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Now posted new great buys from March 21
March 21 Vintages Release

SEE MARCH 21 BUYERS GUIDE
see our March 21 linked AGENT summary

TWO NEW MARCH 21 BEST BUYS
A New Red from Portugal - Churchill's Grafite Douro Red 2021
as well as
Must-Buy Ontario Red - Cave Spring Estate Cabernet Franc 2024
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Two Great NEW Greek Discoveries
Kir-Yianni The North
Assyrtiko 2025

Dry, Fresh, Bright, Youthful *** (90-points)
BEST BUY - $19.95 - New Vintages Essential #25707
Internationally recognized as one of the great indigenous white grapes of Greece, this vibrant new 2025 Assyrtiko is now a VINTAGES ESSENTIAL. Pale straw in colour, it has a fresh, slightly spicy, lively, honeysuckle, bright, wintermelon-grapefruit nose with some youthful, leesy-mineral notes. Dry, medium bodied, very fresh, wintermelon and ripe pear flavours with a lingering, crisp, refreshing, well balanced finish. This well-priced, versatile, crowd-pleaser is perfect with pasta, poultry and/or seafood. It spent 3 months on the lees and has 13.5% alcohol and 1.3 g/L residual sugar with a screwcap closure. It gets better the longer it is open!

Kir-Yianni Cuvée Villages Xinomavro 2022

Bight, Ripe, Supple, Ready *** (90-points)
RECOMMENDED - $21.95 - Vintages #14151
This Kir-Yanni winery new gold-medal winning 2022 has a medium red colour and a bright and gently complex Damson-plum nose with some faintly earthy, red licorice notes. Dry, medium bodied, harmonious, plum-cherry-raspberry flavours with a lingering, slightly savoury, sandalwood-tinged, bright finish. This100% Xinomavro was aged for in a mix of French (90%) and American oak. It has 14.5% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar. An extremely versatile, ready-to-drink, crowd-pleaser. Italian wine fans may find it reminiscent of a high-priced Nebbiolo (perhaps even a Barolo) from Piedmont. (Kolonaki)
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A VIOGNIER FOR EVERY BUDGET
Great Value from Southern France
Villa Blanche Viognier 2024

Bright, Ripe, Melon-Pear Puree **+ (89-points)
ONLY $17.00 - # 32017 LCBO General List
Viognier is a classic white indigenous French grape and this new 2024 from CALMEL & JOSEPH hits the spot. It has a medium straw colour and ripe, wintermelon-apple-pear fruit aromatics that jump out of the glass. Dry, refreshing and medium bodied, the bright, melon-pear puree fruit flavours are followed up by a lingering smooth finish. This well-priced versatile white is terrific with hot winter-warming dishes. Ready-to enjoy, it has 13% alcohol and a screwcap closure. (United Stars)

A RARE CANADIAN DISCOVERY
Laughing Stock Viognier 2022

Solid, Ripe, Bright, Complex, Rich ***/***+ (94-points)
$39.95 - Vintages Flagship #46825
NEW in Vintages. For discerning palates, this outstanding Okanagan Valley take on Condrieu (the highly sought-after Rhone 100% Viognier classic) hits the mark. Bright medium straw colour, the nose shows lots of complexity and excellent ripe apricot-peach-pear fruit with slightly spicy, floral, honeysuckle, elegantly toasty, minerally notes. Dry, medium-full bodied, very well structured, spicy, intense, ripe, fresh apricot preserves with a lingering, rich, lifted toasty, tangerine-inspired finish. Only 20 cases are available
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A Superb Sweet Wine Highlight
Reif Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine 2023

Sweet, Rich, Exotic ***+ (96-points) - $69.95
Platinum Decanter World Wine Award Winner