Fine Bordeaux Bargains
Uncovering In-Store Discoveries

Michael Vaughan
Friday, October 17, 2008

A *** Vintage Assessments Release Highlight from April 12, 2008 is now on sale. 2001 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion (61788) has been just reduced in price from $71.95 to only $58.30. This classy Graves (actually designated as a Pessac-Léognan) is 55% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc . Here is my tasting note: Fairly deep intense purple colour. Complex, spicy, licorice tinged, ripe plum nose with some cedary sandalwood notes. Dry, spicy, very well structured, harmonious, medium bodied, ripe plum and dried red and black cherries with hints of cassis, sandalwood and vanilla stick on the long lingering licorice tinged finish. Showing surprising well at the moment, it will last many years. There isn’t too much around, so move quickly.

If you are looking for something cheaper, why not try 2003 Château de la Rivière (653147) initially released on August 18, 2007 at $44.95 and now on sale for $32.70. This distinguished Fronsac blend of 82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec scored **+/***. The tasting note: Extremely intense deep purple colour. Complex, earthy, lead pencil, lime and ripe plum nose. Solid, dry, fairly extracty, full-bodied, ripe plum, prune and bitter chocolate flavours with a lingering finish. Good match for roast beef or a rare steak. Even better than the excellent 2000 released on May 28, 2005 at $39.95.

As of last Saturday, October 11, Vintages had released 2,026 In-Store Discoveries – we have the detailed list – click here the list. The program started on January 2004 and much to the chagrin of producers and wine distributors, wine writers are not allowed to taste these items. To be truthful, it isn’t that I am looking for more things to taste - this week alone I was in the LCBO lab for three days and tasted more than 350 wines and spirits. Nevertheless, it would make sense to allow wine writers to sample the ISDs put out for the LCBO Consultants on their Tuesday tastings. There is more than enough wine to go around - I am always sad to see bottles being dumped down the drain.

Having said that, I want to thank Wine Fanatics for sending me a sample of their Zeltinger Sonnenuhr 2005 Riesling Auslese (ISD 71456) at $27.95, which was released on September 27, 2008 as an In-Store Discovery. Unfortunately, the first bottle German Mosel had some hints of mustiness. The LCBO took the faulty bottle back (less one ounce that was used for tasting) and it was replaced with a perfectly sound bottle. What a difference. It scored **+/*** and here is my tasting note: Light straw colour. Bright, floral, sweet, honeyed, spicy, grapefruit marmalade nose. Sweet, zesty, slightly spicy, refined, grapefruit marmalade flavours with a lingering, tangy finish. Versatile and ready to enjoy. Wouldn’t it be easier for all concerned to simply have let the wine writers taste the unfinished, open bottle in the lab? It’s still available in 17 Vintages outlets.

Thanks to the agent Malcolm Cocks of Glen Ward, I was able to taste Dusted Valley Vintners 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (ISD 70615) at $29.95. This *** Washington blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 7% Malbec has a deep intense purple colour. The nose is very attractive, fairly intense and gently juicy with plummy, ripe cherries and hints of vanilla stick. On the palate it is refined, dry and well structured with harmonious, fresh, plummy, ripe black and red cherry flavours with a lingering finish. Versatile and ready to enjoy, only 736 cases produced and sells at the winery for $28. You may be interested in discovering that this wine won the Double Gold Best of Class ($25 to $34.99) at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (see: http://www.winejudging.com/medal_winners_2008/452.htm)

Ditto for Morrison Bowmore 16 Years Old Port-Matured Limited Edition Single Malt 1991 (ISD 62216) at  $139.95. This *** Islay Cask Strength Non Chill Filtered Single Malt was released last Saturday.  Here is my tasting note: Medium deep orange amber colour. Intense, smoky, complex, spicy, baked plum nose with some intriguing hints of seaweed. Dry, firm, mouthfilling, well structured, intense, slightly spicy, plummy, peat-tinged, mouthfilling, faintly pepper flavours with a caramel-vanilla finish.

Coming up: Friday, October 24 - Whisky Live is Canada’s whisky tasting event of the year. It is held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building. For tickets and more information click here.

Have a Great Thanksgiving

Michael Vaughan
Thursday, October 9, 2008

As the Saturday, October 11th Vintages selections are hitting the shelves tomorrow (Friday, October 10th), I am giving Liquid Asset readers a head’s up to my Thanksgiving long weekend selections.

