Fonseca Bin 27 Reserve Port NV

 

Fonseca Bin 27 Reserve Port NV (SKU 271585, WS90 pts., $25.29 tax included)

This was always my go-to port and I grabbed a couple of bottles when I saw it on sale recently. I discovered that there was a distinct taste to each house that produced port wines and each person would have his/ her favourite. Fonseca was one of the houses that I consistently preferred. Even though there was no vintage on it, the tasting notes from Wine Spectator's 2023 review showed it at 90 points. The plum flavour nose bursted out of the bottle when opened. The tasted was fruity as most port wines with a medium finish. When paired with dessert such as cheesecake or taro cake, it became very enjoyable. This is on sale at $3 off for the rest of November 2023 and there is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Carmenère Colchagua Valley Escudo Rojo 2021

 

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Carmenère Colchagua Valley Escudo Rojo 2021 (SKU 746321, WS90 pts., $21.84 tax included)

 I was attracted to the name of the winery when I saw this wine. Rothschild meant it was a famous French winery but it looked like they were producing wine in Chile. Carmenère was a one of the Chilean red grapes and tasted more like Merlot. At this price, I could not resist the curiosity to explore this wine. I brought is to a Chinese dinner and the server decanted it. There was a hint of light berries on the nose and palate with a medium body and medium finish. It paired well with most of the meat dishes. The surprising thing was it was rated at 90 points by Wine Spectator (WS) with a drinking window after 2025. It was considered a "Smart Buy" by WS. I would treat it as an economical table wine for general food pairing and near term consumption. At this price, I would not put it in my cellar for too long.

Castillo di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva Cavaliere d'Oro 2018

 

Castillo di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva Cavaliere d'Oro 2018 (SKU 25163, WS93 pts., $22.99 tax included)

I went by the LDB store on 39th and Cambie and saw a Flash Sale (August 3 to 6, 2023). The government liquor stores seemed to get into these promotional events like the other online retailers. I saw this wine on sale for $10 off (that was a 33% discount). When I checked the Wine Spectator rating, I could not believe my eyes. So I quickly grabbed one and opened it at dinner to pair with some Chinese barbeque pork. The nose was full of berries and I did not even bother to decant. The palate was also filled with berries and cherries along with an earthy undertone. The body was full and the finish was long. Wine Spectator indicated that the wine was best from 2023 to 2032, a long drinking window. The blend was Sangiovese and Merlot but it did not taste like the regular Chianti.

 Chianti Classico is sub-region in Chianti and Riserva means the wine was aged for at least 24 months with at least 3 months in the bottle. The rest of the name translates into Golden Knight. This wine is a good candidate for the Wine Spectator Top 100 for this year. With the Flash Sale happening only from August 3 to 6, 2023, I suggest getting a bottle to taste as soon as possible and go back and grab half a dozen bottles if it is to your taste.

Tormaresca Castel del Monte Trentangeli 2017

 

Tormaresca Castel del Monte Trentangeli 2017 (SKU675843, WS 91 pts., $25.29 tax included)

I was presented this wine as a gift and did some research on it. It came from Southern Italy region of Puglia at the heel of the Italian boot. The blend was Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, different from the usual Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Merlot found in the popular Italian wines. Since it had a Wine Spectator rating of 90 points, I thought it was worth trying at this price. The colour was garnet when first poured into the wine glass. The nose was pleasant and there was taste of red berries on the palate. The body was medium but went well with meat dishes. I tried it the first night with stewed beef ribs with tomato, the second night with roast chicken from Costco and the third night with Chinese style barbeque pork. It paired well with all three dishes and held up on the third night. So it looked an economical offering (at $2 off this month) which was very versatile with food pairing was found. In addition it was interesting to taste a wine from Puglia with different climate, terroir and grape variety. There is ample supply in the LDB stores.

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (SKU 156486, $22.39 tax included)

This was the wine I mentioned on my blog last month not to be confused with the Shiraz. I have not seen this wine available until this year and decided to give it a try because it was on sale this month. When opened, there was a very fruity nose. The palate was filled with loads of berries. Compared to the Shiraz, this did not taste as heavy but still clocked in with an alcohol content of 14.5%. The body was full and the legs hanged on the glass beautifully. At this price, one would not expect a complex taste or a long finish. It was a no brainer when paired with a nice prime rib takeout from The Keg as it was just thoroughly enjoyable. At $3 off, I would buy a few bottles for the coming barbeque season and also leave a few bottles in the cellar for up to five years.

Dr. Loosen Riesling Mosel 2019

Dr. Loosen Riesling Mosel 2019 (SKU599274, $18.39 tax included)

This was a previously tasted wine but I never bothered to put it on my blog because it was so plain. However I found it on sale in the LDB stores for the month of April 2021 and I tasted it again. It was a simple Riesling with a good fruity nose and taste of pineapple and peach. It was surprisingly refreshing when paired with a fish dish. It was also a surprise that one of my panelists liked it with a filet mignon. For those who do not tolerate alcohol well, it was only 8.5% and one can drink a little bit more without turning red. Previous vintages of the wine typically would get 85 points from Wine Spectator but it was noted to please most drinkers. At $2 off, this would be a great wine to stock up and drink over the next twelve months as a pleasant daily white wine.

 

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Shiraz 2018

 Peter Lehmann The Barossan Shiraz 2018 (SKU 144937, $22.39 tax included)

This was an updated version of the 2015 vintage that I wrote about two years ago. The 2015 vintage was rated at 92 points by Wine Spectator but available at less than $25. The current version was on sale at $3 off, so I decided to give it a try. The 2016 and 2017 vintages were not as good as the 2015, so there was nothing to write about. However the 2018 vintage, though not rated by Wine Spectator, was similar to the 2015. When I opened the bottle, my nose was filled with intense jammy fruit. On the palate, it was another big fruit bomb. However, there was a hint of some Chinese herbs and an aftertaste of honey. It went very nicely with some satay beef and pork. In fact it probably would go well with any red meat. The classic pairing for Shiraz is always with lamb. I think this very economical wine can be enjoyed now or left in the cellar for ten years. At this price one cannot be wrong by buying half a dozen. Just note that there is a Cabernet Sauvignon version of The Barossan at the liquor store and I have not tasted it. Make sure you buy the Shiraz.