The current LCBO CLASSICS catalogue is jam packed full of incredible wines, all of which would be great additions to any cellar. Many of these selections are designed for medium to long term cellaring, however a few wines are drinking wonderfully right now, or would only benefit from short term cellaring.
Purchasing wines through Classics is a bit of a lottery, so please order your selections by 6pm, Tuesday, Oct 1.
On another note, we have four winemaker dinners in Toronto and Ottawa, all coming up in the month of October! Luca Vitiello from Tenuta Fanti (Montalcino, Tuscany) will be joining us for three consecutive nights (Oct 8, 9, 10), two of which are in Toronto, and one in Ottawa.
Lisa Peju, from Peju Family Estate Wines (Napa Valley, California) will be here as part of LCBO Vintages’ Napa Valley Rocks event on Monday, Oct 21 and will be hosting an intimate, 25 seat dinner at Bosk, at the exclusive, five star Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto on Tuesday, Oct 22.
Please see the Good food Revoliution sidebar on the right of this page for further details, or visit our website. Please make your reservations with the restaurants directly.
Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Le Sommelier
416.603.7026
TASTING NOTES
Schiopetto Sauvignon Collio DOC 2010
Review:
“The 2010 Sauvignon is beautifully balanced from start to finish. Varietal aromatics meld into juicy apricots and peaches in this expressive, nuanced white. The typical Capriva bouquet is present, but where so many Sauvignons tend towards the green end of the spectrum, Schiopetto’s Sauvignon shows lovely richness and depth in its fruit. The wine could use another few months to fully come together, but it is beautiful, even today. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.”
Score: 92
(Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, Feb 2012)
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon
Region: Friuli, Italy
Price: $39.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #165027
Click here to buy wine through LCBO Classics.
Marcel Deiss Gruenspiel 2007
Review:
“From a red marl-gravel above Ribeauville, the 2007 Gruenspiel is another of what Deiss calls his “white red wines,” and, indeed, there the blend is one third each Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Green tea, red currant jelly, and overtly chalky and alkaline mineral suggestions on the nose all remind me a bit of a top-notch Chassagne Morgeot. An exchange of peach, musk melon, red currant, and lemon underlain by chalk on a dense palate offers energy and impressive grip, and this finishes with its sweetness restrained by strong, almost ineffable minerality and red wine-like though fine tannin. It should be tremendously fascinating to follow over at least the next 10-12 years, and absolutely devilish to present to the unsuspecting wine sophisticate blind.”
Score: 93
(David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, April 2010)
Varietals: Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer & Riesling
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $57.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #316471
Click here to buy wine through LCBO Classics.
Lanciola Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC Le Masse Di Greve Occhio di Pernice 2007
Review:
“This displays a mix of iodine and caramel in the aromas, followed by buttery caramel, nuts and orange rind notes to highlight this intense, sweet white. Vibrant, lingering beautifully with a sequel to the nut and caramel flavors. Drink now through 2025.”
Score: 95
(Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, Oct 31, 2012)
Varietals: Sangiovese & Canaiolo
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Price: $59.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #328310
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Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2006
Review:
“A savory style, with salty liquorice, cherry, plum, herb and underbrush aromas and flavors. Big, yet balanced in its oversized way, with a terrific aftertaste of saline and licorice. Best from 2015 through 2030.”
Score: 95
(Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, Sept. 30, 2012)
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Price: $85.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #107508
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Sesti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2006
Review:
“The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is beautiful and undertstated in its soft red fruit, tobacco, rosemary, underbrush and crushed flowers. This is a delicate, pretty Brunello that impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony. There is an element of quirkiness that I find fascinating. Sweet red cherries, flowers and licorice linger on the textured finish. The estate’s Brunello spent a full 36 months in oak prior to being bottled unfiltered. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”
Score: 92
(Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, May 2011)
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Price: $85.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #243915
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Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora Do Carmo Grande Reserva Touriga Nacional 2009
Review:
“The 2009 GRANDE RESERVA “TOURIGA NACIONAL” was aged in a mixture of new and old French oak. It is the all Touriga counterpart to the winery’s “Classico” Grande Reserva blend. It is quite aromatic, showing its oak a bit, but also very focused and elegant, with the promise of grace and harmony to come. There is nothing overbearing about this wine in this big vintage, but it changes dramatically in an hour or so, becoming purer and more impressive, showing its fruit and structure rather than its oak. Its balance seems ultimately impeccable, while it nonetheless displays a backbone, needing a couple of years to show better. For every 30 minute interval that I had this open, the score ticked up. This is pretty hard to resist and it should improve with cellaring. The price point may scare many off, but divorced from that, the wine is pretty fine. There were 5,300 bottles produced. Drink now-2023.”
Score: 92
(Mark Squires, Wine Advocate, Dec. 2011)
Varietal: 100% Touriga Nacional
Region: Douro, Portugal
Price: $79.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #318899
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Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora Do Carmo Referencia Grande Reserva 2009
Review:
“The 2009 GRANDE RESERVA “REFERENCIA” is a blend of 80% old vines (80+ years) and 20% Tinta Roriz, aged in a mixture of 85% new French and Hungarian oak for 18 months. Of the three Grande Reservas from Quinta Nova, this would be my pick, although by a hair only, for its structure, balance and potential complexity. As with all of them, the oak is a bit too obvious in its youth, but it should calm down with a little time and cellaring and I saw plenty of evidence that it would integrate in the several hours (also retasted the next day) that I had this open. After three hours, it was not an issue. In the meanwhile, the structure is beautiful, supporting the mid-palate well. It has a rich, meaty note up front, while retaining its balance perfectly. I suspect this has a pretty good chance of closing down for a couple of years. It becomes rather intense on the finish with aeration. Even if it seems approachable now, sock it away—come back in 2014 or so. Tasted the next day again—even better after being open for 90 minutes–it was pretty fine, showing more complexity, flavor and breeding, having become more elegant while retaining its persistence. There were 5,300 bottles produced. Drink now-2024.”
Score: 94
(Mark Squires, Wine Advocate, Dec. 2011)
Varietal: Field blends of old vines (many unknown)
Region: Douro, Portugal
Price: $89.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #331934
Click here to buy wine through LCBO Classics.
E. Pira E Figli Barolo Cannubi DOCG 2008
Review:
”The 2008 Barolo Cannubi sweeps across the palate with layers of dark red fruit, flowers, subtle French oak, mint, licorice and spices. This is an especially pliant, generous 2008 laced with expressive fruit and fabulous overall balance. The south-facing Cannubi yields a juicier more fruit-driven style than Via Nuova. The 2008 impresses for its inner perfume and overall sense of harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.”
Score: 95
(Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, April 2012)
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $95.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #250332
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E. Pira E Figli Barolo Via Nuova DOCG 2008
Review:
”The 2008 Barolo Via Nuova is round, seamless and totally impeccable. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint and spices are some of the nuances that emerge from the super-sexy, refined Via Nuova. The integration of oak, fruit and structure is fabulous. Bright red berries, minerals and freshly cut flowers add considerable brightness on the polished, totally refined finish. I especially like the energy and sense of focus in the Via Nuova this year. This is a lovely effort from the charismatic Chiara Boschis. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.”
Score: 95
(Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, April 2012)
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $89.00 (per bottle)
LCBO #250324
Click here to buy wine through LCBO Classics.
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