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FIZZ 87 Lindauer Brut N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir New Zealand BC $14.99 specialty listing; AB Exclusive to Hyatt Hotel; MB $0.00 Good continuous fine mousse.
FIZZ
87 Lindauer Brut N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir
BC $14.99 specialty listing; AB Exclusive to Hyatt Hotel; MB $0.00
Good continuous fine mousse. Green apple, grassy, light toasty, floral, citrus nose. Fresh, crisp, elegant palate with slightly foamy mousse. Sweet lemon, green apple skin, toasty, honey, peach pit flavours. Affordable, fun style.
WHITE
89 Cono Sur Gewurztraminer Limited Release 2005
BC $10.99 specialty listing
Lovely ripe nose with honey, ginger, sausage, peach, spicy mineral nose. Very round, soft, ripe palate but quite dry and balanced. Spicy, citrus, sausage, honey, nectarine skin flavours with a slightly buttery, mineral finish with good acidity, intensity and length.
88 Torres Vina Esmeralda 2005 Moscatel - Gewürztraminer
BC $13.99 Specialty; QC $15.00; US $14.00 retail
Esmeralda dates back to 1961 when Torres began to experiment with European varieties not previously grown in
88 Trio Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Region
AB $12.99 private wine shops; BC $14.95 specialty listing; NB $14.80; QC $15.30
If there is a more impressive sauvignon blanc under $15 I haven't tasted it. A mix of clones blends mineral and flint specks into this fresh clean bright white with tropical fruit and smoky/grassy apple fruit undertones. Fine intensity and length with persistent fruit on the finish. Good value.
87 Arrogant Frog Ribet White 2004 Chardonnay - Viognier
Vin de Pays d'Oc,
BC $13.99 speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs
A 60/40 blend of chardonnay and viognier with a leesy, mineral, butter, spicy nose flecked with ginger, peach skin and a touch of melon. Fresh, round, clean, crisp palate. Mineral, floral, grapefruit, ginger, honey, nectarine skin flavours. Tart and juicy with some elegance and persistence. Try with seafood pasta or Indian food.
87 Cono Sur Viognier Limited Release 2005
Valle
BC $10.99
This wine goes from strength to strength and the price must be embarrassing to many other wines. The nose is full, spicy open and brimming with orange citrus notes. Only 40 per cent of the wine sees wood the rest is kept in stainless steel. The palate is fresh and dry with honey and mineral flavours. Serve well chilled all summer this is patio superstar.
87 Koonunga Hill Chardonnay 2004
South Eastern Australia,
AB $14.00 private wine shops; BC $14.99 specialty listing; MB $13.99; NB $14.99; NF $14.99; NS $13.41; ON $13.10; SK $15.98
Spicy, grapefruit, lees, vanilla, buttery, waxy aromas with an earthy, floral, fruity note similar to hops. Round, fresh, crisp palate with a touch of oiliness. Green apple skin, bread-y, floral, grapefruit, lees and vanilla flavours. Zippy, warm finish with nutty lees. Solid value.
87 Miguel Torres Santa Digna Selección Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Valle
BC $13.99 Specialty; ON $12.95 Vintages; US $9.50 retail
Fresh citrus mineral, lime rind with bits of butter, melon and gooseberry. Clean and elegant style reflecting the no wood edict for this Curicó fruit. The flavour is mix of grapefruit, mineral, gooseberry, green apples and bell pepper. Fresh and zippy. Think oysters here. Fine value.
87 Santa Julia Viognier 2005
Mendoza, Argentina2
BC $10.90 specialty listing
Very floral, spicy, buttery, mineral, honey, sausage aromas. Ripe, round, fresh, crisp palate with a slight oiliness. Good mineral, honey, butter, citrus, spicy, creamsicle flavours. Good intensity and balance if a touch hot. Great value.
