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Gearing Up for The Classics
©
Michael Vaughan 2001
National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits
Columnist
October 6, 2001
One
of the key questions on the minds of readers is whether the National Post
will continue to bring readers notes from this wine & spirits
columnist. In fact, the National
Post Toronto section was scheduled to die today.
But low and behold, the Toronto section has been ressurected and my
weekly column is scheduled to continue next Saturday.
That’s
good news because unlike you, many casual readers are still not accessing
this website. We currently have almost 4,000 visitors a week which
certainly expresses a keen interest in the specialized information
available here and only here.
Restaurant
purchasers, for instance, find our LCBO’s “DICE”
Report which lists all the remaining Vintages products in the
LCBO warehouse to be extremely useful in helping them find decent items
for their wine list. This is
the only place anywhere such information is made public.
To see Press
Here
Ditto
for the LCBO’s In-Store Discovery products which come
out every month are also avaliable here.
Once again this is the only place anywhere such information is made
public. To see Press Here
Our
website is also the only place where you will able to find the updated
LCBO List of Delisted Products.
To see Press
Here
Last
Saturday’s National Post article revealed a few gems from today’s Vintages October 6th release of 156 products.
The full copmendium of all ratings and detailed tasting notes
appears in my monthly hard copy and in my E-Mail Pre-Release
Vintage Reporter which is sent out twelve times a year for only
$39. Vintage Assessments is now in its
11th year had has a small but loyal following.
Let me simply say that we have a 96% renewal rate which speaks for
itself. To sign up for $39 a
year and get the full scoop on today’s release Press
Here
If I had one white to buy from today’s release, it would be the following:
Vintage Assessments
Release Highlight
500991 CHARDONNAY
‘Eileen Hardy’ 1998
$ 27.95
South Australia
Lime
& Hazelnut Purée *** (Rated out of three stars)
(Thomas Hardy & Sons) (250 Cases of 6) (13%)
[Agent: Chuchill Cellars]
Medium yellow colour. Lovely
nose - intense, expansive, lime-directed, ripe pear and lemon purée. Rich, extracty, mouthfilling, faintly spicy, ripe lime purée
and lemon-pear flavours with some melted butter and hazelnut ice cream
notes on the long lingering finish. A Best Buy
Classics Catalogue
Tasting
Notes!
Normally my preview tasting notes for the upcoming Classics Catalogue (advance fax and mail orders commenced September 24 and continue until October 10) are avialable in the Subscriber’s Only section which required a password and user code. As my article in the National Post did not run this week, I am going to share these tasting notes with all readers - my Thanksgiving gift to all wine fans.
White
Table Wine
U.S.A. –California
735803 Chardonnay
Dutton Ranch 1999
$29
Russian River Valley,
Toasty & Creamy
**
Fritz Vineyards (14.3%)
Medium light yellow colour. Intense,
rather cedary, slightly smoky, buttery, stewed lemon-melon-red apple nose.
Creamy, rounded, spicy, fairly intense, caramel-directed, baked
lemon-pear flavours with good length.
Best with white meats and poultry.
A crowd pleaser that leans in an Aussi direction.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
France Bordeaux
Recommended by Vintage Assessments
729418 Chateau
Montalivet Blanc 1998
$19
Graves (12.5%)
Fine
Ripe Pear **
Light yellow colour. Fairly
attractive, honeyed, expansive, fresh ripe pear aromatics with a hint of
pine. Very bright, dry,
refreshing, crisp, medium bodied, mouthfilling fruit-driven pear flavours
with just a hint of vanilla on the finish, making it good with both
seafood and poultry. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
719070 Cuvee
Caroline 1998
$25
Graves, Chateau de Chantegrive (12.5%)
Medium yellow colour. Evolved,
slightly cooked, melon-pear fruit on the nose.
Dry, crisp, somewhat peppery, dusty dried lemon flavours.
This sample seems to be somewhat off with a touch of tart dankness
on the finish. Try again.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
France - Burgundy - Mâcon
949842 Macon
Chardonnay “Les Combettes” 1999
$18
Domaine Guillot-Broux
Big
& Peppery *+/**
Medium yellow colour (deep for a Macon chard).
Big, fat, intense, rather peppery stewed hot lemon nose with some
nutty notes. Crisp, dry,
slightly tart, peppery, dried lemon flavours make this more of a food wine
than a simple sipper. Try
with roasted quail. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
France - Southern Rhone
Recommended by Vintage Assessments
725614 Les
Galets Dorés 2000
$12
Costieres de Nimes,
Crisp
Anjou Pear *+
Chateau Morgues de Gres (13%)
Medium yellow colour. Pleasant,
gently honeyed, faintly spicy, fresh ripe apricot-pear fruit on the nose. Crisp, dry, gently spicy, light bodied, bright, ripe
lemon-melon flavours. A
wide-appeal, fairly priced, versatile white.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
France - Loire
729236 Silce
De Quincy 1998
$24
Jaques Salle (12.5%)
Well Structured *+/**
Light yellow colour. Slightly
hot, peppery, dried green apple nose with some chalky notes.
