New Wines at the LCBO

At Le Sommelier we are showcasing three wines in this post that each have their own unique story. 

The first is the very very very special Bodegas Toro Albalá Double Label Reserva Especial Don PX 1949. Yes, you read that correctly – this wine is from 1949! Made from sun-dried 100% Pedro Ximenez grapes, the wine fermented over a period of two months to about 8% alcohol, after which a neutral distillate was added to bring it to 19%. It was then left to settle in concrete tanks for two years, after which point it was put into 50-150 year old American oak barrels, and left to age until recently, when it was bottled, and deemed ready to drink! LCBO started selling this wine this morning online, and I doubt there will be enough inventory to make it to stores, as only 120 bottles were purchased, and 22 bottles were sold in the first 90 minutes. Purchasing wines through Classics has changed from what used to be a lottery system to a first-come, first-served ordering process, either by phone or online. Ordering began this morning at 8:30am. Click HERE for details.

A delicious, full bodied and rich red made from old vines Primitivo (AKA Zinfandel) will be released on Saturday in a wide release, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding this one. This is the second time that VINTAGES has purchased the Feudi Salentini Papaveri Primitivo di Manduria 2013, and I suspect this vintage will sell as quickly as the previous one did. Wine critics have been giving this release much praise, with John Szabo, MS awarding it 89 points, review below. Michael Godel wrote some mouth-watering words on WineAlign.com, “From old Primitivo vines near Taranto and a minimum eight months in French oak. Aromatically dusty and musty up front and yet back lit by very ripe, cimmerian-toned, drip-fleshy, glistening tree fruit.” as did Sara D’Amato, “Playful, appealing with a spicy finish of good length.” This is an excellent value, I hope you will pick up a bottle of two. 

And finally, just to keep you on your toes, we have a sparkling wine from… wait for it, New Mexico. Yes, they make wine in New Mexico, and Gruet is the leading producer of traditional method sparkling wines. Their heritage originates in Champagne, with a family history of making quality sparkling wines. Their non-vintage Blanc de Noirs is a pale salmon in colour with aromas of berry and pear, complimented by a rich, round mouth feel on the palate. It finishes with a layer of cream and pleasant, warm toastiness. Incredibly versatile with all styles of food! In case you’re not convinced, this wine was awarded 90 points from Wines & Spirits Magazine, so for $28.95, try your first wine from New Mexico!

I hope you will take this opportunity to experience these three wines.