WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for OCTOBER 7, 2023 release.

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at  https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor since 1994. These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

MAJOR THEME:  CLASSIC EURO WINES

Wines Under $20
=========
Fizz+422683	TOMMASI FILODORA BRUT PROSECCO $19.95	MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+515254	VILARNAU BARCELONA RESERVA BRUT ORGANIC CAVA Penedès Traditional method, DO, Spain $15.95	MVC/QPR: 89	
W+89011	FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC	2022 Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula	$17.95	 MVC/QPR: 91
W+32024	COLIO RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2020	Graveyard Vineyard, VQA Niagara Lakeshore	$19.95	 MVC/QPR: 92
W+35299	VIENI RIESLING	2021	VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula	$17.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+34258	MASTRONARDI MERLOT CABERNET	2021 VQA Ontario $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+186114	JIP JIP ROCKS SHIRAZ/CABERNET	2021	Single vineyard, Padthaway, South Australia	$17.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+906073	FAMILLE PERRIN LA GILLE GIGONDAS	2020	Rhone $32.95		MVC/QPR: 89
R+143099	MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION	2020	Rhône	Costières de Nîmes	$17.95	MVC/QPR: 90
R+561290	LOUIS BERNARD LOUIS CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES	2020 	Rhône	$16.95	 MVC/QPR: 89
R+460170	SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON	2021	Chile 	Maipo Valley	$18.95	MVC/QPR: 89

Wines Over $20
=========
W+ 369850	KIM CRAWFORD PINOT GRIS	2021	New Zealand Marlborough, South Island	$21.95	 MVC/QPR: 89
W+415901	CAVE SPRING SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING	2017	Estate grown, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula  $24.95	 MVC/QPR: 90
W+20455	LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE CHARDONNAY	2020	VQA Niagara Peninsula	$29.95	MVC/QPR: 91
R+265074	CLOSSON CHASE CHURCHSIDE PINOT NOIR	2021	Vegan, unfiltered, VQA Prince Edward County $45.00	MVC/QPR: 89
R+33994	BACHELDER WISMER-FOXCROFT 33% WHOLE CLUSTER CRU GAMAY NOIR	2020 Single vineyard, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment	$29.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+361246	AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2021	New Zealand	Marlborough	Southern Valleys, South Island $34.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+33922	PRÉLUDE À GRAND-PUY DUCASSE	2015 Second wine of Ch. Grand-Puy Ducasse, AC Pauillac	$59.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+33009	GASSIER FLEUR DE SYRAH  2021 Rhône Costières de Nîmes	$22.95	MVC/QPR: 89
R+32533	DONNA FUGATA DEA VULCANO 2020	Sicily	DOC Etna Rosso	$29.95	 MVC/QPR: 89
R+503904	CHÂTEAU CLARKE 2016	Listrac-Médoc  $54.95 MVC/QPR: 92
R+117960	CREEKSIDE LAURA'S RED 2018 VQA Niagara Peninsula $25	MVC/QPR: 89
R+937128	FORIS ROGUE VALLEY PINOT NOIR	2021	Oregon Estate grown 	$26.95	MVC/QPR: 89

LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended  Wines from the LCBO’s Limited Time Offers  selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday October 8...

W+250699 Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi Piedmont, now $19.95, save $3.
W+326728 Oyster Bay Chardonnay Marlborough NZ, now $18.95, save $3
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend Riesling Beamsville VQA, now $18.95, save $3
R+167189 Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz, now $20.95, save $3
R+63891 Emiliana Coyam Organic Red Blend Colchagua Chile,  now $31.95, save $3
R+322586  Montes Alpha  Cabernet Sauvignon  Colchagua Chile,  now $19.95, save $3
R+590414 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough NZ,  now $19.95, save $3

Note: The following LTOs are on sale from Oct 9 through Nov 5: 

Fizz+213983  Cave Spring Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling VQA Trad Method, now $29.95, save $3
Fizz+395384  Luc Belaire Rare Rose Sparkling France, now $37.95, save $3
W+31667  Alta-Yari Gran Torrontes Mendoza Arg, now $24.95, save $3
W+962886  La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, now $32.95, save $3
R+352583  Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma, now $49.95, save $5
R+177295  Rivera Il Falcone Riserva Castel del Monte Puglia, now $23.95, save $3
R+652883  Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir Santa Barbara, now $54.95, save $5
R+954834  Rodney Strong Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, now $26.95, save $3
R+353201  Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Gran Selezione Chianti Classico, now $49.95, save $3
R+303800  Trius Red VQA Niagara, now $24.95, save $3
R+225086  Umberto Cesari Liano Sangiovese/Cab Sauvignon Emilia-Romagna, now $24.95, save $5

** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Season --- 

REPORT ON THE 2023 NORTHWEST WINE EXPEDITION trade tasting [OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE]

The Date and Time: Monday June 12 Noon-4P 
The Event: 2023 Northwest Wine Expedition Trade Tasting: Oregon and Washington
The Venue: The Globe and Mail Centre, 17th floor
The Target Audience: wine trade and wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: paperless through BottleBooks, which listed very few prices beyond a range from “$$ to $$$$$”
The Quote/Background:
The Wines:  I tasted mainly Chardonnays and a few other interesting white, rose and sparkling wines.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-A to Z Wineworks Bubbles NV
-Adelsheim Chardonnay 2020
-Adelsheim Chardonnay Staking Claim 2019
-Angela Vineyards Chardonnay Willamette 2019
-Chateau Ste Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Horse Heaven Hills 2021
-Citation Oregon Chardonnay 2015
-Cristom Vineyards Eola Amity Hills Chardonnay 2021  $59
-Milbrandt Estates Chardonnay 2019
-Milbrandt Family Chardonnay 2020
-Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee Brut Sparkling 2020
-Traveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs Brut Zero Dosage NV
-Traveri Cellars Blanc de Noir Brut NV
-Troon Vineyard Biodynamic White Blend Kubli Beach Applegate Valley Oregon 2021 [marsanne, roussanne, vermentino]
-Valdemar Estates Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2021 $65
-Valley View Winery Domaine Rogue “Quercia” Chardonnay Applegate Valley 2021


***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-A to Z Wineworks Chardonnay Oregon 2021
-Airfield Estates Chardonnay 2021
-Brittan Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
-Centerstone Willamette Valley Un-Oaked Chardonnay 2018
-Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2021
-Domaine Drouhin Oregon Arthur Chardonnay 2021
-Erath Winery Oregon Pinot Noir Rose 2021
-Evolution White 2021
-Evolution Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2021
-Foris Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
-L'Ecole No 41 Chenin Blanc Old Vines Yakima Valley 2022
-Pike Road Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2021
-Pomum Cellars Idilico Albarino 2022
-Rex Hill Seven Soils Chardonnay 2019
-Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2021
-Traveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs NV
-Traveri Cellars Rose NV
-Valley View Winery Viognier 2019

The Food: there were enormous cheeseboards from the Cheese Boutique with an assortment of salumni and cold cuts, pre-cut cheeses (including a dynamite truffle cheese), strawberries, blackberries, veggie platters (crudites and cooked/pickled/grilled). 
The Downside: the media room was only available for a few people.
The Upside: a good selection of wines and producers, interesting conversations.
The Contact Person: kelly@predhomme.ca
The Event’s Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 85