Tagged with 'Wine Tasting'

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 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 31^st, 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 7^th, 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!!

 

December can be correlated with one word: overload. Holiday party overload, shopping overload and in-laws overload. In December you attend one too many holiday parties, overuse the term “so how have things been with you”, decide that chocolate and Christmas cookies don’t have calories for the whimsical 31 days, and most likely reach for the same bold red and bubbly prosecco on each special occasion.  January, on the other hand, is correlated with a much different word: new. New year, new you, new beginnings - we’ve all heard it and probably said one of these phrases at least once by now. If you are someone looking to dive into the world in new in 2019, why not start with wine! Instead of reaching for that same Pinot Grigio or Cab Sauv, why not try a new varietal that you may have never even heard of? We understand, trying new things can be scary, especially when it comes to changing your beloved house red or white, so to make this easier, we've created a list of new varietals that have similar flavour profiles to the wines you love.

If you like Cab Sauv, try:

• Carmenere


• Petit Verdot


• Touriga Nacional

If you like Pinot Noir, try:

• Gamay


• Corvina


• Mencia

If you like Chardonnay, try:

• Viognier


• Marsanne


• Chenin Blanc

If you like Sauvignon Blanc, try:

• Albarino


• Muscadet


• Semillon

Have a different varietal you love and are looking for a new alternative? let us know in the comments below, and we'll give you an expert recommendation!

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!

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!

 

Hi everyone!

Very excited to share these wines with you, I’ve been collecting them for a while, now, in small quantities. Over the past year, I’ve been turned on to some teeny-tiny Piemontese producers, just as some of the small-to-medium houses have released some of their best wines in a decade (indeed, I’ve already written about some of them, including my potential W.O.T.Y. Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ovello). I’ll have one major “Back-Up-The-Truck” Barbera arriving in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I’d like to tell you about some of the smaller lots of Piedmont I’ve accrued of late:

Cappellano. Although the Cappellano story goes back 5 generations, it was Teobaldo Cappellano, Italian by heritage but born and raised in the horn of Africa, who put the family back on the map when he arrived in Barolo after his father’s untimely death in 1955. Although the Cappellanos had been famous/notorious for making Barolo Chinato in the late 19^th century (Chinato is when crazy people add quinine bark and herbs to Barolo, placing it somewhere between “Aperitif” and “Potion”), the wartime years saw the family sell off their grapes to bulk producers, and adopt the “if it grows, spray it” mass-agricultural ethics of the more industrialized countries.

What Teobaldo did makes sense in a 21^st century fine wine context, but it seemed like mad abandon to contemporary 1960s common-sense viticulture: he reduced the family’s vineyards to only 4 hectares (madness! How will you eat?), sold off the French Barrique barrels in favour of large, neutral Botti (are you crazy? The Americans won’t buy it!), ended the use of pesticides and herbicides in the vineyards and stopped adding sulphites in the winery (but chemicals are fine! –  cough). Perhaps the most notable act that Teobaldo did towards cementing his crazy-hermit-cave-kingdom reputation was to ban all wine journalists from his property unless they agreed to never assign a numerical score to his wines. Teobaldo passed away in 2009, but his son Augusto carries all these traditions on to this day.

Cappellano still makes only 800 cases of wine per year, and it’s incredibly hard to get, to my knowledge only Quebec and B.C. get any in Canada, and the U.S. is largely ignored – the majority of their production is sold locally and in France and Germany. Augusto carries on his dad’s traditions of long macerations and fermentations with no added yeasts (no added anything, unless you count bottles and corks), and I’m proud and honoured to offer their wines:

Cappellano Barolo “Otin Fiorin” Pie Rupestris 2013. From the Gabutti cru in Serralunga d’Alba, in fact the labels used to say “Gabutti” on them but Teobaldo removed the name in protest of the cru’s expansion (and instead included the name of the land’s previous owner, Otin Fiorin). This is surprisingly drinkable and generous considering the Pre-WW1 methods, the fruit is present and vibrant in a way that resembles Grand Cru red Burgundy – crystalline precision of fruit and concentration that (at least right now) outshines the considerable tannins. Let’s not confuse “traditional” for “funk”, just because Augusto makes his wines the way The Lorax would doesn’t mean there’s any barnyard going on – there’s a purity of fruit and earth that is direct and piercing. 2 6-packs available, $107.99 +tax

