For this meeting of the Wine Tasting Club, James and Joan Rayner took a slightly different approach from the usual. They normally avoid buying wine in the Vintages section because they figure that the wines are mostly too expensive for their budget, with prices ranging up to $150.00, with even the Vintages Essentials wines having gone from $17.00 to $18.00 per bottle. They have, however, bought wine in the Vintages section when buying a bottle as a gift for a special occasion, e.g., a $50.00 bottle for a neighbour’s fiftieth birthday. According to the LCBO, vintages wines are ones that don’t sell in the large quantities that the rest of the stock does; after two months, they are likely to be reduced in order to clear the shelves. They wanted to see if there were any bargains to be found in Vintages; they did–and they didn’t– find some.
Two of the choices from the Vintages section which were reduced in price turned down by the club were:
- Crew Gewürztraminer , Lake Erie north shore.$17.25 (regular $20.95). What James amd Joan thought was a good buy got the following vote: 3 would buy, 2 might buy, 9 would not buy.
- Inacayal Clan, Organic Malbec, Argentina, $11.70 (regular $16.95). Another bottle with the price reduced had the following rating: those who would buy, 2; might buy, 2; would not buy, 10.
Wine Club Recommendations
The following two wines were approved by the group.
Ontario, Niagara, Lincoln Lakeshore, Rockway Vineyards, Pinot Gris, 2021.
Rockway Vineyards’ Pinot Grigio from 2021 was described by the Wine Tasting group as being light, crisp, and slightly sweet with a tart aftertaste. The LCBO states that it has ripe aromatic notes of apple, peach, cantaloupe, apricot, nougat, with a honeyed character typical of the region’s white wines. It pairs well with seafood. Other Pinot Gris food pairings include pork tenderloin en croute, pan-fried Arctic Char filets, and veal cutlets.
This wine scored 90 at the National Wine Awards of Canada in 2022. The Sugar Content of this wine is 4 grams/Liter. The alcohol content of the wine is 12.5%. The Sale Price was $13.85, while the original list price was $20.00. The vote by the grouo was: would buy, 7; might buy, 4; and would not buy, 3.
Italy, Tuscany, Rocca delle Macie Winery, SASYR, 2020
The name SASYR from the Rocca delle Macie Winery in Tuscany is an abbreviation/compacting of Sangiovese and Syrah, the two grape varieties combined here. It is a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Syrah grapes.
The Wine Tasting group thought this red wine was medium full bodied, simple, smooth, didn’t have an oakey taste, and very appealing overall. This wine is velvety smooth, supple and rich; it will introduce you to an array of flavours “beyond your wildest dreams” according to the label. It is an intense ruby red with a very intense and complex nose with fruity aromas of cherry, blackberry and raspberry. It features a pleasant freshness and a long, persistent aromatic finish. The LCBO called it a bright and easygoing red with plenty of fresh berry character, a medium body, with light tannins and a fresh finish.
Sangiovese-Syrah food pairings include meaty lasagna, meat lover’s pizza, or grilled veal chops in red wine sauce.You can drink it now. Chill this wine slightly for best results.
The Sugar Content is 8 grams/Liter. The price is $12.55 and the Alcohol content is 13.5%.
James Suckling gives it 90 points.
Those who would buy it in the Wine Tasting Club were 10, 3 might buy it, and 1 would not buy it.
What Was Learned From This Experiment?
- Price alone does not guarantee a wine people like; the most expensive bottle was the least liked, while the lowest priced bottle was the most liked;
- There are bargains to be found in Vintages, but you have to watch for the reduced price.
James and Joan Rayner
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 