The Date and Time: Friday, September 26, 2014 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM
The Event: Annual tasting of sparkling wines, both imported and domestic, by the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada
The Venue: LCBO Summerhill
The Target Audience: Wine Writers' Circle of Canada members.
The Availability/Catalogue: Most wines are available through the upcoming holiday season. For Ontario wines, this may be at Vintages and/or at the winery. Some of the data is unfortunately missing, not all of it was on a requested spreadsheet. But there is enough here to scout around.
The Quote/Background: About a dozen WWCC members signed up, the entire membership received the spreadsheet.
The Wines: There were about 90 wines, both imported and domestic. They are grouped together by my measure of tasting and notes. They are NOT ranked. Nor are they reflective of any group consensus or of any other member's comments, etc. These are my own personal groupings as a wine writer/taster/judge.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Louis Roederer Champagne NV Brut Premier $69.95 268771
-Piper-Heidsieck Champagne NV $54.95 LCBO
-Iron Horse Classic Brut 2007 $29.95 Sonoma Private order Glazer's -Cave Spring Cellars NV Blanc de Blancs VQA Niagara $29.95 213983 LCBO
-Huff Estate Cuvee Peter F. Huff 2010 PEC, $39.95 (2007 is at Vintages)
-Fresita Chile NV [strawberries and white wine]
-Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut $29.95 217521 LCBO
-Henry of Pelham 2009 Cuvee Catharine Carte Blanche Blanc de Blanc $44.95 315200
-Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Rose Brut $29.95 217505 LCBO
-Tawse 2011 Spark Blend $24.95 384966
-Chateau des Charmes n/v Brut $22.95 224766 LCBO
-ANGELS GATE WINERY 2011 HANDSOME BRUT $24.95 395160 LCBO
-Philipponnat Champagne N.V. Royal Reserve Brut $59.95 995720 Vintages
-Taittinger Champagne Brut Reserve $62.95 365312
-Champagne Tarlant NV Brut Reserve $42.40 325167
-Champagne Pannier N/V Brut Selection $46.95 374421
-Paul Goerg Blanc de Blancs Champagne $49.95 Private order Glazer's Canada -Champagne Lacroix Triaulaire N/V Brut $42.95 Consignment
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-ANGELS GATE WINERY 2011 ARCHANGEL CHARDONNAY $23.95 227009 LCBO
-Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee 2007 $41.00 Sonoma Private Order Glazer's Canada
-Cattier Champagne N/V Cattier Brut Premier Cru Champagne $44.60 325720
-Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne (LCBO# 537605)
-ANGELS GATE WINERY 2009 PINOT NOIR ROSE $25 BEAMSVILLE BENCH
-Fielding Estate Winery NV Brut $34.95 Winery
-Jackson-Triggs 2011 Grand Reserve Series Entourage Sparkling Brut $22.95 234161 Vintages
-Featherstone Winery 2010 Joy $34.95 310334 Twenty Mile Bench Dec 6, 2014
-Flat Rock Riddled Sparking 2009 VQA $24.95 Vintages
-VIICOLTORI ACQUESI BRACHETTO D'ACQUI SPKLNG 375667 $ 12.90 LCBO
-Freixenet Sonoma Caves N/V Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut $27.95 Airen Imports
-Kim Crawford 2009 Small Parcel Fizz Sparkling $29.95 +381236 New Zealand
-Codorniu Raventos NV PINOT NOIR LCBO $15.95
-Cono Sur NV Sparkling Brut $13.95 215079 Chile Bio Bio Valley
-Cono Sur NV Sparkling Pinot Noir Rose $13.90 365205 Chile Bio Bio -KWV Cathedral Cellar Brut 2010 $16.95 296426 South Africa
-Ste. Michelle Wine Estates NV Michelle Brut $16.85 LCBO 363341 Washington
-Contraband Sparkling Wine, +400127 LCBO $18.95 [also on tap too]
-Lacheteau NV Chateau de Montgueret Cremant de Loire $19.95 217760
-Creekside Estate The Trad Reserve 2011 Queenston Road Vineyard MT
-Gancia nv Gancia Sparkling Brut $14.95 n/a Italy Piedmont
-Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad $29.95?
