LCBO Food and Drink Winter 2016

Bordeaux- style

Generations of winemakers in just about every re- gion of the New World have tried to create their own versions of Bordeaux’s great reds, using vari- ous combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Caber- net Franc and Merlot. Mission Hill’s 5 Vineyards Cabernet Merlot VQA ( LCBO 145102, $16.95) is one suave example that also contains a dash of another Bordelais bit-part player, Petit Verdot, to boost the wine’s smoothly integrated tannins and give a slightly bigger body. Eleven months’ aging in French and American oak adds hints of vanilla, sage and sandalwood to the warm flavours of cherry and blackcurrant.   You can find a similar spectrum of fruit fla- vours in Cono Sur Tocornal Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot ( LCBO 257170, 1.5 L, $13.95) from Chile, but there the resemblance ends. Amazingly good val- ue, this is a Bordeaux blend at its most stripped back and accessible, with simple, forward fruiti- ness and barely a trace of tannins or oak. Taste

it with your eyes closed and you might think it’s a rosé—a useful wine for a big, casual party.   Hawkes Bay in New Zealand is a great area for Bordeaux varieties, with poor gravelly soil en- hancing the intensity of reds. Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon ( LCBO 310300, $19.95) shows how attractive they can be, full of juicy fruit flavours with a whiff of cedar. The Cab- ernet adds just enough structure and discipline to the easygoing warmth of the Merlot.   Meanwhile, The Foreign Affair’s The Con- spiracy ( VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 149237, $19.95) has a secret: it’s made in the ripasso method, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot refermented on the skins that this On- tario winery uses for its Amarone-style appassi- mento wines. The process yields a smooth, rich, complex red, full of deep, ripe fruit flavours, de- cent tannins and a prickle of spice from aging in oak.

PARSLEY & MUSTARD-CRUSTED Beef Tenderloin WITH ROASTED GARLIC & THYME BUTTER recipes on page 88

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