The Bar Towel

I’ve long been a fan of Kacaba reds and the terrace vineyard syrahs are magical on exceptional vintages

Zacharias Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

As I expected, it's not what you'd expect from a Cab Sauv - very Greek, I guess. Starts gentle and round red berry / blueberry and plum fruit, a little sweet with spice and roasted green peppers. Then there's this swell of all this great Mediterranean stuff - mineral and herb, leather and tobacco, dry tomato and kelpy salt, it's pretty remarkable. It firms up over the finish.

Not a wimpy wine, but insistently Greek, and it probably even goes with the maritime cuisine like grilled game fish and fried calamari, remarkable for a CS. I don't think it's dry and tannic a Cab enough for steak.

I got this in Greek town, I think it's fine stuff.

Craig I def want to check out the Kacaba stuff,

Go to the winery! When I went, they were one of the few places that would let you sample some of their more expensive bottles. I tried all the $60 bottles, then bought a $30 bottle and the samples were free.

Blason de Bourgogne Aligoté 2017

Wow, nice white for under 20 bucks, with pure shining Aligoté grape character and evidently no oak. Starts a bit herbal and floral like you'd expect of a basic Chard Burgundy, stone fruit / apple, but it's more taut and develops a nice kind of lemon-curd acidity, good palate. Elegantly structured and un-fancy wine from the cooler climes of Northern France.

Le Griottier Morgon 2015 Gamay (Cru de Beaujolais)

It's almost funny talking about a Beauj red as 'seriously structured' but this WE 93-scoring example is both one of the better Crus (Morgon) and is a 2015, reportedly the best vintage in 75 years (since 1940.)

Right now this Cru Beaujolais is a bit early, and it's not as expressive yet so the nose and taste are a bit plummy with some roundness added to the sour cherry, tart black and red berry and blackberry compote. Already easy going. Has some herbs and mineral and dark florals, a good acidity and moderate tannins. Wondering if cellaring one will yield flavour development?

Marziano Abbona I Due Ricu Rosso 2016 Nebbiolo/Barbera/Pinot Nero

Affordable semi-alternative to actual Nebbiolo Barolo wine, simply a red blend ('Rosso') with Barbera and Pinot Noir/Nero added to the main grape. A more 'everyday' wine than Barolo or Barbareso, yet one with some decent stuffing. This producer does make pure Nebbiolo as well, a tougher wine you might keep for a decade or two, if you've got the time...

This one is drinking well now, with full serious black fruit and dryness, tobacco and leafy herbs and mineral. Pretty great flavor density and enticing long, full aromas for the under-$20 price point. it smells great!

My first experiences with Northern Italian Pinot Nero and Barbera wines were both excellent, and if you see those wines having those grapes separately they might be really great. Barbera is the classic affordable Piedmont red. This Rosso blend is in the middle, a bit meatier than pure Barbera, and the delicate nuances of the added Pinot Nero are hard to pick out but I'm sure it adds roundness and complexity.

Mathilde Chapoutier Sélection 2017 Grenache/Syrah

Chapoutier makes Ocultum Lapidem, an excellent Languedoc wine made with Rhône grape varieties. For lots more. This is a budget wine with some nice full black and red berry and herbs. Fruit, spice and tobacco. Decent stuff!

Los Clop Paraje Altamira Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Wow. Cabernet Sauv red with oak shows blackberry and buttery toasty-cedar wood, cherry and blueberry compute and phenolic spice. Easy style but still lots going on, in a very New World package as opposed to a drier 'European' palate preference. Robust fruit makes the tea-like tannins and flavours more integrated.

Heavy, slope-sided 'Bordeaux' bottle pours a nice dense dark purple-red color. Finish has some gentle savoury herbs, leather, mineral, and tannins get firmer. Apart from its ludicrous 97 point Decanter score, a worthy try. Anyone can like this well enough. I bet some $16 Spanish reds are at least as good though. This wine is perhaps slightly young, simple and playful for its price point. No idea about ageing it.

Belgian wrote:Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir AOC

At 17.95 now two bucks off ...(2016 vintage)

The 2017 is on clearance at Victoria Park / Danforth store, so it's a decent light Burgundy Red for $16.00.

