Beringer Chardonnay Napa Valley Private Reserve 2012

Beringer Chardonnay Napa Valley Private Reserve 2012 (WS93, US$28.99)

I found this white wine as I was shopping in the Aurora Village Costco near Seattle. How could I pass up a 93 point Napa chardonnay that is in the reserve class for under $30? Of course I cannot wait to open it once I got home. This is a typical full body Californian chardonnay. The nose was not too impressive to start but the taste was wonderful. There was definitely a lot of fruits, namely pineapple and pears. It was very smooth on the palate and had the creamy buttery feel. The finish was long. It would go well with some fresh Sockeye salmon. I wish it is available in B. C. but unfortunately it is not imported. The LDB system only has the entry level Stone Cellars and Founders Estate series. If this wine is to be imported, it will probably sell for $50. So if you have a chance to drive to the States, drop by one of the Costco stores and bring a few back.

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2009

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2009 (WS93, $79.99 SKU 569814) This wine has been available for some time at the LDB stores and I actually bought a bottle. I was just waiting for an opportunity to taste it. The moment came when I hosted a barbeque and it was tasted with the Vina Santa Rita Triple C 2008. I decanted this for ninety minutes and served it with some barbeque beef and pork ribs. The nose was robust and sweet. The body was full, the taste was full of dark berries and the finish was long, a typical well made California cabernet sauvignon. The alcohol content was 15.7% and it was a strong wine. Since the beef ribs had some fat attached, it cut right through the fat to accent the meat. I tasted the remainder the next evening and the fruit and body were still very much present. Wine Spectator suggested drinking it between 2014 and 2026, so there is a lot of life left. Buy it for your cellar and open it in five to ten years' time. There are over 100 bottles in the LDB stores.

Vina Santa Rita Maipo Valley Triple C 2008

Vina Santa Rita Maipo Valley Triple C 2008 (WS93, $38.99, SKU 98442) I found this wine as I was browsing the LDB website and noticed there were 12 bottles in the whole province. As it was Wine Spectator's No. 47 of the Top 100 wines of 2013, I found it irresistible at this price. The trouble was none of the bottles were in Vancouver. I went to the 39th and Cambie store and ordered all seven bottles from the Kamloops store. It arrived in two days. It was called "Triple C" because it was a blend of three red grapes: cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere.  I opened one for a barbeque where beef and pork ribs were featured. After ninety minutes of decanting, it still had a very fragrant nose and tasted very fresh. The taste was floral and somewhat herbal with a solid core of berries. The finish was balanced from beginning to end. With the ribs, it was a perfect match. It was definitely worthy of the Wine Spectator score and an excellent value Chilean red wine. Unfortunately there are only three bottles left in the LDB system and the rest are in my cellar.

Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc 2005

Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc 2005 (WS87, $39.99 SKU 876011) I saw one bottle this at the 39th & Cambie LDB store and decided to try it because it is from a great vintage and it should be about time to open it. Wine Spectator suggested opening it after 2008. I decanted it for two hours before drinking it with some lamb, pork and chicken from the Greek festival. The nose was pleasant and the taste was easy-drinking Bordeaux. There was little tannin but the mineral taste went well with the meat. There was a hint of fruit but definitely not too jammy. I thought a left bank Bordeaux from a great vintage at this price was a good deal. Last I checked, there were 10 bottles at the 39th and Cambie store and 47 bottles at the Alberni store.

Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Cotes du Provence Rose Miraval 2013

Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Cotes du Provence Rose Miraval 2013 (WS89, $28.99, SKU 488049)

A tasting panel member invited me to a barbeque and served this as the starter. The drawing point was that this was a combined effort of the famous Jolie and Pitt couple with the Perrin winery. It was a very refreshing wine for the salad and the salmon. However it does have some body and some fruits. I was not usually a fan of the Rose wines since they are usually too light. This one had 13% alcohol but did not taste too heavy. So this would be a great summer barbeque starter wine. There is something strange about this wine as the name and the SKU does not appear on the LDB website. However I saw boxes of this wine at the 39th and Cambie store.

Vina Santa Rita Syrah Reserva 2009

Vina Santa Rita Syrah Reserva 2009 (WS92, $14.99, SKU 760546) One of my tasting panel member found this and alerted me to it. We opened a bottle to see if there is such a good deal around. Syrah (same as the Australian shiraz) is a heavier grape and the wines are usually are heavier. The nose was strong upon opening and the body was medium to full. It tasted like a good syrah with a hint of pepper. My tasting panel did not think that this was a 92 point wine, more like 88. But at this price, it is impossible to resist, especially to complement a nice barbeque steak or rack of lamb. Wine Spectator indicated it can be opened now or cellared until 2020. There is a lot of stock in the LDB system. It will probably make the Wine Spectator Top 100 list for 2014.

Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 2012

Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 2012 ($29.99, SKU 519686) I read about this in a local newspaper column and decided to try it. This was a white wine from the Burgundy region in France and some of those wines can get very expensive. So I wanted to try a more economical version to get a taste. Chablis are made from chardonnay grape but they taste different from the Canadian or American method. They usually taste quite dry and is not creamy like the new world offerings. This one was dry but there was a taste of citrus and some type of fruit behind it. So it went well with a barbeque salmon. There was no Wine Spectator rating for the 2012 vintage but the 2011 was rated at 90 points. So this is a very attractive Burgundy white wine at this price. There is ample stock in the LDB stores.