For some people, it's always time to drink white wine. However in Ontario, the ratio of sales of reds vs. whites runs around 70/30. So if you've been focusing too much on reds lately (and, frankly, who can blame you?), now's the time to move toward the white....
Even though the finer California chards can get into the triple digits and the best white Burgundies well into the triple digits per bottle, white wine just doesn't get the same respect as red. This would have been a good opportunity to showcase some of the pricier stuff from California and Burgundy - heck, why not Deutschland's finest too? - but Vintages has kept the price points fairly low.
Nothing really thrilling alas (in fact the reds fare better quality wise this week...), but if you'd like to try a new white, there's a terrific Albarino from Spain and a suprising Pinot Blanc from Niagara.
The White Wines
Henry of Pelham Pinot Blanc 2007. $14.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
VQA Niagara
Niagara usurps Okanagan's new white... to good effect at a good price. Fresh full nose with green apple and fresh citrus notes. Smooth and dry but reasonably fruity on the palate, good acidity, nice lingering finish. 88 points.
Tawse Sketches of Niagara Chardonnay 2006. $22.95
VQA Niagara
Rich bold nose of well integrated white/melon fruit and oaky notes of vanilla. smooth and a bit round on the palate, this is a nice, easy drinking chard. 87/88 points.
Chateau St. Jean Fumé Blanc 2006. $20.95
Sonoma, California
Very Cali treatment on this sauv blanc from a Cali producer more known for Meritage reds. Anyway, oak very evident on the nose, overpowering most of the fruit but giving some nice vanilla notes. Super smooth on the palate - medium bodied, easy drinking with a bit of citrus and smoke/oak notes. Nice finish. 88 points.
Irony Chardonnay 2005. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Napa, California
Rich classic Cali chard here at a nice price. Some white fruit on the nose and even a bit of spice. Very good acidity keeps it fresh on the full bodied palate, which has more white fruit and some nice vanilla notes from the well integrated and not overdone oak. Fine lingering finish - a great value really. 89 points
Leaping Lizard Chardonnay 2006. $17.95 ** VERY GOOD VALUE**
Napa, California
Muted nose on this, Vintages' Wine of the Month. But it's very smooth and easy drinking on the palate. The acidity is about medium and it's fuller bodied. Some apple and lemon notes, as well as the expected oaky notes of vanilla and smoke. Decent finish. 88 points.
Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Chardonnay 2006. $13.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Mendoza, Argentina
Fresh nose with white fruit and oaky notes of vanilla. Smooth and a bit round on the palate, this is a simple but well made chard, easy drinking and very well priced. Nice finish too. 87 points.
Casa Silva Quinta Generacion White 2004. $19.95
Colchaguea Valley, Chile
Very bold nose with aromatic fruity and floral notes, as well as oak - it should be aromatic: it's a blend of viognier, sauvignon gris and chardonnay. If you're wondering about sauvignon gris, the online winegeeks can tell you. The Generacion White is quite full bodied on the palate with only moderate acidity levels, so it feels a bit round and even unbalanced - perhaps it's getting on? Interesting style and blend though. 87 points.
Momo Sauvignon Blanc 2007. $19.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Marlborough, New Zealand
Here's a full-force NZ sauv blanc: classic grassy, herbaceous and even spicy nose. Full bodied with lots of ripe fruit, but great acidity keeping it fresh. Nice finish of lemon, guava and a bit of passion fruit. 89 points.
Domaine Des Laureiers Picpoul de Pinet 2006. $14.95
Languedoc, France
This grape's a new one on me: picpoul. Very interesting white here - rich nose with a hint of pine resin and lime peel. Acidity is high so it feels fresh. Not too fruity on the palate and there was a slight cardboard note, but not oppressive. Nice crisp finish. 87 points.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. $16.95. ** VERY GOOD VALUE**
Trentino Alto Adige, Italy
This Italian heavyweight always delivers decent quality - and according to the Vintages notes, is "our #1 selling wine". It's part of the Vintages Essentials collection and is usually always available. Fresh and light aromas of lemon and peach. Smooth on the palate and maybe a little round, but this works well with the light fruit notes of more peach and citrus. The finish is nice, with some green apple and a bit of yellow plum. 88/89 points.
Prime Brume Soave Classico 2006. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE*
Veneto, Italy
Soave is a classic light Italian summer wine, and here's a good example. Fresh light and smooth, there's nicely crisp acidity but it's fairly rich in the mouthfeel dept., with light white fruit, very muted. Lingering finish of just barely ripe plum. Fresh. 88 points.
