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Lawrason On Wine

Judging Wine Under $25

Posted on September 19, 2006

There are some gorilla-sized values in our midst, and you might want to head to the LCBO today or tomorrow before the word is further spread. On Sunday night, the wines listed below were tipped as top of their respective classes by the International Value Wine Awards.

The participants in the inaugural edition of this Canadian-based, blind competition tasted close to 1,000 wines selling for under $25 somewhere in Canada. The awards were conducted this summer in Calgary—home of Canada’s largest on-shelf wine selection. A panel of 18 independent judges (non-winemakers) from across the country assembled at the Hotels Arts judging venue.

Toronto was represented by veteran wine scribe and 630 All News radio commentator Tony Aspler, Toronto Star wine columnist Gord Stimmell, recently retired Vintages wine buyer Claudius Fehr, and yours truly. The Awards were devised by Toronto-based wine writer and educator Steve Thurlow (also of the Santé Wine Festival), and Anthony Gismondi, the Vancouver-based editor-in-chief of Wine Access.

To my knowledge this is the first competition that directly compares international wines by variety under a certain price, although the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show competition does categorize by several price points. The IVWA organizers hope that the under $25 formula will capture worldwide attention given that the vast majority drink affordable bottles. Wines from 17 different countries were entered.

The price cap sets up an interesting dynamic for a judge. One doesn’t expect the magnificent finesse and complexity of great wine, but one readily rewards it when it shows up or gets very close. Such is the case with Chateau Sainte-Eulalie 2003 La Cantilene Minervois La Liviniere **** (Vintages $18.95). The “Best French Red” is a suave syrah-based blend with all the fruit ripeness of an Aussie shiraz and the satiny low-heat texture of fine French, despite stated alcohol of 14.5%. The depth does not reach above $25 but this wine does seduce. It also won a gold medal in a competition in its Languedoc-Roussillon homeland. There are about 200 bottles on the shelf in Ontario as we speak, with the largest supply of 36 bottles at the Laird/Eglinton store in Leaside. Go to the LCBO product search site for updated availability at a store near you.

The full results of the International Value Wine Awards, for those who want to research and value shop in depth, will soon be available here. Here are some of the other category winners available today. Scores quoted are out of 100, determined after two or in some cases, three rounds of tasting:

Best Merlot
89 Delicato Family Vineyards 2005 Merlot, California, $11.95, LCBO

Best Shiraz-Cabernet Blend
88 Wakefield Promised Land 2004 Shiraz Cabernet, Australia, $13.35, LCBO

Best Sangiovese Blend/Best Italian Red
90 Frescobaldi 2004 Tenuta di Castiglioni, Tuscany, Italy $19.95, Vintages

Best Other Red (non traditional variety)
89 De Bortoli DB 2005 Petite Sirah, Australia, $12.95, Vintages (little quantity remains)

Best Sparkling
88 Deinhard Lila Riesling Sekt Trocken, Germany, $12.95, Vintages (little quantity remains)

Best Oaked Chardonnay/Best USA White
89 Kendall-Jackson 2004 Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, California, $19.95, Vintages

Best Sauvignon Blanc/Best NZ White
89 Villa Maria 2005 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, $16.15, LCBO

Best Argentine Red (Tied)
89 Clos de Los Siete 2004, Mendoza, $23.95 Vintages

Best Argentine White
89 Catena 2004 Chardonnay, $19.95, Vintages

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mikithecig March 6, 2007 at 7:10 a.m.

You have mentioned some great wines indeed. To add something "new", here is an article I have written about a great white wine from the Languedoc, France.

Picpoul- the little known wine with a great future

Picpoul is a rare, ancient French grape that thrives in the coastal sands near Sète in the Languedoc, by the Mediterranean Sea. Its blend of refreshing acidity and aromatic fruit flavors of citrus and peach, make it a fantastic, full-bodied wine to enjoy with food. It is particularly well suited to seafood because it has more floral flavors than a mineral wine, like a Sancerre. Unlike Voignier, another rare French white grape, Picpoul has not yet been exported much and is consumed almost exclusively by the locals and tourists who vacation in the area.

This clear, light-gold wine breathes appetizing aromas of peaches, juicy and fresh, with a back note of lemon-lime. Crisp and tart, white-fruit flavors and lemon-squirt acidity are fresh and cleansing in a very long finish. Not overly complex but bright and appealing, it's a first-rate seafood wine. It has been called the Muscadet of the south of France. It is the wine that is usually served with oysters that can be found along the coasts of the Languedoc.

Picpoul Blanc (also spelled Piquepoul Blanc) is one of the lesser-known Rhône varietals. It is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it is used primarily as a blending component to take advantage of its acidity. Like the better known Grenache and Pinot, Picpoul has red, white and pink variants, though Picpoul Noir and Picpoul Gris are very rare. Literally translating to “lip stinger”, Picpoul Blanc produces wines known in France for their bright acidity, minerality, and clean lemony flavor.

Most scholars believe Picpoul is native to the Languedoc region of Southern France, where it is still found today. Records from the early 17th century indicate that it was blended with Clairette (another white Rhône varietal) to form the popular sweet Picardan wine (not to be confused with the Chateauneuf du Pape varietal of the same name), which was exported by Dutch wine traders from Languedoc throughout Northern Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the phylloxera invasion at the end of the 19th century, Picpoul was not widely replanted. Today it is best known from Picpoul de Pine, the crisp light green wine of the Pinet Region in the Côteaux de Languedoc.
So, when you are next in the Languedoc, or looking for wines in your wine merchant’s store, take a serious look at wines from Picpoul. You will not be disappointed!
Further info on http://www.wine-food-languedoc.com


David Lawrason

David Lawrason

David Lawrason has worked full time as one of Canada's leading, independent wine writers and educators for over 20 years. He was the founder of Wine Access magazine and Globe and Mail wine columnist for 13 years before becoming resident wine guy at Toronto Life, where he pens a monthly column and writes an exhaustive review of LCBO general listings for the annual Food and Wine Guide. As a wine educator he has taught sommelier programs at George Brown, Humber and Niagara Colleges, and has run popular public courses in Toronto since 1988. He has visited every major wine major producing country in the world, while focusing recently on the booming Canadian wine scene, as founder of the Canadian Wine Awards program, and Canadian wine columnist for Wine Access.

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