Buyers’ Guide to VINTAGES Nov 22nd – Part Two

Holiday Gift Bottles
By John Szabo MS with notes from David Lawrason and Sara d’Amato

John Szabo, MS

This week the WineAlign crü has come together to offer some gift suggestions for the wine lovers on your holiday shopping list. And since all love is not equal, we’ve split the recommendations into three price categories: under $30, under $60 and “money is no object”. Instructions: select the recipient, select the price category, then cut and paste in the suggestion of your favorite WineAlign critic, and send. Don’t forget to include the write-up in the gift card; that way, if your recipient is disappointed, you can blame us.

Under $30

Vallado 2011, Douro, Portugal ($22.95)
John Szabo – The perfect wine for anyone looking for a horizon expansion. A dense and ripe red blend, thanks to the soon-to-be-legendary 2011 vintage (what a port year!). This will satisfy high-impact new world style wine lovers as well as those after a little more earth, minerality, genuine tension and structure. Enclose this photo of the magnificent Douro Valley for added vicarious value, and mention that Vallado has a beautiful boutique hotel, just in case.

Lungarotti 2010 Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano, Umbria, Italy ($19.95)
John Szabo – A fine discovery for the Italian wine lover on your list who’s stuck in the more popular tourist destinations. Lungarotti single-handedly established this appellation surrounding the beautiful hilltop town of Torgiano in the “green heart” of Italy, as Umbria is known, and has been producing classic dusty, red-fruited sangiovese for decades. As fine as any Chianti at the price, and something a little different.

Finca Constancia 2011 Altos De La Finca, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain ($21.95)
David Lawrason – This is for the explorer on your list who relishes rich reds. Finca Constantia is a very modern new winery by Gonzales Byass – a large Spanish wine company based in Jerez. This creative multi-grape blend includes tempranillo, petit verdot and syrah. At this price you might want to buy several and spread them around – as a curio host/hostess gift, or for mates at the office Christmas party.

Paolo Conterno 2013 Bricco Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy ($19.95)
David Lawrason – For the lover of all things Italian (who may be also happen to be Italian) here is a wonderfully exuberant, approachable young barbera from one of my favourite Piemontese producers. The wines are always meticulous and exact for their variety. This would be ideal around a holiday charcuterie and cheese board. Better buy two or three.

Humberto Canale 2013 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Alto Valle Del Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina, ($14.95)
Sara d’Amato – Cool climate growing areas are all the rage and if you’ve wondered why, check out this exceptional value sauvignon blanc from the cool and arid reaches of Patagonia – one of the world’s most southerly wine regions. Humberto Canale is a pioneer of this sunny and windswept part of the world, having established the winery in the early 1900s.

Salomon Undhof 2012 Alte Reben Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria ($21.95)
Sara d’Amato – Flavour-wise, this is a textbook grüner veltliner but with more oomph and power than the norm. It is immediately impressive and is an excellent introduction to this exotic and compelling varietal.

McWilliams’s 2007 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon, Hunter Valley, Australia ($19.95)
Sara d’Amato – For those who love aged semillon, you will find this 2007 Hunter Valley an absolute treat. I couldn’t get enough of its lovely nuttiness, its youthful vibrancy and its long, creamy finish.

$30 to $60

Cune 2008 Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain ($39.95)
John Szabo – As all great Rioja, this wine should be on the list for all old world pinot noir fans (including Burgundy) considering the parallels in elegance, finesse and minerality. They also age magnificently; mention to the recipient that he/she can drink it now or hold twenty years or more sin problema.

Confidences De Prieuré-Lichine 2010, Margaux, Bordeaux ($48.95)
David Lawrason – In great vintages like 2010 the “second” labels of famous chateau like Prieure-Lichine offer great value. I would give this to the budding, young wine enthusiast who would normally not fork out $50, but needs to experience the seamless finesse that Bordeaux, and indeed Margaux, does better than most. A very similar Margaux was my first true fine wine experience and I have never looked back.
John Szabo – I couldn’t agree more with David. This is very classy, elegant, highly pleasurable Bordeaux, and a great reference for Margaux. The budding sommelier/wine enthusiast will thank you for this experience.

