Dear Arthur’s Cellar Wine Club Member:

Here’s the first update about the current availability of our wines on LCBO.com. The major change is the addition of Sabon’s excellent 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape ‘Réserve’.

Per usual, I’d be pleased to order for you. Just let me know what you would like and to which LCBO store you would like it sent.

2019 Le Fou de Malijay (12.5% Alc./Vol.)              $18.20 the bottle LCBO Product No. 779538

72 bottles on LCBO.com; 95 more in the LCBO warehouse

This Vin de Pays de Méditerranée from Château Malijay is created from grapes sourced in the southern Rhône Valley and Jonquières. Made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, Le Fou de Malijay is a pretty pale pink, a charming wine with citrus aromas that leap from the glass. The mouth is lively and fruity with lovely acidity. Not just fir summer sipping, it will pair nicely with Asian cuisine, baked ham, salads, melon, grilled vegetables and delicate seafood.

2019 Le Petit Prince de Malijay (13.5% Alc./Vol.)            $18.20 the bottle LCBO Product No. 779512

Just 30 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse

This Vin de Pays de Vaucluse from Château Malijay is fashioned from grapes sourced in the southern Rhône Valley and Jonquières. Blended from 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 5% Carignan, Le Petit Prince de Malijay is a lovely, welcoming wine. Round and balanced, its nose offers beautiful notes of red fruit, sweet spices and a hint of new leather. A delightful sipper by itself, it will pair wonderfully with charcuterie, grilled meats, pasta, stuffed vegetables or soft cheeses. Ready to enjoy now but will keep for 2 to 3 years.

2019 Le Sabounet – 15.0% Alc./Vol.                                 $15.15 the bottle LCBO Product No. 775809

62 bottles on LCBO.com; 59 in the LCBO warehouse

This overachieving Vin de France from Domaine Roger Sabon, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, is an entry-level wine bearing a Mediterranean character with great body and expressive fruit. The grapes were hand-picked and destemmed and vinified in the usual Sabon fashion. It is a pretty deep purple with vibrant aromas of ripe red fruit, garrigue, toast and liquorice. It is harmonious, smooth and delectable and is meant to be consumed in the short-term. A veritable bargain if ever there was one!

2018 Châteauneuf du Pape ‘Les Olivets’ – 15.0% Alc./Vol.      $45.30 the bottle LCBO Product No. 775783

Just 21 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse               

 “Forward and supple, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Les Olivets’ (from Domaine Roger Sabon) looks to be another fine success, perhaps in a slightly plusher, more easy-drinking style. Blueberries and raspberries mingle on the nose and palate of this full-bodied, silky textured wine, finishing warm and lush. Rating: 91-93” – Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, August, 2019.

2018 Châteauneuf du Pape ‘Réserve’ – 15.0% Alc./Vol.      $54.25 the bottle LCBO Product No. 775791

Just 11 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse

Blessed with tremendous raspberry and blueberry fruit, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve adds nuances of dusty earth and crushed stone to the mix. It’s full-bodied, lush and creamy, ending on a flourish of dried spices – all spice, clove and star anise. Rating: 92-95 - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, August, 2019.

I would give this marvellous Châteauneuf a couple of years before broaching and expect it to evolve wonderfully for the next fifteen years or so.

2018 Châteauneuf du Pape ‘Prestige’ – 15.0% Alc./Vol.            $79.60 the bottle LCBO Product No. 775833

Just 15 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse

There’s a purity of fruit to this wine (from Domaine Roger Sabon) that’s remarkable year after year. The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige showcases cherries and blueberries, backed by subtle power and gentle structure. Full-bodied, creamy and lush yet bright, intense and long on the finish, it’s a terrific effort. Rating: 94-96 - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, August, 2019.

Year after year this is my favourite Châteauneuf du Pape from Domaine Roger Sabon.

