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Tastings: October 2016
31 October 2016
88PTS
TintoNegro Malbec 2014
Mendoza, Argentina“Black wine” or tinto negro is a tip of the hat to malbec and its brooding, opaque, purple colour, although this wine is showing more finesse than you might expect for the price. The fruit comes of sites in Mendoza’s Primera Zona of Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo at some 3,000 feet elevation. A three-day cold maceration with extensive cap management has yielded a soft, round texture that supports the bright fruit and freshness. A great example of less-is-more, and good value. Serve with fall mushroom dishes to best effect.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
El Enemigo Malbec 2011
Luján de Cuyo, Northern Region, Mendoza, ArgentinaFrom Gualtallary, 1470 metres above sea level on rocky calcareous soil, this 89/6/5/ malbec/cabernet franc/petit verdot is fermented in both 225 liter barrels and old cement containers. The intense, pure black fruit is set free by the use of aged foudres for aging. The textures are round and soft, the fruit is a mix of blackberry/mulberry with a fresh, mineral, floral, licorice undercurrent. Delicious drinking even when young.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $19.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Cuma Organic Biologique Malbec 2015
Cafayate, Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, ArgentinaThe Cuma style is always bright with savoury, floral notes and some licorice. The attack is a fresh mix of cherry/mulberry fruit flecked with poultry spice and dried herbs. A cool, attractive style that will work with most grilled beef, beef tacos, or even spaghetti Bolognese. Good value.Prices:| BC | $12.49 | 750ml |
| MB | $12.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $13.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $13.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec 2014
Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, ArgentinaThe label pays homage to the winery’s founder, Don David Michel. This malbec is made with vines that are 20-plus years old. After fermentation 70% of the wine is aged in small barrels of both American and French oak for 12 months. The style is soft and round with earthy, chocolate, vanilla flavours dominating the fruit. A ready-to-drink hamburger red for parties or mid-week consumption.Prices:| BC | $13.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $15.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $15.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Violeta 2013
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCompared to previous vintages, the 2013 Violeta (malbec) is cleaner, with prominent blueberry/black pepper notes on the nose. The style is juicy with a touch of earth, and curiously like the 2012, reminiscent of a big, fruity zinfandel. Look for brambleberry/blueberry flavours and black pepper in the back end. The finish is light and fruity, lacking complexity. Barbecue chicken or ribs is the match here. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $30.35 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Kaiken Reserva Especial Malbec 2014
Agrelo District, Luján de Cuyo, Northern Region, Mendoza, ArgentinaI’m a big fan of Kaiken, in this case a malbec from 950 metres in altitude, Agrelo zone fruit, and 60 kilometres from the city of Mendoza. It’s warmer than Uco, so the wines can be a touch fatter with spicy, floral aromas. The reserva is handpicked and macerated for one month and then to French oak for six months. The 2014 is a 96/4 blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon grown at reasonable tons to the hectare which makes for wine of natural balance. Black fruits, tobacco and light vanilla notes preview a suede-like smooth palate with smoky, peppery, umami scented fruit. Delicious styling. Great value.Prices:| BC | $19.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $0.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Andean Vineyards Reserve Malbec 2015
Mendoza, ArgentinaThis is a juicy little red with virtually no tannins, hence a soft texture and juicy black fruit. It’s ripe but not so obviously sweet that you don’t want another glass. Look for grapey/black fruit flavours with a red currant underbelly. Simple and ready to drink but needs a savoury dish to tame the ripe fruit and balance all the flavours in the mouth.Prices:| BC | $18.49 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Condor Peak Malbec 2015
Mendoza, ArgentinaThis is budget malbec. Soft, round and confected, there is a sugary sweet ending that seems to attract wine drinkers in droves. If you like the price be sure to serve this with a spicy rib dish or any other dish where heat is a factor. Simple stuff, ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $10.49 | 750ml |
| PEI | $11.30 | 750ml |
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28 October 2016
91PTS
A. A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend 2012
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaAuthentic South Africa from the characterful oracle of the movement himself, Adi Badenhorst. Shiraz, cinsault, tinta barocca, grenache and mourvèdre from the Badenhorst home farm Kalmoesfontein were foot trodden, wild yeast fermented and left in closed concrete on their skins for 6 months before pressing off to rest quietly in huge old casks for an additional 16 months. Savoury cherry, wild strawberry, brambles and fine stony dust lure and lead onto a fresh palate, one worn around the edges by time. Cherry continues to lead the show, joined with aged leather, scrubby medicinal-tinged herbs, wildflowers, broken stone and an undercurrent of cured meat and cracked black pepper. Tannins are fine, slightly grippy and confidently subtle, handily propping up the textured, gently ripe fruit. Medicinal herbs linger on the lengthy finish. All this complexity in a welcome 13% alcohol. Stock up and spread the word about this fantastic value.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $22.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $23.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
A. A. Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2015
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaFrom the man credited with spearheading the Swartland Revolution, this chenin blanc is a highlight of the South African offerings on our market. If you see it, buy. And this is his "entry-level" Secateurs line, from selected old bush vines on granite slopes. Cream, wild herbs, meadow flowers are drawn across a very waxy palate, where spiced pear and subtle fennel notes join in. Savoury, with precise lemon zest vibrancy, broken stones, roasted nut, medicinal lemon balm and gentle honeycomb, this young vintage finishes smoothly, with some gentle waxy warmth. Drinking now well, but will hold with short term aging.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $23.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Blankbottle The Life of a Black Valentine 2015
Western Cape, South AfricaGaragiste winemaker Pieter Walser makes “wines that tread the line between creative and legal.” Half of his wines are one-off experiments, and if they perform well, they may be repeated. However, that’s not the point. “If I can one day have 50 wines in my portfolio I would be happy” notes Walser. And from a man that has worked with (at least) 28 grape varieties in one vintage. This wine is predominantly cinsault (from Darling) along with Swartland syrah and mouvèdre. This wine is dedicated to the "Black Valentine" of the South African wine industry, humble cinsault. For many years cinsault would be added in secret to the press when cabernet sauvignon's thick, gummy skins would clog up the works. Cinsault's bright, high-acid juice became an edible lubricant for the press, one that greatly improved the freshness of the heady cabernet wines of the time and contributed to the wines' longevity in the bottle. This blend is certainly full of cinsault charm: fresh, light in hue, with wild raspberry, pretty cherry and crunchy, brisk acidity. A lifted herbal rock-rose florality floats throughout, with dusty-fine tannins and black pepper to frame. Gulpable, and best enjoyed slightly chilled.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Capensis Chardonnay 2013
Western Cape, South AfricaA super premium Chardonnay from Western Cape? Just another facet of the brave new RSA. Jackson Family Estates has brought on winemaker Graham Weerts and old vine whisperer Rosa Kruger for this age-worthy wine. Grapes were sourced from three vineyards ranging from 175-750m in altitude: Stellenbosch (12-15 year old vines on rich clay); Overberg (28 year old vines on granite); Robertson (ten year old vines on limestone). One year in French oak (55 percent new) and regular battonage has yielded a generous, rich, creamy white with perfumed vanilla pear, red apple, bosc pear and stony spice, spread upon a solid wood framework. Settling into its thoroughbred stature now, and will continue to do so over the next few years. 1000 cases madePrices:| BC | $90.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $95.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2015
Coastal Region, South AfricaThough this wine has been on our market for a while, this is a brand new vintage, and the one that was just named among the top ten Chenin Blancs judged in South Africa's annual Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Challenge. Winemaker Niël Groenewald uses low-yielding bush vines averaging 45 years in age from three weathered granite vineyards (Coastal Region’s Agter-Paarl, Durbanville and Bottelary Hills). Whole bunch pressed, this spends 12 months in French oak (50 percent new) with extended lees contact and regular batonnage. Richer and polished, with ample pear and white peach, a light honeysuckle cream perfume, and a swirl of savoury spices, hay, and stone texturing a round and creamy palate. Concentrated, confident, and wood-evident, but freshened with chenin's hallmark cue of acidity. Drinking well now but will impress more with some time in the bottle.Prices:| BC | $23.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2015
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaThis friendly wine is a value gem, even with our insane tax machine. Harvested from Swartland blocks both irrigated and dry farmed, and from vines of 20 to 40 years, old this underwent partial wild ferment. Juicy and fresh, with lightly herbal lees, citrus and bright pear, and a light lick of chenin cream on the finely textured palate. Ten percent chardonnay in the blend. Amazing value for youthful, quality chenin.Prices:| BC | $14.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2007
Franschhoek Valley, Paarl, Coastal Region, South AfricaAged semillon can be a thing of remarkable beauty, especially when some of the vines are 100 years old. Boekenhoutskoof was established 1776, and have a long tradition of making quality semillon in Franschhoek. Maverick Marc Kent is the winemaker, showing his skills here by a fresh pop of 8 percent sauvignon blanc into the blend, one that was fermented in cement before thirteen months in new French oak. The honeyed oilslick of semillon with some age is alluring here, along with quince paste, honeysuckle and tangerine pith. The lanolin-lined palate is gently lifted with a stream of potent citrus acidity through a lengthy finish. Not inexpensive, but a lovely opportunity to taste a rare wine that will continue to build with age.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Reyneke Organic Cornerstone 2013
