LCBO & Ontario Wine Reviews at Gremolata

Gremolata's Wine Pages
The wines featured on this page are presented in the order in which they have been published. All reviews are by Malcolm Jolley, unless otherwise accredited. All wines reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer, unless otherwise noted.

2006 Elio Filippino Arneis Langhe
Arneis is both a type of grape and DOC white wine from the Langhe in Piedmont, both of which were nearly rendered extinct in the 1970s. Sometimes called the "White Barolo", it's a heady aromatic white to be vinified without oak and drunk young. Nevertheless, the 2006 Elio Filippino Arneis Langhe (LCBO# 60848 - $18.95) has honeyish viscosity that brings to mine big Viogniers, despite its tanginess and Old World 12.5% aclohol by volume. It's too easy to say this is a "patio sipper" (wine writers' bylaw #445 require all of ust otuse the word patio before June 1), it's more like a really interesting (and yummy) wine to be drunk standing up in the kitchen at the beginning of a dinner party. Click here to find a bottle at an LCBO near you.

2006 Spinyback Pinot Noir Nelson
I never thought I'd recommend a 'critter wine' but at a recent tasting hosted by New Zealand Wine* I was amazed that the 2006 Spinyback Pinot Noir (LCBO# 60079, $18.95) was well made and displayed typical cooler climate Pinot complexity despite the image of a large green lizard on its label. Even the promotional material on this wine freely calls it an "entry-level wine for consumers new to the delights of the Pinot grape." I'm not so sure. In fact, I plan to decant and serve it blind to see how it fairs without the winosaurus on the label. Waimea, the biggish winemaker, is not pretending the vinification was pristine - if you go to the spinyback website, they get into the technicalities - but there's no sign of dirty tricks like oak chips. The Alcohol is a little high (nearly 14%) but that's par for the course on New World PN. The Spinyback will be released in Ontario on May 24... it won't be hard to miss.

*Full disclosure: New Zealand wine advertises on this website.

2005 Château Pesqié Terrasses Côtes du Ventoux
Another Gremolata-coined MOW ("Modern Old-World") wine from the South of France, the 2005 Château Pesqié Terrasses (LCBO# 652313, $14.95) caught lots of press on its release last week and was often described in favourable comparison to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which I didn't get. Quite the opposite: I think the wine has that distinct chewiness from it's high percentage of Cabernet Franc, that distinguishes it from more garriguy traditional Rhônes. Billy Munnelly chose it as one of his "Best Bottles" and described it perfectly as a "juicy, lively, yummy red for the patio season." I'd also say give it a good airing - it opens up nicely in an hour or more. Munnelly also warns thst its heavier than it seems: he's right the 14% alcohol is not apparent. It could get you in trouble if you didn't know. There's still a fair amount circulating, click here to find a bottle at an LCBO near you.

2005 Château Calissanne Coteaux d'Aix en Provence
"Over-strong and under-flavoured rosé" is how Johnson and Robinson describe old style of wines from the part of Provence near Aix. Good thing times have changed, and the deep cherry, mixed with garrigue notes of the Château Calissanne 2005 (LCBO# 61283, $15.95) reflect a thoroughly modern-Old-World wine, if such a thing can be said (I'm coining the term: "MOW"). It's probably the Cabernet Sauvignon (no more than 30% by AOC rules) that rounds out the Syrah and Grenache. Calissanne is an olive grove as well as a winery, and this food-friendly red screams for EVOO, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Find a bottle of this prelude to summer by clicking here. * Gremolata reader Geoffrey James alerted us to quickly diminishing bargain from the Languedoc: the 2005 Château Roubia Minervois (LCBO# 705632) is an absolute steal at $12.95. No wonder it's selling out quickly. Check to see if there's any around where you live here.

2004 La Bastide Blanche Bandol
Bandol is the most prestigious of the red wine regions of Provence. It's reestablishment as an official AOC, in the years after the war were in large part the product of the efforts of Lucien and Lulu Peyreaud. The Peyreaud family produces and owns Domaine Tempier, Bandol's most famous wine, which can be found on many of Toronto's better wine lists, but not at retail. It's famous because it's very good, but it's also famous because the Peyreaud's neighbour for most of the 70s through to the 80s and 90s was the late, expatriate American food writer Richard Olney. Olney introduced it to his friend and disciple Alice Waters who made a kind unofficial house wine at Chez Panisse, and Kermit Lynch, the iconic Berkeley wine importer added it to his roster. All of this explains why this critic was excited to see the 2004 La Bastide Blanche (LCBO# 65375) for what is a relatively good price for well made Bandol at $22.95. This is a big, earthy wine, but it retains a Gallic delicacy. As a Bandol, Mourverdre is the signature grape, and this wine gives Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape a good run for (half of) its money. Lots of cherry and spice that come through despite the 14.5% alcohol punch. Click here to find a bottle at a LCBO location.

2000 Château Lagrange-Monbadon Côtes de Castillon
As the once mighty Merlot grape salvages its reputation from being savaged in the movie Sideways, so has the winemaker and consultant Michel Rolland, whose portrayal in Jonathan Rossiter's Mondovino was far from flattering. The 2004 Château Lagrange-Monbadon Côtes de Castillon (LCBO# 65060) does both to restore both reputations, and at $13.95 a bottle is a great way to experience the new styles of Bordeaux. It's also nicely aged, an investment in time that seems to be shifting increasingly from estate to consumer without the corresponding financial discount. This is still a very old world wine, with a twang from 10% Cabernet Franc balancing the 70% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. At 12.5% alcohol this a classic food friendly claret, with lots of remaining fruit. A word of warning: of the three bottles purchased for Gremolata's tasting one had fairly strong TCA ("cork") taint, so hedge your bets by buying two - you can always return or exchanged wines you don't drink or find faulty. For LCBO stores carrying this release, click here.

2003 Cave de Tain Crozes Hermitage
Hermitage is a hill in the Northern Rhône that produces very expensive (and generally delicious) wines. Tain is a nearby village and Crozes Hermitages refers to an AOC down the hill, on the flatlands that grows nearly exclusively Syrah. Cave de Tain is the name of the collective of 290 growers, and the label of a beautifully balanced 2003 Crozes Hermitage (LCBO# 572230 - $16.85). What a stellar difference (or even Continental, I guess) from highly extracted Shiraz from those appellations closer to the Pacific than Atlantic! The alcohol count on the 2003 Caves de Tain CH is only 12.5%, which is in the range that the Syrah/Shiraz grape has traditionally been vinified at and it's a fascinating drink just to make the comparison with the rest of the Shiraz's, including modern made big Rhônes. There's enough fruit and garrigue to give this wine a punch. Find a bottle by clicking here.

READ MORE GREMOLATA WINE REVIEWS HERE AND HERE.