By Gaby Israel
Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print.
Intriguing Wines Under $20
Spain – Rias Baixas – 2010 Nessa Albarino – $15.95
Since I tried this grape about 1-2 years ago, I never miss an opportunity to explore more of the fresh and, in this case, fairly priced Albarino. This is my #1 choice for whites for this release. Try it with anything that comes from the sea.
Québec – St-Nicolas Brut Crackling Strong Cider – $16.95
This one is for my lovely wife. She loves Cider and she enjoys the bubbly wines and for this price I’d say “oh, honey, look what I’ve got for you”. Yeah, I know, cheap.
South Africa – WO Elgin – 2011 Vrede En Lust White Mischief – $16.95
What got my attention, besides the price, was the blend: Chenin Blanc, Semillion, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. This should be a fun wine to drink beside the pool on a hot summer day. Should be very food friendly.
France – Cote de Provence – 2011 Pettit Rimauresq Grenache/Cinsault/Syrah Rose – $13.95
Another interesting blend of grapes to choose in crafting a rosé. I would try it with a nice fillet of fatty fish. Serve chilled.
Chile – Colchagua – 2008 Valle Andino Reserva Especial Syrah – $13.95
While most people are familiar with the Maipo Valley (near Santiago) area and its wines, the Colchagua (pronounced Kol-Cha-Gwa) Valley is located South–West of Santiago and the Maipo. This Syrah has received a very supportive review by RP (90) with all the adjectives one should expect for a good Syrah and at this price I’d buy 3-12 bottles.
Wines Between $20 and $30
France – Burgundy – 2008 Domaine Raoul Gautherin & Fils Vaillons Chablis 1er Cru – $29.95
2008 was an excellent year in Burgundy for white wines. Treat your friends (and yourself…) to a nice chilled white at the beginning of a great dinner alongside prawns or pan seared scallops. First course is served…
Spain – Rioja – 2004 Bodegas Olarra Cerro Anon Gran Reserva – $24.95
Not too long ago we were introduced to the 2005 Reserva of this winery (see reviews here). I am expecting more from this 2004 Gran Reserva – both vintages were outstanding yet 2004 was slightly better and with longer maturation (hence the Gran Reserva indication), expect more Rioja sophistication. RP rewarded this wine with a 92.
For Deeper Pockets
Italy – 2005 Gemma Giblin Riserva Barolo – $36.95
The 2005 vintage for Barolo was excellent (and for Riserva wines even better) – perhaps not as “classical” as the 2004, 2006 and 2007, but “good enough” to receive 93 by RP. Decanter rewarded this wine with 5 out of 5 starts and indicated a cellaring potential until 2025. You have an opportunity to try a 7 year old Barolo for a fair price (relatively to a very good Barolo). Decant the wine for 30-60 minutes.
Italy – 2006 Lionello Marchesi Coldisole Brunello Di Montalcino – $41.95
It seems as if every Brunello from the 2006 vintage is highly rated by the wine critics and this one is no exception. RP gave it 93 and indicated that it can be consumed 2014-2026, which makes its GPCi shy of 3 – therefore – buy 2-6 bottles.
Unites States – Napa – 2007 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon – $46.95
I tried this wine last year (with John M in a wine tasting event downtown Toronto) and it is truly an excellent example of well made Cab Sauv. RP raved about this wine and rewarded it with a very high score of 94 indicating a long cellaring potential of 2014-2025. The 2007 vintage (similar to the 2001) for Cab Sauv in Napa was exceptionally good (the best in two decades+). So if you like Cabernet Sauvignon, you should add this treasure to your collection.
Gaby Israel has been providing wine tasting notes and buying recommendations for several years now.
The name WineGPCi (pronounced Wine Gypsy) was given by his friends. GPCi stands for Gaby’s Potential Cellaring Index. While searching for “treasures for the cellar” without going to the bank, the GPCi was initially used to calculate the ratio between the price of the wine and the number of years it can potentially be cellared for; trying to find the wines that had the smallest index/ratio possible.
Any good wine that had a GPCi of 3.5 and under, was worth buying (mainly if you were planning to develop a cellar). Many years and “750 bottles in the cellar” after, his knowledge, experience and passion continued to grow. He continues to focus on helping the consumer finding “logical” ways of buying wines and planning the budget for it.
His great passion for wine revolves around old-world wines such as Spain, France and Italy while experimenting the new world exciting regions of Chile, Argentina, Australia, Canada, the United States and others.
Posted with permission of the LCBO.
