As we head into the final stretch for 2019, wine publications such as the Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits Magazine, and the Wine Enthusiast begin to trot out what they propose are their “Top 100” and “Top 11 Best Value” wines that they have reviewed over the past year.
Given that these are American publications, it is not surprising to find a preponderance of American wines on the list, but it really shouldn’t be an issue.
In the case of the Wine Enthusiast, the threshold for a “Best Value” is under $15. That of course, is in American dollars, and so it would translate into about $20 Canadian.
We have to remember, too, what matters most is one’s personal taste: just because a wine has made the Top 11 list, it doesn’t mean that we are all going to like it.
When I reviewed the list, I found that we have about a dozen that have made their way onto our shelves, be it the regular list or in Vintages. With these wines, we find that even though there might be a fair degree of consistency from vintage to vintage, the wines we currently find on our shelves may be younger – or older – that the vintage currently recommended.
I wouldn’t get too worried about the vintage, unless it involves a year that was notoriously bad or one that underwent some potentially catastrophic experience, such as the wildfires that swept California in 2018.
In addition to the wines that are currently accessible in the Sault, there are others that are elsewhere in the system, but you would have to search for them. The LCBO website doesn’t make this easy. The old Vintages site allowed you to search “All Cities”, which would tell you exactly which store might have the product you want, but even accessing that site is no longer simple.
Other wines on the Wine Enthusiast list have appeared in Vintages, but are currently sold out. I expect that we will see them again in the next year. Finally, if you are able to shop across the border, I am sure some of these wines will crop up in stores in Sault Michigan, Petoskey, and Traverse City.
Still, we have so many good wines already available to us, I wouldn’t want you to feel you are missing out if you can’t find Top 100 wines that are eluding us.
The white wines on our shelves which made the WE Top 100 values include Aveleda Vinhp Verde-#4, Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay - #34, J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay - #37, Schmitt Soehne Relax Riesling,- 74, Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio - #93, and Santa Carolina 2018 Reserva Sauvignon Blanc - #98.
The next four can be found on the regular shelves, with the final two residing in Vintages.
Portugal’s Aveleda Vinho Verde, made from the Alvarinho grape (Albarino across the border in Spain) is a perennial Best Buy in many publications. This wine accentuates crispness, finishing with a gentle carbonated tingle. $11.50 on the regular list.
The Relax Riesling by Schmitt Soehne in its sea-blue bottle is from Germany’s Mosel. It is medium sweet with 42 grams of sugar per litre. The LCBO suggests apple, pear and peach, the WE “orange peel, lemon and dusty minerality”. It has the acidity to cut through the sugar on the finish. Our $12.95 price matches favourably with the American Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of $10.
Of the Mezzacorona 2018 Pinot Grigio, the WE writes,” This opens with delicate aromas of spring wildflower and white stone fruit. The fresh, easy-drinking palate offers yellow apple, honeydew and a hint of citrus.” Currently $2 off at $12.95 until October 13, this matches well with an $11 price in the States.
The Santa Carolina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc hails from Chile’s Leyda Valley. It reveals grapefruit and lime on the nose and adds some brine to the lime on the palate. An oily note brings some heft to the body so that the wine finishes with some fullness. It is currently $10.95.
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2017 Chardonnay is from Washington’ Columbia Valley. Balanced and nuanced, it is laden with apple and ripe tropical fruit flavours, with vanilla spice accents from oak aging playing on the finish. Here, as we can expect with U.S. wines, the price point tips in favour of the Americans - $19.95 here, $11 there.
J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay is “bursting with banana, mango, grilled pineapple and smoke flavours,” according to Vintages. A creamy texture developed from aging on its lees in oak really completes this wine from California’s Central Coast. $19.95 compares well with a $14 RSP in the U.S.
Turning to reds, 8 wines currently feature in the LCBO locally, with only one - La Posta Estela Armando Bonarda 2017- #59 - to be found in Vintages. Of this Argentine red, the Wine Enthusiast tells us “round in feel, the palate is packed with fruit flavours, blackberry and cassis in particular. Chocolate and toast notes grace a satisfying finish.” $15.95 here, the SRP in the States is $15.
Gnarly Head Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2017, #31, is from an area about 85 miles inland from San Francisco. Lodi is particularly known for its 100-year-old plus Zinfandel vines, and at least four of the California Zins on our shelves bear the Lodi designation. Medium to full-bodied, the wine carries the typical bramble, dark-berry fruit which characterizes Zinfandels, with a smoky note mid-palate that helps to keep the wine from being jammy. It is $17.95 here.
Australia’s Wakefield Promised Land Cabernet Sauvignon, #32, is described thus by the Wine Enthusiast: “medium to full in body, the fruit is plush but bright, backed by herbal, graphite characters right through to the close.” The $14.95 price compares favourably to $13 in the U.S.
Three Thieves Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ranked #5, is made from fruit sourced in Monterey and Lodi, and though it is described as “exuberant” and “irresistible”, I personally find that a stretch. Good, yes, but perhaps a little too easy-going. While the WE suggests that “no noticeable oak gets in the way of the wine's fruit flavours,” I find that it lacks complexity. It is $15.95 here.
