Vintages Release - January 9, 2010

Despite my (more than occasional) criticisms, I am, on balance, a fan of the LCBO. Although its prices are not the lowest in the world (sometimes by a long shot), it does do a good job of a number of things:

- It has a set of very knowledgeable wine consultants, and spends a good deal of money training them;

- It provides a good selection, especially a good selection of wines;

- Its wine testing programme is as good or better than anywhere in the world (it was the LCBO which first exposed the Austrian anti-freeze additive scandal of a few years ago);

- It will never give you trouble about returning a bottle of wine, even if it’s just because you didn’t like it;

- It is a terrific source of funding for the provincial government (up to you whether you think that the money, once received, is spent wisely); and

- It can sometimes deliver really good value in wines. As the largest retailer of alcoholic beverages in the world, it has massive clout as a purchaser. Most of the time, the real value can be found at the top end of the market, where it usually does not mark up really expensive wines as much as other retailers, but sometimes, as with this release, it can deliver good value at the lower end of the price spectrum well.

The theme of this release is “Great Wine, Great Value”, and it has presented a good selection of very decent wines, most of which are under $15.00. There are a lot of good choices for well priced wines in this release. The following are just a few of my favourites.

WHITE WINES

If you like sauvignon blancs, it would be hard to go wrong with the Cathederal Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($11.95) from South Africa. This is a fairly grassy sauvignon, but with a well balanced seam of acidity, and lots of citrus (lemon and lime) with some green apple and pea pod. This is not a Kiwi style wine, with rich gooseberry and passion fruit, but rather a leaner, more minerally, offering that would go very well with fried white fish or shellfish in broth. A good wine at a very good price.

If the Cathederal Cellar doesn’t suit your palate, there are two more sauvignon blancs that are easy to recommend:

- The Tabali Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2008, from Chile, is only $1 more at $12.95. It still has a bit of that new mown grass/chive flavor, and lots of lemon/lime, with good acidity and minerality, but there are also notes of sweeter fruit, like passion fruit, on the finish. It has great mouthfeel, and would do well with white fish or shellfish, but also with chicken or chicken salad.

- The Wild Rock Elevation Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($16.95) from New Zealand, is mostly sauvignon blanc, but with some vigonier and riesling added in. These additions serve to make a slightly richer, more floral, offering than most sauvignon blancs, but do not detract from the lemon/lime core. There are notes of pear and green apple as well, This wine is tasty on its own, but would complement grilled pork chops very nicely.

Pinot grigio fans should not miss the Maculan Pinot Grigio 2009 ($15.95) from Veneto. This wine is a perennial favourite from an excellent producer, and this year’s offering is at least as good as any other vintage I’ve tried. It manages to maintain a bright acidic seam, which enhances the mouthfeel, in combination with rich peach and pear flavours, and a lime finish. Vintages suggests combining with truffles, and I don’t disagree, but I think this wine would go with virtually anything with a white sauce.

Chardonnay lovers should try the Dona Paula Los Cardos Chardonnay 2008 ($12.95) from Argentina. This is a rich, but not oaky, blend of tropical fruits with melon, peach and pineapple predominating, and with a long, soft finish. Very good value for the money.

RED WINES

I don’t know how you get much better value for $13.95 than the Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Argentina. This is a lush, concentrated cabernet, dominated by blackberry, but with other black fruits (black cherry and cassis) chiming in, and with a hint of mint. The finish goes on and on. If you like a really rich, fruit driven wine, this is for you, especially at this price. If this were a Californian, or even a Rhone, they would be asking twice the price. Serve with red meat, or on pizza night.

I’ve always liked the Ortas Tradition Rasteau ($15.00) from the Rhone, and the 2008 version is no exception. It has lots of rich black fruit, with blackberry and black cherry predominating, but with notes of leather, pepper, tar and earth that add complexity and would complement a spicy lamb or beef stew. This is not a simple wine despite the price.

The Gnarly Head Old Vines Zinfandel 2007 from California is also $15.00, and is an old favourite of mine from a good and reliable producer. Expect a rich, full bodied, well balanced wine with plum, licorice and earthy characteristics, with smoke, cherry cordial and vanilla notes. It will go well on its own or with virtually any red meat, but I like to pair zinfandels with spareribs because the wine picks up the sweet sauce so well.

The Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($19.95) from Australia would be another good choice for spareribs, but an even better choice for a good, grilled steak. This is another rich red, with good complexity - lots of cassis, earth, mint and dark plum with some herb de provence and smoke – and a long finish. The tannins should keep it for at least three or four years, but are soft enough for immediate consumption (preferably with at least an hour of aeration).

I’m not normally a big fan of Tedeschi wines, but it’s hard to resist the Tedeschi Vigneto Valverdi Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2007 ($14.95) from Veneto. This wine goes extraordinarily well with tomato based dishes because the acid is so well integrated. Expect a rich wine, dominated by blackberry, but with blueberry and raisin notes, with a long finish, and a little bit of anise to wrap things up. A good wine for a pasta dinner on a cold day.