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FIZZ 86 Valdivieso Extra Brut N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir Chile BC $14.00 speculative listing - Vinterra Wine Merchants Almond, nutty, toasty, baked pear, marzipan aromas with a touch of peach.
FIZZ
86 Valdivieso Extra Brut N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir
Chile
BC $14.00 speculative listing - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Almond, nutty, toasty, baked pear, marzipan aromas with a touch of peach. Medium mousse with lots of acidity. Lemon, nutty, toasty, baked apple, earthy, sour cherry flavours. More of a food/tapas-style sparkler with the elevated acidity. (AG-ST)
WHITE
87 Bodega Lurton Pinot Gris 2007
Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Central Region, Mendoza, Argentina
BC $12.50 specialty listing
Pinot gris/grigio in Argentina makes sense given the Italians in Mendoza but this one is made by the French connection Jacques and Francois Lurton. Plenty of mineral, nectarine aromas move on the super crisp, dry palate that calls for oysters or clams or sushi. Very fine value at less than $13. (AG)
87 Espelt Vailet 2007 Garnacha Blanco - Macabeo
Empordà, Ampurdain-Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain
BC $14.99 specialty listing
Look for an enticing fresh, clean, light-scented nose of citrus, pineapple and grass. On entry, the wine is soft and round (that comes from the macabeo) with dry fruity notes of mineral, seawater and oyster liqueur. Expect a dry lip-smacking, fresh finish. Absolutely all it can be for the price and more. Only 5000 cases made. (AG-ST)
87 Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $14.99 speculative listing - Winspeer
Floral, grapefruit rind, mineral, passion fruit aromas with a touch of lemon. Round, ripe, elegant and fresh with grapefruit, bell pepper, grassy, passion fruit and light asparagus flavours. A bit on the herbaceous side but good finesse and balance. Terrific value at this price. (AG-ST)
87 Wakefield Promised Land Riesling 2007
South Australia, Australia
BC $15.00 estimated retail
Peach, floral, honey, lime, mineral aromas. Round, fresh, crisp, off-dry entry with some orange, lime, green apple, chalky, guava, mineral flavours. A tad warm on the finish but a good fruity, juicy style with a crisp edge. (AG-ST)
86 Baron Patrick Ladoucette Les Deux Tours Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Touraine, Loire, France
US $18.00 ABC Wines
Soft elegant style of sauvignon. Not a lot of colour with a moderately expressive grapefruit nose and bits of citrus fruit with floral aromas. Dry fresh, lively, mid-palate with good length and finish. Solid mid-week seafood wine that sees no oak. (AG-ST)
86 Chamarré Sauvignon Blanc - Chenin Blanc 2005
France
BC $12.99 speculative listing - David Herman
Floral, grapefruit, green apple, honey, nutty, gooseberry aromas. Round, elegant, light style with medium body. Gooseberry, passion fruit, baked green apple, grassy, honey flavours. Easy going, attractive consumer white. Drink now while young. (AG-ST)
86 Fazi Battaglia Titulus Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2006
Marche, Italy
BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $13.00 private wine stores, ON $11.00, QC $13.00
Always fresh this 100 per cent verdicchio never sees any wood. Look for floral, mineral, almond, citrus notes on the nose and the palate. On entry it's dry and round with fine balance. Lemon, minerals and almonds dominate the finish. (AG-ST)
86 Golden Kaan Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $12.25, MB $11.95, NB $11.95, SK $12.95
Struck matchstick, canned artichoke, grassy, asparagus aromas with a bit of melon. Tart, round, slightly oily texture with grassy, grapefruit rind, asparagus, lemon and butter flavours. Solid if a bit clumsy. Needs drinking. (AG-ST)
86 High Altitude Viognier Chardonnay 2006
Mendoza, Argentina
BC $12.99 speculative listing - David Herman
There is something about a viognier chardonnay that works in Argentina. It's the most likely the freshness of the viognier the mineral and floral aspects with the peach and honey of the chardonnay. It all comes together and lifts what could be ordinary to another level. Oh and did I mentioned it works with many different food choices. Good value. (AG-ST)
86 Lindemans Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc 2007
