Over the next several weeks I’ll be releasing collections of incredible wines: exciting new discoveries, historical icons, and buzzy exclusives – sometimes all rolled into one! These offers will be comprehensive and well-populated, and as such will read a tad longer, but since life often slows down a bit in summer, a bit of wine reading may be welcome (especially if you’re drinking alongside, clink!). I’ll be offering wines from all over the world at several price points, so there will definitely be something that you want on these pages, read to the end and don’t miss an episode!!
Indeed, this summer will long be remembered for its sheer epic-ness of wine emails. Future troubadours shall sing its story to wide-eyed, disbelieving wine drinkers for decades to come: Lo, ‘tis the Summer Saga of 2019. We begin in Tuscany.
Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno 2016, Toscana IGT. The now-legendary Supertuscan vintage of 2015 is experiencing a shorter time in the sun than expected, now that the shadow of the as-or-more-legendary 2016 vintage is creeping towards its lawn chair. Trading in its sharpened fangs for a little more girth, Sette Ponti’s flagship Bordeaux blend may be fatter and richer in 2016, but it still needs to hibernate for a bit until it no longer wants to eat you. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, with dark currents, lavender and licorice on the nose and a platoon of angry Tuscan boars on the palate. Stunning after 5 more years, James Suckling calls Oreno the “Ch. Latour of Tuscany” (it placed #5 on his Italian Top 100 last year), and this is the best version I’ve seen since 2010. 99 points James Suckling, 94 points Vinous, 94 points Robert Parker, 4 wooden 6-packs available, $99.99 +tax
Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve 2015, Colli Toscana Centrale IGT. The nice folks in Chianti had to invent the Colli Toscana Centrale designation for wines like this because the term Overperforming Chianti made everyone else look bad. Accordingly, Flaccianello is farmed in the famed Conca d’Oro (“Golden Shell”) near Panzano in Chianti Classico, but the yield they take from the vineyard is so low, it runs afoul of Chianti’s rules. Low yield means higher concentration, and Flaccianello is a much thicker sauce than its geographical contemporaries despite being made from Sangiovese just like everyone down the street. Dark cherries rule the fortress with licorice spears and vanilla shields, the mid-palate is abnormally round and the finish is elegant and persistent. If the Manetti family keeps topping themselves like this year after year, everyone’s gonna run out of points. 98 points Robert Parker, 97 points James Suckling, 96 points Wine Spectator, 96 points Decanter, 12 bottles available, $150.98 +tax
Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2015, Toscana IGT. Where to begin with Bibi Graetz? The artist-turned-winemaker still paints his own labels, and in contrast to all those wine-is-made-in-the-vineyard producers, Bibi is more than content to have is brash, unconventional wines reflect his considerable personality (the term “Testa-Matta” – literally “Crazy-Head”, means “Strong Personality”). This 100% Sangiovese, accordingly, drinks like street art – the loudness and brightness that command your attention overshadow the subtle sensibilities that must be looked for to be found. The body is huge, so you may not notice the beautiful, elegant landing on the finish. The dark fruit is intense on the nose, so you may overlook the soft toasted spices that surround it. Bibi staggered his harvest (8 times!!!) to layer his tannins and acids perfectly – indeed, beneath the Steve Vai guitar solo lurks a nearly flawless structure. Picasso had to learn to draw correctly so he could draw wrong. Perhaps the illusion in Crazy-Head is that it’s not so crazy after all. 99 points James Suckling, 2 wooden 6-packs available, $189.98 +tax
Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo 2015, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG. To call this statuesque Chianti “Fontodi’s traditional answer to its contemporary Flaccianello” overlooks the fact that – despite operating within the DOCG classification - Vigna del Sorbo spends 24 months in new French oak and is a Chianti so modern it’s practically an app. The Sangiovese grapes from the organic Sorbo vineyard (again in the Conca d’Oro) built this castle, an impressive structure with a large mid-palate and a nose of dark cherries baking in the sun on a hot stone. Rosewater and cloves close off the finish – this is a Gran Selezione that you only have to bury for 2 years, not 10. #60 – Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018, 97 points James Suckling, 96+ points Robert Parker, 95 points Wine Spectator, 12 bottles available, $106.98 +tax
Castell’In Villa 2009/2010, Chianti Classico Riserva. Nothing modern about this operation, headed by the indefatigable Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa in the hot, hot Castelnuovo Berardenga at the very southern tip of Chianti Classico. Indigenous fermentations in huge, open-top Botti and spending several years in bottle before coming to market – I can imagine them arguing amongst themselves about whether it was “cheating” to use new-fangled technology like pointed sticks. Whilst one could reasonably expect that such an old school method would produce Dirt Chowder, the wine itself is a gosh-darn revelation – gorgeously ripe fruit, bursting with energy and body and minerals – here be hidden treasure. Although the flavours aren’t similar, this wine reminds me of Chateauneuf’s Domaine Pegau in ethic and spirit: the earthen, traditional notes are more than balanced by an overabundance of fruit and happiness. Put this wine on your radar, it is a planet. I have a case each of 2009 (93 Vinous) and 2010 (94 Vinous) and that’s it, folks. Pounce now or forever wish you pounced. $75.98 +tax
Argiano Solengo 2015, Toscana IGT. I blind tasted this as Tignanello because a) it’s more focused and linear than a Cab/Petit Verdot blend usually is, and b) I am not good. Solengo is proof that you can staff your way to victory, the modest Brunello house hired Sebastiano Rosa (Lafite, Sassicaia) as G.M. and Dr. Giacomo Tachis (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia) as Oenologist. Grown in the warmer southern third of the Montalcino region (I can attest to a 3C increase compared to the north side of the mountain), Solengo shoots for Bordeaux by way of Saint-Julien – picked earlier for peak brightness, it wants to make friends with future you, not you. Cassis and dried blackberries jump happily up your nose, followed by a sensation that the sun is shining up at your chin. Incredible energy, here, around a medium-to-full bodied mid-palate, and the finish is smoky, mineral and a tad hot. Fine tannins and a sneaking sense that you’re looking at a great store through the windows but the store’s not quite open yet. 97 points James Suckling, 95 points Robert Parker, 2 6-packs available, $107.98 +tax
Until next time, Happy Drinking!!
