to know about everything important!

The Case Of The Deadly butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall. Vish Puri, India's Greatest Detective is back for more Delhi adventures. Fabulous series! The first two books in the series are The Case Of The Missing Servant and The Case Of The Man Who Died Laughing.

All books available at your local library.

Over the year I get offers of payment of very kinds for this newsletter and I thank those who make the offers. The reason that I publish it is to keep in touch with old friends and customers and I get a lot of feedback and fun from the exercise.

If you wish to show your support for the Newsletter, how about sending a donation to:

The Boys and Girls Club Of Kingston And The Area,

559 Bagot St. Kingston Ontario K7K 3E1. Any small or large donation will be well spent and help a Kid, not only at Christmas but throughout the year!

Thanks,

Justin

JUSTIN'S WINE PICKS, DECEMBER 4, 2012

Wines available in Ontario on Saturday, December 8.

I realize that the LCBO has inundated you with a deluge of Vino over the last few weeks but get ready for another salvo!

The emphasis here is on wines under $20.00 in order to give your purse a break!

So here is just a quick list of wines that I would be very Happy to find under the tree!

Whites.

Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne $59.95

Oyster Bay Brut N.Z. $21.95 BEST BUY!

Naveran Dama Extra Brut Cava 2010 $17.95 Spanish Bubbly.

Cave Spring Chenin Blanc 2009 Niagara $17.95. Superb wine!

Natura Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 Chile $14.95. A wonderful winemaker!

Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Dry Riesling 2011 $19.95 Australia. Gold Medal Winner.

Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2012 N.Z. $16.95.

Domaine Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner 2011 $13.95 Austria. Danube Memories!

Charles Wantz Excellence Gewurztraminer 2010 Alsace $17.95. This will be on our table on Christmas Day. Spicy, flowery, lychee aromas and huge flavours.

St. Urbans-Hof Riesling 2011 Mosel $16.95. A treat!

Reds.

Offley Late Bottled Vintage Port 2007 $19.95. Remarkable Value!

Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon California $49.95. Don't open for at least 10 years.

Ch. Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Washington $19.95. Gorgeous Cab!

Susana Balbo Malbec 2010 $19.95 Argentina. “A sensational table wine. Score 94”

Domaine Durieu Lucille Avril Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2009 $42.95. “Powerful, opulent, sexy.”

Pierre Laplace Madiran 2009 $14.95. Very well-structured!

Terredora Aglianco 2009 Campania $15.95. “Vibrant and juicy.”

Leone De Castris Maiana Salice Salentino 2009 $13.95. “Huge overachiever.”

Herdade Do Arrepiado Velho 2010 Portugal $19.95 I am buying this.

Quinta Das Camelias Reserva 2009 Portugal $13.95. BARGAIN!!

Castel Del Remei Gotim Bru 2009 Spain $17.95. Always a GREAT BUY!!!

Rodriguez Santo T-Sanzo Tempranillo 2007 $14.95. “Generous, richly-fruited.”

Great Reads: Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel. Sequel to the superb Wolf Hall featuring Thomas Cromwell, Henry the Vlll, Anne Boleyn etc. Great Story!

Rome by Robert Hughes. Intensely interesting history of the city, covering everything from politics to fine art.

Thanks,

Justin

JUSTIN'S WINE PICKS NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Wines go on sale in Ontario on Saturday, November 10.

There are a whole bunch of wines to choose from this time but I found it hard to get enthused about a lot of them. I am not really sure why except for a feeling that buying here would not give me a lot of bang for my buck. For example Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2008 Napa $65.95 is surely a very good wine but for that cash I will be buying Montrachet or Meursault thank you!

Having said that here is a small tranche of wines that I would love to have in my cellar.

Best White: Dopff & Irion Vorbourg Pinot Gris 2009 Alsace Grand Cru 2009 $17.95. “Rich and concentrated...still young but with plenty of power and long lasting finish.”

Extremely Tasty Whites

Domaine De Riaux Pouilly-Fume 2011 Loire $21.95. Racy, mineral and citrus!

Henry Of Pelham Family Tree White 2010 Niagara $17.95. An intriguing blend of Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Chardonnay Musque. Loads of Fruit!

Domaine Latour-Giraud Cuvee Charles Maxime Meursault 2010 $44.95. The epitome of Chardonnay.

Eradus Sauvignon Blanc 2011 N.Z. $17.95. Compare with the Pouilly-Fume.

Vieil Armand Medaille Gewurztraminer 2010 Alsace $17.95. Perfect with spicy food!

Domaine Sylvain Gaudron Vouvray 2011 Loire $15.95. Dry and tasty Chenin Blanc.

Markus Molitor Edition #3 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2003 $29.95. Complex fruit profile, aged for you by the Vintner.

Pazo Pondal Leira Albarino 2011 Spain $15.95. This is truly wonderful white wine. “Fresh acidity, mineral clarity and orange and lemon notes. Outstanding.”

One of my favourite writers, Roald Dahl, took the mickey out of pompous wine writers in his short story Taste. Two wine descriptors were:

“A prudent wine, rather diffident and evasive, but quite prudent.”

“A good- humoured wine, benevolent and cheerful-slightly obscene, perhaps, but nonetheless good-humoured. “

Best Red: I couldn't decide between 4 wines of widely divergent styles. You choose.

Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2010 $53.95. Parker Score 93-95. Don't touch it for at least 5 years.

Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo 2007 $49.95. I am buying this one even though I can't drink it until at least 2022. Elegant, classy. A GREAT WINEMAKER!!!

Dunham XIII Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Columbia Valley Washington $53.95 . Exquisite!

La Formica Amarone 2008 $47.95. “dark, ripe berry and black cherry fruit.”

Praiseworthy Reds

Pocas Colheita Port 1994 $27.95. Aged in wood for 14 years. Delicious!

Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2010 $29.95. Just like bottled blackberries!

Valle Las Acequias Oak Malbec 2007 Argentina $15.95. “Velvety-textured.”

Montgras Quatro 2011 Chile $14.95. Huge, deeply rich blend.

Saltram Mamre Brook Shiraz 2010 Barossa $24.95. Big, very rich wine.

Vasse Felix Cabernet/Merlot 2010 Margaret River $24.95. “Intense blackcurrant fruit.”

La Ferme Du Mont Premiere Cote Cotes Du Rhone 2009 $15.95. Wow! BARGAIN!!!

Pierre Amadieu La Grangeliere Vacqueyras 2010 $19.95. A superior bottle of wine!!

Talamonti Tre Saggi Montepulciano D'Abbruzzo 2008 $15.95. DON”T MISS THIS!

Giordano Primitivo Di Manduria 2009 $17.95. Puglia. Designed for beef!

Da Vinci Chianti 2010 $16.95. Simple but good!

Rocca Di Castagnoli Poggio A'Frati Chianti Classico Riserva 2008 $29.95. “ Stupendous wine for the money.”

Baron De Lay Gran Reserva 2001 Rioja $29.95. “Superb vintage. Smoke, Asian spices, incense, violets, black cherry and blackberry notes.”

Great Reads: The New York Times Guide To Essential Knowledge. A great BIG!!! book, 1300 pages of really neat info.

Red Star Burning by Brian Freemantle. The latest in a long series of Charlie Muffin spy adventures. Charlie works for British intelligence and is really good at what he does, including making bureaucrats on both sides of the fence look very silly and sometimes dead. Try to read the earlier books first, as the story grows with each book.

Thanks,

Justin