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Tastings: January 2025
31 January 2025
91PTS
Copain Vintage Cuvée Extra Brut 2018
Sonoma County, California, United StatesThe Vintage Cuvée Extra is brut is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lots from Copain’s estate vineyards throughout Sonoma County. This wine was shockingly good, from its minute stream of effervescence that persists through the wines time in your glass, to its highly appealing leesy, hazelnut, and oyster shell aromas, to its precise, tightly wound pear, oyster liquor, and saline mineral palate. Polished and ready to drink at the 6 year mark, this is among the best bubbles I have encountered in the US market.Prices:| BC | $37.99 | 750ml |
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85PTS
La Marca Prosecco NV
Treviso, Verona, Veneto, ItalyLa Marca Prosecco is a light refreshing buuble with an apple, peach, and sweet and sour citrus palate. A luncheon wine for sure, or you could serve it with late afternoon appetizers. It also is used extensively in the aftermarket in Bellinis or mimosas. I note it has dropped the Extra Dry moniker from its label.Prices:| BC | $24.49 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Terravista Proyecto Terruño Sparkling Albariño 2024
California, United StatesOne of many wines that will appear in BC this year and in the years to come, Proyecto Terruño was made by a Terravista, a local winery, using fruit from outside Canada, in this case, California. Terravista worked with albariño from Grand Island Vineyard in Clarksburg, California, which was picked and pressed on August 12 and trucked to Terravista to be fermented in a mix of concrete and stainless steel, and processed using the Charmat method. The secret to its success is four weeks on lees, adding more gravitas and a pleasing, creamy texture. Look for a refreshing, perfumed nose reminiscent of pear, mandarin, and kiwi. Crisp and just off-dry, it is a delicious expression of albariño, and one I have never seen in California. This will work well on a warm patio, or you could serve it aperitif style with prepared tapas or bites before dinner. Impressive but not cheap. The back label says: Made in Canada from imported ingredients following the regualtion that reads “If Made in Canada is printed on the label, the claim must be qualified to indicate that it is manufactured in Canada from imported ingredients or a combination of imported and domestic ingredients.”Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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29 January 2025
91PTS
Rieslingfreak No. 3 Clare Valley 2024
Clare Valley, South Australia, AustraliaNo 3 Riesling comes from John Hughes' family vineyard in Clare Valley's White Hutt, and its heavy red clay soils. Perfumed lime, tangerine peel, mandarine, cold cream streaks across the slender 11.5% palate, with an underlying weighted gravitas thanks to the soils. Lovely energy and intent here.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Rieslingfreak No. 2 Polish Hill River 2024
Polish Hill River, Clare Valley, South Australia, AustraliaThis sleek, slick, Polish Hill River riesling is near as dry as Rieslingfreak gets, with an herbal, pithy grapefruit backbone driving this slight 10.5% white along a buzzy frame. The limestone and shale soils are translated into a fine savoury hum, alongside tangerine, lime blossom, and citrus sherbet. Certainly one for riesling (and acid) freaks.Prices:| BC | $44.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Meyer Gewürztraminer 2023
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA distinctive, varietally correct gewürztraminer packed with rose water, lychee, white peach, orange peel, and a sprinkle of ginger spice. The fruit is well defined and refreshing, steering clear of the flabby or blowsy tendencies of the variety. Subtle phenolics on the finish are balanced by a hint of sweetness (6 g/L), making it an ideal pairing for spicy Asian dishes. A textbook example for gewürz fans and wine students alike, and a steal at this price.Prices:| BC | $19.11 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Meyer Gewürztraminer 2023
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is gewürztraminer through and through, expressed in a lighter, more delicate style that's true to Okanagan Falls. It's crisp and bright, with perfumed orchard blossoms, lychee, and orange. 24 hours of skin contact has helped to heighten the aromatics, while also giving some phenolic texture that elevates this above your typical patio sipper. Good value.Prices:| BC | $19.11 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Township 7 Riesling Benchmark Series Fool's Gold Vineyard 2021
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFool's Gold Vineyard is located in North Oliver. This wine has been consistently fresh, dry, and tart, with crunchy green apple and lime rind. Tart, crisp, and underripe may be too much for most drinkers. Like last year, it’s ready for fatty foods, but a phenolic note may be too much for riesling lovers. 2021 was a troubled vintage in the Okanagan, impacting this wine. It is best with a creamy chicken casserole or soft, robust cheeses.Prices:| BC | $29.97 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Wild Goose Riesling 2023
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2023 opens with a soft, ripe fruit nose with hints of golden apples and Asian pear. The palate is light and just off-dry, although its sweet and sour flavours lean toward the tart side. It is dry with grass and apple peel, and a short finish. Simple, ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $20.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Orofino Crossroads Vineyard Riesling 2022
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaI love the new Crossroads Vineyard riesling for its incredible lightness. Elegant, long, lean, and feather-light, it is among the best expressions of riesling made in BC, specifically the Cawston Bench. This is a wow wine for me, from the pear and tangerine to its stony, mineral underside. What a bargain.Prices:| BC | $26.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Orofino Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling Clone 239 2022
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOrofino’s Clone 239 Riesling, grown at Hendsbee Vineyard adjacent to Orofino’s Home Vineyard on the Cawston Bench, is a label you can confidently choose year after year. The German clone, first developed in the 1950s, delivers a dry wine with a bright lime leaf and citrus nose that spills onto the palate. Its firm, dry, citrus, stony, and mineral notes all lead to a complex, electric style that perfectly matches pork dishes. This is a quality offering from a quality producer in the Similkameen Valley.Prices:| BC | $26.95 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Orofino Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling Clone 21B 2022
