It’s January, things are a little less hectic, the holiday haste is done and life is supposedly back to some sense of normality. Cellars tend to get depleted over the jovial season and if that is the case, one can stock up with a few of the wines from Vintages “Smart Buys” release.

WINES OF THE MONTH

256693 CONCHA Y TORO SERIE RIBERAS GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Marchigue, Central Valley, Chile $17.95
Blasts out aromas of Cassis, Ribena, polished wood, Asian spice, anise and bay leaf; strange soapy/cardamom taste, dark fruit does come through, with good structure and gentle tannins. Find this wine

657411 VIÑA REAL PLATA CRIANZA 2010 Rioja, Spain $18.95
Lots of mocha, dried flowers, black raspberry, bitter chocolate, black tea, and forest floor, but a musty note interrupts. Good chewy dark fruit, but the musty note hits on the finish. A bad bottle perhaps. Find this wine

SMART BUYS LISTINGS

234518 LAMADRID SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina $15.95
Very tight; some sweet spice, red fruit and raspberry start to show, light palate, with some currant flavours and low tannins. Just a simple wine. Find this wine

123489 CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2011 AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France $15.95
Mushroom and a little earthy beet, with plenty of ripe dark plum fruit; low acid palate, where blackcurrant shines, with some grip and spice on finish. Find this wine

395053 12 E MEZZO PRIMITIVO DEL SALENTO 2012 Puglia, Italy $13.95
Juicy dark fruit, cough candy medicinal notes, black sweet licorice, dusty, pleasing sweet berry flavours; good acidity, a little cloying on finish. Find this wine

124883 CLOS DU BOIS MERLOT 2012 North Coast, California $16.95
Dark with some mineral notes, black cherry, chocolate shavings; palate shows black raspberry and dark fruit. Simple structure, gentle tannins. Find this wine

171025 PUIG-PARAHY CUVÉE GEORGES 2011 Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France $16.95
Maltesers, creamy coffee crisp bar, Asian spice, tar and black fruit. The disappointing palate shows light in comparison to its nose; dark fruit is there, but pales and the finish is rather light. Find this wine

395236 LAFAGE CÔTÉ SUD 2012 Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France $14.95
60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, showing lovely floral aromas; layers of dark fruit and tar, blackberry and currant flavours are ripe and chewy, with a silky texture sweet spice on the finish. Find this wine

103705 LAPLACE MADIRAN 2011 Southwest, France$16.95
Dense, brimming with aromas of currant and blackberry, mineral, sweet pie pastry, fresh cut flowers, mocha and mineral; rich chewy black fruit, perfect level of sweetness, clean acidity and solid dusty tannins. Find this wine

354753 RIO MADRE 2013 Rioja, Spain $14.95
Balsa, dried strawberry, with floral and lavender notes, plus a hint of cherry cola; palate shows red currant, cranberry, green apple skin, with a bit of a drying/wet wood finish. Find this wine

162149 GRAFFIGNA GRAND RESERVE MALBEC 2011 San Juan, Argentina $17.00
Dusty, showing perfumed notes of cherry liquor, beet, plum and vanilla, leading to an overly sweet cherry focused palate with low levels of acidity. Find this wine

384248 FINCA DEL MARQUESADO GRAN RESERVA 2004 Rioja, Spain $19.95
Enticing nose showing chalk, oyster shell, mineral, forest floor, spent tea leaves and chocolate shavings. Palate shines with dried cherry, Kirsch, raspberry and a lively long finish. Great price for a ten year old Gran reserve. Find this wine

163972 MOMO PINOT NOIR 2012 Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19.95
Strange whiffs of grapefruit pith, with sweet cherry and smoke; a little apple on the palate, but mostly red berry, sweet spice and cherry cola flavours. Find this wine

048710 REDHAWK VINEYARD GRATEFUL RED PINOT NOIR 2012 Willamette Valley, Oregon $21.95
Some stewed fruit with forest floor pepper and anise aromas; cherry and strawberry on palate, flat and a little dull. We can share the women, we can share the wine. Just not sure this is a good enough wine to share. Find this wine

131540 FEATHERSTONE RED TAIL MERLOT 2012 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $19.95
Black cherry and mineral at first backed up with hay, straw and spice box, then redcurrant and black raspberry notes start to show. Fruit flavours run through to the palate combining with blueberry, plum and spice. It’s tasty, but tannins are still quite firm suggesting time away. Find this wine

REST OF THE RELEASE

231613 GROVE STREET PINOT NOIR 2012 Sonoma County $19.95
Cherry, strawberry, some sweet spice and jello; red fruit palate, good acidity, but a touch too jammy on the finish. Find this wine

105965 LINE SHACK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 San Antonio Valley, Central Coast $21.95
Pie crust, slate/stone, dried currant, elderberry and Camp coffee; sweet blackcurrant on palate, a touch of dark caramel, mineral, good acidity and medium tannins. Find this wine

209874 WASHINGTON COLUMBIA CREST H3 HORSE HEAVEN HILLS MERLOT 2012 Horse Heaven Hills $19.95
Pretty funky, with balsamic, molasses, white mushroom, wet grass, green tea, redcurrant and blackberry; nice sweet red fruit, dark chocolate and good acidity on palate, with good length to the finish. Find this wine

261586 LA POSTA ARMANDO BONARDA 2013 Mendoza $14.95
Flinty and mineral with floral aromas, hints of raspberry and sweet Kool Aid; juicy, but low acid palate. Plenty of plum and blueberry meld well with milk chocolate flavours. Find this wine

054239 ROLF BINDER HALES SHIRAZ 2012 Barossa Valley, South Australia $19.95
A blend of 89% Shiraz with 4% Grenache and 7% Mataro that shows pleasing whiffs of damson and blackberry with a touch of hazelnut and milk chocolate; well balanced palate has sweet rich fruit, deftly administered oak and a tasty long finish. Find this wine

224626 JOSEPH CATTIN GEWURZTRAMINER 2012 Alsace $17.95
Textbook Gewurz that only Alsatians can do, boasting aromas of honeysuckle, lychee, rose petal and baked pear. Lovely richness to the texture, with just enough sweetness to make this wine one’s must buy list. Find this wine

224246 DOMAINE DU BOIS-MALINGE SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2013 $13.95
One of my favourite wines of the tasting. Lovely aromas of candied lime, preserved lemon, dried apple, mineral and slate; apple and pear flavours on the palate, lower acidity than most Muscadets I have tasted, with fabulous texture. A great value wine. Find this wine

299859 MAISON ROCHE DE BELLENE CUVÉE RÉSERVE PINOT NOIR BOURGOGNE 2012 $21.95
A little hint of rosewater, raspberry and dried mushroom; palate has red fruit, but gives an impression wet wood. There is sharp acidity and dusty tannins. Time may help this wine perhaps. Find this wine

101444 SAN SILVESTRO CANTINE BRUMO NEBBIOLO D’ALBA 2012 $15.95
A delicate wine that offers faint notes of cherry, underbrush and pepper, with simple clean cherry and strawberry flavours, some peppery heat, and gentle tannins. Worth putting a couple away I think. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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