2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc ‘Cuvée Flora’ – 14.0% Alc./Vol.      $43.90 the bottle LCBO Product No. 790899

Just 8 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse

This refreshing white from Domaine Giuliani is made from equal parts Grenache Blanc and Clairette. The grapes are hand-picked (as they are for all of the Giuliani Châteauneuf du Pape). It is a pale straw colour with golden notes. The nose is full of perfume, roasted almonds, spices and grilled bread. In the mouth these scents are joined by honey and chestnut cream. It is a rich, full, beautifully balanced wine with gentle acidity and surprising length. This most pleasant white will pair wonderfully with fish and meats in cream sauce, medium cheeses and all by itself as an apéritif. It is drinking well now (do decant) and will continue to do so for several years.

2017 Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge – 15.5% Alc./Vol.                       $40.85 the bottle LCBO Product No. 790881

Just 22 bottles remain on LCBO.com; none in the LCBO warehouse

The 2017 (a superb vintage) Domaine Giuliani Châteauneuf du Pape is crafted from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre - from vines averaging over fifty years of age. It is a deep brick red colour and offers up aromas of strawberry and raspberry jam, cherries, cassis, dark chocolate, garrigue and Provençal herbs. In the mouth it is full, ample and quite divine. This magnificent Ch.9 simply screams out for a gigot d’agneau or prime rib of beef. You could drink it now, but be sure to give it a few hours in a decanter; it will last for a decade or more in a storage unit or cellar.

2018 Côtes du Rhône ‘Les Notes de Louis’ – 15.8% Alc./Vol.          $19.25 the bottle LCBO Product No. 790873

Currently there no bottles on LCBO.com; there are 288 bottles in the LCBO warehouse, some of which will soon be transferred to LCBO.com (I hope) – I’ll let you know when they are available to order.

This glorious Côte du Rhône from Domaine Giuliani is made from 95% Grenache (the Giulianis are very, very talented Grenache growers) and 5% Syrah. This robust beauty is a brilliant ruby colour and exhibits a pronounced, lively nose of raspberries, plums and cherries. In the mouth these persist, accompanied by black currents and hints of pepper and licorice. It is big and wonderfully round and supple with silky tannins and surprising length. This stunner will go marvellously with savoury tarts and grilled meats. While drinking well now, it will keep nicely for at least three or four years.

2019 Rhône By Roger Sabon – 15.0% Alc./Vol.            LCBO Product No. 775684

This wine sold out quickly, but there are another 25 cases on the way.   

The 2019 Rhône By Roger Sabon is a truly superb Côtes du Rhône. It is made from 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. The grapes were destemmed and hand sorted. It is a brick red colour with pure aromas of raspberries, ripe cherries, smoked meat, Provençal spices and minerals. It is well-balanced with silky tannins and lots of red and black fruit flavours and very elegant! Medium to full-bodied, it will go perfectly with grilled meats, barbeques and charcuterie. It is ready to drink now and will hold beautifully for another four to five years.

2019 La Princesse de Malijay (12.5% Alc./Vol.)       LCBO Product No. 779520

This too sold out very quickly and we are currently in the process of ordering more along with some new wines from Château Malijay.

This Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Principauté d'Orange is made from grapes sourced in the southern Rhône Valley and Jonquières. A blend of 60% Viognier, 20% Grenache Blanc and 20% Roussanne, La Princesse de Malijay is a delightful wine, its nose is very expressive with apricot, peach and a hint of citrus. The mouth is lively, crisp and fruity. A fine white to sip at leisure, it will also pair beautifully with charcuterie, tapas or grilled fish. A pleasure to drink now, this crowd pleaser will keep quite happily for another two years.

We would be eternally grateful if you would pass this note on to anyone you think might be interested in some very, very good Southern Rhônes.

Many thanks and cheers!

Jim, Hélène and Kate

www.arthursellers.com
jaswalker@arthursellers.com
mhbuisson@gmail,.com  
kwalker@arthursellers.com

PS: Follow My Vinous Adventures on Gentleman’s Portion

I have contributed fifty-five posts about our experiences in the wild, wacky and wonderful world of wine to a delightful lifestyle blog called Gentleman’s Portion. The latest is titled A VINEYARD IN A LUNAR-LIKE LANDSCAPE. Please join me and my fellow contributors, Nigel Napier-Andrews and David Moorcroft, as we regale you with a good helping of everything great in life.