For my fellow Ontarians, it looks like the LCBO will be running a Vintages sale starting on Monday. Here's a list of what's being offered: LINK.

I've only glanced at the list so far, so I'm not yet sure what's on it that may be of interest to me.

Yes...quite a lot on there...but I figure a ton of it will be only marginally available at a very few stores. The Noble One at a $11 drop to $19 seems good.

There are a lot of SKU's on the sale list, but the Product Search on the LCBO web site indicates that there's very little actual wine out there.

You're right otw. Anything that was interest to me is pretty much non-existant. I'm not going to even bother.

When I was at Summerhill this afternoon and mentioned the sale to Geoff, it was the first he heard of it. It took them an hour of rooting around to find any information about the sale.

Wheee.

The Hunter Valley and Margaret River Semillons are all well priced and well made wines. The Brokenwood and Vasse Felix chardies are good, and the Noble One is always excellent.

The Ozreds were a pretty ordinary (in the true sense of the word, not the perjorative meaning) mix, and I can understand them being discounted. They're not wines to leap off shelves.

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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -Herbert Spencer

Sold out, sold out, sold out, sold out and sold out!!!! I might grab a bottle of 1999 Ridge Montebello, but everything else I was interested in is already gone.

Why bother putting it on sale if there isnt any around??? I checked 6 items; All sold out. I give up!

any opinion on the la mission h.b?

Same here. There were a few products that interested me, but all sold out. Some of the products have been sold out for over a year (I know since I've bought some of the last in the province back then). I don't know who wrote up this list, but they didn't even bother checking to see what was still in stock.

where I am struggling along on my sister's laptop (I've only used one once before) in the few minutes I have before my nephew's hockey game....

I was in the store here at Yonge and Davis and no one had heard of any sale. The Noble One was there but not on sale. Ditto the main store in Windsor a couple of days ago. And nothing on the website about it.

Are you sure there is a sale?

snow sucks, cold is worse.......

I bought the Noble One on sale today for $18.95 in my local LCBO but it was the 1999 version and not the 2000 vintage that is currently for sale at its regular price. I've had the '99 before and loved it.

bman,

Yes, there indeed was a sale. Not much stock on the items, but there was one. If any stock remains at Summerhill, you can check it out on Saturday morning when we're there for the release.

What are you guys eyeing in the release?

I'm going to pick up 4 bottles of the '95 Heidsieck Brut Champagne (two for myself, two for friends that are out of town), and 3 bottles of the Laughing Magpie for DoktaP.

As a sidebar, I'm curious as to why Bruce Sanderson's rating for this wine in 2003 was a 96, but in 2002 it was only an 89.

Hopefully the bottles I pick up are closer to the 96-point end of the scale.

I trust you're talking about the Champagne, Futronic. I wouldn't have thought the Laughing Magpie was a 96-point wine!

I should eat my words!

I looked it up, and the '02 Laughing Magpie did indeed get 93 points from Parker. Maybe I'll join you guys at the release in the morning and pick up a couple bottles to try.

tried the b2k Cruzeau 2 weeks ago, nothing special. gonna pass on that...
will get a few magpie to try

Probably going to get a case of the Magpie (its actually 6 bottles), 2 Leconfield Shiraz, 2 Masi Grandarella, 2 Tommasi Crearo della Conca d'oro, 2 Settlers Shiraz Killakanoon, 3 Guntrum Spatlese

quote:

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Originally posted by aav28:
tried the b2k Cruzeau 2 weeks ago, nothing special. gonna pass on that...

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Was that the red or the white Cruzeau? Both got 90 from WS I believe. It sounds like you disagree. Curious because I have been watching for them to be released here, which should be soon.

Steve,

It's the red I have. My friend aired it for 6 hours. It's quite fruit forward with nose of currants, berry and COW MANURE ( just a touch, but it's there. ). Medium body with not much complexity. but maybe give it a few more years????

Has anyone tried this or any past vintages of the Grandarella? I can't find any reviews for this wine.

on the wine

I don't have a review for the 2000 (probably weaker than the 99), but I still have 2 bottles of the 99. Needs bit of time. Sort of like a Ripasso, but different. I thought it was good, although bit pricey. Mind you, alot of the IGT Veronese Reds are coming up tin price as people are discovering them.

Slan,

Yes, I was talking about the Champagne. As for the Laughing Magpie, any notes I've read on it (mostly on VC) have stated that it's brutish and needs a lot of time, but it's a big wine.

The Summerhill store has the 1999 Bouchard Beaune du Chateau for sale at $35 (released 10/03 @$40). It was a good burgundy at the original price, and I just stocked up at the sale price. This wine is not listed as one of the March sale wines, and I'm not sure if it is available at any other stores.

There is also a white wine under this label (also at the sale price), but it is not quite as good as the red.