Wednesday, April 11, 2007
GPCi for April 14th 2007 release at the LCBO
GPCi Top 3 Picks of the release:
#1 - 2001 BARON DE LEY RESERVA - $18.95 (Spain)
#2 - 2005 STUDERT-PRÜM RIESLING KABINETT - $19.95 (Germany)
#3 - 2005 CLOS DE LOS SIETE -$24.95 (Argentina)
Spain (Rioja)
2001 BARON DE LEY RESERVA - $18.95
RP=91 : Easily offering the best bang for the buck of this trio is the 2001 Reserva from a great Rioja vintage. The wine is 100% Tempranillo and was aged in American oak for 14 months. It is dark ruby-colored with a fragrant nose of spice, cedar, red currants, and cherry that jumps from the glass. In the mouth the wine is intensely flavored with a stylish grace and elegance that reflects traditional winemaking in a fine year. The wine has enough structure and balance to drink well for another 8-10 years. This is a great value in Rioja. 2/28/2007
GPCi - YES! Oh YES! this is the best choice of this release. It's Rioja at its best - great price for great taste! buy 6-12 bottles.
Argentina
2004 ACHAVAL FERRER MALBEC - $24.95
Mendoza
WS=91 : Bold plum and blueberry fruit aromas, with a ripe palate of fruit, mineral, violets and graphite that gain intensity through the finish. Nice piercing acidity, too. Drink now through 2008. Special Designation.
GPCi - an outstanding Malbec for an OK price. buy 2 bottles.
2005 CLOS DE LOS SIETE -$24.95
Mendoza
The Toronto Star - Conceived by the famous consulting winemaker, Michel Rolland, Clos de Los Siete (Vineyard of the Seven) is an enterprise consisting of seven top winery owners from Bordeaux who each planted vineyards in Argentina.
Tasting Note: Perhaps the best since the exceptional 2002 is the 2005 Clos de Los Siete ... It shows lush vanilla, black cherry and violet aromas, and big, mocha-accented blackberry and cedar stylings. It should sleep in your cellar for a couple of years to mellow the still youthful tannins.
GPCi - previous vintages were extremly good and the 2005 is no exception. Buy 2-3 bottles.
France
2003 HECHT & BANNIER MINERVOIS - $19.95
Midi, AC
WS=90 ; This is a great match for rack of lamb, roast beef, juicy steaks or wild boar sausages.Tasting Note: Big, ripe, full-bodied red from the south of France, with a meaty aroma of roasted plums and dense flavors of boysenberry and licorice. Dark chocolate fills the finish. Drink now through 2008.
GPCi - A great value full body wine - great day-to-day wine. buy at least 3-6 bottles, if not a case!
Australia
2005 TORBRECK WOODCUTTER'S SEMILLON - $25.95
RP=89 ; "There are 3,000 cases of the 2005 Woodcutter's Semillon, which offers lovely waxy, honeyed, buttery notes along with a crisp, citrus oil-like character. This elegant, medium to full-bodied, intense white is aged completely in tank and neutral wood, and bottled to preserve its freshness. It should drink well for 2-3 years, perhaps longer."
GPCi - this one is for you John M.
Germany
2005 STUDERT-PRÜM RIESLING KABINETT - $19.95
WS=89 ; A distinctive, spicy character, reminiscent of cinnamon, cardamom and coriander, adds to the peach and mineral notes. Has nice weight and harmony. Drink now through 2012.
GPCi - I have the previous vintages of this REALLY high-end-amazing-value Riesling. It usually can be cellared for around 10 years or more. no doubt, you need a few of these in your cellar. buy 4-6 bottles.
US (California)
2005 SIMI CHARDONNAY - $24.95
http://www.internetwines.com/mb2471214.html - Appearance: Light yellow; golden straw. Aroma: Lemon, spice and floral aromas, enhanced by vanilla nuances. Flavor: Balanced concentration of fruit, pear, almond and oak flavors that carry through to a long, lingering finish.
GPCi - a very tempting Chardonnay. it's not common to find a good Chardonnay for such a price. buy 2-3 bottles for day to day.
Canada (Ontario)
2004 HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE BACO NOIR - $25.95
Wine Access - 89 : Top hybrid red at Cuvée 2005. One can debate a $25 hybrid, but if any Baco can earn this price, this is the one. Pelham has pioneered elegance with this often unruly grape, extracting more fruit and liberally dousing it in oak for complexity. The 2004 vintage has added some charm. Look for classic blackberry fruit with fine cedar, tobacco and mocha, and just a touch of Baco meatiness. Medium-full-bodied, dense and elegant (not something one often says about Baco) with fine, firm tannin. Well balanced and capable of ageing past 2010.
GPCi - I had the pleasure to try it at Terra restaurant and it really caught me off guard - it's an excellent wine, with complex flavors of dark fruit. Worth the ~$26. buy 2-3 bottles when you want to surprise your friends or the non-Canadian guests...
2004 KONZELMANN SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL (375ml) - $19.95
VQA Ontario
This wine was named Best Value Sweet Wine under $30 at Toronto's Wine and Cheese Show and won a Gold Medal at Ottawa's Wine and Food Show in 2006.Tasting Note: (Tasted at the Winery) This wine features a gorgeous, complex nose of honey, peach, pear and nutmeg aromas. Deliciously sweet and elegant with layers of fruit flavours, this stunning wine is an Icewine look-a-like and an incredible value.
GPCi - if you like the lighter version of the "Canadian sticky" (that's the Australian name for sweet/Sauterne-like wines), Late Harvest at that price is a no-brainer! For all of who travel a lot and looking to bring a small gift from Canada - this is one of the better options. but 3-6 bottles.
