New at the LCBO: Pinks and Wine Styles 101

Pinks and Wine Styles 101
by Steve Thurlow with notes from David Lawrason and Sara d’Amato

Steve Thurlow

Welcome to a new monthly report on what’s new – and what’s good! – on the LCBO’s General List and Vintages Essentials list – the wines that are widely available and very likely on shelf now at your local LCBO. We will be covering major themes and promotions – like rosé this month – as well as rating new arrivals.

Best of the New Rosé

Each spring the LCBO rolls out a selection of pink wines under a “seasonal selection” theme. There is growing sentiment that more rosé should be available year’ round. Dry rosé – especially from the south of France and Spain, as well as carefully made wines the world over – are increasing in popularity and proving ideal as dinner wines paired with a wide range of milder and nuanced recipes.

This month there are 35 or so new rose or pink wines, mostly from the 2013 vintage, arriving on the shelves, of which we have tasted several. Some are indeed for the table, others for sipping on the patio when the weather allows.

Concha Y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Shiraz Rosé 2013, Chile ($11.85). Despite a little sulphur on the nose, this is a neatly composed shiraz-based rose with very good length and a dry finish. Lovely acidity and minerality is present on the palate boosting the delicate red berry fruit. Polished, stylish and quite versatile. Sara

Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink,  California USA ($11.95). A lightly sparkling pink moscato with lifted aromas of floral tangerine with peach and sherbet tones. It is off-dry with the fruit well-balanced by soft acidity. Decent length. Enjoy on its own or with pastry nibbles. Steve

Roodeberg Rose 2013, South Africa ($12.35). Bright and vibrant with a dark, pink colour and nicely concentrated fruit. Succulent but edgy and tart with wild earthiness on the palate. Dry with notes of cherry blossom, peach and pink grapefruit. Sara

Stoneleigh Pinot Noir Rose 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand ($16.95). This is a very bright, fairly deeply salmon coloured, pinot noir based rose with red currant, cherry and strawberry fruit aromas – a bit confected or jammy on the nose and sweet on the palate. There is also some herbal character. It’s mid-weight, balanced and fresh with a hint of sweetness but good balancing acidity. Very good length. David

Picking through the New Arrivals

The LCBO is constantly adding new wines to the General List to replace wines that fail to achieve sales targets that have been removed or “delisted”. This keeps the number of wines available at around 1500. Given all the new rosés this month there were only another ten new wines shown for tasting. Here are three that we thought to be noteworthy

Carpineto Dogajolo Rosso 2012, Tuscany, Italy ($14.95). A fragrant soft flavourful red with a lot going on for the money. Expect aromas of raspberry and plum fruit with vanilla and mild oak spice well-integrated with some floral rose. It has a degree of elegance not often found at this price. The palate is midweight is very smooth and finely balanced with very good length. Best 2014 to 2018. Good value. Try with roast lamb or beef. Steve

Château des Charmes Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, VQA Niagara On The Lake, Ontario ($14.95). A ripe, firm cabernet with just the right amount of acidity to prove juicy and the appropriate level of tannins to give a solid scaffolding to the wine. Notes of blackberry, graphite, thyme, dried leaf and cedar present themselves on the distinctive palate. Elegant, taught and age-worthy. Very good length. Sara

Jaszbery Etyek Budai Riesling 2012 Hungary ($8.95 + 4 BonusAirMiles). A delicate dry riesling with fragrant aromas of honeysuckle lemon and pear fruit. It is lightweight well-balanced with just enough sweetness to cover the brisk acidity. The finish a little harsh, so it needs food. Try with a creamy pasta dish. Steve

Wine Styles 101

This month the LCBO is introducing a new educational promotion called Wine Styles 101. All wines on the “General List” have been classified into eight style categories; four for whites and four red styles. In each category there are wines on special promotion this month, that are supposed to be typical of a wine of that style. You can pick up a leaflet in stores that explains the wine style categories and promotes the 24 examples. We thought it would be useful to look at these wines to see which we might recommend and also to add some other examples to flesh out some categories where those on promotion are not very noteworthy.