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $12.00 specialty listing, AB $11.00 private wine shops, MB $11.50, NB $12.40, NF $12.50, NS $12.50, ON $11.50, SK $13.00
What you smell is what you taste is this entry-level sauvignon that hits all the right notes for its price point. Green apple, citrus, floral, aromas preview a similar green apple, lemon and less palate with a touch of grass. Cool clean, fresh and affordable for white meats and seafood. (AG-ST)
86 Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 2007
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $12.00 specialty listing, AB $11.00 private wine shops, MB $11.50, NB $12.25, NF $12.50, NS $12.50, ON $11.00, PEI $14.00, QC $12.50, SK $12.99
Citrus, fresh green apple, light butter notes with grapefruit skin and light guava notes. Fresh, round, crisp, elegant palate with a touch of sweetness. Citrus rind, green apple, leesy, honey, spicy, butterscotch and canned pear flavours. Fresh, easygoing style with some decent finesse. (AG-ST)
86 Lindemans South Africa Chardonnay 2006
South Africa
BC $12.99 general listing, AB $12.99 private wine shops, MB $12.99, NB $12.99, NF $12.99, NS $12.99
From a country whose export wines constantly disappoint this writer comes an inexpensive tasty floral, peach-scented chardonnay with cantaloupe, spicy lees and buttery notes made by Australians. It has a round, ripe, fresh, clean palate with buttery, orange creamsicle, melon, peach, buttery flavours and a touch of sweetness on the finish. A fruity, consumer driven style but well balanced. Great value. (AG-ST)
86 Moselland Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett 2006
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
BC $13.00 specialty listing
Light Vaseline, petrol, green apple skin, slate aromas. Fresh, bright, clean and quite dry with good acidity. Slate, Vaseline, mineral, lime, green apple, floral flavours. A solid introductory style riesling at a fair price. (AG-ST)
86 The Winery of Good Hope Chenin Blanc 2006
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
BC $13.99 specialty listing
Fresh honey, butter, baked pear, mineral, floral, passion fruit aromas. The palate is elegant but dry with moderate acidity. Grapefruit rind, passion fruit, honey, pear, mineral, nutty lees flavours. Good intensity and lively with some length with a fair bit of bitter citrus rind and alcohol on the finish. Good value. (AG-ST)
86 Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Valle del Lontué, Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $13.00 specialty listing
Perfumed, lemon drop, gooseberry, light melon aromas. Very crisp, dry, elegant but slightly lean palate. Grassy, mineral, light asparagus, lemon oil, lime and grapefruit rind flavours. A bit lean and muddy but clean style for seafood. (AG)
86 Woodbridge Chardonnay 2006
California, United States
BC $12.00 specialty listing, AB $13.50, ON $13.95, QC $15.55
Following the previous year's footsteps a dash of lees and minerality really lifts this inexpensive chardonnay up a notch. The palate is round and buttery with nutty baked apple fruit and just a hint of sweetness. Solid for the price. (AG)
86 Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio 2007
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $12.99 specialty listing
Some Yellow Tail labels can really surprise and this pinot grigio is one of them. Clean fresh, crisp and DRY, with just a dusting of lime rind and passion fruit make it tropical but in the end more grigio than you might think. More subtle and citrus than you might expect for price. The synthetic cork is a pain to pull out of the bottle but if they ever have the guts to go screwcap they could sell a lot of this wine. (AG)
ROSÉ
87 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2006 Grenache - Shiraz - Mourvèdre - Cinsault
Côtes-du-Ventoux, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $13.86 specialty listing, AB $12.00, ON $10.95 general listing, QC $13.90
Similar to the last edition this an attractive food style of rosé with its pale cran/cherry colour and open floral, mineral, citrus, raspberry fruit nose. The entry is dry, but not too dry, with crisp earthy, mineral, floral, raspberry fruit and a touch of sour cherry. Fine balance, crisp acidity and wonderful freshness all preserved by its easy-opening screwcap closure. The perfect picnic/luncheon/chicken salad wine. Good value too. (AG-ST)
