winefind.ca
If you want to buy a wine, just click on the wine name below and you will instantaneously connected with the LCBO database. The wine name 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 the 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 provided).

Tomorrow marks the fall equinox and cooler weather is on its way. Fortunately, September’s Vintages release offers lots of opportunities to warm things up. Let me start off with that perfect sweetie for sipping in front of a roaring fireplace.

At $54.95 this vintage Port isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s still a bargain. The 2000 vintage was exceptional ironically because poor cool weather during the flowering significantly reduced yields, while the hot dry summer concentrated the remaining fruit. What is particularly unique for this Port is that it is the first joint venture effort by the firm of José Maria da Fonseca and Chistiano van Zeller. It combines the fruit from two areas of the Douro – power and concentration from vineyards in the tiny Rio Torto valley with the elegance of those in the Rio Pinhao valley.

The results are quite spectacular. José Maria da Fonseca & van Zeller 2000 Vintage Port 2000 (638924) at $54.95 is surprisingly drinkable. I have tasted it twice after a few hours decanting and was enchanted. It has a very deep intense purple colour and attractive, plumy, buckwheat honey nose with spicy, red currant purée notes. On the palate it is fairly rich and yet very harmonious with slightly chocolaty, sweetish, ripe plum purée flavours.

Made in the classic tradition, the grapes were foot trodden in granite stone lagares and aged in mature wood vats until bottled in October 2002. Many may be shocked that this infant vintage Port with its 19.7% alcohol is showing surprisingly well. While you can lay it away for another five years, why not buy two bottles one for today and the other for a couple of years down the road. Keep in that there is no need to drink it all in one sitting. If you downsize the decanted port into a smaller, tightly closed container, it will keep for quite some time, especially if kept cool.

If you are searching for a slightly less expensive sweetie, Sandeman ‘Character’ Medium Dry Amontillado (56136) at a mere $14.90 should delight. Although not as rich and less sweet than a Vintage Port, this effort is sweeter and certainly superior to all seven Amontillados that have graced Vintages shelves since January 2001. This Sherry has been slowly aged in small casks, which transforms the pale colour into medium gold amber and permits the complex caramelized flavours to evolve. A small amount of rich sweet Pedro Ximenez is blended in adding some additional sweetness.

The nose is rich and spicy with sweet caramel notes. The well-balanced, gently sweet, honeyed, crème brûlée flavours impress, along with the fine, lingering finish. While this Amontillado can be served cool with food, or chilled, perhaps on ice, as an aperitif. It is also sweet enough to be enjoyed by itself at room temperature, after dinner.

Moving on to today’s reds, I discovered a surprisingly accessible Bordeaux, which flirts with the “collector” designation. 1999 Château La Croix du Casse (730085) at $69.95 is quite admirable with a pleasant, spicy, plummy, ripe red cherry nose followed up by well structured, tangy, ripe plum flavours and a hint of red licorice. This is a Pommerol with pedigree. Only four years old, it seems to be at its peak. For many years the tiny 9 ha property was owned by Jean-Michel Arcaute. Planted 80% to Merlot and 20% to Cabernet Franc, Arcaute aged the wine for 24 months in barriques (50% new) and used neither fining nor filtering. Tragically, in 2001 just after Vinexpo, Jean-Michel Arcaute died in a boating accident.

I got a certain déjà vu about this vineyard and went to www.winefind.ca to do a Vintages search under the chateau name. I am surprised by the results. I discover that there are a few remnant bottles of the hefty 1998 Château La Croix du Casse (946947) at $109.00 from Ginestet (imported by Atlas Wine Merchants a division of Vincor) from the current 2003 Spring/Summer Classics Catalogue (see page 17). I also uncover another 59 bottles of exactly the same wine, this time from Aude (imported by MIH Selections) at only $79.95 (902247). These were released at end of February 2002 and obviously were acquired by the Vintages at a lower price. Those who track these things would know that the first edition this 1998 (also from Aude) actually appeared in the April 1, 2001 in the Vintages Bordeaux Futures Release at $56.00 (974642). Who said it would be easy?

If you are looking for something more affordable, check out the juicy Heritage Road 2001 Shiraz Reserve (905968) at $19.90. Sourced exclusively from the old Mundulla vineyard in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, the nose exudes spicy ripe black raspberry purée. The taste of this ready-to-drink crowd pleaser is slightly sweet and chocolaty with ripe plums, Black Muscat and raspberry fruit flavours along with a lingering cedary finish.

You will have to pay a little more for the best Shiraz of the release. This is the first time I have tasted Ingleburne 1999 ‘Penny’s Hill’ Shiraz (901066) $31.95 and I was impressed by its chocolaty, smoky, smoldering fire nose and very well structured, creamy, faintly sweetish, ripe plummy-prune flavours. It weighs in with 14.5% alcohol and comes from South Australia’s McLaren Vale.

Bargain hunters may want to pick up a few bottles of the rather cedary Raimat 2000 Abadia (935460) at $13.95. Originating in Spain’s Costers del Segre, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Tempranillo spent 18 months in American oak. It is solid and medium-full bodied with tangy, dried ripe plum flavours lots of cedar on the lingering finish.

Finally for white wine fans, the rich, maturing, ripe pear flavoured and vanilla-tinged

Check out our winefind.ca tasting notes database

Our tasting note database goes back to January 1, 2001 and covers every Vintages release product for the past 31 months. There are approximately 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. When you get your search results (starting with the most recent release), click on the item name and you will instantaneously connected to the FBTI Vintage Assessments database. You will see our tasting note along with the name of the agent. You can get information on the agent by clicking on the agent’s name. Also, you can check LCBO store inventory by clicking on Check LCBO Availability. It will automatically take you to the item you want to search.

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

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Check out the
September 2003 InStore Discovery

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
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