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Happy New Year to one and all. The January 7th release starts the year nicely, especially if one has spent far too much money over the holidays. I did not get to taste every wine from the Chilean and Argentine section, but what I did get to try, for the most part, impressed me.

677880 CHÂTEAU LA GURGUE 2001, MARGAUX, BORDEAUX $38.95
Just the type of nose I would expect from Bordeaux. It shows notes of lead pencil, mocha, some meaty/fleshy strains and cedar. The palate does not quite live up to what the nose has to offer, but there are pretty red fruit, blackcurrant and chocolate flavours that follow through to a slightly sweet finish. Find this wine

131672 CHÂTEAU LOUDENNE 2000, MÉDOC, CRU BOURGEOIS, BORDEAUX, $32.95
Interesting aromas of coffee, damson, pepper, slate and plum. The palate is quite tight, and the texture suggests it is on the lighter side. It reveals some currant and plum, but it is really hard to find much else at this point in its evolution. Find this wine

330498 CHÂTEAU SÉNÉJAC 1999, HAUT-MÉDOC, CRU BOURGEOIS, BORDEAUX $28.95
Plenty of toasty rich aromas of cigar box, some poo, clove, cinnamon, composting grass, liquorish root and a hint of caramel. This is good Bordeaux for the price, the aromas and palate are starting to show a little maturity. The fruit on the palate is in control and the finish shows grace and balance. Find this wine
 

720821 CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBERT, 2002, CAHORS $19.25
Although the nose is quite closed, it lets out traces of mineral, coal dust, oyster shell and sweet spice. It is not as dark as other Cahors wines I've had. The palate has a solid core of plum, blueberry and Ribena. I think a little time might help this open up a little. Find this wine

710194 VICCHIOMAGGIO 'SAN JACOPO DA VICCHIOMAGGIO' CHIANTI CLASSICO 2003, $18.95
An easy drinking and well priced Chianti with aromas and a palate of black cherry, stewed rhubarb and plum. It is drinking quite nicely, the balance is fine and the finish is clean. Find this wine

986117 QUINTARELLI VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 1997, $71.95
An example of just how diverse wines of one particular style or region can be. I have never been a fan of Valpolicella, yet this wine is clearly superior to the quality of the screw top jobs I was raised upon. The price is scary, but the intensity and concentration justify the hefty tag. Purveyors of fine wines in the US offer this at more or less the same price so it is actually cheaper in the LCBO, considering the exchange rate.  Sweet chocolate and oak give way to the liquorish toffee, mineral, cinnamon, dried tangerine and raisin aromas that ooze from the glass. The palate has tons of cherry, red currant, dark fruit and harmonious acids. The balance between the fruit, acid, the organic components and its degree of sweetness is sublime. I think this wine will go on for years gaining complexity and elegance. Find this wine

579862 SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES 'ALTANO' 2003, TINTA RORIZ/TOURIGA FRANCA, PORTUGAL $11.95
I like this wine's nose. It delivers some muddy waters, mineral, slate, thyme, plum and fresh baked fruit pie. The fruit is tight on the palate and there are some tannins on the finish. Not bad at all for $11.95. Find this wine

718999 CASTAÑO 'HÉCULA' 2003, SPAIN, $13.95
No doubt this wine will sell quickly, given the 90 point rating from Mr. P. I said this last year and I say the same again, it is a nice wine, but I fail to see the justification for the highly touted rating.  It shows notes of Moroccan spice, mocha and red fruit. It is thick and syrupy on the palate; the acids are high, but not overly perceptible. Dark fruit prevails on the finish along with some heat and alcohol. Will I buy some? Probably, if only to see what happens to it in a year or two. Find this wine

741637 TENZAN SAKE BREWERY JUNMAI GENSHU JIZAKE SAKE, JAPAN, $34.95
Good grief. I do not think I have really tasted anything quite as unusual as this. It is incredibly fragrant, featuring aromas of marzipan, almond, bubblegum, flat cola, tropical fruit and Asian pear. It is very easy to drink and consequently I imagine the eighteen degrees of alcohol could easily creep up and do some serious damage before one has downed the first few bites of sushi. Find this wine

