Buyer’s Guide to Vintages April 26th Release

Pinot Globe-trotting, Victoria of Oz and a Gaggle of Good Buys
by David Lawrason with notes from Megha Jandhyala, Sara d’Amato, Michael Godel and John Szabo

Election news dominates the media space — but reporting on this is not our job, thankfully. Ours is to find very good wines that bring joy and lighten the load, especially after six relentless months of politics since King Donald’s coronation. With its Vintages publication, the LCBO chose to tiptoe through the tulips with warm weather wines, as do other mainstream wine articles at this time of year. I don’t think WineAlign subscribers really need more of this breezy content. Let’s just find good wines.

For the studious, this release involves two themes of interest. By happenstance, Vintages is releasing eight pinot noirs from eight global pinot noir regions. If you were to buy all eight and present them as a tasting exercise for friends and/or a tasting group, you would learn a ton. The second is a mini-focus on Victoria in Australia, a region which holds a personal fascination for me after only two lifetime visits.

I will spare you a long pinot noir introspective, but I do want to make a point that of all the red wines, pinot noir is most like a white wine. It is pale, with refreshing food-friendly acidity and modest tannin that encourages solo sipping. It takes a chill nicely. Yet, at its best it is about vibrancy, purity, sophistication and heady pleasure. It needs the right combo of cool climate, (usually) limestone soils and the winemaker’s regard for the place it comes from. Winemaking that tries to force pinot into some commercial imperative usually fails.

I am not going to list all eight pinots here, but whether or not they appear in our picks below I do want to highlight the following as regionally exemplary examples that I have personally scored 90 points or better: Bachelder Beam City Pinot Noir 2022 from Niagara, Montes Alpha Special Cuvée Pinot Noir Zapallar Vineyard 2022 from coastal Chile, Prosper Maufoux Domaine Vigne Au Roy Bourgogne Hautes Côtes De Nuits 2023 from Burgundy, Alta Yari Pinot Noir 2022 from high altitude Mendoza and Pacha Mama Pinot Noir 2023 from maritime Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia

Speaking of Victoria, with its three-wine mini-theme in this release, I am drawn by this cooler climate region as a whole, the southernmost in Oz except for Tasmania. The fine city of Melbourne centres the region, with important wine regions encircling. To the south is the maritime Mornington Peninsula with great pinots, likewise verdant Yarra Valley a virtual suburb to the northeast, then the higher altitude Pyrenees to the north, where shiraz comes into play. Then, Great Western and regions to the northwest, where pinot and shiraz interplay depending on climate, soils and altitude. We tend to lump Australian wine together as one thing, but Victoria’s unique maritime-climate-meets-old-soul terroir makes a different case.

Here are our WineAlign Crü picks from this release. They are listed within style groupings in ascending price order so that you can isolate your snack bracket.

Buyer’s Guide April 26th: Sparkling

Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc De Blancs 2017, Ontario, Canada
$49.95, Henry Of Pelham Family Estate Winery
Megha Jandhyala – This is a splendid sparkling wine made with chardonnay harvested from Henry of Pelham’s oldest and best estate vineyards. I am struck by the elegant symmetry it embodies between richness and lightness and toasty and nutty notes, on the one hand, and bright flavours of succulent orchard and citrus fruit, on the other. I recommend pouring this wine blind for friends who are unfamiliar with Ontario wine; I am certain it will convert them into ardent supporters!

Buyer’s Guide April 26th: White

Saint Roch Côtes Du Roussillon Corbarol 2021, Roussillon, France
$14.95, Glencairn Wine Merchants
Megha Jandhyala – This white blend from Roussillon is more delightful and flavourful than many wines that cost twice as much. It is alluringly fleshy and lively, brimming with perfectly ripe orchard and stone fruit, while the long, faintly bitter, herbal finish is refreshing.

Cuatro Rayas 40 Vendimias Verdejo 2023, Rueda, Spain
$14.95, Vinexx
Sara d’Amato – As the name suggests, this wine is made from fruit of 40-year-old vines (“40 harvests”) and was subject to five months of gentle lees stirring, resulting in an effortlessly elegant springtime white that boasts lemon confit, elderflower, lime leaf and laurel. Salty and flinty, pure, expressive and delightfully simple.
John Szabo – Forty-plus year-old vines, and more than 40 harvests for winemaker Angel Calleja are just another two reasons to celebrate this verdejo from Rueda, the principal one being the huge flavour and satisfaction on offer at $15. Drink well chilled over the near term to max out the freshness.

Klados The Great Hawk 2023, Crete, Greece
$17.95, Creticos
Michael Godel – A blend and style specific to the Isle of Crete, combining 60% muscat of spina with vidiano. Fresh, succulent and bone dry — and ending at this mineral note so unique and clearly owing to the island of Crete. What a new discovery and more than pleasant surprise.