87 Vina
Valle de Casablanca, Region
BC $13.99 specialty listing
Another solid edition to add to the under $14 category. Fresh and bright on the nose with gooseberry, green apple skin and lime rind aromas and flavours. Fresh, well-balanced and stylish
86 Benjamin Nieto Chardonnay 2005
AB $14.25 private wine shops; BC $12.99 speculative listing - Free House Wines & Spirits
An un-oaked style. Mineral, green apple skin, floral, slightly smoky nose with a touch of butter. Dry, round, crisp style with green apple, floral, peach pit, lime, stony mineral flavours with a touch of nectarine skin and lemon peel in the finish. Fresh style, a good seafood wine with some elegance. Excellent value.
86 Cono Sur Reserve Chardonnay 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Region
CDN $15.00 retail; ON $13.95 Vintages
The Reserve is a blend of
86 Cono Sur Riesling Limited Release 2005
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
86
AB $12.95 private wine shops; BC $0.00 general listing; ON $13.95; QC $14.95
Floral, mineral, quince, lemon, candied apple. Round, soft, slightly sweet entry with lees, mineral, floral, citrus, baked apple flavours. Solid commercial style for any occasion.
86
AB $12.95 private wine shops; BC $13.99 general listing; ON $13.95; QC $14.95
Leesy, seaweed, grapefruit rind, grassy nose. Round, soft, slightly oily palate with grassy, bell pepper, grapefruit rind and lime rind flavours. Solid but could use a bit more fruit. We love the new screwcap and the fruit that is mostly Mendocino and
86 Finca Los Primos Chardonnay 2005
BC $8.95 specialty listing
Always good value Los Primos seems to capitalise on the inherent resources of
86 Rudolf Muller Riesling Chardonnay 2004 Riesling - Chardonnay
AB $9.95 private wine shops; BC $11.99 specialty listing
Green apple, citrus rind, mineral, peach, slightly grassy nose with a touch of matchstick. Fresh, round, elegant style with delicate red apple, chalky, melon, citrus flavours with a touch of butter. A touch lean on the finish but a fine food wine for the summer and Asian cuisine. Good value.
86 Long Flat White Semillon Sauvignon 2005 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc
South Eastern Australia,
AB $9.99 private wine shops; BC $11.99 General; MB $10.15
Floral, peachy, buttery, lime rind, grapefruit aromas. Soft, round, slightly flat entry with a bit of residual sugar. Oily, grapefruit, lime, waxy, baked apple and mineral flavours. Try with seafood or serve solo on the deck.
86 Moillard Viognier Huges le Juste 2004
Vin de Pays d'Oc,
BC $11.75 specialty listing
Quiet floral spicy nose with some honey and toast notes. Piquant on the palate with oily citrus green peach fruit. Simple but effective viognier that most should enjoy. Good value for an introductory European viognier.
86 St. Hallett Poacher's Blend Semillon Sauvignon 2005 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc
AB $11.95 private wine shops; BC $12.95 specialty; MB $11.95; ON $14.15
Floral, sulphur, fig, grapefruit, peachy, honey nose. Very soft, flat, somewhat sweet entry with canned grapefruit, honey, buttery, lime and butter flavours. Solid, zesty finish. A bit sweeter than the past edition but good fruit.
86 Stone Cellars Chardonnay 2004
AB $14.00 private wine shops; BC $14.99 Specialty; MB $12.99 private wine shops; NF $14.82; NS $15.71; ON $13.95;
Beringer was the original name in chardonnay in the 1970s and '80s but that style, rich warm and oaky has long since faded. Stone Cellars in on track with a cleaner fresher, albeit soft with ripe fruit style that is more in tune with today's tastes. I like the creamy lees characters that help balance off the citrus and acidity. A crowd pleaser they recommend with pork tenderloin.
86 Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Region
BC $12.95 specialty listing
Bell pepper, honey, jalapeno, kiwi and mineral aromas. Very elegant, fresh, dry palate with chalky, mineral, citrus rind, gooseberry, and grapefruit flavours. Some lime and grapefruit rind on the finish. Elegant style for seafood.