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHendsbee Vineyard on the Cawston Bench is planted into two clones, and Orofino bottles them separately. Clone 21B, the Mosel clone, is all it can be and more in the windy, dry Similkameen Valley, and more importantly, as the vines close in on 20 years, the wine is getting better with each vintage. The current offering is off-dry in that amazingly balanced way that riesling can be. Aromatic, with a fresh savoury Similkameen undercurrent that boosts the ripe pear, sweet lime, and stony mineral palate, all in perfect balance. At barely 11% alcohol it remains a champion for less is more wines. At the other end of the spectrum, this pairs well with a wide variety of spicy foods. Think Thai, Chinese, or Indian dishes. A fabulous bargain.Prices:| BC | $26.95 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Orofino Home Vineyard Old Vines Riesling 2022
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Home Vineyard 21B riesling clone is the engine of the Home Vineyard Old Vines Wild Ferment Riesling, now 33 years old. The vines are well rooted in the sandy, loamy gravels of the Similkameen Valley. At harvest the berries are destemmed and cool fermented on native yeast in concrete and old French barrels before spending another 12 months in bottle before release. The ‘22 is a firm edition throwing pear, mineral, green apple, and nectarine skin with plenty of mineral, wet stone notes, dusted in Similkameen sagebrush. A serious wine worthy of contemplation and discussion if you are up to it. Otherwise drink it and be glad you had the chance to experience it.Prices:| BC | $29.95 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Laberinto Arcillas Riesling 2022
Colbún, Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis Maule riesling, a recipient of high accolades from the renowned wine critic Tim Atkin, offers a unique taste profile. It presents a straw yellow colour and an austere nose of citrus, minerals, and quince, with a subtle fruit presence. While more intense, the flavours are rudimentary, reminiscent of tightly wound green apple and sour lemon, with a pronounced mineral finish. This is a wine for aficionados, more than the casual riesling drinker. The wine's distinct character results from its unique taste profile and production process: 80% of the wine undergoes 6 hours of skin contact, while the remaining 20% experiences 5 days of skin contact. It is then aged 8 months on lees in amphorae and concrete tanks. This riesling hails from a 0.7 hectare block that faces south, a cool orientation on that side of the world, with soils of volcanic origin.Prices:| CDN | $39.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Viscous 2022
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaViscous needs a new name, given it is anything but thick, gooey or gelatinous. The ’22 is perhaps the freshest version I have tasted. The nose is an orchard affair of nectarine, green apple, and lime blossom. The palate is lively, with fresh green fruit and citrus, pitching golden apples and lemon peel, as well as an excellent mineral and wet stone undercurrent. It is particularly suited to seafood salads and cheesy pasta, or you can sip it solo on a warm patio this spring.Prices:| BC | $27.50 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Phantom Creek Estates Riesling 2022
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe red wines at Phantom Creek continue to get most of the press, but the white wines under the direction of noted Alsace winemaker Olivier Humbrech are no less impressive. In '22, the Humbrecht takes a slight step back from the powerful 2020 style, pitching more elegance helped by a vintage that started late and wet, whose subsequent warm days and cold nights yielded a balance of fruit and acidity. The nose is bright with lovely ripe red fruit and florals, followed by limes, green and red apple, and a long, fresh mineral finish. It is wild fermented and matured for five months in 60% Austrian oak, 30% stainless steel and 10% French oak. Impressive and good value.Prices:| BC | $33.00 | 750ml |
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23 January 2025
90PTS
Black Bank Hill Chardonnay 2022
Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, CanadaEstablished by vintner Taylor Emerson in 2017, Black Bank Hill is focused on single vineyard wines from the Niagara Escarpment. The 2022 Chard comes off their Lincoln Lakeshore estate, and clones 95 and 548. It was native fermented in used French barrels, where it remained for 18 months on lees, and was bottled without fining. Perfumed white florals, bright lemon flood the lees-decked palate, kissed with French cream, spiced with toast, and lingering with crushed stones. A creamy, fuller (14.4%) chard with lovely structure, this is drinking well now and will continue over the next few years easy.Prices:| ON | $50.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Code Wines Chardonnay 2023
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis newish Okanagan winery is the vision of Shay and Harlee Code, the farmers and owners of this organic 5 acre Okanagan Falls east bench estate. They began planting in 2017 with chardonnay and syrah. This single clone 95 chardy off their home vineyard was whole cluster with inoculated yeast and fermented in stainless, with 2/3 going through full MLF in 2nd fill French wood. It rested between the two until it was fined, filtered, and bottled in summer 2024. A welcome improvement from my last bottle of 2022 Chardonnay, when fruit was sourced from a Naramata winery while waiting for their home site to come to maturity. This is crisp and clear, with beaming lemon, green apple, crushed stones along a buzzy, lees-led core, driving through a lingering toasty finish. A lovely direction, and one to watch.Prices:| BC | $33.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2021
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Justin Hall is an enthusiastic ambassador of the Osoyoos Indian Band and the chief winemaker at Nk'Mip. His flagship chardonnay will surprise many with its freshness, given how far south the vines are in the warm Okanagan Valley, but it is the real thing. The nose and palate are a mix of bright peach, pineapple, apple pie, and honey with a tighter, mineral underside and a mealy, leesy creamy palate that adds some complexity to what I like to term a Next World chardonnay. Its creamy, leesy mid-palate is the perfect foil for its ripe finish. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel, and 40% of the vintage was aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, while 60% remained in stainless steel.Prices:| BC | $26.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2022