Tawse Limestone Ridge North Riesling 2022, Ontario, Canada
$21.95, Tawse
Michael Godel – Though three and a half years into its tenure, you may not believe the freshness and primary personality of this Twenty Mile Bench riesling. Can’t get enough of this style that quenches with the best of ’em.
Sara d’Amato – A local, organic find that is sure to rev your engine — this racy riesling is teeming with key lime, crisp green apple, salty minerality and a tantalizing whiff of emerging petrol. Dynamic and unapologetically intense, this well-priced find certainly packs a punch and delivers impressive length.
David Lawrason – Mercy, this is good! A riveting, bracing, very mineral Twenty Mile Bench riesling, with lifted lemon-lime, green apple, petrol and spice. Excellent to outstanding length.

Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyard Fumé Blanc 2022, Ontario, Canada
$29.95, Mark Anthony Group
John Szabo – A terrific vintage for this consistently excellent barrel fermented sauvignon from Hidden Bench, one that has been impressing since its inaugural vintage in the mid-2000s. Superb stuff, and also superb value, best now to 2030, or even longer for fans of the fully mature version,
Sara d’Amato – One of Niagara’s oldest active vineyards, Rosomel was planted in the late 1970s and acquired by Hidden Bench in 2004. It produces consistently acclaimed wines, with its oldest sauvignon blanc vines now over 30 years of age. This gently oak aged “fumé” style of sauvignon blanc, born of a low-yielding vintage, weaves ripe peach with hints of beeswax and lanolin, and it finishes sweet, salty and flinty.
Megha Jandhyala – Hidden Bench’s single-vineyard fumé blanc is enticingly complex and concentrated. I love its finely textured, silky palate and intense, long-lasting finish. A couple of years in the cellar will help it integrate further and develop even more nuance.
Michael Godel – May not come at your palate and emotions with guns blazing but rather builds and builds to a great crescendo. Will improve and release newer nuances after two years in bottle.

Waldshütz Ried Rosengartl Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2022, Kamptal, Austria
$48.95, Wine Alliance
John Szabo – The Rosengartl vineyard is a classic, deep loess site in the Kamptal, and, in 2022, it delivers a very ripe and broad grüner, generously proportioned, fluid and flowing, billowing with sweet, sun-drenched yellow orchard fruit. I admire the density on the palate, the seamless integration and the excellent length, in particular. It should hold comfortably into the early 2030s.

Buyer’s Guide April 26th: Red

Monasterio De Las Viñas Reserva 2020, Aragón, Spain
$16.95, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
Michael Godel – Few Spanish wines at this price and, frankly, those from anywhere, can match this company and this label’s track record for aging. The fruit component and juicy succulence run higher and so tension may not be the driver, but five years should see no noticeable decline.

Grosset Création Cairanne Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2021, Rhône, France
$19.95, Mark Anthony Group
Megha Jandhyala – Garrigue, black pepper, and ripe red-fruit flavours swirl in this unaffected, cheerful, and expressive blend of grenache and syrah from Cairanne. At under $20, it is a very good candidate for a broadly appealing “house” red wine.

Chateau De Durette Les Bruyères Régnié 2023, Beaujolais, France
$19.95, Appellation Wines
Sara d’Amato – A gamay with plenty of springtime pep, this naturally spicy, mid-weight Cru Beaujolais, crackles with tension and is brimming with rosebud, peppercorn and licorice. Bright, zippy and framed by fine-grained tannins, it finishes with surprising length. No need for patience.

Château Tanesse 2020, Bordeaux, France
$19.95, Sylvestre Wines & Spirits
John Szabo – An appealingly ripe and maturing red Bordeaux that overdelivers on the price, sultry
and earthy, with plenty of plum purée and leather, fresh tobacco and black cherry coulis. Also good substance and depth.
David Lawrason – This 55% merlot and 45% cabernet sauvignon from high ground above the Garonne River in the commune of Cadillac is impressive at $20. It has generous, quite concentrated, classic aromas and flavours. It is medium bodied yet quite plush, smooth and warm (14%) with soft tannin. To enjoy over the next five years.

Domaine D’ansignan Petites Grappes 2021, Languedoc, France
$21.95, VinoLuna Nova Inc.
Sara d’Amato – Don’t expect a big, rich southern French red. This is a delightful, atypically light red blend of granitic-grown grenache and carignan. With tannins like softened linen, this effortlessly crushable blend is naturally spicy with traces of garrigue on the upbeat finish. Best served with a slight chill.
John Szabo – An equal parts blend of grenache and carignan grown on the granites of the Roussillon, fermented with whole bunches, and featuring dark fruit and scorched earth, and savoury-resinous herbal flavours. The palate is surprisingly lively with an unusually low 12% alcohol. It’s zesty and juicy, spicy and highly drinkable — and more complex than many in the genre (not simply an underripe, early-harvested example). I would give it a light chill and enjoy outdoors — lots to like here

Urbina Crianza 2015, Rioja, Spain
$24.95, Regazzi Wines & Spirits Selection
David Lawrason – What a lovely little wine. So poised, elegant and fragrant with mature aromas of cedar, wood smoke, brown (kalamata) olive, red currant/cherry fruit. It is not a powerhouse, so don’t overmatch it.