Spain’s Montecillo Crianza 2015, which I have reviewed in earlier columns, comes in at #66. The Wine Enthusiast sums up this Rioja very well: “Slightly blackened aromas of berry fruits, beef stew and olive lead to a wide, fleshy palate with solid tannins. Black plum, vanilla and prune flavours are derived from a warm, dry vintage, while this Crianza deals a mild chocolaty note on a round finish.” - $14.95, vs. $11 U.S.
From Chile, the Cassilero Del Diablo Reserva Carmenère 2017 comes in at #69. At $14, this is a great introduction to Carmenère, the grape that disappeared from Europe in the 19th century, only to be re-discovered in Chile about 30 years ago. Redberry and blackberry fruit accompanied by the suggestion of green bell pepper are the detectable flavours in this medium-bodied red.
Frescobaldi’s Remole Toscano 2017, from Italy is in the #90 spot. Cabernet Sauvignon plays a support role in this predominantly Sangiovese wine. The Wine Enthusiast explains that “the easygoing palate offers red cherry, clove and a hint of white pepper alongside smooth tannins.” $13.45 here, $10 there.
At #96 is the great bargain, Fantini Farnese Montepulicano d’Abruzzo, just $8.90 here as opposed to $12 in the U.S. It is hard to beat this as an everyday red or a restaurant house wine. It has decent depth, good cherry and herb flavour, and goes down very smoothly.
We will have to see what the other publications come up with in their turn, but this isn’t a bad way to ring in the “Top 100” Season.
October 12 Vintages Release
White
Konzelmann Lakefront Series Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2016, $15.95, from Niagara is medium-dry and might be a perfect wine to pick up for Thanksgiving, whether you are enjoying ham or turkey as your entrée. The late harvest allowed the grapes to ripen completely and to build up their sugar while stopping fermentation before it all converted to alcohol added to the sweetness. According to winecurrent.com, “it’s full-bodied on the palate with a delicate sweetness that carries flavours of citrus peel, peach and pear.
Santa Ema Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2018, $16.95, from Chile’s Leyda Valley is described by South American wine critic Patricio Tapio as being “nervy” and light-bodied with herbal notes and “deliciously citrusy acidity.” -91.
Joseph Cattin Hatschbourg Pinot Gris 2016, $23.95, is off-dry with ripe russet pear fruit. “The generosity of fruit,” according to the Wine Enthusiast, “is offset with phenolic, pithy but pleasant bitterness that segues into zesty citrus.” – 90.
Red Wine
Gérard Bertrand Syrah/Grenache 2015, $16.95, is “a ripe modern-style, creamy Languedoc that offers loads of cassis, licorice and smoked herbs,” according to robertparker.com - 90.
Wits End Luna Shiraz 2017, $17.95, from McLaren Vale took double gold in San Francisco. Australian wine guru, James Halliday, claims it “is blood delicious, red and black fruits to the fore, superfine tannins providing texture and structure. Fantastic value.” – 95. (He does score high!)
Viñalba Reserva Malbec/Touriga Nacional 2017, $18.95, from Argentina is “a real steal! Packed with mouthwatering black fruit, a savoury liquorice richness, elegant bitter chocolate and silty tannins.” - Decanter World Wine Awards 2018 – 95.
Redstone Limestone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013, $22, from the Niagara Escarpment should really be rewarding. Redstone is the second winery in the Moray Tawse portfolio and has earned a slew of medals. 2013 was a respectable season, and for careful growers like Tawse, the results are very good. Here is a wine with a bit of bottle age. Vintages says it is elegant and expressive with good depth of flavour - “strawberry, red cherry, underbrush and smoky spices,” and suggest serving it with prime rib.
The September 28 Vintages Release featured a couple of whites that I have been able to taste since the release. The 2017 Tom Gore Sauvignon Blanc, $19.95, from California veers quite away from the style we find in New Zealand but is quite attractive in its own right. It displays gentle stone fruit, citrus, and restrained acidity with a sense of grapefruit pith expressing itself at the end. It is enjoyable and would pair well with a cheese board or roasted chicken. It is available on-line.
The 2018 Il Ducale Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC, $18.95 is just the second edition of this wine from Ruffino, a wine producer more commonly associated with Tuscany than with the north-eastern region of Friuli. Along with the impression of pear, this wine also has a mild grapefruit-like citrus note and some minerality. This should definitely appeal to fans of traditional Sauvignon Blanc. The mouthfeel is round and balanced, the flavours measured, and it would match well with an antipasti of Italian cured meats and cheeses.
Arterra has recently release a flight of Vintage Ink wines in the Wine Rack stores, including the 2017 Whiskey Barrel Aged Red, $16.95. With 16 grams of sugar per litre, one might think the wine would be off-dry, but I find it to have a lush, strawberry/blackberry fruitiness coupled with vanilla spice due to the whisky barrel influence. There is a definite tannic burr on the finish, and it may be wise to decant this or at least enjoy it with food.