December 17/06 - Top Import Wine Picks in Canada

BUBBLE

87 Deinhard Lila Riesling Brut Sekt N/V
Rheinhessen, Germany
AB $11.00; BC $13.99 specialty listing; ON $12.95
It's difficult not to like a sparkling wine that offers taste and style for such a small price, but that's what you get from the Deinhard Lila Riesling Brut Sekt. Its attractive floral nose melts into a dry, round, elegant, but taut, sparkler with green apple, petrol, and slate, mineral, citrus and peach flavours. Weddings anyone? Or, try as a kir (with crème de cassis or raspberry liqueur).

87 Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava N/V Macabeo - Parellada - Xarello
Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
AB $13.99 private wine shop; BC $14.99 specialty listing; MB $13.22; ON $13.00; QC $12.90
Segura Viudas is a consistently solid cava that regales the senses with its nutty, lemon, mineral, toasted biscuit nose. It's fresh, clean and round (the mousse is tight and creamy) with dried pears, citrus, apple, nutty honey almond flavours. A dry (brut) style bubble with lots of flavour. Good value in a sparkler and suited to a variety of food.

86 Pink by Yellowglen N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay
Australia
AB $12.99 private wine shops; BC $12.99 specialty listing; MB $14.97; NS $13.99; ON $12.95; SK $14.97
Yellowglen has always been a great bubble maker in Oz and they have turned their expertise to this entry level blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. Upfront citrus fruit flavours with a hint of strawberry make it fun to sip al fresco or pair with tapas style food. Just sweet enough to take the edge off the acidity. This is a fun, albeit barely pink bubble at an affordable price.

WHITES

89 Goundrey Homestead Chardonnay Unwooded 2005
Great Southern, Western Australia, Australia
AB $12.65 private wine shops; BC $13.99 specialty listing; NB $10.89; QC $13.85
This is a terrific value white wine that delivers on all accounts without the use of any oak. The fruit comes from south Western Australia, including the cooler Mount Barker region where Homestead is located. We love the cool minerality and tight nervous palate that shows just enough fruit to balance it all out. Not your typical fruit bomb as one judge remarked. Killer value.

88 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Viognier Proprietors' Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Floral, creamy, spicy, ginger, orange honey aromas. Ripe, round, elegant and fresh but delicate. Green apple, citrus, ginger, lemon, mineral and honey flavours. Crisp, delicate finish, well balanced style to match any seafood. Stylish.

87 Bouchard Aîné & Fils Chardonnay 2005
Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, South of France, France
AB $11.99 private wine shops; BC $11.99 specialty
Ripe apple, lees, mineral, citrus skin, slightly floral nose. Round, dry, slightly tight but elegant style with green apple, smoky, mineral, light lees flavours with a touch of honey and a crisp finish. Good solid food wine that exhibits chardonnay character. Good value.

87 Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2004
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
AB $11.50; BC $12.30 general listing; MB $10.95; NF $11.57; NS $12.95; SK $13.10
Floral, tropical fruit, pear, butter, vanilla aromas. Ripe, round, fresh palate with butter, citrus, vanilla, baked apple and pineapple flavours. A touch sweet and oily on the finish but good freshness and balance. Continued good quality and with a new screw cap.

87 Cono Sur Viognier Limited Release 2006
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $10.88 specialty listing
Floral, lime, mineral, mango, honey aromas. Ripe, round, rich but elegant with moderate acidity. Spicy, ginger, orange peel, honey and mineral flavours with a touch of citrus rind bitterness. Fine solid, fresh style for white meats and seafood. Great value.

87 Cono Sur Visión Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
CDN $18.99 retail
The Visión Cono Sur sauvignon comes off gravel-base vineyards sites: Santa Elisa and Quitralmán Estates. Cool nights and foggy mornings have given this sauvignon a marvellous fresh floral nose streaked with citrus, asparagus and bell pepper. Clean and dry this is classic Casablanca sauvignon. Good value.

