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Yvon Mau 2008 Colombard Chardonnay Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, France $8.95 (627265) This 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Colombard — a variety traditionally used in the production of Cognac — from the Gascony region is appealingly soft and fruity on the palate. The texture on the palate is almost oily, with a flavour profile that suggests a mix of ripe pear and green apple.
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Charlotte Gainsbourg, IRM (Elektra) French actor/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg collaborated with American pop star/producer Beck for her shapeshifting third album, IRM. The album’s title is French for the MRI machines, and much of the material is inspired by Gainsbourg’s near-death experience as a result of a water-skiing accident. The sonic texture shifts from wispy ballads to psychedelic boogie without missing a beat.Drink This
Henri Bourgeois 2008 Les Baronnes Sancerre Loire Valley, France $24.95 (542548) Dried herbal notes stand out on the nose of this consistently enjoyable Sancerre from Loire domaine Henri Bourgeois. Made in a dry, refreshing style, this offers a regional expression of Sauvignon Blanc, with a polished mix of green apple, grapefruit and kiwi flavours on the palate. A classic aperitif wine.
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Efterklang, Magic Chairs (4AD) Meet our new favourite band. Denmark’s experimental outfit Efterklang are equally at home with classical orchestration as they are with pop songwriting, which makes Magic Chairs an adventurous collection of sunny, singular songs that are easy to get lost in. There’s a sweeping, epic feel to this intricately arranged material that inspires repeated listening.Drink This
Stratus Vineyards 2006 Wildass White Niagara Peninsula $19.95 This off-kilter white blend matches the experimental yet harmonious vibe of Efterklang note for note. A mix of Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Viognier that spent substantial time in French oak barrels, Wildass White is a medium-bodied wine with major complexity and appeal. wildasswines.com
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RJD2, The Colossus (RJ’s Electrical Connections) Innovative producer RJD2, best-known for the theme to TV’s Mad Men, delivers a enjoyable new disc that successfully blends poppy R&B tracks with more hip-hoppy material. It’s a creative stew that spotlights solid instrumental tracks cobbled together from vintage samples alongside enjoyable collaborations with the likes of Aaron Livingston and Kenna.
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Vineland Estates Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula $40 Winemaker Brian Schmidt has a winning way with Cabernet Franc. His precise, polished wines always deliver the tell-tale red pepper and floral attributes of the fragrant Bordeaux red without being too hard or herbal. The newly released 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve suggests crushed red berries and vanilla cream on the palate. vineland.com
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Spoon, Transference (Merge) There’s a certain austerity and feistiness at play on Spoon’s seventh album — the first self-produced by the Texas-based band. The stripped-down production puts the listeners’ focus squarely on the intensity of the lyrics of these emotionally wrought songs and the smart pop hooks that drive those messages home. Many songs come across with the unvarnished urgency of demo versions, which suits this material to a T.
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Seaglass Wine Co. 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Santa Barbara County, California $13.95 The 2009 vintage of this bracing and intense white will be a new listing at LCBO outlets this summer. It’s a Santa Barbara County appellation white that speaks with a New Zealand accent. Look for vibrant tropical fruit and grass notes on the palate. The wine’s racy finish makes it an ideal candidate for warm weather sipping.
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Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca (DOMINO) We're late to the party with Bitte Orca, but the Dirty Projectors deserve recognition for turning out one of 2009's top albums. Parallels have been drawn between the gleefully challenging yet engaging release and art rock classics like Talking Heads' Fear of Music. In turns, it's weird and wonderful, which is part of the reason it took a while for our interest to catch fire.Drink This
Hillebrand Winery 2008 Trius White Ontario $19.95 (054957) Weird and wonderful is also a good description for this offbeat white blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Savagnin. Batches were fermented in stainless stain, French oak and concrete vessels to develop complexity and richness as well as enhance the texture of the finished wine.
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Norah Jones, The Fall (BLUE NOTE) The Fall sees award-winning singer/songwriter Norah Jones take a run at critics who dubbed her Snorah because of the sleepy air of recordings like Come Away with Me and Feels like Home. More adventurous arrangements impart welcome edge into this material and Jones' mellifluous voice works equally well when things turn more hot-blooded.Drink This
Tentimenti Ruffino 2006 Ruffino Il Ducale Tuscany, Italy $16.95 (872572) Il Ducale is an adventurous and affordable super-Tuscan blend that marries Tuscany's traditional star Sangiovese with 20 percent each of Merlot and Syrah. The smoothness of the Merlot and fleshy fruitiness of the Syrah have a tremendous effect on the spicy and floral Sangiovese.
