WILLIAMS & HUMBERT WALNUT BROWN RARE OLD BROWN OLOROSO  
  
TASTING NOTE: This tasty medium sweet sherry keeps rolling along in terms of quality and value. Nuts and spice fill the nose with some lemon-lime overtones. Slightly rich yet fresh on the palate with just the right amount of sweetness. The nutty character lingers on the finish. Well proportioned with good length.
Score - 87. (Jeff Davis, Wine Access, The Lawrason E-Report, July 7, 2007) 

437467    (S)            750 mL    $11.95   

Malvasia (a.k.a. Malmsey) is the sweetest of the four styles of Madeira. Though it's the 'sweetest' of the bunch, the inherently high acidity of a Madeira gives this an even drier aspect than Port. The intensity of a 10-year-old Madeira has to be tried to be believed. Enjoy with mature cheeses, dried fruits or nuts.

This is the equivalent of a 10-Year-Old Tawny (as it has been aged for a decade) except this, like all Colheita ports, is from a single vintage and an exceptional one at that. This forceful wine displays rich dried fruit, vanilla, chocolate and coffee aromas and flavours. As it has spent 10 years in barrel, it will not require decanting.

Made with the finest version of Muscat (i.e., Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), this dessert wine has an exceptional, intense aroma of peach, table grapes, apricot, mango and hints of lychee. It is full, velvety and quite sweet. It is, however, beautifully balanced by a seam of acidity. Enjoy with fruit-based desserts.

USA

GLORIA FERRER SONOMA BRUT  
Sonoma County  

A succulent fizz with vibrant aromas of ripe apple, caramel, spice, cherry and cinnamon toast. Delicious on its own, it will also match a vast array of foods, including steamed clams, grilled salmon, roasted pork tenderloin or stuffed, roasted red peppers. It will reward 2-4 years in a cellar.

This wine won a Gold Medal and was named Best White Wine at the peer-judged 2008 Cuvée Awards in Niagara.

TASTING NOTE: ... one of Niagara Peninsula's leading vintners of premium wine, Cave Spring struck gold this year at Cuvee winning a top medal for this gewurztraminer. It has an intense rosewater bouquet and spiced lychee character typical of the grape. Full, flavourful with nice depth, it's a classic example of the varietal. (Margaret Swaine, The National Post, March 15, 2008) 

302059    (D)            750 mL    $19.95     

Château des Charmes won an astounding 8 medals at the 2007 Canadian Wine Awards, including a Silver for this bright and fruity Sauvignon Blanc. This dry, medium-bodied Savvy displays an array of grapefruit, gooseberry and mineral aromas and offers tantalizing citrus flavours balanced by lovely acidity and a crisp, lingering finish. A great match for smoked trout or a tomato and basil pasta.

The Ice House winery is a partnership between brothers Jamie and Doug MacFarlane. Doug, a veteran film producer, brings to the table his business acumen and Jamie provides his expertise as an accomplished winemaker. Perfectly balanced, this Vidal features aromas and flavours of peach, mango, pear, sweet spices and honey. It's delicious on its own after a meal or when served with a cheese course.

Ironstone pulls out all the stops for this reserve-tier Cab Franc. Sourced from top vineyard sites in Calaveras County and the Sierra Foothills, this full-bodied wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak casks. It's packed with ripe cherry, raspberry, coffee and spice flavours, with rich earth and vanilla oak notes. The ripe fruit is balanced by ample tannins. Decant and enjoy with grilled New York steaks.

Proprietors Steve and Lori Felton's vine-growing roots run deep, going back five generations in Lodi. This rich and ultra-ripe Zinfandel is full-bodied with intense cherry, raspberry and dried-fruit flavours. Soft and easy-drinking, it's a great wine to pair with saucy barbecued ribs.

Rosenblum's mammoth house-style Syrah offers a mouthful of flavour, not to mention terrific value. It serves up aromas of black cherry, mocha and vanilla leading to a palate that features mouth-filling berry and spice flavours, chewy tannins and a long, dry finish. Match with rare steak to tame the tannins.

Vintage after vintage, this Cab proves to be a serious wine at an excellent price. Full-bodied and well-balanced, it's built solidly with layers of blackcurrant, blackberry, coffee and cedar flavours as well as some firm and fresh tannins. Stock up on this one to enjoy with steaks hot off of the barbecue all summer long.