87 Mad Dogs and Englishman Bierzo Godello Chardonnay 2004 Godello - Chardonnay
Bierzo, Castilla-Leon, Spain
BC $14.99 specialty
Recently re-tatsed and my comments remain the same...the godello grape might not grab your attention but its mineral, citrus, peach, floral, aromas will. The palate is fresh and juicy with grapefruit, mineral, apple, quince flavours. It's a touch dry in the finish with a chalky, grapefruit rind finish. Solid seafood wine. Good value.

87 Pascual Toso Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Maipú, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina2
AB $8.95 private wine shops; BC $11.99 specialty listing
Clean floral, melon, passion fruit, grapefruit, kiwi aromas with a hint of butter and vanilla. Round, full, slightly fat entry with lime, passion fruit, butter, melon, vanilla, bell pepper flavours. Good solid fruit concentration. Serve with a variety of seafood. Fine value.

87 Ricasoli Torricello Chardonnay di Toscana 2004
Tuscany, Italy
QC $26.50
Spicy, nutty, leesy, baked apple, floral, mineral nose. Dry, crisp, round entry with hazelnut, spicy, mineral, green apple skin, citrus flavours. Good acidity, slightly austere, lean Italian-style but well made. Try with roasted chicken.

87 Viu Manent Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $11.99 speculative listing - Authentic Wines and Spirits
Menthol, passion fruit, grapefruit juice, floral, kiwi aromas. Fresh, round, slightly sweet entry with mineral, grapefruit, gooseberry, green apple skin, grassy flavours. A bit lean and tart on the finish but has nice elegance.

86 Adobe Chardonnay Orgánico 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $13.99
VOE Vinedos Orgánicos Emiliana is an independent company within the Concha y Toro group like Trivento; the difference is they are focused on organic wine production. Adobe Chardonnay is one of the first VOE wines to come into Canada and it's surprisingly stylish, affordable quality organic wine. Look for an open citrus honey melon fruit nose with a refreshingly lean mid-palate flecked with mineral and more honeyed fruit flavours. It's fairly warm (alcoholic) on the mid-palate but otherwise a decent organic chardonnay. The price is excellent.

86 Banfi Le Rime Chardonnay & Pinot Grigio 2004 Chardonnay - Pinot Grigio
Tuscany, Italy
BC $14.95 specialty listing; ON $12.95 Vintages
Grapefruit, mineral, smoky, floral, light melon nose. Crisp, round, dry style with red apple, grapefruit, mineral, almond flavours. Dryer style for grilled fish or shellfish.

86 Cono Sur Reserve Chardonnay 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
CDN $15.00 retail; ON $13.95 Vintages
The Reserve is a blend of Casablanca estates fruit that gets a 60 40 wood versus stainless steel ferment where the wood is 90 new French oak. The style is softer and a bit more open showing ripe melon, mineral and citrus lime rind notes. Creamy but less well defined in the mouth and showing some dryness in the back end. Solid if unexciting compared to the aromatic varietals made at Cono Sur.

86 Cono Sur Riesling Limited Release 2005
Bio-Bio Valley, Chile
CDN $9.99 retail
Fresh bright simple fresh white wine that is stainless steel fermented. The Limited Release or entry level riesling boasts decent aromatics of fresh citrus fruit with alight mineral streak. Clean easy sipping white that delivers for the price. It's early days for Bio-Bio region but I'm sure you will hear more from this southern region.

86 Fazi Battaglia Titulus Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2004
Marche, Italy
BC $14.90 specialty listing
Consistently clean and fresh this verdicchio offers up the standard citrus, mineral almond notes on the nose and in the mouth with slightly oily textures at the back end. Dry, round, elegant. Its light, lemony mineral finish is just what the doctored order when you need a flavourful but light wine. Think clams and or mussels here.
 
86 KWV Chenin Blanc 2006
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $10.99 speculative listing - Maxxium Canada; MB $8.99; NB $10.41; NF $10.60; NS $10.89; ON $8.05
Banana, honey, green apple, floral, citrus nose. Soft, round, fresh, slightly sweet entry with red apple, floral, honey, and lime rind flavours with a touch of passion fruit. Simple, easy-sipping, clean style white wine. Good value.

