Oct 22/08 - Top Import Wine Picks in Canada

88 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2006
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $15.00 specialty listing
The move to warmer Colchagua has completely revamped this cabernet. Gone is the green. The fruit is riper and juicier, with warm smoky tobacco flavours and a hint of creamy vanilla and chocolate. The finish is structured, with good acidity and firm tannins. This is the perfect steak wine and a bargain at the price. (AG-ST)

88 Cono Sur Chardonnay 2007
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $14.50 retail
A vineyard in transition this almost organic chardonnay will please with its green apple, lime, light garlic, vanilla, floral, honey, nectarine aromas. It is deliciously fresh and crisp offering round yet elegant styling with green apple, floral, peach pit, mineral and lime flavours all with a touch of lees and butter in the finish. Excellent finesse for the price. Light, zesty and very good value. (AG)

88 Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $15.00 specialty listing
Tasted several times this year and it remains fresh and delicious. Floral, grapefruit rind, mineral, passion fruit aromas with a touch of lemon. Round, ripe, elegant and fresh with grapefruit, dried herbs, pepper, grassy, passion fruit and light asparagus flavours. Bright and fresh with finesse and balance. Terrific value at this price. (AG-ST)

88 Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2007
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $15.00, AB $12.80 private wine shops, MB $11.92, ON $12.45
The Santa Rita Reserva is consistently well made now with its grapefruit and cassis aromas and flavours. A true Casablanca style that makes you think New Zealand thanks to the ripe fruit, the gooseberry undercurrent and the leafy finish. Grilled prawns and a very reasonable price make this a winner. (AG-ST)

88 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2008
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $15.00 private wine shops, ON $13.95, QC $14.25
Look for a an ultra crisp, juicy, grassy gooseberry nose with bits of green peach and apple. On the palate it clean, mouth-watering style offers up cool kiwi fruit, with melon and dried herbs. Bring on the shellfish or chicken dishes. Great value here and another dimension under screwcap. (AG)

87 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Valle del Curicó, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $13.50 private wine shops, NB $12.99, NF $12.00, NS $11.50, PEI $12.98
Always intense the latest Carmen Sauvignon offers up all the fresh, fruity hallmarks of this variety. Pineapple and gooseberry fruit dominates with bits of lemon and bitter lime rind in the finish. Simple affordable seafood-friendly white. (AG-ST)

87 Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2007
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $11.50, MB $10.95, NF $11.57, NS $12.95, SK $13.10
Cool green apple, light garlic lees, vanilla, nectarine skin, floral, citrus rind nose. Round, elegant, fresh palate with a bit of oiliness. Green apple, grapefruit, garlic, vanilla, buttery, honey flavours. Finish is a bit sour with lime rind notes. Solid value, best with food. (AG)

87 Veramonte Chardonnay Reserva 2007
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $14.00 speculative listing - Vincor Canada, US $11.00 srp
Chardonnay may be the best grape variety grown in Chile's Casablanca Valley especially if it is lightly treated with oak. With only twenty five per cent new oak in the mix Veramonte jumps from the glass with clean fresh fruit flavours of nectarine and melon all with a light twist of minerality and lees. Modern, stylish and again affordable. (AG)

86 Borges Meia Encosta Dão Vinho Branco 2007 Encruzado - Assario - Borrado-das-Moscas (Bical)
Dão, Northern Portugal, Portugal
BC $12.00 specialty listing
Floral, spicy, ginger, lemon, nectarine, buttery, mineral nose. Dry, elegant, crisp, tight palate with butter, ginger, lemon, spicy, nectarine skin, green apple and mineral flavours. A bit lighter and crisper than the prior vintage but good food wine and value. (AG-ST)

