Best Wines: six top New Zealand vintages from the LCBO’s latest release
Best Wines: six top New Zealand vintages from the LCBO’s latest release
The LCBO’s latest batch of New Zealand wines includes plenty of top-notch sauvignon blancs, which account for 70 per cent of the country’s output, plus a few other pleasant surprises. Here, the best wines of the bunch.
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- <strong>$40 | Central Otago | 90 points</strong><br /><br /> Actor Sam Neill of Jurassic Park fame owns this idyllic vineyard in the mountainous region of Central Otago, N.Z.’s heartland for pinot noirs. This silky, medium-weight red has flavours of currants and cherries with dried herbs and nicely integrated oak. There’s some alcohol warmth and chalky tannin.<br /> Vintages. LCBO 301283
- Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008
- Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008
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- <strong>$18 | Awatere Valley | 88 points</strong><br /><br /> The cool, coastal Awatere Valley, a sub-region of Marlborough, produces lean, green, mouth-watering sauvignons. This intense and juicy white exudes nettle and green pepper flavours, with notes of anise and honeyed grapefruit on the finish. Excellent length; great with mussels. <br />Vintages. LCBO 225557
- Eradus Sauvignon Blanc 2011
- Eradus Sauvignon Blanc 2011
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- <strong>$16 | Marlborough | 88 points</strong><br /><br /> With its cool climate, Marlborough is ideal for rieslings, but you can rarely find good ones in Canada because they’re not mass-produced. I’m delighted that this affordable bottle has shown up at the LCBO. It exudes classic ripe pear, honey and petrol aromas. With only 10.5 per cent alcohol and fresh acidity, it’s light and juicy.<br /> LCBO 277673
- Giesen Estate Riesling 2011
- Giesen Estate Riesling 2011
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- <strong>$30 | Marlborough | 92 points</strong><br /><br /> Cloudy Bay put kiwi sauvignon blanc on the map back in the ’80s, but the brand ebbed as new wineries flooded the Wairau Valley. Sarah Burton, a new winemaker, is restoring Cloudy Bay’s swagger with finely tuned whites like this one. It’s full of passion fruit, nettle, celery, wasabi and grapefruit flavours. <br />Vintages. LCBO 304469
- Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012
- Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012
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- <strong>$18 | Waipara Valley | 88 points</strong><br /><br /> N.Z. pinot gris styles vary from lean and dry to cushy and sweet. This one falls in the middle. From the Waipara Valley, the fastest-growing wine region in the country, Tiki’s pinot gris is bright, gentle, fresh and dry with flavours of yellow plum, melon and spice. <br />Vintages. LCBO 295279
- Tiki Estate Pinot Gris 2011
- Tiki Estate Pinot Gris 2011
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- <strong>$23 | Hawkes Bay | 90 points</strong><br /><br /> Syrahs from the warmer east-coast enclave on Hawkes Bay are becoming superstars, with aromas reminiscent of Rhone syrahs. This one is elegant, smooth and redolent of violets, smoke, pepper, bacon, capers and olives. <br />Vintages. LCBO 303396
- Alpha Domus Syrah 2010
- Alpha Domus Syrah 2010
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