Vintages Release - February 5, 2011

The theme of tomorrow’s Vintages release is “Tuscany – the class of 2007” with nods to Valentine’s Day and wines from the state of Washington.

By all accounts, 2007 was a good year in Tuscany although not as good as 2004 or 1997. Unfortunately, the selection of wines offered in this release doesn’t enthuse me a great deal (generally, not just from Tuscany) so I wouldn’t be in any great rush to make it to your local LCBO store this weekend.

Let’s start with Valentine’s Day.

If there’s any day when it’s nice to do something special with your partner, it’s in mid-February, when six weeks of depressing winter weather have taken their toll on your spirits. It’s a good time to have a special wine and a little celebration, just to remind yourselves that everything isn’t quite as bleak as they seem the last time you shoveled the driveway or ruined yet another pair of shoes in the slush.

The obvious celebration drink is champagne, and I still recommend the Delamotte Brut Champagne ($47.95). It came out last December, and there’s still some of it around. Look for it. It’s very crisp, but with good brioche flavours, and reasonably priced (for the real thing).

If you can’t find the Delamotte, I have two other suggestions, both from this release, and both very different from the standpoint of both price and taste:

- I haven’t tried this wine, but the Brochet-Hervieux HBH Cuvee Speciale 1er Cru Brut Champagne 1997 ($51.95) comes well recommended as a mature, vintage champagne with a complex palate of green apple, brioche, vanilla and toast flavours. Vintages suggests pairing it with raw oysters, but I think it would work as well or better with lobster. Of course, drinking it on its own as an aperitif is a pretty good option too.

- I’m not a huge fan of sparkling rosés, but I do like Niagara’s 13th Street winery, and the 13th Street Cuvee 13 Rosé 2007 ($24.95) is nice and dry with a plethora of sweet red berry flavours. Pair with a soft cheese, and enjoy.

My other recommendation for Valentine’s Day is for a big, luxurious red that just overwhelms your taste buds, especially when paired with a serving of osso bucco, lamb or a steak. There are a lot of good choices that fit this bill, but a bottle of amarone would be my choice. Even the name is suggestive of love, although I believe that it really derives for the word for “bitter”. The Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2006 ($47.95) is a Vintages essential, and a very good choice.. This is a big, raisiny, flavorful wine, with high alcohol and low acid, and notes of chocolate, black plum, licorice, black cherry and vanilla. If you like big, rich, sumptuous wines, this is a good choice. Decant for at least an hour before serving.

The Tuscans

As I said, I wasn’t very impressed with the Tuscan selection in this release, but I do have a few suggestions:

- I have always liked the Isole E Olena Chianti Classico ($26.95) and the 2007 version is no exception. Chianti’s are great all purpose wines at any event, and go particularly well with tomato and beef based dishes. This wine has lots of rich, red fruit but still manages to be crisp, with a touch of licorice and minerality, and a medium long finish.

- I also like the Brancaia Tre 2007 (24.95). This is an IGT with a combination of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. This is a rich, well rounded wine dominated by dark fruit, but with herbal notes, earth and vanilla, and a long finish.

Keep in mind, however, the there are some non-release Tuscans that represent really good value as well.

- If you’re looking for a good chianti at a more than decent price, go for the Rocca Delle Macìe Chianti Classico Riserva 2006, a great choice at only $15.00; or

- the Ornellaia Le Volte 2008 ($28.95) is the third wine of the famed Ornellaia estate, on the west coast of Tuscany, and is as consistent a wine as you can find. If your pocket book stretches to it, Ornellaia’s second wine, Le Serre Nuove Dell'ornellaia 2008 ($59.95) was one of the best wines I tasted last year, while the estate’s first wine, the Ornellaia 2007 set me back $179.95, but I’m expecting it to be really great when I open it in 5 years or more.

THE REST OF THE RELEASE

Whites

I don’t think there’s anything in this release anywhere near as good as the Domaine Eugenie Carrion Chablis 2009 which came out in January for $19.95. There’s still plenty of it around, and it’s great value as well as being a very good wine.

If you want something new, however, try:

- New Zealand’s Shingle Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (($19.95). This is a classic sauvignon blanc, with some herbaceous flavours, gooseberry, mineral and tropical fruit. It has great mouth feel and a long finish.

- Also from New Zealand, the Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Gris 2008 ($15.95) is dominated by stone and citrus fruit, with some spice and mineral notes and well integrated acid. A good wine for soft cheese or shellfish.

Reds

California’s Rodney Strong winery is a perennially reliable producer for well, priced quality reds, and the Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($22.95) is the kind of wine this producer built its reputation on. Expect masses of black fruit with notes of oak, vanilla and vanilla on a big, tannic wine, with a finish that won’t quit, but needs some time or aeration. It will complement a steak or roast beef, or a hard cheese, very nicely.

Bonarda is a grape variety which is experiencing a revival in Argentina, and I think it makes a very nice, albeit simple and rustic, wine. The Trapiche Broquel Bonarda 2007 is $15.95, and well worth the price as a hearty, concentrated offering that will go well with pasta dishes, pepperoni pizza or burgers. Expect dark fruit, spice, and smoky oak.

The Abbona La Pieve Barolo 2005, from Piedmont, is incredibly well priced at $26.95. This is a sophisticated, elegant, medium bodied wine with plum and mushroom on the nose and palate, and with notes of cocoa, raspberry and cedar. This wine comes from a great vintage and will last for at least five years, but is approachable now. Match with veal or lean beef.