{"id":2504,"date":"2015-10-01T08:12:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T08:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/01\/saturday-october-3-2015-vintages-release-report\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T03:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T03:55:53","slug":"saturday-october-3-2015-vintages-release-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/01\/saturday-october-3-2015-vintages-release-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday October 3, 2015 – Vintages Release Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Key to the 5-star rating system:<\/strong><\/em>
5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good<\/em><\/p>\n

Wine colour indicators – Red<\/span>, Whites<\/span>, etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Foci …<\/strong> Bordeaux (BORD<\/strong>), Fine Spanish Wines (FSW<\/strong>) and Thanksgiving (THX<\/strong>)
The Skinny …<\/strong> There are some pretty good wines in this release, sadly there is not much in the Foci to speak of and you can tell we are getting closer to the holidays, as the wine prices are beginning to creep up (lots in the “If You Can Afford It” section) – but this time out the best values can be found right here at home (Ontario).<\/p>\n

Argentina …<\/strong>
Escorihuela Gascon 1884 Estate Grown Malbec 2013<\/em> <\/span>($16.95 – #375444) – nice smoky, oaky, vanilla and blueberry.  (*** ½+)<\/p>\n

Australia …<\/strong>
Jansz Premium Cuvee<\/em><\/span> ($26.95 – #566828) – toasty citrus, almond, stone fruit and hazelnut.  (*** ½+)
Penfolds 2013 Bin 128 Shiraz<\/span><\/em> ($34.95 – #509919) – coffee, licorice, plum, blackberry and cassis.  (*** ½+)<\/p>\n

Canada<\/strong> (British Columbia) …<\/em><\/span>
Burrowing Owl 2013 Cabernet Franc<\/em><\/span> ($44.95 – #349019) – this is a gentle Franc that’s full of flavour: cherry, smoke, vanilla-oak, raspberry, blackberry and well balanced; just the right mix of spice and acidity on the finish.  (****)
Church & State 2012 Coyote Bowl Chardonnay<\/em><\/span> ($32.95 – #423244) – rich peach, vanilla, cinnamon, spicy, creamy and warming.  (*** ½+)
Canada<\/strong> (Ontario) … click on wine name for full review<\/em><\/span>
2027 2012 Wismer Vineyard Fox Croft Block Chardonnay<\/em><\/a> ($30.00 – #421362) – ****
Angels Gate 2010 Mountainview Chardonnay<\/em><\/a> ($19.95 – #116384) – (see re-tasting) ****+ (THX<\/strong>)
Henry of Pelham 2012 Reserve Baco Noir<\/a> ($24.95 – #461699) – ****
Keint-he 2013 Voyageur Gamay Noir<\/em><\/a> ($25.00 – #426858) – ****
Kevin O’Leary 2012 Trevor Family Reserve Red<\/em><\/a> ($29.00 – #421347) – *** ½+
Rosewood 2013 Origin Cabernet Franc<\/em><\/a> ($25.95 – #427534) – *** ½+
Rosewood 2012 Select Series Pinot Noir<\/em><\/a> ($21.95 – #112177) – ****
Stratus 2013 Red Icewine<\/a><\/em> ($39.95 \/ 200ml – #56689) – **** (THX<\/strong>)
Tawse 2011 Sketches Cabernet Merlot<\/em><\/a> ($20.95 – #130252) – **** ½+
Westcott Vineyards 2012 Estate Pinot Noir<\/em><\/a> ($30.00 – #427500) – *** ½<\/p>\n

France<\/strong> (Beaujolais) …<\/em><\/span>
Stephane Aviron 2012 Vieilles Vignes Morgon Cote du Py<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #424804) – dark fruit driven with black pepper; nicely balanced.  (****)
France<\/strong> (Bordeaux) …<\/em><\/span>
Chateau de France 2010<\/em><\/span> ($49.95 – #426478) – nice spice, smoky dark fruit and nice bite on the finish.  (****) – BORD<\/strong>
France<\/strong> (Burgundy) …<\/em><\/span>
Charles Duret Brut Cremant de Bourgogne<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #185694) – lime, bready, almond-biscotti; quite lovely.  (****)
Nicolas Potel 2010 Montagny 1er Cru<\/em><\/span> ($28.95 – #127431) – apple, vanilla cream, lime pith and grilled peach; nice rich mouth-feel.  (****)
France<\/strong> (Champagne) …<\/em><\/span>
Gardet Cuvee Saint Flavy Brut Tradition Champagne<\/em><\/span> ($41.95 – #924654) – flinty minerality, lemon curd, rich and flavourful in the mouth with a touch of nuttiness and fresh bread dough.  (****+)
France<\/strong> (Loire) …<\/em><\/span>
Domaine Bonnard 2014 Pouilly-Fume<\/em><\/span> ($23.95 – #65987) – fresh and mineral driven with lots of citrus and pith notes.  (*** ½+)
France<\/strong> (Midi) …<\/em><\/span>
Chateau Saint-Roch Chimeres 2013<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #119354) – plum and black cherry with a nice spicy finish.  (****)
France<\/strong> (Southwest) …<\/em><\/span>
Domaine La Tour Vielle Reserva Banyuls<\/span><\/em> ($29.95 – #422626) – tar and orange peel with bitter orange and almond with a spicy lingering finish.  (****)<\/p>\n

Germany …<\/strong>
Bischofliche Wienguter Trier Dom Riesling 2013<\/em><\/span> ($17.95 – #359596) – walks a tightrope between sweet-mineral and acidity.  (****)<\/p>\n