86 Langhorne Crossing Chardonnay Riesling Verdelho 2004 Chardonnay - Riesling - Verdelho
Langhorne Creek, South Australia, Australia
AB $10.99 private wine shops; BC $11.99 specialty listing; MB $11.99
Good value here in what is essentially a summer sipper. The Riesling and verdelho appears to lift the fruit in the glass. Bright crisp tropical fruit flavours with a touch o bitterness and alcohol in the finish. Simple straight-up white for a mid-week curry dish.

86 Louis Latour Ardèche Chardonnay 2004
France
AB $11.50 private wine shops; BC $13.49 specialty listing; ON $10.95 general listing
Mineral, nutty, lees, spicy white floral nose. Elegant, dry, soft entry with buttery, leesy, mineral, apple skin flavours. Lean in a French way but solid and at a fair price.

86 Lurton Mendoza Pinot Gris 2005
Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Central Region, Mendoza, Argentina2
AB $10.50 private wine shops; BC $11.49 specialty listing; ON $10.95 general listing; QC $15.35
Very floral, perfumy, ripe pear, red apple, mineral nose. Rich, round, fresh, slightly sweet entry with citrus, baked pear, apple flavours and nutty floral finish. Full, good fruit, slightly viscous style. Very good value when compare to B.C.

86 Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2005
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
AB $10.95 private wine shops; BC $13.99 specialty listing; ON $9.60 general listing
Very ripe peach, honey, pear, floral nose. Rich, round, fat and somewhat sweet with honey, baked pear, floral flavours with some quince and mineral. A bit too sweet but has great fruit and ripeness for a sipper or with Indian food.

86 Tamaya Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Limari Valley, Chile
BC $13.78 specialty listing
The Limari Valley remains unknown to most Chilean wine fans, but the valley located well to the north of Aconcagua and Santiago is a hotbed for chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and syrah. At $13.78, you will get your money's worth from this sauvignon with its big grapefruit, lime rind and passion fruit nose to its floral, gooseberry, smoky, lime flavours. Clean fresh, affordable and fun.

86 Woop Woop Verdelho 2005
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $14.81 specialty listing
Lime rind, butter, floral, grapefruit, grassy, honey nose. Round, fresh, sweet entry with honey, grassy, grapefruit, mineral flavours. Fun, simple, easy drinking style with crisp acidity on the finish.

ROSE
 
87 Château Lacroix Merlot Saignée Rosé 2005
Montagne - Saint Emilion, Libourne, Bordeaux, France
Ireland $11.00 retail
The wine has a very bright pink/red colour rosé in essence bled off the tanks of grand vin merlot. Fresh round soft and with just a touch of sweetness in the mouth. Soft fruity, easy sipping rosé with enough heft to play with chicken dishes even in the winter months.

REDS

89 J. Bouchon Carmenère Syrah Reserva 2005 Carmenère - Cabernet Sauvignon
Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $12.95 speculative listing - AnaRona Wines
Consistently well made, the latest version Bouchon blend mixes big mint, cassis and sappy, floral, licorice aromas with floral (lavender), mineral chocolate notes. The palate is suitably round with just a touch of youthful grippy, tannins in the back end but there is plenty of peppery, minty, cassis jam, and chalky Carmenère flavour. Wonderful value.

88 Emiliana Orgánico Adobe Syrah 2004
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $13.99
Impressive peppery, spicy, chocolate, meaty, rootsy, mineral, black berry nose. Ripe, round, rich, supple palate but with a touch of tannins. Smoky, resin, peppery, black berry, mineral, dark chocolate, coffee grind, meaty flavours. Fleshy and well balanced with some grip. Terrific value and 100 per cent organic. Well done.

