Tuesday, February 21, 2006
GPCI for March 18th 2006 release at the LCBO
France (White)
2002 Chartron & Trebuchet Saint-Aubin la Chateniere, Burgundy - $31.95
RP=88 ; Buttered toast and spices make up the aromatic profile of the 2002 Saint-Aubin La Chatenière. Medium to full-bodied, it displays excellent richness, a broad medium to full-bodied, silky personality, and copious flavors of smoked minerals. It should be drunk over the next 4 years.
GPCI - expensive but OK (price wise) for a good white Burgundy. I believe we can find at least as good (if not better) wine from New-Zealand for less money.
2004 Pascal Jolivet Le Château du Nozay, Sancerre - $26.95
http://www.delta-sky.com/ - 4 stars
From a gifted producer who’s been around the sauvignon blanc block scores of times, lovely, svelte Château du Nozay is a clinic on how spectacularly fresh and gardenlike this grape can be. Food mate: Salt-crusted grilled sea bass with scalloped potatoes and fresh peas in butter sauce would do nicely.
GPCI - a good example from the Loire. again, I believe NZ can compete with the quality and price.
France (Red)
2003 Domaine Saint Benoit Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Grande Garde – $36.95
RP-90-92 ; Readers who love intense Provencal garrigue characteristics in addition to notes of new saddle leather, crushed pepper, and kirsch will get a blast from the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Grande Garde. The flamboyant aromatics are accompanied by a full-bodied effort boasting a sweet attack, mid-palate, and finish, and loads of herb, plum, and black cherry characteristics. Because of low acidity and ripe tannin, this classic Chateauneuf can be drunk upon release, and over the following 10-12 years.
GPCI - that's a "strong buy" recommendation. everything you should look for in a CNP in a reasonable price for the product and the cellaring potential.
US, California (Red)
2002 CHATEAU MONTELENA Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa – $52.95
WS:92 ; ST:93; RP=95 ; The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, one of the most powerful Cabernets the Barretts have made, is reminiscent of the profound 1987. A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, it tips the scales at 14.3% alcohol. The wine has a sensational nose of sweet creme de cassis liqueur intermixed with notes of beef blood, licorice, and underbrush. Full-bodied and more flamboyant than the more structured, muscular 2001, the 2002 is fleshier with more glycerin and higher alcohol. This chewy effort should be ready for prime-time drinking a few years ahead of the more rigid 2001. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. http://www.winecommune.com/
GPCI - 2002 was an excellent year in Napa. We have a promising index of 2.7 (price divided by 19 years) and a great/high score from RP - hard to resist.
Australia (Red)
GPCI - I have the 2001 of both Howard Park wines below (which received very positive reviews as well) and I will continue building my vertical of this succesful winery.
2002 Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz - $24.95
winemaker's notes: A dense wine with a dark purple heart, the nose is deep and intense with ripe black cherries and wonderful hints of black pepper so distinctive of Shiraz from the Great Southern. Spicy tones from the oak complement the regional fruit characters. This is an outstanding wine that truly demonstrates the potential of the Great Southern as a Shiraz region. http://www.vino.com/wines/: Attractive sweet, savoury fruits with integrated acidity, and dusty tannins.
James Holiday – 94 ; 2007 – 2010:...elegant, but intense; medium bodied; long palate...'
http://www.pricegrabber.com/ - Red Wine Syrah/Shiraz from Howard Park Australian. A dense wine with a dark purple heart, the nose is deep and intense with ripe black cherries and wonderful hints of black pepper so distinctive of Shiraz from the Great Southern. Spicy tones from the oak.
2002 Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon – $24.95
http://www.vino.com/wines/
TASTING NOTES: Lovely cedary oak, chocolate/plum fruit and some herbal/savoury characters.
AWARDS Top 10: 2003 Tri Nations Wine Challenge, Gold: 2004 International Wine & Spirits Competition, Gold: 2003 New Zealand Liquorland Top 100, Silver: 2003 International Wine & Spirit Competition
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles Barossa Valley – $31.95
WS=90 ; Smooth, ripe and generous, brimming with cherry, raspberry, pepper and bittersweet chocolate flavors, which linger enticingly on the fine-grained finish. Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. Drink now through 2010. 6,000 cases made
GPCI - although highly rated by WS, it's a bit expensive for a Grenach-Shiraz-Mataro blend that can lie down for 4 more years only.
2003 Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier – $19.95
WS=89 ; This one sneaks up on you. It starts with dark and brooding aromas, then delivers lighter flavors on a fine-grained texture, silky tannins adding structure to the blueberry and spice notes as they linger. Best from 2006 through 2011.
GPCI - although they are not quite the same, but will definitely serve the same purpose/event: if I need to choose between the Tobreck above for ~$32 and this Yalumba - it's a no brainer...