86 Espelt Lledoner Rosat 2007
Empordà, Ampurdain-Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain
BC $15.00 speculative listing - Charton Hobbs
There's something about Spain and rosé as exemplified by this tasty treat. Lledoner is the local Empordà expression for garnacha. The colour is light pink, the technique used to create a fresh colourful rosé is saignée or bleeding the juice off the skins. The result is a fresh, fun, sipping pink with a bit of weight and sweetness. Look for bits of spice and sweet red fruits all with a twang of natural acidity. Think tapas. (AG-ST)
RED
88 Espelt Sauló Garnacha Cariñena 2006
Empordà, Ampurdain-Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain
BC $15.00 specialty listing
The Sauló (the name of the region's decomposed granite) is a blend of garnacha and cariñena and like last year the '07 over delivers for the price. The nose is a mix of fresh mineral floral notes with bits of animal. The entry is fresh with fragrant raspberry fruit and earthy notes to keep it vibrant and dry. Great energy and vitality makes this a fine everyday red for the savvy sipper. Grilled anything will work here. Great value. Empordà sits within the Costa Brava region at the north-eastern extremity of Spain. Close to the French border and the Mediterranean, the area was a favourite of Salvador Dali and seems a perfect fit for this modern Catalan winery. (AG-ST)
87 Casa Silva Doña Dominga Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Single Vineyard La Hijuela 2007
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $13.00 speculative listing - Renaissance Wines, AB $13.00 private wine shops, MB $12.00
A lovely discovery with its aromatic fresh, lively, fruit nose made from grapes first planted in 1912. All original pre-phylloxera plants from the original Bordeaux cuttings. Look for a delicious, balanced blend of green peach, melon, mango with a fresh hit of grass and acidity. The blend is 50/50 sauvignon sémillon from the La Hijuela Vineyard in Colchagua. Yields are an amazingly low 30 hectolitres per hectare and it's all stainless steel ferment. Look for this to arrive in May, and when you find it, stock up. (AG-ST)
87 Don Miguel Gascon Syrah 2004
Mendoza, Argentina
BC $14.99 specialty listing
There is a lot to like about this syrah if you can make you way past the meaty, animal, goat-y reductive notes on the nose. A good decanting helps to reveal some smoky, black fruit, white pepper and mineral flavours. The finish is dry so make sure you serve it with some grilled meats, poultry or soft cheese. (AG-ST)
87 Valcanto Syrah 2005
Almansa, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
BC $14.00 specialty listing
This will be an easy hit with most consumers. It's 100% syrah that gets 4 months ageing in American oak barrels so it's more Oz generous, than French peppery, but it remains a bit savoury and well, Spanish. The textures are super soft and slippery with plummy black olive, dried herb, meaty chocolate aromas and flavours. Super ripe and ready to drink. (AG-ST)
86 Bisonte Cabernet Sauvignon Crianza 2005
Alto Valle del Río Negro, Patagonia, Southern Region, Mendoza, Argentina
BC $14.66 speculative listing - Patagonia Imports Ltd.
Earthy, iodine, peppery, cedar, floral, light cassis aromas. Dry, round, slightly lean but elegant palate. Peppery, coffee, earthy, cassis, tobacco, rooty flavours. Good balance and intensity in a somewhat French style edition. Solid value. (AG)
86 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap 2006 Syrah - Mourvèdre
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $10.00 private wine shops, NF $14.00, NS $14.00, ON $14.50, QC $16.00
The Wolftrap blend has altered over the years the current blend is a mix syrah, mourvèdre and viognier. The result is that murky smoky animal nose with floral bits. The entry is soft and round with smoky, cherry, blueberry mineral flavours flecked with pepper earth and leather. Best with grilled meats, our choicer would be hamburger. (AG-ST)
86 Casa Silva Doña Dominga Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère 2007
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $13.00 private wine shops, MB $11.00