86 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Valle del Curicó, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $13.50 private wine shops, NB $12.99, NF $12.00, NS $11.50, PEI $12.98
Typical grassy Carmen sauvignon with a strong mineral citrus undercurrent and a dash of asparagus. Clean and crisp with more gooseberry and lime rind flavours on the palate and finish. Decent value in an everyday sauvignon for shellfish or chicken dishes. (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 Les Jamelles Naturelles Chardonnay 2007
Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, South of France, France
BC $15.00
Les Jamelles Naturelles is fresh and that is always a great start for organically grown grapes across the southern Languedoc. There's a bit of new oak mix with one year old for ageing. The goal is Burgundy the output is something less but not disappointing. Lemon and green apples dominate the palate and aftertaste with just a hint of nuttiness. Solid effort should be fun with food. (AG-ST)

86 Les Meridiennes 2007 Grenache Blanc - Bourboulenc - Ugni Blanc - Roussanne
Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $12.99 specialty listing
Slate, mineral, floral, quince, spicy nose with a touch of honey. Dry, light, fresh palate and a bit austere. Butter, melon rind, ginger, slate, floral, spicy, quince flavours. Solid food wine for the summer. (AG-ST)

86 Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2007
South Australia, Australia
BC $11.50 specialty listing, AB $9.99, MB $11.99 Private Wine Shops, NS $12.99 Private Wine Shops, ON $10.30 Consignment - Mark Anthony Wine Merchants
Oxford Landing takes its name from a mooring along the flat Murray River district but the fruit for this wine comes from a much wider area. Generally crisp in style with mouth-watering acidity, obvious grassy notes and clean in the finish. Friendly and affordable summer sipper for potato salads, cold chicken and seafood. (AG-ST)

86 Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $11.00 specialty listing, AB $9.25 private wine shops, MB $8.49, NS $9.99, ON $8.50 general listing, SK $10.99 Spring 2004
Grassy, gooseberry, grapefruit rind, mineral aromas. Fresh, round, elegant style that is just off dry but good acidity. Grapefruit, green melon, butter, grassy, gooseberry flavours. A touch rind-y on the finish but good solid varietal character at a great price. (AG-ST)

86 St. Hallett Poacher's Blend Semillon Sauvignon 2007 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $11.95 private wine shops, MB $11.95, NS $15.00, ON $14.15, QC $15.10
Grassy, spicy, ginger, melon rind, fig, grapefruit, jalapeno aromas. Fresh, round, crisp, slightly sweet entry and lighter style. Grapefruit rind, grassy, butter, gooseberry, ginger flavours. Easy going food style. (AG-ST)

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)

85 Carabas Chardonnay 2006
France
BC $15.00 specialty listing
Somewhat old-fashioned Languedoc style of chardonnay with its sweet, floral ripe fruit nose and heavy mid-palate tropical fruit flavours. The finish is a bit sweet and sour. Simple straight-up chardonnay from the warm south of France. (AG-ST)

85 De Bortoli Traminer Riesling 2007 Traminer - Riesling
New South Wales, Australia
BC $13.00 specialty listing
Spicy, ginger, lemon oil, nectarine skin, perfumed nose with a grassy note. Sweet, fresh, elegant palate with ginger, lemon oil, grapefruit rind, grassy flavours with a touch of honey and apple skin. Good nose if a bit too sweet. Serve well chilled on the patio or with spicy ribs or Indian food. (AG)

85 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Luberon Blanc 2007 Grenache Blanc - Bourboulenc - Ugni Blanc - Roussanne
Côtes du Lubéron, Provence, South of France, France
BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $12.00, NS $11.66, ON $11.30, QC $13.30
Floral, perfumed, ginger, mineral, citrus, quince skin nose. Soft, round, elegant palate with a hint of sweetness. Very floral, citrus rind, apple skin, ginger flavours with a warm, slightly bitter, grassy finish. Solid for food. (AG-ST)

85 Marrenon Chardonnay Cépages 2007
Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $13.90 specialty listing
Floral, green apple skin, mineral, lime, buttery lees aromas. Dry, crisp, fresh palate but quite light and a bit austere. Lime rind, green apple skin, mineral, light butter flavours. The finish is awash in citrus rind signalling a wine that works best with food. (AG-ST)

