Vintages Release - October 2, 2010

I didn’t intend to stick to the format of covering every release, but there some wines in tomorrow’s release that are too good to miss. The major theme is Australian wines – and Australia does produce some really good value wines – with a small feature on special Italian wines.

I think Australia does really well, especially with reds, and more especially with cabernet sauvignons. They make some great shiraz’s as well, although I’m finding that some of them have too little structure in favor of too much sweet fruit. Australia is also developing a good pinot noir niche (particularly in Tasmania, which has a cooler climate).

The country has always produced some very good whites, but they tend to be higher alcohol chardonnays due to the hot climate.

Italy, of course, produces some of the great wines of the world, and a least one of them in this release is, in my estimation, one of the best wines you’ll find anywhere.

WHITE WINES

The Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve 2006 ($18.95) from Alsace is back, and this always consistent producer has done it again. This is a lovely, rich pinot gris, that will work well with your Thanksgiving turkey. Expect pear, sweet grapefruit, with a touch of honey. There’s easily enough body on this wine to complement your Thanksgiving turkey.

The Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Gold Label Chardonnay 2008 ($19.95) from California isn’t a typical California Chardonnay, since the oak is very muted. There’s lots of lime, pineapple, and a touch of vanilla. Don’t expect a really rich chardonnay, but it it’s a good one. This wine will also work with turkey.

The Roux Pere & Fils Macon Villages Blanc 2009 ($13.95) is a find. This is a lovely, easy drinking, refreshing wine at a great price, although I could easily have mistaken it for a sauvignon blanc instead of a chardonnay, despite the slightly honeyed finish. There’s lots of citrus (lemon) and green apple, and a considerable amount of acid which would work really well, as Vintages suggests, with lobster in drawn butter. If you like a lean chardonnay, buy this wine.

RED WINES

I’m going to start at the wrong end, and do a kind of wedding feast at Canaan thing, but there are three really good wines in this release if you don’t mind spending the money:

- The Ornellaia 2007 ($179.95) from Tuscany is consistently one of the world’s great wines, and one of my personal favourites. I hate spending this much money on a bottle of wine, but I did (and have done a number of times before), and I’ve never regretted it. This is just a great wine, and a treat. It’s so very complex, with notes of cocoa, spice, leather, herbs, mineral and chewy black fruit that it’s almost a shame to have anything else on your palate at the same time. If you want to treat yourself, this is your wine. And it doesn’t need aging. Aerate for an hour and enjoy.

- I’ve always thought that California makes some great wines, but they were usually too expensive, and lacked the individuality of some of the top European wines. California wines are generally meant to be consumed without a lot of aging, and are more heterogeneous than their French or Italian rivals. That being said, the next two wines are just delicious wines:

a) the Shafer Vineyards Merlot 2007 ($59.95) from Napa is a merlot, which may not be all that popular a varietal in California right now, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a lovely wine. I bought it too, despite the price. This is a big, ready wine with butterscotch and black plum. It sports soft tannins and a long finish. A really nice, delicious wine, that works really well with red meat.

b) the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($79.95), also from Napa, (which I also bought) is (believe it or not) good value. California cabs can cost a lot more than this, but there are new that are better than this. This wine could use a year or two more in the bottle but it is a smooth, complex, tasty offering. This winery hasn’t boosted its prices the way other California wineries have, but the quality is surely there.

Other reds

I’m not normally a huge new world pinot fan, and, when we visited Yering Station, I wasn’t impressed. But I do like that the Little Yering Pinot Noir 2008 ($14.95) from Australia. It is no burgundian offering, but it is a light, fruity wine dominated by sour cherry and apple. This is a pleasant wine at a good price, and if you’re having turkey for Thanksgiving, this would be my choice. This wine is a crowd pleaser.

The Grant Burge Barossa Shiraz 2008 ($16.95) also from Australia is another crowd pleaser. I’ve been a fan of this producer for a long time, and it produces a really good value shiraz. This isn’t a fruit bomb. It has good structure with sweet black fruit that will nicely complement spare ribs, beef (as long as it isn’t too lean) or hard cheese. Well worth trying.

It took a while for me to warm to the Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($19.95), but, once it opened, I was quite impressed.. It is a bigger, richer, more intense wine than the Burge, with masses of black fruit, marzipan, vanilla and a long finish. Aerate for an hour (at least) and serve with red meat.

I also very much liked the Balma Venitia Cuvee Ferdinand de Laye Visan 2007 ($13.95) from the Rhone. Finding a good Rhone at this price is like finding treasure, and this wine qualifies. There’s black fruit, white pepper and marzipan on this interesting and tasty wine, which has good acid and a long finish. Serve with stew, steak or hamburger, and buy this wine.

I’m a long time fan of amarone, and of Zenato as a producer. The only thing I don’t like about the Zenato Amarone Valpolicella Classico 2006 ($47.95) is the upward price creep, but the wine is still delicious. This is an old style raisiny intense amarone, that you can’t help but like, now or for the next five years. Serve with lamb or hard cheese, and just enjoy. Aerate for an hour or two before serving.