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaReyneke was South Africa’s first certified biodynamic vineyard and winery, and their wines are made without additives (yeasts, enzymes acidity or settling agents). Benefits from this wine, Cornerstone, go towards heping Reyneke's workers and families with home ownership and education. Here 43/32/25 cabernet franc / merlot / cabernet sauvignon was fermented in concrete Nomblot fermenters before 18 months in French oak barrels, 20 percent new. Thorny cassis, blackberry and black plum are framed by ample downy tannins and textured with a wash of smoked stone. There's an underlying salted black liquorice and dark chocolate padding out this medium/full red, one that freshens South Africa's classic Bordeaux blends for the modern drinker.Prices:| BC | $33.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Radford Dale Black Rock 2013
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaThe Winery of Good Hope is a collective of different labels and combination of vintners, founded in 1998. The group came together to respect the winemaking traditions of Stellenbosch, Elgin and Swartland, while combining them with modern methods. Radford Dale is one label in the collective that works with Rhone varieties. Here old, dry farmed, granite soiled, bush vines of syrah, cinsault, carignan, grenache, mouvedre and viognier, were destemmed and lightly crushed before being cofermented in vats of varying sizes, and then barrel aged for 16 months. The wine remained on its lees for the whole time, practically eliminating the need for sulphur. An authentic natural wine, following the traditions of the past, perfect for the drinker of today. Fresh, bright and finely textured, with dusty stone, wild plum, herbal anise, crunchy acidity and subtle dusky florals. Tannins are fine, supple and lithe, and acidity is vibrant throughout. Characterful, interesting and effortlessly drinkable.Prices:| BC | $29.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Graham Beck Brut Blanc de Blancs 2010
Robertson, Breede River Valley, South AfricaWinemaker Pieter Ferreira is one of the leading proponents of the MCC (Methode Cape Classique) association, and a globally recognized fizz specialist. Graham Beck is transitioning to a 100% sparkling wine house, a move propelled by his skill at the style. This fresh, focused chardonnay was whole bunch pressed, 50 percent fermented in oak barrels (7 percent new barrels) before 36 months on the lees. Disgorged in 2014, this yields a fine balance between subtle tangerine pith and gently creamy, biscuit-laced lees. You can feel the wake of the region’s warmth on the finish, though this crisp and saline fizz rings with freshness. Robertson has a high proportion of limestone soils and this chardonnay is predominantly sited on them.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Savage Wines Follow The Line 2015
Western Cape, South AfricaI could smell this characterful wine for ages. Duncan Savage (one of the Zoo Biscuits gang) sources fruit from maritime vineyards, typically at altitude, for his low-interventionist wines. This is a blend of cinsault, grenache and syrah from Darling and Piekenierskloof, of which 20 percent goes whole bunch into large format French oak. The 2015 Follow The Line is very pinot-like, with subtle earthen forest, subois, wild mushroom on first whiff, before light, delicate, raspberry blossom perfume. The core, however, is grounded, pure, and authentic, with cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, and a fine, steady grip of sandy-textured tannins. Whiffs of light smoke and minerality echo throughout to a lingering, appealing sea salt finish. Softer than the previous vintage, and still effortlessly drinkable; best enjoyed over the course of an evening.Prices:| BC | $45.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Raats Family Wines Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2012
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaCrushed rock juice. And not just any rocks. Dolomite. Broken stones and alluring florals stream through this light-bodied cabernet franc, from a mix of trellised and bush vines of 19-26 years of age. Subtle cassis, light anise and franc's characteristic herbal tobacco greenness ride along finely grippy tannins. Fruit from dry farmed vineyards in Stellenbosch and Paarl is grown on decomposed dolomite granite, which gives lifted acidity, threads of textural minerality and freshness through the lengthy, bitter cocoa dusted and slightly warm (for 13.5 percent) finish. After soaking on the skins for five days and wild ferment, grapes are basket pressed into stainless steel before a year in aged French oak. Alluring stuff; this is South Africa now.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Raats Family Wines Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2013
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaOld vertical hedge and bush vine chenin blanc (averaging 45 years) from three vineyards in Stellenbosch go into this savoury, herbal white. The decomposed dolomite granite and table mountain sandstone astutely increase the earthy, mineral background of this concentrated wine; this is not about fruit. That said, honeyed pear, green fig and ripe quince are in the shadows, a supporting role to the broken stone, earthy lees, salts and medicinal-tinged wild herbs dominating this complex and arresting white. Thirty percent of this wine was fermented and aged in 300 L French oak barrels, while the remainder spent time in stainless to hold onto crisp fruit. After nine months, the two were united and held on the lees for an additional two months before bottling. Restrained, though powerful, this is drinking very well now but will certainly age for five+ years in your cellar. A leading, natural-leaning, terroir-seeking family of passionate wine folks in Stellenbosch.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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27 October 2016
89PTS
Blue Grouse Cowichan Station Pinot Gris 2015
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaThe only vines at Cowichan Valley's Blue Grouse not on rootstock are the pinot gris. The nose is fresh and crisp with beautiful pear notes and just a hint of weightier yellow fruits. Some 15 percent barrel fermented juice adds a little mid-palate creamy weight and complexity. The attack is super fresh and citrus lined, with honeysuckle and melon fruit flavours. Impressive style and a hallmark for Vancouver Island.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Lindemans Bin 85 Pinot Grigio 2015
South Eastern Australia, AustraliaEvery year I say the same thing about this wine but it is the truth – this is a well-made, fun to drink, grigio for the price. As fresh as it gets, this light, lean, northern Italian style grigio opens with bits of citrus fruit and honey. The attack mirrors the nose with round, citrus, watery, gulpable, grapefruit flavors. Good value in a clean, fresh, white wine for only $11. A super mid-week bargain.Prices:| BC | $10.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $11.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $13.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $12.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $11.10 | 750ml |
| NB | $13.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $12.00 | 750ml |
| PEI | $14.50 | 750ml |
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26 October 2016
88PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Parallèle 45 2014
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, FranceThe 45th north parallel runs through the village of Pont de l’Isère about two kilometres from the cellars of Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné. A monument marks the invisible line with the inscription: “the south begins here”. The marker is the inspiration for this blend made at Jaboulet since the beginning of the 1950s. The blend is 60/40 grenache/syrah from 25 year-old vines grown over stony clay limestone soil. Winemaker Caroline Frey is turning the ship around at Jaboulet, bringing elegance and balance to the mix. Expect a fresh, aromatic, spicy, savoury wine with red fruit characters and bits of licorice smoke and garrigue. Perfect for fall stews, grilled meats and rustic pizzas.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Sicalia Rosso 2014
Sicily, ItalyEasy and smooth blend of merlot and nero d'avola, with generous fruit on soft, powdery tannins. Subtly sun-sweet blueberry, plum, blackberry and dusky thorns to a shorter finish. Simple, approachable red, balanced and ready for simple sausage pasta or pork sandwich.Prices:| BC | $14.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rouge 2015
Ventoux, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceA mainstay on our market as much for the price and availability as for the easy gulpability of this Ventoux red, a blend of carignan, cinsault, grenache and syrah. From the Perrin family, this is a juicy, easy, simple, smooth and red fruited blend. Tannins are powdery and the finish is somewhat short, but this is a taste of the Rhone for a bargain price so crack the screw cap and pour with weeknight chicken thighs.Prices:| BC | $12.49 | 750ml |
| AB | $13.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $11.30 | 750ml |
| QC | $13.50 | 750ml |
| NF | $14.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $13.30 | 750ml |
| MB | $12.75 | 750ml |
| BC | $18.99 | 1500ml |
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88PTS
Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Old Vines /Dry Farmed Pais Cinsault 2015
Valle de Cauquenes, Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, ChileOld Vines Dry Farmed País Cinsault is a 12 percent alcohol red blend that pays homage to the history of Chilean wine. The país, first brought to Chile from the Canary Islands in the mid-1500s, is from Cauquenes in the Maule Valley. The cinsault comes from further south at Trehuaco in the Itata Valley. Both grapes are grown close to the sea at +500 foot elevations the former from 100-year-old vines, the latter from 50-year-old vineyards. The nose is reminiscent of Beaujolais thanks to a carbonic maceration and freshness that seems to intensify its obvious candied cherry notes, mixed with raspberries and black currants. Fresh and light bodied, this is a delicious drinking wine for chicken dishes, steamed mussels and tapas. Winemaker Marcelo Papa fought to get this wine in the Marques de casa Concha lineup so that the price would be significant enough to confer a serious demeanour to the wine. Well done.Prices:| US | $20.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Verso Salento Rosso 2014
Salento, Puglia, ItalySlightly cooked nose and those 'appassimento,' dried grape aromas that spill onto the palate from grapes that come off two Puglia cru sites. The colour is dark, the nose spicy, the palate surprisingly fresh with some obvious deep fruit previewing a smoky, silky finish. The blend is a 60/35/15 mix of negroamaro, primitivo, malvasia nera. This vintage is more rustic than last year but still all in all a solid barbecue red. Think about savoury hard Italian cheeses or barbecue ribs.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Montecariano Valpolicella 2014
Verona, Veneto, ItalyA fine, fresh version of Valpolicella with a bright red fruit and cherry nose and bits of pepper and curry. The acidity serves the mid-palate well, freshening the wine and bolstering it against its enhanced ripasso textures. Simple tasty stuff that works well with most tomato-based pasta dishes, especially if cheese is involved.Prices:| BC | $26.49 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Montecariano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2011
Verona, Veneto, ItalyMontecariano is a boutique estate in the heart of the Valpolicella classico DOC, just South of San Pietro in Cariano. The vines, some 60-years-old, are planted in what was once an old sea bed. At five years old the Classico Montecariano Amarone is just beginning to reveal its power. The attack is round and soft with rich, sweet cherry fruit, intense spice and a whiff of oxidation. Sweet leathery, dark fruit coats the palate followed by some lifted (volatile) smoky, black cherry, tobacco notes. There’s early complexity here but more will build in the bottle. Drink now through 2020. The blend is half corvina with 25/15/5/3/ corvinone, rondinella, molinara and oseleta – all air-dried and aged 4 years in barrel.Prices:| BC | $84.99 | 750ml |