2002 LECONFIELD CABERNET SAUVIGNON Coonawarra - $29.95
This Cabernet Sauvignon has small amounts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc blended in for added complexity.Tasting Note: The opaque purple-colored 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon is impressive. Full-bodied, chewy, and dense, it offers copious quantities of creme de cassis along with notions of chocolate, cedarwood, and smoke. This powerful offering will benefit from 1-3 years of cellaring, and age for 10-12. Score - 91. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Oct. 2004) www.vintages.com
GPCI - this cab sauv can be sellared until 2016. It is a safe bet when it comes to full bodied Australian cabs.
Chile (Red)
2001 J. & F. Lurton Araucano Colchagua Valley Gran Cabernet Sauvignon – $31.95
WS = 91 ; Racy raspberry and red currant fruit here, with a creamy, supple texture. Seductive toast and spice notes emerge on the back end, pushing the fruit to a lengthy, suave finish. Drink now through 2006.
GPCI - great wine, BUT expensive. Chile produces great Cab Sauv for half of the price and greater cellaring potential.
Italy (Red)
1999 Abbadia ardenga Brunello di Montalcino - $43.95
13.9%. 100 % Sangiovese ; Drink between 2006 and 2015 (http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=187794)
GPCI - For a 1999 Brunello that can lay down until 2015, that's actually a good price. Usually, the 99' Brunellos cost more than $70 these days. Tempting...
2004 Banfi Centine Toscana – $16.95
60% Sangiovese; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot
winemaker's notes: Ruby red color deep and intense; aromas of plum jam, and fresh hints of cherries, blackberries, raspberries are also well present. This wine has a good structure with the soft tannins characteristic of this vintage. A wine that is well-balanced and highly enjoyable.
WS=85 ; Silky and fresh, with blackberry, tea and tobacco character. Medium- to full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a medium finish. Well done for the vintage.
GPCI - I had the Centine almost every year since 1999 and it's a nice Tuscan wine for day-to-day in a reasonable price.
1999 Masi "Brolo di Campofiorin" Verona – $28.95
Rating 93 (http://www.stratsplace.com/beeson/masi.htm)
The nose is complex with prune, plum, black cherry and raisin. The sip begins with black earthiness, then evolves to somber dried fruit and black cherry with herbs within the long length on the palate. The grape blend is approximatel 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella.
2002 Chartron & Trebuchet Saint-Aubin la Chateniere, Burgundy - $31.95
RP=88 ; Buttered toast and spices make up the aromatic profile of the 2002 Saint-Aubin La Chatenière. Medium to full-bodied, it displays excellent richness, a broad medium to full-bodied, silky personality, and copious flavors of smoked minerals. It should be drunk over the next 4 years.
GPCI - expensive but OK (price wise) for a good white Burgundy. I believe we can find at least as good (if not better) wine from New-Zealand for less money.
2004 Pascal Jolivet Le Château du Nozay, Sancerre - $26.95
http://www.delta-sky.com/ - 4 stars
From a gifted producer who’s been around the sauvignon blanc block scores of times, lovely, svelte Château du Nozay is a clinic on how spectacularly fresh and gardenlike this grape can be. Food mate: Salt-crusted grilled sea bass with scalloped potatoes and fresh peas in butter sauce would do nicely.
GPCI - a good example from the Loire. again, I believe NZ can compete with the quality and price.
France (Red)
2003 Domaine Saint Benoit Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Grande Garde – $36.95
RP-90-92 ; Readers who love intense Provencal garrigue characteristics in addition to notes of new saddle leather, crushed pepper, and kirsch will get a blast from the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Grande Garde. The flamboyant aromatics are accompanied by a full-bodied effort boasting a sweet attack, mid-palate, and finish, and loads of herb, plum, and black cherry characteristics. Because of low acidity and ripe tannin, this classic Chateauneuf can be drunk upon release, and over the following 10-12 years.
GPCI - that's a "strong buy" recommendation. everything you should look for in a CNP in a reasonable price for the product and the cellaring potential.
US, California (Red)
2002 CHATEAU MONTELENA Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa – $52.95
WS:92 ; ST:93; RP=95 ; The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, one of the most powerful Cabernets the Barretts have made, is reminiscent of the profound 1987. A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, it tips the scales at 14.3% alcohol. The wine has a sensational nose of sweet creme de cassis liqueur intermixed with notes of beef blood, licorice, and underbrush. Full-bodied and more flamboyant than the more structured, muscular 2001, the 2002 is fleshier with more glycerin and higher alcohol. This chewy effort should be ready for prime-time drinking a few years ahead of the more rigid 2001. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. http://www.winecommune.com/
GPCI - 2002 was an excellent year in Napa. We have a promising index of 2.7 (price divided by 19 years) and a great/high score from RP - hard to resist.
