Upcoming Vintages Release January 12, 2002
The Scoop!
©
Michael Vaughan 2002
Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
January 5, 2002
Welcome
to the New Year. Here’s the scoop
on next weeks’ release. Of the
157 listings, a total of 24 (or 15%) were not presented by the LCBO to
consultants and/or wine writers. Some
seven products have been previously released and were not presented for
retasting. To view the entire
upcoming January 12th release Click
Here
It’s
sad but true than now none of Toronto’s four daily newspapers provide any
advance monthly analysis of these releases for their readers.
Fortunately for our ever-growing list of E-MAIL
SUBSCRIBERS, they already have received
my detailed tasting notes on each of these upcoming items.
This, along with our exclusive details the number of cases available and
name of the agent, is essential for
serious buyers. Keep in mind that Vintage Assessments is the only
monthly publication which gives you consistent tasting notes from a single
critic. Anyone who suggests that
scores between different tasters are unimportant is simply blowing in the wind.
Due
to the holidays, LCBO lab pretastings were changed meaning that (as of today)
only half of the release was tasted twice. The balance will be tasted next
Tuesday. Vintage Assessments is the
only publication in Canada that is based on such a two bottle tasting policy!
Also
note that Customers outside metropolitan Toronto and Ottawa can make requests
from upcoming release by contacting their local store which now
must be placed until 11 am Tuesday, January 8th.
Note that I have received reader complaints that some LCBO store managers
have refused to take orders for wines under $15.
If you have encountered this problem, please email (mbv@total.net)
or fax me at (416) 762-3579.
Before
giving you some recommendations, let me bring to your attention the LCBO’s “DICE” Report which lists all the remaining
inventory of Vintages products in the LCBO warehouses.
This is extremely extremely useful in helping wine lovers find decent
wines which have been overlooked. Serious
gems are to be found. Moreover, our
exclusive list provides you with my tasting evaluation revealing
if a wine is worth buying! There isn’t anything like it! To see Click
Here
Ditto
for the LCBO’s In-Store Discovery products
which come out every month are also avaliable here. Once again this is the only place anywhere such information
is made public. This information
will be posted next week.
The
Vintage Assessments website is also the only place where you will able to find
the updated LCBO List of Delisted Products.
On Monday, January 7th over 300 products
will be discounted for sale. While
we have the list in our possession details will not be posted until the day of
the release to ensure that no one gets a special advantage in tracking down some
of the terrific buys.
LIQUEUR
~ Recommended by Vintage Assessments
960161
FILFAR ORANGE
LIQUEUR
$ 19.40
Extra Fine, Cyprus
Cinnamon
Hearts **
(Out of three stars)
 (Damaris Wines &
Spirits) (120 Cases of 6) (34%)
Deep golden yellow colour. Sweet,
very spicy, cinnamon heart, bitter orange, Cointreau-inspired nose.
Sweet, rich, mouthfilling, very spicy, cinnamon and allspice directed,
bitter essence of Cointreau flavours that go on and on.
It takes between 16-18 Cyprus-grown oranges of different varieties
(blended with a secret selection of herbs) to make one bottle of Filfar.
[Ver Imp] A
Best Buy
WHITE
WINE ~ Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
593921 SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVE 2000
$ 18.95
VQA - Niagara Peninsula
Not Presented For Evaluation
 (Cilento)
(84 Cases) [Cil
Win]
There were only four Gold Medals awarded ($12-$25 Whites) at the Toronto 2001
Wine & Cheese Show and this was one of them!
A terrific ***
example of Sauvignon Blanc at its bracing best.
In my opinion, it’s the best Ontario 2000 vintage Sauvignon Blanc I
have tasted.
It’s a shame that Vintages didn’t put this one out for the LCBO
consultants to ponder. You’ll
have to rush to get this one, it’s sold out at the winery. A
Best Buy
WHITE
WINE ~ Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
329441 PINOT BLANC 1999
$ 16.50
Okanagan Valley
Apricot-Pear
Purée **
 (Blue Mountain) (84 Cases) (13.7%)
Light yellow colour. Attractive,
gently honeyed, fruity, ripe apricot-pear purée nose.
Well balanced, gently honeyed, slightly spicy, floral, fresh ripe pear
flavours. Medium bodied with a
zippy, bright, seemingly unoaked finish. [LCB
Dir] A
Best Buy
WHITE
WINE ~ Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
426940
CHARDONNAY 2000
$ 10.45
Mendoza
Bright
Citrus & Pears *+/**
 (J &
F Lurton) (800 Cases) (13%)
Bright, medium yellow colour. Fairly
intense, complex, ripe lemon purée nose with some baked Alaska meringue notes.
Medium-light bodied, bright, very crisp, dry, ripe Anjou pear flavours
with some tangy, orange peel notes on the lingering finish.
[Max Can] A Best Buy
RED
WINE ~ Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
361782 PINOT NOIR 1998
$ 19.95
Oregon
Bright
Cherry Purée *+/**
 (Firesteed)
(978 Cs) (12.5%) [Sel Win]
Light red colour. Very spicy,
alluring, cherry purée nose with good vanilla notes.
Spicy, bright, tangy, slightly smoky, dried black cherry purée flavours.
Ready to enjoy, somewhat light bodied with good refreshing acidity and a
lingering finish. This 1998 first appeared in Vintages on October 14, 2000 at
$17.95 and it’s still showing very well - certainly better than many
comparably-priced French Burgundy sold as Bourgogne or even Côte de Beaune-Villages
on the LCBO General List!
RED
WINE ~ Vintage Assessments Release Highlight!
932889 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 1997
$ 26.75
Le Masse di Greve,
DOCG
Complex
& Cedary **+
(Az. Agr. Lanciola) (300 Cases) (13.5%)
[Rus Woo]
Intense deep red colour. Complex,
rich, chocolaty, ripe plum purée nose with fine lime notes.
Fairly rich, harmonious, well structured, dry, baked plums, cedar and
chocolate on the palate. Quite
delicious with a fine lingering finish and ready to drink.
Wonderfully accessible. A Best Buy
For
those wanting more best buys, may I remind you that the full copmendium of all
ratings and detailed tasting notes are in my monthly E-Mail Pre-Release
Vintage Reporter which is sent out twelve times a year for only $39.
Vintage Assessments is now in its
12th year had has a loyal following ~ our 96% renewal rate speaks for
itself. To sign up for $39 a year
and get the full scoop on today’s release Click
Here
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