Vintages Release May 26, 2012

There is no shortage of value selections this release...

• Vicchiomaggio Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscany, Italy 2008. $19.95. Wine Spectator 90. This is a chance to stock up on some chianti for the summer.
• Urraca Malbec Argentina 2008. $19.95. WS 90. It is buyer beware with most Argentina malbecs, but this should be a safe bet.
• Pierre Henri Morel Signargues Cotes Du Rhone-Villages France 2009. $15.95. WS 90. This will be a great summer wine to serve slightly chilled on a hot afternoon.

And if you want to get drawn "up the continuum", here are some wines to tempt you.

• Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State 2009. $24.95. WS 91. The Columbia Valley in Washington State has been producing some pretty good wines. This is worth a try; a decent cab at this price is hard to find.
• Ridge Lytton Springs California 2009. $46.95. WS 90. Ridge is the winery that makes the classic Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon (also in this release for a tidy $145.95) and is also one of the best wineries for zinfandel, as in this case. If you are a zin fan, you are well acquainted with Ridge.
• Pian Della Vigne Brunello Di Montalcino Tuscany, Italy 2006. $59.95. WS 93. A perennial top brunello.
• Two Hands Angels' Share Shiraz 2010 Australia. $29.95. WS 90. Great price point from this fine producer. US dollar release price was $37!
• Chateau Pipeau 2008 Bordeaux France 2008. $29. WS 90. If you want to own some bordeaux at a reasonable price, here is your chance. This is a right bank, merlot dominant bordeaux. I buy this almost every year because of its price/value point and probably have 30 or so bottles in my cellar now from past vintages. US dollar release price was $38. Drink through 2015.

Vintages Release May 12, 2012

Nothing to recommend in the value category this release. Hope you stocked up with some of the stellar offerings from the last few releases. With the summer coming, I hope we are not into a drought period for "value" wines.

However, there are 3 wines some of you may want to consider...

Shafer One Point Five 2008 Napa. $85. WS 90. This has been one of my favourite California cabs over the years, although they seemed to lose their way the last couple of years. For 2008, it seems to be back. A few years ago, Shafer rebranded this wine from "Cabernet Sauvignon" to "One Point Five" so that it could blend without restriction. Their goal is to give their customers the same experience year after year, regardless of growing conditions. By blending more merlot, for instance, Shafer can craft a taste experience that is more consistent, year in year out. Drink now to 2018.

Thorn-Clark Shotfire Quartage 2008 Australia. $23. WS 90. This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, cabernet franc, petit verdot and shiraz. This is a perennial winner and will drink best to 2015.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz 2008 Australia. $29. WS 90. Remember when you could buy Wolf Blass for under $15? Well, the days of regular offerings of decently priced shiraz are long gone. This Wolf Blass offering is a good one if you are willing to pay $29 for that classic shiraz taste.

As a follow up to my Wine Spectator versus Robert Parker rating comparison, RP rated the Muriel Rioja ($16) from this release a 90, while WS gave it a 68. Go figure.

Vintages Release April 28, 2012

As a footnote to my comments last time regarding ratings, I notice that the Frei Brothers California Cab 2008 on the inside front cover of this release is given a 90 by Parker. Wine Spectator gave it an 80, a rating that you will never see in any Vintages literature. Why the difference? I have researched the process that WS uses to evaluate wines; it is structured to be as arms length as possible from interference from the wineries. WS also has a minimal number of tasters. In my opinion, the same cannot be said about Parker.

And now for the value picks...

• Monte Del Fra Tenuta Lena Di Mezzo Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2008. Veneto, Italy. $15.95. WS 92. A spectacular rating for a wine this price, and it will age nicely for years. The US$ release price was $21 illustrating the buying power of the LCBO when it wants to use its clout and pass along the savings to their captive audience.