As the mercury edges upwards our meals edge outwards, and before we know it we’re cooking and eating everything out on the deck. Dude, it’s crazy out there. Never mind the squeals of the kids from adjacent yards or the yips of jealous dogs, the average patio is a chowder of sniffs and smells. Lawn cuttings, sunscreen, chlorine from the pool, even your own BBQ is smoking more than a stop/slow-sign holder on a roadwork site.
You need great wines to go with dinner, but subtly nuanced study pieces need not apply. Only bold, intensely focused red wines can cut through the nose-quiche of scents on your deck, and it just so happens that I have a few in mind...
Scala Dei Cartoixa 2015, Priorat, Spain. The Baseball Bat from Priorat. The Burning Flame from Eastern Spain. The Blast-a-Zone-a near Barcelona. No matter what it rhymes with, Priorat is HUGE, and this deck-capsizing blend of Garnacha, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on stark sunburnt slopes is no exception. Named after and grown next to the Escaladei monastery from the 12th century (Escaladei = Ladder To God), this juice from the historic Cartoixa vineyard is dark as night but tastes like evening sun. Violets and licorice precede the fruitsplosion of dark berries and plums, a buttery, lush mouthfeel and a long spicy finish that qualifies as an aftershock. Enough concentration to cellar this for a decade, but we won’t. 97 points Decanter, 3 6-packs available, $59.99 +tax
Zuccardi Concreto Malbec 2017, Uco Valley, Argentina. Jumping in with both feet to the growing Mendoza movement of capturing high-altitude Malbec with the lens of Italy rather than California, the Zuccardi family aims for elegance (and nails it - see the points) with Concreto, using whole-cluster fermentation and concrete aging (hence the name). Stony red fruits are the star of this electric race car, with dried herbs and flowers underwriting the track, and blackberries and cassis waiting at the finish line. Zippier than most zippers. We may have found the Song of the Summer. 96 points James Suckling, 94 points Robert Parker, #10, Wine Enthusiast Top 100 of 2018, 6 6-packs available, $46.98 +tax
Orofino Petit Verdot 2014, Similkameen Valley, B.C. Previously mentioned on these pages, but I sold out and now I got more so this is a victory lap of sorts. I am soooo not supposed to have this, seeing as the Weber family only makes 3 barrels, but I got the new guy when I called in and he didn’t know I couldn’t have it so I took everything they had. Simply one of my very favourite BC reds, a beast of a wine with just enough fruit-weight to match the leathery tannins, with blackberry, tar and lavender surrounding the mouth of the cave. A true statement of how Similkameen stands apart from Okanagan, and totally worth that new guy getting fired. 3 cases available, $45.98 +tax
Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2015, Adelaide Hills, Australia. Cousins Martin Shaw and (Master of Wine) Michael Hill Smith specialize in two things: making exquisite wines from cool(ish) Australian climes, and using the initials M.S.. This Shiraz from the high(ish)-altitude Balhannah vineyard in Adelaide Hills shows their grasp of balance perfectly, the invariably intense fruit concentration is commensurate to the elegant acid that defines the finish. Drinking Shaw + Smith is having one’s cake whilst eating it: you get to enjoy the generous blast radius of a fruit bomb without experiencing the impulse to spread it on toast. Blackberries and cherries with mint and rocks, freaking delicious. 97 points James Haliday, 96 points James Suckling, 3 6-packs available, $56.98 +tax
If stocks hold, I’ll be pouring the Priorat and the Malbec this Saturday in the River District Vintage Room at 3pm. If not, I’ll be pouring the new Apothic blend: Apothic Crunchy (no).
Until next time, Happy Drinking!
Hi Everyone!