Martin Codax Burgans Albarino 2007. $18.95 ** VERY GOOD VALUE**
Rias Baixas, Spain
Martin Codax is one of the bigger producers of the wonderful albarino - a grape that has proved to be pretty much impossible to grow outside a small area on the Spanish/Portuguese Atlantic coast border. The Portuguese tended to blend it, but as they've noticed the success the Spanish have recently had, we're now starting to see "alvarinho" wines from Portugal. Expect albarino's fresh and richly aromatic nose with peach and floral notes on this quality effort. The best part is the palate, which is full-bodied, smooth and a nice dry surprise after the fruity nose. Peach and citrus notes on the palate, great crisp acidity and a lovely finish. Great on its own, but really great with seafood. 89 points.
The Sparkling Wines
Chapuy Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Reserve. $44.95
Champagne, France
Lovely nutty honeyed nose showing a bit of aged aromas - earthier, darker. Smooth and honeyed on the palate, very fine bubbles, nicely dry. Good finish with more nutty/honey notes cut with a nice line of citrus. 89/90 points.
Chateau Des Charmes Methode Tradition Brut. $22.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
VQA Niagara
Half the price and almost as good - there's a slight sharpness on both the nose nad the palate, but nice bubbles. Honey notes, bread and a bit of lemon on the fairly full palate. Nice finish. 88 points.
Mount Riley Savee Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc 2007. $25.95
Marlborough, New Zealand
Now here's a novelty wine - it's rare indeed to see a sparkling sauv blanc (I never have before...) The nose is bold and is very clearly in the grassy, herbaceous New Zealand style. On the palate, these notes carry though and there's the other side of sauv blanc too: some lime and tropical fruit. Acidity is good though it could be slightly higher, and there are pleasant bubbles. Slightly cloying finish, but only slightly - all-round fun with this one. 87/88 points.
La Marca Prosecco Di Congeliano-Valdobbiadene. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Veneto, Italy
Fresh, peachy Pez-candy nose. Medium bodied, fruity, gentle bubbles. Fresh on the palate and nicely dry. A bit on the high side price-wise (for a prosecco), but very well made and worth it. 89 points.
The Reds
Raymond Reserve Merlot 2005. $23.95
Napa, California
Terrific California merlot here. Rich bold nose of dark, ripe red berry fruit with good secondary notes from the oak and the age - cigar box, tobacco and a nice hint of iodine. There's dark plum and more cigar box on the palate, which is fairly full and has nicely balanced tannins and acidity. Nice finish with cedar and blackberries. 89 points
L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah 2005. $10.95
Baja California, Mexico
Wine from south of south of the border: a rarity. It really is probably too hot in Mexico, but hey, here's an OK wine at a very OK price - has Vintages ever charged less for anything? So try this petite sirah: very bold nose of dark red fruit with spicy/peppery notes that are quite promising. The palate has very jammy, juicy fruit - anonymously red - that starts out slightly sour, though that note goes away soon enough. Not too complex, but mouth-filling and pole. OK finish. 86 points.
Echeverria Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $13.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Molina, Chile
Very Bordeaux-style nose of dark red fruit with earthy mushroom notes. Acidity is high and tannins feel about medium - and while not being a big fruit bomb, the cherry and berry fruit is nice and ripe. Very smooth, nice finish. 88/89 points.
D'Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre 2006. $13.95 ** VERY GOOD VALUE**
McLaren Vale, South Australia
This is the lowest price I've ever seen on an offering from the reliable and fashionable producers known for their kookily named wines (as well as good quality). Super bold nose of slightly over-extracted dark red fruit in this Downunder bomb style approach to "GSM", the favoured blend of the Rhone reds. There's even a slightly perfumed note. Fuller bodied, rich ripe fruit, nicely balanced acidity/tannins/fruit. Good finish too on this great value wine. 87/88 points.
Tapestry Merlot 2005. $26.95
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Another super bold nose (that's how they do it in McLaren Vale...) of dark red fruit on this powerhouse merlot. Very luscious and tasty on the palate - rich ripe dark red fruit, including plums and berries, with secondary notes of tobacco, cigar box and cedar. This is as big as merlot gets. 89 points.
