September Cellar Feature 2024
| Product Name | LCBO# | Region | Score | mL | $/btl. | Qty. Avail. | Qty |
| Argentina |
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2019
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2019Gualtallary, Valle de Uco, Mendoza 0022959 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $135.00 TASTING NOTE : The incredibly subtle, elegant and austere 2019 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard reminds me of a great vintage of Lafleur, my favorite Bordeaux, as this is one of the finest vintages for this single-vineyard blend of Cabernet Franc with some 15% Malbec. It develops very slowly in the glass and shows layers and layers of aromas but all in a very subtle way. It also reminds me of the fabulous 2013 that I rated 100 points in 2018, and there has not been such a perfect vintage since then. It has great balance and a silky mouthfeel, with refined, elegant tannins and a long, dry finish with a chalky and salty sensation and no room for sweetness; it's more about herbs, flowers and rocks than anything else. It was bottled in July 2020. Drink date: 2023-2035. Score - 100. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, Nov. 30, 2022)
|
0022959
| Mendoza | 100 (RP) | 750 | $135.00 | 0 |
|
Trapiche Terroir Series Finca Orellana Single Vineyard Malbec 2018
Trapiche Terroir Series Finca Orellana Single Vineyard Malbec 2018La Consulta, Valle de Uco, Mendoza 0178145 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $66.00 TASTING NOTE : Aromas of licorice with blackberries and raspberries. Full-bodied, yet so fine and tight with extremely fine tannins that are polished and gorgeous and just melt in to the wine. Silky texture. Delicious now, but will go on for a long time. Drink or hold. Score - 96. (jamessuckling.com, April 8, 2021)
|
0178145
| Mendoza | 96 (JS) | 750 | $66.00 | 239 |
|
Viña Cobos Hobbs Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Viña Cobos Hobbs Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 0038180 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $120.00 TASTING NOTE : Blue fruit, cassis and orange peel with dried flowers and some sweet tobacco. Some crushed stone. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are creamy and polished. I love the polish and fine velvet texture to this. Needs time to open. Drink after three or four years. [This will age through early 2030s+.] Score - 96. (jamessuckling.com, April 4, 2023)
|
0038180
| Mendoza | 96 (JS) | 750 | $120.00 | 68 |
|
Viña Cobos Hobbs Estate Malbec 2020
Viña Cobos Hobbs Estate Malbec 2020Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 0038183 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $120.00 TASTING NOTE : A luscious yet crunchy red with crushed berries, hibiscus, oyster shells and redcurrants. Tight and chalky tannins on the palate, closed and linear at the end. Very fine for the vintage. New wine from Cobos and giving a nod to the Hobbs family. Drink or hold. [This will cellar into the mid-2030s.] Score - 95. (jamessuckling.com, April 4, 2023)
|
0038183
| Mendoza | 95 (JS) | 750 | $120.00 | 87 |
|
| Australia |
Innocent Bystander Mea Culpa Pinot Noir 2020
Innocent Bystander Mea Culpa Pinot Noir 2020Yarra Valley 0037974 (XD) 12% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $52.00 TASTING NOTE : Light, clear reddish crimson; there's a wholly admirable delicacy of touch by the winemaking team. Hand picked, hand plunged, and matured 9 months in French oak. Red cherry and a hint of rhubarb are painted on a fine mosaic of tannins. Drink from: 2025. Drink by: 2030. Score - 95. (James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au, Jan. 17, 2022)
|
0037974
| Victoria | 95 (AWC) | 750 | $52.00 | 64 |
|
Langmeil The Freedom 1843 Shiraz 2019
Langmeil The Freedom 1843 Shiraz 2019Barossa, South Australia 0037984 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $130.00 TASTING NOTE : You know, when you drink the Freedom 1843, I think you want the concentration and intensity dialed up to 11. They're very old vines. Well, good news: It is. This 2019 The Freedom 1843 Shiraz is luscious and plush but not overdone; the intensity has been pushed right out and accelerated but harnessed at the same time. The wine is complete, pleasurable and harmonious. Excellent. Very big, but excellent. Drink date: 2022-2039. Score - 95. (Erin Larkin, robertparker.com, Sept. 15, 2022)
