A Peek into the Mark Anthony Wine Portfolio

A portfolio tasting is a great place for a restaurateur, liquor store staff, and wine media, like me, to find out about the latest vintages of wines, and brand new wines, for a wine agent’s portfolio.  With a change in season, for example, restaurants may want to change their cooked dishes, and to these dishes they should match up / update their wine selection for pairings.  Below are some of the wines that caught my attention at the Mark Anthony Fine Wine Merchants Portfolio tasting.  Note that many of these wines are SPEC and would need to be purchased by the half case or full case through Mark Anthony or a liquor store.

• Champagne Chanoine Grande Reserve, France (SPEC $42.99) – Nice citrus and lees together with some light toast on the nose.  Dry, high acidity with flavours of red and green apples, and a wedge of citrus between the apples.  Finishes dry with a mouth watering finish and flavour of lees.
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• Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde, 2013, Portugal (SPEC $12.99) – Light honey and toast aromas.  Light body, with bright stone fruit and lemon/lime flavours.  Dry with medium acidity, and exciting minerality on the finish. A fantastic price for this wine.
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• Aveleda Alvarinho, 2013, Portugal (SPEC $24.99) – This wine is made from the Alvarinho grape in Portugal.  The grape is also known as Albarino in Spain.  It is an aromatic grape with stone fruit flavours.  This wine had nice light ripe stone fruit aromas with some lime rind.  It was medium body, round, with medium acidity.  Stone fruit on the palate followed by cinnamon spice.  Mouth watering finish with citrus and spice. Very nice.
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• Mission Hill Reserve Riesling, 2013, BC ($18.99) – Very nice nose, with aromas of oranges and lime.  Off dry, mineral, with lime, soft citrus and stone fruit flavours.  Round mouth feel.  Very tasty.
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• Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay, 2011, California ($26.99) – Pears and vanilla aromas in the glass. Round with medium plus body, and a nice balance between oak & vanilla with the apple flavour in this wine.  Peppery on the finish.  Elegant.
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• Antinori Estates Prunotto Barbaresco, 2004, Italy (SPEC $89.99) – Perfume, ripe cherries and light vanilla on the nose.  Medium body, round, with red cherries and an Old World woodiness to it. Tannins kick in on the mid palate.  A very balanced wine.
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• Antinori Estates Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva, 2010, Italy (SPEC $39.99) – I was told that this is the house wine at Antinori Estates.  it is a great wine and I’d love to have it as my house wine too!  Earthy, smoky, together with red cherries on the nose.  Medium body, silky, with a nice balance between red fruit flavours, spice, and minerality on the palate.
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• Antinori Estates Il Bruciato Bolgheri DOC, 2012, Italy (SPEC $32.50) – One of my favourite wines of this tasting.  It has a beautiful aroma of roses.  Full body, dry and soft in the mouth, with cassis, red cherries, plums, and a mineral undercurrent. A high quality wine!
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• Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel, 2012, California ($23,99) – If you want a fun wine to go with your bbq, or roast, pick this wine. Jammy, smoky raspberries and vanilla on the nose. Full body and round, very fruity, with primarily red fruit flavours.  Also get pepper and sweet spices.  This wine tastes a bit off-dry.
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• Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz, 2010, Australia (SPEC $59.99) – Smoky, red & black cherries, and vanilla aromas. Medium body, with medium plus acidity and nice minerality.  Dry with ripe raspberries, plums, and vanilla.  Softer tannins. A very nice wine.
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