With Santa’s Dandruff still sprinkled all across this chilly land, it’s time to discuss the new bonkers vintage of the wine world’s best internal Firestarter: Port. When sipped slowly, great Port warms the heart and curls smiles further upwards. When consumed with abandon, Port’s proven magical powers include:
1) Not caring if it’s cold out
2) Not caring that you don’t have a jacket on
3) Ability to create better words
Now, these newly-released Ports from the instantly-classic 2016 vintage certainly aren’t for chugging, in fact they’re not really ready for sipping yet. These are the seeds of future awesomes, brilliantly dense fortified wines to anchor your cellar (or fridge); 2016 is the best declared Port vintage since 2011, and perhaps since 1994, but only time will tell. To the juice:
2016 VINTAGE PORTS:
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2016. The flagship of the Guimaraens fleet. If David’s wines were the Justice League, Taylor Fladgate would undoubtedly be Superman. Boasting a body that could repel bullets, the muscle and power contained underneath the black-fruited licorice defies science, although it’ll be about a decade before we on earth can understand its language. Plus it can see through walls and it knows if you're lying. 100 points James Suckling, 98 points Wine Spectator, #23 Top 100 of 2018 (Wine Spectator), 98 points Wine Enthusiast. 6 full-size bottles available at $145.99 +tax, 12 half-size (375ml) bottles available at $77.99 +tax
Dow’s Vintage Port 2016. Always the picture of elegance, this is Dow’s first declared vintage since winning Wine Of The Year (Wine Spectator) for their 2011 Vintage Port. Soft floral notes surround the expected dark fruits, and the slight minerality peeks out just before the welcome acidic lift on the finish. That brightness ties a bow on everything and holds the key to Dow’s longevity, the house style is a shade drier than most. 98 points Wine Spectator, 98 points Decanter, 5 bottles available, $120.99 +tax
Warre’s Vintage Port 2016. Every player has their card to play, and for Warre’s, the oldest British Port house, that card is Touriga Franca, the indigenous Portuguese grape variety that takes centre stage in this rustic field blend. Violets, chocolate and bramble lead to endless silken layers in the mouth and a juicy finish of anise and roses. 98 points Wine Spectator, #14 Top 100 of 2018 (Wine Spectator), 98 points Decanter, 5 bottles available, $108.99 +tax
OTHER PORTS:
Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Tawny 1968. In arcane Portuguese terms, this is a Colheita (Col-hee-YIGH-tah), meaning that it’s a Tawny Port (different from the ruby Vintage Ports) from a single vintage, which is rare, as most Tawny Ports consist of many vintages blended together to an average age (10, 20, 30 etc.). This 1968 drinks like a sext, with caramel figs amongst the almonds and butterscotch. Give it a chill in the fridge for a half hour for maximum yesness. 98 points Wine Spectator, 3 bottles (each in its own wooden box) available, $279.99 +tax
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1994. This pillar of modern architecture has been described on these pages before, but I thought some of you may want an example of what the 2016 will be like in its window of glory. Still youthful, still racy, the tannins are well integrated and the fruit is finally starting to come into focus. Tastes like genius. 100 points Wine Spectator, 6 bottles available, $359.99 +tax
Stay safe, stay warm, and Happy Drinking!!
Hi Everyone!
I rarely make resolutions, but this year I have decided to get weirder. Not personally (not possible), but in the selections of wines that I present to you. Although I’ve always strived to find classic wines with great ratings, I must admit to being a tad restless – there is a wide, electric-kaleidoscope of wines out there that I haven’t been featuring, simply because the region or producer is too small or too strange to submit for reviews or points.
Don’t worry, I haven’t moved into a yurt and renamed myself Treasure. These wines aren’t themselves bizarre, they’re just undiscovered and unusual. I’ll still scour the province to bring you the newest exciting, must-have wines and great points-to-price ratios, but from time to time I hope you’ll allow me to show you snapshots of the Awesome World of Wine that exists far from the main roads, somewhat unsung but no less essential and no less beautiful. To the juice:
Domaine du Cellier “Cuvée Clemence” Rousette de Savoie 2016, Savoie, France. A pretty postcard from the French Alps. You’ve probably never tasted the white grape Roussette (also known as Altesse) but then you’ve likely never encountered a wine from Savoie (often Anglicized to Savoy) either, so here’s a great regional primer:
https://winefolly.com/review/savoie-wine-guide/ . This Cuvée Clemence is a rich, oily masterpiece of quince, lavender and flowers, medium weight and dry with a touch of honey on the long finish. Acts like a Northern Rhone White (Marsanne/Roussanne) but with more aromatics. Gets nuttier and toastier with 5 years of down time but is super-yowzers now – I’m not waiting. Exclusive to EW River District.
3 6-packs available, $42.98 +tax
Suvla “Sir” 2011, Gallipoli, Turkey. The only thing unusual about this Syrah-based blend is where it comes from: if I didn’t tell you it was from Turkey, you’d be jumping up and down with glee for finding such a great-value French wine. Two thirds Syrah with Grenache, Merlot and Cab Franc, Sir is from family-owned vineyards on the Gallipoli peninsula, the European side of Turkey, and it drinks like a southern Rhône blend from a hot year. There are many unpronounceable rustic grapes in Turkey that make wines of varying weirdness, but
Sir is not one of those. Oodles of dark berries and licorice weigh down the tongue before the spicy finish caps off with elegant acidity and astringency. Try it for yourself
this Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room, I think you’ll agree: this is the nicest Rhône wine that isn’t.
