WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for the APRIL 27, 2024 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  better or best 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 – my 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).
I was one of the first to jump on the Robert Parker bandwagon, using numerical indications for my scores in the early 1980s. Why? Because with a database I could rate, rank and order wines in any fashion. It was just so convenient using databases. Unfortunately, the numerical system has been shown to be disgraced by overuse and "inflated numbers"; thus I have quit any ranking by number. From now on, it will just be GOOD, BETTER and BEST, which will give me some wiggle room (e.g. is this wine an 87, 88, 89, or 90? Or all of them...depends on my mood and time of day). With the rigorous standards and lab testing by the LCBO, I can safely say that every single wine at the LCBO is at least GOOD, which I would numerically rank at 75-85 points. For reasons of time and space, I will NOT be listing the GOOD wines. Just the BETTER (86-89) and the BEST (90+ ) wines. This spread of points will relate to SILVER and GOLD medals, with GOOD being BRONZE.  This also fits into my scheme for trade tastings.

MVC/QPR=BETTER (86-89)
MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )


MAJOR THEME:  CALIFORNIA WATCHLIST: Paso Robles

Recommended Wines UNDER $20 [my basic standard is MVC/QPR=BETTER (86-89)]
=========================
FIZZ+19031 CELENE AMÉTHYSTE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BORDEAUX $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+34245 WALDSCHÜTZ RIED HASEL GRÜNER VELTLINER AUSTRIA 2021 $18.95 
CHILE
W+303628 SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY CHILE 2021 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+747600 PIERRE SPARR GRANDE RÉSERVE GEWURZTRAMINER ALSACE 2021 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+35860 CHÂTEAU ROQUEFORT LES ROCHES BLANCHES SAUVIGNON BLANC BORDEAUX 2022 $15.95
W+557207 FLEURON DE LA REBOURGÈRE SUR LIE MUSCADET-SÈVRE ET MAINE LOIRE $16.95
W+37520 LANDLUST ORGANIC RIESLING MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER 2022 $15.95
W+36000 MEZZACORONA RISERVA CHARDONNAY ITALY 2020 $18.95 
W+35951 UMBERTO CESARI LIANO PINOT GRIGIO ABRUZZO 2022 $17.95
W+919514 WITHER HILLS SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND 2023 $19.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+452029 PIATTELLI LUJÁN DE CUYO RESERVE MALBEC ARGENTINA 2021 $17.95
R+494039 DOMAINE LAFAGE CAYROL VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2021 $19.95
R+35375 CHÂTEAU LE CONTE MARQUEY BORDEAUX 2018 $18.95
R+224592 CHÂTEAU LE GRAND RETOUR PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES $16.95
R+642421 VALPANTENA TORRE DEL FALASCO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO VENETO 2022 $17.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
ROSE+177840 PENINSULA RIDGE BEAL VINEYARD CABERNET ROSÉ VQA 2023 $16.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
ROSE+498535 MALIVOIRE VIVANT ROSÉ VQA 2023 $19.95

Recommended Wines OVER $20 [my basic standard is MVC/QPR=BETTER (86-89)]
========================
W+566026 CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2022 VQA $34.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+16059 BACHELDER LES VILLAGES-BENCH CHARDONNAY 2021 VQA $34.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
W+11108 UMANI RONCHI CENTOVIE PECORINO ABBRUZO 2020 $26.95
W+232439 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CHARDONNAY 2022 WASH STATE $21.95
R+33894 LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE PINOT NOIR 2021 VQA $29.95 MVC/QPR=BEST (90+ )
R+36927 CHÂTEAU CAROLINE MOULIS-EN-MÉDOC 2019 $30.95
R+35973 PENTACLE LES TROIS ROUTES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2019  $63.95
R+713354 TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA PIEDMONT 2019 $37.95
R+747030 LA VITE LUCENTE 2021 $33.95
R+10704 WESTMOUNT PINOT NOIR OREGON 2021 $33.95


APRIL LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO’s Limited Time Offer selections...these  are "better"  value...on sale Monday April 1 through Sunday April 28...only a few more days to go until the sale ends.

W+84988 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay, now $29.95, save $3
W+68817 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Chardonnay VQA Beamsville Bench Niagara, now $29.95, save $2
W+13311 Lone Birch Chardonnay Yakima Washington, now $19.95, save $3
W+89037 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Chardonnay VQA, now $19.95, save $2
W+18631 Sebastiani California Chardonnay, now $16.90, save $2
W+350900 Robert Oatley Chardonnay Margaret River, now $19.95, save $2
W+268342 Henry of Pelham Estate Chardonnay VQA, now $17.95, save $2
R+30957 Concha Y Toro Winemaker's Lot 148 Carmenere La Pataguas Vineyard Rapel Chile, now $16.95, save $3
R+274753 Hidden Bench Estate Organic Pinot Noir VQA Beamsville Bench, now $34.94, save $3
R+626390 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir New Zealand, now $19.95, save $3
R+727636 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2020 IGT Toscana, now $31.95, save $3

MAY LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Some recommendations on sale April 29 through May 26, 2024....