Australia (Red)
GPCI - I have the 2001 of both Howard Park wines below (which received very positive reviews as well) and I will continue building my vertical of this succesful winery.
2002 Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz - $24.95
winemaker's notes: A dense wine with a dark purple heart, the nose is deep and intense with ripe black cherries and wonderful hints of black pepper so distinctive of Shiraz from the Great Southern. Spicy tones from the oak complement the regional fruit characters. This is an outstanding wine that truly demonstrates the potential of the Great Southern as a Shiraz region. http://www.vino.com/wines/: Attractive sweet, savoury fruits with integrated acidity, and dusty tannins.
James Holiday – 94 ; 2007 – 2010:...elegant, but intense; medium bodied; long palate...'
http://www.pricegrabber.com/ - Red Wine Syrah/Shiraz from Howard Park Australian. A dense wine with a dark purple heart, the nose is deep and intense with ripe black cherries and wonderful hints of black pepper so distinctive of Shiraz from the Great Southern. Spicy tones from the oak.
2002 Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon – $24.95
http://www.vino.com/wines/
TASTING NOTES: Lovely cedary oak, chocolate/plum fruit and some herbal/savoury characters.
AWARDS Top 10: 2003 Tri Nations Wine Challenge, Gold: 2004 International Wine & Spirits Competition, Gold: 2003 New Zealand Liquorland Top 100, Silver: 2003 International Wine & Spirit Competition
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles Barossa Valley – $31.95
WS=90 ; Smooth, ripe and generous, brimming with cherry, raspberry, pepper and bittersweet chocolate flavors, which linger enticingly on the fine-grained finish. Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. Drink now through 2010. 6,000 cases made
GPCI - although highly rated by WS, it's a bit expensive for a Grenach-Shiraz-Mataro blend that can lie down for 4 more years only.
2003 Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier – $19.95
WS=89 ; This one sneaks up on you. It starts with dark and brooding aromas, then delivers lighter flavors on a fine-grained texture, silky tannins adding structure to the blueberry and spice notes as they linger. Best from 2006 through 2011.
GPCI - although they are not quite the same, but will definitely serve the same purpose/event: if I need to choose between the Tobreck above for ~$32 and this Yalumba - it's a no brainer...
2002 LECONFIELD CABERNET SAUVIGNON Coonawarra - $29.95
This Cabernet Sauvignon has small amounts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc blended in for added complexity.Tasting Note: The opaque purple-colored 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon is impressive. Full-bodied, chewy, and dense, it offers copious quantities of creme de cassis along with notions of chocolate, cedarwood, and smoke. This powerful offering will benefit from 1-3 years of cellaring, and age for 10-12. Score - 91. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Oct. 2004) www.vintages.com
GPCI - this cab sauv can be sellared until 2016. It is a safe bet when it comes to full bodied Australian cabs.
Chile (Red)
2001 J. & F. Lurton Araucano Colchagua Valley Gran Cabernet Sauvignon – $31.95
WS = 91 ; Racy raspberry and red currant fruit here, with a creamy, supple texture. Seductive toast and spice notes emerge on the back end, pushing the fruit to a lengthy, suave finish. Drink now through 2006.
GPCI - great wine, BUT expensive. Chile produces great Cab Sauv for half of the price and greater cellaring potential.
Italy (Red)
1999 Abbadia ardenga Brunello di Montalcino - $43.95
13.9%. 100 % Sangiovese ; Drink between 2006 and 2015 (http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=187794)
GPCI - For a 1999 Brunello that can lay down until 2015, that's actually a good price. Usually, the 99' Brunellos cost more than $70 these days. Tempting...
2004 Banfi Centine Toscana – $16.95
60% Sangiovese; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot
winemaker's notes: Ruby red color deep and intense; aromas of plum jam, and fresh hints of cherries, blackberries, raspberries are also well present. This wine has a good structure with the soft tannins characteristic of this vintage. A wine that is well-balanced and highly enjoyable.
WS=85 ; Silky and fresh, with blackberry, tea and tobacco character. Medium- to full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a medium finish. Well done for the vintage.
GPCI - I had the Centine almost every year since 1999 and it's a nice Tuscan wine for day-to-day in a reasonable price.
1999 Masi "Brolo di Campofiorin" Verona – $28.95
Rating 93 (http://www.stratsplace.com/beeson/masi.htm)
The nose is complex with prune, plum, black cherry and raisin. The sip begins with black earthiness, then evolves to somber dried fruit and black cherry with herbs within the long length on the palate. The grape blend is approximatel 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella.
