Category Archives: RED
In Vino Veritas, Viña Eguía, Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain, 2007, 13.5% abv, US$10
In wine, there is truth. Sometimes too much truth, but that depends on how much of it you drink. The truth is, this wine punches far above its weight for the price (US$10 at Costco in the States, and more … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Foxtrot, Erickson Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, BC, 2010, 13.6% abv.
We visited Foxtrot in 2013 and purchased this bottle plus another Pinot Noir made with grapes from the Foxtrot Vineyard. It wasn’t easy keeping this one until Christmas 2015, but we managed. A perfect accompaniment to turkey dinner with sausage stuffing … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Le Clos Jordanne, Le Grand Clos, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, 2011, 13.5% abv.
When in Ottawa, I walked into the Constellation speciality store and purchased this. Perhaps I should have known better, but hope springs eternal. I thought, “Going to their upper end product may make a difference!” It didn’t. Made with Pinot … Continue reading
Cabernet Sauvignon, Don Melchor, Puente Alto, Concha y Toro, Chile, 2007, 14.5% abv.
Straight from what is referred to as Chile’s equivalent of a Grand Cru, the Don Melchor is one of giant Concha y Toro’s flagship wines. Grown on the north bank of the Maipo River at a cool 640m of altitude, … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Reserve, Mission Hill, Okanagan VQA, BC, 2012, 13% abv.
Drinking this, one should almost exclaim, “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” because it’s ruby red, as in ‘Dorothy’s-shoes-were-here,’ ruby red. With its deep aromas of Okanagan cherry, moss and cedar frond, this wine is characteristically BC; the green moss gets … Continue reading
Bella, Gamay Noir, Sparkling Rosé , Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley VQA, BC, 2013, 11.4% abv.
Bella is run by husband and wife team, Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose – and named after their dearly beloved, but departed dog, Bella. They specialize in sparkling wines and are proud of staying true to the traditional method. Their wines … Continue reading
Musar Jeune, Chateau Musar, Bekka Valley, Lebanon, 2011, 14% abv, C$23
The Chateau Musar vines that were planted in the 1930s by Gaston Hochar, and are today maintained by his family, have been through more than their fair share of challenges. After all, when you’re trying to make wine in what … Continue reading
Tenuta Poggio Ai Mandorli, Chianti Classico DOCG, Gran Selezione, Italy, 2011, 13.5% abv. US$19
I purchased this bottle at Trader Joe’s Bellingham store for about US$19, but it actually cost me a lot more in Canadian dollars because of the tax paid at the border. Medium ruby with a tinge of garnet, it has aromas … Continue reading
La Porta di Vertine, Riserva, Chianti Classico DOCG, Toscana, Italia, 14.2% abv, 2009
Located on amphitheater-shaped vineyards in tiny Vertine located in Gaiole (one of the five Chianti Classico regions) and north of Siena, this producer harvests organically grown grapes, uses indigenous yeast and employs minimal intervention in the cellar. The wine is comprised mostly of … Continue reading