The name of this second-label from Hugh Hamilton shares the trademark playfulness of his other wines (e.g., The Villain, The Scallywag) but assumes a more innocent character. Jim Jim is named for the winery's loyal dog, Jimmy. This fresh and juicy unoaked Chardonnay features pure fruit flavours of apple, pear and citrus that lead to a long crisp finish. Delicious with grilled tuna steaks.

Penmara is a co-operative of five vine-growing families in New South Wales. Together they own 400 acres (162 ha) of prime vineyard land in Australia's oldest wine-growing state. The Reserve Chardonnay is packed with concentrated melon and citrus fruit flavours. It is dry and full-bodied with its ripe fruit flavours balanced by subtle oak notes. Terrific with grilled-chicken salad or pan-seared scallops.

This is the debut vintage of this Rhône-style GSM blend. Comprised of 65% Grenache, 20% Shiraz and 15% Mourvèdre, this medium full-bodied wine shows strawberry, blackberry and licorice characteristics with notes of vanilla and cedar balanced by fresh acidity, soft tannins and a spicy finish.

This wine is sourced from a single vineyard in the Mount Barker region of Western Australia. Aged for one year in a mixture of new and used oak barrels, this wine displays aromas of blackcurrant, red licorice, cherry and spicy black pepper. Soft and approachable, this mouth-filling Shiraz offers good value with its intense fruit flavours and hints of mocha and smoky toast. Exquisite with lamb burgers.

South Africa produces some of the best Chenin Blanc wines in the world and this is a great example. With grapes hand-picked from 40-year-old bush vines and hand-sorted to ensure only the very best fruit is used, Lammershoek's Chenin Blanc is the embodiment of a hand-crafted wine. Rich with honey, smoke and baked apple aromas, this dry, full-bodied wine is elegant and complex and will pair well with rich seafood, roast chicken and pastas in a cream sauce.

You know a wine is really starting to catch on when it acquires a 'cool' nickname. Grüner Veltliner is now called GrüVe by the in-crowd. Grüner Veltliner may be difficult for people to say (GROON-er VELT-lea-ner), but it is becoming one of the hippest and hottest wines on the market. Dry and flavourful with a peppery or spicy overtone, it is a great match for many fish (especially salmon) and seafood dishes.

The name Anne Boecklin, an historical figure from the 16th century who was important to early Alsatian winemaking, is a deliberate evocation of the feminine to represent the style of wine produced here. This floral- and exotic fruit-scented Riesling is ideal as a contemplation wine or match it to lighter seafood dishes.

Established in 1725, Domaine Saint-Rémy is a family-owned winery rich in tradition. Current owner/winemaker Philippe Ehrhart learned at the feet of his father François, who was also weaned on winemaking traditions. This powerful and seductive wine is loaded with aromas of lychee, meadow flowers and a variety of spices. A great match for spicy cuisine. Our Quality Assurance laboratory has determined that this wine contains 27 mg/l of free sulphur.

Domaine Cauvard has long been regarded as a respected négociant. Nevertheless, their 'monopole' wines (i.e., wines grown, made and bottled on their own property) are developing an equally deserved reputation. This monopole Chardonnay is indicative of their abilities. Aromas of binned apples, pear, mineral and a gentle toastiness dominate. Age it for up to three years, or match it tonight to grilled herbed-chicken breast or braised pork dishes.

Georges Duboeuf, even at the age of 75, is still actively involved in his company. Alongside his son and heir apparent Franck, he still tastes for three hours every day and personally selects the wines that bear the Duboeuf name. An excellent example is this fabulous, rich and robust Chardonnay, featuring aromas of pear, apple, mineral and gunflint. A great wine to enjoy with freshwater fish.

Chéreau-Carré has earned a reputation as a top producer of Muscadet. This racy white from the 2006 vintage offers lemon-lime and peach flavours, and a crisp finish. It makes an ideal companion to steamed mussels.

There is a group of villages in the Coteaux du Layon AC that, due to the superior quality of their terroir, are allowed to append their names to the appellation. Saint-Aubin is one such village. Coteaux du Layon wines used to be overly sweet and confected. But in the mid-1990s, producers such as Domaine Cady began picking fruit earlier, resulting in dessert wines that are now recognized as medium sweet, balanced, and highly quaffable. Serve chilled with mature cheeses.

The vines for this wine are nurtured in the perfect admixture of siliceous/cloay soil, limestone and a tuffeau rock sub-layer that supplies superb drainage for Chenin Blanc. Fermented at low temperatures to slowly extract all the flavours possible, this medium-dry, superbly balanced Chenin Blanc displays layers of peach, pear, lemon and apricot aromas and flavours. Age 3-5+ years or match now with mildly spiced seafood dishes.