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Owen Pallett, Heartland (FOR GREAT JUSTICE) Having retired his Final Fantasy handle, Polaris Prize winning Toronto composer Owen Pallett starts the new decade performing under his own name. The scope of his output is becoming more ambitious, too, as the whimsical orchestral-pop recording Heartland reveals. It's the best concept album about a farmer named Lewis you'll ever hear.Drink This
Wyndham Estate 2006 George Wyndham Founder's Reserve Shiraz/Cabernet Limestone Coast, South Australia $22.95 (107912) The concept behind the George Wyndham Founder's Reserve label was to pay tribute to the winery namesake and acknowledge his pioneering efforts establishing Shiraz in Australia. This successful blend is a first class effort that is drinking nicely now, with or without a meal.
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Vampire Weekend, Contra (XL) The news brief "Vampire Weekend defend dress sense" moved on wire services the week before the Brooklyn band released Contra. It's more proof that the preppy pop band, which has been featured in fashion mags, has always showcased impeccable style - from its embrace of tribal rhythms and orchestral strings to the ability to find songwriting inspiration from punctuation and Mexican hangover remedies.
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Jim Barry Wines 2006 The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia $23.95 (677476) Top tier Clare Valley producer Jim Barry took its inspiration from cricket to create its Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon. (A cover drive is a batting term.) Fruit from Coonawarra and Clare is blended to create this stylish Cabernet that offers generous dark fruit character and impressive structure.
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The XX (YOUNG TURKS) The self-titled debut from South London newcomers The XX is remarkably restrained and surprisingly polished. These tracks have been meticulously composed and arranged, which says a lot about the songwriting smarts of this young band. Back in the day this sound might have been called dream pop, today it sounds unexpectedly original and unique.
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Bodegas Castaño 2007 La Casona Monastrell Yecla, Spain $8.95 (143743) La Casona is bound to shake things up at the liquor store. It offers impressively ripe character as well as pleasing peppery spice and Old World richness. It’s a great value wine with mass appeal that’s also real and authentic. As such, it’s a great partner for the latest from Yo La Tengo.
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Domäne Wachau 2008 Terraces Grüner Veltliner Wachau, Austria $15.95 (155812) Domäne Wachau specializes in producing classic, minerally white wines from estate vineyards. Its Terraces Grüner Veltliner reveals rich, fruity character (suggesting tropical and peachy notes) that is kept in check by balancing acidity. This is a great introduction to what makes Grüner so exciting.
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Hillebrand Winery Trius Brut NV Niagara Peninsula $24.95 (451641) Trius Brut continues to subtly evolve over time. It has become more focused, more vibrant and more complex. Its bright citrus and apple notes gain richness and complexity from toasted notes on the palate. The finish is long and refreshing.
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BIG STAR, Keep An Eye on the Sky (Rhino) Influential 1970s band, Big Star, gets the full Rhino treatment for this stunning four-CD box set that collects virtually all known recordings. More than half of the 98 featured tracks are previously unreleased — the box obsessively collects countless alternate mixes, alternate versions or live recordings of the songs from the Memphis band’s three studio recordings. It’s a treasure trove of material that underscores why this cult band continues to be relevant.Drink This
Robert Mondavi Winery 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, California $35.95 (255513) Featured elsewhere in this issue as an InterVin Silver medallists, Mondavi’s Napa Cab makes a good match for this thought-fully packaged box set of Big Star songs. Both stand tall as American classics that have inspired endless numbers of others to try their hand at music or winemaking as the case may be.