A nice bump up in flavour and quality for '07. Typically peppery with menthol and tobacco leaf notes but the palate is soft and round and flavour development more ripe. Soft black cherry fruit with dried leaf and pepper notes in the finish. Well made and exceptionally priced for all those summer backyard barbecues. Old vines 80 to 100 years old, handpicked, 15 per cent is aged in one year old French oak, for $13. Do you need another reason to spend your money here? (AG-ST)
86 Chateau de Cabriac 2004 Syrah - Grenache - Carignan - Mourvèdre
Corbières, Languedoc, South of France, France
BC $13.99 specialty listing, AB $13.99 private wine shops
Earthy, spicy, peppery, rootsy, smoky prune nose. Soft, round, supple style with black cherry, licorice root, raspberry, peppery, tobacco flavours. Solid if a bit warm on the finish. the blend is syrah, grenache, carignan, mourvèdre. (AG-ST)
86 El Burro Kickass Garnacha 2006
Campo de Borja, Aragon, Spain
BC $14.99 speculative listing - Diamond Estates, NS $13.00
Fresh black raspberry, spicy, tobacco leaf, mineral, red licorice, meaty aromas. Ripe, round, dry, fresh palate with licorice root, resin, peppery, raspberry jam, orange flavours with a meaty, savoury edge. Very warm, tart, fruity finish. Lots of kick for the money. (AG-ST)
86 Montes Alpha Pinot Noir 2006
Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
CDN $25.00 estimated retail
Mocha, espresso, black cherry, spicy, licorice root, vanilla aromas. Soft, round, full palate with good acidity balance. Coffee, mineral, black cherry, vanilla, licorice, resin, compost flavours. Balanced but too much smoky oak that sits on fairly low pinot character. (AG-ST)
86 Man Vintners Shiraz 2006
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $11.99 specialty listing, AB $10.99 private wine shop
Few inexpensive labels are dependable year in and year out but this one of them. Always well made, its smoky, meaty, peppery aromas preview a similar flavour profile flecked with savoury, liquorice notes. Reasonably clean for South Africa this is a definite barbecue red value at $12. (AG-ST)
86 Marques de Rojas Garnacha 2006
Almansa, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
BC $9.99 specialty listing, AB $9.99 private wine shops
Floral, meaty, spicy, black raspberry, barnyard nose with a bit of reduction. Soft, round, plush palate with black raspberry jam, plum, peppery, spicy, mineral flavours. Fresh finish but good fruit core. Give it a bit of air to fully bring out the fruit on the nose. Good solid value. (AG-ST)
86 Morandé Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Valle del Curicó, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $12.99 speculative listing - Stile Wines
Lemon, mineral, oyster shell, grassy, light gooseberry nose. Crisp, round, slightly sweet edge with gooseberry, grapefruit rind, seashell, asparagus, grassy flavours. Solid, crisp finish. A bit Loire in style and well priced. (AG-ST)
86 Redtree Petit Sirah 2005
California, United States
BC $14.00
Most red wine drinkers will like the rich, liquorice, floral, smoky, blueberry notes in petit sirah and it's the story here. Soft and warm there are no edges to offend. Best with ribs or other charred meat dishes for the grill. (AG-ST)
86 Simonsig Cabernet Shiraz 2005
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
BC $13.99 specialty listing, AB $10.95 private wine shops, ON $9.60 general listing
Simonsig's ode to the famous Aussie blend makes it for the price. It warm with a large dollop of sweet fruit followed by smoky meaty, chocolate/cherry, leather (Band-aid) and coffee flavours. Still has bit of that dirty, muddled SA styling that would disappear with food. (AG-ST)
86 Two Jokers Shiraz 2005
South Australia, Australia
BC $11.99 specialty listing
Big bright shiraz that sees a modest amount of American oak to fill out the mid-palate and they don't overdo the acidity. The palate is soft with dry, but plummy fruit, reasonable density with a slightly sour cherry finish. Yet if you are a shiraz fan and looking for a new label this could be it. Good value. (AG)
86 Yellow Tail Shiraz 2006
South Eastern Australia, Australia
BC $12.95 specialty listing, AB $13.00, MB $14.00, MB $13.00, NS $13.00, ON $13.00
Yellow tail continues to evolve seemingly shedding a touch of sugar for more menthol and licorice. The nose is a mix of florals and pepper. On the entry is supple and softy, the textures round with fruity cherry/chocolate flavours. Yellowtail has stayed the course when it comes to its ripe, attractive, fruity style with just a lick of mid-palate acidity poking through. Still a force. (AG)