86 Yellow Tail Cabernet - Merlot 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
South Eastern 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.
86 ZED Sauvignon Blanc 2005 2005
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Big bell pepper, canned asparagus, gooseberry nose with some grapefruit underneath. Dry, fresh, crisp palate with good texture. Mineral, grapefruit rind, gooseberry, green apple skin and lemon flavours. Crisp, slightly oily finish. A bit more aggressive, herbaceous style but well balanced. Very
ROSÉ
88 Torres De Casta Rose 2005 Garnacha - Cariñena
BC $12.86 specialty listing; US $10.00 retail
Now available in screwcap the De Casta rosado a blend of garnacha tinta and cariñena, has a light cherry colour and a wonderful clean fresh mineral, cherry, black raspberry nose flecked with almond, aromas. Ripe, round, crisp and balanced with a touch of sweetness. Cherry, buttery, raspberry, floral flavours. Good intensity, finesse and flavour profile, a great value and tasty to boot. The Torres folks suggest you drink it with recipes that use tomato or tomato sauce, including Italian pasta.
87 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2005 Grenache -
Côtes-du-Ventoux, Southern Rhone,
AB $12.00; BC $13.87 specialty listing; ON $10.95 general listing; QC $13.90
Attractive, pale raspberry colour. Very floral, raspberry, strawberry, mineral, citrus and rhubarb nose. Dry, round, soft, easy style with earthy, mineral, floral, raspberry and sour cherry flavours. Good balance if a bit lean. Delicate and dry for summer.
87 Zunio Rose 2005 Pinot Noir - Syrah - Zinfandel
AB $12.99 private wine shops; BC $13.87 specialty listing
Bright orange/cherry red colour. Dry appealing earthy undertones with a softish under belly and a crisp clean finish. This stylish rose does not depend on sugar to make the grade. Certainly capable of accompanying a wide range of food. A pleasant dry rosé in a sea of sweet pink wines. Good value.
86 Château la Tour d'Aigues Poeme Rosé 2005 Syrah - Grenache
BC $12.90 specialty listing
This is Euro-style rose made from grenache and syrah. Lean fresh citrus cherry tones with a leafy undercurrent. The entry is dry and crisp with more mineral, earthy citrus flavours. A bit skinny for sipping but perfect for grilled chicken or pork. The price is very attractive.
RED
87 Benjamin Nieto Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
AB $14.25 private wine shops; BC $12.99 speculative listing - Free House Wines & Spirits
Chocolate, cassis, spicy, gamey, peppery, leather aromas. Ripe, round, soft and supple entry. Cassis, peppery, spicy, black olive, smoky, gamey, savoury flavours. Good concentration and balance, and fair value.
87 Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2004
BC $9.95; QC $9.05
Gamey, meaty, spicy, floral, black cherry aromas with some leather and barnyard notes. Soft, round, supple forward style. Spicy, black cherry, plum, licorice, meaty, peppery flavours. Dry, slightly hot finish but has good fruit and acidity. Drink now, great value everyday red.
87 Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2005
Valle
BC $9.99 general listing
A new year from Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2005 and it's still selling for less than $10. Cono Sur is releasing several new high-end pinots but at this price, with these flavours it's hard to walk past this bottle. Spicy, licorice root and black cherries all with a touch of earth. By this by the case but be sure to decant each bottle and serve it blind. No one will believe you can buy pinot at this price.
87 Pepperwood Grove Syrah 2004
AB $12.95 private wine shops; BC $14.95 specialty listing
Smoky, rootsy, peppery, meaty, black berry nose. Round, soft, slightly sweet entry with ripe tannins. Juicy plum, black cherry, peppery, spicy, licorice flavours. A bit tart and warm but has very good fruit and intensity for the money. Solid value.
