The Good Juice – On Vintages - January 7, 2012 Release This bi-weekly email will regularly highlight new wines from Profile Wine Group being released at your local LCBO/Vintages stores. Look for the latest ratings, updated reviews and winemakers notes. We hope this added information assists you with your buying needs. Please feel free to contact us for further assistance! For product information availability at the LCBO, click on the product name. Diamond Ridge Merlot Napa Valley 2007 +913905 $19.95 Napa Valley Merlot 2007 Starts with aromas of black cherries and plums followed by tobacco and vanilla. It is very strong in mid pallet and finishes with notes of ripe strawberries and hints of smoky oak. The fruit sources for this wine is from the Carneros region and around Yountville, in Napa valley. It is a wonderful accompaniment to lamb, red sauce pasta, and cheeses. Winemaker’s Notes Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz 2009 +673897 $16.95 Rated 90 “Also outstanding, the 2009 Shiraz reveals a judicious touch of oak that provides an attractive spicy component that complements the blackberry and black currant fruit in the aromas and flavors. Full-bodied yet fresh and lively, without the alcoholic and oaky heaviness that sometime interfere with the appreciation of southern Australian wines, it should provide pleasure over the next several years.” The Wine Advocate, #190 August 2010 Keenan Cabernet Sauvingon Napa Valley Spring Mtn. District 2007 +685685 $57.95 Rated 92 The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, a sleeper of the vintage, exhibits a dense ruby/purple hue along with plenty of crushed rock, black currant, black raspberry, white chocolate, and earth characteristics. A supple texture, beautiful concentration, and a long finish suggest it will continue to drink well for 15-16 years. As I have written in the past, Michael Keenan has done a fabulous job of ratcheting up the quality of the wines from this Spring Mountain estate. Some of the finest wines of Napa Valley are emerging from Robert Keenan Winery. The Wine Advocate, #186 December 2009 Rated 94 Nils Venge and Randy Kewell blend Keenan's estate-grown fruit (86 percent) with cabernet from Pope Valley, which adds to this wine's aromatic complexity. The Spring Mountain fruit is deep and dark in its plumminess, with an intense minerality that streaks through the entire wine, as if you can taste the elevation rising into the finish. It builds from savory blueberry and the French roast coffee scent of oak toward crushed rock in the tannin. Even with their explosive mineral power, those tannins manage to feel silken and restrained. For the cellar, and eventually for lamb shank. (4,700 cases) Wine & Spirits, October 2011 Please visit www.lcbo.com for product availability and store location details. When you have a moment, please check out our website at www.profilewinegroup.com