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Get
all the evaluations for
the April
Release National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist Saturday, March 1, 2003
New Zealand produced some brilliant whites
in 2002 due to the long, cool growing season. Some eight estate and
grower vineyards located in various sub-regions of Marlborough’s
Wairau Valley provided the Cloudy Bay fruit, which was machine harvested
during the cooler nights and early mornings. It was then fermented in
various stainless steel tanks where it remained in contact with yeast
lees for about two months. Finally assemblage took place in August and
subsequent bottling in September. The high alcohol of 13.5% is balanced
by high, but perfect, total acidity (7.2 g/l). It is the first time in memory that this
wine has appeared in the monthly release. The 2001 was, for instance, an
exclusive November 1st Vintages V-mail offering at $26 with a
three-bottle limit. The 2000 appeared in the 2001 Spring Classics
Catalogue at $26, while the 1999 appeared the year before at $25.
Hopefully, the handful of LCBO stores carrying the 448 cases currently
being released will limit per customer sales in order to share the
wealth. Call the infoline at 1-800-668-5226 to see where it is
available; also, be aware that new shipments are scheduled for April
(300 cases) and June (140 cases). When I talked to Cloudy Bay’s Ontario
agent, Tony
Hirons, he reported that apparently the LCBO demanded that
unless he gave them his entire allocation of all his Cloudy Bay wines,
they would refuse to buy any Cloudy Bay for store sales. In the past, in
addition to what went to the LCBO, Hirons brought in about half the
Sauvignon Blanc Ontario allocation for his licensee accounts. Rather
than cut off Ontario consumers, Hirons agreed to give his full allotment
to the LCBO. It is worth noting that the LCBO has
admitted to playing “hardball” with Hirons and Cloudy Bay;
supposedly “to get a larger allotment of wine into the hands of the
consumers.” Unfortunately, it would seem that the allocation for
consumers hasn’t increased significantly over the past year. Moreover,
one has to wonder whether the consumers are really going to get more as
the LCBO is going to ensure that licensees get their orders as usual.
Apparently almost all of the upcoming 440 cases are being allocated to
trade buyers. One must seriously question whether a monopolistic buyer
is acting appropriately when it presents such ultimatums to agents and
suppliers. What seriously upsets Hirons is that the
Sauvignon Blanc is now $3 a bottle higher than what the price should be
based on the regular LCBO mark-up. “As everything has to come through
the LCBO, they know every detail about your business - even who you are
selling your wines to,” says Hirons. When I asked the LCBO about this
matter, I was told that they were pricing the wine in accordance to
international markets. In other words, on the total shipment of 848
cases, the LCBO now making an additional $31,968 of windfall profits. On one hand the LCBO says it is doing this
for the consumer; but then arbitrarily raises the price. That doesn’t
that sound very consumer-minded to me. Also, keep in mind that the agent
who was given the ultimatum by the LCBO to relinquish direct sales
(at $26 a bottle) seems now to be seriously out of pocket. In the words of one
supplier “the LCBO can do anything it wants to do with no
accountability as long as it shovels money into the provincial
coffers.” Other
Vintages Selections Moving on, there are three other Sauvignon Blanc in
this release, two of which are worth exploring. South Africa’s Roberston
2001 Wide River Sauvignon Blanc Reserve is a decent buy at a
mere $11.70 with very crisp, dry, slightly honeyed, grassy, ripe lemon
notes. It’s a perfect oyster wine. Considerably more expensive is the
extremely crisp Robert Mondavi 2000
Stags Leap Sauvignon Blanc
at $35.90. The very intense, still youthful, tangy, grapefruity, green
peach flavours are followed up with just a touch of toastiness as 70% of
the juice was lees-fermented in older French oak barrels for six months.
Here is an unfiltered white to accompany boldly flavoured poultry and
white meat dishes.
Coming up this week, we have a celebration of Oregon wines. First on Tuesday night at 6:30 pm is an impressive winemaker’s dinner at Toronto’s Avalon Restaurant featuring Westrey, Amity and St. Innocent. Call 416-979-9918 for reservations. On Wednesday, March 5th the Oregon Pinot Festival takes place at St. Lawrence Town Hall (157 King Street East) with a trade tasting at 2:30 to 5:00 and a consumer event from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Call 416-410-4630. To see the and visit list of wines being presented press here
Check out the
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004 |
With
62 new Vintage releases hitting the shelves next Saturday, non-urban
dwelling wine fans are anxious to get their advance orders into their
local LCBO stores (11 am this Tuesday is the deadline). Unfortunately,
an increasing number end up as disappointed, empty-handed buyers. They
claim that some of best wines never leave the city. An example might be
the 
This
cult wine always sells out, despite the fact that occasionally equally
impressive, less expensive Sauvignon Blanc languish in Vintages. While
the LCBO didn’t put out a bottle for the press to taste, I managed to
review a bottle and was truly impressed. This is one of the best efforts
ever by winemaker 
Moving
on to Chardonnay, make sure you don’t miss the best value 
Ironically. it is the antithesis of my next
recommendation – the fresh, ripe, sweet pear driven 
Finally, from Germany’s Franken region we
have a Vintages debut of the uncannily delicious, just off-dry