3 6-packs available, $40.98 +tax
Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 1994, Anjou, France. Founded in 1787 overlooking the middle section of the Loire River, the 8 generations of winemakers at Moulin Touchais have all followed a curious business model: they only make the dessert wine they’re most famous for in the years where the intermittent fog brings botrytis (Noble Rot, same process as Sauternes) to their Chenin Blanc vineyards – and that happens almost
never. Since every late harvest is wildly different (especially when you let the indigenous yeast just do its thing), every sparse vintage of their Coteaux du Layon is varied in sweetness, and
this 1994 is on the drier side – think more like an oily, ripe Auslese than an Icewine – with wildly vibrant acidity. Heather and honeysuckle drive the floral nose, clean, juicy and fresh on palate, finishes with sweet lemon curd and a touch of brioche. Gorgeous.
2 6-packs available, $50.98 +tax
Chateau d’Epire Savennieres 2016, Anjou, France. Just across the river from Coteaux du Layon is Savennieres, home to some of the richest, most concentrated dry Chenin Blanc this side of South Africa. The schist-grown Chenin (known as Pineau de Loire, locally) is lees-aged in neutral wood, and the extra junk in the trunk, alongside Chenin’s natural acidity, is a recipe for a long cellar journey – although the absence of tannins makes it quite crushable, presently. Drinking is winning and holding is winning, here, and the Bizard family has spent 6 generations getting the syncopated, drawn-out harvest just right so that you have enough acidity and enough glycerine to do both. That bumping sound you hear is your patio asking you to get some of this for summer.
3 6-packs available, $58.98 +tax
Fasoli Gino “Sande” Pinot Nero Veronese 2008, Veneto, Italy. Telling you that this is the best 10-year-old Amarone made from Pinot Noir you’ll ever drink is a) absolutely true and b) not helpful, because no one else does anything close to this. The Pinot, grown north of Verona, is harvested early, around the end of August to preserve essential acidity, then laid to dry on straw mats (like Amarone) before crush, followed by a 4-year residency in French oak. Sande is to Pinot as Hulk is to Dr. Banner, but perhaps not in the way you might think. Unlike Amarone, Sande is not opaque (Pinot isn’t
that pigmented, even when in near-raisin form) and the wine isn’t sweet at all, the aromatics and mid-palate, however, burn with the rage of a dying star. Intense and focused, more elegant than hulks usually are, and also a bit of a cult item back home.
12 bottles available, $85.98 +tax
Until next time, Happy Drinking!!
Hi Everyone!
I hope that your 2019 is off to a fantastic start so far! My condolences to all those who practice Dry-nuary, in the spirit of solidarity I’ve been doing my own dry month: whilst on my way to drink amazing wines I use umbrellas and parkas and I don’t roll down my car windows during a rainfall. Dry as dust. Nailed it.
Over the last few weeks, a number of wines that were supposed to arrive in November finally showed up in the store, I’ll be thematically grouping them and informing you over the next while, let’s call it Christmas in January/February/...March? Not sure how long it’ll take but there are tons of yums to bear witness to, and we begin with some long-awaited 2015 stunners from Washington State. To the juice:
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Columbia Valley. One vintage removed from the internet-breaking 2014, we find our hero in fighting form, drawing fruit from Champoux, Wallula and Palengat vineyards (Quilceda has never really been terroir-driven, it’s more of an elite cull, like Grange). Inarguably Washington’s most famous wine, matching the Columbia Valley’s rigid frame with inexplicable Mediterranean notes and blush-inducing decadence. Wines this tall and thick from Napa cost twice as much. 99 points Jeb Dunnuck*, 96 points Robert Parker, 6 bottles available, $337.49 +tax
Avennia Sestina 2015, Columbia Valley. An instant classic. This wine took 3 months to get here after it landed and based on the number of times I was asked for it in December, it won’t last long. Chris Peterson, former winemaker at hallowed De Lille, has ignited spontaneous mania over his potentially timeless Syrahs and Cab Blends. This Margaux-ish Sestina is 70% Cab, with Merlot and Franc as wingmen, showing graphite and chocolate over jet-black fruit. Brooding and inscrutable currently, will hit the sweet spot in about 3 years. Stone and floral notes around the fringe. Avennia is one to watch – it’s pretty much sold out everywhere in the US and available for the first time in BC – if the buzz sustains it could be the new Cayuse, stay tuned. (95-97) points Jeb Dunnuck, 96 points Robert Parker, 12 bottles available, $104.49 +tax
K Vintners “The Beautiful” Syrah 2015, Walla Walla Valley. Charles Smith isn’t fooling anyone by hiding behind the name “K Vintners”, one look at the bottle and one whiff of the wine and we know who the father is. Concentration is his currency, and he spends it large on this meaty Syrah (with 3% Viognier, presumably as a chaperone) from the Powerline vineyard in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. A savoury, contrarian nose of sausage and olives, the blackberry core doesn’t really reveal itself until the palate, but then it doesn’t go away, ever. Drinkable but rather hair-blowing right now, the future is brighter, I’d say. 98 points Robert Parker, 97 points Jeb Dunnuck, 4 6-packs available, $93.99 +tax