Light Bodied and Fruity Reds

Sterling Vintners Collection Pinot Noir 2012, Central Coast, California, USA ($15.95 + 10 Bonus Air Miles). There is marked improvement here. The nose is bright, engaging and clean with typical California pinot raspberry nicely embedded with spice and a hint of vanilla. It’s light to mid-weight, fairly supple and spicy, with a gentleness that is appealing. A bit warm and bitter and dusty on the finish, with good to very good length. A nice chillable summer sipping pinot. Best now to 2017. David

Medium Bodied and Fruity Reds

Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2011, Mendoza, Argentina ($12.95 was $14.95). This is not the fruitiest malbec on the block, which is one reason I really like it. There is a ring of Argentine authenticity in the vaguely leathery, chocolaty, garrigue (dried herb), peppery notions around the otherwise ripe floral, mulberry fruit. It’s quite full bodied, dense and smooth with some elevating sourness then a dusty tannin. Very good length. Excellent length. Great for BBQ. Just a hint of oxidation so not one to age long. David

Full Bodied and Smooth Reds

Folonari Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2011, Veneto, Italy ($15.95 was $17.95). The 2011 is again an elegant mid weight red with nicely integrated oak and red berry fruit aromas and flavours. Expect red cherry fruit with plum jam, mild spice with hints of tobacco and vanilla to lead to a soft yet structured palate with lots of ripe red berry fruit to balance the tannins and acidity. Very good length. Try with game, lamb or hearty beef dishes. Best 2014 to 2018. Steve

Full Bodied and Firm Reds

Bertani Secco Bertani 2011, Veneto, Italy ($15.95). This is a lighter more elegant style of red wine from Verona. Expect delicate aromas of red cherry with some cranberry jelly and mild spice notes plus a hint of mint. The palate is juicy and well-balanced with lemony acidity driving through to the finish which is dry with some mild tannin appearing at the end. Good to very good length. Try with roast meats or a hamburger. Best 2014 to 2017 . Steve

Light and Crisp Whites

Errazuriz Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Aconcagua Valley Chile ($12.95). A juicy creamy sauvignon from the Aconcagua coast which shows that Leyda Valley isn’t the only great place for this variety in Chile. Expect aromas of passion fruit and lime with hay tones and hints of green peas. It is very smooth with good to very good length. Try with asparagus quiche and salad. Steve

Off-dry and Fruity Whites

Deinhard Green Label Riesling 2012, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany ($10.45 was $11.95). Consistently good value the 2012 is again a well made riesling at a good price. It is a typical Mosel riesling with aromas of melon fruit with lemon with floral and honey tones. It is off dry with the fruit nicely supported by racy lemony acidity. It finishes dry. Well balanced with good length. Try with mildly flavoured seafood. Steve

Aromatic and Flavourful Whites

Are You Game? Chardonnay 2012, Victoria, Australia ($15.95). The cooler state of Victoria is carving out a reputation for more elegant chardonnay, and although not as complex and nuanced as top examples this captures the essential acidity, apple fruit and some vanilla/butterscotch and a hint of toast. It’s quite sleek, fresh and pleasant. Some alcohol heat and minerality on the finish. David

Full-bodied and Rich Whites

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay 2012, Australia ($12.95 was $14.95). The 2012 is an especially good vintage for this chardonnay with a lot of flavour and some complexity. It is very well-balanced with abundant racy acidity to freshen and lighten the palate. Expect aromas of pineapple, peach, baked lemon and resin with mineral tones. The palate is quite full, creamy smooth with a nice vibrant feel and very good to excellent length. The fruit flavours persist well on the finish. Try with roast pork or sautéed veal. Steve

Ghost Pines Winemaker’s Blend Chardonnay 2012, California, USA ($17.95 was $19.95). A good example of modern California chardonnay with just enough oak for added complexity. Expect aromas of baked apple and melon fruit with buttered toast, oak spice and a hint of lemon. It is medium bodied, rich and creamy but also racy with the focus well maintained from nose thru palate to finish. A little sweet for me with some resin notes on the finish. Best 2014 to 2016. It needs strongly flavoured white meats like pork, veal or chicken. Steve

We would love to get your feedback on this new report. We will look at the June thematics at LCBO next month, as well as more new arrivals. Meanwhile check our my list of Top 50 wine values by dipping into the Top 50 LCBO and Vintages Essentials wines. There will surely be something inexpensive that suits your taste. And in two weeks time I will be back with a look at the updated Top 50 list in our WineAlign Top 20 Under $20 report.

Cheers
Steve Thurlow

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