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAt BOV, the Chardonnay takes me to California, pitching ripe, tropical fruit mixed with buttery, nutty, oaky, vanilla notes and brown spices. The fermentation was an 80/20 split between wood and stainless steel. The wood is 85% French but only 11% new (yay), and 34% are neutral barrels that keep the fruit pure and fresh. The alcohol is a perfect 13.5%, helping to keep the pear, peachy, mango, and papaya fruit coming through with a modicum of buttered popcorn. It is an appealing style that many BOV fans demand. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $34.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Little Engine Platinum Chardonnay 2021
CanadaLittle Engine chardonnays all have a California riff when it comes to style. They are richer and weightier than most BC chardonnay, which chase the leaner, more reductive Burgundian model. That said, the Platinum has much to offer. The fruit is all hand harvested from Naramata Bench. It opens with refreshing lemon curd and white flowers. The attack is smooth, weighty, and long on the palate, evoking more peach and apricot mixed with orange marmalade and vanilla. The power is balanced by the acidity and salinity of the Naramata fruit, leaving you wanting more, rather than tired. I like it now, but it will hold through 2026 if cellared properly. The grapes for this wine were harvested at different times, late September and early October, based on flavours in the vineyard. Most lots are whole cluster pressed, while the riper fruit is destemmed and kept cool with about 12 hours of skin contact. Free and pressed juices are separated and settled for up to 36 hours. Fermentation is long and remarkable, using a variety of yeasts in French oak complementary to the fruit character. Some barrels undergo partial or complete malolactic fermentation to add palate richness. The wine is barrel-aged for 17 months and stirred regularly. The final blend comprises 68% new French oak puncheons with the balance in 2nd & 3rd fill barrels.Prices:| BC | $97.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
CedarCreek Aspect Collection Block 5 Chardonnay 2021
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Aspect Collection is all about high quality, terroir-driven wine. The aspect or direction the vine faces usually determines its ultimate quality. At CedarCreek, these single block wines stand apart. Elegance and power are the best recipe for chardonnay, and Block 5 has all that and more. At the highest elevation of Home Block, this chardonnay is alive and full of precision. It is whole bunch pressed and wild fermented in German and French oak vessels before aging in oak for ten months and stainless steel for six months more months to integrate and tighten everything up Burgundy style. Citrus, mineral, and saline notes rule the palate and finish. Drink or hold, this is a well made wine with a big future.Prices:| BC | $62.99 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2022
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPerpetua is harvested from four blocks of Dijon clones 96, 548, 95, and 76 at Mission Hill’s eastern Osoyoos Border Vista Vineyard (72 percent). For the last few vintages, there has been a refreshing addition of Naramata Bench chardonnay that, in 2022, totalled 28 percent of the blend. At the winery, it is fermented and aged sur lie for 16 months in a combination of French oak barriques, puncheons and concrete eggs. This is an excellent example of B.C. chardonnay made with just the right amount of reduction and all at an amazing 13 percent alcohol. Look for a struck match and citrus nose that runs the length of the wine, much like the excellent 2018. Both nimble and airy but with precision and balance, it joins the latest releases of Perpetua as one of the best.Prices:| BC | $66.99 | 750ml |
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20 January 2025
88PTS
Black Bank Hill Runway Rosé 2023
Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, CanadaEstablished by vintner Taylor Emerson in 2017, Black Bank Hill is focused on single vineyard wines from the Niagara Escarpment. Runway Rosé, named for the 1918 Beamsville Aerodrome and runway that preceded the vineyard, blends 94% cabernet franc with 6% cabernet sauvignon, each destemmed and given 48 hours skin contact prior to cofermenting in stainless with no MLF. Pouring a deep cherry hue, this has a bump of RS (6 g/L) to offset the tart rhubarb and ringing cranberry acidity. Cherry, herbal raspberry is scented with tea-tinged tannins across a glossy, slick core to a brief finish. Try this with Indian food.Prices:| ON | $25.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Kismet Kamal Rosé 2023
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSlightly reductive at first pour, this is a simple, confected cranberry and cherry styled rosé with a floral orange blossom lift. It's off dry, balanced by brisk, tart acidity that carries through to a bitter finish. No need to over chill this robust rosé.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Cliff and Gorge Landwine Rosé NV
Lillooet, British Columbia, CanadaPouring medium pink, this is a patio friendly, fruit driven rosé with candied cranberry, cherry, and fresh herbs. It's crisp, dryish, and balanced, that's showing some development now (there's no vintage or lot number on the bottle). Drink in the short term.Prices:| BC | $17.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Ruby Blues Rosé 2023
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA blend of merlot, pinot gris, and gewürztraminer, this simple rosé offers candied cherry and strawberry on a balanced, dryish frame, marked by significant bitterness on the finish. A light salmon salad should do the trick.Prices:| BC | $28.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Frescobaldi Alie Ammiraglia 2022
Tuscany, ItalyThis Toscana IGT rosé is named after one of the sea nymphs of Greek mythology, thought to be a symbol of sensuality and beauty. Alìe has the classic no-colour colour of barely pink/orange, a syrah-based pink with a splash of verdicchio. The nose is a mix of wild strawberries, lemons and oranges. The palate is similar, with a saline mineral underside that helps keep it fresh and inviting. If you don’t have a piazza, a sunny patio will do, although we enjoyed it indoors with a savoury appetizer before a winter dinner.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
LaStella LaStellina Rosato 2023