88 Finca Luzon Jumilla Organic 2005 Monastrell - Syrah - Cabernet Sauvignon - Tempranillo
Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain
BC $14.99
One of the best (and most affordable organic wines in the market) is back and the '05 vintage is even better. Love the rich gamey savoury chocolate, black fruit nose. Ripe and round on entry the textures are supple but with just enough acidity. Long warm, peppery, fruit flavours with more cherry chocolate and earth in the finish.

88 Mas de Guiot Grenache Syrah 2005 Syrah - Grenache
Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
AB $13.99 private wine shops; BC $14.99 speculative listing - Free House Wines & Spirits
A 60/40 blend of syrah / grenache with a smoky, spicy, garrigue, floral, black raspberry, gamey, licorice and chocolate nose. Round, warm, fat and dry with light tannins. Good black cherry, chocolate, peppery, licorice, orange peel, thyme and sausage flavours. A bit warm with some acidity showing but has very good intensity and fruit. Good value.

88 Ricossa Antica Casa Barbera d'Asti 2004
Piedmont, Italy
BC $14.99
Cherry, mineral, leather, tar, smoky, vanilla, coffee nose. Ripe, rich, round and soft with spicy vanilla, coffee, black cherry, licorice, smoky flavours. Very ripe style with some oak and supple tannins. Very good effort and value. Bit of a California bent. Good value.

87 La Bastide (Rouge) 2005 Syrah - Grenache - Carignan
Vin de Pays d'Hauterive, Languedoc, South of France, France
BC $9.99 specialty listing
Deep black cherry colour. Spicy, smoky, olive, black cherry, meaty, cedar nose with a touch of kirsch. Ripe, round, soft and balanced with lots of black cherry jam, licorice, meaty, spicy, peppery flavours with a raspberry finish. Great food wine and great value. What a difference compared to the 04. Drink with roast lamb or anything barbecue.

87 Borsão Selección Tinto Joven 2005 Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet
Campo de Borja, Aragon, Spain
BC $14.99 specialty listing, Marquis Wine Cellars
A mix of mostly garnacha with tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon from Campo de Borja in the North of Spain. Much riper nose and far better fruit than the '04. The winery move form natural cork in '04 to synthetic in '05 and it looks like a good move. Black fruit dominates the mid-palate with licorice and spicy undertones and good acidity and an almost youthful grapey finish. Should be very appealing to that consumer moving away from the simple, sweet, introductory reds.

87 Casillero del Diablo Shiraz 2005
Region del Valle Central, Chile
AB $12.25; BC $12.95 Specialty; MB $10.95; NF $12.29; SK $13.10
Very peppery, spicy, smoky, rosemary, sausage meat nose with black cherry and chocolate mixed in. Smooth, dry and round with light tannins. Ripe black cherry fruit with chocolate, minty, rosemary, gamey, spicy, licorice flavours. A bit warm and acidic on the finish but continued fine effort at an excellent price.

87 Vina Casablanca Syrah Coleccion Privada 2004
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $13.99 specialty listing
Peppery, spicy, black berry, prune, smoky, roasted pepper aromas. Round, soft, dry, supple palate with minty, smoky, plum, peppery, earthy, meaty flavours with a touch of vanilla and clove. Good solid red for the richer dishes of fall and winter. Great value.

87 Vina Chilcaya Chardonnay Reserva 2005
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
AB $12.99
Viña Chilcaya or 'liquid gem' in native Mapuche is made by Viña Bisquertt for Gallo in Chile's Colchagua Valley. Look for a bright well made chardonnay with creamy pear and mineral flavours flecked with citrus and spice. Fine value.

87 Flor de Crasto Douro Vinho Tinto 2004 Tinta Roriz - Tinta Barroca - Touriga Nacional
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal
BC $13.99 specialty listing
I guess in our minds we were hoping for the price of the regular Crasto Douro red to come down but instead we have a new wine: Flor de Crasto that was built for early drinking. The tannins are softer, the fruit a bit more forward but it's still the Douro. The nose is impressive a sort of fragrance you might get if cross a sangiovese with a malbec. On the palate it's a dusty, earthy medium bodied red wine full of vim and vigour not to mention refreshing acidity. Enjoy all winter with grilled meats, stews or wherever the word rustic is used. Good value.

87 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais 2005
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France
BC $14.95 general listing; QC $13.95
This is certainly one of the darkest coloured Beaujolais we've seen in years. The much heralded 2005 vintage in France has given this modest fruity quaffer a definite lift. Look for increased intensity and a bit spicier, cherry, floral fruit flavours. There is refreshing acidity throughout to remind you that this is French with juicy black fruit in the finish. It begs for food. Quail would be perfect.

87 Gos Monastrell 2005
Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain
BC $12.99 specialty listing; MB $11.49
More or less a carbon copy of last year if slightly warmer. You will love the round, supple textures and the rich black cherry, peppery, licorice, garrigue flavours. The finish is warm and dry with a bit of floral minerality and some acidity showing through. Fine intensity and weight for the money. A very savvy buy.

87 Heartland Stickleback Red 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz - Grenache
South Australia, Australia
AB $12.95 fine wine boutiques; BC $14.99 specialty listing; MB $14.75; ON $13.95; SK $14.95
The '05 Stickleback Red delivers with upfront spicy, black cherry, cassis, olive and coffee aromas. The texture is dry and supple with just a hint of acidity. He flavours are a mouth-filling mix of peppery, cassis, raspberry notes streaked with spicy, olive, orange and tobacco leaf flavours. Good fruit if a little herbaceous in the finish.

87 Higueruela 2004
Almansa, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
AB $12.95
Robert Parker thinks the Higueruela comes across like a fine French Châteauneuf du Pape, I'm not sure I can go that far but at about a fifth of the price it should make Rhone producers edgy. In fact it's a fruit driven red with a slightly sour cran-cherry nose and a spicy licorice black fruit finish. Floral and mineral notes support the body and cry out for food - lamb kabobs or stew would work. Simple workhorse red at a very fair price.

87 Ruffino Fonte Al Sole Sangiovese di Toscana IGT 2003 Sangiovese - Merlot
Tuscany, Italy
BC $14.49 specialty listing; NS $15.60
A decade of hard work and renewal has changed the flavour of Chianti banishing the leather and animal scent and replacing that with fruit and texture. The style is open and expressive for simple Chianti but that's the power of the early, warm 2003 vintage. More ripeness and richness on the palate with pleasant black fruit, mushroom, earth and cherry flavours. Very attractive style. Excellent value fine vintage. A huge step up in quality from 2002. Stock up.

87 Tamaya Carmenère 2005
Limari Valley, Chile
BC $13.37 speculative listing - AnaRona Wines
Tamaya remains under the radar of most Canadian drinkers but as we come to know more about the juicy vibrant wines of Limari it is sure to get wider play. The 05 carmenère is the full-metal jacket complete with soft green peppery black fruit with touch of earth chocolate and asparagus. It's richer and fatter than its price might indicate and completely ready to take on the heartiest of winter dishes. Ready to drink.

87 Tormaresca Paiara 2003 Negroamaro - Cabernet Sauvignon
Apulia, Italy
AB $7.99 private wine shops; BC $10.99 specialty listing
Big cherry jam, chocolate, sweaty saddle, licorice, spicy tobacco nose. Warm, round, fat, supple style with some light, chewy tannin. Smoky, tobacco, cherry jam, cooked cassis, spicy flavours. Good texture and flavours with a solid fruity finish that is a bit chunky. Great value, try with goat, lamb or beef ribs. Great value from Puglia.

87 Viu Manent Malbec 2005
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $12.86 specialty listing
Viu Manent has a reputation for its fat almost sweet-tasting malbec brimming with licorice, black fruit and tobacco. Smooth and spicy with alcohol and acidity to spare it needs a piece of meat to tame its youthful figure. Hard to beat all that flavour and oomph for the money.

