May 29th brings yet another cluster of Argentina wines to the shelves of the LCBO albeit several of which are very tasty and will work well with barbecued foods in this unusually timed, but most welcome, heat wave. In addition to the Argentinean release also in perfect time for this summertime heat, the second feature of the release showcases some exceeding good whites from the Loire Valley. One in particular is really dynamite and it sells for under twenty bucks.

The “Celebrating Ontario Wine Week” June 13 – 19 offers several opportunities to enjoy our great wines. On June 17th one such occasion is an evening dedicated to Ontario VQA Wines & regional cuisine. It commences at 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Pantages Hotel in Toronto. Tickets are $60.00 plus a processing fee. There will be 26 wineries pouring their wares many of which will be paired with food and nibblies from some of Toronto’s finest kitchens. Tickets and more information are on line at Sip and Savour Ontario or call 416.398.3335 Ext. 2#

Wines from the Argentina release -

click images to enlarge

079293 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA MALBEC 2007 Mendoza $17.95
Good concentration of aromas that includes dried black cherry, blackcurrant, plum, cocoa and mineral. It has solid fruit on the palate, well balanced and just a note of gentle tannin. find this wine

024737 ACHAVAL FERRER MALBEC 2008 Mendoza $23.95
A dark and inky wine filled with aromas of dank cave air, moss, damson, black fruit, violet and clove. Great concentration of both red and black fruit, fine acidity, a touch of dusty chocolate tannin and great length on the finish. find this wine

168435 CALATHUS ROBLE MALBEC 2007 Uco Valley, Mendoza $19.95
A wine with an earthy mineral barnyard aroma, a note of cured meat, plus a secondary layer of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is quite sweet and fleshy on the palate, there is a nice kick of Asian spice, chocolate tannin is evident, but does not overpower. find this wine

065425 FINCA EL ORIGEN GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2008 $19.95 Uco Valley, Mendoza
Black raspberry and red currant coulis intermingle with notes of star anise, licorice, toffee and black pepper. The palate is full, a touch hot-14.8 degrees-it has an intriguing “Frys” chocolate mint bar flavour character to it, but tannins are rough and the alcohol comes through on the finish. find this wine

166298 LA POSTA PIZZELLA FAMILY VINEYARD MALBEC 2008 Uco Valley, Mendoza $15.95
Sweet blueberry with a meaty component, a touch of vanilla and mocha lead to a palate with dark fruit notes, a little sweetness and a touch of spice on the finish. find this wine

140855 ZUCCARDI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 Mendoza $18.95
Still has a youthful purple-colored robe, very Bordeaux like on the nose showing wet earth, mineral, lead pencil and a wallop of blackcurrant. Tasty on the palate and quite creamy from the 12 months it spent in new oak. There is some tannin that needs to resolve so hold on to this for a year or two and it should be tasty. find this wine

166421 SANTA JULIA MAGNA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 Mendoza $14.95
Not a lot of fruit on the nose. It is dominated by cured meat, mocha leather and a touch of white pepper. Fruit does appear on the palate in the form of cherry, blackcurrant and a touch of plum. There is a note of heat on the finish. find this wine

166405 BODEGA POESIA PASODOBLE 2007 Mendoza $14.95
This is one weird experience to say the least, iodine, seaweed and veneer jump from the glass masking any fruit that may be present. The palate reflects this observation, it is fat, has flavours of cherries stewed in salt water and medicinal throat paint (dreadful childhood memory). A wine geared for sushi perhaps. find this wine

166447 FLECHAS DE LOS ANDES GRAN CORTE 2006 Mendoza $38.95
Layers of pure ripe, lavender, white pepper, lead pencil and Middle Eastern spice. A blend of Malbec, Merlot and Syrah, it has a thick and viscous mouth feel, layers of concentrated fruit, gripping tannins and a streak of black fruit acidity. Only flaw is the heat on the finish generated by the 15.5 degrees of alcohol. find this wine

Wines from the Loire Valley

171504 CAVE DE MONTLOUIS SEC MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE 2007 $15.95
A medium-gold coloured wine with aromas of sweet fruit cocktail, canned pineapple, daffodil, chalky limestone and apricot. A low acid wine with pleasing tree fruit flavours, a note of orange zest and touch of sweetness on the finish. find this wine

952069 CHÂTEAU SOUCHERIE CUVÉE S COTEAUX DU LAYON 2002 $18.95
A barrel-fermented wine made from old vine fruit that emits notes of honey, fresh cut flowers, baked apple, marzipan and ripe banana. The palate has beautiful balance, it is sweet, but acidity tames and a pleasing note of bitterness comes into play. Honestly, I was surprised to see the asking price of this wine. It is a steal in my humble opinion. It screams for Foie Gras terrine. find this wine

608893 DOMAINE DES QUATRE ROUTES MUSCADET SÈVRE & MAINE 2008 Sur Lie, Terras Vitis $11.95
Another well priced wine, a Muscadet that carries a little pear, honeydew melon, citric acidity and mineral, high acidity on the palate, but plenty of fruit and a must for shellfish. find this wine

