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.

Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

 Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Riserva 2016  (SKU 176842, WS94 pts., $37.94 tax included)

I read about this in a newspaper column and decided to try it out. It was a Chianti from the Tuscany region of Italy. Upon opening, there was a full nose of fruits. Upon first tasting there were more berry like fruits. I was a little bit surprise because the Sangiovese grape was supposed to be quite dry. Further research indicated that this was a blend with some Merlot grapes. That would explain the fruitiness on the palate. The body was full and the finish was long. It went well with some Italian dishes. It also came with a small poster of the explanation of the name, something to do with some prince marrying some lady. In any case this was a great value wine for the cellar since it was a reserve level Chianti and the price was less than $40. Wine Spectator suggested drinking between 2022 to 2043, so there is a lot of life to it. There is adequate stock in the BC Liquor stores.

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018  (SKU 352583, $45.99 tax included)

I saw my usual favourite U.S. cabernet sauvignon at the liquor store on sale this month, so I took one bottle home to taste it. My executive chef happened to prepare some hamburger for dinner. I was slightly surprise as hamburgers were not on our usual dinner menu. But as luck would have it, the wine and the food were a match made in heaven. The hamburger was The Keg Prime Rib beef burger from Costco. When I first tasted the wine, I was met with some dark fruits on the nose and the palate. There was a slight bitter aftertaste with a hint of licorice. With the burger, the character of the wine changed completely. The palate was full of jammy fruits, more like an Australian Shiraz and the aftertaste was fruit. The finish was long and satisfying. As I indicated, this wine always tasted better than the ratings and almost tasted like a reserve level wine. It was unusual that it was produced from grapes from the Sonoma Valley, usually lower quality than its Napa cousins. But the offering from Beringer's Knights Valley seemed to be the exception and was very enjoyable. There was no Wine Spectator rating at the time of writing but I would not be surprised if the eventual rating would be 90 points. It is on sale at $7 off for the month of December. For your Christmas and New Year steak dinner, you cannot go wrong with this wine. There is ample supply in all of the LDB stores.

Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers 2016

 

Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers 2016 (SKU 131078, WS 93 pts., $34.49 tax included)

I read about this wine in an article in the Vancouver Sun a couple of months back. When I visited the LDB stores then, they had the 2017 vintage. I tried it and it was not impressive. Then earlier this week I saw the 2016 vintage at the Cambie and 39th store. I checked the Wine Spectator rating again to confirm that it was indeed rated at 93 points. I opened it last night to pair with some home cooked Chinese food. The colour was a very pleasing garnet. The nose was not bad and there were a lot of tannins. Then tonight my executive chef prepared some duck breasts and used the wine to make a sauce. I drank the leftover wine with the dish. The nose tonight was much more intense with obvious dark berries. The palate had a spicy taste and the finish was medium long. It paired really well with the duck breast. Crozes-Hermitage was one of the Northern Rhone wine regions producing economical wines. The grape was 100% syrah. This would be the same grape as the Australian shiraz. The way the French (old world) made their wines was very different from the Australians (new world). I personally preferred the Rhone wines since they were more subtle and they expressed themselves slowly over time. There is adequate stock in most of the LDB stores but make sure you check the vintage before buying.

Beringer Brothers Chardonnay Bourbon Barrel Aged 2016

 

Beringer Brothers Chardonnay Bourbon Barrel Aged 2016 (SKU 233513, $22.99 tax included)

I was visiting the Alberni and Bute store to buy some wine when I saw four boxes of this wine sitting in the corner. When I asked the staff what the price was, they had to open a box and scanned a bottle to give me the price. I recalled that the Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay was a very good wine, so I thought I would try this offering at a more affordable price. The wine was aged in Bourbon oak barrels for sixty days to give it more flavour. When opened, the bouquet was pleasantly fruity. The body was medium to full since it was a Chardonnay. The palate showed some fruits like apricot and pear. The finish was medium. I tasted it with some home cooked halibut and it went well. I also took it to a Chinese restaurant and tasted it with my tasting panel. They all like the pleasant taste and thought it went well with a Chinese meal. It was not too dry, so it was easy to appreciate. The alcohol content was 14.5%. For this price, this would be a great daily white wine to compliment any fish or chicken dish. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2014

