LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: Sept. 4
| We want you to drink only good wine. And to never overpay. Since our kwäf Taste Buds are drinking all the time anyway—we mean, tasting all the time—we’re happy to pick out the super star values and pass them on to you. One good wine at a time, just because we care. Find these wines on sale at the LCBO, and enjoy! Sign up to receive weekly picks. |
Vila Regia Reserva 2012 (Douro Valley, Portugal)
Sale $11.00, Regular $13.00
Discount (until Sept. 14): $2.00
LCBO # 613950 | 750 mL bottle
Tastes like: A liquid version of a blackberry and plum pie.
Pairs with: Roasts, steaks, stews and, especially, lamb.
Good for: A big meaty meal.
Drink this: Now - 2016.
Alcohol: 14%
Why we're drinking this
Among wine geeks, Portugal’s Douro Valley is hot. But most people don’t know much about the region, apart from its fame as a producer of sweet port wines. For dry red wines, the Douro represents tremendous value, purely because the wines aren’t considered hip by the mass consumer. For geeks, though, it’s another story. Note that there are two Vila Regia wines on the general list of the LCBO: this Reserva is normally $13, on sale now for $11. The other Vila Regia (the non-Reserva) is just $8 at regular price, and it’s also very good (lighter bodied, a good sipper, and more approachable right now).
Tasting note
This is a pretty big wine, with jammy blackberry and plum fruit, a fair amount of tobacco and dried savoury herb notes, a bit of leather and earth, and quite substantial tannins. It’s gritty in texture and a little bitter on the finish—but we call that “rustic.” You might try laying this down for a few months or a year to smooth out the rough edges, but the wine is good right now. It’s not so much a sipper, but shines with substantial food.
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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder