Domaine Léon Beyer Riesling "R de Beyer" 2010, Eguisheim, Alsace, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Riesling 100%

🧐 Alcohol 13.5%

🍁 My Score 92 Points 

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A classic Riesling nose with aromas of pears, lime, petroleum, honey and mineral notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, complex flavours with good tension and lively acidity. The finish is long, flavourful with mostly citrus fruit and mineral undertones. 

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This delicious Riesling was purchased at the winery from their library selection, in September of 2018. A travel souvenir that I truly enjoy. A beautiful, mature Riesling. A dryer style than I would usually purchase, that paired perfectly with a spicy stir fried Kung pao chicken. A delicious Riesling from the charming and beautiful region of Alsace. Cheers my wine friends 🙂

Bodegas Urbina Reserva Especial 2006, Rioja, Spain 🇪🇸

🍇 Tempranillo 95%
🍇 Mazuelo, Garnacha, Graciano 5%

🧐 Alcohol 14%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 Two years in barrels (75% American oak and 25% French oak) follow by seven years in bottle before release.

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Gorgeous, sensuous nose with aromas of blueberries, plums, mushrooms, leather, dried herbs, vanilla and light barnyard notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied smooth texture, flavourful with soft tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is medium length with earthy and savoury notes lingering.

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Wow! How can you get a delicious and mature wine like this for $40. If you would like to experience a mature wine without the high price point? I recommend that you start with a classic Rioja like this one. Urbina released this wine when they were confident it was ready to drink. It is definitely ready to enjoy now, I don’t see any reason for additional time in bottle. Endless pairing opportunities or delicious on it’s own. Thank you Urbina 🙏 It’s a delicious wine experience. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Purchased at the LCBO in Toronto last December.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet/Shiraz 2015, South Australia, Australia 🇦🇺

🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 53%

🍇 Shiraz 47%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 91 Points 

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Rich and intense nose with aromas of black fruit, burnt brown sugar, wood smoke, leather and cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, generous and broad textured, firm tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is long, intense with black cherries and blackberry fruit, bitter chocolate and vanilla notes. 

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I was cleaning up my cork collection recently and I couldn’t believe how many Penfold corks I have. I realize that many of their wines don’t come with cork closure any more, but the wines I have purchased from them were mostly from the Bin Series; Bin 28, 128, on many occasions 389 and on one occasion 407. I have a previous  blog post that shows me spending $79 for a 2008 Magnum of Bin 389. Now, this regular size bottle was purchased for $100. Wines purchased at this price are rare for me and are definitely a treat. The reason I haven’t purchased these Penfolds wines lately is that the quality hasn’t kept up with the outrageous pace of their price increases. This is a nice wine which should keep improving over the next decade, but next time I want to splurge, I will look somewhere else. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva 2015, VQA Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Sangiovese 80%
🍇 Canaiolo and other varietals 20%

🧐 Alcohol 13.5%

🍁 My Score 92%

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Very attractive nose with aromas of sour cherries, blackberries, tobacco, earthy and cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, intense flavours, beautiful textured tannins and fresh acidity. The finish is medium-long with black fruit, tobacco and earthy, smoky flavours lingering.

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I have been a fan of the classic Italian winemaking style from Carpineto for many years. Really enjoyed visiting their table at the Vancouver International Wine Festival last February and tasting some of their wines for the first time. Two of my favourites that day, were their Molin Vecchio 2010 (Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend) and this delicious Chianti from the super 2015 vintage. I am looking forward to opening their Chianti Classico 2016 and their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015, patiently waiting in my cellar. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

New wine additions

Yesterday I was quite excited to receive six bottles from Icellars Estate Winery.  I took advantage of free shipping across our big country Canada 🇨🇦 from Icellars. I had visited Niagara Region in Ontario, this past December, for the first time and was very impressed by the quality of Icellars wines. Unfortunately I could not purchase any wines since I had no additional room for wine in my checked bag, for my return flight. Who can remember when we could travel with wine in our carry on? I so miss that. Here is my purchase, including my two standout that I highlighted in my December post.