I only got one today however there's almost a case available there on clearance. I like the beetroot, cherry and faint licorice-herbal aromas. The layered cherry- berry Pinot Noir mystique is really something, some minty dryness. Burgundy Pinot Noir is one of the most engaging wines in the world, I think.

Château Suduiraut - Lions de Suduiraut 2014 Sauternes

Opens with a great aroma and thick gold pour. Faint petrol, tart-sweet apricot, pineapple. Taste acidic dry apricot, lychee and pale tropical fruit, minerally petrol and honey, sweet marmalade citrus, dry flower petal. Delicious, big long flavors.

Grapes: 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc. Hand-selected Botrytis-affected grapes produce the amazing flavor complexity.

Second wine of Chateau Suduiraut estate, which is a premier cru Sauternes & also adjacent to the famed Chateau d’Yquem that is the top banana of the sweet white Sauternes wines of Bordeaux. Lions is a good one reccomended to age and develop for at least a few years. Affordable and good, approachable version of Sauternes.

Château Argadens Bordeaux Superieur 2015

Merlot with Cabernet. A slightly thin body Bordeaux red with a taut berry-cassis and very dry herbs and cedar profile, some mineral. Was $2.50 off. Almost has some brett characteristics. Hint of late vanilla oak, cherry acidity.

Good but maybe not amazing, as noted here in 2008. Would decently accompany a steak or Sunday roast, and is probably better after lots of aeration.

Belgian wrote:Fontanafredda Langhe Nebbiolo 2017

This is quite the value. It's not as complex as Barbaresco Nebbiolo, taste is a bit jammy in the middle, but boy is there some nice Italian terroir and grape typicity. Complex raisiny black fruit, dryness, herbals, a touch sanguine salty and leather...

Had 4-5 of these, this Langhe improves in the bottle,over a day or two. Probably one to decant, and might age a few years. Solid stuff if you can chase it down!

Giannikos Winery Agiorgitiko Lion PGI 2016

The 80% Agiorgitiko grape is prominent in this blend with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This Greektown find is aged in half new French oak. Dry herbal approach with some sweet dark berry / compote middle and some cassis-plum skin tartness. Oak vanilla and liquorice spice. Warm feel. Solid but rounded tannins and lingering dry-tart finish. Very decent stuff made with one of the primary grapes of Greece.

Belgian wrote:Château Suduiraut - Lions de Suduiraut 2014 Sauternes

Opens with a great aroma and thick gold pour. Faint petrol, tart-sweet apricot, pineapple. Taste acidic dry apricot, lychee and pale tropical fruit, minerally petrol and honey, sweet marmalade citrus, dry flower petal. Delicious, big long flavors.

Grapes: 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc. Hand-selected Botrytis-affected grapes produce the amazing flavor complexity.

Second wine of Chateau Suduiraut estate, which is a premier cru Sauternes & also adjacent to the famed Chateau d’Yquem that is the top banana of the sweet white Sauternes wines of Bordeaux. Lions is a good one reccomended to age and develop for at least a few years. Affordable and good, approachable version of Sauternes.

Your post got ne thinking of how much I enjoyed a botrytis wine from Prince Edward County a long time ago. I don't remember the name of the winery but it was intense and flavorful. Therefore, I picked up a bottle of Chateau d'Arche Sauternes and I am drinking it now. While more expensive than the Suduiraut, it seems more subtle than your description. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I do get petrol and honey notes. I will have to try more botrytis wines in the future.

BartOwl wrote:Your post got ne thinking of how much I enjoyed a botrytis wine from Prince Edward County a long time ago. I don't remember the name of the winery but it was intense and flavorful. Therefore, I picked up a bottle of Chateau d'Arche Sauternes and I am drinking it now. While more expensive than the Suduiraut, it seems more subtle than your description. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I do get petrol and honey notes. I will have to try more botrytis wines in the future.

I don't see it on lcbo.com. However most Premier Cru Classe could probably be aged a long time, even decades! It keeps developing. The Suidiraut 2nd label is a younger-drinking Sauternes eg. for a younger demographic. I have nothing against that. Never really had a bad Sauternes, they are great value for the flavour intensity..