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Preparing for the deluge
The best from today’s Vintages release
©
Michael Vaughan 2004
National Post
Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
Saturday,
July 24, 2004
www.winefind.ca
(CLICK ON THE NAME - All listings are automatically linked to the LCBO database)
If there is a product that interests you, just click on the name below and you will instantaneously connected with the LCBO database. The product will appear in blue and all you have to do is click on the name again and then the next screen will provide details along with the store search. Just click on store search. The number of bottles in each store is updated nightly. You should call the store first to see if stock still remains (each store phone number is listed).
It
is going to be tough to find all the LCBO shelf space needed to house the
onslaught of upcoming Vintages products. Usually the number of listing
falls off in the summer, but not this year. In fact, we will soon be
hitting release levels never seen before. Next month’s August release,
for instance, sees 194 new products vs. only 164 last year. In September
and October, it will jump to almost 300 items monthly - up some 100 items
each month! One wonders whether the market can digest all these products.
I
am not complaining about greater choice – I love it, especially if it is
combined with quality. I am, however, concerned because Vintages has
recently made some suppliers sign a document tasting that if 75% of the
stock (3 out of 4 bottles) hasn’t been sold in 90 days, the remaining
balance will be subject to a penalty of 25% of the selling price. Assuming
that the surge in supply exceeds demand, Vintages is no longer on the hook
– wines can now discount at the supplier’s expense.
I
don’t know of another wine purchaser anywhere that imposes such an
unwarranted “sell through” penalty. Indeed, it strikes me as just
another inequitable money grab by the LCBO. The only reason producers go
along with this discriminatory practice is because the LCBO is a monopoly
and there is nothing they can do about it. It also appears that with
expanded choice and possible discounting, agent direct sales and private
orders to licensees may well tumble adding further largess to Vintages
coffers. According to one importer, this explosion of listings is
“simply designed to make Vintages management look good by increasing
inventory turnover and sales.” He ads: “surely
the time has come for McGuinty to clean up on all these LCBO
discriminatory practices.”.
Getting
down to the business at hand, today’s release has some excellent buys.
Starting with Sauvignon Blanc, both New Zealand efforts are stellar.
First, from Hawkes Bay, North Island, there is the crisp, nicely
structured Esk
Valley Estate 2003 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Black Label’
(click
on the name to see LCBO availability -
#606830) at $17.95 with its screwcap enclosure. Light straw in colour, the
slightly grassy, ripe lemon-melon aromas carry over perfectly on the
palate, which is well balanced with fruity melon,
lemon and yellow grapefruit flavours. To go to the Esk Valley Estate
website click
here.
At
one dollar more, the exceedingly tasty Glazebrook
2003 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
(#963165
- $18.95) is a release highlight. It is produced by Ngatarawa, another
Hawkes Bay winery, but using grapes from three Marlborough (South Island)
vineyard sites. The nose shows lots of charm with its gently honeyed,
bright, grassy, ripe yellow grapefruit aromas. It is now at its peak with
spicy, tangy, rhubarb-tinged, ripe grapefruit flavours. Although still
dry, the secret of success may well be the higher residual sugar (.75 g/l)
almost twice the level of the more restrained Esk Valley. To go to the
Ngatarawa website click
here.
Moving
on to a previously untasted item from July 10 release. Thanks to the
monthly samplings organized by the Small Winemakers agency, I was able to
get a grip on one of Australia’s best buy undiscovered whites - Margan
2002 Semillon
(#961516) at $13.95. Originating in New South Wales, the lemon-melon nose
has touches of red apple, tangerine, honey and peat. The spunky, melon,
ripe lemon flavours show good versatility and would go well with seafood
– hot weather perfection. To go to the Small Winemakers Collection
website click
here.
Another
well-priced white from today’s release hails from the German Rheinhessen
- Sander
2002 Riesling
(#927988) at $13.95 is organic with a moderate 24 ppm of sulphur. The nose
is gently honeyed and very bright with ripe lemony notes and hints of key
lime pie. It is fresh and quaffable with 11% alcohol. The just off dry,
serve-chilled-anytime thirst quencher has refreshing, ripe apple-melon
flavours are followed up by a tangy finish. To go to the Sander website click
here.