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAn elegant, delicate rosé predominantly from cabernet franc and merlot, this is lighter bodied and dryish (technically dry at 1.2 g/L residual sugar, though there is a subtle perception of sweetness), which is well-balanced by crisp acidity. Lovely, pure wild strawberry and watermelon here, leading to a zippy, saline finish.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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16 January 2025
94PTS
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2020
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileA Chilean icon, the 2020 Don Melchor is both generous and restrained, evolving beautifully in the glass to reveal layers of captivating cassis, eucalyptus, forest floor, stoney minerality, and graphite. Nuanced notes of subtle cedar, florals, and nutmeg reflect well integrated oak, while hints of black olives add a savoury touch. With impressive concentration and density while maintaining focus, the palate offers remarkable structure, highlighted by a firm yet composed texture. The long, balanced finish delivers finesse, making it a wine that invites reflection and rewards patience.Prices:| BC | $205.95 | 750ml |
| AB | $180.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $180.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $195.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Santa Carolina El Pacto Agreement No 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Valle del Cachapoal, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, ChileA ripe, sweet fruited cabernet backed by spicy oak, this comes across as one dimensional and monolithic, more about big fruit than variety or place.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $14.70 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.88 | 750ml |
| NB | $26.26 | 750ml |
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0PTS
Penfolds Max's Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
South Australia, AustraliaCorked.Prices:| BC | $34.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $32.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Black Sage Vineyard style is ripe and bold, and the 2022 vintage of their cabernet sauvignon is no departure. But this year feels more made, with less expressive fruit and more oak. The end result is a soft, approachable wine with broad appeal, if lacking concentration and the distinctiveness of the South Okanagan.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Nine Hats Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Columbia Valley, Washington, United StatesA ripe, jammy, approachable cabernet, with plump dark cherry and blackberry fruit wrapped in sweet, chocolatey oak. Not overly complex, but well made and varietally correct, with 14% syrah adding aromatic lift. Well priced in the US, but not so much here.Prices:| BC | $0.00 | 750ml |
| US | $20.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Angus The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Victoria, AustraliaFrom Central Victoria, this cabernet sauvignon is tipped with 8% merlot, and was designed to be "red meat's perfect partner". If you're looking for an intense, ripe, and densely compact red, with ample eucalypt, pine resin, and powdery, stunted tannins, with a brief flush of sweet blackcurrant on the mid to partner with your red meat, this is the wine for you. Simple red, speaking of no place.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington, United StatesThe winery's flagship cabernet sauvignon (with tips of petit verdot, malbec, and syrah) comes from Washington State's Horse Heaven Hills, lauded for its full red wines. It was aged in primarily French oak, with a small portion of American wood (35% new overall), seeing 20 months' ageing post-ferment. Smouldering black fruit, grilled meat and green onions, and dark earth floods a juicy, ripe core, plumped with sunshine, and hemmed in with cab's inherent structure through a warming and bitter espresso finish. At 14+%, this certainly benefits from partnering with hearty stews or ribs.Prices:| BC | $36.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Quails' Gate Field and Flight Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
United StatesThis Cabernet Sauvignon, made from Californian grapes, delivers ripe, almost jammy aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and a touch of licorice but lacks the grape’s signature herbal character. The palate is rich and smooth, with soft tannins and mild acidity, rounded off by a hint of sweetness. While not particularly structured, it remains an approachable, easy drinking wine, best enjoyed now.Prices:| BC | $27.50 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2020
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis is a fantastic vintage of Don Melchor, still youthful, dense, and brooding, but slowly revealing itself with time in the glass. It opens with lavish, beautifully delineated dark fruits, with a combination of blueberry, sweet cherry, and brambles, intertwined with sappy herbs, eucalyptus, gravel, and pitch-perfect oak, with the rich fruit effortlessly swallowing up the 71% new wood. It's plush, mouthcoating, and suave, but not overworked, with an elegance and vervy freshness that carries through to the long finish. This is what Alto Maipo Valley is all about.Prices:| BC | $205.95 | 750ml |
| AB | $180.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $180.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $195.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Santa Carolina El Pacto Agreement No 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Valle del Cachapoal, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, ChileA youthful, fruit driven cabernet offering red and black cherries layered with subtle oak spices within a soft structure. While it lacks cabernet’s hallmark herbal notes and shows modest concentration, it remains an easy drinking, approachable wine that's ready to enjoy now.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $14.70 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.88 | 750ml |
| NB | $26.26 | 750ml |
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15 January 2025
92PTS
Testalonga Baby Bandito Follow Your Dreams 2023
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaFrom the Swartland's decomposed granite soils, this was a single bush vine plot of carignan at Bandit's Kloof, planted in 2001 at 220m, and farmed organically. As is Craig's way, this was entirely whole bunch with stems, crushed, and native fermented before going into old foudre and 500L barrels where it remained until bottling without fining and minimal SO2. One of the most graceful carignan you'll find, with perfumed mulberry, herbal raspberry, and wild cherry stretched long on the slender palate. Tannins are finely textural, guiding this to a stony finish. Very pure and authentic lens for this grape.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Santa Carolina El Pacto Agreement No 2 Carmenere 2021
