Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon Cuvee Guy Moreau 2012

Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon Cuvee Guy Moreau 2012 (WS92, SKU 116855, $44.99)

I came across this white wine while reading the Vancouver Sun wine column. They featured the more expensive version but I thought this had more value. This is a Burgundy premiere cru and is made from Chardonnay grapes. When opened from the bottle, it was fresh with citrus taste and very well balanced. It was not too dry but did not have the big fruit forward like the new world chardonnays. The body was smooth and the finish was long. No wonder Wine Spectator gave it 92 points and recommended opening it between 2016 to 2027. This is not a cheap wine but I think the value is definitely there. It may even make the Top 100 wines for 2014. Unfortunately I bought all of the stock at 39th and Cambie. There are still 20 bottles at the Alberni LDB store and 6 bottles at Brighouse in Richmond.

Beringer Chardonnay Napa Valley Private Reserve 2012

Beringer Chardonnay Napa Valley Private Reserve 2012 (WS93, US$28.99)

I found this white wine as I was shopping in the Aurora Village Costco near Seattle. How could I pass up a 93 point Napa chardonnay that is in the reserve class for under $30? Of course I cannot wait to open it once I got home. This is a typical full body Californian chardonnay. The nose was not too impressive to start but the taste was wonderful. There was definitely a lot of fruits, namely pineapple and pears. It was very smooth on the palate and had the creamy buttery feel. The finish was long. It would go well with some fresh Sockeye salmon. I wish it is available in B. C. but unfortunately it is not imported. The LDB system only has the entry level Stone Cellars and Founders Estate series. If this wine is to be imported, it will probably sell for $50. So if you have a chance to drive to the States, drop by one of the Costco stores and bring a few back.

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2009

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2009 (WS93, $79.99 SKU 569814) This wine has been available for some time at the LDB stores and I actually bought a bottle. I was just waiting for an opportunity to taste it. The moment came when I hosted a barbeque and it was tasted with the Vina Santa Rita Triple C 2008. I decanted this for ninety minutes and served it with some barbeque beef and pork ribs. The nose was robust and sweet. The body was full, the taste was full of dark berries and the finish was long, a typical well made California cabernet sauvignon. The alcohol content was 15.7% and it was a strong wine. Since the beef ribs had some fat attached, it cut right through the fat to accent the meat. I tasted the remainder the next evening and the fruit and body were still very much present. Wine Spectator suggested drinking it between 2014 and 2026, so there is a lot of life left. Buy it for your cellar and open it in five to ten years' time. There are over 100 bottles in the LDB stores.

Vina Santa Rita Maipo Valley Triple C 2008

Vina Santa Rita Maipo Valley Triple C 2008 (WS93, $38.99, SKU 98442) I found this wine as I was browsing the LDB website and noticed there were 12 bottles in the whole province. As it was Wine Spectator's No. 47 of the Top 100 wines of 2013, I found it irresistible at this price. The trouble was none of the bottles were in Vancouver. I went to the 39th and Cambie store and ordered all seven bottles from the Kamloops store. It arrived in two days. It was called "Triple C" because it was a blend of three red grapes: cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere.  I opened one for a barbeque where beef and pork ribs were featured. After ninety minutes of decanting, it still had a very fragrant nose and tasted very fresh. The taste was floral and somewhat herbal with a solid core of berries. The finish was balanced from beginning to end. With the ribs, it was a perfect match. It was definitely worthy of the Wine Spectator score and an excellent value Chilean red wine. Unfortunately there are only three bottles left in the LDB system and the rest are in my cellar.

Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc 2005

Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc 2005 (WS87, $39.99 SKU 876011) I saw one bottle this at the 39th & Cambie LDB store and decided to try it because it is from a great vintage and it should be about time to open it. Wine Spectator suggested opening it after 2008. I decanted it for two hours before drinking it with some lamb, pork and chicken from the Greek festival. The nose was pleasant and the taste was easy-drinking Bordeaux. There was little tannin but the mineral taste went well with the meat. There was a hint of fruit but definitely not too jammy. I thought a left bank Bordeaux from a great vintage at this price was a good deal. Last I checked, there were 10 bottles at the 39th and Cambie store and 47 bottles at the Alberni store.

Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Cotes du Provence Rose Miraval 2013

Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Cotes du Provence Rose Miraval 2013 (WS89, $28.99, SKU 488049)

A tasting panel member invited me to a barbeque and served this as the starter. The drawing point was that this was a combined effort of the famous Jolie and Pitt couple with the Perrin winery. It was a very refreshing wine for the salad and the salmon. However it does have some body and some fruits. I was not usually a fan of the Rose wines since they are usually too light. This one had 13% alcohol but did not taste too heavy. So this would be a great summer barbeque starter wine. There is something strange about this wine as the name and the SKU does not appear on the LDB website. However I saw boxes of this wine at the 39th and Cambie store.

Vina Santa Rita Syrah Reserva 2009

Vina Santa Rita Syrah Reserva 2009 (WS92, $14.99, SKU 760546) One of my tasting panel member found this and alerted me to it. We opened a bottle to see if there is such a good deal around. Syrah (same as the Australian shiraz) is a heavier grape and the wines are usually are heavier. The nose was strong upon opening and the body was medium to full. It tasted like a good syrah with a hint of pepper. My tasting panel did not think that this was a 92 point wine, more like 88. But at this price, it is impossible to resist, especially to complement a nice barbeque steak or rack of lamb. Wine Spectator indicated it can be opened now or cellared until 2020. There is a lot of stock in the LDB system. It will probably make the Wine Spectator Top 100 list for 2014.

Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 2012

Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 2012 ($29.99, SKU 519686) I read about this in a local newspaper column and decided to try it. This was a white wine from the Burgundy region in France and some of those wines can get very expensive. So I wanted to try a more economical version to get a taste. Chablis are made from chardonnay grape but they taste different from the Canadian or American method. They usually taste quite dry and is not creamy like the new world offerings. This one was dry but there was a taste of citrus and some type of fruit behind it. So it went well with a barbeque salmon. There was no Wine Spectator rating for the 2012 vintage but the 2011 was rated at 90 points. So this is a very attractive Burgundy white wine at this price. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Chateau Joinin Bordeaux 2010

Chateau Joinin Bordeaux 2010 (WS90, $19.99 SKU 738278) I found this as I wandered through the 39th & Cambie LDB store. The name was a bit unusual, looks like "join in". But it was a serious merlot based Bordeaux 2010. The nose upon opening was quite full. The body was medium but the wine was quite fruity due to the grape variety. It was a wine made for immediate consumption, so cook a good steak and open a bottle. Wine Spectator said it should be opened from 2013 to 2014. There is ample stock in the LDB system but none at 39th & Cambie.

Frescobaldi Tenuta Frescobaldi di Castiglioni Toscana 2010

Frescobaldi Tenuta Frescobaldi di Castiglioni Toscana 2010 ($26.99, SKU 380824) This was recommended to me by a tasting panel member. The nose was fruity to start and the taste was balanced. The body was medium to full. There was still a lot of tannin but it started to mellow out after about an hour in the glass. There was no rating from Wine Spectator yet but it should come in around 92 points. Again, how long can one resist drinking a $27 wine. I recommend patience of 8 to 10 years and you will be rewarded. There are over 360 bottles distributed throughout the LDB stores.

Villa Antinori Toscana 2010

Villa Antinori Toscana 2010 (WS92, $26.99, SKU 104885) I found this vintage at the liquor store recently and figured that it was worth a try since Wine Spectator gave it a "Smart Buy" rating for three years. This was the best of the past three vintages. When opened, the nose was tight and needed decanting for an hour. It was a Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah blend with strong tannin. It did not quite open up at the end of dinner but there was definitely some substance. It should be paired with Italian food. It will require long term cellaring as Wine Spectator suggested maturity between 2016 to 2024. At this price, it should make Wine Spectator's Top 100 for this year. The questions is how long can one cellar a $27 wine. The temptation is great to open a bottle whenever there is Italian food. There is ample stock at the liquor stores.

Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2010

Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2010 ($30, SKU 285775) This was discovered by a tasting panel member while looking at the left over wines from the wine festival. The price was reduced by $10 to $30. It was an eastern Canada wine with grapes from the Niagara region. It had medium body with medium flavour. There was a hint of papaya on the palate. It tasted more like the new world California chardonnay. There are two bottles left at 39th and 19 bottles each at Alberni and Park Royal. It is an interesting comparison to the B. C. chardonnay.

Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2012

Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2012 ($19.99, SKU 377770) This was brought to a dinner that I attended as an opening dialogue. It was a medium body chardonnay with a lighter taste like a French Chablis. It was quite pleasant complement to the appetizers and salads. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Cantinian Malbec 2012

Cantinian Malbec 2012 ($18.95, SKU 176487) I found this in the isles of the LDB store and it was advertised as a Canadian couple living in Argentina decided to apply their wine-making techniques to the local grape, Malbec. The wine was a medium body red wine with a funky character. It would probably be a nice barbeque wine. There is lots of stock in the LDB system.

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon California 2011

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon California 2011 ($20.99, SKU 142026) I tried this on the suggestion of one of my tasting panel. He found this in the corner of wine festival left over wines at 39th and Cambie. This is probably the third wine of Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma. Their flagship wine is the Cinq Cepages which sells for Can $80. The cabernet sauvignon was very young and fruity. Initial taste was fruity and tangy but there was a herbal aftertaste. This would be a good economical wine to go with some barbeque or light meal. There are roughly a dozen of this wine left on the shelves just outside the demo kitchen at the 39th store but the SKU doesn't even appear on the LDB website. Just go to 39th and Cambie and buy it.

Chateau Maison Blanche Medoc 2009

Chateau Maison Blanche Medoc 2009 (WS91, $26.99, SKU 563429) I found this on the shelves of the 39th and Cambie LDB store sitting among the cheaper Bordeaux wines. I am always interested in the 2009 and 2010 vintage. As it was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator, I figured that I cannot go wrong by much at this price. The name translates into "white house". When first opened the nose was not impressive. However after about 30 minutes everything seemed to come together. The color on the cork was a bit light but the taste was fruity. Although the label is Medoc (left bank and cabernet sauvignon based) the wine was 80% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. So it was very comparable to the Chateau Pipeau that was tasted together. Half of my tasting panel liked this one and half liked the other one. At this price it is definitely worth a try with roast pork or chicken. Wine Spectator said it is good from 2012 to 2019, so it is good for short term cellaring. There is lots of stock in the LDB stores.

Chateau Pipeau St.-Emilion 2010

Chateau Pipeau St.-Emilion 2010 (WS91, $49.99, SKU 287292) I tried the 2009 vintage of this wine and was not very impressed. But the 2010 vintage came out at the same price and same Wine Spectator rating. However friends of mine have bought cases of this for their regular dinner party use and got good comments from their guests. So I decided to give it a try. The nose was fruity and pleasant when the bottle was opened. The color was dark red good legs on the glass. The body was medium to full with medium finish. This wine, being from the right bank Bordeaux region of St.-Emilion, was merlot based and can be opened earlier than the other left bank Bordeaux. It went well with Chinese food take-out. So it was not surprising that my friends received compliments for bringing this to Chinese dinners. Ideally it should be decanted for an hour or two and enjoyed with some well-marinated pork or chicken roast. Wine Spectator said this wine can be opened now or cellared until 2024. This is not an economical wine but remember that 2010 was an exceptional Bordeaux vintage and getting something for less than $50 is not easy. There is plenty of stock in all of the LDB stores.