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25 October 2016
87PTS
Casa de Paços Superior 2015
Vinho Verde, Northern Portugal, PortugalHighly perfumed and floral white blend of alvarinho, arinto, loureiro, fernão pires, from the granitic soils in Minho Superior. Wines were made on this estate since the 16th century, and the descendants of the estate are still in control of it today. Partial skin maceration before stainless steel and lees stirring gives a beautiful creaminess to the peach blossoms and cream, roughed up with a light peach fuzz texture.Prices:| Portugal | $10.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Coenobium 2014
Lazio, ItalyWines of place? How about 30 miles north of Rome, in the town of Vitiorchiano. Wines of people? This is made by nuns, Roman Catholic Sisters of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, under the guidance of Giampiero Bea (yes, the son of one of Italy's most prominent non-interventionist wine producers, Paulo Bea). A blend of trebbiano, malvasia, verdicchio grown on volcanic soils, fermented wild on skins for a lengthy period, with nothing added / taken away. Subtle almond flower, peach skin, oxidative yellow apple, baked quince, meadow flowers, faint nutmeg is softly welcoming and cushioned, with honeyed talc lining the medium palate. Streaking acids are expressed with a gentle wash, as is the light grasp of stone dust tannins. This is orange wine, as understated and beguiling as you'd expect from Cistercian monks making low-interventionist wine from local grapes on volcanic soils to be. Interesting, best paired with adventuresome drinkers.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Narrative White by Okanagan Crush Pad 2015
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOCP's Narrative tier is meant to be a pure, clean look at the Okanagan, for an affordable price. Here pinot gris, chardonnay and gewürztraminer grown on their Oliver and Summerland vineyards are expressed through gentle floral and fruit sweetness. Youthful, with pear blossom, yellow apple, Asian pear and starfruit sitting comfortably on a cushion of soft lees and finishing with a snappy pear skin twist. A juicy palate lifts the whole. Lovely balance for a lovely price.Prices:| BC | $18.90 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Ruffino Serelle Vin Santo del Chianti 2011
Tuscany, ItalyVin Santo, the holy wine, is a classic Tuscan dessert wine usually made from white grape varieties such as trebbiano and malvasia. The fruit is dried on straw mats or more often now, indoor on racks. While most would classify it as a dessert wine, it can be finished dry in a fino sherry style. A full amber colour, the nose is a mix of dried fruits with bits of orange peel, raisins and figs. The palate is soft and round with fine sweetness and more caramel/crème brûlée notes all with touch of oxidative complexity. A biscotti will do but anything with chocolate would be a fine match too. Serelle is allowed to oxidize and age in the small oak for some 36 months before it's blended and given another period of time to come together in stainless steel. Chill lightly for best results.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 375ml |
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86PTS
Augey Bordeaux Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015
FranceMuch like last year, this crisp, fruity white blend that mixes sauvignon blanc and sémillon is a bargain Bordeaux blanc. Ripe and mouth filling lemongrass, lime and tangerine aromas mark the nose with just a whiff of mineral and medicine chest underneath. Quaffable sweet lime flavours mixed with gooseberry and kiwi fill out the finish. Try this with spicy sushi or a favourite Indian take-out dish. Good value.Prices:| BC | $13.29 | 750ml |
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24 October 2016
87PTS
CedarCreek Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAn 86 percent syrah mixed with malbec/viognier/merlot/cabernet franc, all of which seems to dilute the pure nature of south Okanagan syrah. There is a floral note from the viognier, along with sweet plums, light pepper and leather. The attack is sweet and savoury with milk chocolate, black cherry flavours. Many will like the sweetness but it’s a bit too light and commercial for me.Prices:| BC | $22.29 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Penfolds Shiraz Bin 128 2014
Coonawarra, South Australia, AustraliaAlways a slimmed down version of the richer, northern shiraz, Bin 128 is Australian cool-climate. The fruit is grown on the famed terra rossa soils of Coonawarra, the source since the wine's inception in 1962. Winemaker Peter Gago use a mix of new and seasoned French oak hogsheads that seem more simpatico with Coonawarra fruit than American oak. A wet winter and a cool spring, including a rainy flowering reduced the crop. Heat spikes set off one of the longest harvests in memory. Look for a spicy, resiny, herby, attractive, red fruit nose. Cherries and pomegranate speak to the cool nature of this classy wine styled by French oak. The finish is still somewhat tannic in the sense of dusty, chalky tannins that should dissipate through 2020. Pair with steak.Prices:| BC | $34.95 | 750ml |
| AB | $35.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $34.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $33.25 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Burrowing Owl Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBig, blousy, coffee and vanilla nose with ripe blueberry undertones. Rich, soft and round, with sweet, smoky, meaty black fruit flavours and a sweet peppery finish. The ripe, candied, baked fruit and oak is holding court in this bottle for the moment, overriding the savoury, regional terroir that can add a sense of complexity. Big and hedonistic, you can drink this now. Lamb or steak is the ticket here.Prices:| BC | $33.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $42.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $40.95 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 2013
Crozes Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FrancePaul Jaboulet purchased Thalabert in 1834 and it is also the oldest single vineyard of the appellation. It has proven to be an excellent site over the decades, showing a great ability to age. Today the pebbly terraces that support the 60 to 80-year-old-vines are farmed biodynamically. Yields are an impressively low 25 hl/ha and the wine sees only about 20 percent new oak. The 2013 is a very fine bottle of Thalabert. The nose is an aromatic offering of finely ground pepper, black fruits, Christmas cake, licorice and a stony minerality. The attack is fresh with bright acidity but there is enough fruit and tannin to keep it all in check. It definitely has a decade of life ahead. Great with roast turkey.Prices:| BC | $56.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets 2011
Crozes Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceLes Jalets is made from a combination of estate and purchased fruit. The name refers to one of the vineyards in the blend named after the Old French word for pebbles, left behind by the glaciers. Crozes Hermitage is 100 percent syrah, in this case 25-year-old vines, all of which lead to its earthy, meaty and cranberry nose. The attack is round with spicy, earthy black fruit flavours and a touch of smoked meat in the finish. Ready to drink at five years of age and perfect with a pepper steak or a savoury roasted chicken.Prices:| BC | $36.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $26.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $26.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $26.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $27.85 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 2013
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceIt was Gaspard de Stérimberg who built the now famous chapel on the top of hill of Hermitage in 1224. It was purchased by the Jaboulet family in 1919 and has been the name of their signature shiraz ever since. The vines are a minimum 40 years old, many are 60+, all over granite and limestone soils, and since 2006, farmed biodynamically. Only 20 percent new oak is used by winemaker Caroline Frey and the style is moving decidedly away from pure power to more finesse. The yields were crazy low in 2013 averaging somewhere in between 10 and 18 hl/ha. Mineral, floral, meaty aromas swirl above its inky colour. The texture is silky, the concentration medium, the red/black fruit bright, mineral and persistent. It’s going to be very good if not great and ready to drink by 2020. Jaboulet you have our attention again. So does the price.Prices:| BC | $255.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 23 Crosswinds Syrah 2012
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Mission Hill's Terroir Collection, this is sourced from two vineyards, one on Black Sage Bench (69 percent) and one in Osoyoos (31 percent). Thirteen months in French oak (37 percent new) sets the foundation for this syrah, appearing surprisingly cabernet-like. This shows the savoury, dusty side of syrah, reflecting the semi-desert climate environment. Dusky black cherry, potent anise, thorny cassis is scented with tobacco and lined with subtle tar. Acidity is tenuous, tannins are finely structured and sanded, providing a firm, lean framework to this medium-full red. Restraint rules here, benefitting from the winery aging this wine for you. Drinking well now (decanted), especially with grilled pork.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Narrative Syrah by Okanagan Crush Pad 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Narrative line from OCP is intended to be a pure, fresh look at the Okanagan at an affordable price and in a less is more style. Look for juicy, plush Black Sage Bench fruit with smoked black fruit, branch, light tar and bittersweet chocolate clad tannins that finish soft and round. About a quarter of the fruit is pressed whole cluster and all is fermented in concrete. Big and young, but balanced, it is well suited to BBQ lamb and beef. Ready to drink and will hold short term.Prices:| BC | $29.90 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Quails' Gate Syrah The Boswell 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of the special anniversary releases from Quails' Gate, this is named in honour of the grandparents of the Steward stewards, and sourced from their estate Westbank vineyards, an anomaly for Okanagan syrah. Its northern latitude is evident in its graceful form and figure. Warm scrubby rosemary, highly perfumed violets, smoked meats and a haunting white pepper note throughout this complex, medium/full red. Tannins are structured, downy and smokey, carrying the fruit to a warm finish. Much potential for this style, and wine. This sees 18 months in French oak, and for a wine with this much finesse, I'd love to see more older wood in future vintages.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Yalumba Barossa Patchwork Shiraz 2013