Cappellano Barbera d’Alba Gabutti 2012. Planted in the non-southwest-facing parts of the Pie Rupestris vineyard (the parts where Nebbiolo isn’t planted), this firecracker of a Barbera is a study in balance: the softer fruits and medium body are electrified by the streak of glorious acidity, but they also keep the acidity from taking the paint off your house. Floral and spice elements invade the red-fruit-driven nose, and the body vibrates with energy – see for yourself when we pour it in the River District Vintage Room at 3pm this Saturday. 2 cases available, $57.49 +tax

Elio Filippino. The 50^th anniversary of the Filippino family’s winery this year was enough to propel the charming but hermetic Elio to travel the world – I met him in the springtime here at the store. Elio contains 0% English so he travels with a translator, an impeccably dressed older Italian lady who seemed forlorn that she couldn’t smoke anywhere. Also following the ethic of not submitting for numerical scores, Elio largely makes wine from only two hills near Nieve, Serra Capelli and San Cristoforo, and practices a vineyard management style so brutal it’s lucky for him that grapes can’t have lawyers. Concentration and longevity are his goals, and his Barbarescos are statuesque and powerful, especially:

Elio Filippino Barbaresco Serre Capelli Riserva 2013. Hide your kids. Reminds me of the Elio Grasso Runcot Barolo, in that it’s unapologetically aged for 2 years in new French Barriques and it drinks like it just wrestled a bear and won. The nose is gorgeous, floral and generous, and drinks at the upper limits of what body you can wrest from Nebbiolo – a loooooong finish with fireworks. Shades of minerality persist and the acidity checks the weight, this is, in fact, in balance, but the glory days for this rock star start in 2025. Stellar vintage from a stellar vineyard, what more can one ask? First time ever in B.C. 2 wooden 6-packs available, $74.49 +tax

Beni di Batasiolo. The Dogliani brothers started Batasiolo in the 1950s, and have specialized in bringing wines from the Barolo DOCG to us at reasonable prices – in fact they’ve been in our market so long, it’s likely that the first Barolo you ever tried was by them. We’ve managed to find some back vintages that have both feet in the zone, drinking-wise:

Batasiolo Barolo Vigneto Boscareto 2006. The notoriously tight Boscareto cru in the Serralunga d’Alba commune generally takes several years in bottle to lose its baby teeth, but the nice folks at Batasiolo have done that for us. This Boscareto is firmly in Act One, there are tertiary notes of leather surrounding the primary bright red fruits and spicy beef broth, with cigar box, dried flowers and happiness. The body and finish are still bulletproof. 92 points Wine Spectator, 2 6-packs available, $75.49 +tax

Batasiolo Barolo Riserva 2007. All hail the Lord Mayor of Gulp Town. This gathering of various Barolo crus is drinking like an elephant hug right now – the grip is perfect and the nose is amazeballs. Dried fruits, dried lavender and Cherry Coke beneath some dusty topsoil and burnt orange. Enough tannin to remind you that it is, indeed, Nebbiolo, but nothing is poking out past the supple body. Fully in the zone, not sure why it’s this cheap. 95 points Decanter Asia, 2 cases available, $54.99 +tax

I’ll be back tomorrow with a Back Up The Truck California Cab!!

Happy Drinking!

 

Postscript: Rome doesn’t get a lot of rain, so the nice Italian folks that built Rome’s Airport forgot to tell their roof what to do with it. My right foot found a puddle on the floor of an airport walkway (we Vancouverites have 26 words for puddles – it didn’t occur to me to avoid this one) and it kept sliding, my left foot stayed in place but twisted in a way that feet don’t. The resulting sprain didn’t keep me away from the store when I got home, but it should have cuz I think I made it worse by walking on it.

To point: I won’t be in the store much in the coming days (I’m here today only briefly), but I’ll still be writing emails – I have too much great wine to tell you about and frankly I get bored just sitting at home with my stupid foot in the air. My overworked but understanding team here at Everything Wine River District will be helping me out by getting your orders ready – if you want some of these (or other) wines please reply by email (not phone) so I can instruct them on what to put together. Thanks, and Ow.

Post-Postscript: Decanter Asia is an adjudication put on by Decanter Magazine in Hong Kong, considered to be the top wine competition in Asia (and judged by the top Asian wine experts), but distinct from regular Decanter points, which are awarded in London.

Hi Everyone!

I’m back home after a whirlwind tour of Italy with my mother and brother; we went to Montalcino, San Gimignano, Panzano in Chianti, Florence and Rome, eating and drinking the whole way. It was resplendent in many shades of awesome. I’ll have some tales to tell down the road, but today I’m writing about an amazing wine from a Tuscan village I didn’t quite make it to on this trip: Montepulciano.