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2014 (SKU 836759, WS 93 pts, $74.72 tax included) I was visiting a friend living in West Vancouver and was early, so I dropped by the Park Royal LDB store. I had my eyes on this Sonoma reserve wine. Normally Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon was better than Sonoma Valley ones. The exception was Beringer Knights Valley. In previous tastings, the regular version almost tasted like a reserve wine and had always been on my watch list. This reserve wine was listed at $10 off, so I jumped on it and brought a few bottles home. I tasted it with some barbeque beef ribs and chicken. The nose was full and the palate was luscious. I tasted a lot of dark berries and chocolate and my tasting panel tasted plum. The impressive feature was the wine tasted very consistent from start to finish. It was like a horse race where the winner led from the start gate all the way to the finish line. The finish was very long. Wine Spectator recommended drinking between 2018 to 2032. So this one was definitely destined for my cellar for medium term storage. Similar quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine probably would cost at least twice the price. So this would be a great wine to put away to celebrate some of life's milestone events. The LDB website listed the 2015 vintage but I actually bought the 2014 at the Park Royal store. It does not matter which vintage you find since both are rated at 93 points by Wine Spectator. It is on sale until September 5, 2020. There is limited stock at the Alberni and Bute LDB store and lots of stock in Park Royal.

Chateau Peyros Madiran Tannat-Cabernet Franc 2014

Chateau Peyros Madiran Tannat-Cabernet Franc 2014 (SKU227918, $22.99 tax included)

I was given this as a present by a friend who came to dinner and opened it later with some Chinese take-out. The grape was Tannat and Cabernet Franc. Madiran was a wine region in the Southwest of France and Chateau Peyros only grew these two grapes. There was not much of a nose upon opening the bottle. However it had a very fresh taste with hints of spices. It was a lighter body wine suitable for general food pairing. I had Chinese style beef tenderloin in tomato sauce, spare ribs in butter sauce and oyster in hotpot with it and it paired well. At this price, it was a good daily home drinking wine. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018 (SKU168054, WS90, $13.79 tax included/375 ml.)

I found this sitting on the LDB shelf in the half bottle section. I normally do not buy half bottles since wines age better in full bottles. But since I cannot finish a whole bottle and the Wine Spectator rating on this vintage was decent, I thought I would give it a try. It had a fresh nose upon opening and a medium body. The palate had tastes of citrus fruits. It went well with seafood and even tasted good with mild curry. The finish was medium. Compared to the 2019 Cloudy Bay, it was slightly less appealing. But at one third the price, it was still a decent dinner wine for any Chinese dinner. Note that the price is for half a bottle. The full bottles at the LDB stores were all 2019 vintage and was rated at 89 points by Wine Spectator. There is ample stock in various LDB stores. This wine is also on the wine list of a lot of restaurants since the price point is affordable.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2019

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2019 (SKU304469, WS93, $39.09 tax included)

I went by the LDB store to look for a wine to bring to a friend's dinner. I saw this offering at the 39th & Cambie store and recalled that Cloudy Bay was one of the top producer of Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand. Further research showed that the 2019 vintage was rated at 93 points by Wine Spectator. I bought the last one on the shelf and brought it to the dinner to pair with some seafood. Upon opening, everyone present was impressed with the very fruity nose. Some of the guest tasted passion fruit while I tasted some citrus fruits. They body was full and the finish was long. Wine Spectator indicated that it was ready for consumption now. It was a bit pricy but you would be drinking the top Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It is now one sale until July 4, 2020. LDB website shows there is ample stock around the various stores including the 39th & Cambie one.