|
0037984
| South Australia | 95 (RP) | 750 | $130.00 | 0 |
|
Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay 2021
Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay 2021Margaret River, Western Australia 0619437 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $150.00 TASTING NOTE : This stunning 2021 Margaret River Chardonnay Art Series shows beautiful racy lines with a slick and seamless style as it bursts with toasted cashews, melon, lemon peel and pith aromas lifted by mandarin rind. Fabulous fruit density with immense power yet retaining refinement and shape over a long, strong finish. Energetic, vibrant, perfectly formed and built for the long haul. Drinking window: 2030-2044. Score - 98. (Angus Hughson, vinous.com, May 16, 2024)
|
0619437
| Western Australia | 98 (VIN) | 750 | $150.00 | 121 |
|
Moss Wood Elsa Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2020
Moss Wood Elsa Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2020Wilyabrup, Ribbon Vale, Margaret River 0033705 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $54.00 TASTING NOTE : From from the eastern block of the Ribbon Vale vineyard fruit is typically selected for this Sauvignon Blanc expression. There can be up to 10% Semillon in the blend as well. Aromas and flavours of fresh citrus and a whisper of tropical fruit. The Semillon layers in a whisper of waxy grapefruit flavours. There's a really lovely tang to this wine as well with a fromage frais bite then a twist of lemon and spice. A suggestion of oak adds complexity and additional mouthfeel. Balanced, well made, youthful, vibrant and different. A true international appeal here. Great with fresh seafood and young cheeses. Best drinking from mid to late 2022 through 2027+. Score - 95. (camdouglasms.com, Dec. 2, 2021)
|
0033705
| Western Australia | 95 (CAM) | 750 | $54.00 | 196 |
|
Orlando Bungalow Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Orlando Bungalow Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Barossa Valley, South Australia 0037946 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $42.00 TASTING NOTE : A thoroughly modern cabernet sauvignon with serious fruit purity and some great structure. Super deep magenta-crimson hue with ripe blackberry, black cherry and macerated summer berry fruits on display. Hints of licorice, sage and liminal glimpses of dried herbs and pastis with a touch of undergrowth complexity. Grainy, granitic tannins provide ample support and there is a rolling tide of crème de cassis on the finish. Drink from: 2023. Drink by: 2033. Special Value. Score - 93. (Dave Brookes, winecompanion.com.au, April 24, 2023)
|
0037946
| South Australia | 93 (AWC) | 750 | $42.00 | 220 |
|
Shaw & Smith Shiraz 2021
Shaw & Smith Shiraz 2021Adelaide Hills, South Australia 0686659 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $50.00 TASTING NOTE : This is a beautiful release of Shaw + Smith Shiraz. It's even-handed and well tempered but then it's all joy from there. A forest of berries, a walk through flowers, peppers flung through and rubs of woodsy spice; the combination of fruitiness, savouriness, seriousness and fun is a highway to pleasure, built on wine. For all that the tannin is another dimension in itself; fine, lacy, assertive and savoury at once, complete with its own twiggy spice notes. It's drinking beautifully and it will continue to do so. Drink: 2024-2036+. Score - 96. (Campbell Mattinson, winefront.com.au, Oct. 21, 2022)
|
0686659
| South Australia | 96 (WF) | 750 | $50.00 | 134 |
|
St. Hugo Flint Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
St. Hugo Flint Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019Coonawarra, South Australia 0037958 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $80.00 TASTING NOTE : It's not necessarily a big wine but it has that extra kick of flavour through the finish. It will age like a champion. It offers blackcurrant, black olives, boysenberry and mint flavours with a smooth, creamy vanillin aspect to the texture. Dry tobacco characters add top notes but it's the slow, rolling churn of tannin through the flavour-laden finish that defines and distinguishes. Drink from: 2026. Drink by: 2040. Score - 95. (Campbell Mattinson, winecompanion.com.au, July 6, 2023)
