<\/p>\n
Key to the 5-star rating system:<\/strong><\/em> Wine colour indicators – Red<\/span>, Whites<\/span>, etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Foci …<\/strong> Portugal<\/em> (PRT<\/strong>) and Argentina<\/em> (ARG<\/strong>) Argentina …<\/strong> Australia …<\/strong> Austria …<\/strong> Canada<\/strong> (Ontario) … click on wine name for full review<\/em><\/span> Chile …<\/strong> France<\/strong> (Bordeaux) …<\/em><\/span> Germany …<\/strong> Italy<\/strong> (Piedmont) …<\/em><\/span> New Zealand …<\/strong> Portugal …<\/strong> Spain …<\/strong> United States<\/strong> (California) …<\/em><\/span> In-Store Discoveries: wines that appear on the shelves of your local Vintages outlet …<\/strong> If You Can Afford It: wines worth their high price …<\/strong> What I’ll Be Lining Up For (January 21, 2017) …<\/strong> Happy Shopping<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/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 … Portugal (PRT) and Argentina (ARG)The Skinny … Not the greatest of releases, but not the worst; the Portuguese wines are the saddest grouping […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3123","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\/3123","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=3123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good<\/em><\/p>\n
The Skinny …<\/strong> Not the greatest of releases, but not the worst; the Portuguese wines are the saddest grouping I have tasted in a while, but the Argentinean stuff more than makes up for it. There are a couple of nice wines in the “What I’d Get” line-up for under $20, and there’s a Rhone Valley red for $26 that’s the best in the release.<\/p>\n
Altaland 2015 Historico Tinto<\/em><\/span> ($16.95 – #477323) – hints of mocha, wood, cassis, finishing smoky. (***) – ARG<\/strong>
Catena Alta 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em><\/span> ($47.95 – #959965) – good fruit flavours of blueberry and cassis with a tangy and herbal component. (*** ½) – ARG<\/strong>
Colome Estate 2013 Malbec<\/em><\/span> ($29.95 – #477315) – blueberry, spice and pepper with good acidity. (****) – ARG<\/strong>
Fabre Montmayou 2014 Barrel Selection Malbec<\/em><\/span> ($18.95 – #477364) – blue and black berry with black cherry and spice. (*** ½+) – ARG<\/strong>
Vina Cobos 2015 Felino Chardonnay<\/span> ($19.95 – #119099) – nice weight with good tropical, pineapple, peach, vanilla, butter and with a spicy finish; very California in style. (****) – ARG<\/strong>
Vina Cobos 2015 Felino Malbec<\/span><\/em> ($19.95 – #118067) – supple and smooth with black cherry, and a peppery note to the finish. (*** ½) – ARG<\/strong>
Zuccardi 2014 Emma Bonarda<\/span><\/em> ($39.95 – #477372) – dark fruit and spice, this wine is a nice version of Bonarda, but price is an issue here. (***) – ARG<\/strong><\/p>\n
Penfolds 2014 Bin 2 Shiraz\/Mataro<\/em><\/span> ($24.95 – #468629) – nuanced flavours or white pepper, mocha, blackberry, cassis and red currants with hints of spice on the finish. (*** ½+)<\/p>\n
Rabl 2015 Langenlois Gruner Veltliner<\/em> <\/span>($14.95 – #377457) – peapod, citrus and mineral with a long finish. (*** ½)<\/p>\n
Chateau des Charmes 2015 St. David’s Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit<\/em><\/a> ($17.95 – #346742) – *** ½+
Featherstone 2015 Black Sheep Riesling<\/a> ($16.95 – #80234) – ****+
Inniskillin 2014 Cabernet Franc Icewine<\/a> ($54.95 \/ 200ml – #149963) – ****
The Tragically Hip 2015 Fully Completely Grand Reserve Red<\/a> ($24.95 – #411595) – ***+<\/p>\n
Santa Alicia 2012 Millantu<\/em> <\/span>($24.95 – #469288) – layers of dark fruit, chocolate, herbal, floral and spice; playful yet serious at the same time, with a lengthy spiced finish. (****)<\/p>\n
Chateau Larose-Trintaudon 2012<\/em><\/span> ($24.95 – #297945) – nice balance of oak, smoke, and blackberry; needs time but will reward. (*** ½+)
France<\/strong> (Loire) …<\/em><\/span>
Jean-Max Roger 2014 Cuvee CM Sancerre Blanc<\/em><\/span> ($27.95 – #196667) – nice grassy and grapefruit zest note. (*** ½+)