K Vintners “The Cattle King” Syrah 2015, Snipes Mountain. One could well bury this 2015 Cattle King deep into the earth, so that future alien anthropologists realize how awesome Washington Syrah is/was (and also so they start digging all over the place looking for more. Ha! Silly aliens…). Pretty much perfecting the Iron Fist / Velvet Glove trope, the intensely persuasive fruit-laced nose (no kidding, it’s gorgeous) gives zero warning of the falling anvil that awaits those who dare to drink it. While I can wholeheartedly recommend this for cellaring it is not a Jedi yet, so if you decide to drink it now….. well, Yoda told you there’d be lasers. 100 points Jeb Dunnuck, 95 points Robert Parker, 6 bottles available, $106.49 +tax
UPCOMING CLASSES:
The Two Kings Of Spain, Thursday, January 31st, River District Classroom, 6:30pm, seats $35
A historical and analytic look at the two hearts of Tempranillo: Rioja and Ribera del Duero, with snacks. We will consume:
Faustino Rioja Gran Reserva 1994 $82.99
Senorio de Cuzcurrita Rioja 2011 $48.99
Sierra Cantabria El Puntido Rioja 2003 $78.99
Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2015 $43.49
Vega Sicilia Valbuena Ribera del Duero 2006 $269.99
Aalto Ribera del Duero 2013 $82.49
First Growth Bordeaux 2009 Horizontal Tasing, Thursday February 7th, Morgan Crossing Classroom (South Surrey), 6:30pm, seats $375.00
Important to emphasize that I’m not holding this tasting, but I am attending it and you should too. Ten years out from the legendary one/two punch of the 2009/2010 Bordeaux vintages, this is an audacious, comprehensive look at ALL FIVE OF THE FIRST GROWTHS from 2009 (Mouton, Margaux, Lafite, Latour and Haut Brion). My colleague Si Man Lee will host this night – seriously guys, you will not find this kind of tasting anywhere else – in our South Surrey store. Call him at 604-542-2480, I believe there are a few seats left.
Until next time, Happy Drinking!!
Hi Everyone!
So many Cabs have snuck up on me in the Vintage Room that I have to tell you about all of them at once, apologies. We begin:
Colgin IX Estate Proprietary Red 2015, Napa. One of the most polite cult wines in Napa, Colgin has risen to the top of the heap without ever raising its voice or breaking a sweat. With her husband Joe, Ann Colgin has, over 25 years, made bottomless Cab-based wines (and great Syrahs) of quiet power and regal elegance. This 2015 IX Estate (named after the vineyard parcel) is two thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one third Magic. Meaty blackberry with shorn pencils baking on a new road – it’s a little pro-tannin right now, the window opens in about 5 years and it closes… man, I don’t know, when the robots take over, I guess. 4 3-packs entered the province, I got one of them. 100 points Robert Parker, 100 points Jeb Dunnuck, 1 wooden 3-pack available, $873.99 +tax
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 One-Liters, Napa. Holiday-sized Caymus in a brand new vintage, just in time. I haven’t tried it (just arrived) and there aren’t any major reviews yet, but here is my prediction: Delicious, round, thick Cab in a bottle size that will make you feel slightly smaller. 3 9-packs available, $120.99 +tax
Bond Quella 2014, Napa. The Quella vineyard sits in the hills, as all Bond vineyards do, with southwest exposure and steep angles. While it’s a tad bougie to call your vineyards “Grand Crus” (1. That’s not how it works and 2. Wow, and they’re all YOUR vineyards? What luck!), their output is simply undeniable. Bill Harlan’s terroir-driven cult winery has become one of the hardest unicorns to capture – I can’t tell you what I had to do to get this 3-pack, but the Centaur I defeated can’t tell anyone anything now. An infinite number of berries baked into an infinite chocolate cake. Intense minerality, drinking now despite the considerable tannins – the fruit is that intense. 97 points James Suckling, 96 points Robert Parker, 96 points Vinous, 1 wooden 3-pack available, $949.99 +tax
Raymond Generations Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa. Great bang-for-buck in this top-line Napa Cab, I mean it’s a big buck, but an even bigger bang. The Raymond family dates back in Napa to 1933 and the winery was founded in 1970, but it has seen a bit of a renaissance since its acquisition by French Winery Collector Jean-Charles Boisset, owner of Bouchard, Monmessin and Louis Bernard, among many others. The change injected energy and innovation into the quiet family winery, expanding their range and depth, and it seems to have also injected a not-insignificant dose of hallucinogens – visiting the winery is like stepping into Moulin Rouge on Mars. In full disclosure I don’t love everything they do, but I WAY love this. The Generations Cab – a tribute to the 5 generations of the Raymond family, puts the Class in Classic: winemaker Stephanie Putnam – formerly of Far Niente – has made a tribute to the Napa styles of old. This wine lets Cab be Cab – it’s full bodied, naturally, but still contains all the rough edges of a ripe Medoc and is bone dry, not round. Gorgeously angular. This is the style that made those French judges in the ‘70s think they were drinking good Bordeaux. 97 points Robert Parker, 2 cases available, $139.99 +tax
Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Napa. Another “classic” style from the grounds of the former Silverado Equestrian Center (hence the name) in the Oak Knoll district. Herbed cherries and cassis precede a lovely, graceful body that’s full but not fat, towards a bright but balanced finish, gulpable but far from facile. Far more graceful and complex than most contemporaries in its price point. About that: I often rant about my inability to find a good $50 Napa Cab…. Thanks Santa!! On sale until Christmas, 92 points Wine Enthusiast, 6 cases available, Reg price $54.99, Sale price $49.99 +tax
Joseph Phelps Insignia 2015, Napa. Another Napa legend that is having something of a moment in 2015, Insignia drinks like a coiled snake, currently, but will get itself elected President Of Your Cellar, in time. Berries and stones and pencils and flowers are all holding magnifying glasses, concentrating their beams on your face, the power on the nose can almost be seen. Wears its new oak like Cruella DeVille wears Dalmatians: proudly and impervious to opinions – the fruit is that intense. Tight right now but will blossom into a balanced, beautiful hand grenade. One of the greats. (97-100) points Robert Parker, 1 wooden 6-packs available, $409.99 +tax
Dominus 2014, Napa. What can I tell you about Dominus, the Petrus of Napa, that I’ve not yet uttered? The Mouiex family’s Napa venture is now safely baked into that region’s story, although the valley’s general style has, writ large, veered away from this austere, Bordeaux-ish Cellar Star. Dominus’ soul mate is Opus One (more on that below), they are two wines that eschew ripeness in favour of forever. That said, this 2014 will open its doors rather sooner than most other issues, in keeping with the sheer drinkability of the vintage. Not for the impatient soul but man, these guys know how to build a wine. Blackberry, cigar and baking spice on the nose. 97 points Robert Parker, 2 wooden 6-packs available, $399.99 +tax
Opus One 2010, Napa. Given the international frenzy surrounding this original collab between Mouton-Rothschild and Robert Mondavi that evolved into its own sentient being, I maybe should have opened this email with “I have Opus One 2010”? Still drawing from the best valley floor vineyards in Napa (a good portion of To Kalon goes in here), Opus One is titanic in many ways beyond its own legend: aromatic potpourri blends with herbs and black fruits – the nose is more generous that Dominus but the frame is just as bulletproof. This vintage is already a classic and yes, I have the original wooden box (although I did open it). 97 points Vinous, 96 points Robert Parker, 1 wooden 6-pack available, $849.49 +tax
Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa. The same vintage I’ve offered previously, but when Peter came for our Collectors Tasting we were sold out, and everyone was sad. Be not sad, for it has returned. 2 wooden 6-packs available, $199.99 +tax
Until next time, Happy Drinking!
Let’s raise a glass to ninety-eight,
For wine, that score is pretty great!
It’s two points from immaculate!
(does that not make sense? well, too late)
I doubt that you could ever hate
A wine with points of ninety-eight!
With Christmas coming, let’s go straight
to two wines you’ll want by the crate:
TeHo Malbec 2014, Mendoza, Argentina. A gloriously Old World Malbec from the New World, this drinks like a Cahors stirred with a lightsaber. Meaning “Blood of the Earth” in the local indigenous tongue, TeHo is sourced from a non-grafted Uco Valley vineyard called Tomal, planted in 1955, and the 90% Malbec is co-fermented with 10% of… well, everything: Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and, if the beautifully mineral finish is any indication, a bunch of rocks. Pulls off the rare trick of intense concentration without the accompanying baby fat; red cherries, violets and spice surround the nose, the medium-full body and mineral finish are lifted by a beautiful acidity that’s more Médoc than Mendoza. Stretches the boundaries of what “Mendoza” means, Malbec-lovers and Francophiles alike can find a lot to trip out on, here, this is fabulous and layered. Exclusive to this store. Currently gorgeous but has the structural fortitude to cellar like a Jedi, and can do many push-ups:
98 points Tim Atkins
Red Wine of the Year (2017) Tim Atkins
Top 20 Wines of 2017, Decanter
Top 100 Wines of 2017, Wine and Spirits
5 6-packs available, $75.99 +tax
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2 2012, Yarra Valley, Australia. Last year’s Australian Winemaker of the Year Sarah Crowe returns with another whizz-bang Shiraz from the cool(er) climate of Yarra Valley, near Melbourne. Hard to describe Yarra wines except by discounting what they aren’t: they don’t have the confected fruit compote of McLaren Vale, they don’t have the black pepper of Barossa, nor are they as light footed as Norther Rhône Syrahs or rigidly structured like Margaret River wines. What they do have is a friendly, comfort-food exterior that can somewhat belie enormous reservoirs of thermo-nuclear inner strength. Often called an “iron fist in a velvet glove”, Dry Red No 2 is teeming with white pepper, red Nibs and baking chocolate, the body is plenty full but can still do pull-ups, the finish – and it’s famous for this – peers into the portal to forever. Outstanding vintage for a wine notorious for its vintage variation. 98 points James Halliday, 4 6-packs available, $92.49 +tax
Until next time, Happy Drinking!
Hi Everyone!
