Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2010

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2010 (WS87, $17.99, SKU 232439) This wine was $2 off its regular price at the LDB stores. I needed a wine to go with some Chinese food. It was quite fruity with a medium body. It tasted like a typical chardonnay and I found it went well with the many tastes of a Chinese meal. The price was very reasonable and there was lots of stock.

Domaine Faiveley Mercurey La Framboisiere 2009

Domaine Faiveley Mercurey La Framboisiere 2009 ($37.99, SKU 188144) I needed a Burgundy red wine to go with some abalone and sea-cucumber and decided to try this entry level wine. There is no WS rating on the wine yet but the less expensive version (without “La Framboisiere”) was rated at 89 points. The 2009 vintage is rumored to be a very good vintage for the Burgundy wines. When I first opened the bottle, I was greeted with a very pleasant floral nose. My tasting panel all had Burgundy wine glasses and I poured the wine into each glass. Over the course of two hours, the wine evolved very nicely just like any good Burgundy. The nose was still very strong after two hours. Even though the wine was probably too young to be opened, there was a taste of some fruits in the background with a medium body. This wine should probably be cellared for another three to five years. I must remind you that Burgundy wines are not for everyone. The taste is much lighter than the Bordeaux and other new world wines and the body is not as full. You also need a lot of patience (like two to three hours) to let the wine evolve in the glass but you will be rewarded. It went well with the abalone.