LCBO Release Highlights
Vintages Release April 26
Napa and Sonoma rank among the most beautiful, civilized places in the world, and the weather's near perfect too. But if you can't make it there anytime soon, you can buy some of their great wines. Cali's newest "hot" area is the Central Coast, between LA and SF. Nearby cities include Santa Barbara, Santa Maria (where Michael Jackson had his most recent trial) and SLOB , aka San Luis Obispo. There's been quite a boom in production and a big boost in quality there lately, so check it out.
California's wines generally epitomize the "New World" style: lots and lots of fruit, usually quite ripe and even jammy. Very full bodied reds and whites - and while many winemakers have toned things down lately, California still cranks out some seriously oaky chardonnays that, like many American waistlines, run to fat. As with anywhere though, it's always possible to find a range of styles -so don't write California off as the land of easy drinking big red fruit bombs and woody chards and sauvignons. And, compared to a few years ago, prices are much more reasonable for product from the Golden State.
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The Governator himself is a big supporter of his state's wines and even came to Toronto last year to promote them: he'd be proud of this batch. Here are my recommendations of the best of the current California bunch at Vintages.
The California Whites
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2006. $44.95
Napa Vallay
Here's a standard-bearer for quality chardonnay from Napa: Montelena's been turning out consistently good quality chardannay for years and really does merit the price. Rich and complex nose with butter, honey and floral notes. Smooth and balanced on the palate, fairly full in the mouth, with good acidity and nice lemon notes. Good lingering finish. 91 points.
Cuvaison Chardonnay 2006. $25.95
Carneros, Napa Valley
Fun Napa fact: the coolest climate area of Napa is the southernmost part. Carneros, cooled by the chill wind and fog of San Francisco Bay, is the best place to grow chardonnay in this otherwise hot climate zone. This one has a slightly "off" nose, though that would probably dissipate soon enough. Very full bodied on the palate, with lemon and a surprising hint of tropical fruit. There are some nicely done woody notes too. 88 points.
Jax Vineyards Y3 Chardonnay. $33.95
Napa Valley
Fresh and pleasant nose with light white fruit notes. Smooth and elegant on the palate, which has more light fruit and some very nice lemon notes. Good finish. 89 points.
Franis Coppola Diamond Collection Gold Label Chardonnay 2006. $19.95
Monterey County
Hollywood heavyweight Coppala now qualifies as a reliably good producer and this exuberantly categorized - diamonds and gold? - chard is a decent bottle. Rich nose with white fruit under, which carries through onto the palate. It's smooth and there's good fruit, but it is a bit sweet on the palate: very California. This is leavened by some nice lemon and there's an OK finish. 87 points.
Frog's Leap Chardonnay 2006. $32.95
Napa Valley
Rich but muted nose with white fruit and some vanilla. Fresh and zesty on the palate even though there's some hot climate roundness. Fresh finish with citrus notes. 89 points.
Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2006. $25.95
Rutherford, Napa Valley
The nose is odd and there are even some off notes: not promising. But then it's super fresh and pleasant on the palate and the sharp citrus notes give a pleasant jolt. Not grassy, so not typical. Interesting and a good crisp finish. 87 points.
La Crema Chardonnay 2006. $36.95
Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast
Terrific rich nose with great fruit plus some vanilla and a hint of caramel: nicely complex. Smooth and rich on the palate with lots of butterscotch from the oak, which, though evident, isn't overpowering. Nice lemon notes and good acidity keep it fresh. Good lingering finish. 91 points.
Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc. $24.75
Napa Valley
Big bold nose with lots of white fruit and darker grassy notes under and even a hint of bug spray (a good thing). Great on the palate with lots of fruit, including tropical and lemon. Nice lingering finish on this solid sauv blanc. 90 points.
Sterling Chardonnay 2005. $22.95 ** BEST VALUE **
Napa Valley
Rich nose with evident oaky notes. Smooth and a bit round on the palate with plenty of nice fruit. Muted smoky notes and a slight sweetness are there too, and the nice finish has lemon and vanilla. Classic Cali chard here - fortunately just shy of over-oaked. 89 points
The California Reds
Berenger Pinot Noir 2006. $27.95
Carneros, Napa Valley
It’s not just chardonnay that thrives in Carneros, cool climate red cousin pinot noir loves it too. It’s still warmer than Burgundy, so this is a super fruity and very New World pinot with lots of cherry on the nose. No real secondary earthiness, but it’s smooth, fruity and fun on the palate. Simple but good, nice finish. 88 points.