Barossa Valley, South Australia, AustraliaPatchwork is a collection of Barossa sites both warm and cool that have been under the purvey of Yalumba for most of the last 165 years. The colour is predictably black, the nose a rich mix of dark, sweet black fruits with a licorice underbelly. There’s a bit of the sweet and sour here that finishes soft and silky with spicy, minty sweet fruit and some acidity pushing in through the back end. Ready to drink. Best with grilled meats.Prices:| BC | $29.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $24.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $28.79 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Stag's Hollow Renaissance Syrah Amalia Vineyard 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe first Renaissance Syrah comes off Amalia Vineyard on the west side of Osoyoos, where warm morning-sun days are followed by cooler evenings. It is all hand-picked and hand sorted, destemmed and partially crushed leaving half the fruit in whole berry formed to be cold soaked in an open top fermenter for three days. At this point some 40 percent of the most lignified stems were put in the ferment. The finished wine went to 60/40 new /used French oak barrels for 14 months. Expect a deeply coloured syrah with an aromatic dried herb, savoury, black pepper, south Okanagan nose. The palate is firm, dry and linear at this point, with black fruit and pepper dominating the front end. The texture is amazingly silky, letting you enjoy it now but it will improve through 2020. Another wine that craves lamb.Prices:| BC | $34.99 | 750ml |
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83PTS
Hardys VR Shiraz 2014
South Eastern Australia, AustraliaAromatic floral nose of red fruits and cotton candy. Similar flavours appear on the palate, flecked with blueberries and sweet and sour cherry berry and leather notes. Simple commercial style probably best with hamburgers.Prices:| BC | $8.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $10.50 | 750ml |
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86PTS
El Esteco Don David Reserve Syrah 2012
Cafayate, Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, ArgentinaThe Calchaquí Valley in Northern Argentina is home to this wine. Its deep, poor, rocky soils and some 22° C between the minimum cold nights and the maximum warm days, it is a lot like the Okanagan. About 70% of the wines is aged in small American and French oak barrels for 12 months. Fresh peppery, plum fruit nose with flecks of roasted coffee and peppery, pruny, spicy, black fruit with resiny tobacco notes. Youthful and fresh, it will improve in bottle. Serve now with grilled lamb. Good value and finished with a Diam cork.Prices:| BC | $13.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $14.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Black Hills Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMeaty, peppery and violet-perfumed, this plush, full bodied red is from estate vineyards in the sunny South Okanagan. The ripeness is evident in the deep and sun-sweet black fruit: plums, blackberry and raspberry, all imbued with highly perfumed violets and sweetly smoky mocha. Tannins are very soft and silky smoothed, stretching through to the sweetly spiced (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove) finish. Acidity is fine and delicate, but persistent. Drinking well now, though will hold with short term cellaring.Prices:| BC | $34.70 | 750ml |
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21 October 2016
89PTS
Quails' Gate Fortified Vintage Foch 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTwelve months in oak barrels and a dash of neutral spirits has left a surprisingly, spicy, silky sweet port-style red made from a Quails’ Gate specialty – maréchal foch. The nose is cleaner than the last vintage, showing more fresh fruit aromas and spice. Soft, rich and sweet, there is a mix of blackberry, coffee/toffee/chocolate flavours and some finesse too. Blue cheese, nutty cakes and chocolate all work here.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 375ml |
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90PTS
Rocky Creek Wild Blackberry NV
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaThe Rocky Creek wild blackberries are picked by local First Nations, and in this particular wine, back in August 2013. After an extended cold soak, the yeast is added and it is partially fermented on its pulp before bring pressed off and finished in stainless steel. After several rackings what you get is an intense essence of blackberry fruit. The palate is jammy, with smoky, peppery, licorice flavours. Try it with ice cream or fruit pies. Unique and well done.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 500ml |
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85PTS
Giorgio & Gianni Negroamaro NV
Puglia, ItalyLight whiffs of balsamic float throughout this simple negroamaro, one that mixes coffee, cola, oak flavours and smoked black fruits in equal amounts, before a short, bitter-ringed finish. Tannins are powdery but soft. Serve with simple meatballs or at a party (great price for the magnum).Prices:| BC | $13.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $24.00 | 1500ml |
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87PTS
Mauro Molino Barbera d'Alba 2014
Alba, Cuneo, Piedmont, ItalyAfter some needed air time, perfumed plum and dark violets fill a juicy, youthful core. Dusky black spices linger underneath the surface, carried with soft, mellow tannins. Roasted meats, light smoke lingers on the shorter finish. No oak seen here, this is a nice, clean view of Barbera d'Alba and well suited to steak salad or Italian sausage pizza.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Stag's Hollow Grenache 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIs it too picky to complain about a BC grenache that is too ripe? There’s a raisin note that pervades the pepper and super sweet raspberry and cherry aromas and flavours. The savoury mid-palate helps pull it back in before more raisins and prune/plums mark the finish. There’s 12 percent syrah in the mix, helping explain the meaty undercurrent. A little more Paso Robles, a little less Rhone, but then it is all Okanagan. I’m guessing it will have many fans but I’m willing to wait another year for a little more purity. It had no problem standing up to a curried chicken dish.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Stag's Hollow Dolcetto Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard 2015
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaDolcetto translates to "little sweet one" in Italy and this juicy dark berry, earthy and perfumed black plum wine is all that, plus it’s a singular Okanagan wine. Medicinal dark raspberry and dark cherry is carried along finely textured tannins to a kirsch finish. Winemaker Dwight Sick soars when he's given the reins to experiment. The Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard fruit goes thorough partial carbonic ferment in stainless steel before 60 percent is racked off into French oak barrels. After five months the stainless and oak portions were reunited and bottled without fining or filtration. A lovely soft, red-fruited style, drinking well now, especially with roasted squash.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Stag's Hollow Grenache 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBeauty. The first commercial grenache in BC, and hopefully paving the way for more. Cracked white and black pepper is threaded throughout a round core of sun-ripened, juicy and perfumed red plum, raspberry and cherry. Cinnamon spicing and savoury edging gives grenache's natural generosity (this is 15 percent declared) a nice definition. Whole berry fermented (with 40 percent of the stems) before time in French oak for a half year or so. The final was blended with 12 percent syrah. Ripe, round, easy drinking and interesting, if a bit warm and sweet-tinged in 2015.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Palacio del Burgo Rioja Reserva 2010
Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, SpainFrom a 1950’s cooperative to an estate in 1987, Palacio del Burgo farms some 200 hectares, 90 percent of which is red grapes in the Baja. In 2010 the blend is 85/10/5 tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo (or carignan). Older vines, more than 30 years, give the wine a silky sheen and fine texture. This is modern Rioja with clean berries dominating on the nose, lots of red fruit and very fresh acidity. Juicy mineral notes are a pleasant surprise for the price and the origin. Lamb chops anyone?Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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20 October 2016
90PTS
Jean-Paul Brun Le Ronsay Beaujolais 2015
Beaujolais, Burgundy, FranceAlluring nose of rock rose, youthful morello cherry open this light-boded gamay, from Le Ronsay vineyard (ex-labelled Cuvee Premiere). Young vines make up this label, though made to the same non-interventionist standards as legendary J-P Brun's more serious wines. Honest, authentic and young, this is a delight to drink, with light, membrane-fine tannins holding in the delicate subtle raspberry, cherry, florals and fine white pepper notes. A slight nibble of pepper on the finish encourages another glass, and another, and another. Easy, interesting and most important - authentic (a rare combination).Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
JoieFarm Gamay 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAn extreme version of this variety that highlights freshness and intense savoury notes. The nose is a cherry, herbal raspberry affair with a strong rooty earthy undercurrent. The structure is firm with super bright acidity and a stony, savoury and salty finish. The fruit is all Naramata - from the clay banks of Deep Roots Vineyard. The wine is aged ten months in a mix of French barriques, puncheons and cask and left for another year in bottle. A bit geeky and extreme and must be served with food. The 12.6 percent alcohol emphasizes the chiselled, tight style here.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $35.00 | 750ml |
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19 October 2016
89PTS
Narrative Riesling by Okanagan Crush Pad 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Narrative line was created to give a pure or natural view of the Okanagan, at a fair price and the riesling is the poster child. Potent pear, red apple and anise-imbued honey open this Golden Mile Bench-sourced riesling that slides across the palate generously off-dry. The sweetness is countered by a fresh cut of pink grapefruit acidity and ringed by ginger spicing and clean, snappy finish. This was fermented wild in concrete before spending time in stainless steel and its delicious. Juicy and young, and an admirable 10.7 percent alcohol a good choice if you are looking for an off-dry, Spätlese-styled local riesling. Try this with spicy sushi rolls.Prices:| BC | $22.90 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Quails' Gate Dry Riesling 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCrisp, dry and mouthwatering the fruit is all West Kelowna estate and the vines are now over 30 years. This wine has consistently aged well tempering the acidity that dominates early. There is just under seven percent residual sugar here that is more than balanced off by the acidity. The nose is floral with bits of pear, limes and orchard stone fruit that follow through on the palate. At the moment the wine is on the light side but it should put on some weight in the bottle. The winery suggests tuna tartare or Vietnamese salad rolls as a match and you can add pork belly to that. Good value.Prices:| BC | $15.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $18.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $16.99 | 750ml |
| YK | $18.90 | 750ml |
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18 October 2016
87PTS
Montresor Soave Classico Castel di Soave 2015