Hungary …<\/strong>
Carpinus 2013 Dry Furmint<\/em><\/span> ($14.95 – #417865) – nice fruit of pear, apricot; this one is fruity and fun and worth picking up.  (*** ½+)<\/p>\n

Italy<\/strong> (Sicily) …<\/span><\/em>
Cusumano 2012 Noa<\/em><\/span> ($22.95 – #109512) – velvety dark fruit with chocolate, cassis, vanilla; good spice and pepper on the long finish.  (****+)
Italy<\/strong> (Tuscany) …<\/em><\/span>
Leonardo 2011 Chianti Riserva<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #164707) – smooth and very drinkable, grab a burger and enjoy.  (*** ½+)
Tenuta Sette Ponti 2012 Crognolo<\/em><\/span> ($34.95 – #727636) – spicy cassis, dark cherry, but the best part is the layers of spice.  (*** ½+)
Italy<\/strong> (Veneto) …<\/em><\/span>
Villa Annaberta 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella<\/span><\/em> ($39.95 – #338921) – coffee, black cherry, mocha, smoke and a nice spicy finish.  (****)<\/p>\n

New Zealand …<\/strong>
Jules Taylor 2014 Sauvignon Blanc<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #224428) – passion fruit, pea pod, asparagus, and citrus; mellow and tasty.  (****)<\/p>\n

Portugal …<\/strong>
Herdade do Sobroso 2013 Sobro Red<\/em><\/span> ($14.95 – #306563) – licorice, mocha, plum, black cherry, white pepper.  (*** ½+)<\/p>\n

Spain …<\/strong>
Alconte 2010 Crianza<\/em><\/span> ($27.95 – #426221) – mocha, cherry, smoky and plum.  (****) – FSW<\/strong>
Anayon 2012 Garnacha<\/em><\/span> ($30.95 – #424424) – deliciously smooth, silky, dark berries and cassis with a smoky-cherry-vanilla finish.  (*** ½+) – FSW<\/strong>
Terras Gauda O Rosal Blanco 2013<\/em><\/span> ($24.95 – #40238) – rich and flavourful with pineapple and a little grapefruit.  (*** ½+) – FSW<\/strong>  <\/p>\n

United States<\/strong> (California) …<\/em><\/span>
Cannonball 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em><\/span> ($24.95 – #291666) – sweet and silky with lots of chocolate cherry.  (*** ½+)
Grayson Cellars 2013 Zinfandel<\/span> <\/em>($19.95 – #414862) – fruit driven Zin; good introuduction ot the grape for those that don’t know Zinfandel is a RED.  (*** ½+)
Kenwood 2012 Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em><\/span> ($39.95 – #944843) – black fruit dominant with plenty of spice; sit in the cellar and let mellow.  (*** ½+)
La Crema 2013 Pinot Noir<\/em><\/span> ($31.95 – #732040) – soft and juicy with cherry and cranberry cocktail.  (*** ½+)
Terra D’oro 2012 Zinfandel<\/em> <\/span>($21.95 – #429225) – serious Zin with cherry, mocha, cola, vanilla and herbal character that got a deliciously spicy finish.  (****)
United States<\/strong> (Oregon) …<\/em><\/span>
Acrobat 2013 Pinot Noir<\/span><\/em> ($24.95 – #421149) – fresh cranberry, raspberry and nice acidity to balance it out.  (*** ½)<\/p>\n

________________________________________<\/p>\n

In-Store Discoveries – wines that appear on the shelves of your local Vintages outlet …<\/strong>
Claymore 2010 Nirvana Reserve Shiraz<\/em><\/span> ($44.95 – #420596) – ****+
Cantine Tollo Cagiolo 2010 Riserva Montepulciano D’Abruzzo<\/span><\/em> ($37.95 – #122929) – ****
Castello di Volpaia 2012 Riserva Chianti Classico<\/span> <\/em>($41.95 – #705335) – ****
Flametree 2012 SRS Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span><\/em> ($52.95 – #425843) – *** ½
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2013<\/span><\/em> ($28.95 – #336396) – *** ½+
Pahlmeyer 2012 Merlot<\/em> <\/span>($133.95 – #978023) – ****<\/p>\n

If You Can Afford It – wines worth their high price …<\/strong>
Adaptation 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span> ($61.95 – #353102) – ****
Chateau Le Caillou 2009<\/span> ($52.95 – #45682) – *** ½+ – BORD<\/strong>
Frank Family 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span><\/em> ($59.95 – #246900) – *** ½+
Krupp Brothers 2009 Veraison Red<\/span><\/em> ($84.95 – #419424) – ****
Le Vieux Donjon 2013 Chateauneuf-du-Pape<\/span><\/em> ($58.95 – #700922) – ****
Paul Hobbs 2013 Chardonnay, Russian River<\/span><\/em> ($59.95 – #119073) – ****+
Tenuta San Vincenti 2011 Gran Selezione Chianti Classico<\/em><\/span> ($54.95 – #414417) – *****+<\/p>\n

What I’ll Be Lining Up For – October 3, 2015 …<\/strong>
Carpinus 2013 Dry Furmint<\/em><\/span> ($14.95 – #417865) – Hungary
Cusumano 2012 Noa<\/span> ($22.95 – #109512) – Italy
Terra D’oro 2012 Zinfandel<\/span> ($21.95 – #429225) – California<\/p>\n

Happy Shopping<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Key to the 5-star rating system:5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good Wine colour indicators – Red, Whites, etc. The Foci … Bordeaux (BORD), Fine Spanish Wines (FSW) and Thanksgiving (THX)The Skinny … There are some pretty good wines in this release, sadly there is not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vintages-releases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7491,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504\/revisions\/7491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}