Buena Vista Pinot Noir 2005. $29.95
Carneros, Napa Valley
Rich and earthy nose on this one as well as the nice cherry fruit. This is a terrific New World. The good acidity and tannin levels suggest this will age nicely and grow more complex. Nice finish. 89 points.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $79.95
Napa Valley
A beautiful, rich and very New World cab – just what you want from California. Lots of dark red fruit, including cassis and cherry. Terrific secondary notes of tobacco and a bit of spice. Lots of tannins and fruit on the palate – this one’s not quite ready yet and will age well. Lingering finish. 90 points.
Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $155.95
Napa Valley
A blockbuster California cab here in Caymus’ premium wine. Lots of dark red fruit, including once again cassis and cherry. Super fruity and lots of tannins on the palate. Good secondary notes and a rich chewiness. This one’s not ready yet and will age well. 91 points
Duckhorn Merlot 2005. $62.95
Napa Valley
Beautiful! Rich and complex yet reserved nose with lots of dark red fruit and terrific cigar box and cedar notes under. Rich and full on the palate with great fruit and darker secondary notes. Terrific finish with the fruit coming back to the fore. Delicious. 94 points.
Dutch Bill Creek Pinot Noir 2006. $34.95
Sonoma Coast
Very pale ruby colour. Quite rich nose with a good amount of cherry/berry fruit and earthiness. Very fruity on the palate, as you’d hope for, it would be nicer if there was a little more complexity. Easy drinking, fresh and a nice finish too. 88 points
Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $19.95 ** BEST VALUE **
Napa Valley
From ground zero of Napa’s best land – known locally as “Rutherford Dust” – this cab takes full advantage at a great price (many wines from the area cost five times as much). Rich nose of dark red fruit with intriguing secondary notes. Smooth and full on the palate. The fruit is typically Californian rich, but it’s smooth and balanced by darker notes including tobacco and cigar box. Nice finish too. 89 points.
Sebastiani Merlot 2004. $20.95
Sonoma County
This one’s practically a meritage blend: all five other Bordeaux red grapes are also present, accounting for nearly a quarter of the bottle. This helps make it feel very rich for a merlot and gives it lots of complexity. Great dark red fruit on the nose, which follows through onto the palate. Good secondary notes including tobacco. Nice finish. 89 points
Shafer Merlot 2005. $54.95
Napa Valley
Smooth rich and fruit – dark berries – and lots of secondary notes including tobacco and coffee on both the nose and the palate. Well integrated, good finish. 89 points.
White Oak Cabernt Sauvignon 2003. $32.95
Napa Valley
Great complexity on the nose of this classic California cab. Lots of secondary earthy notes. Super smooth on the palate with soft tannins and medium acidity making for easy drinking. Very elegant and a great finish. 90 points.
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The Rest of the World
The Whites
Flat Rock Cellars Unplugged Chardonnay 2006. $15.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara
This unoaked chard has a very rich and almost sweet nose, with a bit of butter, surpising in an unoaked. Lots of acidity and some vanilla on the palate. It’s a bit thin (this ain’t Cali!) but there’s good lemon fruit and some more vanilla on the pleasant finish. 88 points
Henry of Pelham Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2005 $19.95
VQA Niagara
Big bold nose with obvious woody notes – fermenting in barrel adds much more oak flavour than merely aging it in barrels. Smooth on the palate with toast and vanilla notes and a smoky finish. A nice example of a woody chard. 88 points
Domaine Fussiascus Pouilly Fuisse Vieilles Vignes 2005. $24.95
Burgundy, France
Muted but characteristic and pleasant nose of white fruit and some floral notes. Super smooth and elegant on the palate with nice vanilla and smoke notes. Very pleasant finish. 89 points.
Domaine Servin Chablis Montee de Tonnerre 2006. $28.95
Burgundy, France
Very fresh nose with flowery notes. A bit round on the palate, but a good amount of fruit including lemon. Nice hints of sweetness and an OK finish. 88 points.
Nicolas Potel Mersault Vieilles Vignes 2005. $39.95
Burgundy, France
Muted but rich nose and a bright gold colour. Very smooth and elegant on the palate. Some vanilla, smoke and lemon. Nice acidic finish with more woody notes, but muted nicely. Sleek. 89 points.