Los Lingues, Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis is unapologetic, in your face carménère, both vegetal and herbaceous with liqueur-like fruit. It opens with jalapeno, green peppercorn, and sweet herbs, backed by lush blackberry and chocolatey oak. The palate is polished, notably so for the price point, with fine-grained tannins that provide structure to the fruit laden finish. There's a lot of wine here, though stylistically it may not be for everyone. Good value.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $14.70 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.88 | 750ml |
| NB | $26.26 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Domaine Rolet Trousseau 2023
Arbois, Jura, FranceTrousseau vines (30 years old) were planted in Montigny-les-Arsures, on hillsides on the localities of Chagnon and L'Euvrin, as well as Arbois' Montesserin, in red marl and clay soils. After destemming (with a small amount of stems) this was native fermented with 15 days’ maceration before resting 10 months primarily in foudres and oak, with a small part stainless. Light cherry hue, this charms with perfumed wildflowers, wild raspberry, fine pink pepper, with fine, long tannins structuring through a saline finish. Very graceful and elegant.Prices:| ON | $45.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $48.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Domaine Rolet Poulsard Vieilles Vignes 2023
Arbois, Jura, FranceThis older vine Poulsard is from 40+ yo vines in Arbois and Montigny-lès-Arsures, on calcareous marls. It was destemmed, native fermented with 12 days maceration and without SO2, and it remained in stainless until bottling. Deep peach / light cherry in hazy hue, with roiboos tea, light pink pepper, wild cherry, with light, diaphanous tannins hugging this through the finish. A kiss of reduction is reflective of the grape. Enjoy this slight red with a light chill.Prices:| ON | $44.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Niepoort Lagar de Baixo Baga 2021
Bairrada, Northern Portugal, PortugalThis organically and biodynamically farmed Baga comes from Niepoort's Quinta do Baixo estate in Bairrada, and 40-50 year old vines in calcareous clays. The grapes were partially foot-trodden in granite lagares, and partially fermented in stainless, before finishing fermentation and resting 19 months in large oak barrels. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Wild cherry, crunchy pomegranate, and dried thyme is woven with forest floor and moss, streaming across the slight (12% palate), easily lifted with a kiss of VA and textured with a limestone buzz. Tannins are slight and sticky, hugging to a fading saline finish.Prices:| ON | $31.45 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Kamara Shadow Play Xynomavro 2021
Thessaloniki Area, Makedonia, GreeceDimitrios Kioutsoukis and his family decided to give up city life to be more connected to nature, moving to Thessaloniki and planting 11 ha of organically farmed vines. All of their wines are low intervention, with native ferment, no sulphur additions and bottling without fining or filtration. From sandy clay schists, at 140m altitude, this Xinomavro was native fermented and aged for one year in older barrels. Fragrant wild plum, blueberries, wildflowers is lifted with a bump of VA, and framed with furry tannins to the bitter plum finish. A pure, lighter, and fresher XinoPrices:| ON | $45.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Santa Carolina El Pacto Agreement No 2 Carmenere 2021
Los Lingues, Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis wine screams carménère, showcasing signature notes of grilled bell pepper, juicy ripe black plum, minty herbs, and a subtle earthy, spicy undertone. Its simple nature and soft structure, along with rather rustic tannins rounded by a touch of sweetness, make it a great pairing for BBQ.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $14.70 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.88 | 750ml |
| NB | $26.26 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Red Barn Stand Apart Barbera 2022
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Red Barn Barbera is a fun look at this well known Italian grape variety played in the magical Jagged Rock Vineyard, which seems to be all things to many grape varieties. One thing it has is that signature acidic backbone, a trademark of the Piemonte versions. It has a smoky, earthy, savoury warm mid-palate reflecting its southern Okanagan Valley position, but that acidity keeps it fresh from front to back. A mix of floral scents and bright red fruit finish the picture with an intriguing look at Barbera aged in concrete. This would be best with mushroom or beef dishes that can absorb the acid. Promising, to say the least.Prices:| BC | $75.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Corcelettes Petit Verdot Micro Lot Series 2022
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere's a real wild Similkameen character to this wine, led by aromatic desert thistle and sage. It's certainly more about the savoury complexity, whether it's the Similkameen's hallmark minerality, graphite, or pepper, backed by sweet brambly fruit. The palate is firm but balanced, true to petit verdot, with good concentration and length.Prices:| BC | $45.90 | 750ml |
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14 January 2025
88PTS
Garzón Marselan Reserva 2022
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayThis marselan, a unique cross between cabernet sauvignon and grenache, was first bred in 1961 near the French town of Marseillan in the Languedoc's Hérault. Marselan is a wine of promise with its low yielding nature and excellent disease resistance to botrytis, powdery mildew, coulure, and mites. The 2022 vintage, with its alluring wild blackberry, black cherry and black plum exudes bright freshness and youthful tannins, and is a testament to its potential. Like its 2020 counterpart, it carries a hint of minty eucalyptus that weaves through the finish. While it retains a touch of rusticity, it's on the brink of mainstream appeal, best enjoyed with roasted meats or winter vegetable casseroles. It is fermented in 150 HL cement tanks and is aged 6 to 12 months in 50 HL untoasted French oak casks.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Garzón Pinot Noir Single Vineyard 2022