#1 - 2001 BARON DE LEY RESERVA - $18.95 (Spain)
#2 - 2005 STUDERT-PRÜM RIESLING KABINETT - $19.95 (Germany)
#3 - 2005 CLOS DE LOS SIETE -$24.95 (Argentina)
Spain (Rioja)
2001 BARON DE LEY RESERVA - $18.95
RP=91 : Easily offering the best bang for the buck of this trio is the 2001 Reserva from a great Rioja vintage. The wine is 100% Tempranillo and was aged in American oak for 14 months. It is dark ruby-colored with a fragrant nose of spice, cedar, red currants, and cherry that jumps from the glass. In the mouth the wine is intensely flavored with a stylish grace and elegance that reflects traditional winemaking in a fine year. The wine has enough structure and balance to drink well for another 8-10 years. This is a great value in Rioja. 2/28/2007
GPCi - YES! Oh YES! this is the best choice of this release. It's Rioja at its best - great price for great taste! buy 6-12 bottles.
Argentina
2004 ACHAVAL FERRER MALBEC - $24.95
Mendoza
WS=91 : Bold plum and blueberry fruit aromas, with a ripe palate of fruit, mineral, violets and graphite that gain intensity through the finish. Nice piercing acidity, too. Drink now through 2008. Special Designation.
GPCi - an outstanding Malbec for an OK price. buy 2 bottles.
2005 CLOS DE LOS SIETE -$24.95
Mendoza
The Toronto Star - Conceived by the famous consulting winemaker, Michel Rolland, Clos de Los Siete (Vineyard of the Seven) is an enterprise consisting of seven top winery owners from Bordeaux who each planted vineyards in Argentina.
Tasting Note: Perhaps the best since the exceptional 2002 is the 2005 Clos de Los Siete ... It shows lush vanilla, black cherry and violet aromas, and big, mocha-accented blackberry and cedar stylings. It should sleep in your cellar for a couple of years to mellow the still youthful tannins.
GPCi - previous vintages were extremly good and the 2005 is no exception. Buy 2-3 bottles.
France
2003 HECHT & BANNIER MINERVOIS - $19.95
Midi, AC
WS=90 ; This is a great match for rack of lamb, roast beef, juicy steaks or wild boar sausages.Tasting Note: Big, ripe, full-bodied red from the south of France, with a meaty aroma of roasted plums and dense flavors of boysenberry and licorice. Dark chocolate fills the finish. Drink now through 2008.
GPCi - A great value full body wine - great day-to-day wine. buy at least 3-6 bottles, if not a case!
Australia
2005 TORBRECK WOODCUTTER'S SEMILLON - $25.95
RP=89 ; "There are 3,000 cases of the 2005 Woodcutter's Semillon, which offers lovely waxy, honeyed, buttery notes along with a crisp, citrus oil-like character. This elegant, medium to full-bodied, intense white is aged completely in tank and neutral wood, and bottled to preserve its freshness. It should drink well for 2-3 years, perhaps longer."
GPCi - this one is for you John M.
Germany
2005 STUDERT-PRÜM RIESLING KABINETT - $19.95
WS=89 ; A distinctive, spicy character, reminiscent of cinnamon, cardamom and coriander, adds to the peach and mineral notes. Has nice weight and harmony. Drink now through 2012.
GPCi - I have the previous vintages of this REALLY high-end-amazing-value Riesling. It usually can be cellared for around 10 years or more. no doubt, you need a few of these in your cellar. buy 4-6 bottles.
US (California)
2005 SIMI CHARDONNAY - $24.95
http://www.internetwines.com/mb2471214.html - Appearance: Light yellow; golden straw. Aroma: Lemon, spice and floral aromas, enhanced by vanilla nuances. Flavor: Balanced concentration of fruit, pear, almond and oak flavors that carry through to a long, lingering finish.
GPCi - a very tempting Chardonnay. it's not common to find a good Chardonnay for such a price. buy 2-3 bottles for day to day.
Canada (Ontario)
2004 HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE BACO NOIR - $25.95
Wine Access - 89 : Top hybrid red at Cuvée 2005. One can debate a $25 hybrid, but if any Baco can earn this price, this is the one. Pelham has pioneered elegance with this often unruly grape, extracting more fruit and liberally dousing it in oak for complexity. The 2004 vintage has added some charm. Look for classic blackberry fruit with fine cedar, tobacco and mocha, and just a touch of Baco meatiness. Medium-full-bodied, dense and elegant (not something one often says about Baco) with fine, firm tannin. Well balanced and capable of ageing past 2010.
GPCi - I had the pleasure to try it at Terra restaurant and it really caught me off guard - it's an excellent wine, with complex flavors of dark fruit. Worth the ~$26. buy 2-3 bottles when you want to surprise your friends or the non-Canadian guests...
2004 KONZELMANN SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL (375ml) - $19.95
VQA Ontario
This wine was named Best Value Sweet Wine under $30 at Toronto's Wine and Cheese Show and won a Gold Medal at Ottawa's Wine and Food Show in 2006.Tasting Note: (Tasted at the Winery) This wine features a gorgeous, complex nose of honey, peach, pear and nutmeg aromas. Deliciously sweet and elegant with layers of fruit flavours, this stunning wine is an Icewine look-a-like and an incredible value.
GPCi - if you like the lighter version of the "Canadian sticky" (that's the Australian name for sweet/Sauterne-like wines), Late Harvest at that price is a no-brainer! For all of who travel a lot and looking to bring a small gift from Canada - this is one of the better options. but 3-6 bottles.