I am, as you are all aware, never
ever prone to hyperbole, strange allegory or even sarcasm, but I do believe I’ve found the Wine That Saved Christmas.
Deep in the hills of Piedmont, Barbera has always played Robin to Nebbiolo’s Batman, relegated to the slopes deemed unworthy of its nobler half-brother. Indeed, there’s Barbera planted all over the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, but a wine made from that grape in those villages can
never be called by those village names for the same reason Jon Snow could never be a Stark. In many iterations Barbera
owns that sidecar, when grown as an afterthought it can be jammy and juicy, shallow and weak, not something you’d age or talk about, except for…
The hills of
Nizza Monferrato in Asti (a UNESCO site) are the upside-down kingdom where Barbera rules the world and makes bold, legendary wines. Here,
Barbera gets the best vineyards, like Tenuta Aluffi in the south that lays on deep sand and gives concentrated fruit in minuscule quantities. In the middle of that estate sits the
world’s best Cru for Barbera, producing wines that match or surpass the arc, intensity and frame of many Barolos:
La Court.
Michele Chiarlo’s 2015 La Court Barbera Riserva is fireworks in a bottle, Barbera’s natural zing is tempered by fruit weight and the silky layers that years in spicy Slovenian casks can bring. Black cherries, violets and dark chocolate on the nose, a full, dense body in the mouth but the finish is weightless, electric and persistent. This can go a decade standing on its head but is in glorious balance now, an assertion you can confirm when we open it on
Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room.
How does this wine “Save Christmas”? Two reasons: First, I was exaggerating. Second, La Court has the perfect mix of attributes to roll with the culinary punches that the Holiday season can throw. It’s bold and full without being heavy or lugubrious, it can duet with appies, steaks, chestnuts, cheeses, fondues and even those little quiches that have no legitimate reason to exist. It has the structure to handle proteins but not enough to drink all fuzzy without them. It has the acidity to match most foods but not so much that food is necessary: it pairs with
itself nicely. It has a great rating (for those guests who clandestinely Vivino your wine while you’re preoccupied –
you know who they are) without the price tag to match. Having La Court on hand is like dating a party planner: you are ready for anything.
I shoulda bought more of it.
Michele Chiarlo "La Court" Nizza Riserva DOCG 2015. 95 points Wine Enthusiast, 10 6-packs available, $64.99 +tax
Back in a couple days with brand new, exclusive Oregon Pinots!! Until then,
Happy Drinking!!
Hi Everyone!
Every time I go to Oregon I get real happy then I get real mad. Happy because I try so many outstanding Pinots and I really enjoy smiling. Mad because I have no access to a lot of these wines, as retailers can’t import into BC and no import agencies would bother with such small productions. We’ve slowly been changing that, working with smaller importers (and my South Surrey colleague Si Man Lee), and now I’m proud to offer some of the best wines that we tried down there, albeit in
super small quantities.
These wines are brand new to BC. Here’s the first batch:
Lingua Franca “Tongue ‘N Cheek” Pinot Noir 2015, Eola-Amity Hills. The buzz was already deafening – as can be expected when a Supergroup comprised of legendary Master Sommelier Larry Stone, Burgundy titan Dominique Lafon and David Honig starts a winery – and
then their wine was prominently featured in the upcoming
Somm 3 movie. Yikes. Working with vineyard manager Mimi Casteel – one of the most inspirational people I met down there – in one of Oregon’s oldest vineyards, Lingua Franca have positioned themselves as the new Winery Of Note in the Willamette – I've been calling them the next Beaux Freres. Boasting floral red and dark black fruit with a mules kick of smoke and spice, the body is big and round, the finish has just enough lift to remind you that – big as it is – it’s still Oregon. Gorgeous and smooth.
94 points Wine Spectator, 94 points Decanter, 2 6-packs available, $101.99 +tax
Domaine Serene “R” Pinot Noir Rosé, Dundee Hills. You didn’t know you needed a $60 dual-vintaged Pinot Rosé, but in all fairness you didn’t know you needed an iPad until it showed up. Same here. Using the moody, complex Bandol Rosés as their North Star, Ken and Grace Evenstad have thrown out the rule book and made a racy pink beast out of some 2016 Pinot with a splash of 2015 Chardonnay. Bold in front, creamy in the middle and crispy on the finish, smells like a strawberry-rhubarb miracle, see for yourself when we
pour it this Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room. Not at all attempting the pastel popularity of Provence or the saccharine indulgences of a California Blush, “R” is the inscrutably cool kid in the back listening to The Cure that you’re afraid to say hi to. You should say hi, though, because this’ll go amazing with turkey, ham, pork, duck or really any holiday dinner unless your dinners consist entirely of cake.