Let me kick off with a terrific lasting taste treat. The Balvenie 17 Years Old Sherry Oak Highland Single Malt (70714) at $129.95 rated a stunning ***+. It is one of the finest single malt I have tasted in quite some time. Yellowing deep amber colour, it has an intense, very faintly earthy, complex, plummy, Seville-orange-marmalade-tinged nose with some vanilla notes. It’s intense and very well balanced on the palate with slightly spicy, plummy, well structured, ripe lemon flavours with a lingering, vanilla stick finish. A wonderful long weekend sipper.

There are a couple of delicious sweet dessert wines worth buying. Pedro Ximenez 1827 Sweet Sherry (47944) at $17.95 rated **+. Deep ambering brown with a golden yellow edge, it has a lovely, sweet, honeyed, raisin pie nose. Delicious, spicy, very sweet, fleshy, rich, raisin pie flavours with a long, lingering, toffee-caramel finish.

If you like icewine, you will love Lenz Moser 2006 Beerenauslese Prestige (930255) at only $16.95 and rated **+. Noble rot is the name given to Botrytis Cinerea, a fungus which helps create wines such as classic sweet French Sauternes and German Trockenbeernauslese. Light yellow colour, this fine Austrian effort has a very sweet, spicy, lemon meringue pie nose. It’s rich, very sweet and spicy on the palate with tangy, lemon meringue flavours and a lingering, honeyed-caramel finish.

For the big bird, I have a couple of white wine selections. If you like Chard, don’t miss Cousino-Macul 2007 Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay (730044) at $14.95 and rated **. It has a honeyed, rather spicy, melon, ripe apple nose with some toasty, ripe lemon notes. Dry, crisp and medium bodied, it has slightly spicy, honeyed, ripe lemon-melon flavours with a refined, lingering, gently toasty finish. It is a blend of predominantly stainless steel Chard with a small portion aged for 7 months in French oak, some of which had malolactic fermentation.

A highlight from Greece is Sigalas Santorini 2006 (74781) at $21.95 rated **+. From the beautiful island of Santorini, this 100% Assyrtiko from the respected house of Sigalis has a light yellow colour and a rather intense, gently complex, slightly spicy, baked ripe lemon-melon nose. Dry, well-structured, medium-full bodied, harmonious, ripe lemon-melon-cantalope flavours with a lingering, slightly schisty, solid finish. It has great acidity, texture and flavour.

In terms of red selection, you can’t miss with the sumptuous Allan Scott 2007 Pinot Noir (68437) at $24.95 rated **+. Medium deep red colour, it has an intense, spicy, slightly cedary, ripe red cherries and beet root on the nose. On the palate it is quite juicy, dry and medium bodied with tangy, fresh, plummy, raspberry-cherry-cranberry flavours and a long, lingering finish. New at Vintages, it is a perfect choice for Thanksgiving turkey. Screwcap closure.

Two terrific value reds include Finca el Retiro 2004 Reserva Especial Tempranillo (57216) at $14.95 rated *+/**. Extremely deep intense purple colour, the nose is complex and slightly spicy with baked plums, dried black cherries and cloves on the vanilla-tinged notes. Dry, medium-full bodied and well structured, it shows ripe plum and black cherry flavours with a slightly tart, lingering finish.

Even better is the outstanding South African Graham Beck 2006 Gameskeeper Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2519) at $19.95 rated **+. Extremely deep intense purple colour, the nose is quite forward with spicy, cedary, plummy, juicy black cherry notes. It’s dry, medium bodied and fairly extracty with        ripe plum, cedary, dried ripe cherry flavours and a lingering finish.

Other fine buys include Pikes 2004 Eastside Shiraz (77891) at $21.95 rated **/**+. Very deep intense purple colour, the nose is spicy, intense and cedary with plummy, slightly smoky, mocha-chocolate notes. Dry, well structured, medium to medium-full bodied and harmonious, the ripe plum and black cherry purée flavours are complimented with a lingering, slightly smoky, mocha-chocolate finish.

Langmeil 2006 Hangin' Snakes Shiraz/Viognier (77685) at $22.95 is well rated **+. This blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier has a very deep intense purple colour. The nose shows spicy, vanilla-tinged, ripe black cherry purée and the taste is dry, well structured, harmonious and medium to medium-full bodied with ripe plum and black cherry flavours followed up by a lingering, slightly cedary finish. Screwcap closure.

It may not go well with turkey, but Christine & Eric Saurel 2005 Montirius Vacqueyras Le Clos (76547) at $28.95 rated **+/***. This wonderful Rhone biodynamic blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah has an extremely intense purple colour and a slightly earthy, spicy, baked black cherry nose with hints of vanilla stick. On the palate it is dry, tangy, medium to medium-full bodied and fairly extracty with very slightly earthy, ripe plum flavours and a lingering, slightly cedary finish. Try with robust flavourful red meats. This organic wine contains 13 ml of free sulphur.