Vintages 
November 3rd Release

  Sweet Freshly Made Blueberry Jam **+
(out of three stars)
Canadian Blueberry 
CSPC 559245 $ 14.95
(Southbrook)

(88 Cases)

Purple colour.  Sweet, freshly squashed, ripe blueberries on the nose and palate.  Lovely, sweet, lingering, tangy, creamy, fresh, cassis blueberry jam flavours.
 

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Spirits & Best Buy Whites From the Upcoming Vintages Release
©
By Michael Vaughan
Saturday, November 24, 2001

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
994053 ‘BUSHMILLS’ 16 Years Old.                      700 mL   $ 79.95
Single Malt                                                                Rich & Tangy **+
‘Matured in Three Woods’
(‘Old Bushmills’ Dist.) (120 Cs) (40%)
Medium amber colour.  Attractive, rather cedary, spicy, caramel and toffee on the nose.  Peppery, dry and firm with gently sweet, spicy, cinnamon, prune and fallen leaf flavours.   [PR Can]   

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
956623 AMARO ‘MONTENEGRO’                                       $ 26.80
Premiata Specialità                               Sweet Candied Orange Rind **
Bologna, Italy (Montenegro SpA)
(151 Cases of 8) (25%)  [Cal Sal]
Medium golden amber colour.  Very spicy, sweet, herbal, citrusy, candied tangerine rind nose.  Very sweet, slightly bitter, cinnamon-directed, candied orange rind flavours.

 

Vintage Assessments Release Highlight
711796 ‘GIANDUIA’ CREMA                                 500 mL   $ 29.75
Chocolato Gianduia                               Sweet, Hazelnut-Chocolate **
Grappa. Veneto
(Distilleria Bottega) (100 Cs of 6) (17%) 
Fairly dense, creamy, chocolate colour.  Attractive, sweet, intense, hazelnut purée nose.  Sweet, rounded, creamy, rich, hazelnut flavours.  Gianduia chocolate is a blend of fine chocolate and hazelnut melded with Venetian grappa.  It comes in an attractive bottle, perfect for Holiday gift giving. [Nob Est]  

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
533315 CHARDONNAY 1998                                                 $ 17.95
‘Triomphe’                   Complex Baked Pear **
VQA - Niagara Peninsula
(Southbrook Winery) (224 Cs) (13.2%)  [Lif Age]
Medium deep yellow colour.  Complex, somewhat leesy, baked lemon nose with some buttered bread crumb and crisp Anjou pear notes.  Dry, well structured rather intense, baked ripe lemon and dried pear flavours on the palate.  Quite well structured with a long, slightly peppery finish.  Best with white meats and poultry.  This fairly priced, ready-to-enjoy effort received a Silver Medal at the 2001 Toronto Wine & Cheese Show last March.

 

 

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
322057 CHARDONNAY 1999                                                 $ 23.50
‘Pinnacles’ Proprietor                                                 Well Balanced **
Grown, Monterey (Estancia) (300 Cases) (13.5%) 
Medium yellow colour.  Rather intense, toasty, spicy, honeyed, ripe lemon nose with some tropical pineapple notes.  Spicy, well balanced, harmonious, honeyed, bright melon fruit flavours that show good length.  A versatile, crowd pleasing style which at its peak.  [Hal Ent]  

Vintage Assessments Release Highlight
993352 GEWURZTRAMINER 1999                                       $ 34.75
Herrenweg                                          Rich, Rounded & Spicy **+/***
(Domaine Zind-Humbrecht) (200 Cs) (14.5%)  [Mer Vin]
Deep yellow colour.  Intense, very spicy, bright, honeyed, sweet, lychee-baked grapefruit nose.  Ripe, spicy, creamy, fairly intense, rounded, gently sweet, baked grapefruit flavours with lingering lychee notes on the finish.  Verges on a Vendage Tardif style!  A good match for foie gras!   

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
993709 CHARDONNAY 1999                                                 $ 11.95
Vin de Pays de Franche-Comté         Zesty *+/**
(Vignoble Guillaume) (160 Cs) (12%)  [Mer Vin]
Medium light yellow colour.  Fine, elegant, very gently toasty, ripe Anjou pear nose.  Medium to medium light bodied, dry, very crisp, bright, lemony Anjou pear flavours with some lingering, tangy, white grapefruit peel notes on the finish.  A fine, well balanced, ready to drink refresher that is perfect with seafood.
    A Best Buy  

 

Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
724138 CONDE DE VALDEMAR 1999                                 $ 15.40
Intense, Rich & Balanced **
‘Fermentado en Barrica’ 
Finca Alto de Cantabria, Rioja DO
(Martinez Bujanda S.A.) (168 Cs) (12.5%)  [Lac Int]
Amazingly deep yellow colour.  Intense, very toasty, spicy, lemon meringue pie nose.  Big, intense, mouthfilling, very toasty, apricot-pear purée flavours.  Lots of length here.  Best with poultry and white meats.  Expressive and ready to enjoy.   A Best Buy

 

 

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
 (electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net