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay California 2015

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay California 2015 (SKU183982, $25.29)

I found this on promotion at the local LDB store and decided to try this low priced California Chardonnay. It was paired some baked Steelhead salmon and pan-fried scallops. The body was medium and the palate came through with apple and pears. It was a good paring with the seafood. There were two offerings at the LDB stores that were very similar. The other feature was Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Sonoma 2016 for the same price. I have not tasted that one yet. I highly recommend this well-priced Chardonnay with any seafood dish. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.

Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2018

Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2018 (SKU69914, $32.19 tax included)

One of my panellist gave me this wine to try during the COVID 19 stay home period. I was a little reluctant since this just a entry level Burgundy wine. I remembered that most Burgundy red wines were made from the Pinot Noir grape, so why did they have to put down "Bourgogne" and "Pinot Noir" on the label. I tasted it with some home-cooked Chinese meals on three consecutive nights. The nose was fruity, so not the typical higher end Burgundy wine with the strawberry nose. The palate was also not as dry as the typical Burgundy. It reminded me more of the American Oregon or California Pinot Noir where there was a lot of fruit and fuller body. However it paired well with Chinese food and baked chicken. It tasted well even on the third night, so it showed that there was some structure to the wine. It is on sale for $2 off now at the LDB stores with lots of stock.

San Felice Chianti Classico 2017

San Felice Chianti Classico 2017 (SKU494469, $26.44 tax included, WS88)

I went by the LDB store and found this wine featured prominently near the front. The shelf label indicated it was the 2016 vintage. I checked Wine Spectator and found it to be 94 points and was number 19 of the Top 100 Wines of 2018. I quickly grabbed it and tasted it with some home-cooked meals. The nose was flowery and there was some berries on the palate. The finish was moderately long and it was quite a good Sangiovese. There was enough tannins for it to last a few more years. But when I came to take a photo for my blog, I discovered to my horror that they were selling the 2017 vintage which was rated at 88 points. Luckily it was not a complete disappointment since it was a decent Chianti Classico at an attractive price. Wine Spectator suggested drinking it between 2019 to 2025. It paired well with a tomato sauce dish, so I would highly recommend it with an Italian food. I went back to check to see if they have any of the 2016 vintages left but there was none. There is ample supply of the 2017 vintage in the LDB stores.

Estrella de Pascua Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah

Estrella de Pascua Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah (SKU 259051, $9.76 tax included)

There is a promotion going on at LDB for this Chilean red wine. The promotion is buy this and a 6 pack of a Holland beer and get $5 off. The wine itself is $3.50 off and the beer is $1.50 off if bought together. When I saw this, I thought it is a joke. How can there be a red wine under $10? There was no vintage on the bottle! I bought one just to try and paired it with some Chinese food in a restaurant. The wine was surprisingly fresh with a medium body. There was a hint of dark fruits on the palate. The finish was short but it went well with some everyday Chinese food. The alcohol content is only 12.5%, so it is not overwhelming. This would be a good wine to pair with some simple Chinese food or drink at a backyard barbeque. I have not tasted the beer and cannot comment on it. There is ample supply in the LDB stores. I recommend it just for fun. The promotion is good until March 31, 2020.

Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz Barossa Valley 2017

Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz Barossa Valley 2017 (SKU 78154, WS 93 pts. $42.54 tax included)

The LDB store at 39th & Cambie featured a selection of Wine Spectator Top 100 wines recently. Among them was this selection. I had tasted other wines from this winery before and found them different from the typical Australian wineries. As expected there was a strong fruity nose upon opening the screw top bottle. The palate was filled with berries with a floral undertone. The body was full and the finish was moderately long. This was different from other Australian Shiraz producers in the sense that it was not a big fruit bomb with little character otherwise. As this was No. 32 in Wine Spectator's 2019 Top 100 list, it is definitely worth serving with a nice steak or some lamb chops. There is limited supply at 39th & Cambie, Park Royal and Richmond Brighouse stores.