|
0037958
| South Australia | 95 (AWC) | 750 | $80.00 | 129 |
|
Torbreck RunRig 2020
Torbreck RunRig 2020Barossa Valley, South Australia 0097204 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $339.00 TASTING NOTE : Tasting the RunRig beside the Descendant is always a wise move, in order to gain some contextual understanding of how they are similar and, perhaps more importantly, how they differ. This 2020 RunRig was sourced from six different vineyards across Barossa (in Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock) and includes a 2% 'dosage' (as winemaker Ian Hongell described it) of Viognier. Matured for 30 months in a combination of new French oak (50%) and second and third fill barrels, the wine rests on its lees for that time. The lower percentage of Viognier here is a seductive and effective thing, adding just enough slick and polish to make this the sybaritic wine that it is, but little enough to allow the grunt, grit and muscle of the Shiraz from all those glorious locations to shine through. Despite the very long time in oak, the wine is balanced and excellent, big in almost every possible way but with an undeniable sense of class and length of flavor. Executed with detail and precision, this wine is clearly defined in its expression of house style. Drink date: 2023-2043. Score - 97+-. (Erin Larkin, robertparker.com, April 6, 2023)
|
0097204
| South Australia | 97+- (RP) | 750 | $339.00 | 23 |
|
Torbreck The Laird 2018
Torbreck The Laird 2018Barossa Valley, South Australia 0402974 (XD) 15% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $897.00 TASTING NOTE : Single-vineyard wines that are at the behest and mercy of the seasons are very exciting to view over time. You understand the essence of the style of the wine and the vineyard DNA, so you sit, patiently waiting for the vintages and seasons that meet your personal proclivities to roll around. The 2018 vintage is one of those for me, as will be the cool 2021 and 2022 seasons. The fruit is sourced from the Gnadenfrei vineyard, which was planted in 1958, in Marananga. The fruit was picked over a variety of picks at optimal ripeness and matured for 36 months in new French oak barriques by Dominique Laurent. Eminently red-fruited in the mouth, this 2018 The Laird is reflective of the 2018 season, in that it is pure, fresh, laden with blood plum, saturated in red berries and framed by savory, exotically spiced black tannins. The oak, while a prominent feature of the wine, supports the fruit at all times and assists in extending the flavor through the finish. Thick in the mouth, yet still fresh, there is a moreish quality to this wine. I love it. (It is likely unnecessary to tell you that the wine is incredibly full-bodied. It is enveloping and huge but wonderful.) Drink date: 2023-2053. Score - 99. (Erin Larkin, robertparker.com, April 6, 2023)
|
0402974
| South Australia | 99 (RP) | 750 | $897.00 | 19 |
|
Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2021
Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2021Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, South Australia 0037970 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $49.00 TASTING NOTE : Ex 1946 Blewitt Springs bush vines planted in a deep sandy dune that Yangarra call The Beach; dry-grown, bunch-sorted, wild yeast, open fermented and basket pressed. Bright clear though deep crimson hue; scented/perfumed ... [a] red fruit sundae glistens with dew drops on a spider's web, yet also has a savoury echo towards the finish. Drink from: 2023. Drink by: 2041. Special Value. Ranked Wine of the Year in 2024. Score - 99. (Panel, winecompanion.com.au, Nov. 20, 2022)
|
0037970
| South Australia | 99 (AWC) | 750 | $49.00 | 0 |
|
| Canada |
Clos du Soleil Winemaker's Series Syrah 2021