Definitely
worth exploring is a well structured white made from Albarino grapes. It
hails from the still relatively unknown Rias Baixas coastal region in the
northwest corner of Spain , which borders Portugal’s most northerly
Vinho Verde district. A newcomer to the market, La
Val 2002 Albariño
(699637) at $21.95 has an attractive, gently honeyed, spicy, ripe rhubarb
nose with some lemony notes. It is very bright, dry and well balanced with
ripe, lemony, apricot flavours with some tangy, Anjou pear notes on the
lingering finish. A great seafood wine, it also works well with a variety
of appetizers and will satisfy those looking for something a little
different.
Moving
on to reds, there is a terrific unfiltered Corbieres from the French Midi
made from 30 to 100-year-old Carignan (60%) and Grenache (20%) with equal
amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah (10% each). Make way for 2000
Château la Baronne
(946871) a steal at only $15.95. Here is something that goes well with red
meats hot off the bbq. The spicy, red apple purée and smoky plum nose is
followed up by solid, dry, well structured, slightly smoky, stewed plum
flavours and a lingering finish. This charmer is ready to enjoy and will
evolve over the next 9 months.
Venturing
just a bit to the east, we have an attractive, gently juicy effort from
the Rhone. Alain
Jaume 2002 Côtes-du-Rhône Réserve Grand Veneur
(626663)
is a definite crowd pleaser at only $14.95. It may not have the structure
of the last red but it is quite seductive and ready to enjoy. A blend of
80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, it has a deep purple colour and a juicy,
slightly smoky, dried ripe black cherry nose. On the palate, you will find
lots of tangy, bright, juicy, dried red cherry fruit flavours.
Pinot
Noir fans should not miss Kenwood
2002 Sonoma Pinot Noir
(943225) at $23.95 from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. It is 13.8% in
alcohol and has a healthy deep red colour. The nose is quite intense and
slightly smoky with baked cherries and some bacon notes. Once you get it
into your mouth, it stands up and says “hello!” with its smoky, spicy,
juicy baked cherry flavours. Some hints of black olive and garrigue
persist on the lingering finish. Considering that this wine used sell for
$29.90, it is admirable value today. Too bad the same can’t be said for
the half bottles (963231 - $14.95).
My
last red is the delicious release highlight and best buy – “the oak
barrel aged” Trivento
2001 Syrah/Malbec Reserve
(492702) at $12.95 from Argentina’s Mendoza. It is so yummy; I had to
pinch myself when tasting this one. The complex, spicy, ripe black cherry
nose leads into very well-structured, faintly sweetish, juicy, ripe black
cherry purée flavours that go on and on.
Those
taking next weekend off might want to pick up a bottle or two of a
charming, gently sweet, effervescent Muscat from Italy. Villa
Giada 2003 Moscato d’Asti ‘Ceirole’
(699900) at $16.95 offers lots of allure for that lazy summer brunch,
especially as it has only 5% alcohol. The nose shows lovely, fresh, sweet,
Muscat, lemon blossom fruit, while the harmonious, sweet, ripe Muscat
flavour soothe the palate.
Coming
up:
This weekend sees a number of events across Ontario. On Saturday,
July 24 is the 8th Annual Fiesta
Buckhorn which is held at Buckhorn Community Centre from 1:00
pm to 8:00 pm. Tickets are $10 which includes a free sampling glass and
six sampling tickets. For more information call 705-657-8833 or click
here
to see their website.
Tomorrow Sunday,
July 25 from 1 to 5 pm at Harbour Estates Winery (in
partnership with the Conservation Niagara Foundation) is Summerlude
by the Harbour featuring 20+ wineries & 10 restaurants at
4362 Jordan Road, Jordan Station (click
here
to see the map). This fundraiser will support conservation projects
in the Jordan/Twenty Valley area. Tickets are $75.00 per person (with a
$25 tax receipt) and can be purchased by contacting Harbour Estates
1-877-439-9463 (toll free).
Finally, Next Monday, July 26 there is a media & licensee only Portuguese Vinho Verde Tasting organized by the Portuguese Trade & Tourism Commission and the Commissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV) at The Boiler House, The Distillery District - 55 Mill Street, building 46 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. For the list of wines being presented click here For more info contact William Delgado at 416-921-0259 or email wdelgado@iceptor.ca.
2001-2002-2003-2004
Tasting Note Database
Our
tasting note database from December 31, 2000 to June 2004, covers every
Vintages release product for the past 42 months. There are more than 7,000 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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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net