Paul Picks from the LCBO New Release of September 3, 2011 - Red blends and Emerging South Africa

Hello to all my wine friends,

Here we are in September already, summer seems to slip by way to fast. Although I will admit, September and October are my favourite months in the calendar. Looking at this New Release (NR), there is competition for your dollars with so many wines worth considering at the $20.00 to $40.00 value. It took me a while to finalize my shopping list, it was starting to get a little out of control. The last edit had me drop the Yalumba The Signature, a very good wine but at $51.95 there is a lot of better value in this release. So let’s get started.

Red Blends: The biggest featured category in this NR is blended wines. As more wine consumers pay more attention to wines aromatics and find it is a big part of there enjoyment of wine, wineries are spending a lot of money hiring wine consultants to help select the final blend that get's it right. The art of blending dates back centuries, helping winemakers achieve a more complex and balanced wine. Here are several blended wines from around the world;

• Château le Monteil D’Arsac 2006 (226142) from Bordeaux at $16.95 a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
• Domaine Chante Cigale Tradition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007 from France (194993) at $37.95 a blend of mostly Grenache at 65% plus Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault (13 grape varieties are allowed in a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine).
• Majella The Musician Cabernet/Shiraz 2009 (142018) at $19.95 and Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2006 (528356) at $51.95 both from Australia. I have both of these wines in my cellar but different vintage.
• And finally from Ontario, the superb 2007 vintage of Henry of Pelham Reserve Cabernet/Merlot (395855) at $24.95. Give this wine 1-2 more years in bottle to fully appreciate the quality and greatness of that vintage.

Emerging South Africa: Some people still think that South Africa (SA) is a producer of cheap wine and I have, on many occasions, overheard people in wine shops say that paying $20 for a SA wine is way too much. But wait? This country is blessed with great soil and fantastic climate. No wonder that so many big winery names in France and Italy are investing in SA, the potential is huge. I have recently reviewed two Bordeaux blends from SA over the last six months, Tokara Director’s Reserve Red 2006 and Vilafonté Series M 2006 which were terrific. In this release, four SA wines to be considered are (and yes three more blends in this section);

• De Toren Z 2008 (178194) at $32.95, using all five Bordeaux grapes with Merlot at 45%, drink now or better in a few years.
• Rust en Vrede Estate 2007 (997742) at $37.95 a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz and 9% Merlot.
• Lammershoek Roulette 2006 (058164) at $23.95 a blend of 62% Shiraz and in a supporting role, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier, an aromatic wine ready to drink now.
• Mullineux Syrah 2008 (246553) at $28.95 a rich and meaty syrah, ready to drink now with a steak, or hold for a year or two.

My top three wines of this release;

1-Summers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from California (226597) at $45.95

2-Rust en Vrede Estate 2007 from South Africa (997742) at $37.95

3-Poggio Valente Morellino di Scansano from Italy (230680) at $34.95

My top three wines for value;

1-Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva 2009 from Chile (433912) at $14.95

2-Delta Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from New Zealand (236125) at $16.95

3-Lammershoek Roulette 2006 from South Africa (058164) at $23.95

These wines did not make my shopping list but are worth considering;

Red Wines;

1-Château le Monteil D’Arsac 2006 from France (226142) at $16.95

2-Domaine Chante Cigale Tradition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007 from France (194993) at $37.95

3-Brigaldara Case Vecie Amarone Della Valpolicella 2006 from Italy (247502) at $49.95

4-Majella The Musician Cabernet/Shiraz 2009 from Australia (142018) at $19.95

5-Yalumba The Signature Cabernet/Shiraz 2006 from Australia (528356) at $51.95

6-Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from California (054510) at $84.95 For serious collectors

7-Summers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from California (226597) at $45.95

8-Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva 2009 from Chile (433912) at $14.95

9-Gotham Shiraz 2009 from Australia (243048) at $19.95 For fans of big fruity Shiraz

10-Fattoria le Pupille Saffredi 2007 from Italy (074435) at $99.95 For serious collectors

11-Corte Majoli Amarone Della Valpolicella 2007 from Italy (081943) at $33.95

White Wines;

1-Benziger Sangiocomo Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 from California (172205) at $28.95

2-Sebastiani Chardonnay 2008 from California (030791) at $17.95

3-McPherson Basilisk Chardonnay 2010 from Australia (244434) at $17.95

4-Delta Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from New Zealand (236125) at $16.95

5-Les Fosses D’Hareng Vouvray 2008 from France (224287) at $17.95

My team and I will be back for next New Release of September 17, 2011.

Cheers

Paul YWG