A case in point is the Vintages “In Store Discovery” programme (referred to as ISD), which was launched in May 2001. Not only did the liquor board not publicize these items, but also unlike the wines that come out in the well-publicized Vintages monthly releases, they never let anyone, including their own consultants taste them.

Vintages incorrectly believed that they could lure customers to their stores with these “surprise” wines. The real surprise, at least for the LCBO, is that the crowds never materialized. Indeed, it was so bad that you could almost hear a wine agent’s teeth gnash if one of their products happened to slip into what many called the “LCBO twilight zone.”

From day one, I have provided readers with the full monthly list of all ISD items on my website (see below), where you can also find the full detailed list of all 410 items appearing over the past 32 months. To see the full list (click here).

Finally there has been some progress. First, the LCBO finally decided to publicize the products on the ISD hostage list. In addition, it has miraculously managed to present for the very first time, a few (unfortunately very few) wines from August’s ISD release.

Fortunately, some energized agents have finally started asking me to preview their ISD releases. The reason has more to do with tumbling licensee sales as a consequence of SARS, meaning that they desperately need consumer exposure. Consequently, as your dedicated taster, I am presenting my first ISD recommendation.

I have to admit that I get a bit antsy when shelling out big bucks for a California white - so many of them are overpriced. So when I first fondled this $39.95 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, I had my reservations. One sniff of Artesa 2000 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve (938373), however, convinced me that at last I had finally found a Napa Valley gem actually worthy of the price.

The lush fresh peach and spicy buttered toast nose seduced - a bouquet that would captivate any Chardonnay fan and yet has that lifted tinge of Sauvignon grassiness that sets it apart. On the palate, it is well textured and mouthfilling (14.2% alcohol) with fairly intense, peachy-Anjou pear flavours that go on and on. A white with character and yet is harmonious and refreshing.

Artesa winemaker Don Van Staaveren, who had spent two decades at Chateau St Jean, has done a superlative job. In order to give it the velvety texture and touch of toast, it was barrel fermented (95% French oak) and aged sur lie for 16 months. To keep it crisp, no malolactic fermentation was permitted.

Artesa was created in 1999 from the existing $30 million hilltop Codorniu Napa winery. The 450-year-old, family-owned, Spanish house of Codorniu constructed the latter as a shrine to méthode champenoise in 1991. Unfortunately, US sparkling sales have been flat. So a three-year, $10+ million facelift has brought it new life - artisan winemaking focusing on small lots from numerous appellations. My only complaint relates to LCBO pricing - it can be readily purchased for under $17US. It also doesn’t help when the LCBO website tells us that this reasonably dry white has a 2 sugar code, making it the same as many off-dry German Rieslings!

Vintages’ Black Holes

Moving closer to oblivion, we have the LCBO’s “black holes.” These are the Vintages “Soft” releases, which manage to even leave yours truly totally in the dark. “Soft” because there is no hard record of their release. Look at the LCBO website and you will see that their release date is “not available.” They are truly invisible, and unlike the ISDs, they can take place any time.

One wine, which unfortunately fell into the abyss, is the bracingly crisp New Zealand Tohu 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (723221), which at $22.95 is a style you’ll either love or hate. The nose has two elements - wildflowers and honey on one side and gooseberries and fresh cut grass on the other. There is a tightness here that carries over on to the palate, which is quite rich, very tangy and dry with fairly intense, oak-free, lemon grass flavours that almost jump out of the glass. There is some white pepper on the finish, prompting one taster to complain that it made his tongue itch. And yet this Marlborough white was great with sizzling, tempura shrimps.

When the LCBO doubled its very first order of Tohu Sauvignon Blanc to 500 cases, the agent was ecstatic. This joy was short lived when the wine emerged as a soft release. One obviously has to wonder how a totally new unknown brand with a zero track record can be thrown into the market without a stitch of visibility. “Unfair” would be an understatement.

Fortunately, I met Tohu’s director, James Wheeler at the crowded New Zealand wine fair held in Toronto recently. He explained that Tohu is owned by the Wakatu Incorporation, which was established in 1977 to rectify the government’s 137-year misadministration of some 1400 ha of Maori reserve lands. Ending the Crown’s usurious perpetual leases meant that all 1,668 Maori owners are now eligible to receive dividends. Fortunately, 2002 was good - Tohu recorded its first profit and production jumped from 6,000 to 28,000 cases.

As the fair’s noise grew, Wheeler’s enthusiasm became evident. “Here were have stainless-steel-only – not a scrap of oak has touched it,” he shouted. The alcohol is a respectable 13%, whereas total acidity weighs in at 7.5 g/l  (much higher than Artesa respectable 6.3 g/l). While I was told that it is going to sell for $19.95, the LCBO priced it at $22.95. Once again the LCBO website incorrectly says that it has a  sugar code of 1 (or 10 g/l - it’s actually an extremely dry 4.5g/l) along with the incorrect alcohol level of 12.1%.

Stylistically, as expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, Tohu is the absolute antithesis of the Artesa. Nevetheless, these two New World have two things in common - they both have been obscured and overpriced by Vintages. Hopefully, they have now have received the attention they deserve.

Check out our new winefind.ca Tasting Notes Data Base

Our tasting note database goes back to January 1, 2001 and covers every Vintages release product for the past 30 months. There are approximately 5,000 notes in the database data. Just enter the name of the product, supplier name or CSPC number. Nothing could be easier. You can even search by agent using our agent id number. There is nothing like it! When you get your search results (starting with the most recent release), click on the item name and you will instantaneously connected to the FBTI Vintage Assessments database. You will see the tasting note along with the name of the agent. You can immediately get information on the agent by clicking on the agent name. Also, you can check LCBO store inventory by clicking on Check LCBO Availability. It will automatically take you to the item you want to search.

To use our winefind.ca Tasting Notes: click here

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Check out the
August 2003 InStore Discovery

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
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