Alan’s June 7, 2008 Vintages Release Tasting Notes

There are plenty of good wines in this release including a range of fine sparklers, several wines suggested for father’s day and one or two gems on the regular release.  Do read on.

The Champagne section of the release

075960 AYALA CHAMPAGNE DEMI-SEC RICH MAJEUR $53.95
Very mellow and enticing, nice aromas of baked bread, apple and spice, great structure, flavours of pear, peach compote and a creamy toffee. It will fit the bill for a pre dinner aperitif as the hint of sweetness will create an appetite. Find this wine
 

926998 BEAUMONT DES CRAYÈRES CHAMPAGNE BRUT GRAND ROSÉ $48.95
Racy and full of mousse, dry, lots of red currant and red berry notes, Pleasant sweet edge to the finish. Find this wine

658500 R & L LEGRAS CHAMPAGNE BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS $46.95
Deeper in colour than most, nose has plenty of yeasty notes with hints of lime zest and toasted nuts. The nuttiness continues on the palate bolstered with lots of tart green apple flavours and a strong finish. Very tasty. Find this wine

074443 FLEURY & FILS CHAMPAGNE BRUT CARTE ROUGE ORGANIC $56.95
Another bubbly with an abundance of toasted and creamy yeast on the nose, nice zesty flavours, quite full bodied and hints of lime leaf on the finish. Find this wine

068304 CHAPUY CHAMPAGNE BRUT CARTE NOIR TRADITION $37.95
Ginger ale, straw and preserved lemon runs through onto the palate leaving a candied ginger note on the finish. I like this a lot and it is one of the better priced sparklers in the release. Find this wine

068320 GARDET CHAMPAGNE CUVÉE FOUDRES SELECTED RESERVE $44.95
Notes of cookies right out of the oven, powder ginger and mace, with a well balanced palate, plenty of baked apple and citrus flavours and a finish that leaves me wanting more. Find this wine

068791 MARGUET PÈRE & FILS CHAMPAGNE GRAND CRU 2000 $52.95
Noticeable aromas of earthiness, some straw, mineral, lime zest and lemon grass. Great acidity, full bodied with a delightful nutty note on the close. If I am to choose a wine to splurge on this release, this would be the one. It really is quite lovely.  Find this wine

068783 MARGUET PERE & FILS CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE NOIRS CUVÉE TRADITION $42.95
Also quite tasty, notes of red berry, apple and citrus. Personally I would scrounge around, find another ten dollar bill, and buy the Grand Cru. Find this wine

068585 MONTAUDON CHAMPAGNE BRUT $39.95
More earthy notes combined with composting grass, baked pear, toffee, cinnamon, ginger and fresh baked bread. So well balanced, full on the palate and very focused. Find this wine

Vintages has selected a few wines for Father’s day. Devon, if you read this, I like the Barolo!

065524 FAMIGLIA ANSELMA BAROLO 2000 Piedmont $55.95
Sweet and floral notes baked up with coffee, cinnamon, cheese rind and flint. The ripe fruit is starting to show some maturity, but the tannins still control. It will be a great Barolo, but do give it time.
Find this wine

973727 CHÂTEAU LES CABANNES 2005 St-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux $23.95
Heaps of sweet red cherry, a whack of creamy oak, lavender, blueberry and mocha. Good red fruit on the palate, a touch of spice, nice ripe tannin and sweet oak. New world in its style, good price though for a St Emilion grand cru in a “legendary” vintage. Find this wine

947127 CHÂTEAU LA VIEILLE CURE 2005 Fronsac, Bordeaux $46.95
The whopping aromas of mint, black wet earth, nutshell, blackberry and herbs all come to a standstill at the locked door. It is a monster, but so tight and tannic, that when it comes around it should be a killer. If your father is leery of buying green bananas, this may not be the wine for him! Find this wine

069005 BOUCHARD AÎNÉ & FILS BEAUNE CUVÉE SIGNATURE LES MARCONNETS 2005 1er Cru, Burgundy $48.95
A softer style of Burgundy, notes of rhubarb, cherry and strawberry. The tannins are quite resolved, the palate is balanced, but the finish lacks oomph. Find this wine

901025 ATALON MERLOT 2003, Napa Valley, California $39.95
A dense and tarry nose reinforced with loads of milk chocolate, underbrush, wet earth, plum and thyme. Its palate is balanced, great flavours of dark blackberry, chocolate and plum. Tannins are subtle and do not interfere. Find this wine

980334 GRAN LURTON GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina $20.95
A dusty smoke laden wine showing tar, sweet fruit preserve, wet leaves, moss and licorice. Its mouth feel is ripe and chewy and its laced with creamy fruit. It has good balance and nicely integrated oak. Find this wine

