A bright, balanced, and enticing Barolo from Poderi Colla in Piedmont, Italy… This Dardi Le Rose Bussia Barolo from Poderi Colla in Piedmont, Italy offered an enticing mix of balance, complexity, and structure. Red cherries, savoury spices, uncooked red meat, and tomato sauce in nose combined with tart, red cherries, white pepper, savoury spice, and … Read more
A smooth, complex red blend from Côtes du Rhône Villages at a tremendous price… This Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend, Plan de Dieu from Domaine Le Grand Retour in Côtes du Rhône Villages offered plenty of complexity in both the nose and mouth. Ostensibly part of God’s plan—hence the name—we appreciated the smoothness of this wine, … Read more
A fantastic, intense expression of Tempranillo… We adored the intense aromas and tastes of this fantastic 2011 Numanthia from Bodega Numanthia in Toro, Spain. With outstanding balance and complexity, this Tempranillo offered a wonderful bouquet on the nose, including tobacco, leather, hickory spice, vanilla, anise, and grilled steak. In the mouth, more grilled steak emerged, … Read more
A bold, balanced, and sumptuous red blend from Mendoza… This Argentinian red blend, Viñalba Reserva, a combination of Malbec and Touriga Nacional, impressed us in terms of its balance, complexity, and structure. With an intriguing bouquet on the nose, including grilled meat, dark plums, and anise, it offered plenty of fruit in the mouth, combined … Read more
A very good Blauburgunder from Sϋditrol-Alto Adige… This Blauburgunder (another name for Pinot Noir) offered a fruity, fragrant nose with a tart, vibrant mouth. The tannins came across as somewhat sharp, yet not over-bearing, and the high degree of acidity added a welcomed touch of crispness. We paired it with an Italian-style margherita pizza and … Read more
A very good Bordeaux-blend with a twist… This Bordeaux-style blend, produced in British Columbia by Le Vieux Pin, impressed us in terms of complexity, ease of drinkability, and value. Similar to many blends produced on the Right Bank in Bordeaux, where Merlot dominates Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the twist of Petit Rouge comes in … Read more
In the end, the Spanish red blend took the honours in this blind tasting… Wanting to hone Emilie’s tasting skills, Ryan surprised her with an impromptu blind tasting on a gorgeous summer night. It was a good way to see if the skills she developed during the WSET Level 2 course in Wines & Spirits … Read more
La Clape Grand Terroir, another solid offering from Gérard Bertrand, one of our favourite producers in Languedoc-Roussillon… We enjoyed this Rhône-style red blend, which offered a nice balance of dark and red fruit, combined with earth, leather, and tobacco notes. Made in a classic, old-world style, La Clape Grand Terroir offers pretty much what you’d expect from … Read more
This Escudo Rojo blend could use more time in cellar… This Chilean red blend, a classy-looking offering bearing the heralded name of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, came across as bold, sharp, and a little aggressive, with green cedar notes and gritty tannins. And that was after having decanted it for a good hour. We’d recommend … Read more
A big, bold Barolo we would definitely drink again… Name: Barolo Vintage: 2012 Producer: Batasiolo Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy Grape Varietal(s): Nebbiolo Consumed: At La Cucina restaurant in North Vancouver, Canada Recommended By: Picked it off the wine list Cost: $72 CAD (although we found it for $29.95 CAD at the LCBO) Bottle Presentation: A simple, … Read more