France<\/strong> (Rhone) …<\/em><\/span>
Domaine Durieu 2014 Chateauneuf-du-Pape<\/em><\/span> ($41.95 – #320168) – good balance of dark and red fruit, cherry, chocolate, mocha, pepper and spice. (****)
Ferraton Pere & Fils 2014 Samorens Cotes du Rhone<\/span><\/em> ($15.95 – #168708) – dark fruit and berries with mocha-cherry notes. (*** ½)
Lavau 2014 Vacqueyras<\/em><\/span> ($25.95 – #104927) – plum, cherry, blackberry, chocolate with a touch of oak, it’s well balanced with good acidity on the finish; best wine in the release. (****+)<\/p>\n
Loosen Bros. 2015 Dr. L Riesling<\/em><\/span> ($13.95 – #599274) – nice acid \/ sweetness balance ratio with apple, pear, peach and mineral-stoniness; great value for a really good wine. (****)<\/p>\n
Michele Chiarlo 2015 Le Marne Gavi<\/em><\/span> ($16.95 – #228528) – crisp with plenty of citrus zest. (*** ½)
Italy<\/strong> (Puglia) …<\/em><\/span>
San Marzano 2012 Vindoro Negroamaro<\/em><\/span> ($18.95 – #473181) – sweet fruit, fresh, dark and concentrated; smooth and silky. (*** ½+)
Italy<\/strong> (Tuscany) …<\/em><\/span>
Basciano 2013 Chianti Rufina<\/em><\/span> ($15.95 – #68163) – red berries, cedar with bramble note on the finish. (*** ½)
Bibbiano 2013 Chianti Classico<\/span><\/em> ($23.95 – #168286) – smooth and approachable but with enough acidity to make it food friendly. (*** ½+)
Corte Medicea 2014 Athos<\/em><\/span> ($29.95 – #475996) – pleasant dark berry, mocha, black cherry, nice mouthfeel with hints of plum and oak on the mid-palate. (****)
Italy<\/strong> (Veneto) …<\/em><\/span>
Bolla 2014 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #475574) – real smoky with coffee notes lead the charge, vanilla, black cherry and mocha take over mid to finish. (*** ½+)
Gran Passione 2015 Rosso<\/span><\/em> ($16.95 – #410704) – plum, leather, and cherry are the real stars of this show; the nose dissuades but the palate really comes through: vanilla-cinnamon finish with friendly lingering spice. (****)<\/p>\n
Babich 2014 Black Label Pinot Noir<\/em><\/span> ($24.95 – #465963) – smooth and silky with violets, cherry and smoky flavours and aromas. (****)<\/p>\n
Beyra 2014 Vinhos de Altitude Red<\/em><\/span> ($12.95 – #408120) – nice red fruit flavours touched by spice. (*** ½) – PRT<\/strong>
Quinta do Portal 2014 Frontaria<\/span><\/em> ($14.95 – #324533) – it has a cherry core and a little blackberry and spice. (*** ½) – PRT<\/strong><\/p>\n
Borsao 2013 Crianza<\/em><\/span> ($15.95 – #472563) – good approachability, easy and smooth. (*** ½)
Don Jacobo 2009 Reserva<\/em><\/span> ($22.95 – #313270) – raspberry, cherry, coffee, menthol and cedar. (*** ½)
Honoro Vera 2015 Monastrell<\/em><\/span> ($13.95 – #167684) – generous dark berry fruit concentrated on both the aroma and flavour, great value in a soft, easy drinking, approachable red. (*** ½+)<\/p>\n
Bogle 2014 Essential Red<\/em><\/span> ($21.95 – #394452) – sweet plum, cherry, vanilla with cocoa playing in the background. (***)
Ironstone 2015 Chardonnay<\/span><\/em> ($17.95 – #355776) – touched by tropical and peach pit notes, it’s a decent Chardonnay for the price. (*** ½)
Sterling Vineyards 2014 Oak Knoll Chardonnay<\/em><\/span> ($29.95 – #478891) – very oaky, smoky, grapefruit zest and apple. (*** ½)
________________________________________<\/p>\n
Camus Elegance XO Cognac, France<\/span><\/em> ($216.95 – #79288) … ****
Domaine Poulet & Fils Tradition Clairette de Die, France<\/em><\/span> ($17.95 – #460758) … *** ½
Spy Valley 2012 Envoy Outpost Vineyard Pinot Noir, New Zealand<\/span><\/em> ($49.95 – #465872) – *** ½
Vigneti Zabu 2011 Impari Nero D’Avola, Italy<\/em><\/span> ($36.95 – #477968) – ****<\/p>\n
Antinori 2011 Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino, Italy<\/em><\/span> ($62.95 – #651141) – ****+<\/p>\n
Loosen Bros. 2015 Dr. L Riesling<\/em><\/span> ($13.95 – #599274) – Germany
Gran Passione 2015 Rosso<\/em><\/span> ($16.95 – #410704) – Italy
Vina Cobos 2015 Felino Chardonnay<\/em><\/span> ($19.95 – #119099) – Argentina<\/p>\n