I have to stop referring to specific small Tuscan villages as “walled, hilltop towns” as if that’s a distinguishing characteristic. They all are.  After spending a week in the Tuscan countryside, I can testify that I never spent any time in a valley, either driving or visiting, because the towns and roads are all in the hills. If you told me that Tuscan vampires came out at night but only in the valleys, I’d believe you because everything is built to avoid those vampires.

That said, Montepulciano is a walled hilltop town, surrounded by vineyards that grow a particular clone of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile (there is a Southern Italian grape that’s actually called “Montepulciano” but it’s confusingly never grown in Montepulciano – I had a dream where I brought the grape to the town and created a wormhole). In contrast to Brunello’s Sangiovese Grosso and Chianti’s Sangiovese Piccolo, Prugnolo Gentile (meaning “plummy and soft”, kinda) is richer and generally less acidic, and the building block for one of Italy’s great wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Nobiles often nose like Chianti Classicos but drink like Brunellos, large and long-lived, but their lesser lore makes them far more affordable for wine drinkers, especially compared to Brunellos.

Although Carpineto has been quietly producing wines from all over Tuscany for over 50 years, it’s their Vino Nobiles that have always captured my attention – structured like linebackers but still graceful and gorgeous, and the stars aligned for this amazing 2013 Riserva. Simply put, it’s the best points-to-price ratio I’ve seen in years. If this wine doesn’t place highly on the WS Top 100 this year…  I’ll be wrong.

Behold this handsome beast: richly layered and tightly strung with black fruits and slow, deliberate deployment, some mineral notes. Drinks like twice the price, lovely mix of masculine and feminine on the nose with violet and cedar, the tannins are firm but don’t poke out past the ample body. Aged a year longer than the DOCG requires, drinking now but could go a decade standing on its head. Whatever you buy of this, you’ll wish you bought more (I do). If there’s any left by Saturday we’ll pour it at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room.

Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2013. 95 points Wine Spectator, 15 6-packs available, $40.49 +tax

Start your engines, and Happy Drinking!

As we begin to anticipate the season change to fall, there are two types of people: those who continue to shiver in their shorts as they walk on the fallen leaves and those who greet the Autumn season with big scarves, and pumpkin-spiced everything. No matter if you're in Fall-denial or Fall-acceptance, one thing we can all agree on is a new season calls for new wines! Here is our guide to the best varietals to sip on this fall season.

1. Beaujolais
   This is a light red wine made with Gamay noir grapes. It offers a wide range of flavours from raspberry, tart cherries, and cranberries to earthy flavours of mushroom and forest floor.  is located in the south of the famous wine region of Burgundy. What makes it so great for Fall? It is a great transition wine between seasons as it is light with great amounts of acidity and offers flavours that compliment roast turkey (or tofurkey).


2. Oaked Chardonnay
    Don't worry white wine fans, we didn't forget about you. Although Fall tends to be associated with big, rich reds, there are also many white varietals that are Fall-friendly. One of our top picks is an oaked Chardonnay. Chardonnay is the most diverse and planted white wine grape in the world. Because of this, its flavours differ from region to region. An un-oaked Chardonnay will have brighter flavours ranging from lemon to pineapple, whereas oaked-Chardonnays tend to be richer, with notes of vanilla and spice (don't these flavours just scream fall?). Because of its full-bodied sweet texture, we'd recommend an oaked Chardonnay!


3. Syrah
   If you’re someone looking to dive into Fall wines head first with some full-bodied gems, try a Syrah! From tart and jammy notes of blackberry, and blueberries to earthy forest aromas of herbs and smoke, Syrah wines offer a full punch of flavour from the first sip with a spicy after-taste following. Syrah is one of the key grape varieties in France's Rhône Valley and the Barossa Valley in Australia (where it is called Shiraz). Why should this be your go-to Fall wine? The flavour profile basically is Fall in a glass, mimicking aromas of fallen leaves and sweet pie. The warming aromas also go fantastically with the crisp weather outside!


4. Grenache
   Nothing says Fall quite like the smell of sweet cinnamon, which is what you'll find in our next fantastic Fall varietal: Grenache! This varietal is plated widely in the Rhône Valley region, and can be found in many blends from the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape! It's also grown in Spain and called Garnacha! Other flavours and aromas you'll find in this wine are strawberries, black cherry, and citrus rind. Try this varietal with another Fall favourite, roasted root vegetables!