106815 DOMAINE DU PETIT COTEAU LES GRENOUILLES SEC VOUVRAY 2008 $16.95
Chenin Blanc, with aromas of white tree fruit, lime leaf and wet leaves that runs through to a pleasing palate, solid lime acidity and a touch of sweetness. find this wine

172528 DOMAINE LECOMTE QUINCY 2008 $18.95
A floral aroma at first then a grassy note appears along with celery stem and parsley. Palate is tasty, has a creamy note and a great texture. find this wine

065573 JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2008 $24.95
Sancerre at its best, there is a definitive tartness, with green gooseberry, cut grass, sweet spice and clove. Fruit abounds on the palate in the form of lemon, green apple and green mango all bound together with a ring of pure minerality, great viscosity, well balanced and tasty to drink. find this wine

168898 JEAN-MICHEL SORBE REUILLY 2008 $17.95
A green wine with a touch of gooseberry, a floral note and flint. Palate is clean has good texture and nice acidity. find this wine

065995 DOMAINE BONNARD SANCERRE ROUGE 2007 $21.95
Pinot with a light cherry red colour, aromas of sweet maraschino cherry, and some floral aromas seasoned with anise and fennel. The palate carries red fruit, faint hints of mineral, coal dust and slate. A light bodied wine, high in acidity on both the palate and the finish. find this wine

168971 DOMAINE DU BOIS MAYAUD RÉSERVE SAINT-NICOLASDE-BOURGUEIL 2008 $15.95
Leather, shoe polish, cassis and tree bark are found on the nose of this Cabernet Franc. It carries flavours of blackberry, cherry and red currant, very well balanced and a sweet red candy note on the close. find this wine

170241 DOMAINE DU CARROI PORTIER CUVÉE DES FOLIES CHINON 2008 $13.95
Another Cabernet Franc, this one featuring underbrush, leaves, white mushroom, allspice, plum and blackberry. Cake spice hits the tongue followed by floral notes, a light to medium palate with a little note of tannin. Strawberries pop up on the finish with a twist of anise. find this wine

Other wines on the release

562975 CHATEAUX BEAUMONT HAUT MEDOC BORDEAUX 2006 $21.00
Good concentration, lots of nice ripe dark fruit, a touch of mocha, cedar and cigar box. A creamy texture on the palate, cassis and black fruit abound, a hit of spiciness on the finish. find this wine

168708 FERRATON PÈRE & FILS SAMORENS CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2007 $14.95
A simple Cotes du Rhone, but from a simple wine that boast a nose of leather, chocolate, pepper, black fruit, forest floor and slate. There is plenty of spicy pepper found on the palate, fruit is closed. Give it time or decant well in advance and this will be a tasty treat for little cash. A little heat on the finish is noticeable (14.5 degrees), but does not spoil the pleasure. find this wine

939223 MARCHESI DE’ FRESCOBALDI CASTELLO DI POMINO 2006 Pomino Rosso $19.95
Stewed berries and sweet spice lead to a palate of mostly strawberry and red fruit. There is a little tannin and some excess acidity. find this wine

134791 MARCHESI PICCINI CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2006 $19.95
Concentrated red berry, leather, bitter spice and rhubarb, palate is quite chunky with notes of strawberry, bitter orange, currant, sweet spice and rhubarb. find this wine

140202 GRAHAM’S VINTAGE PORT 2007 $85.00
A fabulously dense and concentrated wine that is throwing out pure blackberry, sweet silky chocolate, blueberry coulis and mineral/iron. Monstrous on the palate, super sweet and really disjointed right now. This will take decades to come around. find this wine

131011 STRATUS RIESLING 2008 Niagara Peninsula $29.20
Lime leaf, exotic fruit aromas with a touch of candied grapefruit zest and mineral. Super fruit flavours hit the palate all balanced by an amazing streak of citric acidity. find this wine

590182 L.A. CETTO PRIVATE RESERVE NEBBIOLO 2004 Guadalupe Valley, Baja California $17.95
A Mexican Barolo, intensely dark for a Nebbilo, that blasts out aromas of dried black fruit, black pepper and clove. The ripe and lively palate is laden with ripe chewy fruit, dusty tannins, black licorice and black toffee. It is a really tasty wine, but clearly lacks the typicity of the grape. find this wine

Cheers
CZ

Related posts:

1. Alan Kerr’s May 1st, 2010, Vintage’s Release – Tasting Notes
2. Alan Kerr’s May 15th, 2010, Vintage’s Release – Tasting Notes
3. Alan Kerr’s January 9th, 2010, Vintage’s Release – Tasting Notes
4. Alan Kerr’s January 23rd, 2010, Vintage’s Release – Tasting Notes
5. Alan Kerr’s February 20th, 2010, Vintage’s Release – Tasting Notes

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