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.