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From a Sublime German Red
To an Amorous Amarone
Vintages Discoveries

It has taken a long time but Vintages seems to have finally realized that it’s a good idea to let consumer’s know what’s for sale. In the past, wines would suddenly appear totally unannounced out of nowhere. Even the agents wouldn’t know when their products would hit the selves.

On May 5, 2001, these “soft” releases gave way to InStore Discoveries (ISD) – initially 11 wines and one spirit in 20 stores. Unfortunately, the LCBO still refused to provide customers with “the list” which has been posted from day one monthly (along with a cumulative index) on our website.

Finally, after years of complaining, Vintages finally started to publicize their ISDs. Wine writers were actually invited to preview a few of these products. I bring this up because yesterday, January 9^th, 36 new ISD items were released (see detailed list on my website). While I have only had a chance to taste 16 wines (44%), there are a number of best buys that can only be tracked down in 22 ISD-designated LCBO stores - all 5 Vintages stores, 11 boutiques (Crossroads is excluded) and 6 corners. [Note: If you wish to see the 33 ISD listings appearing in next month’s Friday, February 6^th release click here]

I got that deja vu feeling while tasting the first red - the remarkable German Lingenfelder 1999 ‘Ganymed’ Spätburgunder (947895), which fetched a mere $21.95 (1997 vintage) in the first May 2001 ISD release. It currently fetches $33.95, a pretty hefty increase, but for fans of fine Pinot Noir, this little gem is worth the investment.

Made from the Mariafeld M1 clone planted in 1982/3 on Rainer Lingenfelder’s own estate – the 2.5 ha Grosskarlbacher Burgweg vineyard located in the southern Pfalz. It was hand picked on October 6/8 with a solid 24 brix of ripeness and is unfined but gently filtered. Only 1,000 cases are produced in the very best years – there is no 2000, nor 2001! 

Appearing on the label is a drawing of Ganymed, the mythological cupbearer of the Greek Gods, which was designed by Professor Bernd Göbel. While this label is used in Europe and Canada, it is banned in the United States because of the genitalia. It is ironic that the label can’t get into the US, while the French Michel-Ange Esclaves commemorative stamp (complete with genitalia) can be freely received by any American, including minors! Quel horreur!

Another anomaly is that this Pinot Noir was initially designated as a ‘Deutscher Tafelwein’ (the lowest of the low) because of Lingenfelder’s unique style and use of François Frères Allier oak barrels, which did not pass the German wine authorities’ typicity test. While this is no longer the case, Lingenfelder has decided to stay with this original designation.

Getting down to the wine itself, the nose shows good intensity with complex, gently smoky, stewed black cherry fruit. On the palate, Ganymed is dry and nicely structured with rounded, plummy, lovely ripe black cherry purée flavours. It has great length, versatility and is at its peak.

Naturally one has to be just as discerning with ISDs as with any Vintages release - only a handful of items are really worth tracking down. Before going on to today’s release, let me recommend a remarkable Chenin Blanc from the Napa Valley. One taste of Chappellet 2000 Old Vine Cuvée Chenin Blanc (935627) at $24.95 will answer the question of why anyone would bother growing this often-maligned grape on valuable Napa land. It’s great! While it shows a lot of yellow suggesting some maturity, the nose is lovely with slightly sweet, toasty, ripe, tangerine-marmalade notes. It is solid and dry but not austere on the palate with explosive, ripe citrus fruit flavours along with pear and marzipan on the lingering finish. Great by itself, it might also go well with foie gras.

One must be thankful that this small, steeply terraced, rocky, unirrigated Chenin Blanc vineyard, which was planted in the early 1960’s, has not been torn out and replaced by more fashionable grapes. Chappellet winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus has done a fine job of acid management on this 14.5% alcohol whopper, which was barrel fermented with seven months sur lie aging and 45% malolactic fermentation. My only wish is that the $24.95 price might have been trimmed down to something closer to its $14US retail.

Moving on to today’s release I have two Italian best buys, one at $11.95, the other at $48.95.  Moving to the least expensive, we have the triumphant return of the better-than-ever Terra d’Aligi 2001 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (981399) at only $11.95. It’s hard to believe that despite the enormous order of 3,840 cases, it never showed up in our preview tasting. Fortunately, it was already available at the Crossroads store and so I am happy to report that it’s a winner. The nose has juicy, ripe plums with some blackberry and dried red cherry notes. Dry, crisp and medium-light bodied on the palate, the gently spicy, bright, plummy, dried cherry flavours are attractive, versatile, and easy to quaff.

At the other end of the spectrum is my Release Highlight - a delicious, ready-to-drink, amorous Amarone. Make a beeline for Cantina Valpantena 1998 Amarone Della Valpolicella Falasco (922161) at $48.95 with its deep intense purple red colour. “Wow!” was the only word that came to mind when I inhaled the faintly smoky, spicy, juicy ripe plum nose with some sweet, floral, gently earthy, red pepper purée notes. It is wonderfully harmonious with sweetish, ripe plum-prune purée flavours along with some smoky chocolate on the lingering finish. While some might be distressed that it’s made by a large 260-grower-coop, for my taste, here at last is an Amarone without excessive tannins or bitterness.

Just a heads-up on next month’s February 7^th release, where you will find the pleasant, medium bodied, reasonably juicy, plummy, dried ripe cherry flavoured Cantina Valpantena 2000 Valpolicella Ripasso Falasco (924209) at $17.95.

Coming up  

• For ten days in January the Niagara region is transformed into a wintry wonderland, celebrating the Ontario icewine. It kicks off with the January 9th Annual Xerox Images of Winter Icewine Evening at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel in Niagara Falls on Friday, January 16, from 8pm -11pm, which showcases more than 35 of Ontario's premier wineries. Tickets are $150.
Click here for more information, or click here for the event brochure.

• FBTI Supporters can get the entire January 17th Vintages Bin End Sale with all 134 reviews actively linked to the LCBO store database today by clicking here

2001-2002-2003 Tasting Note Database

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