David Beauroy’s Tasting Notes – May 24th Vintages Release
$10-15 RANGE WHITES
Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Blanc 2007, France – AC Costière de Nîmes, +701094, $12.95, p. 32 A blend of classic Rhône grapes, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. Clean, floral and peach layers on the nose, palate is soft and rich with juicy ripe peach dominating. Can’t go wrong with this.
A Mano Fiano/Greco 2006, Italy – IGT Puglia, +60939, $14.95, p. 34 From Italy’s heel comes this delightful summery 50/50 blend of Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. Dry with a spritzy texture, scents of orange blossom and candied fruit, super refreshing, great value.
$15-25 RANGE
WHITES
Sileni Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2007, New Zealand – Malborough, +662882, $15.95, p.17 Clean, green, crisp, white asparagus, cactus, grapefruit, and grassy notes. Medium body with good length. Made for spring and well –priced.
Penmara Reserve Chardonnay 2006, Australia – New South Wales, +912790, $16.95, p. 29 A few releases ago I was extolling the virtues of Penmara’s worthy Shiraz (+565929, still a good amount around). This Chardonnay confirms that there are other good things going on there. It’s pale gold with elegant, clean aromas of melon and citrus, a good dose of balancing acidity and great length. Stock up and enjoy through the summer.
Forrest Estate Riesling 2007, New Zealand – Malborough, +60103, $18.95, p. 14 In a blind tasting I would have said it was German. Clean, classic, benchmark style. Full of apricot, citrus, and candied ginger. Lightly off dry with a good grip on the palate. Fresh, lively, totally worth it.
Lammershoek Barrique Chenin Blanc 2007, South Africa – WO Swartland, +58206, $18.95, p. 30 Another stunner from this winery. A brilliant Chenin Blanc with enticing aromas of baked apples, honey, smoke, vanilla and quince. Intense flavours, complex structure, balanced acidity. Superb value and positively delicious.
REDS
Ortas Tradition Rasteau 2006, France – AC Côtes du Rhône-Village, +998716, $15.95, 998716, p. 34 Super concentrated black fig and tobacco layers, very tasty with a solid core of 14% alcohol, clean finish. A fine house wine.
Château de Flaugergues Cuvée Sommelière 2006, France – AC Coteaux du Languedoc, +65896, $17.95, p. 33 Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and some leathery tones. Great structure, good acidity and a substantial finish. Good value.
Mas des Bressades Cuvée Excellence 2006, AC Costière de Nîmes, +708750, $17.95, p. 33 Very deep ruby and loaded with ripe berries. Clean, dense, rustic, full flavoured value. This wine has been consistently good and has a loyal following; if you want some don’t dither.
Baron de Ley Reserva 2002, Spain – DOCa Rioja, +958868, $19.95, p. 37 2002 is not considered a great vintage in Rioja, but you would not know it from tasting this example. Pretty classic for the region with cherry, tobacco, vanilla and some whiffs of strawberry thrown in. Dry, medium bodied, soft tannins, and very well made. Very good value for the region.
Blackbilly GSM 2006, Australia – McLaren Vale, SA, +59840, $22.95, p. 29 A solid blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, 15% Mourvèdre. Nice combination of flavours and aromas with pronounced notes of strawberry, blackberry, licorice, dried herbs and spice. On the palate nice taste of boysenberry, full body and yet enough grace to actually seem refreshing. Serve lightly chilled and enjoy.
Shepherds Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006, New Zealand – Malborough, +586099, $24.95 p. 7 Intense spicy cherry cola and beetroot notes. Dry, full, very tasty, very long length.
Domaine de Font-Sane Gigondas Tradition 2005, AC Rhône, +735779, $24.95, p. 33 72% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and a sprinkling of Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Dry and full bodied with strawberry and raspberry aromas, some lavender notes in the background too. Meaty with a spicy bite on the finish. Needs a bit of time and will be superb in a few years.
$25+
Château Musar 1999, Lebanon –Bekaa Valley, +708552, $54.95, p. 37 “When he isn’t dodging bombs and bullets, Beirut winemaker Serge Hochar makes a pretty good wine – and he’s only missed a few vintages when battles in the Bekaa Valley got in the way of his harvest” Associated Press, Wines of War, 4/12/1989. Almost 2 decades later, while Lebanon continues to be an extremely unstable place, the wine itself continues to be the stuff of legend, a cult wine that is much in demand around the world. It’s an unusual blend of Cab. Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. Its aged bouquet of red fruit, plums, balsamic vinegar and spice is characteristic and incredibly alluring. Dry and smooth-textured, with an “umami-like” taste. Absolutely worth a try if you are a fan of aged Bordeaux. It also has good ageing potential.
Sherry & Dessert Wine
Don Jose Maria Very Old Fino Sherry, Spain – DO Jerez, +70342, $19.95, p.25 Nice layers of dried apples and nuts. Pretty intense flavour replays come through on its clean, smooth and silky texture. Have it with tapas.
Domaine Cady Coteaux du Layon St. Aubin 2003, France – AC Loire, +65961, $25.95, p.32 Beautiful medium gold colour, pleasant botrytis-affected notes of almonds, marzipan, clementines, honey, and spring flowers. Medium sweet with a velvety texture, nice acidity and an extremely long finish. Serve it for dessert.
Justino’s Henriques 10-Year-Old Malvasia Madeira, +69575, $35.95, p.26 Superb, rich and complex with mince tart, dried fruit and prune layers. Medium sweet with a classic tangy streak running through it. Ready to drink with mature/runny/blue cheeses or save it for Christmas fruit cake or mince tart.
We trust this newsletter finds you all doing very well and enjoying the full onslaught of summer. We hit the tasting room the day after Canada Day and found an interesting selection of quaffers. The theme of this week's release is "HITTING THE HEIGHTS" – featuring Malbec from Argentina. Bordeaux is Malbec's birthplace, where this fine grape is used as an auxiliary blender. As a stand-alone grape from Argentina – the result is a full-bodied wine with plentiful fruit and silky tannins. We are recommending two of the Malbecs on offer, but have a plethora of other tasty tipples to recommend. 
Well, for those of you who are familiar with Burgundian wines – the last statement is an oxymoron. Wines from Burgundy usually cost a bomb, however, the Vintages buyers have found some affordable gems and they are highlighted below along with other great finds: 
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