Veneto, ItalyLean and streamline, with herbal pear, crab apple and a light lick of almond. This dry, medium bodied garganega is from the "Classico" hills behind the village of Soave. A slight oil slick of lees lines the palate, though through its stainless-steel elevage and youth this is aloof and a tad severe. Citrus-grilled prawns or langoustines.Prices:| BC | $15.50 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Nikki Callaway says she is talking to the chenin blanc, trying to see what it wants to be. So far her style has kept it super fresh and clean – one I happen to like - but the purists seem to think it should have more weight and presence long into the glass. Maybe so, but the 2015 has a bright attack of lemon, grass and melons that work well with its creamy textures. Not quite as skinny as last year but there is more sauvignon blanc, ten percent here versus the nine in the 2014 blend. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed followed by cold fermentation, 85 percent in stainless steel tanks and 15 percent in 2-year-old French oak barrels, and for the first time, two 500-litre puncheons. Pretty tasty out of the gate with seafood, but if you can wait give it three to five years under screwcap.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $15.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $19.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $19.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $23.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $20.05 | 750ml |
| NS | $23.00 | 750ml |
| PEI | $23.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $23.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $23.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Amphora VR +22/09 2015
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMarkedly different from the 2014, which is to be entirely expected when you're dealing with natural wine. Here potent and pointed apricot, orange blossom, freesia, honey, medicinal anise and wild honey picks up flecks of beeswax and a waxy, slightly sticky texture in the 2015 VR (no "M" in this year's blend). Viognier and roussanne were whole cluster pressed, wild fermented into two 500L terracotta clay amphorae where it spent five and a half months before bottling. A warm spike of sweetly medicinal orange heats the throat; all (and more) of the 14.5 percent alcohol is felt here. Terrif packing in a 500ml bottle with a vino-loc closure, this is a small cap release of 167 cases.Prices:| BC | $20.99 | 500ml |
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89PTS
Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2015
South Australia, AustraliaYalumba has a long history with viognier, dating back decades, and has the largest plantings of viognier vineyards in the world. The introductory Y Series label is a wonderful introduction to this honeysuckle and jasmine scented grape that seems to rise above its station under winemaker Heather Fraser’s touch. The palate is mix of fresh apricots, lemongrass, ginger all wrapped up in a silky package. Rich but fresh, and certainly capable of matching a wide variety of Asian inspired dishes.Prices:| BC | $16.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $20.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $17.00 | 750ml |
| YK | $20.70 | 750ml |
| MB | $18.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $19.50 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Region de Aconcagua, ChileWinemaker Marcelo Papa is getting the most out of his Leyda-based Poniente Vineyard, located 390 metres above sea level some 14 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. Clay soils and cool sea breezes lay on the intensity of the aromas and flavours here. Look for a clean, super bright, clone one sauvignon, with intense gooseberry and grapefruit aromas. The palate adds a limey, grassy undercurrent to the gooseberry, resulting in a very Kiwi style. Shellfish is the match, but it should work well with your favourite sushi or goat cheese dishes.Prices:| NF | $23.96 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Les Crêtes Mon Blanc NV
Aosta Valley, ItalyFrom Valle D'Aosta, though this medium bodied white isn't labeled as such because there are no IGT designations outside of the main DOC in this region. Since this is a non-standard blend, the only alternative is to label it "Product of Italy", which is not very helpful. So let me help you: this is a blend of prié blanc (the only native white variety of the region), müller thurgau, pinot bianco, pinot grigio and chardonnay grown on loose, sandy soils between 600-850m. A gentle pressing and six months in stainless steel on the lees with battonage has well preserved the crisp northern Italian fruit. A juicy core of white peach, meadow honey, green apple, green fig and subtle honeyed melon is well lined with lees and engraved with stones, finishing with a wash of lemon. Dry, with mineral interest, this is a natural for white fish, mild white sausage or light shellfish soups.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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17 October 2016
91PTS
Concha y Toro Marqués de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2014
Valle del Limari, ChileWinemaker Marcelo Papa is tweaking the “Marques” range, slowly taking them out of the predictable, super-ripe, extracted, too much new oak style to a juicy, fresh, more ‘naked’ style that better represents the grape and the land. It’s a brave move for a highly conservative wine company and country but it's exactly where the Marques range must go. The Quebrada Seca Vineyard, resides inside the D.O. Limarí, in the Limarí Valley, approximately 190 metres above sea level, just 19 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean along the north bank of the Limarí River. Clay soils, rich in calcium carbonate supercharge the fruit here, excelling on the palate with salty, mineral undertones. Only 5% of the wine goes through the acid-flattening malolactic fermentation and it spends only 11 months in 225 and 600 litre oak barrels. Rich yet elegant, the vibrant pear fruit reflects picking dates that are as much as three weeks ahead of historical dates. Food friendly and easily one of the best $20 chardonnays in the world.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $20.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Quails' Gate Chardonnay Rosemary's Block 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRosemary's Block was created to celebrate the 25th anniversary at Quails' Gate, but it has become much more than a one-off release. In 2015 the single block selection is now part of the Anniversary Series, boasting a leaner, Euro, ‘Burgundian’ style chardonnay. Despite the ripe fruit of 2015 there is an elegance and restraint in this chardonnay mixed with citrus, mineral, leesy, toasted nut flavours. The acidity is bright for such a warm year and it draws out the pear/apple aftertaste. Perfect oak adds weight, but no real flavour. Delicious drinking now but this will improve.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Nikki Callaway continues to play with her chardonnay, tweaking the Stewart Family Reserve to highlight its ample styling and leaving it closer to the popular New World California style. Another warm year means you feel the warmth underneath the ripe baked apple, sweet melon flavours, flecked with buttery fruit, butterscotch and spice. The opulence, intensified by the vintage, gives fans of the rich chardonnay style (albeit a modern styled one) a wine they will love. Rich sweet seafood like lobster or crab, or creamy seafood pasta dishes come to mind as a perfect match. It’s mostly the French chardonnay clone 95, planted 20 years ago and thriving on Mount Boucherie Bench. Drink through 2020.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $40.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $40.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Hardy's Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2010
Tasmania - Yarra Valley, AustraliaAt six years old, the 2010 Eileen Hardy has all the hallmarks of a flagship label. Even better, it is rare wine that is only made in top years and that’s the case with Eileen. The fruit is a hipster blend of cool Tasmanian fruit (72 percent) and equally beguiling Yarra Valley blocks (28 percent). The nose is rich and open with toasted hazelnuts, vanilla and creamy nutty characters. The fruit is juicy with pear undertones bolstered by mineral citrus notes and great texture. A dry, toasty nutty style with a rich, complex, aftertaste that connoisseurs will appreciate. Try this with lobster, halibut or even filet mignon.Prices:| BC | $56.69 | 750ml |
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14 October 2016
90PTS
Averill Creek Somenos Series Pinot Noir 2014
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaA new label from Averill Creek, the ’14 Somenos Series Pinot Noir may be the best pinot noir to come off Vancouver Island yet. The colour is almost dark, the nose floral and fresh with lovely, cool, black cherry notes, earth and spice. The attack is medium weight with silky, rich, savoury, red fruit flavours flecked with bitter orange peel and spice. Long balanced and complex this will age well through 2018. Serve now with chanterelles, duck confit or a salmon.Prices:| BC | $38.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Clone 828 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 828 pinot clone was planted in 2006 on the West Kelowna home property. It has been the most tannic of all the clones at Quails' Gate and while winemaker Nikki Callaway is taming the style it remains a wine that needs some bottle age to mature fully. Most years it will bolster the small batch offerings but in years like 2014 it has enough fruit to warrant a solo label. Fermented with natural winery yeasts for 26 days on skins and barrel aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, look for a much richer texture than the 2010, with fine red fruits, and earthy spice components. The most elegant version yet, but still with plenty of tannins in the back end. Pair with wild mushroom risotto, baked salmon, charcuterie or duck. Only 300 six packs were produced.Prices:| BC | $57.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2014
Monterey County, Central Coast, California, United StatesThe La Crema Monterey pinot, 100 percent from Monterey, sees about 15 percent new French oak for seven months. The style is juicy, the nose bright and intense plum fruit. It’s pinot soft and round on entry with fine acidity and a splash of stony minerality throughout. The fruit comes of a rocky, windswept site that is all cool-climate pinot. Duck confit, grilled salmon and soft cheeses all work here.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $29.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $31.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $37.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Nielson by Byron Pinot Noir SBC 2014
Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United StatesThe old Byron label has been renamed Nielson in honour of Uriel Nielson, the man who planted the first commercial pinot vines back in 1964 in Santa Barbara. The style is juicy and savoury, with floral ripe red fruit aromas and flavours. More hedonistic then complex, but a lot of fun to sip. Tea and ripe cranberries with rooty strawberry, mineral notes persist through the soft, silky, spicy finish. Salmon steaks would be a good match.Prices:| BC | $28.49 | 750ml |
| AB | $27.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
JoieFarm En Famille Reserve Pinot Noir 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAlluring dark cherry, perfumed florals and five spice open this elegantly-styled pinot noir and stream through to its lingering finish. An earthy sappiness lends a weighty core, though acidity deftly keeps this fresh. Tannins are ripe, fine and lightly sticky, textured with a savoury desert sage and cedar spicing in the back end. A mix of six clones across two vineyards, one in Naramata and one in Summerland, it spent one year in barrel. Flavourful and well suited to game birds or pork tenderloin, and will suit a few years in the cellar.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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13 October 2016
87PTS
Ca' Montebello Sangue Di Giuda 2012
Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardy, ItalyDolce frizzante (small print, back label), packaged in a standard bottle. Oh, Italy. This is a gently sweet mix of 60 percent bonarda, (locally called croatina) with 20 per cent barbera and a 20 percent splash of "rare grapes" and even gentler spritz. Dark raspberry, plum gummies, potent blueberry and Kool Aid take over this juicy wine, one without firm structure but with a fine buzzy riff to pen all in. The juicy palate finishes quick with a drying fist. Easy, simple and certainly unique, this suits high tea (crumpets and jam) or strawberry tarts.Prices:| BC | $13.79 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino 2011
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, ItalyWorn leather, dried cherry and fine peppery spicing throughout this sangiovese. Acidity is bright and shining and tannins are fine, worn around the sides with a little age, and moderately sticky to a warmer finish. Rustic and honest, and showing some age, so drink now with meat dressed gnocchi.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Castiglion del Bosco Rosso di Montalcino 2013
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, ItalyMedium bodied, with sun-warmed cherry, perfumed raspberry, strawberries and light leather on a young core, with light tannins penning all in. The finish is blunted and bitter, making me wonder if the bottle is faulted, since this wine has shown much more life in previous vintages, though no discernible faults apparent. Will retry another bottle in future.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $23.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2011
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, ItalySangiovese Rosso 10-50 years old is fermented in stainless on the skins for 2-3 weeks before going to cement vats for MLF, after which it spends a minimum two years in oak casks. Supple worn leather, dried red and black plum, red currant rides along a raft of finely sueded tannins, finishing in a wee gully of heat (14.5 percent declared) and with drying tannins. Drink now, preferably with squid ink or wild mushroom risotto.Prices:| BC | $59.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $60.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $51.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $112.00 | 1500ml |
| NS | $66.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $60.00 | 750ml |
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12 October 2016
88PTS
Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA warm year has ripened the fruit of this smoky, cedar-scented red with hints of cigarette ash. The attack is rich and smooth, with peppery, resiny black raspberry flavours against a backdrop of fine grained, black tea tannins. A warmer style but easily accompanied by grilled meats or barbecued pork ribs.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe latest Franc spent 14 months in oak barrels, sixty-five percent French and thirty-five percent American. Only 20% is new oak. The nose has a very prominent blueberry scent with some pepper and spice. The palate is similar in style with savoury, spicy, cedar/clove and sweet blueberry fruit that persists through the finish. Again, a year or two in bottle would be useful to allow this wine to settle into itself. Beef and/or lamb is the call here.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Vulture 2013
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaNaramata cabernet franc is mostly a perfect match. Like last year, the nose is floral with a mix of red and black fruits, from red currants to red cherries and huckleberry and just a hint of volatility. The palate textures are round and soft with dense, soft fleshy tannins and plummy, peppery fruit flecked with bits of cumin. Perfect with roasted meats, mushroom dishes and game.Prices:| BC | $34.70 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2013
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClassic fragrant, fresh, open nose we have come to expect from Poplar Grove, with a whack of smoky, resiny, black plums dusted with chocolate. The attack is round and soft with more cherry, cassis, cedar and graphite and black fruits. The textures are soft almost drinkable at this point. Think lamb for the perfect match.Prices:| BC | $34.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon Rouge 2015
Chinon, Touraine, Loire, FranceIf you like Loire cabernet franc with a touch of California, back up the truck. The 2015 vintage was early and warm and fruit is fully ripe. Reduced acidity and concentrated fruit has made for a delicious wine. Raffault's Chinon Rouge comes off several blocks of vineyards grown over sandy, alluvial soil near the Vienne River. The texture is silky, the fruit a tasty mix of ripe raspberries and cherries, and as young as it is, it is ready to drink. Impressive value.Prices:| BC | $19.49 | 750ml |
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11 October 2016
88PTS
Quails' Gate Old Vines Foch Reserve 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMarechal Foch grapes from their estate vineyard in Kelowna, planted fifty years ago, make up this layered, earthy and cultish red. Full bodied and complexed with earthy twine, cherry, forest berries, stewed rhubarb, hickory and cured meats. Tannins are furry, though the palate is smooth to a snappy, smoked branch and bitter dark chocolate finish. A curiosity, well executed.Prices:| BC | $50.16 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Quails' Gate Old Vines Foch 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOh foch - you're so divisive: like or hatred. These hybrid grapes (named after French World War I hero, General Ferdinand Foch) were planted in 1978 in Osoyoos. Think roasted earth, sunbaked cassis, charcoal and chargrilled onions, all riding a rustic-edged cushion of tannins. The end has a snap of cassis and bitter coffee. Well suited to hearty meat stews or venison.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $27.00 | 750ml |
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10 October 2016
90PTS
Chateau du Vieux Puit 2010
Bordeaux, FranceBordeaux prices are so high it is impossible to comprehend what if any value the prized classified growths offer the everyday wine drinkers. The less than stellar 2013 vintage release is yet another example of prices gone mad. But there are other wines to be had such as this little red blend from the less than famous Blaye appellation. It hails from the highly lauded 2010 vintage and at six years old it is showing its stuff at a bargain price – at least for Bordeaux. Fully mature now it’s a delicious mix of red and black fruits with no over powering oak. Just bright fruit with a touch of licorice and dried herbs. Balanced and ready to drink and a good example of how the little wines can rise up in a great vintage.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Narrative Red by Okanagan Crush Pad 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOCP's Narrative line of wines are meant to be a clean, pure look at the Okanagan, for an affordable price. The 2015 Red is a soft and friendly blend of gamay, cabernet franc and syrah from their Oliver and Summerland vineyards. Black cherry, raspberry and cured sweet salami are carried along a fresh and juicy palate, and framed with slightly chewy tannins. The generosity of the southern Okanagan sun is felt, as is a warming rush of kirsch on the finish. Fantastic value.Prices:| BC | $19.90 | 750ml |
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92PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Desert Ridge Single Vineyard Meritage 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine is a conundrum. It opens with floral, attractive red fruit aromas and similar upfront juicy, red fruit palate and then boom, the 58 percent cabernet sauvignon kicks in and firms up the mid-palate and back end leaving it almost a bit tight. The cabernet sauvignon along with 22 percent cabernet franc, 14 percent merlot and six percent malbec all comes off a particularly stony, spare section of Desert Ridge Vineyard in Osoyoos to add some needed tension and complexity. Don’t let the red fruitcake flavours fool you, this wine needs another six to eight years in bottle but it has the structure and finesse to go the length of time required for it to blossom. A perfect fall red for mushroom risotto, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Well done.Prices:| BC | $40.49 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Mer'r'iym Meritage 2013
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMer'r'iym (or mur'-eem' as it is pronounced) translates to marriage, a notion winemaker Randy Picton plays with as he brings together merlot and cabernet sauvignon with malbec and cabernet franc. This is heady stuff from the southern Okanagan – warm and ripe it is a rich mix of cherries and chocolate, tobacco, dried herbs, raisin-y black fruits. The tannins are blocky and will need some time to settle down and let the fruit punch through. The finish is long and warm, mixing coffee, chocolate and more spicy black fruits and a warm finish. If you are going to drink it now, game would be a fine menu choice, and be sure to decant this wine for 45 minutes to an hour.Prices:| BC | $50.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Time Meritage Red 2013
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHarry McWatters is the original champion of the Meritage term in Canada, convincing the original Napa group to make the term available to other North America producers and now around the world. The fruit is a blend of 38/36/26 merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, all from Sundial Vineyard on Black Sage Bench. It’s classic McWatters, with plenty of rich, smoky toasted oak and chocolate over cassis and cherries. More on the hedonistic side it has everything but restraint. Smooth rich, ripe and juicy you can drink it now. Try this with smoky sweet, barbecue ribs.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Quails' Gate The Connemara Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the inaugural vintage of The Connemara, the premium Bordeaux blend from Quails' Gate, and named in honour of the Stewart family’s grandfather's favourite place in Ireland. The ten best barrels make up this vintage. The mix: 55 percent merlot, 30 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent cabernet franc, was fermented wild before spending 18 months in French oak and then bottled unfiltered. At this youthful stage, the oak is still coating the black cherry, blackberry, cola and graphite-scented ripe fruit. Tannins have the smoky barrel grip that will yield with cellaring, while the mouthfeel is silken, polished and very welcoming now. The best years are ahead, but you can easily enjoy now with a decant and herb roasted young lamb.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio +06/10 2014