979898 QUINTA DO INFANTADO RUBY PORT, $15.95
I opened a bottle of Infantado's Ruby Port on Christmas Eve along with a chunk of perfectly mature and creamy Colston Basset Stilton with great friends. I am amazed at the depth of fruit and concentration that sixteen bucks can get you. It is full of flavours of dried fruit, cake spice, sweet plum and milk chocolate. Good stuff! Find this wine

673871 WARRE'S LBV TRADITIONAL PORT 1995, $32.95
I barely had a chance to get a mere sip of this, but what I tasted was dense, mature, fruit laden and well balanced. Find this wine

Some wines from Argentina

622571 CLOS DE LOS SIETE 2003, MENDOZA, DOURTHE FRÈRES, $23.95
Clos del los Siete is composed of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It has a solid dark robe with a purple hue at the rim. Its nose is sweet oak, dark fruit, morel mushroom, and stony earth. The palate shows layers of rich blackcurrant, plum and chocolate. Good stuff, but don't think about drinking it for a while. It needs time. (Editor's note: Interesting to compare Alan's impressions of this wine with those of Putnam Weekley's and Bastardo's.) Find this wine

746727 FINCA FLICHMAN RESERVA MALBEC 2004, MENDOZA, $12.95
A nicely mixed blend of fleshy plum, damson, blueberry, sage and lavender. It is ripe on the palate, the fruit blends with a layer of dark bitter chocolate and refreshing dark fruit acids. Stick a case of this away for summer barbies and you will pat yourself on the back. Find this wine

663112 TRIVENTO SYRAH RESERVE 2004, MENDOZA, TRIVENTO BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS, $12.95
Another great QPR wine, showing hints of toasty oak, heaps of dark berry, balsa and butterscotch. It is rich, sweet and creamy on its well balanced finish. Find this wine

980334 GRAN LURTON CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003, GRAN RESERVA, MENDOZA, $17.95
The herbaceous aromas of parsley stem and thyme overpower the secondary layer of dark fruit. The palate has plenty of tea based tannin, along with some plum and currant flavours. It sounds like I don't like it. I do, it's just not a great as some of the other wines released from this region. Find this wine

Some wines from the Chilean release

337238 MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA' CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003, PUENTE ALTO VIÑA CONCHA Y TORO, $17.95
This is my "no brainer" wine from the Essentials Collection. When I am in a rush and I need to grab something from the shelf, this is it. It is dark and sensual, full of blackcurrant, sweet spice, cedar and blueberry. The tannins are tight, but they soon surrender to grilled meat. Find this wine

322586 MONTES 'ALPHA' CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003,
ALPHA APALTA VINEYARD, COLCHAGUA VALLEY, $22.95
Lots of sweet red fruit, stewed rhubarb, cherry and currant. There are lively acids on the palate, the tannin is tight and the wine needs time to resolve. Find this wine

619734 CASA SILVA RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003, COLCHAGUA VALLEY, $13.95
A little musty on the nose at first, but that soon blows off revealing notes of maraschino cherry, dried Chinese mushroom and red berry. There is a good solid layer of rich fruit on the palate; lively acids do balance the sweetness on the finish. Find this wine

662692 TABALÍ RESERVA SHIRAZ 2003, LIMARI VALLEY, $16.95
At first, Talbi's Syrah appears to be a little stemmy, showing aromas of pinecone and damp leaves. However a swirl or two shows some earthy mineral, plum skin, salted meat, blackberry and damson. The finish certainly leans towards the fruit focused side of this wine by leaving a long lasting taste of pure cassis. Find this wine

 

My somewhat limited wine budget this month will mostly help support the wine makers of Argentina. They won me over this release!

Cheers
CZ

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