Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer 2007

Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer 2007 ($39.99, SKU 528349) I just saw this yesterday at the Cambie and 39^th LDB store. The 2004 vintage was a highly rated wine (WS 93 points) but needed a lot more time in the cellar. So I picked up a bottle for dinner. We were having crab cake and roast chicken from Costco. The bottle was a screw cap, so it was easy to open. The aroma rushed out of the bottle when first opened. The color war dark garnet and the wine looked serious. I knew the wine needed decanting, so I used my breathable glass. But even after 15 minutes in the glass, there was a lot of tannin while the nose was strong. I did not think it had the same impact as the 2004 vintage but it was certainly a solid wine. It was like a wild horse that needed taming. With the roast chicken, the fruit started to come out. There was no WS rating on this wine. Alcohol content was a hefty 14.5%. The best thing would be to buy it and leave it in the cellar for five to ten years. But at this price and a screw cap, it would be difficult to hold it for so long, so I would suggest giving it some serious decanting of two to for hours before enjoying it with some heavy meat such as beef or duck.

Ronan by Clinet, Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2009

Ronan by Clinet, Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2009 ($35) I have to break my promise again as this is a economical 2009 Bordeaux but can only be purchased from private sources. However I have to write about it since I tasted it with the Chateau Croix Mouton 2009. This was a 100% merlot wine made with grapes just outside the Pomerol region. Apparently it was made in the same way as the Chateau Clinet 2009 but because the grapes were grown just outside the boundary, it could not be called a Pomerol wine. I decanted it for an hour and found the nose to be mellow. The body was medium, so was the finish. It was not as fruity as the Croix Mouton even though it was 100% merlot. It had characteristics of a typical Bordeaux. It would go well with a good steak. Again if you see it in the States, bring some back.

Chateau Croix Mouton , Bordeaux Superieur 2009

Chateau Croix Mouton , Bordeaux Superieur 2009 ($28.00, SKU 749424) I started my blog by promising to write about wines of good value that you can purchase at the LDB stores. I have to break my promise with this wine since it is good value but you cannot buy it at LDB anymore. This was one of the 2009 Bordeaux release that I recommended to you. One of my friends was kind enough to pick up a few bottles for me while I was away during the release on September 29, 2012. This was not the bottle that the LDB printed in the Bordeaux booklet. This one was a Merlot blend, with 87% merlot. I decided to decant it for an hour despite its low price since some of the review I read online suggested it. The nose was quite sweet when I first opened the bottle. The color was quite dark in the decanter. There was definitely lots of fruit when tasted and the body was medium. It also had medium finish. My tasting panel was surprised at the quality of this wine at this price. One tasting panel member thought this was an Italian wine because of the taste. Wine Spectator gave it 86 to 89 points in the barrel tasting in 2010 but no final score. Robert Parker gave it 89 to 91 points. I think this one is definitely an over-achiever. If you happen to travel to the States, check out the wine stores to see if you see it. Take as many back as you can.

St. Urbans-Hof Kabinett Riesling Piersporter Goldtropfchen 2010

St. Urbans-Hof Kabinett Riesling Piersporter Goldtropfchen 2010 (WS93. $29.99, SKU 598003) I was looking for a white wine for a banquet and found this sitting next to the Ockfener Bockstien that I tasted before. The sweetness code at LDB was “03”. The name was really long but it gave me more idea what the wine was like. Kabinett was one the styles of making Riesling by the Germans. I tasted it with some takeout Chinese food and found it went well by itself or with the food. The nose was sweet with immediate taste of apple. The body was full and the finish was long. My tasting panel also found it to be very intense. It is good from 2011 to 2030. At this price, I think it is a great deal for a 93 point Riesling. There are 45 bottles at 39^th and Cambie, 11 bottles at Dunbar and 20 bottles at Park Royal in West Vancouver. The bottle looks exactly like the Ockfener Bockstien, so do not confuse the two.

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.

Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley 2010

Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley (WS90, $27.99, SKU 34066) I was going to serve a Californian Chardonnay as a starting wine for the evening but saw this 90 pointer at the LDB store. I figured that this was less expensive than the chardonnay and has a WS rating, so why not. I normally do not know how to appreciate the viognier grape but found this to be quite pleasant. There was medium body with some fruits and a medium finish. It would go well with seafood or Chinese food.