Domain Bonnard Pouilly Fume 2006. $21.95
Loire Valley, France
Very reserved but obviously sauvingon blanc nose. Lots of acidity on the palate, but very smooth all the same. Lemon and grassy notes are there in this terrific reserved and very French sauv blanc. 89 points.
Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2006. $14.95 ** BEST VALUE **
Cotes du Rhone, France
Great example of a not-often-seen white Cotes du Rhone. Fruity, fun and aromatic nose. Red grapefruit on the palate, which is fairly simple. Nice fresh finish. 88 points
Elena Walch castel Ringberg Pinot Grigio 2006. $25.95
Alto Adige, Italy
A bit pricey for a pinot grigio, but worth it. Big rich nose of ripe fruit with some herbal notes. Very fresh and clean on the palate. Good acidity, nice fruity finsh that lingers. 88 points.
The Reds
Kaiken Malbec 2005. $14.95
Mendoza, Argentina
Big bold nose of extracted dark red fruit on this bold Argentinean. Big spicy fruit on the palate. Simple, but darker notes are there under the dark red fruit. Good value. 87 points.
Botalcura Reserve El Dilirio Syrah/Malbec 2005. $12.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK ** ** BEST VALUE **
Central Valley, Chile
Trans-Andes competitor Chile weighs in with a malbec blended with syrah and wins: Big rich nose of dark red fruit with good secondary notes. Very pleasant on the palate - not big, but nicely balanced. Good finish, great value. 88 points.
Anvers Brabo Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Slight off note on the nose, but it's rich, smooth and fruity on the palate, which has nice secondary notes as well. Nice finish. 88 points
James Haselgrove Futures Shiraz 2006. $25.95
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Rich nose of dark red fruit and some classic Aussie shiraz notes of chocolate and spice. Rich and full on the palate, good acidity. Smooth and full bodied. Great finish. 89 points.
Pennyfield Cabernet Sauvignon Basket Pressed 2004. $23.95
Riverland, South Australia
Rich nose of dark red berry fruit. Great secondary notes on the full bodied palate. Blackberry fruit and some iodine hints. Fresh acidity. Good finish. A nice big Aussie here. 90 points.
Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $19.95
Margaret River, Western Australia
Rich herbal nose with red fruit and some peppery notes. Not as fruity as expected on the palate, but nicely reasonably complex. Decent acid/tannin balance and OK finish. 87 points
Seresin Leah Pinot Noir 2006. $39.95
Marlborough, New Zealand
Fairly pale ruby colour and rich cherry nose with some alluring secondary notes. Smooth and fruity palate with lots of cherries and good earthiness. Great New World pinot. 89 points.
Chateau de Sales 2005. $29.95
Bordeaux (AC Pomerol), France
Bold nose of dark red fruit with spiciness. Dry and smooth on the palate, which is restrained and elegant, with a bit of iodine. A fresh, lovely and elegant Bordeaux. 90 points.
Chateau Langoa Barton 2004. $59.95
Bordeaux (AC St. Julien), France
Rich nose of dark red fruit, good secondary notes with a bit of chocolate and some cigar box. Super smooth and full on the palate, but good acidity levels. A bit of cedar from the oak and a great lingering finish. Nice now as it comes into its fourth year, it will definitely continue to improve over the coming years. 90/91 points.
Domaine de Bourg St. Nicolas de Bourgueil. $14.55 ** GOOD VALUE **
Loire, France
Interesting bold nose with good secondary notes, including dill, bell pepper, giving away the fact that this is all cabernet franc. If you're a fan of Ontario's cab franc, try this one from the motherland on. Medium bodied and fairly fruity with some plummy notes, this is nicely done cab franc that feels a little richer and riper. 88 points.
Chateau D'or et de Gueules le Cimels 2005. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Costieres de Nimes, France
Great nose with lots of fruit on this beefy entrant from southern France. Very smooth and even elegant on the palate. Great balance of tannins and acidity. Rich and full bodied and with a great finish. 89/90 points.
Chateau de Haute Serre 2004. $21.95
Cahors, France
Located in south-western France, Cahors is known for big full bodied reds, and this majority-malbec blend delivers. Rich extracted nose of dark red fruit. Fresh on the palate with lots of lighter red fruit and still very tannic, great finish. Try this to compare with Argentinean examples - here's a more restrained and stylish Old World version. 88/89 points