Viognier is a grape variety that is not allowed under the AC wine rules for the Midi. But, since the variety has reacted so well to the climate there, many producers simply cannot resist growing it and releasing it under the Vin de Pays d'Oc label. Vivacious aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit and melon dominate this dry, rich, round and flavourful wine. A great wine for sipping on the back patio, or match it to barbecued chicken.

The Marès family began making wine in Algeria during the early 20th century and would later acquire properties in Bordeaux (Château Puy Castéra) and in Costières de Nîmes where they founded the renowned winery that produces this wine. Their Cuvée Tradition is a floral, Muscat-like wonder that matches beautifully with the cheeses of the Rhône, such as Sérac and Saint-Marcellin.

Domaine de la Tour du Bief's Gamay from the Moulin-à-Vent AC has been favourably compared to Gevrey-Chambertin and other Burgundian Pinot Noirs. From its elegant aromas to its cherry and plum flavours, this Gamay will charm you. It should reward 2-4 years in a cellar, rare for a Gamay, but can also be enjoyed tonight with roast beef au jus.

Christian Clerget said that 2005 is an "exceptional vintage ... We picked under ideal conditions ... the bunches were so ripe, we had excellent sugars and really beautiful phenolics but the aspect that I like the best is the truly textbook balance between sugars, phenolics and acidities ... Overall, '05 is a beautiful vintage that should age extremely well." (www.burghound.com, Jan. 2007) Here's another spectacular ambassador of Burgundy's stellar 2005 vintage.

Boutenac was long considered to contain the best terroir in the Corbières AC, so it came as no surprise that it was granted its own subappellation status in 2005. All Corbières Boutenac wines must contain a minimum of 30% Carignan. When growers use old vines Carignan, as they clearly do here, there is a spiciness and concentration that is very pleasing, leading to a palate filled with fruit and cedar flavours. Match it to a roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic.

This blend of 72% Grenache, 25% Syrah and a touch of Mourvèdre and Cinsault was aged in large, seasoned wine casks. The resulting wine has a lovely grace to it, offering a vibrant nose of strawberry, lavender, rose petals and raspberry and an excellent combination of minerality, ripe fruit and fine tannins. Age it 3-5 years or match it now with grilled leg of lamb.

This is one of my favorite value-priced producers. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, June 2004). This delicious, barrel-aged Syrah, made by a modern producer in one of the southern Rhône's best undiscovered regions, offers exceptional quality and value vintage after vintage. The ripe berry and brambly fruit flavours are balanced by earth, meat and spice notes as well as ample tannin and acidity. Enjoy with grilled leg of lamb or rich meat-pasta dishes.

Beginning with the 2006 vintage, Cave de Rasteau uses the Ortas brand name for all their wines.

TASTING NOTE: Chewy but fresh, with dark fig, tobacco, tar and mineral notes that are pushed by briary tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2009. Score - 89. (James Molesworth, www.winespectator.com, April 28, 2008) 

998716    (XD)            750 mL    $15.95   

Made with the classic Tokay grapes Furmint (75%) and Hárslevelü (25%), this wine is loaded with caramel, ripe peach, vanilla bean and honeyed-mango aromas and flavours. A rich, medium-sweet wine that is balanced by a fine seam of acidity. Cellar it for 3+ years or try it tonight with crème brûlée.

Borgo Magredo is located in an area of Friuli known for its gravelly soil (referred to locally as 'magredi'). Its vineyards abut against the foot of the Carnic Alps, enjoying a microclimate that helps create a crisp, fresh, and vivacious wine filled with pear and citrus aromas and flavours. A delicious counterpoint to pasta with cream sauce.

Few wines smell and taste like spring as the lovely, slightly sweet, low alcohol, highly aromatic and frizzante Moscato d'Asti does. Its aromas are reminiscent of spring meadow flowers, grapefruit, table grapes and sweet herbs. Medium sweet, it is nicely balanced out by a seam of youthful acidity. A great patio sipper or match it to mildly spiced Thai or Indian dishes.

A 50/50 blend of the aromatic Fiano and structured Greco.

TASTING NOTE: From Puglia comes this rather musky, meaty, dry white of rich, mouth-filling fruit and a real dusty chalkiness before a lingering, savoury finish. It's scented with orange blossom and cinnamon, with some candied fruit aromas beneath. While there's perhaps a faint trace of residual sugar, it's certainly able to be treated as a refreshing and deliciously textured, dry white. Great to quaff. (Jeremy Oliver, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Aug./Sept. 2007) 

060939    (D)            750 mL    $14.95   

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the great white wine of Tuscany. Incidentally, it was the first region in all of Italy to be granted a DOC appellation which was later upgraded to DOCG. At their best, such as this incarnation, these wines are crisp and refreshing with a pleasing bitterness on the finish. An excellent choice for steamed clams or mussels.

