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April 11 Vintages Release
SEE LINKED PREVIEW OF ALL RELEASES
PRELIMINARY APRIL 11 BUYERS GUIDE
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Domaine Lafage Cayrol
Vieilles Vignes Carignan 2023
Bright, Well Structured, Plum-Cassis-Cherry *** (90 points)
April 11 Vintages BEST BUY – #494039 – $19.95
Deep intense purple colour, this 100% Carignan has an attractive, gently spicy, fairly intense, ripe, black-cherry-cassis-plum nose with some minerally, cedar-sandalwood notes. Dry, medium bodied and nicely textured, the slightly spicy, ripe, cassis-raspberry-plum flavours are followed up with a lingering, bright, gently complex finish. Tasty, versatile and approachable, it will pair very well with bbq ribs, steak and/or roast beef.
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Vintages Essential $3 LTO Best Buy White
Kim Crawford Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Dry, Bright, Fresh, Grassy *** (90 points)
$18.95 – Vintages Essential – #35386
This perfect Springtime refresher is Canada’s #1 white wine choice from NZ and has a $3 LTO until April 26. Bright pale straw colour, the nose is intense, slightly spicy and bright with grassy, fresh, apple-lemon fruit. Dry, medium bodied, very bright, spicy, fresh, grassy, apple-lemon-melon flavours with a lingering, refreshing, crisp, unoaked, minerally finish. This versatile crowd-pleaser is great with seafood and vegetarian dishes and has 12.5% alcohol and 3 g/L residual sugar with a screwcap closure. Now available in over 660 stores.
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ALSO NOT TO BE MISSED
Two Classic Best Buy Greek Discoveries
Kir-Yianni
The North Assyrtiko 2025
Dry, Fresh, Bright, Youthful *** (90 points)
BEST BUY – $19.95 – New Vintages Essential #25707
Internationally recognized as one of the great indigenous white grapes of Greece, this vibrant new 2025 Assyrtiko is now the FIRST GREEK VINTAGES ESSENTIAL. Pale straw in colour, it has a fresh, slightly spicy, lively, honeysuckle, bright, wintermelon-grapefruit nose with some youthful, leesy-mineral notes. Dry, medium bodied, very fresh, wintermelon and ripe pear flavours with a lingering, crisp, refreshing, well balanced finish. This well-priced, versatile, crowd-pleaser is perfect with pasta, poultry and/or seafood. It spent 3 months on the lees and has 13.5% alcohol and 1.3 g/L residual sugar with a screwcap closure. It gets better the longer it is open!
Kir-Yianni Cuvée
Villages Xinomavro 2022
Bright, Ripe, Supple, Ready *** (90 points)
RECOMMENDED – $21.95 – Vintages #14151
This Kir-Yanni winery new gold-medal winning 2022 has a medium red colour and a bright and gently complex Damson-plum nose with some faintly earthy, red licorice notes. Dry, medium bodied, harmonious, plum-cherry-raspberry flavours with a lingering, slightly savoury, sandalwood-tinged, bright finish. This 100% Xinomavro was aged for in a mix of French (90%) and American oak. It has 14.5% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar. An extremely versatile, ready-to-drink, crowd-pleaser. Italian wine fans may find it reminiscent of a high-priced Nebbiolo (perhaps even a Barolo) from Piedmont. (Kolonaki)
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Casale del Giglio Bellone 2023
This stunning new Italian white from Lazio’s Bellone grape
will amaze your taste buds at an incredible price
Ripe, Complex, Beautifully Structured *** (91 points)
BEST BUY – $19.95 – March 21 Vintages #45845
It was amazing to discover that the rare Bellone grape goes back over 2,000 years to vineyards adjacent to Rome. It has taken 40 years for the dedicated team at Casale del Giglio to bring this grape back to life in Lazio. What a treat! It has a light yellow colour and a gently complex, mineral-driven, bright, floral, ripe, lemony nose. Dry, medium plus bodied, slightly spicy, beautifully textured, ripe, minerally, warm lemon brioche flavours with a lifted, lingering, mouth filling finish. Ready-to-drink and perfect with pasta, seafood, poultry and white meats
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MARCH 21 VINTAGES RELEASE BUYING GUIDE
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Vintages 2025 Buyers Guide
SEE APRIL 25 EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW
April 25 Vintages Release
SEE LINKED PREVIEW OF ALL 98 RELEASES
see our April 25 linked agent summary
