Gismondi On Wine

OUR TOP 100 WINES FOR 2009 – As is our custom we tasted thousands of wines in 2009 in our office, many at wineries and trade tastings and some with food. All are, or have been, for sale in Canada at some point in the year either in government stores, private wine shops or direct from local distributors or agents. Most of the wines were released in late 2008 or 2009 and many are still likely to be available somewhere in your market. Prices are in Canadian dollars and reflect the cost of the wine about the time it was tasted. Current economic conditions would suggest the price could be lower today. Prices and availability vary globally. Where possible we have noted the grapes used in any of the wines that are blends.Regular readers of this website will note our scores are often one or two and sometimes three points lower than other leading wine review sites but we simply don’t buy into the hype of super high scores. We remain committed to evaluating each wine we taste in the context of all the wines we taste. We believe our view, like our travels and our tastings is among the most global in the world. Since in the end we know you prefer to buy good wine we remained committed to covering all levels of the market and hopefully put each into some sort of useable perspective. Have a great 2010.
o1	98 Krug Vintage Champagne 1996 Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier Champagne, France BC $354.00 speculative listing - Authentic Wine & Spirits, US $349.00 estimated retail This is as close as it gets to perfection in champagne. Of all the 1996s this is the king. And it wasn’t released until eleven years after the harvest which featured low yields and the surprising combination of high acid and sugars. It’s a wonderfully concentrated fizz with an exceptional palate of flavours ranging from dried and stoned fruits and berries to nutty creamy textures and mineral, floral salty aftertaste. The finish is long and extremely persistent with amazing depth and it is just beginning to wake up. If properly stored it should keep for several decades. Amazing. (AG-ST)
02	97 Krug Clos du Mesnil 1998 Champagne, France BC $1,343.00 specialty listing, US $1,300.00 estimated retail It is impossible to say anything new about Clos du Mesnil, the 100 per cent Krug chardonnay champagne grown in a vineyard surrounding by a wall (clos) within the village of Mesnil. For blanc de blanc fans the near imperceptible power and elegance of this wine underlies its spectacular flavours in the mouth. So chiselled, yet so refined and always a meticulously put together on the palate. Youthful at nearly 12 years old the latest CdM is only beginning its life in the market. Subtle, delicate, supercharged and creamy it remains extraordinary in its class. (AG-ST)
03	96 Krug Grande Cuvee N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier Champagne, France BC $119.00 (375 ml) speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs, AB $248.00, BC $255.00, BC $613.00 (1500 ml) speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs, NF $272.00, NS $218.00, ON $270.00, ON $549.00 (1500 ml) LCBO, QC $273.00 The latest cuvee is marvellous. So fresh and so intense; so impressive on entry. Crisp elegant and dry but structured with high acidity and fine, creamy mousse. A high proportion of reserve wine gives it a nutty, toasty flavour flecked with citrus, honey, quince, lemon and earthy, mineral notes and a persistent dry, rich finish. More intense and concentrated than almost any other champagne but also austere and drier. Ready to drink now but will hold for many years. More like a table wine with its intensity yet impeccable balance and acidity. Top flight bubble. (AG-ST)

96 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz 2005

Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia

BC $196.00 specialty listing, AB $225.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $175.00

The Armagh is a single vineyard made from dry farmed, low-yielding vines planted on their own roots in 1968. The first vintage was 1985 and most years the 8-acre Clare Valley site produces little more than a tonne to the acre. Armagh refers to the area originally settled in 1859 by Irish settlers who named it after their homeland. The 2005 vintage was outstanding and The Armagh is a force to be reckoned with. Rich dark and inky black it has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster shiraz swimming in boysenberry, blueberries and spicy toasted oak. The wine is only a baby and will need more than a decade of cellar time to show its true form. If you are brave enough to drink it now, be sure to double decant and let it breathe at least 90 minutes. The wine spends 18 months in French & American oak barrels. (AG-ST)

96 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 Shiraz 2004

South Australia, Australia

BC $423.00 specialty listing, AB $300.00 fine wine boutiques, MB $310.00, NF $298.00, NF $298.00, NS $296.00, ON $320.00, QC $300.00, SK $299.00

