Secco-Bertani Valpolicella Valpatena Ripasso 2009

Secco-Bertani Valpolicella Valpatena Ripasso 2009 (WS87, $21.99, SKU 342873) I saw this wine displayed in the aisles of the 39^th LDB store and the word “Bertani” caught my eyes. I remembered it as the maker of a very fine Amarone wine. The Ripasso is made with partially dried grape skin from the Amarone method. The bottle also looked like a serious wine. After decanting  for an hour, the wine showed strong tannins with a medium body. There were taste of multiple herbs. This is definitely a food wine, so enjoy it with some Italian food or pizza. I also tasted it 24 hours later and more of the fruit came through.

Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo 2007

Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo 2007 (WS90 $54.99 SKU 333989) This was one of the many brunellos available at the LDB store recently. The best vintage was of course the 2004 but they were all sold out. The 2007 is still a bit of a mystery but most brunellos need 7 to 10 years in the cellar. Wine Spectator indicated that this wine is best from 2014 to 2023.

 

I tasted it last night with some snacks and cheese. The aroma was sweet with lots of fruit. The body was medium to full and the finish was quite long. This was a powerful wine and would need some more time in the cellar. It certainly would go well with some Italian food, especially those prepared with cheese.

 

The price is attractive for a 90 point brunello and there is great potential for cellaring. You can open it now with proper decanting or put it away for a year or two. There is ample stock in the LDB system.

Chateau La Grave a Pomerol 2003

Chateau La Grave a Pomerol 2003 (WS92, $73.99, SKU 789131) This was one of the recent re-release of vintage Bordeaux wines at the LDB store. I had my eyes on it since the 2004 and 2005 vintages were very sought after. This was a right bank wine from the Pomerol region, so the wine had more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon. 2003 was a very good vintage and Wine Spectator said it should be ready after 2009.

 

I finally decided to get a bottle on Dec. 14, 2012. When I paid for it, it scanned out at $55. I checked the bar code and description and it was the correct wine. So I sent all of you an e-mail that evening. One friend managed to get six bottles of this the next day at the lower price. But when I went to the LDB store, they had already corrected their “mistake” by using a felt pen to cross out the bar code. When they entered the SKU, it indicated a  price of $73.99.

 

In any case, I opened it tonight in the decanter for an hour and drank it while having some  Greek food (lamb shoulder and chicken). The aroma filled the room when the wine was being decanted. The color was slightly brown, consistent with the age of the wine. It was very smooth in the mouth and the fruit was pleasant. Since there was more Merlot, the tannins are not as pronounced and would be easily appreciated by novice drinkers. One tasting panel member found it had a caramel nose. It was a very easy drinking wine and easy to enjoy. I would say this wine is at its prime and should be enjoyed now. At $73.99, it is a little pricy but still a good effort from a good vintage. This would definitely be a great Christmas present. There are still 3 cases at the 39^th and Cambie store.

Vincent Girardin Moulin a Vent Clos de la Tour 2009

Vincent Girardin Moulin a Vent Clos de la Tour 2009 (WS92, $29.99, SKU 181180) This is a special Beaujolais that can be enjoyed now or cellared. It was the No. 54 of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines of 2011. I first opened a bottle in December 2011 and found the color very richly red. It drank like a red Rhone wine - fresh and fragrant with a medium finish. I recently opened another bottle at a banquet and it was equally good. It went well with lighter Chinese food but also stood its ground with a steak. This is a lighter wine, but it grows on you. It is quite balanced but obviously still has lots of potential.

 

Beaujolais red wines usually are consumed when released because it is a lighter wine. The grape is gamay noir and the color is usually a lighter red.  However the 2009 vintage is quite a different breed as it can be enjoyed right the way or cellared. Wine Spectator indicated that this wine can be cellared until 2016, quite a long life for a Beaujolais. When I sent my friends to get some at the 39^th and Cambie LDB store, a certain store employee told them that this wine should not be cellared. The employee obviously relied on his/her usual knowledge of Beaujolais but did not know about this exceptional vintage. In addition, the price is very attractive for a wine in the Top 100 ranking. I last saw seven bottles of it at 39^th and Cambie. LDB website indicated that there are lots of stock scattered at various stores.

Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer 2007

Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer 2007 ($39.99, SKU 528349) I just saw this yesterday at the Cambie and 39^th LDB store. The 2004 vintage was a highly rated wine (WS 93 points) but needed a lot more time in the cellar. So I picked up a bottle for dinner. We were having crab cake and roast chicken from Costco. The bottle was a screw cap, so it was easy to open. The aroma rushed out of the bottle when first opened. The color war dark garnet and the wine looked serious. I knew the wine needed decanting, so I used my breathable glass. But even after 15 minutes in the glass, there was a lot of tannin while the nose was strong. I did not think it had the same impact as the 2004 vintage but it was certainly a solid wine. It was like a wild horse that needed taming. With the roast chicken, the fruit started to come out. There was no WS rating on this wine. Alcohol content was a hefty 14.5%. The best thing would be to buy it and leave it in the cellar for five to ten years. But at this price and a screw cap, it would be difficult to hold it for so long, so I would suggest giving it some serious decanting of two to for hours before enjoying it with some heavy meat such as beef or duck.

Ronan by Clinet, Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2009

Ronan by Clinet, Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2009 ($35) I have to break my promise again as this is a economical 2009 Bordeaux but can only be purchased from private sources. However I have to write about it since I tasted it with the Chateau Croix Mouton 2009. This was a 100% merlot wine made with grapes just outside the Pomerol region. Apparently it was made in the same way as the Chateau Clinet 2009 but because the grapes were grown just outside the boundary, it could not be called a Pomerol wine. I decanted it for an hour and found the nose to be mellow. The body was medium, so was the finish. It was not as fruity as the Croix Mouton even though it was 100% merlot. It had characteristics of a typical Bordeaux. It would go well with a good steak. Again if you see it in the States, bring some back.

Chateau Croix Mouton , Bordeaux Superieur 2009

Chateau Croix Mouton , Bordeaux Superieur 2009 ($28.00, SKU 749424) I started my blog by promising to write about wines of good value that you can purchase at the LDB stores. I have to break my promise with this wine since it is good value but you cannot buy it at LDB anymore. This was one of the 2009 Bordeaux release that I recommended to you. One of my friends was kind enough to pick up a few bottles for me while I was away during the release on September 29, 2012. This was not the bottle that the LDB printed in the Bordeaux booklet. This one was a Merlot blend, with 87% merlot. I decided to decant it for an hour despite its low price since some of the review I read online suggested it. The nose was quite sweet when I first opened the bottle. The color was quite dark in the decanter. There was definitely lots of fruit when tasted and the body was medium. It also had medium finish. My tasting panel was surprised at the quality of this wine at this price. One tasting panel member thought this was an Italian wine because of the taste. Wine Spectator gave it 86 to 89 points in the barrel tasting in 2010 but no final score. Robert Parker gave it 89 to 91 points. I think this one is definitely an over-achiever. If you happen to travel to the States, check out the wine stores to see if you see it. Take as many back as you can.