Vintages Release - August 21, 2010

Tomorrow’s Vintages release features “New World Wonders” and German wines.

I’m frankly not going to spend a lot of time on either topic because:

a) There are lots of good New World wines aside from the 10 mentioned;

b) I’m not a fan of German wines, and won’t be paying much attention to them (nor should you) until they adopt a reliable classification system that gives you some indication of quality; and

c) I’ve been spending more time trying to develop the new direction for this column; and

ROSÉS

The Carte Noire Rosé 2009 ($13.95) from Provence is one of my favourite rosés, and is well priced to boot. This is a great hot weather sipper, but will go very nicely with a salad, cold chicken or grilled or fried white fish. Expect a dry wine, with a medium long finish and a very refreshing taste of red fruit and herbal notes.

WHITE WINE

I said, in the last column, that the Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc ($16.05) from New Zealand would be one of my benchmarks, as offering really good quality and good value. I hold to that view, but even more so since it’s reduced to $15.05 until September 12. This is a general list wine, but a benchmark for me.

If you want a sauvignon with a little more obvious acid and slightly richer fruit, the Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($14.95) offers a small saving and some lusty taste. This is a classic NZ sauvignon. It starts with some citrus and acid, with gooseberry and honey on the mid-palate, and some grassy, peapod notes on the finish. A very nice wine to accompany most seafood or salads.

The Domaine des Charmilles Sancerre 2008 ($21.95) from the Loire is an interesting contrast to its New World cousins. This is a leaner wine, with lemon drop and white flower notes, and a nose which, with time, became not so freshly cut hay . The fruit is more reserved, which means that it will go very, very well with whitefish or shellfish.

Chardonnay lovers should consider either of:

- Hess Estate Chardonnay 2008 ($19.95) from Napa. This is a classic California chardonnay with vanilla, pineapple, green apple, peach, toast and a hint of smoke. A rich, well priced wine that will drink very well on its own, and will complement chicken or even pork.

- Robert Mondavi Chardonnay 2007 ($28.95), also from Napa, is a special occasion chardonnay, sporting butterscotch, peach, pear, vanilla and hazelnut notes, with a long, rich finish, and lovely mouth feel. Drink on its own, or with some brie and a fresh baguette, or with a poultry or pork dish, and life won’t get much better.

My other suggestions (benchmarks) for white wines (mostly from the Vintages Essentials list):

- Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre from the Loire ($24.95). Too pricey but good.

- Willm Reserve Riesling from Alsace ($15.95). Classic, always reliable wine.

- Cave Spring Estate Riesling from Niagara ($17.95). A reliable wine, but if you can get out to the Bench, you might want to get the Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve ($14.95) which I think is just as good or better than the Cave Spring. Alas, the Pelham Riesling Reserve is not available at the LCBO (although you can buy it at the winery or order it for delivery).

SPARKLING WINES

Go for the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne ($54.95). This is a really good bubbly for the price. Expect a tasty mélange of buttery toast, pear, honey, and white flowers, with a long, racy finish of green apple, lemon, and mineral. Drink on its own (of course) or with virtually any food – perhaps excepting red meat. Bacon and eggs would be good, but so would seafood of any description, or chocolate soufflé.

If the Heidsieck is too hard on your pocketbook, go for the Bernard-Massard Cuvee de L’Ecusson Brut Sparkling Wine ($16.95) from (of all places) Luxembourg. Aside from the novelty of having a wine from Luxembourg, this is a very refreshing wine with notes of green apple and brioche. If you want a tasty, straightforward bubbly, this is it. At this price, you can mix it with your breakfast orange juice, but you won’t need to disguise the taste.

RED WINES

When it comes to Australian shiraz I think that you have to go a long way to beat two essentials for price and quality. They are the Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz ($19.95) and the Mitolo Jester Shiraz ($21.95). Both of these wines are consistently well made, and have enough structure to avoid being the kind of jammy fruit bombs, that deliver a mouthful of rich black fruit and taste it’s on steroids. I recommend either of them.

It’s always nice, however, to find a wine that can compete with those two, and the Small Gully The Formula Robert’s Shiraz 2005 ($17.95) from South Australia does just that. This is a rich, well structured wine, with rich, but not overly sweet, black fruit (cherry and plum), with bacon and blueberry notes. This is just the thing to go with a barbecued steak.

Before leaving Australia, consider the Peter Lehman Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. Apparently the LCBO over-bought this wine, and it’s now on sale for $12.95 (down from $19.95). At this price, it’s a bargain. Although it may be a little rich for some tastes (and I certainly wouldn’t keep it for any length of time) it is well worth getting. Expect mocha, spice, coffee, vanilla, black cherry and a hint of beetroot. Will also go well with grilled red meat, or with hard cheese. Aerate for at least 30 minutes.

If you’re fond of Rhone wines, there are two good choices:

- The Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007 ($89.95) is pricey, but this iconic wine is the class of this classic region. Expect a virtual smorgasbord of tastes – everything from black cherry, mushroom, leather, licorice, smoked meat, vanilla, cassis, spice, oak and cedar smoke. This wine doesn’t so much go with a meal as it becomes the meal. Decant for at least two hours (or wait 2 to 5 years) and serve with red meat.

- The La Ferme du Mont le Ponnant Cotes du Rhone-Villages 2007 ($17.95) doesn’t compare with the Beaucastel unless you take price into account. On that basis, this is a very good wine, with good structure, and notes of plum, spice, Christmas cake, pepper, licorice and cassis. This is a rich wine, and some aeration (at least a half hour) would be useful before serving. Once again, red meat would be the complement of choice.

Some other recommendations (benchmarks) mostly from the Essentials:

- E Guigal Cotes du Rhone, from the Rhone ($16.95). Always consistently good.

- Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera from Piedmont ($15.95). A good choice for tomato and meat based pasta dishes.

- Rocca Delle Macie Chianti Riserva 2006, from Tuscany ($15.00). This isn’t an essential, but it’s been around for quite a while, and it’s a very versatile, and tasty, wine.

- Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore from Veneto ($24.95). There are many cheaper Valpolicellas around, and some of them are quite good, but this one tastes like a mini amarone. It comes from one of my favourite producers.

- Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir from California ($24.95). New World pinots are not generally my favourites, but there are some times, as with barbecued salmon, when they go so very well. This producer delivers a consistently tasty wine.