What does the newest Vintages release have to offer? Let’s take a look!
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What a great release! Vintages throws out a handful of high-quality Rosés annually around the Spring, and this time they seem to coincide with Easter dining. Exotic, dry rosés are nice, but we’re also looking at “eco-friendly” wines, and a special look at the upcoming Somewhereness evenings in Toronto.
Generally speaking, the releases listed near the back of the book are really neat. Lots of obscure varietals (Grillo from Sicily, anyone? $13.95, 116319), and strange grape/location combinations (Nebbiolo d’Alba? $16.95, 101444). In fact, there were more that I’d like to try than I have the cash for. The good news is that many of these freaky wines sit on the shelves for awhile, so we’ll have a crack at them in the coming weeks.
First, the holiday wines. Although they seem to be cutting it close to the wire by releasing these bottles right in the thick of Easter meals, many will buy en route to dinner so I can’t quite fault the method. (Although the Kosher wine feature a few weeks back was advertised for Passover Seders, so at least some of us get to plan meals in advance.)
Actually, I count two major triumphs in this release:
1. A shamefully easy food-pairing section designed for holiday meals (apps, ham, salmon, lamb, decorative turkey, dessert). The LCBO does a very good job of promoting food/wine together, but I’ve enjoyed the diversity of styles in this release especially for some reason. Maybe it’s the weather? Though I wouldn’t fall over myself for all the bottles, there were a few gems that piqued my interest. Hopefully others will take the plunge with some of these bottles and be turned on to great, new experiences.
Dufouleur Père & Fils Crémant de Bourgogne Brut 2005 - $21.95 (047241) - p.5
Champagne style without the price; looks to balance fruit and the usual lees character of sparkling-wine. Few spot the differences and they’re quite underrated.
Clos du Mont-Olivet Font de Blanche Côtes-du-Rhône 2006 - $16.95 (102947) - p. 7
At some family meals, you have to put aside perfect pairings and settle for a wine everyone will like. On the “ham” food-pairing page I’d take this peace-maker on its price, or the Otago Pinot ($29.95, 093708– decent price for another safe style with appreciable New World qualities).
Georges DuBoeuf Domaine Des Sablons Saint-Amour 2007 - $19.95 (002923) - p. 8
Beaujolais from a mammoth producer isn’t usually my cup of tea, but at least it’s a higher-class of Beaujolais than the nouveaux, and the quality is probably relative for the price.
Tezza Ma Roat Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2006 - $17.95 (084053) - p. 11
Good Valpolicella can be quite endearing. Though I haven’t tried this fella, the Ripasso method gives most V’s a boost to compete with the other bruisers in the “lamb” selection. Nice price, and should have somewhat of an old world feel to it. What better for a traditional meal?
Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2007 - $24.95 (903617) - p. 13
I’ll bite on this cleanly made Chard that appears to offer more fruit than oak. It’s coming out of Margaret River in Australia, an area I do enjoy. Satisfying food pairing and guests, I’d feel confident. I’m also pro-Cave Spring and their Estate Riesling 2007 ($17.95, 286377), but maybe for a meal other than “turkey” as suggested here.
2. The Somewhereness feature (p. 30-33) is huge. The alliance of wineries is worthwhile to begin with, but it’s the concept that I love. Why is Somewhereness a big deal? Wine Spectator scribe Matt Kramer is speaking on terroir - my heart be aflutter - but more importantly, it marks a concerted effort to emphasize location in Ontario winemaking. This is something we’ve discussed sparingly as a region, and it’s about time we use a marketing-event like this as a springboard to more serious discussion. I promise to dissect the premise of the event soon.
Malivoire’s Mottiar Pinot Noir 2007 ($34, 125252) and Stratus’ White 2006 ($44.20, 660704) would top my list, but any of the bottles listed are worth pursuing. This includes the Tawse Pinot Noir 2007 ($32.20, 054809), a very well-made bottle with surprising zeal.
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And sadly, that wraps up our feature for the bi-week. I’ll encourage everyone to thumb through the current release if planning a Spring wine tasting party. The spread of Italian, French or Spanish/Portugese bottles can make for some funky, diverse flights.
Vintages’ next release is May 2nd, with features on Tuscany, California, and a ‘VQA On Tour’ look at Southbrook. If your wine drinking style is curved more to the New World, it’s likely we’ll find success there.
Cheers!
-JW