Exclusive to Everything Wine. 2 cases available, $60.99 +tax
Brittan Vineyards Basalt Block Pinot Noir 2014, McMinnville. I had the great pleasure of sitting for dinner with Robert Brittan, the long-time winemaker at Napa’s Stag’s Leap Winery who left 14 years ago to make wine in Oregon. We talked for hours about the politics behind Oregon’s AVAs (hey, I don’t judge what
you do for fun) and he educated me on the McMinnville AVA, which we rarely see in BC. The McMinnville juice is so intense that it’s rarely blended with other AVAs in Willamette Pinot Noirs, it takes over the entire profile even in small percentages. The 2014 Pinot from this windy vineyard in the Coast Range foothills lives up to the area’s notoriety, it is a deep, brooding, herbal Pinot with Asian spice and black cherry – great fruit symmetry – and an austere tannin structure (like black tea) akin to a red Sancerre. Too serious for these silly years, I’d like to drink this after the next Winter Olympics.
94 points James Suckling, 1 case available, $89.49 +tax
Nicolas Jay Pinot Noir 2015, Willamette Valley. When Burgundian winemakers produce Oregon Pinots we expect them to make Burgundy, as if they brought all their dirt and climate with them in a magic bag, and we’re always so
surprised when the Pinots they make are fruit-driven and clean. Perhaps that’s why this start-up winery downplays the fact that its co-founder and winemaker is none other than Jean-Nicolas Meo of
Domaine Meo-Camuzet, a Côte d’Or winemaking family that dates back to the 1600s. This Willamette Pinot uses every AVA in that valley, fruit from such famous crus as Momtazi and Nysa contribute to the blend. Gosh this is pretty. Violet, raspberries, jasmine tea and crushed rocks, the one-third new oak adds some wood tannin to the finish but this Pinot is good to go, supple and delicious.
94 points James Suckling, 2 6-packs available, $105.49 +tax
Back next week with even more Oregon Pinots! Until then,
Happy Drinking!
Hi Everyone!
I’ve been doing it again. Collecting Pinots like Pokémon, a case here, two cases there – before you know it I’ve got enough for 3 emails, yikes. It’s okay, though, the Holidays are perfect for Pinot: turkey, ham, meat pies, calming yourself down after parking lot confrontations (any booze works on that last one, truthfully), Pinot Noir is December’s spirit balm, racy but peaceful, low in predictability.
Let’s start today with some tasty Pinots from around the world, in the coming weeks I’ll have some brand new, exclusive Oregonians, but first:
Montalto Estate Pinot Noir 2016, Mornington Peninsula, Australia. From the wee cooler climate jetty south of Melbourne that stakes a credible claim to being the Best Southern Hemisphere Pinot Region (Patagonia would protest). We offered (and sold out of) the electric Estate Chardonnay a few weeks ago, this Pinot is equally on fire and I have even less of it. We’ll be
trying it this Saturday in our River District Vintage Room at 3pm if you’re around. Spiced strawberries and white flowers surround the unexpectedly substantial core of fruit, body and game. Like a surfboard – long and firm but no rough edges – this drinks smoothly but I’d like to see how it develops: I’ve so little experience with Mornington Pinots I honestly don’t know what it turns into – the structure
will take it
somewhere - but it’s hella delicious now so no worries, mate.
97 points Decanter, 3 cases available, $53.49 +tax
Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Aux Vignerondes” 2015, Burgundy, France. Daniel Rion is simply one of the best bang-for-buck Burgundian houses I can think of, and this killer Premier Cru NSG proves it. Those looking for immediate gratification should skip to the next blurb: this is the seed of a Pleasure Plant, a gift to Future You, but it drinks like a strange animal’s defense mechanism right now. Sweet cherry, mint (!) and cassis pervade the deceptively ripe nose, truly gorgeous and inviting, the palate is bold and bulletproof but
super young and at least five years out from any kind of balance. After the window opens in 2024 or so this’ll be luxurious and rich – an
amazing Burgundy, possibly as good as NSG gets, but until then picture 2 dozen squirrels throwing rocks at you, in a glass.
95 points Wine Spectator, 1 case available, $113.99 +tax
Kosta Browne Russian River Pinot Noir 2015, Sonoma, California. Former Wine Of The Year (Wine Spectator) and recent Duckhorn acquisition Kosta Browne has always walked the knife’s edge between richness and restraint, a balance exemplified in this stupidly tasty Russian River Pinot: all manner of berries bump against all manner of cherries – a fruit fest to be certain, but the body and finish bring the earth and the layers and the class. A medium weight with lively acidity, the landing is fresh and mouth watering, great length. Still available only through a mailing list (for which there is a long waiting list) in the US, it doesn’t get much cultier than this. Make your American wine-drinking buddies jealous!!
94 points James Suckling, 2 6-packs available, $195.49 +tax
Louis Jadot Chorey-Les-Beaunes “Les Beaumonts” 2013, Burgundy, France. How is it that I still have 2 boxes of this? Outrageously good Burgundy value from a house not necessarily known for it – Jadot is always excellent but usually priced at the middle of the curve, not culty but not cheap either. This recently acquired single vineyard (north of Beaune) that drinks like a Premier Cru (but isn’t one) is a force to behold – round chalky tannins, soft fruit (black cherry, mostly, with some currant), I know you’re wondering: is the drinking window open? Let me put it this way, remember how there was a tunnel painted on a mountain, and the Roadrunner could go through it but the Coyote couldn’t? Yeah.
2 6-packs available, $57.49 +tax
Until next time, Happy Drinking!