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIt’s all come together in 2014 for Portfolio. Ripe, mouth-filling, savoury, long, dense and silky this is an amazing effort from the Enns, David and Cynthia.Portfolio has wonderful balance most years, a result of winemaker David Enns' love of blending. In this case, 100 barrels, from 12 different vineyard blocks and five grape varieties make up the palette of flavours. We love the aromatic aromas of licorice, dried herbs and red fruits. The tannins are dense but fine-grained adding to the considerable finesse and complexity of this wine. The blend is 49/28/20/2//1 merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. Oak fermenters in addition to stainless steel tank ferments have made a significant contribution to the texture this year. Portfolio spends 19 months in French oak barrels and larger puncheons - another good idea.Prices:| BC | $44.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $53.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $53.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Quails' Gate The Connemara Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere is a new Okanagan Valley red blend at Quails' Gate and it's stunning. Winemaker Nikki Callaway spent some time working in Bordeaux and clearly she learned a thing or two about blending. Connemara is named after great grandfather Richard Stewart’s love for what he called the most beautiful part of Ireland. Led by a silky, mouth-filling merlot at 55 percent, Callaway adds 30 percent cabernet sauvignon and 15 percent cabernet franc to tighten the structure and flush out the length. So young, yet so balanced, this is a blueprint to halt the merlot and cabernet sauvignon varietal wines at Quails’ Gate and move forward with this blend. Connemara spends 18 months in French oak and is a result of the ten best barrels from fruit harvested across the Okanagan. Floral black fruit aromas with gentle smoky black and red fruit flavours set the stage for the rich but soft tannins. Nothing but a bright future here. Lay this down for five to seven years before opening. This will get even better.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Osoyoos Larose 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWe have been waiting for this 2013 with great anticipation. Osoyoos Larose has been old-school Bordeaux but as the vineyard ages and the weather warms it looks as if it can over-deliver in exceptional year. Le Grand Vin is fully owned by Groupe Taillan (having bought out Constellation Brands) and this co-owner of Château Gruaud Larose in Saint-Julien is starting to making some impressive tweaks to its Canadian treasure. A terrific season including rain when it was needed, a warm summer and long, cool fall contributes to a wine with real finesse. Phenolic ripeness makes this the best ever Osoyoos Larose in my estimation. All the cassis and black fruit you can imagine, mixed with plums and cherries and perfect acidity makes it highly attractive even if it this will age effortlessly for a decade. It spends 18-20 months in a 60/40 split of new and one-year-old French oak, lending it complexity and some roundness.Prices:| BC | $45.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $44.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $44.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $45.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $49.98 | 750ml |
| NL | $47.07 | 750ml |
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84PTS
Dames Red 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine, and its white partner, were created to benefit Les Dames d'Escoffier and scholarship programs for women in the food and beverage industry. This sweeter, ripe and soft red is a blend of merlot and syrah, cushy with pretty plum, blackberry jam and vanilla that finishes short with a toasty grip and perfumed potpourri spicing. An easy-sipping red wine with wide appeal for a great cause.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Desert Ridge Single Vineyard Meritage 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaDusty gravels, thorns, violets and ripe cassis fill this full, structured meritage blend, entirely sourced from Osoyoos' Desert Ridge Vineyard. Cabernet sauvignon (80 percent), cabernet franc, merlot and malbec from very stony soils spends 35 days fermenting in stainless steel before 22 months aging in French oak. Cab sauv form is evident here, as is the warm desert generosity and sun, and though tannins are ripe and ample, they are fine tuned. Decant, with lamb, or cellar for a few years.Prices:| BC | $40.49 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Voluptuous 2013
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIt is hard to believe but the 2013 may be more voluptuous than the 11 and 12. The blend is the same as last year at 67/33 merlot/cabernet franc. The nose is a fragrant blue and black fruit affair, the attack again dense, chalky, savoury and rich with pepper, plums, violets and licorice spice. This is a huge wine in the glass and will need time to settle in. Like its predecessors, you will have to wait five years for this to show its ultimate picture. But it will be a good one. Not a lot of finesse but most everything else works.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir 2013
California, United StatesFriendly round easy drinking pinot noir with a big inviting cherry/spicy compost nose. The attack is sweet and round with soft earthy beet and cherry compost flavours. Rich and round and fun to drink with no complication. Perfect for pizza and chicken dishes.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $17.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $23.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $19.99 | 750ml |
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07 October 2016
86PTS
Quails' Gate Merlot 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSweet and intense ripe blackberry and cassis coat a toasty wood frame, one supported by ripe, plush but grainy tannins. Bitter coffee, lightly smoked branch, medicinal dark cherry and tobacco fill out the fuller body before a hot, cedar-shorn finish. Much extraction here, and best calmed with beef stew or skirt steak and potatoes.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $20.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $26.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $24.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $27.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Desert Ridge Single Vineyard Merlot 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaDusty violets imbue this ripe, plummy, medium-bodied merlot from Desert Ridge Vineyard in Osoyoos. The stony soils seem expressed in the grippy structure, one flushed out with sun-primed cassis, wild blueberries and lovely perfumed plum. Tannins are slightly sticky, contrasting to the silky, elongated palate, before a dusting of cinnamon bark closes out the finish. This is what merlot is supposed to be - a gentle, but generous hug. Well done.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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84PTS
Black Sage Vineyard Merlot 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBold and punchy, this user-ready merlot was sourced from the southern Okanagan, and reflects that heat in its ripe and juicy black fruit. Mocha, cherry and black plum are held by tannins that are granular and wood-centric, the result of 14 months in French and American oak (20 percent of which were new). Strident on the short, clipped, clove-scented finish, and best suited to hearty beef stews.Prices:| BC | $22.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Synchromesh Tertre Rouge 2012
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA 50/50 blend of cabernet franc/merlot from Turtle Rock Farms tucked above Naramata Road halfway between Penticton and Naramata Village. Heady perfumed, black plum is the gateway to a meaty undergrowth of black thorns, dense cassis, tobacco and compact black florals wrapped around a muscular, brooding frame. Silky black cocoa-clad tannins aptly hold the whole until a warm glow on the finish. While this is in a great place for drinking now (decant) with roast beef or lamb chops, it will hold in your cellar for another few years easy.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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06 October 2016
92PTS
Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Napa Valley, California, United StatesPicked between September 24 and October 16, the 2013 is an 87/5/3/3/2/blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc. The grapes cold soaked (the colour is opaque) prior to ferment and aged in a mix of French and American oak, 45 percent of which is new. The American oak gives this wine its enticing charm on the nose, mixing cedar/cigar box hints with black fruits and exotic spicy notes of garam masala. It was a dry year in Napa and warmer than 2012, adding even more concentration and weight to this wine, but the balance of fruit and licorice and spice is still apparent. There is plenty of tannin here and this wine has a track record of ageing impeccably, so there is no rush to drink this up. If you must open it now, make sure you have a juicy piece of beef available to take it on, otherwise sit back and wait for 2023.Prices:| AB | $80.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $116.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $130.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Mendoza, ArgentinaA cleaner nose is most welcome in 2015, with savoury, peppery, tobacco notes intertwined with cassis aromas on this organic wine. Similar styling and fruit on the palate with a dusty savoury red fruit and black fruit middle, and a rounded tannin finish. Perfect for red meats and fall mushroom dishes. Good value.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
| YK | $18.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $12.00 | 750ml |
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05 October 2016
88PTS
Langmeil Shiraz Valley Floor 2013
Barossa Valley, South Australia, AustraliaIn dry 2013, this is more concentrated as ever. Cassis paste, blackberry jam, dark mocha, eucalyptus oil, whiffs of charcoal and woodsmoke fill this full-bodied, dense wine. Tannins are super ripe and chewy, and acidity hums to try and keep pace with the heft. Boozy kirsch lingers on the finish. From grapes 9-100 years old. This benefits greatly from decanting, and even more so with pairing with sauced baby lamb shank.Prices:| BC | $29.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $28.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $30.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $27.50 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz 2011
McLaren Vale, South Australia, AustraliaOpaque in the glass, this dense and full bodied McLaren Vale shiraz has intense eucalyptus woven throughout ripe black fruit, dark cocoa, charcoal and black pepper. Tannins are big and velveteen, worn slightly with a few years of age but still omnipresent, a result of ample extraction and 18 months time in French and American oak. Powerful and knows it, this would be best served with equally showy red meats.Prices:| BC | $33.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $35.00 | 750ml |
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83PTS
Black Sage Vineyard Shiraz 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRoasted stems, coffee and blackberry dominate this grainy, extracted syrah. Mocha, steak sauce, vanilla and bitter cassis shuts down the finish. Bold and proud of it, this desert-ringed, south Okanagan shiraz spent 14 months in American and French oak, 20 percent of which was new. Awkward and unknit.Prices:| BC | $20.89 | 750ml |
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86PTS
CedarCreek Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSweet spice and mulled plums lead this peppery and perfumed syrah, the florals bolstered by three percent viognier in the blend (along with splashes of malbec, merlot and cabernet franc). From Osoyoos' Haynes Creek Vineyard, this has sucked up the southern Okanagan sunshine and returned it via ripe, soft, cushy red fruit and alcohol (reported 14.6 percent). Soft and supple tannins finish with chalky violet candies and bitter espresso, welcoming pairing with saucy lamb shanks.Prices:| BC | $22.29 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 23 Crosswinds Syrah 2012
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFresh peppery, floral aromas with bits of tobacco, red and black fruits with sagebrush notes. The attack is dry with light tannins and a strong black plum, black cherry nose flecked with licorice, tobacco and poultry spice. A skinny style that needs a piece of lamb or pork to really shine. Drink now or through 2020.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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04 October 2016