-Tawse 2013 Spark Riesling $19.95 VQA 370361
-Grange of Prince Edward 2010 Lot 2 Brut $29.95 Prince Edward County
*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-ANGELS GATE WINERY 2011 SAUVIGNON BLANC $23.95 BEAMSVILLE BENCH
-Coyote's Run Winery 2011 Sparkling Chardonnay $24.95 398388 LCBO Nov 22
-Coyote's Run Winery 2009 Sparkling Pinot Noir Rose $29.95 359125 LCBO -Jackson-Triggs 2012 Reserve Series Cuvee Clos $14.95 217679 LCBO
-John Howard Cellars of Distinction/Megalomaniac 2012 Bubblehead $28.95 363655 LCBO
-Diamond Estates Winery 2012 FRESH Sparkling Rose $13.95
-Lakeview Cellars 2008 GMR Sparkling $19.95
-Diamond Estates Winery 2013 20 Bees Buzz & Bubbles $13.95 332577 LCBO
-Chandron Brut Sonoma
-Bodega Santa Julia N/V Organic Sparkling Brut $14.85 314237 LCBO Mendoza
-Juve e Camps NV Brut Rose Pinot Noir Cava $19.95 385088 Catalunya
-Jackson-Triggs 2010 Grand Reserve Series Entourage Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc $29.95 353078 Vintages
-Jackson-Triggs 2010 Grand Reserve Series Entourage Sparkling Merlot $29.95
-Sue-Ann Staff 2011 Sparkling & SASSY $27.95 344622 Vintages
-Sue-Ann Staff 2011 Sparkling & Icy $34.95 359703 Riesling Vintages Dec 4 -Colio Girls Night Out Sparkling $14.95
-PELEE ISLAND WINERY 2012 SECCO $15.75 LENS 225946 LCBO
-Grange of Prince Edward 2013 Sparkling Riesling $19.95 392746 Prince Edward C Vintages
-Codorniu Classico NV
-Fantinel NV Spumante Prosecco Brut One & Only DOC Millesimato $19.95 390617 LCBO
-Palatine Hills NV Prestige VQA $20.00
-Redstone 2011 Sparkling $24.95 at Tawse VQA
-Barefoot Cellars NV Barefoot Bubbly Pinot Grigio $12.95 216952 LCBO
-Segura Viudas Brut Reserva $14.25
-Delegat's Wine Estate NV Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvée Brut $21.95 163634 New Zealand Hawke's Bay
-Delegat's Wine Estate NV Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvée Rosé $21.95 280172 New Zealand Hawke's Bay
-Freixenet N/V Freixenet Carta Negro Brut $13.95 216945 Spain Penedes
-Freixenet N/V Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut $12.45 216887 Spain Penedes
-Freixenet N/V Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut $13.95 217059 Spain Penedes
-Bottega SPA NV Vino Dei Poeti Prosecco DOC $13.95 897702 Italy Veneto
-Bottega SPA NV Vino Dei Poeti Brut Rose $13.45 277202 Italy Veneto
-La Marca NV La Marca Prosecco DOC $17.95 Vintages #287987 Italy Veneto
-Pierre Sparr Cremant Brut Reserve $18.95 388603 France Alsace
-BELCANTO DI BELLUSSI PROSECCO DI VALDOBBIADENE SUPERIORE VINTAGES 53215 $18.95
-Ruffino N/A Prosecco DOC $16.95 Italy
-Foss Marai NV Foss Marai Extra Dry Prosecco $19.95 72939 Veneto
-Villa Sandi Prosecco (LCBO# 394387) $14.45
-Saphora Rose New Zealand
-Saphora Sparkling New Zealand
-Gancia nv Gancia Prosecco DOC $16.95 n/a Italy Piedmont
-Gancia nv Gancia Sparkling Rose $14.95 n/a Italy Piedmont
-Rockway Patio 9 Niagara $12.95
-Rockway Patio 9 Rose Niagara $12.95
-Huff Estate Cuvee Janine 2012 PEC, $29.95 Winery
-Tenuta S. Anna N/V Tenuta S. Anna Prosecco Extra Dry $17.95 388710
-Mionetto Prosecco Treviso $17.95
-Il Prosecco Mionetto $13.30
-Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut (LCBO# 687582) $17.95
-Hungaria $12.25
-Sumarroca Prosecco
The Food: bread and water
The Downside: my own personal feeling is that, overall, the wines were not as good as last year's wines. It may be different vintage years, it may be changes in wine submissions, it may be pricing levels – I do not know.
The Upside: a chance to taste a large collection of sparklers.
The Contact Person: deantudor@deantudor.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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