October 6 Classics Catalogue Wines

By Natalie MacLean


October 6 Classics Catalogue Wines

Recently, I sampled a small selection of wines from the LCBO's fall Classics Catalogue so I thought I'd share my favorites with you. These wines are sold by fine wine shops around the world. For Ontario residents, ordering by fax began yesterday and phone orders start October 20. For more information, visit Classic Catalogue.


White Wines

641944 CHABLIS VALMUR 2002 $65 Grand Cru, Burgundy (XD): This is what white wine is all about: minerality, spicy fruit and structure. If you're a red bigot, come back and see what white can do for you. Score: 92/100.

608711 PULIGNY MONTRACHET, Burgundy, France Domaine Jomain 2001 $59: Viscous, gorgeous and mouth-filling. More spicy pears. Score: 91/100.


Red Wines

732511 SYRAH 2001 (XD) $25 California, Bonny Doon Vineyard: Jammy ripe, mouth-watering. Good acidity for food. Score: 89.5/100.

346262 MERLOT 2001 $59 Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley, California (XD) Shafer Vineyards: Benchmark merlot. Few do it better than Shafer. Dark plums and mocha notes. Awesome. Score: 93/100.

603845 SPIRIT OF MARLBOROUGH 2000 $54 Marlborough, New Zealand (XD) Herzog: Stunning pinot. Dense but not overdone. Ripe fruit, structure, balance... it's got it all! Full-bodied enough to handle robust dishes such as roast beef and game meats. Score: 91/100.

914168 SHIRAZ COPPERTRAIL 1999 $44 Clare Valley, Australia (XD) Annie's Lane: A wine of extraordinary depth. Black plums and a long finish. Score: 92/100.

726802 THE HOLY TRINITY 2000 $35 Barossa Valley, Australia (XD) Grant Burge: VC: Made from the trinity of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. The vines from which this wine is made range in age from 50 to 114 years. My note: I've been a fan of this wine for a while. Concentrated with a slight methanol aroma under the dark red fruit. Score: 90/100.

719930 PINOTAGE STEYTLER 2001 $45 Stellenbosch, South Africa (XD)
Kaapzicht Estate: The first pinotage I've loved truly, madly, deeply. This wine is exotic and unlike anything you've tried: perfect to get you out of the cabernet rut. Delicious ripe red fruit. Score: 92/100.

983635 RUBICON 1999 $39 Stellenbosch, South Africa (XD) Meerlust: One of the country's best producers, it's another label to trust when you see it on a restaurant list. Black plums and smoke, Score: 90/100.

620161 CHÂTEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE 1995 $129 2e Cru, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France (XD): One of my favorite Bordeaux wines year after year. Lovely Old World finesse. Classic cassis, leather and smoke aromas. Needs another 3 years aging. Score: 92/100.

641035 CHÂTEAU LA VIEILLE CURE 1999 $39 Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (XD): Great value for this ripe, balanced and elegant wine. Score: 90/100

947895 SPÄTBURGUNDER GANYMED 1999 $36 (XD) Lingenfelder, Germany: Terrific pinot noir that's ripe but not jammy. Lovely acidity for salmon, pate, chicken and pasta. Score: 90/100.

972299 ST. JOSEPH ROUGE DESCHANTS 2001 CHAPOUTIER $24 Sugar Content: 1, Rhone, France: Whenever I see Chapoutier on the wine list, I know it's a safe bet. This winery makes terrific wines of excellent value from the reasonable range to the high end. This one has classic cedar and ripe red fruit. Score: 90/100.


Fortified Sweet Wines

603803 ROYAL CORREGIDOR AGED TWENTY YEARS OLOROSO SHERRY, Spain $44 (D) 500 mL Sandeman: You owe it to yourself to try at least one good sherry in your life. This one will lead you to many more. It has gorgeous nutty aromas, almost tawny port-like in its character. Love it! Score: 93/100.

487850 DOW'S QUINTA DO BOFIM VPORT 1996 Sugar Content: 9 $39 Portugal: Terrific value for this after-dinner sipper. Plumy, rich and deep. Score: 92/100.