• Momo Pinot Noir 2009 New Zealand. $19.95, WS 90. I would not normally recommend a pinot from New Zealand, but Momo is a quality vintner who makes a very good sauv blanc, so give a try.

In the premium category the only wine that got my attention was the Marziano Abbona Terlo Ravera Barolo 2006. $42.95. WS 96. As you know this is outside my typical area of expertise but I have been enjoying more barolo recently and this appears to be one fine specimen.

One last comment. There is a 2009 rioja from Montebuena that is $12.95. It is reviewed by James Suckling who is out on his own now, but is a former senior taster with Wine Spectator (up until 2010). He gives it a 90 (WS has not reviewed this wine). If this wine delivers at this price and rating, it is a grand slam, to use a baseball analogy. You should give this a try. Rioja is a pleasing varietal that is dry and medium bodied.

Vintages Release April 14, 2012

This release features the wines of Argentina. Those of you who have followed my ramblings for a while know that I look at Argentina from two angles. The first is as the source of very good reasonably priced red wine made from the malbec grape; it is pleasing to the palette and is the newest frontier on the world stage for affordable wine. The other angle is that Argentina is still like the wild west. It is highly uncontrolled and therefore is subject to incredible swings in quality; not all malbec is created equal, it is truly a case of buyer beware.

That being said, there are some great malbecs that come through Vintages that are under $20. Unfortunately, according to my barometer, there are no such wines in this release. You can find numerous wines that Parker rates over 90 and are priced under $20. In my opinion, Parker is way too liberal in the number of wines he rates over 90 and way too generous in the lofty levels he takes some ratings. There are a couple of Argentina wines just over the $20 barrier that I do recommend below; you would be well advised to pay the extra few dollars and experience a decent malbec specimen.

There is nothing in this release that jumps out at me as being something I would run out and buy in the "value" category. So my suggestion is that, if you are looking to make a purchase, you should consider some of the wines from the previous two releases.

• Monte Del Fre Tenuta Lena Di Mezzo Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2008 Veneto, Italy. $15.95. WS 91.

• Valdemar Inspiracion 2006 Spanish Rioja. $19.95. Will drink to 2014. Wine Spectator rating a 90. 

• Piccini Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 Tuscany. $18.95. A WS 90 rating and a great producer.

I have tried all of these and bought cases of the rioja and chianti. All three are spectacular value choices. Check the Vintages web site for availability; as of today, there is plenty in the system.

Here some other wines to consider above $20.

• Mapema Argentina Malbec 2009. $21.95. Wine Spectator 91.

• Norton Privada Argentina Blend (malbec, merlot and cab sauv) 2008. $24.95. WS 92.

• Brockenwood Australian Shiraz 2009. $29.95. WS 90.

• Passadouro Vinho Tinto Portugal 2008. $21.95. WS 92.

Vintages Release March 31, 2012

This release we have 3 hits...

• Les Dolia Laudun Cotes Du Rhone-Villages 2009 France. $18.95. Wine Spectator 90. Typical Rhone blend led by grenache.
• Joseph Cattin Gewurztraminer Hatschbourg 2009 France. $19.95. WS 91. If you have never tried a "gewurz" you can't go wrong at this price.
• Monte Del Fre Tenuta Lena Di Mezzo Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2008 Veneto, Italy. $15.95. WS 91.

...Four near misses...

• Domaine De La Janasse Cotes Du Rhone 2009 France. $15.95. WS 89.
• Kangarilla Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Australia. $18.95. WS 89.
• La Castellina Tommaso Bojola Chianti Classico 2007 Tuscany, Italy. $21.95. WS 91.
• Domaine Laroche Chablis 2009 France. $21.95. Burghound 88. Great price for a well rated Chablis. This is old world chardonnay.

...And too many other gems in this release to list them all, but here are a few (check the Vintages catalogue for more)...

