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Welcome to this not-for-profit paywall-free resource database & website created by Michael Vaughan PhD
An award-winning weekly columnist for Canada's top newspapers including the National Post, Globe & Mail and Financial Times


Tuesday June 23, 2026

AVERAGING OVER 4,000 INDIVIDUAL VISITORS DAILY WITH OVER 16,00 HITS

About Vintage Assessments
our roots - check it out here
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June 20 Vintages Release

SEE OUR JUNE 20 BUYERS SUMMARY
Just updated with new reviews!
SEE OUR LINKED AGENT SUMMARY
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Discover one of the very best
Sauvignon Blanc releases of 2026

Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyard Fume Blanc 2024

Bright, Ripe, Lemon-Apple-Lime Meringue
BEST BUY ***/***+ (94-points) - $29.95

Bright medium straw colour. Intense, complex, toasty, ripe, extremely attractive, lemon-apple-lime meringue nose and some mineral-tinged, very faintly tropical notes. Dry, medium-plus bodied and well structured with intense, elegantly toasty, bright, gently citrusy, ripe, lemon-apple meringue flavours that are followed up with a lingering, nicely textured, mineral-tinged, harmonious finish. The BEST of 13Vintages releases to date, this 100% French barrel fermented (70% neutral) organic Sauvignon Blanc has 13.8% alcohol, 2.1 g/L residual sugar and a hefty 6.7 g/L total acidity. Bottled on June 27, 2025 it is drinking marvelously today. If this was from Bordeaux, it would likely cost twice the price. Great with seafood - superb with roast chicken.
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New Bargain Spanish Red
Luis Marin Old Vine Amethyst Edition Garnacha Crianza 2023
Bright, Solid, Ripe *** (89-points)
BEST BUY - $16.95 - June 6 Vintages #37517

Deep bright purple red colour. Very gently spicy, ripe, plummy nose with some minerally sandalwood notes. Dry medium plus bodied, fairly intense, bright, ripe, plum-strawberry flavours with a lingering, well balanced, gently cedary, well-textured finish. This versatile, very well-priced, solid, crowd-pleasing 100% old-vine Garnacha was grown at 800m. It was aged for 6 months in French oak and has 13.5% alcohol. Great with grilled meats and sausages.T. .

* * Best Buy Pink * *
Kir Yianni Xinomavro Rosé 2025

Dry, Fresh, Bright, Ripe *** (90 points)
BEST BUY - $16.95 - Vintages #39595
Deep bright purple red colour. Very gently spicy, ripe, plummy nose with some minerally sandalwood notes. Dry medium plus bodied, fairly intense, bright, ripe, plum-strawberry flavours with a lingering, well balanced, gently cedary, well-textured finish. This versatile, very well-priced, solid, crowd-pleasing 100% old-vine Garnacha was grown at 800m. It was aged for 6 months in French oak and has 13.5% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar with lot number L2605041 on the back label. Great with grilled meats and sausages hot off the BBQ,ng.

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Kir-Yianni The North Assyrtiko 2025

Dry, Fresh, Bright, Youthful
*** (90-points)
BEST BUY - $19.95 - New Vintages Essential #25707
One of the great indigenous white grapes of Greece, this vibrant new 2025 Assyrtiko is the FIRST GREEK 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.

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PAYWALL-FREE DATABASE

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77,000+ LINKED SCORES/NOTES
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Note that our reviews/commentary are unpaid-for & unsolicited
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Coming July 4 in Vintages
see our exclusive linked preview
Linked summary of releases by Agents with cases
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VINTAGE DESTINATIONS UPDATE
Michael Vaughan's Recommendations


This Saturday is one of my favourite local events
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Toronto Fringe Festival
Two Best Bets from Jimmy Hogg
Six performances each from
June 30 to July 12
Mashed
and
Evie & Alfie: A Very British Love Story
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Dymon Wine Cellar Tasting
TRE AMICI on JULY 3 - 6 pm
Free parking - Guest fees are just $20

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June 6 Vintages Release

SEE OUR JUNE 6 BUYERS SUMMARY

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Vintages 2026 Buyers Guide

SEE OUR UPDATED 2026 REVIEW SUMMARY
From January to June 2026
ALSO

THE ENTIRE LIST OF 2025 LINKED REVIEWS

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Surviving 50 years at 6º C

Last Fall a bottle of 1975 Chateau-Gai Gamay Beaujolais sold for a world-record $1,000 at a Waddintons auction. Three bottles of the 1975 were opened last October and were tasted by dozens in attendance at a CELEBRATION OF LIFE for the winemaker Paul Bosc Sr. All 3 bottles stored at the ultra-cold temperature were in perfect condition. See Rick VanSickle's report.

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Copyright Michael Vaughan 2026
Contact Michael Vaughan at mbv@uniserve.com