Wines
will be released for sale on Oct. 12 in Ontario.
You
find this writer playing in his wine cellar this weekend in an effort
to expand a couple of areas and coincidentally shrink one.
The
shrinkee is Italy, where I find myself top heavy with Chianti and
other minor-league Tuscan wines that are ready to drink. Thankfully
my children and friends will be here during the coming holiday season
and we will drink them up briskly! The Barolos, Brunellos and Umbrian
Sagrantinos still have lots of ageing potential.
The
expanded sections are Australia and California, both of whom are
sending a multitude of great buys currently.
I am
also seriously in the market for whites from Alsace (as usual) and I
simply have to buy up as many German Auslese as possible. We drank a
Markus Molitor Auslese last week which was simply amazing!
We
had a most enjoyable weekend last week, picking grapes at my
favourite winery in Prince Edward County, Sandbanks. After a not too
onerous couple of hours picking grapes with friends we enjoyed lunch,
music and a glass of wine, followed by a fun meal at home in the
evening. It's hard to beat a day filled with friends, good food,
sunshine and wine.
OK,
here are the latest temptations from the good old LCBO, everybody's
favourite monopoly!
Best
White Wine: Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2012 N.Z. $22.95. “Lemonade
squeezed from stone, with a handful of grass thrown in... flinty
marvel. Perfect for asparagus soups, pastas or salads.”
Top
Flight Whites.
Georgian
Hills Ida Red Frozen To The Core 2010 Ontario (375 ml.) $19.95. A
little weird and off the wall, a sweet apple, complex, cinnamonny,
cider like dessert wine.
Cotnari
Grasa De Cotnari 2011 Romania $13.95. Even stranger! “Only 450
acres of grapes in the world. Voluptuous, full-flavoured, ripe and
round. Grapes allowed to develop the famous noble rot...the hallmark
of great dessert wines like Sauternes.”
Domaine
Riefle Cote De Rouffach Pinot Gris 2009 Alsace $20.95. “Peach &
Honey fill the mouth.”
Paul
Priur Et Fils Sancerre 2011 $25.95. Compare to the Dogpoint above.
William
Fevre Espino Chardonnay 2011 Chile $13.95. Very well-balanced!
Finca
La Escondida Reserva Chardonnay 2012 Argentina. $14.95. Big flavours.
Try this one Donna.
Charles
Sparr Cuvee Renaissance Brut Rose Cremant D'Alsace $19.95. Great
bubbly made from Pinot Noir. Sip this before and with dinner.
“ I spent 90% of my money on wine,
women and song and just wasted the other 10%.”
Ronnie Hawkins.
Red Wine That would qualify as Nectar:
Ironstone Reserve Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Sierra
Foothills $36.95 “Stunning Cabernet...long, layered finish. Drink
until 2018.
Red Wine With a Robert Parker Score of
94: Domaine Tournon Shay's Vineyard Shiraz 2011 $35.95. Intense
aromas and big, balanced fruit flavours!
Exceptional Vin Rouge.
Burmeister Reserva 2009 Portugal
$21.95. Drink in 2 years.
Five winners from Spain.
Borsao tres Picos Garnacha 2011 $19.95
Finca Valdelroble 2009 $20.95.
Luis Canas Reserva 2005 $34.95.
“Effortless and pure class. Drink now to 2022.
Monteabellon 5 Meses En Barrica 2011
$19.95. Big, Rich, Full.
Pinyolet Seleccion 2010 $25.95.
“Plenty of kirsch, raspberry and black currant.”
Domaine Les Aphillantes Cuvee Des
Galets Plan De Dieu Cotes Du Rhone- Villages 2010 $19.95. This is a
MUST BUY!!!
Tessellae Carignan Old Vines Cotes Du
Roussillon 2011 $18.95. “Beautiful, soft, round seductive.”
Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2009 South
Africa $17.95. BARGAIN!!
Schild Estate Shiraz 2010 Barossa
$24.95. Rated #30 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2012.
Chapel Hill Parson's Nose Shiraz 2011
$19.95 McLaren Vale. Essence of blackberry!
Quieto 3 Malbec Argentina 2009 $14.95
BEST BUY!!
Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen Muscat
$19.95 (375 ml). Very sweet and rich.
Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 Premium
Sweet Sherry $17.95. This is dessert!
Great Reads: How It Ends by Chris Impey
is a fascinating look at how we all finish up. Starting with extinct
ancient species and continuing to the end of the universe. Really
well written!
The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper
Fforde. This series of books about a bookworld are among my favourite
works of fiction. Read them in order!
Ghost Man by Roger Hobbs. Very
enthralling crime thriller.
Thanks,
Justin