86 Alcance Merlot 2004
Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile
AB $24.95 fine wine boutiques; US $14.99 retail
Sappy cassis, cherry, herbal, spicy, chocolate, vanilla nose with some menthol. Dry, round, slightly tight palate with grainy tannins. Warm with peppery, tobacco leaf/menthol, cherry, coffee, vanilla flavours. The finish is tight, somewhat tannic with a bit of acidity showing. Needs time (2-3 years) in bottle to soften.

86 Alcance Carmenère 2004
Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile
AB $24.95 fine wine boutiques; US $14.99 retail
Spicy, smoky, cherry, vanilla, floral, tobacco leaf aromas. Rich, round, dry and supple with light grainy tannins. Cherry, menthol, leafy, spicy, coriander flavours with a warm, somewhat acidic finish. Needs a bit more balance and less acidity.

86 Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Region del Valle Central, Chile
AB $11.95; BC $13.95 general listing; MB $10.95; NB $12.40; NF $11.64; NS $12.95; ON $11.85; PE $14.90; QC $13.15; SK $13.10
Peppery, leafy, cassis, smoky leather, coffee grind nose. Dry, round, fresh palate with light tannins. Coffee, cedar, mint, cassis, clove flavours. Solid value.

86 Chateau de Courteillac 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon
Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France
BC $11.95 specialty listing
Very spicy, smoky, black cherry, plum nose with a touch of resin and coffee. Soft, round, dry palate with very light tannins. Cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco, spicy resin flavours. Simple, ripe and ready for dinner - finally, an introductory Bordeaux-style wine that delivers for the money

86 Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2006
Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $9.89 general listing
This wine sells so fast it's being rushed to the market each year which isn't necessarily a good thing. The '06 sports a typical spicy, licorice root and black cherry nose with a touch of resin and earth. Fairly tart on the mid-palate in essence calling for that duck confit or roasted chicken. Still solid and the price is a dream.

86 Du Peloux Terres du Rhone Côtes du Rhône 2004 Syrah - Grenache - Carignan
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, France
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Floral, peppery, black licorice, meaty, smoky, resin and thyme aromas. Ripe, round, slightly fat entry with smoky, peppery, gamey, rootsy, resin, black cherry and orange flavours. Dry, slightly tannic finish. Try now with grilled lamb or pork. Solid meat and pizza wine.

86 Laurent Charles Brotte Côtes du Rhone Les Brottiers 2003
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, France
BC $13.87 specialty listing
Smoky, meaty, gamey, black cherry, black raspberry, garrigue, floral nose with a big whiff of barnyard and prunes. Soft, round, ripe and warm with spicy, tobacco, chocolate, prune, dried cherry, rootsy, peppery flavours. Warm, slightly tart finish, try with lamb stew. Ready to go now.

86 Los Cardos Malbec 2005
Ugarteche District, Luján de Cuyo, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina2
AB $12.95 private wine shops; BC $13.85 specialty listing
Very peppery, smoky leather, tobacco, clove, dark chocolate nose. Dry, round, supple style with spicy, clove, peppery, cherry, tobacco, roasted mushroom flavours with a savoury note. Good easy style for food.

86 Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz 2005
South Eastern Australia, Australia
AB $11.95 private wine shops; BC $12.99 Specialty; MB $11.99; NB $12.99; NF $13.48; NS $13.49; ON $11.95; PEI $14.98; SK $13.48
Spicy, blackberry, black cherry aromas with some licorice. Warm, round, soft and ripe with licorice, blackberry, plum and pudding flavours. Fresh, easy style with good fruit and a touch of sweetness.

86 Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $12.95 specialty listing
Spicy, tea leaf, chocolate, peppery, cassis, leather aromas. Round, dry, slightly chunky palate with cassis, spicy, peppery, cherry, mineral, minty flavours. Warm, elegant style, ready to go. Solid value.

86 Yellow Tail Cabernet - Merlot 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $12.95 specialty listing
Open spicy, menthol/mineral nose with chocolate tobacco, earthy, gamey vanilla notes flecked with garrigue and blueberry. Floral raspberry/cassis cough syrup fruit flavours with an oaky warm peppery finish. Soft round, ripe and easy to sip all add up to the Yellowtail style. Consistent style and value.