Michael Vaughan's Weekly National Post Feature

LIVE WINE LINK
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. Call the store first to see if stock still remains (each store phone number is listed).

Usually summer Vintages releases are a big yawn loaded with boring stuff. Well I am delighted to report that this isn’t the case with today’s release of 74 items - small in size, but big in buys!

If I was allowed to only buy one white, it would be the very gently sweet but refreshing, release highlight Markus Molitor 2000 Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken Zeltinger Himmelreich (958140) at $19.95. With only 9.5% alcohol, this impressive 2000 comes from Molitor’s own vineyard (massive by German standards) of 4.5 ha (11 acres) in this Mittel Mosel. The nose is classic with honey, sweet lime and Seville orange marmalade. It is seductive on the palate with lovely ripe melon flavours and hints of lime zest on the lingering finish. The perfect summer sipper.

While German wine names are challenging, there is a solution. Get a copy of Stephen Brook The Wines of Germany published by Mitchell Beazley (2003). This definitive work is available at Chapters on line at $27.96 (vs. $39.95). Click here to go to Chapters website.

My other release highlight is a charming, juicy, ripe Anjou pear driven effort from the French Midi. Domaine Lafage 2003 Côté Chardonnay (680611) is an excellent buy at $17.95. Clean, refreshing and dry on the palate, it offers great drinkability along with fine ripe varietal flavours at a reasonable price. Designated as a Vin de Pays Côtes Catalanes just east of Perpignan, I discovered that this small family-owned 2.8 hc estate was set up by Jean-Marc Lafarge in 1995 and was purchased directly by Vintages.

From California, go for Cline Cellars 2003 Red Truck White (657999) at $14.95. This blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier has a pleasant, rather spicy, ripe pear purée nose. The fresh melon, red apple, apricot and dried lemon flavours show good length and versatility.

From Western Australia’s Margaret River Region Beckett’s Flat 2004 Belizar’s Verdelho (585851) $18.95 offers a nice change of pace. Estate grown and bottled, Verdelho is a white Portuguese variety that has traditionally been grown on Madeira. The Aussi edition is pale straw in colour with fine, bright, ripe melon aromas. Zesty, dry and medium bodied, it has very tangy, ripe lemon-melon flavours with a lifted finish.

Rioja fans can rejoice with Bodegas Muga 2003 Blanco (958736) at $15.95. This barrel fermented blend of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia has a fairly rich, toasty, ripe pear purée nose. The dry, very well structured, toasty, ripe pear purée flavours are followed up with a lingering lime finish. Try with poultry and veal dishes; it is a bit too big for seafood dishes.

Moving closer to home, Vineland Estates 2002 Pinot Blanc (563478) at $16.95 hits the mark. It is dry with gently honeyed, ripe lemon tinged, fresh melon flavours and a crisp finish. Those looking for a red can skip the herbal Creekside 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon at $29.95 and, instead, try the very dry, plumy, red cherry flavoured Creekside 2001 Pinot Noir (662239) at $24.95.

Collectors will be attracted like moths to a flame to get their hands on the Italian icon Antinori 2001 Solaia (987586) at $169.95. This is a very good wine, but at a huge price. It comes with a complex, sandalwood nose with plumy, chocolate notes. Big and well structured, it has stewed plum and figgy sandalwood flavours with a lingering, dark chocolate finish. There are 400 cases of 6 for those where money is no object!

In a comparative blind taste test, it wouldn’t surprise me if another, much cheaper, ready-to-drink Italian red won. Cantele 2001 Amativo (650952) at $28.95 has loads of juicy, plumy, ripe cherry flavours. This IGT Salento blend of 60% Primitivo and 40% Negroamaro comes from Puglia region. Fear not, it would never be mistaken for Solaia.

The best value high quality red is St. Clement 2001 Napa Valley Oroppas (655670) at $69.95. This refined blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc has a very deep intense purple colour. The nose shows complexity with cedar, ripe plum and chocolate-hazelnut purée notes. It is very well structured with tangy, ripe plum, red cherry and slightly bitter chocolate flavours. With 14.9% alcohol, it will appeal to fans of Joseph Phelps Insignia, which goes for $205.15. It can be drunk today, but will improve over the next 2-3 years. By the way, Oroppas spelled backwards is Sapporo, the Japanese brewing company who owned it prior to selling it to Beringer in 1999.

Selected upcoming events:

Saturday, July 9-10 - Hillebrand Jazz in the Vineyard [Niagara-on-the-Lake]
Bring your favourite chair or blanket and listen to the sounds from the lawn overlooking the Stone Road Vineyard. VQA wines and wine country cuisine available for purchase. It takes place from 3 - 7 p.m. Held at Hillebrand Estates Winery, 1249 Niagara Stone Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. For more information visit www.hillebrand.com.
Tickets $25.00 per guest, per day. For further information, please call 1-800-582-8412.

Saturday, July 16 - Summerlude by the Harbour
Harbour Estates Winery 1 - 5 pm
Stroll along the Harbour Trail, be entertained and experience the undiscovered treasures of the Jordan Harbour/Twenty Valley area. Specially selected food and wine pairings from many of the area's finest wineries and restaurants are yours to enjoy. This is a great day of sampling some of the finest food and wine that west Niagara has to offer...and you don't have to drive from place to place. A fundraiser for Conservation Niagara Foundation. Tickets are $75 per person.
To purchase tickets call 877-439-9463 or click here for more information

Toast the skies with the Champagne of Ginger Ales
Canada Dry and Ontario Place sign five-year deal
to expand the Festival of Fire fireworks series.
special Grande Finale - July 9.
Shows begin at 10:30 p.m at the Ontario Place.

2001-2002-2003-2004-2005 Tasting Note Database
Our tasting note database from December 31, 2000 to May 2005, covers every Vintages release product for the past 53 months. There are more than 9,000 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 Tasting Notes Database: click here

** For All Visitors **
Vintages August 2005 Release
To see the complete list of upcoming 148 products click here (sorted by date of release). It includes the number of cases, which wines were presented by the LCBO, our agent ID for every product,
as well as, the 18 “In Store Discoveries” for August.
You can also see it sorted by agent click here
To see the complete list of upcoming 93 products from the August 20, release click here (sorted by date of release).
You can also see it sorted by agent click here

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2005
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
(electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net