Our Top 20 Picks from the November 14 Vintages Release

From Big Bottles to Bubbly, ’tis the season for celebrating

This week’s Vintages release was so large the LCBO divided it into two tasting days for wine media. Usually, we only get one day to squeeze in the 100 or so wines being released every other week. Not this time! Now that we’re, what… six weeks away from Christmas, seven from New Year’s Eve, Ontario’s only wine and liquor store is rolling out the big guns, both in formats and numbers of bottles hitting the shelves.

This week there’s about 160 wines coming out, many of them exceptional. We contemplated increasing our usual Top 20 to Top 30 for the holiday season, but decided to get tough and keep it to a trim 20. The wines that we really liked that just missed our Top 20 demands will find happy homes in other seasonally inspired blogs over the next few weeks.

We’ve got a great selection for you this week. While wines on offer are quickly creeping into the ultra-premium range – $30 and up seems to be the norm for these bottles – there are still a few under $20 gems to be discovered amongst the pickings – check out Flat Rock Cellars Unplugged Chardonnay or Torres Rioja to see what we mean. And even though the price points on the large format bottles (1500ml), push them into the $40+ price point, considering the quality for dollar plus the wow factor of a bringing out magnum at your next soiree, we think the value is worth it’s weight in wine. Try them for yourself and leave us a comment below on your thoughts on the value of holiday wines.

ARGENTINA

Versado Reserva “Ancient” Malbec, Mendoza 2011
$59.95 Vintages 316984
Bright and fresh with sweet oak aromas of clove and cinnamon plus black cherry and cassis, the palate is rich and push with toast, brandied cherry, cherry pie filling and cloves. Smooth and silky texture that’s totally inviting. 90 points.

CANADA

Blue Mountain “Gold Label” Brut, Okanagan Valley, BC NV
$28.95 Vintages 206326
Easily one of the most iconic Canadian sparklings out there, this classy fizz is done in the Champagne Method. Mostly Pinot Noir with 39% Chardonnay and a 5% splash of Pinot Gris, this is rich and weighty with bright flavours of lemon and green apple. 90 points.

Flat Rock Cellars “Unplugged” Chardonnay, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2013
$16.95 Vintages 68015
This unoaked Chardonnay is a bargain. Creamy in texture and mid weight on the palate with flavours of citrus and orchard fruit against a bright minerality. Very approachable style. Perfect with seafood feasts, creamy pastas or roast poultry. 88 points.

Osoyoos Larose “Le Grand Vin,” VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2010
$44.95 Vintages 626325
A Bordeaux blend that’s nearly 3/4 Merlot, this bold red has an appealing savoury edge with a nose of bloody meat, ripe, nearly stewed black fruits and soy sauce. Full bodied on the palate with firm tannin and toasty flavours of clay, earth, menthol and resinous herbs set against ripe black berry and black berry. You can get away with drinking this now, but it has such power and force you would be handsomely rewarded for cellaring it away for another 5 years. 90 points.

Hidden Bench “Terroir Caché” Meritage, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2011
$38.20 Vintages 505610
Terroir Caché is always a favourite for us. While certainly reflective of the power of delicacy of each vintage, each year brings something interesting, intriguing and exciting.  The 2011 shows a nose of dusty herbs, dry earth, black berries and violets. Rick and ripe on the palate with juicy black cherries and currants, with fine firm tannin and bright, balanced acid. The power is unmistakable, but restrained behind the elegance. 91 points.

Stratus Red, VQA Niagara on the Lake, ON 2012
$44.20 Vintages 131037
Another strong candidate for the cellar, this will show beautifully in another 10 years. Not that it’s not doable now with it’s alluring nose of violet, spice box, black berry and black licorice. Powerful and decadent with fine-firm tannin and flavours of earth and black fruit this strikes a beautiful balance between savoury earth and ripe fruit. Knowing Stratus, this will really reward after 2022. 91 points.

Stratus White, VQA Niagara on the Lake, ON 2012
$44.20 Vintages 660704
While many will enjoy this Chardonnay-dominated white blend, we think the real rewards come with time. Stratus winemaker JL Groux likes to use a heavy hand when it comes to oak with the intent of enjoying his wines well past their 10th birthday. We have a tendency to agree: while it’s rich and pleasant now with notes of egg nog spice, baked orchard fruit and beeswax, history tells us the real joy comes from wines that have waited a decade. If you have the space and patience, sock a few bottles away until 2022, and thank us then. 90 points.

CHILE

Santa Carolina “Reserva de Familia” Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley 2008
$37.95 Vintages 430728 (1500 ml)
The large format bottles never fail to impress at a party and combined with this price, the Santa Carolina Cab is both a wallet and crowd pleaser with an attractive, maturing, nose of celery salt, soy sauce and ripe black cherry. Smooth and fresh on the palate with fine firm tannin and a lovely flavour mix of soy sauce and ripe blue and black berries. 89 points.

