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.

Apothic Cabernet Sauvignon California 2018

Apothic Cabernet Sauvignon California 2018 (SKU 253416, $16.09 tax included)

I found this about a month ago at the government liquor stores and decided to give it a try. I previously tasted the Apothic Red and thought it was a joke. I also tasted the Apothic Dark (see my previous blog in March 2018) and did not think much of it as it had no character at all. But since this one is Cabernet Sauvignon predominant wine, I thought I would give it a chance. I first opened it at a Chinese dinner in a restaurant and found it to be easy drinking with a pleasant vanilla note. The body was medium and the finish was so so. I saw it again recently at the liquor store on sale for $2 off and wanted to give it a second tasting. I tasted fragrant black tea on the front palate with vanilla in the mid-palate. There was some kind of herb at the finish. It was paired with some baked pork ribs lightly marinated in Italian spices and rosemary with a pinch of Himalayan salt and the flavour was more noticeable. The finish was medium and went well with the pork ribs. The wine was meant for immediate consumption, do not even decant, just open and drink. There is ample supply in all the LDB stores and is on sale until December 28, 2019.

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (SKU 352583, $45.99 tax included, WS 89 pts.)

I have always enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon from Beringer's Knights Valley. The rating was usually not very high but it tasted like a reserve wine. I saw this on sale ($7 off until October 26, 2019) at the liquor store recently and decided to try it. When I opened the bottle, I was presented with a very warm nose of fruits. The body was full, the palate was filled with dark berries and the finish was medium long. It would definitely go well with a nice juicy steak. The 2015 vintage was rated at 92 points and was number 80 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines. There is no rating for the 2016 vintage yet. The liquor store website mistakenly put the wrong information with its description. The wine can easily be cellared for five to ten years. There is ample supply in the LDB stores.

Meiomi Pinot Noir Monterey Santa Barbara Sonoma 2017

Meiomi Pinot Noir Monterey Santa Barbara Sonoma 2017 (SKU 278937, $25.29 tax included, WS 87 pts.)

I tasted this at a recent  dinner event and found it to be quite fruity for a Pinot Noir. The body was medium to full and the finish was medium. It went well with the food served at the buffet including roast beef, salmon Wellington, some pasta and some sushi. Then I saw in on sale at the liquor store for over 20% off until October 26, 2019. The Wine Spectator rating was not high and it was meant for immediate drinking. Sine this is a very versatile wine and is on sale, I suggest you buy a few bottles for the Christmas turkey. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.