85 Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $10.99, NS $12.99, ON $10.95
Pungent gooseberry sweaty grapefruit nose with almost identical fruit on the palate. Softer and rounder than you might expect and that helps to make it palatable through the finish. Herby, lemon-lime notes mark the finish. Good value. (AG)

85 Oxford Landing Chardonnay 2007
South Australia, Australia
BC $12.99 General, AB $9.99, MB $11.99 Private Wine Shops, NS $12.99 Private Wine Shops, ON $11.95 Vintages
Light floral, grapefruit, green apple skin, peach pit, leesy, vanilla nose. Round, somewhat soft palate with a bit of sweet and sour. Buttery, leesy, grapefruit, canned peach, vanilla flavours. Finish is warm, tart and zesty. Fair value. (AG-ST)

85 Redtree Pinot Grigio 2007
California, United States
BC $12.00 speculative listing - Red Dog
Floral, pear, lemon oil, cardboard nose. Fresh, light, elegant palate that is a bit sweet and sour. Grassy, grapefruit rind, pear skin, lemon flavours. Simple, affordable style. (AG-ST)

87 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2007 Grenache - Shiraz - Mourvèdre - Cinsault
Côtes-du-Ventoux, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $12.00, ON $10.95 general listing, QC $13.90
The Perrin folks have hit the nail on the head with this rosé now solid each year. The nose is bright and fresh with citrus/mineral, red fruit notes. Not too dry, the entry is crisp and lip smacking with more mineral, raspberry, floral fruit and a clean finish. A winner under screwcap all you need is a picnic basket and a blanket. Good value too. (AG-ST)

85 Canoe North Bluff Pink 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.00 VQA wine stores
Domaine Chaberton has a winner with modest zinfandel -based rosé they are calling Canoe North Bluff Pink. The fruit is a mix of strawberry, citrus and plum flavours with a touch of banana and candied fruit. The acidity is just firm enough to keep it fresh. It's bit alcoholic warm but you can negate some of that by serving it cold. Serve this solo or with spicy appetizers. (AG-ST)

87 Borges Meia Encosta Dão Vinho Branco 2006 Encruzado - Assario - Borrado-das-Moscas (Bical)
Dão, Northern Portugal, Portugal
BC $12.00 speculative listing - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Spicy, ginger, smoky, melon rind, lemon, cooked nectarine aromas. Dry, round, elegant, fresh palate with ginger, lemon oil, nectarine, quince and butter flavours with a muscat note. Crisp, dry style with some intensity. Will go well with Asian food or fresh seafood. Good value. (AG-ST)

87 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rouge 2006 Grenache - Shiraz - Mourvèdre - Cinsault
Côtes-du-Ventoux, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $13.99 specialty listing, AB $12.00, MB $12.75, NF $14.00, ON $11.30 LCBO, QC $13.50, QC $13.30
The Perrin Cotes du Ventoux is mostly grenache with small percentages of syrah, mourvèdre and cinsault. Look for a dry, spicy earthy red with bits of black cherry, licorice and pepper. The fruit is well managed and seemingly brighter under screw cap and the tannins are nicely fine-grained. It all finishes dry with a twist of acidity that shouts cassoulet or lamb stew. Stupid, as my kids would say, value. Drink all winter. (AG-ST)

87 Palo Alto Reserva 2007
Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $14.00
This is screamingly fresh and super dry sauvignon with a strong citrus bent on the nose and palate. Lip smacking is the best descriptor for this white that needs goat cheese or a vegetarian pizza to tame its big acidity. If you like your sauvignon dry and crisp this is it. (AG-ST)

86 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $13.50 private wine shops, MB $11.99, NB $12.99, NF $12.98, NS $10.99, QC $13.00
Rich spicy nose of cassis and bay leaf with bits of tobacco and dark fruit. The entry is soft and dry with some mid-palate grip and with resiny peppery, cedar, olive and chocolate notes with bits of black cherry. The finish is clean a dry. Best served with grilled meats. (AG-ST)