W+43281 Flat Rock Riesling VQA Niagara, now $16.95, save $3
W+958975 Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay Monterey, now $26.95, save $3
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend Riesling VQA Beamsville Niagara, now $19.95, save $3
R+980482 Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Barbara, now $39.95, save $5
R+590414 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir South Island New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3
R+177295 Rivera Il Falcone Riserva Castel del Monte Puglia, now $23.95, save $3
R+59311 The Seven Deadly Zins Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi, now $21.95, save $3
 

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


REPORT ON THE WINES OF GREECE TRADE TASTING  TORONTO 2023

The Event: a tasting of the wines of Greece.
The Venue: Arcadian Loft
The Target Audience: licensees, sommeliers and wine media, wine agents.
The Availability/Catalogue: a spiral bound catalogue with many maps and wine/grape descriptions. There were 29 tables with 116 wines, and the wineries were placed mostly by agent to cover a few tables each. There were about four wines per winery, and there were full details about winery contacts (email addrersses) plus agents, the latter with phone numbers. A good resource guide.
The Quote/Background: Most of the wineries were repped by a small handful of agents, such as Kolonaki (11 wineries at 11 tables), Dionysus (3 tables), Selections Le Maitre de Chai (3), Asteria Imports (3), and then the others with one or two tables each.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Malamatina Winery Filioma Dry Rose 2022 [merlot]
-Malamatima Filioma Agiorgitiko 2022 PGI Peloponnese
-Alpha Estate Xinomavro Red Single Vineyard Hedgehog 2020 PDO Amyndeon
-Alpha Estates Assyrtiko 2021
-Cavino Atelier Mavro Kalavritino-Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 PGI Achaia
-Domaine Costa Lazaridi Amethystos Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Drama
-Domaine Hatzimichalis Alfega White 2022 [sauvignon blanc, malagousia, robola]
-Domaine Hatzimichalis Assyrtiko Alepotrype Vineyard 2022 PGI Atalanti Valley
-Ktima Biblia Areti White 2020 PGI Pangeon [assyrtiko]
-Ktima Biblia Ovilos White 2022 PGI Pangeon
-Ktima Tselepos Amalia Brut NV [moschofilero]
-Zoinos Winery Sparkling White Extra Brut 2021 PDO Zitsa  [debina]
-Kitma Pavlidis Emphasis Assyrtiko 2022 PGI Drama
-Kitma Spiropoulos Ode Panos Rose 2020 Brut
-Oenops Wines Apla Dry White 2022
-Papagiannakos Winery Salvatiano Old Vines 2022 PGI Markopoulo
-Papagiannakos Winery Salvatiano "Vientzi" 2020 PGI Markopoulo
-Papagiannakos Winery Kalogeri Malagousia 2022 PGI Attiki  
-Santo Wines Grand Reserve Santorini Assyrtiko 2020 PDO Santorini [oaked]  [fave today]
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Malamatima Four Angels Red 2022 PGI Peloponnese [syrah/merlot]
-Malamatima Four Angels White PGI Peloponnese [chardonnay/malagousia]
-Malamatina Winery Filioma Moschofilero 2022  PGI Peloponnese
-Boutari Moschofilero 2022 PDO Mantinia
-Domaine Skouras Cuvee Prestige White 2022 PGI Peloponnese
-Domaine Skouras Assyrtiko Wild Ferment 2022 PGI Peloponnese
-Cavino Mega Spileo Cuvee III White 2022 PGI Achaia
-Domaine Costa Lazaridi Malagousia 2022 PGI Drama
-Domaine Costa Lazaridi Chateau Julia Assyrtiko 2022 PGI Drama
-Domaine Hatzimichalis Kapnias Red 2020 [cabernet sauvignon] PGI Atalanti Valley
-Ktima Biblia Chora White 2022 PGI Pangeon
-Papagiannakos Winery Assyrtiko 2022 PGI Attiki
-Santo Wines Santorini Assyrtiko 2022 PDO Santorini
-Santo Wines Santorini Nykteri 2022 PDO Santorini

The Food: cheese platters with biscuits and breads and fresh fruit; grilled baby octopus with chili crisp; hot apps on platters of chicken, fish, lamb meatballs, fried veggie balls. The highlight for me was the oregano and lemon lamb kleftiko and charred eggplant. 
The Downside: I had just come from an earlier wine portfolio tasting.
The Upside: good exposure to wines that dance in the catalogue.
The Contact Person: lisa@androscom.com 
The Event’s Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90.