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayAlberto Antonini drives the style here but with very soft hands. You don't feel it but surely appreciate this pinot noir when you sip it. The fruit grows on a high mineral content hill facing north that catches the cool Atlantic Ocean breezes. The vines are pruned to meet low yields before being fermented in concrete tulips. Then, it is off to untoasted 5000 litre French oak vats for 12 to 18 months. Dark cherry and earthy blackberry reminds you of New World pinot, but the persistent elegance lets you know it's made by folks who care for it, from vineyard to winery to bottle. A touch of tannins gives it enough structure to age through 2027 with ease. A complex pinot that surprises you every sip.Prices:| CDN | $53.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Garzón Petit Clos Tannat Block 212 2022
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayThe fruit is highly guarded as it ages in large neutral oak casks for about a year. The Petit Clos Block 212’ Tannat is made in tiny quantities from a single vineyard block that produces the pinnacle of tannat At Garzón. It is aged in untoasted French oak barrels and casks for 12 months, and the resulting wine is powerful yet refined, with vibrant fruit, ripe tannins and great concentration. The sweet plums and blackberry are expected, but the polished tannins and subtle styling surprises most people. Yet it is something consultant Antonini and Garzón winemaker Germán Bruzzone, chosen as Winemaker of the Year by Patricio Tapia in the Guía Descorchados 2022, are famous for. This wine will change everything you know or think you know about tannat. Bodega Garzón is a family-owned winery, now over a decade old, located in Maldonado, on the Atlantic coast in southern Uruguay. In 2007, owner Alejandro Bulgheroni invited consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini to visit his 700-hectare olive farm between the small town of Garzón and the beach, and it wasn’t long before Antonini was planting tannat, Uruguay’s flagship variety, and Aalbariño, recognizing apparent similarities between Galicia and Garzón (mainly cooling Atlantic breezes and well-draining granitic soils). Since then, the rolling hillsides have become home to olive groves among 12 grape varieties. The patchwork quilt of 1,150 individual plots, each around 0.2 hectares in size and carefully chosen for a specific variety according to its soil and microclimate, is the genesis for this wine.Prices:| CDN | $53.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Garzón Petit Clos Marselan Block 487 2020
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayThe Petit Clos labels are the top end releases from Garzón, as in the case of this marselan GPS Block 487, which may be the best marselan you will have tasted to date. From its deep red colour, the nose is a mix of wild savoury fruits and exotic forest floor. On the palate, you find red plums mingled with blackberries and black fruits with a splash of California eucalyptus. The style is reserved, the tannins are Alberto Antonini soft and integrated, and the finish is subtle. It is a study of minerals and saline that reflects its position near the cool Atlantic Ocean. The fermentation takes place in concrete 80 HL cement tulips. The final blend spends 12 months in 25 HL neutral French oak casks. A wine to note.Prices:| CDN | $53.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat 2022
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayThis single vineyard tannat comes off one of the cooler blocks on the Garzón estate, boasting steep slopes and thin soils with excellent drainage. This tannat, clocking in at 14.5%, is aged 12 - 18 months on lees in French oak barrels and casks. Like the entire Garzón lineup, the SV Tannat opens with graphite and minerals mixed with rich black fruit. The tannins are dense, sweet, rich and balanced. You can drink this most sophisticated version of this grape, but there is no rush. The structure and styling suggest this wine is easily an 8-10 year proposition and likely beyond.Prices:| QC | $41.50 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Garzón Tannat Reserva 2022
Garzón, Maldonado, San José, UruguayTannat has a reputation for being big, rugged, and tannic if used in anything but small amounts. At Bodega Garzón, in Uruguay, consulting winemaker Alberto Antonini has used the tannat to make something unique. Uruguay has succeeded with tannat for some time, but none have been as elegant and equally structured as the Garzón labels. With 1000 separate blocks to choose from, Antonini and winemaker German Bruzzone have crafted wines of amazing grace while unfolding the power of tannat and its famous full flavours. The proximity to the cold Atlantic Ocean helps promote bright red fruit characters that offset the apparent black fruit. Picked when the seeds are fully lignified but fresh, Garzón has unveiled the black plums over blackcurrants and black raspberries over blackberries. The tannin and the texture are beautifully balanced. No chemicals are used here, no over-extraction, and no egos; only untoasted large French vats are used for the fermentation. The aging is done in concrete for six months. Antonini is among the world's most intelligent and sensitive wine consultants, and his work at Garzón on wines like this only enhances his reputation.Prices:| BC | $22.99 | 750ml |
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10 January 2025
89PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Dreamcatcher 2022
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe '22 Dreamcatcher got a favourable high silver rating at the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards. It has a pleasing fruit salad harmony, pitching orchard fruits and grapefruit acidity, almonds, and minerality. A summer sipper, if ever there was, and is ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $26.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $23.95 | 750ml |
| ON | $23.50 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Vina Ane Centenaria Blanco 2021
Rioja, SpainAttention, wine freaks. Centenaria is a white Rioja certified under the Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin by the husband and wife team of Eduardo Monge and Lorena Garbati at the family-run bodega, Bodegas del Monge Garbati. This wine is made with nine grape varieties in Rioja Alta, which belongs to a unique vineyard that is one hundred years old. The blend is a tour of white grapes, including 40% viura, 25% malvasía, 7% chardonnay, 7% sauvignon blanc, 5% turruntés, 4% garnacha blanca, 4% verdejo, 4% tempranillo blanco and 4% maturana, all grown over clay and calcareous soils. Post ferment it spends a short four months in a mix of French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels. Expect a pale yellow colour with slightly deeper hues at the edge. The nose is bright with a blend of florals, citrus, and fresh baked pie crust. There are more stone and mineral undertones on the palate, with a bit of citrus, a slippery, silky texture, and a salty saline finish. The locals suggest this intriguing wine be served with a mushroom or asparagus risotto. In 2020, Centenaria Blanco was voted the white wine of the year in Rioja, and we can see why.Prices:| BC | $44.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Harvey and Harriet White Blend 2022