Chateau Moulin Rouge 2005. $32.95
Bordeaux, France
Back to the Old World, here's a nice "Cru Bourgeois" Bordeaux - that's a notch below the classed growth houses (e.g., Premier Cru, etc.) and 2005 was a good year. Rich and bold nose of dark red fruit, with tobacco notes under. Smooth on the palate and, typical of Bordeaux, not overly fruity. Ripe red fruit is there, however, along with cigar box, good acidity and there are nice herbal and floral notes on the finish. 88 points.
Chateau L'IInclassable 2004. $37.95
Bordeaux, France
Another Cru Bourgeois here, a year older and five bucks more. Another rich nose of dark red fruit, this one with a little more age development notes happening. Very smooth on the palate, though both acidity and tannins remain high. Good amount of juicy dark plum fruit - surprisingly fruity for a Bordeaux in fact. Nice plummy finish with a hint of herbal. 88/89 points.
Laquirous Les Quatre Pins 2005. $15.95 ** VERY GOOD VALUE**
Languedoc, France
Medium nose of red berry fruit and a hint of vanilla on this Rhone-blend red. Nice secondary notes of cedar too. Very smooth on the palate, which has nice ripe fruit, some more cedar and leads to a nice finish with a bit of floral. 88 points.
Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras La Greaneliere Rouge 2005. $22.95
Vacqueyras, France
Rich and bold nose of dark red berry fruit. Smooth and ripe on the palate, with nice secondary notes of light cedar. Great lingering finish. A good example of this good value appellation in the Rhone - it used to be one of the "Cotes du Rhone Villages", but got its own appellation in 1990 according to Jancis Robinson. 89 points.
Baldes & Fils Le Petit Clos Cuvee Plaisir Cahors 2005. $22.95
Cahors, France
Known for its big wines, Cahors is one of the few places in France where malbec is a big player. In fact, to be called a Cahors, the wine must be 70 percent or more malbec. Blending grapes are usually the dark and deadly tannat, or merlot. This one is 20% merlot and it's got a rich full nose of dark fruit - red plum mainly. Red licorice and tobacco notes also present. It's smooth and dry on the palate with just a slight off note, but a nice fresh finish. 88 points.
Beni Di Batasiolo Langhe Rosso 2006. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Piedmont, Italy
Bold nose of dark red fruit from this blend of dolcetto, barbera and nebbiolo. Very smooth on the palate, with nice ripe red fruit - strawberries and cherries - and a lovely note of perfume. Pleasant plum notes on the finish. 88/89 points.
Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico 2005. $19.95 ** VERY GOOD VALUE **
Chianti, Italy
Terrific example of one of Italy's flagship wines at a good price. Rich bold nose with dark cherry fruit and earthy, peaty notes. Smooth and elegant on the palate like a good Chianti should be, there's great ripe red fruit. Good finish too. A very stylish wine from an important producer. 90 points.
Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella 2006. $19.95
Veneto, Italy
Medium nose of dark red fruit, this one starts off so-so. However, it's super smooth on the palate, with lots of ripe red fruit, including red berries, and some nice smoky notes. Very approachable and a nice lingering finish. 88/89 points.
Baron De Ley Gran Reserve 1998. $32.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Rioja, Spain
The advanced aging has made its mark on the colour - pretty much "brick" (i.e., orangey-brown) by the rim of the glass. Lovely spicy dark cherry nose - very inviting. Super smooth and elegant on the palate, I wrote "silky". Nice ripe red cherry fruit seamlessly integrated with the oak and wood notes, and it gets a little chewy towards the finish, which lingers nicely and gives more secondary notes, all muted and ephemeral. A lovely Rioja, just the right age - they sat on this for ten years and yet it's only just over $30. Buy it as a good example of fine aged red wine you can drink right now. 91 points.
Herencia Remondo La Montesa 2005. $23.95
Rioja, Spain
A fine Rioja from Alvario Palacios - one of Spain's top "modern" winemakers. Very fresh bold red fruit on the nose (a more "modern" touch) and a bit of spice. Rich and full on the palate, which has plenty of juicy red fruit. Acidity and tannins both on the higher side, bit of smoke and wood under the nice cherry fruit towards the finish, which lingers nicely. 88 points.
Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Tempranillo Roble 2005. $15.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Bold nose of dark red fruit on this terrific tempranillo that's only a "Vino de la Tierra", a lower classification in Spain, akin to "Vin du Pays" in France. Very smooth and fresh on the palate, with plums, cherries, tobacco and notes of perfume. Nice finish of plums and red berries. Great value. 89 points.