Everyone agrees this is a great Grange along the stylistic lines of the impressive 1990 and 1996 vintages and it has barely begun its bottle life. The 04 mixes Barossa fruit with parts from McLaren Vale and McGill and it is all fully ripe. It is one hundred percent American oak barrels are prominent but not over the top; the fruit mix that spent 16 months in the new oak is 96 percent shiraz and 4 per cent cabernet sauvignon. The colour is dark to the edge, the nose fragrant with bits of cola, dried herbs, and black tea. The palate is full and already seamless, something that bodes well for a long life. Intense muscular and rich this is the real thing. Look for plums, spice, and more tea in what is a blockbuster effort. Buy and cellar for decades. (AG-ST)

96 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 2004

Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

BC $138.00 speculative listing - Liquid Art, AB $127.00 fine wine shops, QC $95.00

Pacenti is a relative newcomer to Brunello with a first label in 1988 and even then the wine is only made in years considered to be good to excellent. Production is roughly 4200 cases split evenly between the Brunello and the Rosso. Currently the wines are made by Giancarlo Pacenti, son of Siro. The winery is located in a small village just south of Montalcino; the fruit comes off two family-owned vineyards. One northeast of the town brings the fragrance and silky textures to the blend and one in the southwest near Sant ‘Angelo that contributes to the wines body, power and richness. The Brunello is aged in 70 to 80 percent new oak. The 2004 one of those crazy good, new style Brunellos awash in black fruit, tar all with rich mineral and floral highlights. It as big as Brunello gets so be sure to let it breathe if you dare open it. Otherwise cellar this red easily through 2020. (AG-ST)

07	96 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2007 Touriga Nacional - Touriga Franca - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Barroca Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal BC $144.00 specialty listing, AB $144.00 fine wine shops, MB $140.00, NB $142.00, ON $120.00, ON $249.00 (1500 ml), ON $62.00 (375 ml), QC $141.00, SK $107.00 Spicy, floral, black cherry, black plum, peppery, chocolate, spicy, herb aromas. Rich, inky port with big concentration and somewhat tannic, very full but fresh and juicy palate. Big black cherry, blackberry, licorice, peppery, plum, chocolate flavours. Long, elegant, silky finish with great acidity and freshness. Less is more; all to be revealed in decades. One to lay down for your grandchildren. Delicious now but will live for 50 years easily. (AG-ST)
08	95 De Angeles Gran Malbec 2007 Vistalba District, Luján de Cuyo, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina BC $60.00 estimated retail Big aromatic, spicy, peppery, cedar, coffee, mocha, vanilla, garrigue, savoury, black cherry jam, black plum aroma. Rich, round, dry, suave, elegant palate but packed with flavours and fine grained tannins. Coffee, vanilla, cedar, black cherry jam, black licorice, fig, garrigue, spicy, savoury, tobacco flavours. Great finish, length and finesse, not extracted but finely balanced. Will age nicely for 3-7 years. Terrific bottle of wine made with selected grapes planted in 1924. (AG-ST)
09	95 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz 2004 Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia BC $196.00 specialty listing, AB $225.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $175.00 The Armagh is a single vineyard made from dry farmed, low-yielding vines planted on their own roots in 1968. The first vintage was 1985 and most years the 8-acre Clare Valley site produces little more than a tonne to the acre. Armagh refers to the area originally settled in 1859 by Irish settlers who named it after their homeland. The ’04 like the ’05 is dense with highly saturated fruit flavours of blueberries, blackberries, cedar and spice that spill out of the glass in all directions. It appears to be a touch more lush than the '05 now, although it is hardly showing its age. It is a tad fatter and richer with some obvious acidity and leather coming through in the finish. Roast lamb is required to tame the power of this impressive red. (AG-ST)
10	95 Krug Rosé N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier Champagne, France BC $455.00 speculative listing - Authentic Wine & Spirits, AB $429.00 private wine stores, US $383.00 estimated retail Krug Rosé is deliciously pale with the requisite tiny bubbles to highlight its gold and salmon coloured tones. The nose is explosively fruity with bits of wild strawberries and white flowers. The palate is fresh and spicy with more screamingly dry red fruit flavours woven into its enticing creamy textures. The blend fluctuates between 20-30% chardonnay, 15-20% pinot meunier and 50-55% pinot noir. Krug first released a rosé in 1983, 140 years after they opened for business. It has been a tradition ever since. (AG-ST)

Click here for our full report in PDF...