San Luis Obispo County, Central Coast, California, United StatesThe latest Harvey & Harriet label is an exotic tropical white blend of pineapple, tangerine, honeydew, and more that wafts out of the glass and streaks the palate from front to back. The attack is luscious with a creamy, oaky underside, more pineapple, and sweet melon with just enough mineral, spice, and leesy notes to keep it from being cloying. Ready to drink and seemingly well suited to chicken or pasta dishes. The blend of grapes grown at San Luis Obispo County is chardonnay/albariño/viognier/pinot grigio. Clean, rich, and creamy, you can drink this now.Prices:| BC | $28.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Vivacious 2023
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaVivacious is just that most years. It’s a pinot blanc with a dash of viognier, the latter softening the acidity and adding a touch of mid-palate weight and sweetness. Otherwise, this simple, straightforward white can take on various foods and entertain a patio crowd. It is a pear and lime affair on the palate with some support from orchard florals, a dash of orange, and a mineral finish. Clean and ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $22.50 | 750ml |
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09 January 2025
88PTS
Harvey and Harriet Red Blend 2021
San Luis Obispo County, Central Coast, California, United StatesThis is very much for the big red crowd with sweet fruit, sweet oak, and a soft, easy frame that is still full-bodied. It is dry, unlike many in the competitive set, but this still feels very much made, with disjointed acidity that marks the shortish finish.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Castello di Bolgheri Varvara 2020
Tuscany, ItalyHeavy bottle. This is a surprisingly juicy Bolgheri and, indeed, the winery says, "this wine was born from the desire to develop a more immediate product." A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and 12% cabernet franc, this shows sappy black currant, wild berries, sandalwood, and leather on a frame of dusty tannins and brisk acidity. It's calling for tomato-based pasta dishes to bring it all into balance, but, no doubt, you can enjoy this now. Nice concentration.Prices:| BC | $52.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Road 13 Fifth Element Red 2020
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaExtremely heavy bottle (interestingly with a short cork). From 36 barrels, this unspecified blend oozes South Okanagan character, with lush, macerated dark fruits layered with desert shrubs, alongside generous oak (a combination of French and American, though it tastes like it leans more towards the latter). It's a big, muscular wine, still brooding and youthful, but one that will benefit from another 5-7 years in bottle.Prices:| BC | $65.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Ruby Blues Cabernet Merlot 2022
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis mid-valley red blend is made with grapes from a quartet of vineyards located north to south on the Naramata Bench. The 2022 growing season was good, and obtaining phenolic ripeness was not a problem mid-valley. The Cabernet Merlot is a blend of two cabs, 37.5% cabernet sauvignon and 37.5% cabernet franc, with 25% merlot. The nose is aromatic, offering ripe black and blue fruit, with a touch of desert scrub and cedar. The wine is clean and fresh, with a medium to full-bodied weight on the palate, ripe plum, and jammy blackcurrant. The finish is long and persistent, with some sticky tannins yet to be dispersed.Prices:| BC | $47.90 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Culmina Family Estate Hypothesis 2018
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis south Okanagan red gets the early morning sun and avoids the harsh late day sun as it drops behind Mt. Kobau to the west. Hypothesis is a long distance runner, so six years old is only the beginning for this wine. The nose has cherry and leather with a touch of bandaid. On the palate, it opens with a rush of earthy red and black fruit and refreshing acidity that fuel a run of complex flavours, including cassis, licorice, spice and cedar. The finish is balanced, the tannins are fine grained with a silky texture, and a final note of minerality. The 2018 Hypothesis is a 32/31/25/6.5/5.5 mix of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, and malbec grown on the Golden Mile Bench estate’s Arise and Stan’s Benches. The finished wine is aged in French Oak that is 35% new, 20% 1 year old, and 45% neutral.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Chronos Carpo 2022
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCarpo gets its name from the Greek goddess of fruitfulness, but it gets its style from winemaker Lynzee Schatz, who selects the grapes for the blend at peak ripeness. Considering the vintage vagaries, the cuvée is blended after a rigourous barrel selection. In 2022, it worked out to be a 30/25/20/15/10 mix of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, cabernet franc, and malbec. Schatz is known for her light hands in the winery, leaving her wines to express their origins, not their maker. Look for an attractive red that opens with black cherry compote and raspberry jam. The palate is round and soft, and the tannins are rich but with no rough edges. The finish is medium long and dry in an excellent young red wine. No rush to drink this before 2027 and beyond. Good value.Prices:| BC | $34.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato 2020
Bolgheri, Tuscany, ItalyBruciato is the little brother of Guado Al Tasso, although that description could be misleading. In 2020, the Bolgheri blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah will be an opulent ode to coastal Tuscany. The attack is a rich swirl of black cherries and dark baking chocolate with streaks of smoke and toasted oak. The palate is super silky with a savoury dried herb underside that tames the sweet, ripe fruit. You can drink this now, but it will be fine in the cellar through 2028 and beyond.Prices:| BC | $46.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $33.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $44.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $35.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $32.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $37.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Harvey and Harriet Red Blend 2021