Mazzei Ser Lapo Riserva Chianti Classico 2021, Tuscany, Italy
$24.95, ROY + CO. SELECTIONS INC.
Megha Jandhyala – This is an attractive and immediately pleasing Chianti Classico. Its supple palate is ripe with tender red fruit and delicately infused with cherry blossoms, dried herbs and spice. Given how affable and broadly appealing it is, I recommend having a bottle of it on hand to take to dinner parties.

Sebestyen Kadarka 2022, Hungary
$28.95, Con-nois-seur Wine Imports Inc
John Szabo – A pure kadarka with typically pale colour, made from an old Szekszárd clone that has been around for 60 years, aged in stainless steel to focus on classic sour raspberry flavours, with juicy, light, bright acids, low alcohol, low tannins and good length overall. Chill and enjoy the discovery.

H.J. Fabre GGG Grande Gualtallary Gran Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina
$27.95, Glencairn Wine Merchants
David Lawrason – I almost never call malbec delicate but there is that sensibility in this impressive offering From Hevre and Diane Fabre, Bordeaux ex-pats now rooted in the high-altitude world of Gualtallary. The nose is very generous and somehow pristine and, although typically full bodied, it is texturally polished and refined.

Prosper Maufoux Domaine Vigne Au Roy Bourgogne Hautes Côtes De Nuits 2023, Burgundy, France
$31.95, Sylvestre Wines & Spirits
David Lawrason– This is a bright, fresh and charming pinot noir, yet packing enough structure and balance to age well for five years. The nose is nicely lifted and fragrant with red rose, red cherry, cranberry, ample spice and forest floor. Slim and well balanced with very good to excellent length.
Michael Godel – More than just fruit here but a firmness and grip that speaks to centuries of Bourgogne pinot noir. Solid construct, capable of aging a few to several years.

Springs Road Cabernet/Shiraz 2018, South Australia, Australia
$34.95, Insider Wine
Michael Godel – Springs Road is but one of seven established wineries on the island, owned and operated since 2016 by Battle of Bosworth Wines owners Joch Bosworth and Louise Hemsley-Smith. This mix of cabernet sauvignon and syrah is cool, salty, fresh, settled, inviting and ready to please.

Pacha Mama Pinot Noir 2023, Victoria, Australia
$36.95, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
Sara d’Amato – Inspired by the legend of the Incan fertility goddess Pachamama, shared during a journey to Machu Picchu, Callie Jemmeson’s small-batch wines are a tribute the earth’s ancient, life-giving spirit — well-expressed in this engaging pinot noir. Ethereal in structure with only a modicum of warmth, the palate unfurls in waves of loosely knit red fruit, black pepper and cardamom. Clean, low-intervention winemaking lets its quiet complexity and textural richness shine.
David Lawrason – This is a pale but delicious, expressive pinot with intense cran-cherry-rhubarb fruit, a touch of Aussie eucalyptus, cinnamon and carpaccio meatiness. It is smooth yet sour-edged with some warmth and fine tannin.

Famille Perrin l’Argnee Gigondas 2021, Rhône, France
$66.95, Charton Hobbs
Michael Godel – Serious iteration of grenache made ferric on account of the syrah from pre-phylloxera vines more than 100 years old. Striking wine by all accounts and yet balanced between its high-level, quality and meaningful parts
Sara d’Amato – A serious, structurally imposing Gigondas from a small one-hectare plot of centenarian vines grown on sandy soils, marked by the freshness and angularity of the 2021 vintage. Crafted in the traditional fashion with syrah and destemmed grenache, fermented in large oak vats. Currently on the austere side of the spectrum — this collector’s find should develop gracefully well into the next decade.
John Szabo – An exceptional Gigondas from a tiny, 1-hectare parcel of nearly 100-year-old grenache and syrah vines, the latter fermented with whole bunches and the ensemble aged 18 months in large foudres. 2021 was a cool vintage, one that I like very much, resulting in freshness and perfume rarely seen since the 1980s or 1990s. I love the silky, fluid nature on the palate and the genuine sapidity and saliva-inducing salinity. A really lovely wine in the end, starting to drink now but better in 2–3 years, or hold into the mid-thirties.

And that’s a wrap for this edition. We will be back to review the May 10th release, but our report will be delayed until May 14th, given travels by our critics.
– David

Use these quick links for access to all of our April 26th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.
John’s Top Picks – April 26th
Lawrason’s Take – April 26th
Megha’s Picks – April 26th
Michael’s Mix – April 26th
Sara’s Selections – April 26th

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