Dr. Loosen Spatlese Riesling Urziger Wurzgarten 2011

Dr. Loosen Spatlese Riesling Urziger Wurzgarten 2011 (WS93, $35.95, SKU 515700) I have been waiting for the arrival of this wine and I finally found it two weeks ago on the shelves. This was a German Riesling made with the grapes that are picked at least seven days after the normal harvest. The sweetness code on the shelves is 3 (0 is very dry, 10 is very sweet). It had a good nose and lots of fruits. There was taste of tropical fruits. Because of its medium body, it complemented Chinese dishes of halibut cheeks and tiger prawns well. There is another version the Wehlener Sonnenuhr that has a sweetness code of 7 but I found that one too sweet for Chinese food. There is stock at 39th and Cambie, Alberni, Park Royal and Richmond Brighouse.

Chateau Rahoul Graves 2010

Chateau Rahoul Graves 2010 (WS90, $26, SKU 184986) This was one of the lowest priced Bordeaux 2010 that I picked up at the end of September 2013 at the Bordeaux release. I opened it for an early tasting. As this came from the Graves region, it had a lot of mineral taste on the palate. Wine Spectator indicated drinking between 2014 to 2021. The wine can certainly use a few more years of cellaring. So if you are one of the lucky ones who got your hands on some bottles, hold on to them and be patient. Unfortunately, there is no more stock in the LDB system.

Sterling Chardonnay Vintner's Collection 2012

Sterling Chardonnay Vintner's Collection 2012 ($15.99, SKU 643874) I wanted to find an easy drinking chardonnay for everyday drinking and tasted this economical offering. I took it to a Chinese restaurant and opened it with a routine Chinese dinner. I like chardonnay because it has a fuller body and usually more fruity than the other white grapes. Sterling is a big vineyard in Napa Valley with a wonderful winery on top of the hill. There was a floral nose and a bit of oak. The fruit was easy to appreciate. At this price, I did not expect too much but this wine exceeded my expectations. For a everyday drinking chardonnay, I think this is a good value. There is plenty of stock in all of the LDB stores.