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CALIFONE, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (Dead Oceans) A musical companion to a film of the same name written and directed by band founder Tim Rutili, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers sees the outfit continue to push traditional folk music into more experimental terrain. The sound is laid-back, natural and provocative — and stands alone without the visuals of the film. The layering of instruments, signing and other voices (from the film one assumes) proves to be pleasingly hypnotic.Drink This
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Talon Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula $37 (143974) The first single-vineyard Chardonnay from Le Clos Jordanne’s Talon Ridge Vineyard reveals a complex flavour profile marked by citrus fruit as well as flinty/earthy and smoky/oaky elements. It’s as real and compelling as the sounds coming out of the speakers when you cue up All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. leclosjordanne.com
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WILCO, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch) Wilco’s latest release might lack the ambition or imagination that made previous experimental efforts like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost is Born so earth-shattering, but it more than delivers where it counts. As a collection of songs, it’s certainly the most enjoyable and user-friendly Wilco disc to date. It’s also one of the most satisfying listens of the year. Highly recommended.Drink This
Stratus Vineyards 2007 Gamay Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula $29 Most red wines from boutique Niagara producer Stratus are serious, age-worthy affairs. This vigorous Gamay (only the second single-varietal Gamay to come from the Stratus cellars) is a different breed. Its juicy profile promises to make it the life of the party this holiday season. stratusvineyards.com
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Yo La Tengo, Popular Songs (Matador) American indie trio Yo La Tengo continues its sonic exploration of its record collection with this 12-song collection that playfully riffs on garage rock, soul and pop styles. One second band members get funky with a killer bassline, the next they seem to channel Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”. Later in the track list, they turn up the amps and freak out in a joyous fit of discordant rock and roll. It’s all good.Drink This
Bodegas Castaño 2007 La Casona Monastrell Yecla, Spain $8.95 (143743) La Casona is bound to shake things up at the liquor store. It offers impressively ripe character as well as pleasing peppery spice and Old World richness. It’s a great value wine with mass appeal that’s also real and authentic. As such, it’s a great partner for the latest from Yo La Tengo.
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BONNIE PRINCE BILLY, Beware (Drag City) This is the 15th release by singer-songwriter Will Oldham, who has recorded under the names Bonnie Prince Billy, Palace, Palace Songs, Palace Brothers and his own name. In the process he has cemented his reputation as one of the most beguiling and talented musicians of the past decade. The country-tinged Beware parties like it’s 1973, with rich harmonies that wouldn’t be out of place on a Waylon Jennings disc.Drink This
Wyndham Estate 2006 George Wyndham Founders Reserve Shiraz/Cabernet Limestone Coast, Australia $23.95 (107912) Rich harmony is a good description of this impressive red blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. Part of a new label honouring the Wyndham winery’s impressive legacy (it was the first producer of Australian Shiraz), this George Wyndham Founders Reserve manages to be both juicy and robust.
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CAMERA OBSCURA, My Maudlin Career (4AD) Scottish ensemble Camera Obscura has a winning way for crafting high-flying pop arrangements and sing-along doo-wop harmonies that call to mind the finest joy-filled moments of Motown. These sunny pop thrills are tempered by frontwoman Tracyanne Campbell’s unvarnished heartbroken lyrics that make the best moments on My Maudlin Career bittersweet, but nonetheless effecting.Drink This
Domaine Houchart 2008 Côtes de Provence Rosé Provence, France $14.95 (018653) This light and refreshing South of France rosé mirrors the sunny musical vibe found on Camera Obscura’s new disc. Its cherry/berry flavours are sure to bring a smile to your face,especially if you’re sipping a glass outside on a lazy summer day.
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IRON & WINE, Around the Well (Sub Pop) Compilations like Around the Well can easily become precious fan-only affairs, but the strength of (Iron & Wine singer-songwriter) Sam Beam’s talent elevates this to must-hear status. The two-disc collection packages rarities, soundtrack submissions and discarded tracks and successfully brings a lot of hidden gems to light.Drink This
Thirty Bench Wine Makers 2008 Small Lot Riesling Steel Post Vineyard Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula $30 At this early stage, this is the most nervous and zesty of the four Rieslings produced at Thirty Bench from the 2008 vintage. Its big honey, mineral, lime- flavoured palate gets bodychecked by intense acidity on the finish. It’s transparent but forceful flavour make it a good match for Sam Beam’s world in song. thirtybench.com
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JASON LYTLE, Yours Truly, The Commuter (Anti-) Jason Lytle, formerly of dream pop darlings Grandaddy, goes solo with this solid disc of gently strummed, sepia-toned pop songs. Yours Truly, The Commuter was recorded in the wake of Grandaddy’s demise and Lytle’s subsequent relocation from Modesto, California to Bozeman, Montana. “Elegies for vanished certainties,” is the New York Times’ take. Well said.Drink This
Reif Estate Winery 2007 Pinot Noir Niagara River $16.95 (282889) The warmth of the sun in Ontario highly-touted 2007 vintage plumped up the palate and fruit intensity of Reif’s estate-grown Pinot Noir. Its ripe cherry and peppery character is bolder and more richly concentrated than previous vintages. There is also an appealingly funky element on the nose — damp earth, mushroom, forest floor, take your pick — that adds welcome complexity to this good value wine. reifwinery.com