87 Rubens Tempranillo 2004
La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha,
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Peppery, spicy, tobacco, cedar, meaty aromas with floral, cherry, resin and leather underneath. Dry, round, soft and supple with red licorice, cherry, spicy, floral, orange peel flavours and a smoky, leather, tobacco finish. Good fruit and balance, ready to roll.
87 Ruffino Fonte Al Sole Sangiovese di Toscana IGT 2003 Sangiovese - Merlot
BC $14.49 specialty listing
Medium dark colour with fragrant, appealing nose. 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.
86 Arrogant Frog Ribet Red 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
Vin de Pays d'Oc,
BC $13.99 specialty listing
French wineries having fun, indeed poking fun at themselves, is not something we see too often. Arrogant Frog Ribet Red is just that and it has a snappy red screw cap and label to boot. The blend is cabernet and merlot the source is the earthy dry smoky, supple fruit of the
86 Benjamin Nieto Malbec 2005
AB $14.25 private wine shops; BC $12.99 speculative listing - Free House Wines & Spirits
Spicy, prune, smoky, meaty, black cherry and garrigue nose with a waxy, cedar streak. Dry, round entry with a touch of acidity. Earthy, meaty, black cherry, chocolate, spice and cedar flavours. Solid food style wine but could use a bit more fruit intensity.
86 Castello Banfi Col-di-Sasso Cabernet Sauvignon & Sangiovese 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Sangiovese
BC $14.95 specialty listing; ON $12.95 Vintages; QC $14.95
Cherry, gamey, spicy, sausage, floral, cassis aromas. Soft, round, supple, easy drinking dry red. Look for licorice, smoky, cherry, cassis, and peppery, minty flavours. Simple, smooth style but youthful with some light, dry tannins showing. Good for grilled meats and pasta.
86 Chateau de la Meuliere 2001
Premières Côtes de Bordeaux,
BC $11.99 (375 ml) speculative listing - The Seacove Group; BC $22.95 speculative listing - The Seacove Group
Peppery, tobacco, smoky, cherry, leafy, olive aromas with some cherry and cassis at the end. Soft, round, dry, elegant palate with light, tight, cedar-y tannins. Cherry, tobacco, cedar, peppery, spicy, olive flavours. A simple, elegant style but not big on fruit. Drink now or over the next year.
86 Dancing Bull Zinfandel 2004
BC $14.99 specialty listing; ON $15.95 Vintages
Soft smoky, briary, stewed blackberry nose. The entry is very soft and round with stewed plummy fruit flecked with licorice. This is simple everyday zin you can serve liberally around the barbecue. Ready to drink.
86 Finca Los Primos Malbec 2005
BC $8.95 Specialty
Black cherry, rootsy, licorice, savoury aromas. Round, rich, warm supple palate with black cherry, smoky, savoury, licorice and tobacco flavours. A touch rustic but has good fruit and intensity. Great value.
86 Humberto Canale Malbec 2004
Alto Valle
BC $0.00 speculative listing - Vinterra Wines
Smoky, bay leaf, resiny, leather, peppery, black cherry nose with a touch of orange and barnyard. Round, dry, chalky palate but supple with cedar, smoky, licorice, resiny, peppery, spicy flavours. Sound pizza and hamburger red with some balance.
86 Le Bombarde Cannonau di Sardegna 2004
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Similar to last year's with meaty, peppery, spicy, smoky, licorice root aromas mixed with saddle leather, menthol and black cherry. Soft, round, dry and warm with raspberry, spicy, peppery, clove, menthol, root beer flavours. Solid finish with a unique flavour profile. Try with beef or duck.
86 Yellow Tail Shiraz 2005
South Eastern Australia,
BC $12.95 specialty listing
Huge floral jasmine nose with compost and flecks of pepper. Big soft, simple, round textures with fruity cherry/chocolate flavours. Bigger and smoother than previous editions which should continue to attract a crowd. Yellowtail has stayed the course when it comes to its ripe, sweet, attractive, fruity style and will no doubt be rewarded by its legions of fan.