Have a go-to Fall varietal we didn't list? Let us know in the comments below what wines you enjoy sipping during the Fall season!

Throughout the year I tend to collect small batches of yums – not a big enough buy to write a whole story about, but supremely tasty finds none the less. The time has come to show my cards and spill the beans: I’m sitting on a pretty tidy Tuscan Salad right now. I’ve Supertuscans and DOCG wines, some to drink and some to time-capsule, some are returning champions and some are newbies - since it’s a long list I’ll get right to part one:

Piaggia Il Sasso 2015, Carmignano DOCG. Is this Tig at less than half the price? Carmignano, that ancient village north of Florence, is less famous today than it was during the Renaissance, when it was the pastoral playground of the ruling Medici family.  Despite its local renown (it was the first Italian village where Cab was allowed under DOCG regs) its wines have been largely absent from our shores, which is a shame because here be dragons. Spark, sizzle and heft, 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (similar to Tignanello’s make-up). Some Carmignanos want to turn you into a better, leaner soldier but Il Sasso just wants to give you a neck rub and hear about your day, the body here is more luscious than usual and the floral, dark fruited nose doesn’t require a degree in Latin to get. If I still have some, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’re curious. Herbs and cocoa powder round off the finish, holy cheese-balls 2015 was a great vintage there. 95 points Vinous, 3 6-packs available, $48.99 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra 2013, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. A returning champion (in boxing announcer voice): the “Magic From Montalcino”!! The “Presto right from the UNSECO Site”!! My allotment of this iconic, traditionally modern (modernly traditional?) Brunello shrinks every year, and every year my lucky International Cellars agent gets to hear what I think about that. Whereas many of the 2013 Brunellos are accessible a tad earlier than the 2012s, Canalicchio di Sopra does Opposite Day and proves to be a little tighter than last year. The intensity is nearly identical (perhaps more so), ripe red fruit with burnt orange and black twizzlers, but the supporting frame is poking out at the moment and will need a couple years’ education to unlock fully. I hate being this guy but I’ll have to limit this to one 6-pack each for the first 3 respondents. Seems fairest? 97 points Wine Spectator, 96 points Robert Parker, 3 6-packs available, $90.49 +tax

Canalicchio di Sopra Riserva 2012, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Everything I just said times five. This Riserva doesn’t always come to BC, and those of us who get some dare not divulge the dirty deeds we did to get it. Built like a truck, decidedly longer maceration and darker pigment, here, everything would collapse on its own tent poles if it weren’t for that filament streak of acidity that elevates the body and electrifies the finish. Not sure why you’d throw dark cherries on the BBQ but that’s a start? Outstanding balance between Monument and Pleasure Dome. 96 points Wine Spectator, 2 wooden 6-packs available, $181.49 +tax

Rocco di Montegrossi Geremia 2013, Toscana IGT. A bear that was raised by ducks. An outstanding Chianti house in its own right (their sweet Vin Santo is to die for), Montegrossi grows Merlot and Cab (85/15) in the middle of Chianti Classico, ages it in French oak for 2 years, then unleashes it into society without any regard to public safety. Sweaty blackberries are fanning themselves with sprigs of rosemary, unaware that the reason they’re so hot is that they’re on fire. A classical minerality reminds you that this is indeed Tuscany, the plums and massive body tell you that this is indeed Merlot The Giant, and it sits wherever it wants. If quantities hold, we’ll be pouring this on Saturday at 3pm in the River District Vintage Room if you’d like to taste. 97 points Vinous, 2 cases available, $70.99 +tax

Casanova di Neri Cerretalto 2012, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. I got one of only 2 3-packs that came into BC. The Cerretalto vineyard, east of Montalcino, forms an eastern-facing natural amphitheatre that cradles the morning sun, only to let the heat slowly dissipate as evening falls, and nights here are cold. The barely decomposed, iron-rich soil is so poor that the Sangiovese Grosso vines (Brunello in local parlance) can only muster sparse, small, straggly bunches of grapes, packed with super-human phenolics and fruit-weight. Things should not grow here, and the things that do should scare you. The downscale 2012 Brunello from Casanova di Neri placed #4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 – this wine is several Bowser Castles up from that. The stressed vines throw everything they have at these grapes because they have to: crushed rocks, spiced cherries, orange tobacco - but the concentration, achieved entirely in the vineyard, is the stuff of legends. 98 points Wine Spectator, 98 points Robert Parker, 3 bottles available, $607.99 +tax

Hope to see you Saturday, until next week (for Part Two), Happy Drinking!!