A star from Hollywood and two from the East
Two surprises arrived to us from completely different areas of the world. The first, Dom Perignon paired with Lenny Kravitz (as their new “creative director and photographer”) to release a vintage 2008 champagne. Yes, another celebrity-endorsed drink to hit the market at an inflated price (this one being a mere $282.95 per bottle). Headline-grabbing as these promotional stunts might be, will producers soon start to evaluate the real return before we all get tired of them? However, as of writing, the wine is out of stock and no longer available so people must be buying!
From the other side of the globe comes two wines from China – the first I can recall from the LCBO. The Xige Jade Dove Red 2017 (love the colourful naming; $29.95, #18413) and Chateau Changyu Moser XV Helan Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (the name alone is quite a mouthful; $24.95, #12462) scored quite well at an average of 90.00 and 86.00 respectively. The price may be a little high for a fledgling wine country, but it does create excitement for prospects to come.
Aside from the star power Kravitz brings to the Dom Perignon brand, the latest collection of worldwide vintages clearly puts the holiday season supply chain issues behind us and shines bright with new discoveries and bargains.
Value knows no geographical boundaries
Best deal of the release
v Margan Family Hunter Valley Semillon 2018
Best value wines
v Familie Steffen Trittenheimer Altärchen Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2018
v Viu Manent Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
v Zonte's Footstep Canto Sangiovese/Lagrein 2017
Smart luxuries
v Cantina del Nebbiolo Barbaresco 2016
v Villa Antinori Riserva Chianti Classico 2016
v Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2017
v Enrico Serafino Picotener Nebbiolo 2018
v Château l'Eglise d'Armens 2016
Bargain bin deals (great wines, low prices)
As a bonus for reading down this far, here’s a few more wines costing less than $20 that will help you restock your empty wine cabinet. You can find good deals from emerging wine countries (South Africa and here at home) but also a few newly discovered gems from Spain and France.
v Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva Garnacha/Tempranillo/Cariñena 2015 ($14.95, #166579), Spain
v The Bean Coffee Pinotage 2018 ($15.95, #251165), South Africa
v Flat Rock Good Kharma Chardonnay 2019 ($16.95, #356873), Niagara Peninsula
v Boeckel Blanc 2018 ($14.95, #18155), Alsace, France
And just one more recommendation because Cava is one of the best things in life:
v Família Oliveda Jove Brut Cava ($15.95, #647883), Spain
Good things grow… in Ontario