Haut Faugères Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2010, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Merlot  85%
🍇 Cabernet Franc 10%
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 5%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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A very attractive and inviting nose with aromas of black cherries, plums, raisins, cassis, cedar and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, flavourful with grainy tannins and balance acidity. The finish is medium-long with flavours of bitter chocolate, leathery fruit and raisins.

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I tasted this Bordeaux at a trade show and there was no doubt that we would be stocking this wine with Christmas fast approaching. From an excellent vintage, this is a muscular Merlot blend that is closer in style to California than Bordeaux. That being said, this is a very aromatic, flavourful wine that needs beef or lamb to really shine. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Pietracupa Taurasi 2012, Campania, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Aglianico 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 92 Points

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Sensuous nose with aromas cherries, wild berries, raisins, smoke, underbrush, leather and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied soft seductive fruit, silky tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is medium-long with leathery fruit, light mineral character and savoury flavours lingering.

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I really enjoyed the flavours and texture of Aglianico, it’s one of my favourite varietal. It’s hard to find this varietal in British Columbia. When I spotted this wine @marquiswinecellars  there wasn’t any doubt we were going home together. I love it’s intoxicating bouquet, silky, seductive texture and great depth of flavours. The most elegant Taurasi I have ever drank.  A beautiful wine experience and need I say, strongly recommended. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Arrowood Knight Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 80%
🍇 Merlot 16%
🍇 Malbec 4%

🧐 Alcohol 14.8%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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A beautiful and inviting nose with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plums, leather, underbrush, spices and smoky cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, leathery fruit, dusty tannins and balance acidity. The finish is medium-long with flavour of black fruit, plums and savoury notes lingering.

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I enjoy attending Trade tastings when wine is being pored, which we have in stock @vintagespiritsvictoria . I always make an effort to taste all wines which we carry, so I know how to describe them to our customers. So how would I describe this wine?  It’s a blend with great aromatics, complexity, texture and very flavourful. To be enjoyed today, after an hour decant with a great piece of beef 🥩 or to cellar for a few years where it would acquire even more elegance. Strongly recommended and superb value.  Cheers my wine friends 🍷

La Frenz Merlot 2015 Rattlesnake Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Merlot

🧐 Alcohol 15.1%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

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Intense nose with aromas of cherries, plums, black currants, coffee grounds, chocolate, vanilla beans and smoky, toasty notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, fantastic mid palate, richness and weight, silky tannins and balance acidity. The finish is long, savoury, sweeter and slightly tart flavourful with a rich combination of fruit.

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From a very hot vintage, this wine is definitely a bigger, bolder Merlot made in a crowd pleasing style . There’s lots going on here, rich flavours that coats your mouth, but yet still balanced, where the alcohol is not even noticeable. Gorgeous effort given the vintage. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Quinta Do Vale Meão Meandro 2014, Douro Valley, Portugal 🇵🇹

🍇 Touriga Nacional 40%
🍇 Touriga Franca 30%
🍇 Tinta Roriz 20%
🍇 Tinta Barroca 5%
🍇 Tinto Cão 3%
🍇 Sousão 2%

🧐 Alcool 14%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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Attractive and inviting nose with aromas of ripe berry fruit, plums, black cherries, dried violets, chocolate, leather and tobacco notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, flavourful with a velvet texture, smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is long with flavours of blueberries, plums, vanilla and chocolate.

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This was not my first experience with this wine but it always felt that I was opening them to early. This bottle was purchased on January of 2018 and the added months in bottle has given this wine incredible aromatics texture and great flavours. I have been enjoying wine for thirty years, so I really enjoy wines like this one, which is so different, that it stands out from most wines on today’s wine shelves. Look at all those interesting varietals! Strongly recommended Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées Moulin-à-Vent 2016, Beaujolais, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Gamay 100%

🧐 Alcohol 12.5%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

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Inviting and fruity nose with aromas of crushed wild strawberries, plums, blackberries, spices and slightly earthy notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, dry, broad texture with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is medium length with darker fruit flavours, spices and smoky flavours lingering.

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Here is another wine which after I removed the foil, I find lots of dirt and bacteria on top of the cork and around the bottle.  After washing all of this with a warm cloth, I pull the cork which felt soft and almost wet. As I was pulling out the cork I did not have a good feeling, but to my surprise, there it was an explosion of strawberry, like I was in a middle of a field picking strawberries. A delightful Beaujolais in a style I really enjoy, juicy flavours, light tannins and great acidity. Enjoyed over two evenings, the second evening it wasn’t as fruity but it was just as delicious. It should keep improving with a few additional years in bottle. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Domaine Guisset Côtes du Roussillon 2016, Languedoc-Roussilon, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Syrah 66%
🍇 Carignan 20%
🍇 Grenache 14%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 91%

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Great nose with aromas of ripe berry fruit, plums, red currants, spices and light floral notes.  On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, beautiful texture, flavourful with silky tannins and fresh acidity.  This finish is medium length, smooth with flavours of spices, stony minerality and soft seductive fruit.

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First experience with this producer and it won’t be the last.  Lovely blend, really enjoyable wine, flavourful with fine texture and harmony.  The quality price ratio is well in your favour. Enjoyed over two evenings and just as delightful on the second night.  Strongly recommended my wine friends.  Cheers 🍷

Poplar Grove CSM 2014, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Cabernet Franc 37%
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 27%
🍇 Syrah 16%
🍇 Malbec 11%
🍇 Merlot 9%

🧐 Alcohol 13.4%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

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Savoury bouquet with aromas of blueberries, plums, field berries, exotic wood spices, soft leather and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, structure is entirely elegant, well integrated tannins and fresh acidity. The finish is medium length with soft berry fruit and savoury herbs like thyme and sage lingering.

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I have been enjoying wines from Poplar Grove for more than a decade but this is my first experience with this blend. I enjoy wines when Syrah is added to Bordeaux varietals. There are some delicious examples of those wines here in British Columbia. As I have mentioned on a few occasions lately, I love the 2014 vintage from B.C. This wine is almost impossible to resist from it’s beautiful, sensuous and savoury aromatics, where all it’s elements are well integrated. More savoury notes than fruit at this stage makes it for a lovely sipping aperitif style wine and a cheese and charcuterie platter. Cheers my wine friends 🍷


Unfortunately, this wine is only available to Club members and at the winery tasting room.