Clos du Soleil Winemaker's Series Syrah 2021BC VQA Similkameen Valley 0038283 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $49.00 TASTING NOTE : Every time I taste a syrah grown beside or near the classic Bordeaux grape varieties in the New World, I wonder what Bordeaux might be like had they approved syrah as a grape variety inside their storied appellation. BC's Similkameen Valley has been a revelation for syrah drinkers. At Clos du Soleil, winemaker Michael Clark thinks the daily winds and poor, stony soils are a blessing for syrah, which loves the daytime heat and, even more, the cool nights. Savoury sagebrush, pencil, black fruits, and white pepper with chalky mineral notes flood your palate, and this wine is only waking up. It can be consumed now with barbecued ribs, or cellar it for five to seven years and move onto a lamb shoulder. Get it well you can. Supplies will dwindle into 2025 due to the freeze-out affecting the size of the 2023 crop across BC. Score - 91. (Anthony Gismondi, gismondionwine.com, July 25, 2023)
|
0038283
| British Columbia | 91 (GW) | 750 | $49.00 | 48 |
|
Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2020
Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2020BC VQA Okanagan Valley 0029962 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $46.00 TASTING NOTE : A veritable superstar in Canadian wine-growing, Cabernet Franc has proven to the world that Canada is the French variety's spiritual second home. Southern Okanagan bathes the grapes for this wine in piercing sunshine, making for a rich concoction that only gains flavour when aged in 25% new oak for 21 months. Expect notes of cherry pie and black tea accented by hints of vanilla and lavender. Drink tonight or cellar until 2029.
|
0029962
| British Columbia | | 750 | $46.00 | 96 |
|
Tawse Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir 2021
Tawse Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir 2021VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment 0398347 (XD) 13% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $52.00 TASTING NOTE : The Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir is the flagship Pinot Noir from Tawse. It carries an elegance and freshness born of the cool 2021 vintage. A ripe, lifted wine, with finely tuned black cherry, cranberry, earth, oak spice, and an underlying note of fresh-ground coffee. Enjoy through 2026+.
|
0398347
| Ontario | | 750 | $52.00 | 34 |
|
| Chile |
Matetic EQ Cool Climate Syrah 2018
Matetic EQ Cool Climate Syrah 2018DO San Antonio Valley 0252304 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $40.00 TASTING NOTE : What a meaty syrah with plenty of dried, wild herbs. Roasted thyme, lard, graphite, dark cherries and peppercorn on the nose, following through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with a wealth of fine, seamless tannins. Spicy, long and very focused. A very consistent syrah from San Antonio Valley that always wows you. Drink now or hold [until 2030]. Score - 95. (Zekun Shuai, jamessuckling.com, Jan. 8, 2024)
|
0252304
| San Antonio Valley | 95 (JS) | 750 | $40.00 | 187 |
|
Matetic EQ Granite Pinot Noir 2021
Matetic EQ Granite Pinot Noir 2021DO Valle de Casablanca 0021952 (XD) 14% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $40.00 TASTING NOTE : This has aromas of moss, cranberries, watermelon, red tea, crushed stones and citrus zest. Hints of raw walnuts. It's tight, flavorful and focused, with a medium body, chalky tannins and a mineral finish. Drink or hold [until 2030]. Score - 93. (jamessuckling.com, April 24, 2023)
|
0021952
| Casablanca Valley | 93 (JS) | 750 | $40.00 | 216 |
|
| France |
Capuano-Ferreri Cuvée Prestige Chassagne-Montrachet 2021
Capuano-Ferreri Cuvée Prestige Chassagne-Montrachet 2021AC 0013673 (XD) 13% Alc./Vol. 750 mL $145.00 TASTING NOTE : The aroma (and the price) suggests more oak influence than on the Santenay Vieilles Vignes. Really spicy. On the palate, masses of crisp, ripe, intense citrus. A fruit bomb - but a refined one - that needs time to mesh, but has all the parts in place. When to drink: 2025-2035. Score - 17 (out of 20). (Julia Harding, MW, jancisrobinson.com, Jan. 12, 2023)
|
0013673
| Burgundy | 17 (JR) | 750 | $145.00 | 55 |
|