Robert Anselmi stepped away from the Soave DOC in order to create wines that he felt better reflected the region; this light and fresh San Vincenzo, which grabs your attention with its ripe citrus, tropical fruit, melon, pear and peach aromas and flavours, is a prime example. A concentrated blend of Garganega, Chardonnay and a little Trebbiano. Enjoy it with grilled white fish or fettuccine with pesto sauce.

"This estate [one of the best in Soave] is run by brothers Sergio and Graziano Prà. The former works the vineyards, whilst the latter operates the cantine. The estate occupies about 25 hectares of land in the Soave Classico DOC. The wines include a very good Soave Classico." (Chris Kissack, www.winedoctor.com). Aromas of white peach, lime, grapefruit and mineral come to the fore here. On the palate, it is dry, crisp, racy, minerally/fruity and balanced. A wonderful aperitif, or serve it with pan-fried freshwater fish.

Yes, this wine is named after baseball great, Tommy Lasorda. The former player and manager of the LA Dodgers doesn't just lend his name to the wine, he is actively involved in approving the blends. This dry, fruity, and balanced Chianti rounds the bases for an inside-the-park homerun, sporting lively plum, cherry and cedar aromas and flavours. Terrific with hamburgers, steaks, backribs and, heck, maybe even a really good ballpark-style hotdog!

This single-vineyard Chianti will pair beautifully with pan-grilled filet mignon, roast lamb or pasta in a meat sauce.

TASTING NOTE: The Sant'Alfonso estate is home to this 100 per cent sangiovese Chianti Classico made with a mix of clones and aged for a full 24 months in 35 hl French barrels. It's not listed as a 'Riserva' but its rich mouth filling style and fine body would indicate it is all that and more. The flavours mix liquorice, cherry, cranberry notes with a warm, smoky mocha coffee finish. Love the intensity and style here that really defines the sangiovese grape. Should age easily a decade. Score - 91. (Stuart Tobe, www.gismondionwine.com, May 10, 2007) 

942094    (XD)            750 mL    $22.95   

The Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro is Ruffino's flagship wine. Vintage after vintage, this critically acclaimed wine's release is eagerly anticipated by savvy consumers. The new 2004 doesn't disappoint with its deep colour, ripe fruit flavours and balancing tannins. A rich and flavourful wine, it can be enjoyed tonight with grilled lamb and roast beef, or cellar it for 3-5 years.

Le Ragose is considered one of the leading producers in Veneto, producing high-quality, value-priced Amarone. This wine lives up to their reputation. This dry, ripe and well-crafted Amarone displays attractive aromas of rich berry jam, licorice, new leather and chocolate. Lovely with braised beef or lamb dishes.

Bairrada is notoriously tricky for growing grapes but the region's redeeming quality is its capacity to produce astounding wines. Preto Branco (literally 'Black White') refers to this wine's blend of the dark-coloured grapes Baga and Touriga Nacional with the white Bical variety. Barrel-aged for eight months in French oak, this refreshing wine displays red-berry fruit and a pleasant seam of acidity. Perfect with light meats or as a summer-evening sipper with veggies and homemade salsa.

I often criticize big producers, but Sogrape are doing a good job: they are concentrating on the quality of their wines and the needs of the marketplace. (Jamie Goode, www.wineanorak.com) More and more Douro producers are embracing dry red wines. Drawing on the same indigenous grape varieties they use to make Ports, producers are crafting delicious, dry, flavourful and full-bodied reds such as this one.

Located less than 300 miles south of Bordeaux, the estate of Baron de Ley resembles a French Château in appearance and its wines exhibit French, in addition to Spanish, influences. Aged in both American and French oak, this Reserva is spicy with smoky vanilla, tobacco, cherry and strawberry aromas and flavours. A wonderful match for barbecued Chorizo sausage or lamb skewers and a selection of French cheeses.

La Côte is the largest winegrowing region in the Canton (province) of Vaud. The region's reputation rests on the shoulders of the principal grape planted there, namely Chasselas (a.k.a. Fendant in other parts of Switzerland). Chasselas produces a light apple- and pear-scented wine that is typically soft, round and ripe. Not surprisingly, it matches well with cheese fondues, raclettes and rösti.