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Young Winemaker Winners
Hit the LCBO shelves

Next Monday is Groundhog Day and I am planning my celebratory toast ahead of time. Ironically, wines at the LCBO and groundhogs have a lot in common - we never know when or whether they will actually appear.

Which brings me to the emergence of some 69 newly available wines left over from last November’s Young Winemakers event. For the first time, the LCBO decided to buy up to 25 cases of each wine and make them available to lucky attendees who shelled out a bargain $55 a ticket.

There was a bit of a catch. It seems that the folks at Vintages forgot to tell anyone prior to the event that they would be on sale. So nobody came prepared to spend, meaning that there is a whack of wines left over. To find where they have been deposited for sale, go to my website where the full list is linked to the LCBO store look-up system. A booklet providing full background on each of the wines and winemakers is also available.

The tasting wasn’t easy. Given the crowd at the Distillery, it would have been impossible for any critic to work through all the wines in the short time provided. Nevertheless, I managed to taste more than half and have come up key recommendations as to what’s worth buying.

Without beating around the bush, my show highlight was made by 27-year-old Bertus Fourie from the make Diemersfontein Estate in the Wellington region of South Africa, only 45 minutes from Cape Town. It is hard to believe that the winery was only launched in 2001, especially as the Sonnenberg family has owned the 180-hc estate for three generations.

If you think that the winery’s name is a mouthful, don’t miss snaring a couple of bottles of Fourie’s show-stopping Diemersfontein 2003 Pinotage (995241) at $19.95 with its enormous, rich, chocolate-coffee bean nose. It is rich, smoky and complex on the palate, which drips with freshly baked ripe black cherry flavours. Featured in the new Platter’s 2004 South African Wines Guide, it rated 4 out of 5 stars, no mean feat for an under $20 red!

Those want to taste a great expression of South African Shiraz shouldn’t miss Fourie’s newest edition to his premium range of wines -  Diemersfontein 2002 Carpe Diem Shiraz (995027) at $29.95. While intense and complex, it shows fine fruit refinement focusing on dried ripe red cherries and terrific length.

Shifting the action to New Zealand, where 34-year old native Blair Walker has worked his way through some of the best cellars around the world. He now holds court in Central Otago at Felton Road Wines. His Felton Road 2002 Cornish Point Drystone Pinot Noir (995050) at $41.95 thumb’s its nose at some of the best anywhere. The spicy, lovely, smoke-tinged, red and black cherry flavours go one and on - a fine effort that tips the scale at 14% alcohol.

One of the most successful entries was produced by 25-year-old Chilean-born Marcelo Morales Calderón. He is the chief winemaker at the enormous Grandes Vinos y Viñedos, which is located in the Cariñena region in central Spain. Of three reds, my favourite was the 1998 Corona de Aragon Reserva (994756) $16.95 with its ripe cherry purée flavours. This blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Cariñena and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon is now at its peak. It was, however, their rather spicy, juicy, Garnacha blend - 2000 Monasterio de las Viñas Crianza (994749) $10.95 that was the people’s choice in terms of actual sales.

Moving on, a head’s up on next Friday’s 33 InStore Discoveries – Vintages monthly ISD day. Of 18 sampled, the highlight was a red from the relatively unknown Gaillac region in southwest France. This district was one of the first viticultural regions of ancient Gaul and existed long before Bordeaux. Ironically, today’s recommendation seriously outshines many pricier efforts from the latter; even though nary a single Bordeaux varietal appears in the blend. 

Don’t miss Cave De Rabastens 1999 Princesse Emilie Gaillac (913830) at 18.95, which is only the third Gaillac red to appear on LCBO shelves since the millennium. This excellent effort was oak aged (vieilli en fûts de chêne). It has a deep purple red colour and intense, slightly spicy, complex, cedary, stewed ripe plums on the nose. It is dry and medium bodied with juicy, ripe red cherry purée flavours with good balancing acidity and some earthy notes on the finish. Made from 15-year-old vines, the key variety Braucol (40%) aka Fer-Servadou, is apparently a Cabernet ancestor with intense, sometime rough, green pepper and blackcurrants aromas and rustic tannins. It is blended with Duras (30%), the most typical Gaillac red variety, which adds some spicy fresh red pepper flavours softening the roughness of the Braucol. Finally, Syrah (20%) adds perfume, fruit and flesh.

2001-2002-2003 Tasting Note Database

Our tasting note database from December 3 1, 2000 to December 2003, covers every Vintages release product for the past 35 months. There are more than 5,000 notes in the database data. Just enter the name of the product, supplier name or CSPC number. Or you can search by type of wine, country of origin, even wine agent! Nothing could be easier. Also you can get information on the agent by clicking on the agent’s name, as well as current LCBO store inventory by clicking on "Check LCBO Availability", which will automatically tell you the number of bottles at LCBO as of last night.

To use our winefind.ca Tasting Notes Database: click here

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