Regular section of the release

001578 FLAT ROCK CELLARS TWISTED 2007 Niagara Peninsula $16.95
Always good to chill and slurp back on a hot and steamy summer afternoon. This blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Chardonnay is off dry, nicely balanced and shows delicate white tree fruit and citrus flavours. Find this wine

685610 HENRY OF PELHAM CABERNET SAUVIGNON ROSÉ Niagara Peninsula 2007 $14.95
Nice blackcurrant, mineral and floral notes. It has zesty acidity, decent concentration of currant, rhubarb and red cherry that roll nicely across the palate and through to the finish. Find this wine

559088 MALIVOIRE LADYBUG ROSÉ 2007 Niagara Peninsula $16.00
This vintage is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Merlot and Pinot Noir. It is a leaner style, showing earthy notes, red fruit and a touch of sweetness at the close. Find this wine

467753 STREWN CABERNET ROSÉ 2007 Niagara Peninsula $12.95
A drier style rosé offering a nose of black fruit, raspberry and citrus zest. It is not lacking fruit on the palate either, the tannins are dusty and do not interfere. Nice summer quaffer for a reasonable price. Find this wine

060194 Andretti SELECTIONS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 California $19.95
Upfront, the nose offers solid aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, leather and coffee grounds. The palate has the remnants of the black fruit, a streak of nice acidity, but it falls short of what the aroma promised.
Find this wine

909101 ARTESA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004 Napa County/Sonoma County $24.95
Light aromas of cherry, red fruit and dusty tannin. The palate carries faint notes of blackcurrant, mocha, anise and plum. It is a wine that is elegant, well balanced and clean.
Find this wine

942136 FESS PARKER SYRAH 2004 Santa Barbara County $20.95
Heaps of sweet black jam, spice box, leather and cured meat ooze from the glass. It carries 16.4 degrees of alcohol; the fleshy and robust black fruit and sweet chocolate hide the heat well until it pops up rather strongly on the finish. Find this wine

606509 WHITEHALL LANE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004 Napa Valley $49.95 A nose of floral, blueberry, mineral and oak. Its palate is fruit laden, the oak is sweet, tannins are chocolaty and ripe. The finish is juicy, packed with fruit and just a touch of heat. Find this wine

405605 L.A. CETTO ZINFANDEL 2005 Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California $10.95
A deep purple with a mauve hue at the rim, nose of cooked fruit, chestnut and creamy mocha. Acids cut well, the finish fades fast, but for ten dollar investment, your burgers will love you. Find this wine

060244 SANTA ALICIA GRAN RESERVA DE LOS ANDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003 Maipo Valley, Chile $18.95
Lots of chalky and cassis aromas follow through to a fruit driven palate. Blackcurrant, blueberry and plum bury the struggling acids. Find this wine

063792 VIÑA LA ROSA DON RECA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 Cachapoal Valley, Limited Release $19.95
Punchy aromas of blackcurrant, arugula, mint and toffee. Super rich mouth feel, black fruit, silky tannin with a fruit driven finish laced with Thai basil and chocolate. Find this wine

043802 CHÂTEAU HAUT-COLOMBIER 2005 $17.95
The Vintages catalogue was kind enough to use my tasting notes from the last time I scribed this wine. Too bad they spelled my name wrong though! It has the same profile as did back then, only now it is adding some earthy and roasted root vegetable aromas. The tannin is softening and it is showing a touch of heat on the finish. Still very nice though. Find this wine

“TASTING NOTE: Freshly pressed fruit coulis, tons of blackcurrant and black fruit acids. The palate shows a creamy texture, with coffee, black berry, vanilla and toast. It is a little clumsy now, but the price is right and I think it will be worth sticking a bottle or two away for a year or so”. (Allan Kerr, www.gangofpour.com, Oct. 13, 2007)

074765 CHÂTEAU DE LANCYRE PIC SAINT-LOUP VIEILLES VIGNES 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc $21.95
Dark fruit, nettle, green pea, spice box, plum and damson bind together and create an appealing nose. What should be great is far from being so. It is so wound up with dry astringent and bitter tannins; I really don’t wish to predict its future. I have tasted old Pic St Loup wines that have aged and aged well. Perhaps this will too, but there is a stemmy note on the finish that I really don’t care for.
Find this wine

A couple more rosé wines to conclude.

680801 PERRIN & FILS TAVEL ROSÉ, Rhone Valley 2007 $21.95
Lots of bright red fruit, good solid concentration, little hints of mineral and a candy cane finish. Find this wine

603795 MUGA ROSÉ 2007 Rioja $12.95
Chalky mineral aromas, lovely red fruit, plenty of pure red berries on the palate and the right amount of refreshing acidity. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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