Wine Suggestions...
Greetings everyone,
I have a number of really great selections for you to try this month. I have been looking for the Carmenere's since Anthony Gismondi reviewed a number of them in late January. Also included are two selections from the LCB's Spring promotion. I have included a Pinot Noir to follow up on the heals of a significant wine fraud that was uncovered in the south of France involving a dozen executives from the Langue-doc wine industry and fake Pinot Noir they sold to the California based E&J Gallo. Apparently they were passing off a blend of Merlot and Shiraz as Pinot Noir. Some 18 million bottles of bogus Pinot were sold to Gallo who unknowingly sold the wine under its successful Red Bicyclette label. Also included is a selection from the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival (April 19 to 25), and the last selection a cheap and cheerful red wine from Spain for all my budget conscious readers.
Viu Manent Reserva Carmenere, 2008, Chile
Price: $20
UPC: 07804314935064
Score: 88/100
Distributed by International Cellars
Remarks: 'Aged in mostly French oak the flavours are soft and supple, with an expresso, chocolate nose, and dark chocolate, dried herbs, plummy fruit flavours'. This carmenere comes from near the town of Perallilo in the warm Colchagua Valley. We had this with BBQ steak, which was fantastic and it will go famously with lamb as well. I really enjoyed this wine...it is just that little bit different. Undurraga Sibaris (see the Pinot below for a picture of the label) also makes a Carmenere, which was delicious as well.
Mount Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc 2009,New Zealand
Price: $15
UPC: 009421004799041
Score: 88/100
Remarks: This selection and the next is part of LCB's Spring Promotion. You can find it in many outlets in special displays. It has a slightly sweet plalate of green apple. A bright, fresh elegant sauvignon. Delicious as an aperitif. Good value. New Zealand is co-host along with Argentina at the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival.
James Oatley Tic Tok Pinot Grigio 2009, Austrailia
Price: $17
UPC:9338053000908
Score: 88/100
Remarks: The second of the LCB Spring display promotion and comes with a hint of colour that re-assures its gris roots. Pinot Gris is made from black grapes that are crushed and immediately the juice is taken off the skins to ferment. A delicious wine that is very food friendly or on its own as an aperitif. This is one for Jane to try...
Undurraga Sibaris Pinot Noir Reserva Especial 2008, Chile
Price: $16
UPC:78043150020024
Score: 87/100
Distributed by International Cellars
Remarks: 'Well balanced with light tannins'. Good value in Pinot Noir'. We had this wine with roast chicken a couple of weeks ago with our 'third' daughter Nicole and her husband Jason who joined us for dinner. Congratulations to Jason for graduating from broadcast school and landing a job with Sun FM in Powell River. We will miss you both. Another well priced Pinot that we tried was The Winery of Good Hope Pinot Noir 2008 from Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa.
Mission Hill Pinot Gris Reserve 2007, BC Okanagan Valley
Price: $19
UPC: 776545991171
Score: 88/100
Remarks: 'Round, dry, fresh palate with juicy gooseberry, grapefruit tropical flavours'. Mission Hill will be at the countries biggest wine bash in Vancouver along with many other Canadian and International wineries. It is fitting (following Pinotgate mentioned above, and the BC cellared in Canada debacle) that the three hour symposium at this years festival is entitled 'What's in Your Wine? A Symposium on Truth in Labelling'. It will be held at the SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue during festival week.
Castano La Casona Monastrell 2008, Spain
Price: $9.49
UPC: 008422443002519
Score: 86/100
Remarks: 'Soft, easy sipping and reasonably dry'. A wine for wine drinkers who can buy by the case and pull it out when the crowds swell, or your grown wine drinking children arrive with their friends in tow. It went well with chicken, steak and even spicy enchiladas. Apparently the vineyards are dry-farmed (no irrigation, and that keeps the yields naturally low) and the vines are 40 to 60 years old. All this under a screw-cap to ensure consistent quality.
Odds' n' Sodds
For those of you who have met our new little dog Eddie, he became quite sick about a month ago. It turns out he brought with him from Mexico a tick born desease called Ehrlichia. It is not common in BC at all, and is not contagious, but is very difficult to treat. So Eddie has been on antibiotics for a month and is on the mend. He even had enough stamina to endure an Easter dinner with three of his dog cousins and one cat cousin, who managed to get treed twice by one of the bigger dogs. A very long ladder was needed both times.
Cheers and enjoy the selections...
Keith Rush
winerush.blogspot.com/