FRANCE

Joseph Cattin Brut Crémant d’Alsace NV
$17.95 Vintages 281329
Cremants are great options for fizz fans also looking for a bargain. Done in the traditional method, this is 100% Pinot Blanc and aged at least 12 months in the bottle. Lively but still delicate, there’s an interesting brandied apple/Calvados note alongside powdered pastry and citrus. Quite flavourful and generous – pass the oysters. 90 points.

La Chablisienne “Montmains” Chablis 1er Cru, Burgundy 2012
$32.95 Vintages 265090
Rich and creamy with satisfying weight and mouthwatering acid, this is fresh and bright with notes of flint, green apple and a touch of salt water taffy. Very good. 89 points.

Chateau Rahoul, Graves, Bordeaux 2010
$29.95 Vintages 226043
Dark and luxurious with intriguing aromas and flavours of dark chocolate, plum, black berry, leather, toast, black licorice and a faint, underlying menthol note. Rick and smooth on the palate with fine-firm tannin. This would be lovely with fireside dinners of braised and roasted meats. 89 points.

Château Teyssier, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux 2010
$24.95 Vintages 226035
We’ve tasted this twice and both times have been very impressed with this exceptional Bordeaux that’s very fairly priced for this top performing vintage. The majority of the blend is Merlot, with a rich, supple and smooth texture and inviting notes of black cherry, new leather and black licorice. Fine-firm tannin and fresh acid, this is drinking beautifully now at five years of age. 89 points.

ITALY

Paitin “Sori’ Paitin” Barbaresco, Pidemont 2011
$48.95 Vintages 106591
This inviting Barbaresco is simultaneously both powerful and elegant with a sophisticated nose of raspberry tea, resinous herbs and dried earth aromas which follow through to the medium bodied palate. With very firm tannin and fresh acid, there’s a wonderful structure and focus to this wine which can easily go to 2031. 90 points.

Ca’ Marcanda “Promis,” Tuscany 2013
$55.95 Vintages 745638
A blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese, this Super Tuscan produced by revered winemaker Angelo Gaja is exceptional with notes of dusty, dried herbs, salty cured meats and dark, plummy fruit. Medium bodied with a rich and velvety palate, this is beautifully elegant with sophisticated restraint. 90 points.

Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2011
$29.95 Vintages 280651
For a Chianti Classico to label itself “Riserva” it must spend two years in oak and 3 months in the bottle before being released. This is a treat with spice, earth and dried cherry aromas. There’s lots of freshness to the palate with fine tannin that grow increasingly firmer, and flavours of red currant, wild, resinous herbs and tart cranberry and sour cherry on the finish. This is drinking well now but will likely improve with another few years of age. 89 points.

Le Serre Nuove Dell’ Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2013
$59.95 Vintages 606194
This is the second wine of famed Super Tuscan Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. A Merlot dominated Bordeaux blend, it’s rich and ripe on the nose with juicy dark berries, spice and christmas cake aromas. The palate is full with grippy tannin and lots of depth in the wild flavours of fresh herbs, brandied cherry, chocolate and spice. Plenty of intrigue that will only increase over the next decade. 89 points.

Masi Riserva “Costasera” Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva, Veneto 2009
$149.95 Vintages 348037 (1500 ml)
This classic Amarone from leading producer Masi offers great intensity and indulgence. Coffee bean, smoked meat and dark cherry aromas fill the nose, while the ripe and plush palate shows a smokey edge to the dark berry flavours. 89 points.

NEW ZEALAND

SPAIN

Tores “Altos Ibéricos” Crianza, Rioja 2012
$16.95 Vintages 381046
Here’s a great value that doesn’t skimp on structure. Aromas of red cherries combine with a meaty savouriness, while the palate showcases flavours of red and black fruits, cedar spice, dried bayleaf and crushed peppercorn. A satisfying style that would work with a range of dishes from roast porchetta to spicy beef. 88 points.

USA

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs, Carneros, California NV
$34.95 Vintages 223792
Gloria Ferrer is one of the leading California sparkling producers, offering up bubblies of interest and class year after year. There’s substantial weight to this Chardonnay-based bubbly, as the palate is rich and creamy with soft mousse and fine bubbles. Lovely. 90 points.

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California 2013
$70.95 Vintages 435131 (1500 ml)
Robert Mondavi wo Winery of the Year at this year’s InterVin Awards, where we sit on the panel. Of course, all tastings are blind, so we found out when the magazine hit stands, but we can’t say we’re surprised. This is a wonderful Cab of quality and substance with black berry and light floral aromas while the palate is rich and generous with firm tannin and deep, ripe black berries backed by subtle under pinnings of earth and spice. Drink now with roast beef, or cellar for 15 years. 90 points.