• Terre Nere Brunello Di Montalcino 2006 Italy. $35.95. WS 92. Great value for a brunello.
• Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz 2009 Australia. $64.95. WS 94. #35/100. Perennially fabulous wine.
• Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 Tuscany, Italy. $29.95. WS 92. #31/100.
• Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot 2008 Washington State. $25.95. WS 90. Decent price for a merlot even though it is not from California.

Please feel welcome to send me your comments after tasting any of the recommendations, good or bad. Wine is an individual thing; that is part of its beauty. What works for one person, may not for another. All I am trying to do is give you a narrow selection from which to choose. Cheers.

Vintages Release March 17, 2012


Fasten your seat belts folks, because this release is a good one for the value sweet spot.
They include...

• Valdemar Inspiracion 2006 Spanish Rioja. $19.95. Will drink to 2014. Wine Spectator rating a 90. 
• Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Washington State. $19.95. Good through 2014, WS 90. Don't let the Washington State region scare you; some of these wines are great tasting and great value. I have had H3 before and it was a winner. 
• Michele Chiarlo Le Orme Barbera D’Asti Superiore 2009 Peidmont. $14.95. This is outside of my usual regions of interest, but with Wine Spectator giving this a 90 and for this price, how can you possibly go wrong? 
• Piccini Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 Tuscany. $18.95. A WS 90 rating and a great producer. 

Other wines to consider include...

• Quinta Do Portal Grande Reserva 2006 Douro Portugal. $28.95. Wine Spectator 92. 
• Mocali Brunello di Montalcino 2006 Tuscany. $43.95. WS 93. Great deal! US$ release price $40.
• Champy Les Champs Pimont Beaune 1er Cru 2008 Burgundy Pinot Noir. $43.95. WS 92. This is a great value for a Burgundy.
• Shingleback Cabernet Sauvignon Australia 2007. $24.95. WS 90.
• Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Chile 2007. $79.95. WS 93. This is the holy grail for Chilean wines. Expensive, yes. A spectacular specimen, absolutely. (I know from tasting a number of previous vintages).
• Truchard Zinfandel 2008. $25.95. WS 89. I like Truchard as a producer. If you like zin, try this one.

And just for fun there is Opus One 2008, a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, for just $364.95. I purchased a bottle of this in the mid 80s for $75; it was my first extravagant wine purchase and the start of my passion for wine. I would never buy a bottle today, but there may those among you that see value in this iconic wine.

Vintages Release March 3, 2012


We finally have a value recommendation in this release, but it has a history that makes me advise caution. First the wine...

• Fetish The Watcher Aussie Shiraz 2008. $19.95. Wine Spectator rating 91. #61/100 from 2010. (Note the play on words between the producer Fetish and the wine The Watcher.)

It should be a slam dunk, but here's the background. This exact wine (same vintage) was released almost a year ago. The rating and ranking were established at that time. I bought a case and tasted from 2 bottles before returning the rest of the case. This did not resemble my idea of a good Australian shiraz. It was tart and difficult to drink.

The question is whether the LCBO recognized something was wrong and went back to the producer for resolution. Perhaps the LCBO got a bad batch. Perhaps the wine needed more time in the bottle. In any event, it is being re-released and I will give it another try, and if it is the same as I remember, I will return that opened bottle for full refund. If any of you remember trying this last March or if you try this current release, please drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Here are some other wines you may want to consider...

• Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon California 2008. $24.95. Don't expect miracles at this price, but the producer is solid.
• Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre 2010. $24.95. WS 90. If you are a SB lover and want to try something a little further up the continuum, try this one.
• Irish Whiskey. With St Pat's just around the corner, the LCBO has a collection of irish whiskeys.
• Caymus Special Selection 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. $119.95. This is the big brother to the Caymus released a few weeks back. You need to be serious about your cabs to spend this kind of coin, but it will be in very high demand. An Alberta wine merchant is selling the exact same vintage for $100; gotta love the LCBO and the Ontario alcohol monopoly.

Enjoy.