86 Finca Los Primos Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
San Rafael, General Alvear, Southern Region, Mendoza, Argentina
BC $10.00 specialty listing
Peppery, earthy, black berry, tobacco leaf, smoky, resin aromas. Soft, round, fresh palate with a touch of sweet and sour. Smoky, tobacco, peppery, black olive, cassis flavours with a touch of reduction. Good solid effort for the money. (AG)

86 Pascual Toso Malbec 2007
Maipú, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $12.00 private wine shops, ON $13.00
Classic Toso. Rich and savoury with bags of sweet black fruit wrapped in liquorice with just a touch of acidity and pepper poking through on the back end. Big spearmint menthol palate with warm dark fruit peppery finish. A big showy red for the money. Bring on the steaks. (AG-ST)

86 Terra Andina Syrah Reserva 2006
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $15.00 speculative listing - Waldorf Wine Group
Give this one a bit of air to blow off some rubbery, reductive notes otherwise it settles down into a serviceable syrah with bits of blueberry and dried fruits and barnyard. The finish is warm and peppery with toasted French barrel notes. Serve with grilled burgers. (AG-ST)

86 Trivento Amado Sur Malbec Bonarda Syrah 2006 Malbec - Shiraz
Mendoza, Argentina
BC $15.00 specialty listing
Smoky, meaty, savoury, floral, black cherry, plum, coffee, tobacco aromas. Ripe, round, smooth, slightly sweet and sour palate. Cherry, plum, coffee, herbal, tobacco, savoury, vanilla pudding flavours with some black olive and licorice on the finish. Good solid wine for the grill. (AG-ST)

86 Trivento Reserve Syrah 2006
Mendoza, Argentina
BC $13.00 specialty listing, NF $15.95
Spicy, savoury, tobacco ash, peppery, black berry jam and resin aromas. Soft, supple, forward palate but rich and warm. Meaty, earthy, spicy, peppery, black plum, smoky, coffee, savoury flavours with a licorice and mace finish. Good solid wine and value. (AG)

85 Bouchard Aîné & Fils Pinossimo Pinot Noir 2006
Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, South of France, France
BC $14.99 specialty listing, AB $13.00 private wine shops
Floral, cherry, spicy, compost, rooty aromas. Dry, light, supple palate with a bit of acidity and sweetness. Cranberry, candied cherry, compost, tobacco leaf, herbal flavours. Finish is lemony and warm. Basic south of France. (AG-ST)

85 Nederburg Shiraz Winemasters Reserve 2006
Western Cape, South Africa
BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $11.86, NF $14.38, NS $13.85, ON $12.45 consignment - Mark Anthony Wine Merchants
Smoky, saddle leather, tobacco, resin, rooty, black cherry, meaty, floral peppery nose. Round, supple and dry palate but warm with a tart edge. Black berry, black cherry, smoky, leather, tobacco, resin, coffee flavours with a very meaty, smoked leather finish. The flavour has a fruit core but it is dominated by the smoked meat. (AG)

85 Oracle Shiraz 2007
South Africa
BC $13.00
Meaty, smoky sausage, saddle leather, tobacco, prune, roasted pepper aromas. Round, supple, slightly flat and sweet palate with light tannins. Bacon, smoky, resin, saddle leather, tobacco, compost, cooked prune flavours. Tart edge on the finish with a bit of cranberry. (AG-ST)

85 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon 120 2006
Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
BC $12.00 General Listing, AB $9.75, MB $10.19, ON $9.45, SK $11.94
Very peppery, spicy, sappy, cassis, tobacco leaf, minty, cedar aromas. Dry, full bodied style with some grainy tannins. Cassis, peppery, tobacco leaf, menthol, cedar bark, licorice and coffee flavours. Warm and chunky for any meat dish. Good value in an introductory style cabernet. (AG-ST)