88PTS
Hardys William Hardy Chardonnay Limestone Coast 2016
Limestone Coast, South Australia, AustraliaThe fruit is a collection of mostly single-vineyard Limestone Coast sites bringing bright, fresh grapefruit, green apple and pear notes to the nose with just a whiff of lees. The attack is similarly bright and juicy, with a creamy mid-palate and more green apple, nectarine skin, melon and lees. Impressive effort here in a mini-Chablis style. Try this with pan-fried halibut or a plate of steamed mussels. Good value.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Joseph Phelps Chardonnay Freestone Vineyards 2014
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, United StatesThis wine gets better every year with a little less oak and a little less time in wood. It’s 100 percent estate-grown at Freestone Vineyards. The current year spent 13 months in a mix of new (35 percent) and used oak, two- to three-year-old French oak puncheons and barrels. The fruit is night-picked and whole cluster pressed directly to barrel for fermentation. The barrels are stirred to suspend the lees during malolactic fermentation and the wines get racked once before bottling. The nose, as per usual, is packed with floral, mineral, seashore notes that spill onto the palate. Add citrus, green apple fruit and a dusting of lees and you have a magical white. An impressive modern California chardonnay that is very food friendly. Think lobster, squash ravioli, halibut and much more.Prices:| BC | $64.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Kim Crawford Small Parcels Wild Grace Chardonnay 2014
Hawkes Bay, North Island, New ZealandFull cream, vanilla and clove-spiced wood open this wild-ferment Small Parcels chardonnay from Hawke's Bay. Bright and shining lemon curd lightens brioche and nougat, reflecting the generous battonage and oak treatment. Perfumed vanilla dominates the warm finish. A full, showy style, though very silken and polished, and well suited to butter drawn shellfish.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Hardys Nottage Hill Chardonnay 2015
South Eastern Australia, AustraliaMostly Riverland fruit with a dash of Limestone Coast. The nose is a peachy honey affair with bits of citrus butter. The entry is fresh and clean with nectarine, citrus, and butter flavours and a medium long clean finish. Modern, tasty chardonnay that over delivers for the price. Super value.Prices:| BC | $11.49 | 750ml |
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80PTS
Laughing Bird Chardonnay 2015
South Eastern Australia, AustraliaTake out the fruit cost, production cost, shipping costs and a lot of taxes and what can you expect for $10? The nose is clean, the fruit not so fresh, the flavours sweet and sour. A step back for Down Under chardonnay at the entry level. Who’s laughing now?Prices:| BC | $10.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $9.99 | 750ml |
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03 October 2016
91PTS
CedarCreek Platinum The Last Word 2013
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaI first encountered this wine back in June and it has certainly progressed in bottle since then. The Last Word is a 34/32/24/10/ blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec uniquely co-fermented that spends some 20 months in all French oak barrels. It’s not a shy wine at 14.5 percent, but it remains focused and linear on the palate. The wine will only be made in those years when everything goes right, such as 2013. The nose and palate are awash in dark licorice aromas and warm flavours of black cherries, cooked plums and flecks of graphite. Lush and ripe there is no real rush to open this before 2018, but if you do, be sure you serve it with a rare piece of roast beef. California meets Bordeaux in the Okanagan.Prices:| BC | $77.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Black Hills Nota Bene 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThey are giving Nota Bene more time in wood to help better resolve the tannins and allow the blend to better knit itself before heading to bottle. The 2014 is aged in a mix of French and 20 percent American oak, the latter added to presumably further open up the wine. At first nosing, the 52/33/15 blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc (all Oliver estate fruit) presents a fairly tight picture. Savoury, black pepper, cassis notes preview a giant red wine with warm, super spicy, black fruit and coffee notes that finish, long and warm. The tannins are rich, though not all that hard, adding a lushness to the warm, plum/raisin/blackcurrant fruit flavours. A blockbuster that will appeal to those who love the richer, more boisterous style of red blend. Lamb is the required protein to tame this bottle now. Cellar five to seven years for best results.Prices:| BC | $53.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Black Hills Nota Bene 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA brooding black hue, this vintage of Black Hills' iconic Note Bene is, once again, an evolution in style. Now in its sixteenth vintage, it is gifted (wisely) an additional six months of barrel aging, with the aim for that extra layer of integration and softening of the massive tannin this wine carries in youth. I reckon it's a win, though the best years of this wine's life are coming. Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc from their Oliver estate spent time in French and American barrels (one third of which was new) which is evident in the smoked, roasted meat notes present here. Charred branch, cassis, roasted coffee and mushroom are presented via lightly grippy wood-hewn tannin and livened with a potent carnation / poppy note, colouring the sun-ripened cherry and currant fruit. Full-bodied and severe, this needs a good decant now before pairing with game or lamb shank.Prices:| BC | $53.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Joseph Phelps Insignia 40th Vintage 2013
Napa Valley, California, United StatesThe 40th vintage of Insignia is a bit of a monster red, mixing 88/5/3/3/1/ cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc from six Napa Valley vineyards. A dry season has intensified everything including the tannins, that while ripe, are substantial and will require patience. The nose is aromatic with plenty of rich, hedonistic black fruit aromas. The palate is equally rich and mouth-filling with fresh plummy fruit, coffee, mocha and baking spices, all in full measure. The finish is where those tannins kick in and intensify the bittersweet chocolate notes. This needs a decade to settle in, and likely two decades to reach a level of maturity. Insignia is a mix of selected blocks that make the final grade on the tasting table. It spends 24 months in 100 percent new French oak barrels made by six coopers. The first Insignia vintage, the 1974, was a ground-breaking, non-varietal (Napa cabernet sauvignon) that came out with a proprietary name on the label. There’s no need to tell you how successful the proprietary name concept turned out in the marketplace. First produced from the 1974 vintage, 2013 Insignia is the 40th vintage of the flagship Napa Valley red, and to honour that moment the Insignia label has gone retro.Prices:| BC | $354.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $355.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $240.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Santa Rita 120 Dark Cellar Red Blend 2014
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThe colour is ‘dark.’ The nose is a mix of red and black fruits with a dusting of violets and cocoa. The palate is juicy with plummy raspberry and blackberry, round tannins flecked with spice, and some oak barrel vanilla notes. Soft, round, lush, easy-sipping red that is perfect for barbecue ribs or hamburgers. Good value.Prices:| BC | $14.49 | 750ml |
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82PTS
Monte Creek Ranch Hands Up Red 2015
British Columbia, CanadaThis rustic red is a blend of vinifera and hybrid grapes, the latter well suited to the winery's fringe Thompson Valley location. Merlot, marquette, cabernet sauvignon, frontenac noir and cabernet franc are slotted together for a round, medium bodied and juicy red, one roughed up by bristled, grippy hewn tannins. Bitter blackberry, branch, early blueberry and twine finishes short and snappy. Steak and kidney pot pie could work well here.Prices:| BC | $16.49 | 750ml |
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91PTS
CedarCreek Platinum The Last Word 2013
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe first time for The Last Word, this is an "icon blend" of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec that was co-fermented for one month before spending twenty months in French oak. Smooth and seamless throughout, this is a medium/full spice box of cassis, wild blackberry, black cherry, anise and graphite that streams along a current of bright acidity. Tannins are structurally sound, and lightly sticky, while the finish is typical Okanagan sun-warmed (14.5 percent declared). A current release of 2013, CedarCreek has done the hard cellaring work for you, though this will easily sit through a few more years in your cellar for maximum enjoyment.Prices:| BC | $77.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Poplar Grove The Legacy 2012
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere is little doubt the 2012 vintage was kind to Okanagan growers in allowing for complete phenolic ripeness, a welcomed change after 2010 and 2011. Combine that with older vines, better viticulture, better winemaking and expectations are high. Legacy is never a blockbuster but more of a savoury, soft textured red blend that is well aged by the winery before release. The ’12 has an earthy, leafy, savoury, cassis scented nose. The attack is round and soft, the tannins chalky and equally accommodating. The flavours: savoury, earthy and red fruits, mimicking the blend led by 35 percent cabernet franc mixed with 23 malbec, 22 merlot and 20 cabernet sauvignon. It spends 21 months in French oak and then 24 months in cellar before it is released. A perfect match to rare grilled T-bone steaks.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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84PTS
Rocky Creek On The Mark NV
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaA one of a kind blend of 2012 and 2013 cabernet foch, maréchal foch, tempranillo, malbec and carmenère, all grown on Vancouver Island in four vineyards on southwestern slopes. The grapes go through a multi-day cold soak before fermentation, an extended maceration followed by nine months in barrel. The attack is juicy with cool, somewhat sour red berry flavours and some fairly prominent acidity. A winter beef stew or hamburgers are the match here to take on the acidity. Drink now.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Quinta da Romaneira Douro Red 2009
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalThe super heavy bottle prepares you for a big wine, and while the nose is a touch pruny, it is surprisingly elegant on the palate. Look for smoke, and red raisined fruit up front with that typical licorice undercurrent. It's five years old but just beginning to fit its structure and length. The finish is stylish and long with bits of pepper, cardamom, black cherry and savoury tobacco. Serve with roasted meats to best effect.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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02 October 2016
83PTS
Enrico Winery Cabernet Libre 2014
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2014 Cabernet Libre is an acquired taste at best. Pine-y gamy wild tobacco mix with tomato paste, red cherries and dried crushed leaves. Rare but hardly noteworthy. Serve with pot roast or stews.Prices:| BC | $18.50 | 750ml |
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November 2016