San Luis Obispo County, Central Coast, California, United StatesA blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 13% petit verdot, 12% syrah, 7% petite sirah, 7% malbec, 2% grenache, and 2% cabernet franc, this Californian red offers delicate aromas for a CS-dominant blend, with florals, dried herbs, toasty oak spices, black olives, raspberries, and blackberries. The palate balances juicy red and black fruits with tight acidity and fine-grained tannins. A polished, nuanced take on a Californian red blend.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Castello di Bolgheri Varvara 2020
Tuscany, ItalyA BDX blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 17% cabernet franc, and 3% petit verdot from Bolgheri, this wine exudes the richness of dark plum and blackberry mingled with Mediterranean herbs, potpourri, iodine, and earthy, shelly minerality. While warm at 14.5%, as expected from the region, it maintains balance with refreshing acidity and dusty, well-structured tannins, delivering a complex and savoury profile.Prices:| BC | $52.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Castello di Bolgheri Superiore 2020
Tuscany, ItalyThe nose is Bolgheri intense pitching cassis, scented earth, with black olives, spice, and a strong mineral undertow. It expands with red and primarily black fruits on the palate, with savoury balsamic scents enhanced by toasted oak. It is young, and the tannins youthful, but everything is in balance. The ripeness of the fruit is counterbalanced in the finish by that slightly bitter Italian ending. There is no rush to drink this wine, as it will age easily through 2040. Castello di Bolgheri is sourced from 20 year old vineyards facing the Tyrrhenian Sea in Bolgheri. The blend is a 75/18/7 mix of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot picked from late August through mid-September. Portions are fermented in stainless steel, large oak vats, and 500 litre barrels. It aged for 20 months in wood: the first 12 months was in 500 litre barrels; and for the following 8 months, once blended, the wine completed its aging in large 35 hectolitre oak barrels. Vineyards sit on hillsides 70m above sea level with full sun exposure from morning to early evening. The vineyard rows in question sit alongside Sassicaia’s and Ornellaia’s vines.Prices:| BC | $143.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Phantom Creek Estates Petite Cuvée 2020
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPetite Cuvée leads with a classic cedar, desert scrub, and black fruit nose shouting the south Okanagan Valley. The blend, a 43/33/16/4/2/2 mix of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, syrah, and malbec, results in a well rounded, mouth-filling red with moderate tannins and an easy drinkability. Winemaker Mark Beringer likens it to the style of red wine he made in Knight’s Valley between Napa and Sonoma. Drak cherries and dark plums lead the fruit parade, while a savoury balsamic note represents the desert scrub landscape. Given the quality we have experienced from the 2020 vintage and the fact that grapes for this cuvée were fully ripe and picked before the mid-October cold snap hit most Okanagan vineyards, this wine has a bright future. Good value.Prices:| BC | $37.99 | 750ml |
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07 January 2025
89PTS
Red Barn at Jagged Rock Stand Apart Chenin Blanc 2023
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe latest of Anthony Von Mandl's projects, Jagged Rock comes off the Black Sage Bench in the southern Okanagan. Crisp and bright, with gooseberry, white peach, crunchy green pear over a light bed of lees, finishing with a white grapefruit twist. With the fullness of the southern Okanagan, bright chenin acidity, and a delicate shaping hand, this is a highlight of the new Red Barn releases.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Fred Sigonneau Blanc de Chenin 2022
Chinon, Touraine, Loire, FranceThis chenin blanc comes from the AOC Chinon, where only a small percentage of grapes are white, hence the cheekily named Blanc de Chenin. From the region's clay and limestone, this spent 1 year in tank, preserving its crisp fruit. Quince, white peach, and crystalline lemon glide along the bright palate, helped with a slick of lees and a buzzy limestone underlay. A lovely, pure, and shining example of the grape, well suited to the dinner table.Prices:| BC | $36.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Testalonga Stay Brave 2023
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaOne of the stars of South Africa's New Wave wine renaissance, Testalonga is Craig and Carla Hawkins' personal project, dedicated to experimental wines and rescued grapes, often from old vineyards. They were the first of the Swartland Revolution collective to start their own vineyard project, back in 2015, when they moved to a farm in the northern reaches of the Swartland, nestled into the Olifantsberg mountain, called Banditskloof. With 10 days maceration, this Chenin is the introduction to Testalonga’s skin contact wines. Sourced from koffieklip over granite soils outside of Paardeberg, this deeper golden hued wine was destemmed and native fermented on skins for 2 weeks in 1500L vats before being pressed off into a 3300L and 1500L foudre. A wee amount of SO2 was added before bottling. Wild melon, apricot skin, perfumed white grapefruit, crunchy Asian pear skips along a slight 11.5% palate, finishing with a tangerine twist. A new view of chenin for many.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Testalonga Keep on Punching 2023
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaOne of the stars of South Africa's New Wave wine renaissance, Testalonga is Craig and Carla Hawkins' personal project, dedicated to experimental wines and rescued grapes, often from old vineyards. They were the first of the Swartland Revolution collective to start their own vineyard project, back in 2015, when they moved to a farm in the northern reaches of the Swartland, nestled into the Olifantsberg mountain, called Banditskloof. This organic Chenin Blanc is from Pieketberg sandstone, planted 1961. This was whole bunch pressed and native fermented in 3500L foudre and 2000L stainless tanks where it remained until bottling, with minimal SO2. Meadow grass, musk melon, crunchy Asian pear glide along the sleek palate, lit with bright acidity, and lined with a fine slick of earthy lees. Bright, slight, and pure, don't serve this too chilled. This is a lovely aperitif wine to get the mouth watering.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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