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Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist - Michael Vaughan

Classics Thrills & Chills ~ getting the wine out 
the warehouse and into the stores

(Publishing Date: Saturday November 11, 2000  - Toronto Section)  

Every month I unearth great new buys appearing at Vintages. There’s no question that consumers are the winners in the LCBO’s effort to scour the world for the best. In fact, in terms of quality and price, these wines are often superior to what most agents sell privately.

As for the Classics component, I remain unconvinced. While the Catalogue looks great, it fails to deliver many of the real “classics”.  It fails badly when it comes to marketing and accessibility! Coming out only three times a year, one has to go through too much hoop-la to try and get the stuff.

I wish I could say that the earth moved at two recent preview tasting. It didn’t – not even a tremor. After slogging through an uninspiring group of overpriced 1997 Bordeaux, I pondered why they were there. Then I remembered that they were mostly the unsold remnants of the LCBO’s Bordeaux futures program from two years ago.

If the LCBO has any intention of moving this stuff, it has to get them into the stores, not in a warehouse hidden far away from the consumer’s lips. My advice? First, Classics should be released monthly in key stores – a simple extension of the “Just In” telephone program. Second, they should be presented at in-store tastings. Finally, prices should reflect the quality of what’s in the bottle. Mark-ups can be easily adjusted and the LCBO will still make a killing.

The only good thing the Classics did this fall is organize two tastings (one in Ottawa and the other at Toronto) where some 50+ products were tasted for $50. I wanted to write about it, but was informed that it was already sold out by the time the press was notified. Lucky attendees were able to place their orders on the spot resulting in record Classics pre-sales of $4.5 million before a single telephone order was taken.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the way much information is managed at the LCBO. It’s amazing that top brass can spend a year planning a store opening, only to fax out a media release the day before. Take next Thursday’s Nouveau /Novello release, with 4 business days to go, I still haven’t received a single word on the wines being released.

Getting down to Classics brass tacks, I can only dredge up three recommendations from some thirty plus wines previewed in the lab. The best Chard of the group was Stag’s Leap 1998 Napa Chardonnay ($33) with its firm, fairly fleshy, lemony, ripe pear flavours and lingering finish.

Two red Rhones also impressed. Only 20 bottles remain of the Domaine d’Andezon 1998 Cotes-du-Rhone with its well-structured, gently meaty, smoked prune flavours. Terrific value at only $15. As for the youthful Rhodanienne 1998 Close Du Bois Du Menge Gigondas ($19) lots remain. This chunky blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre has slightly smoky, cherry and sun dried tomato flavors. Without mentioning names, I was disappointed with several of the wines pre-tasted, especially for the prices being charged. Put bluntly, not enough good Classics wines are being previewed.

Of course great wines do exist, but they’re not being shown. Take the Italian classic Marchese Antinori 1995 Tignanello at $69. I recently tasted this Classics repeat at Toronto’s Far Niente restaurant where it only cost $80 - certainly one of the best wine buys I have encountered. And taste?  Transcendental, one of the most delicious, supple, fruit-perfect Italian reds I have had this year. Obviously, the Classics has its gems and lucky are those who jumped on the extra 450 bottles that showed up this fall. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until next year for 4,800 bottles of the highly-rated 1997 to reappear.

The new Vintages “Cellar Direct” program strikes me as a sham. These wines are recommended for your cellar aging. You must purchase a minimum 3 bottles. I think it’s wrong to force the customer into buying any minimum, especially as these wines are not “futures” but are lounging in the LCBO warehouse!  

This is particularly true of this week’s selection Domaine Emilian Gillet 1997 Mâcon-Viré 1997. The 3 bottles will cost you $87.00. But just a minute, isn’t this the same old wine that appeared in the spring Classics Catalogue at $29 a bottle? Yup and you could buy singles! And while I liked its rich, mouthfilling, rather tropical, pineapple and dried red apple flavours, I sure don’t relish being forced to buy multiples of this hand-me-down!

Coming up on Thursday, November 16th is the annual Beaujolais Nouveau celebration at Toronto’s Ontario Club where all five LCBO selections will be tasted along with French cheese ($25). Although the deadline was yesterday, the French Chamber of Commerce has extended it to Monday for National Post readers - call (416) 205-9820.

Also, starting Friday from 2 to 10 pm is the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo at the Metro Convention Centre.  For details Click Here.