Very dry, fairly intense, slightly tart, quince-gooseberry flavours
that show lots of length. Shows
lots of mouthfilling sur lie aging. A
good food wine, especially with smoked cream of wild mushroom soup.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
Red Wine
U.S.A. –California
735811 Zinfandel
Old Vine 1998
$35
Dry Creek Valley,
Spicy Black Cherries **
Fritz Vineyards (14.5%)
Fairly deep purple red colour. Very
pleasant, somewhat tropical, ripe black cherry nose with cedary notes. Spicy, gently sweet, tangy, somewhat simple - albeit well
structured - black cherry-red pepper purée flavours. (Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
France -Bordeaux
Recommended by Vintage Assessments
729822 Château
Haut Lariveau 1998
$27
Fronsac (12.5%)
Ripe & Ready **+
Medium deep purple red colour. Wonderful nose and complex ripe plum-cassis fruit with
excellent, gently cedary lime purée notes.
Medium bodied with attractive, dry but ripe, plummy, black currant
flavours with lots of refined cedary notes on the lingering, somewhat
earthy finish. Well balanced
with great accessibility. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
725739 Château
De Viaud 1998
$29
Lalande-de-Pomerol (12.5%)
Tight & Youthful *+/**
Deep dark intense purple colour. Austere, rather peppery, very youthful, dried green apple
nose. Tight, very dry, rather
herbal, medium bodied. Still
somewhat inaccessible, dried apple-plum flavours that need time to evolve.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
535120 Château
La Raz Caman 1996
$19
1er Côtes de Blaye (13%)
For Fans Of Mature Reds *+/**
Mature deep red colour. Lots
of greenish, celery seed and licorice on the nose.
Tart, very dry, somewhat dried out, red licorice, dried plums,
prunes and bitter dark chocolate flavours.
Fine structure with a lingering finish.
Somewhat tired, it might be a fine match with game or strong
after-dinner cheese. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
France - Languedoc-Roussillon
724963 Château
Haut Gléon 1998
$19
Corbières (13%)
Tight *+
Fairly deep purple red colour. Straightforward,
slightly herbal, dry, dusty plum nose.
Medium bodied, dry, ferin, crisp, slightly peppery, plum flavours
with some lemony notes on the finish.
Best with a beef beorginon. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
Recommended by Vintage Assessments
725556 Domitia
1999
$22
Côtes du Roussillon,
Expansive Black Cherries **
Domaine Laporte (13%)
Intense deep purple colour. Expansive,
very spicy (cloves), cedary, sandalwood, cassic-licorice nose.
Fairly extracty, mouthfilling, slightly spicy, honeyed plum and
black cherry flavours with lingering red licorice notes on the finish.
At peak and best with game. (Date
tasted: September 28, 2001)
Recommended by Vintage Assessments
725754 La
Clape Grand Cuvée 1998
$25
Coteaux du Languedoc,
Rich & Rounded **
Domaines Camplazens Le Chateau (13%)
Fairly intense, medium dark red colour.
Complex, very intense, spicy, cedary, stewed red pepper purée.
Well proportioned, fairly intense, well balanced, gently spicy,
rounded ripe cherry-plum flavours with a nice lingering red pepper purée
finish. Ready to enjoy today.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
France - Southern Rhone
Recommended by Vintage Assessments – A Best
Buy
740787 Beaumes-De-Venise
Cuvee Saint Cristophe 1999 $17
Côte du Rhone Village
Ripe Plum Purée **
Domaine de Cassan (14.5%)
Deep purple red colour. Dry,
somewhat salty, slightly spicy, baked apple nose with ripe plum notes.
Slightly spicy and cedary with bright, fairly rounded, ripe
plum-cherry flavours. Medium bodied with fine length, versatility and
accessibility. (Date tasted:
September 28, 2001)
703363 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
1999
$25
Domaine de la Pinede (13.5%)
Tight */*+
Deep purple colour. Austere,
very malic, peppery, spicy, dusty green apple nose.
Tight, very hot and peppery, austere, malic, stewed prune flavour.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
735407 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
1998
$36
Chateau La Nerthe (14%)
Fruity & Well Proportioned **/**+
Fairly deep medium red colour. Fairly intense, gently spicy, roasted ripe cherry-plum fruit
on the nose with gentle cedary notes.
Fairly fleshy, dry but still juicy, fruit-driven, ripe black cherry
and red licorice flavours. Still
youthful, classy lingerng finish. (Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
Recommended by Vintage Assessments – A Best
Buy
725606 Les
Galets Rouge 1999
$13
Costières de Nimes,
Spicy, Bright & Charming *+/**
Château Morges de Gres (13%)
Fairly deep purple red colour. Fine,
intense, rather spicy, attractive, ripe plum purée and red licorice on
the nose with some toasty notes. Lovely,
slightly smoky, rounded, ready to enjoy, spicy nutmeg and ripe
plum-red pepper purée flavour.
Medium bodied and quite delicious to enjoy today.
(Date tasted: September 28, 2001)
Italy - Tuscany
715425 Chianti
Classico 1998
$18
Le Cinciole (13%)
Dried Plums *+
Medium deep red colour. Dry,
slightly tart, peppery, burnt apple nose.
Very crisp, rather dry, dusty, licorice-directed, medium bodied,
dried plum flavours. Ok value
but no detour. (Date tasted:
September 28, 2001)
Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
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