Justin's Wine Picks May 21, 2013

Wines released for sale in Ontario on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

Abandon panic stations! Stay calm and remember that you are British.

Now that the LCBO has settled it's labour dispute and you have crammed every broom closet in your house with liquid merriment we can get back to normal. It will take the LCBO boffins a few weeks to count up the billions they made in the last few days. Should be enough to build at least two Gardiner Expressways or even keep Rob Ford supplied with Kentucky Fried Chicken for a year or two. I'd go for a nice Gewurztraminer with the chicken Rob.

Reds from Italy and France star in this release so drink up all that plonk you purchased during the panic and start those LCBO cash registers ringing again. Hey, maybe they could charge a toll to enter the store and use the money to build a gas plant at Yonge and Dundas or on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Best White On Release: Dr. Hermann Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 2005 Mosel $21.95. Already aged for you and will keep for 10 more years. “Ethereal elegance! “.

Extremely Good White Wines.

Marechal Brut Cremant De Loire $15.95. Exhiliarating bubbly!

Miopasso Fiano 2011 Sicily $14.95. Dry. Gold Medal winner @ 2011 International wine challenge.

Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2012 New Zealand $24.95. Amazing aroma & flavour! WOW!!!

Malivoire Musque Spritz 2012 Niagara $19.95. Extremely interesting with citrus & tropical fruit and a light frizzante character. Great with spicy foods.

Vineland Estates Pinot Grigio 2011 Niagara $16.95 Grapefruit and orange nose, pear palate.

Sileni Sauvignon Blanc 2012 New Zealand $17.95. “palate is succulent, rounded and generous.”

Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc 2011 S. Africa $14.95 “complex & delightfully aromatic.”

Salomon Groovy Gruner Veltliner Austria 2012 $13.95. BEST BUY!!!

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Calcaire Gewurztraminer Alsace 2009 $29.95. Sinfully good but don't try to age it. Drink right now. Sweet but balanced.

Domaines Schlumberger Les Princes Pinot Gris 2010 Alsace $19.95. “#39 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012.”

Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2011 $14.95. BARGAIN!! Floral, apricot, peach.

Jean Perrier & Fils Apremont Savoie $16.95 #55 on Wine Spectator list.

Best Red On Release: Poggio Verrano Chance 2005 Maremma Tuscany Unfiltered $34.95. Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. “Wonderful bouquet of grilled herbs, menthol, smoke, cedar and dark fruit, all of which resonate on the palate.

Superior Reds.

Rivera Il Falcone Riserva 2007 Puglia $22.95. “Intense, full-bodied and rich. “

Lornano Chianti Classico 2009 $16.95. “dark fruits, chestnuts, vanilla on the nose.”

Mastrojanni Vigna Loreto Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 $63.95 This one gets rave reviews from everyone! It will be awhile before you can drink it.

Rocca Di Castagnoli Chianti Classico 2010 $18.95. This is a steal @ this price! WOW!

Antolini Ca'Coato Amarone 2008 $49.95. Rich, smooth, totally fine!

Remo Farina Le Pezze Amarone 2010 $34.95. Drink this with an Irish stew!

Ch. Belair-Coubet 2010 Bordeaux $16.95. Merlot/Cab. Sauv. Brilliant!

Ch. Rozier 2010 AC St.-Emilion Grand Cru $28.95. “...just gorgeous. Incredible depth & complexity.”

Bastide Miraflors Midi 2011 $18.95. “stunning nose of spring flowers, blackberries, cassis & earth.”

Cuvee Du Vatican Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2010 $38.95. “Very fleshy and succulent.”

Duron Crianza 2009 Ribera del Douro Spain $16.95. Very well balanced, delicious wine!

Vicentin Blend De Malbecs 2010 Argentina $17.95. “smooth & lush, with plump blackberry flavours.”

In Situ Carmenere 2010 Chile $13.95 . “long, spicy finish.”

Evans & Tate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Margaret River $18.95. “Rich, ripe & full in the mouth”

Graham Beck Shiraz 2009 $17.95. “Incredible concentration & power with a long finish.”

Great Reads: Don't miss Gringos In Paradise by Barry Golson. An extremely interesting account of an American couple building their dream home in Sayulita Mexico ( right up the coast from our holiday spot. )

Blackout & All Clear by Connie Willis. This is a science fiction classic that will interest all you British History fans. Year 2060 and a time machine allows historians to travel back to WW2 and the Blitz.

It is printed in two volumes but is one long story. Fascinating characters and a wonderful description of London undergoing the bombardment. We liked this a lot! As always these are available at your local library.

Thanks,

Justin

Justin's Best Buys On Regular Shelves of The Good Old LCBO.

Here are some wines that taste very good and will not break the bank!

As you will notice the day of the $10.00 bargain is almost past. There are a couple, but for the most part think under $14.00 as the new reasonable price point.

Tip. You can improve your red wine drinking experience a lot by simply letting it breathe for at least an hour before you dive into it. Optimally you should decant it and let it sit for 1.5 hours. It will give added depth to the wine and enhance the aromas. Don't have a decanter? Pour the wine into a measuring cup etc. with a spout, let breathe, and pour back in the bottle before tabling it.

Wines listed below are in order of my preference. I like them all. ( Prices fluctuate.)

Whites

Bougrier Vouvray Loire 2011 $13.50 Sheila and I both remarked on the quality when we first tasted this and it just keeps getting better. Full-bodied, rich, lively!

Yalumba Riesling 2010 Australia $11.95. A very good winery.

Ruffino Orvieto Classico 2012 Umbria $11.00. Consistently great, year after year. Superb aperitif.

Strewn 2 Vines Gewurztraminer/Riesling Niagara 2011 $11.95. Medium dry/balanced.

Mia Frixenet 2011 Spain $10.95 Vibrant mouthful of citrus.

Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio 2012 $10.95. Bargain.

Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay 2012 $10.95. An old favourite.

Hardy's Stamp Series Riesling/Gewurztraminer 2012 $9.95. Good Buy.

Laurent Miquel Chardonnay 2012 France $11.95.

Barefoot Pinot Grigio California $9.95

Santa Carolina Chardonnay 2012 $8.95. This has an appealing lively flavour.

Best Dessert Wine in LCBO? Cave Spring Indian Summer Riesling Niagara $24.95

Champagne? Seaview Brut Australia $13.00

Reds

Rodet Syrah 2011 Rhone $11.95. Medium body, bright and zippy. Tastes great!

Casillero Diablo Products; Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Carmenere $13.00. Consistent quality.

Alamos Cab. Sauv. And Malbec Argentina $13.95. Excellent with beef.

Sandbank Baco Noir 2012 Prince Edward County $14.95. ( My favourite County Winemaker). Watch for their Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.

Campo Maccione 2009 Morellino Di Scansano Tuscany. $12.00 Fine Wine.

Pepperwood Zinfandel 2011 California $13.85. Raspberry zip.

Janeil Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 S. France $11.95. Buy Southern France for superb wines.

Jacobs Creek Shiraz/Cab 2010 $12.75 Australia. Deep flavour.

Rosemount Shiraz Cab 2011 $12.95 Rich and smooth

Lindeman Pinot Noir 2012 $11.95. With salmon.

Casale Vecchio Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2011 $9.95. Buy wines from this area of Italy!

Thanks,

Justin

PS If the LCBO Employees go on strike so will I. Their grievances are real and serious, especially in the areas of workplace safety. I would ask all my faithful readers to respect their picket lines and to contact their local MLA to express your support for these hard working people.