Here are my top wine picks from the January 19 Vintages Release. You can also get all 60 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions.
You can add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list just for this release that will be saved in your account. Print a text-only version of the reviews.
Jackson-Triggs Proprietor’s Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2011, VQA, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario
Gorgeous richness with ripe peach and toasted almond open the nose. Full-bodied and voluptuous. A magnificent wine for chardonnay lovers. Pair with roast chicken and corn dishes. Pair with: semi-rich, creamy sauces, poached salmon in caper butter, lobster papardelle with chive butter, and roasted veal in a leek-mustard sauce. Drink: 2012-2015. 593996 13.7% D 750 mL $17.95 Score: 91/100. Best Value White Wine
J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay 2011, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, California
The grapes were picked in late October to achieve more concentration of flavour. Lovely aromas of melon, butterscotch, toasted almond and green apple. The grape clone they se in this wine is called the musqué clone in Ontario. Highly recommended. Pair with corn dishes, roast chicken and lobster in melted butter. Pair with: lobster, crab legs. Drink: 2013-2017. 225375 14.9% XD 750 mL $26.95 Score: 92/100. Top Rated White Wine
Mission Hill Quatrain 2008, V.Q.A., Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Spectacularly rich, complex and deep. This towering red offers aromas of dark red fruit, smoke, dried herbs and cigar box. It’s a multi-layered wine that will cellar very well. Truly one of Canada’s flagship wines. Pair with: robust meat dishes. Drink: 2013-2020. 218636 14% XD 750 mL $41.95 Score: 95/100. Top Rated Red Wine
L.A. Cetto Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Guadalupe Valley, Baja California, Mexico
Fleshy ripe black and purple plum aromas with some blueberry jam. The palate is ultra-smooth and delicious with more dark fruit flavours. This is an absolutely incredible wine for the price point. Pair with combination pizza, spaghetti and meatballs or cold cuts. Drink: 2013-2016. 114066 13.5% XD 750 mL $11.95 Score: 89/100. Best Value Red Wine
Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé 2011, V.Q.A., Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Delightfully pretty! Fleeting, gossamer aromas of field strawberries. Mouth-watering and refreshing. Pair with: grilled calamari, smoked salmon, crab salad. Drink: 2012-2014. 39974 13% XD 750 mL $16.95 Score: 90/100. Top Rated Rosé
C.H. Berres Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 2010, Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany
Apricot and peach preserves with lovely honey notes through the mid-palate. Rich and delicious. Perfect for glazed ham and sweet potatoes or Asian dishes. Highly recommended. Drink: 2013-2020. 301952 8.5% MS 750 mL $24.95 Score: 92/100. Top Rated Dessert Wine
Posted with permission of the LCBO.
