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Welcome to this not-for-profit paywall-free resource database & website created by Michael Vaughan PhD
An Award-Winning weekly columnist for Canada's top newspapers including the National Post, Globe& Mail and Financial Times
Sunday April 27, 2025

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RECENT & NOW ON THE SHELF
Current Linked Buyers Guide
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APRIL 26 VINTAGES RELEASE


SEE RELEASE SUMMARY
See our posted NEW REVIEWS for this release

APRIL 12 VINTAGES RELEASE

See our April 12 Buyers Guide
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New Ontario Discovery
Best Buy Vintages Sauvignon Blanc

Trius Distinction Sauvignon Blanc 2022
VINTAGES MARCH 15 - 19379 - $19.95
Elegant, Bright, Fresh, Ripe *** (91-points)

This potential gold medal award winner has a bright light straw colour. Attractive, fairly intense, very slightly spicy, gently grassy, ripe, peachy apple-lemon-melon nose with some minerally notes. Dry, medium bodied, bright, faintly grassy, fresh, ripe, lemon-apple-pear fruit flavours with a crisp, well balanced, lingering, harmonious finish. Has 12.7% alcohol, 1.6 g/L residual sugar and 6.4 g/L total acidity. Some 60% was made in stainless steel and 40% fermented and aged in in a mix French oak. A versatile, genuine crowd-pleaser that would be great with fish, oysters, an omelette, even poultry. Not to be missed (only 60 cases).
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A GREAT EASTER ROSE
Lafage Miraflors Rose 2023

VINTAGES ESSENTIAL - 367375 - $19.95
Fresh, Bright, Youthful **+ (89 points)
This just retasted VINTAGES ESSENTIAL release of Lafage's 2023 classic southern French Rose is perfect for the Valentine loong weekend. It comes in a very attractive, designer bottle with a convenient recyclable glass stopper. Bright very pale pink colour, it has fresh, gently spicy, floral, ripe, melon-apple-pear aromatics. Dry, medium to medium-light bodied, youthful, slightly spicy, fresh, honeycrisp apple flavours and a lingering bright finish. A tasty blend of 50% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache Gris and 20% Grenache with 12.5% alcohol. Versatile and ready-to-enjoy.


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Vintages 2025 Buyers Guide
unpaid-for non-advertorial reviews

LINKED 2025 VINTAGES BUYERS GUIDE
SEE ALL REVIEWS FOR PAST FOUR MONTHS

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Noteworthy New 2022 Chardonnay

Norman Hardie Chardonnay Unfiltered
LCBO NEW RELEASE - 184432 - $39.20
Ripe, Rich, Toasty ***/***+ (94-points)
Here is the new just-tasted 2022 Niagara Chardonnay that was recently released by the winery at some 30+ selected LCBO stores. Bright medium straw colour. Very intense and complex with a toasty, ripe, lemon meringue pie nose with lots of minerally, cedary notes. Dry, medium-full bodied, well textured, rich, ripe, mouthfilling, lemon meringue flavours with a long, lingering, minerally, buttery brioche, key lime pie finish. Aged for 18 months (2 winters) in large format French oak barrels and bottled without filtration. Now in 35 stores.
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GREAT NEW SPRINGTIME BBQ RED

Domaine Lafage Cayrol Vieilles Vignes Carignan 2022
APRIL 12 - VINTAGES - 494039 - $19.95
Intense, Well Textured, Ripe *** (90-points)

This 2022 is the fifth Vintages release and the best to date. Deep purple in colour, it has a very attractive, gently spicy, intense, complex, ripe, black-cherry-cassis-raspberry-plum nose with some minerally, sandalwood notes. Dry, medium-plus bodied and nicely textured, the slightly spicy, ripe, cassis-raspberry-plum flavours are followed up with a lingering, bright, gently complex finish. This 100% old-vine Carignan has 14.5% alcohol and is delicious, versatile and ready-to-drink - it will pair well with bbq ribs,steak and roast beef.
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NEW GEORGIAN BEST BUY RED

Koncho Saperavi 2022
APRIL 26 - VINTAGES - 466458 - $15995
Dry, Bright, Raspberry-Plum **/**+ (88.5-points)

This indigenous 100% Saperavi variety produces Georgia's top red wines. Deep purple-red in colour, it has a slightly floral, faintly spicy, ripe, plum-black-cherry nose with a touch of cedar. Dry, medium bodied and tasty, the still youthful, ripe, plum-raspberry flavours are followed up by a lingering, gently cedary, very bright finish. This versatile, ready-to-drink, crowd-pleaser was matured for 12 months in oak and is the 8th time it has appeared in Vintages.
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NEW ITALIAN WHITE HIGHLIGHT

Villa Antinori Bianco 2023

#620948 - $19.95 - 90-points

This bright, fresh, crowd-pleasing Tuscan white hits the value pleasure spot. Pale straw in colour, the nose exudes freshness with some floral, ripe winter melon fruit along with a hints of minerality. Dry, medium bodied, fresh, bright, citrus-tinged, ripe, honeydew flavours with a lingering, harmonious, faintly minerally, crisp finish. Delicious, versatile and perfectly ready-to-enjoy, this tasty unoaked bend of Trebbiano, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Riesling has a modest 12% alcohol.
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