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.