Cuvelier Los Andes 2009 Grand Malbec, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina ($61.95)
David Lawrason – An ideal gift for the wine drinker on your list who loves inexpensive Argentine malbec but might never spring for an expensive example. This is from one the great new properties of Mendoza, owned by the Cuvelier family that has made wine in France since the early 19th Century. They bring the Bordeaux vision of a structured, layered wine for cellaring, and it’s a dandy!

Daniel Rion & Fils 2011 Les Grandes Vignes, Nuits Saint Georges, Burgundy, France, ($59.95)
Sara d’Amato – This Nuits Saints Georges is impressive across the board from complexity to length and finesse. If pinot noir is the heartbreak grape, then prepare for a tear-jerking episode. But truly, pinot noir can provoke knee-quaking sensations when exceptional and this is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Henry Of Pelham 2008 Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc De Blanc, VQA Short Hills Bench, Ontario, Canada ($44.95)
Sara d’Amato – Whether to ring in the New Year or to crack open and enhance the mood, the Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blanc over-delivers and is a great way to get the experience of a vintage Champagne for a fraction of the price.

Money No Object

2007 Masi Mazzano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy ($101.95) and
2007 Masi Campolongo di Torbe Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy ($101.95)
John Szabo – So, if money really is no object, buy a bottle of each of these extraordinary amarones for someone special – preferably a friend you still intend to have in twenty years. Then, hopefully, you’ll also be invited to compare these two side by side, for a truly memorable experience. I’ve done it with the last handful of vintages of Masi’s two great crus (alas when far too young), and I love the consistently muscular, herculean strength of the Mazzano, accurately described by Masi as “austere and majestic”, as much as I love the ethereal finesse and opulence (relatively speaking) of the Campolongo di Torbe, “Masi’s elegant cru version of Amarone”. Both of these 2007s will surely be counted among the great Amarones of the modern age.

Stags’ Leap 2010 The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA ($89.95).
John Szabo – For the Napa collector, invite him to compare this wine, preferably blind, with more expensive versions. In the perilously over-valued world of Napa cabernet, this is an example with true depth, complexity and concentration that’s worth the money. There won’t be any disappointment.

Spottswoode Estate 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California ($167.95)
David Lawrason – Regular readers know I struggle with the lack of value in California – not so much due to lack of quality but exaggerated pricing. Well if I were to buy one $100+ Napa cab as a gift for a California wine collector this would be it. Spottswoode is spot-on in terms of finding nuance and complexity. The cool 2011 vintage is panned by some, but I think it is providing added vitality and nuance.

Barossa Valley Estate 2008 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia ($89.95)
David Lawrason – I suggest you don’t dither over this – it will be gone in a flash. It’s an iconic Barossa shiraz from a great vintage, and it’s packing incredible intensity, layering and depth. It’s actually decent value at $90, so if you were thinking in this generous but non-ostentatious price range for a business associate who loves wine, this is the ticket. And it doesn’t need to be cellared further, though it will certainly live another decade with ease.

Château Pontet Canet 2010, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, ($249.85)
Sara d’Amato – Thrilling, riveting, downright sensational and perhaps the finest example from this Chateau I have ever tasted. Quite impressive already, this is also a gift with a great deal of staying power.

Volcanic Wine Tour

Still wondering what to do Friday night (November 21st)? Join me at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo at 6:30pm, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, for an exotic tour of the world’s best volcanoes. And, of course, the exceptional wines that grow on them. Find out why I spent the last 4 months touring volcanoes from Hungary to the Canary Islands to Chile. To buy tickets, go to foodandwineexpo.ca. Guaranteed explosive fun.

That’s all for this week. Happy shopping and see you over the next bottle.

John Szabo MS

From VINTAGES Nov 22nd:

Szabo’s Smart Buys
Sara’s Sommelier Selections
Lawrason’s Take
All Reviews

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