Icellars Arinna 2016
Icellars Cabernet Franc 2016 x2
Icellars Merlot 2017 x2
Icellars Reserve Red 2017

Thank you Icellars 🙏   The box was well packaged up, wines arrived at cellar temperature after crossing the Western provinces with no sign of freezing. Can’t wait to share these beauties with all of my wine friends. Cheers 🍷

Diffonty Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015, Rhône, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Grenache 65%

🍇 Syrah 25%

🍇 Mourvèdre 10%

🧐 Alcohol 15%

🍁 My Score 91 Points 

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Exquisite bouquet with aromas of plummy-blackberry fruit, dried herbs, wood smoke and light cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, seductive, spicy texture with silky tannins, terrific oak integration and balanced acidity. The finish is medium-long with a plummy, vanilla and a savoury edge.

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I usually prefer my CDP when Syrah is the dominant varietal, that being said, I really enjoyed this CPD. From it’s nose, the spicy red fruited aromatics were a give away that Grenache was the dominant varietal. It’s a very pretty, elegant, finely textured, fruit driven and flagrant CDP. Purchased @lcbo in August of 2018 and superb value at $39. Beautiful slightly chilled, to lower the impact of the alcohol, which gives the fruit more of a chance to shine. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Hillside Un-Oaked Pinot Gris 2019, Naramata Bench, VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Pinot Gris 100%

🧐 Alcohol 12.7%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 2 to 6 hours of skin contact and stainless steel fermented

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Beautiful, vibrant nose with aromas of strawberries, melon, white peaches with a hint of mineral notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied with a vibrant, flavourful texture and well balanced by crisp acidity. The finish is long, refreshing, fruity with light mineral notes lingering.

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New label this year but same delicious, refreshing Pinot Gris. Every year Hillside knows how to offer us an easy drinking wine, perfect for the summer patio season. It is fantastic paired with fish, chicken, prawns or salad. Newly released and strongly recommended 👌 Cheers my wine friends.

Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph 2015, Rhône, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Syrah 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14%

🍁 My Score 89 Points 

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Great nose with aromas of black cherries, ripe blackberries, plums, violets, smoky and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, tasty smooth texture, silky tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is medium length with flavours of plums, peppery and undertones of minerals/graphite notes.

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This is my first experience with the wines from le Domaine Courbis. I find that Syrah from Saint-Joseph are always a treat, This was exactly what I was expecting, an elegant, flavourful Syrah which could be paired well with pretty much any red meat, or enjoyed on its own. Cheers my friend 🍷

Vignobles Famille Laplace Château d’Aydie Odé d’Aydie 2014, Madiran, France 🇫🇷

🍇 Tannat 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

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Intense on the nose with aromas of black cherries, black plums, black currants, leather and forest floor notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, flavourful, slightly tart with soft tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is long, slightly tangy with flavours black currants, vanilla, bitter chocolate and peppery notes.

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The last time I opened this wine was the summer of 2018. Back then, this Tannat was almost black, intense with more structured tannins. Today, this wine has more interesting aromatics and has much smoother texture. I prefer the wine from 18 months ago, when it had more character, where the quality of the tannins added more structure to the wine. It is still a  delicious and unique wine experience. The currant vintage is 2016, which should be drinking just perfect, for my taste, right now. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Gramercy Cellars Lower East Syrah 2016, Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA 🇺🇸

🍇 Syrah 100%

🤔 Alcohol 13.4%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 Fermented 76% whole cluster partially in concrete tank with native yeast. Aged in 100% French oak (4% new) for months.

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Beautiful, inviting nose with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, violets and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, flavourful, smooth texture with well integrated tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is medium-long with flavours of red fruit, baking spices, peppery and savoury dried spices lingering.

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This is an elegant, almost Rhône like Syrah. I believe I tasted a hint of Grenache in this wine, with more black fruit on the nose but lighter red fruit on the palate. This was a reminder of better times when we were able to travel and attend public events. This beautiful Syrah was purchased in Seattle last May where I spent an enjoyable time attending Seattle Mariners Baseball games, theatre and delicious meals. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Querciabella Chianti Classico 2016, DOCG Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Sangiovese 100%

🤔 Alcohol 13.5%

🍁 My Score 93 Points 

🧩 Biodynamicaly farmed, Organic and Vegan wine

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The nose is rather intoxicating with aromas of cherries, pomegranate, forest fruit, violets, leather and light peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, lively flavours, silky tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is long with great energy with fruity and savoury flavours lingering.

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Classic Chianti Classico, simply does not get any better. The result of beautiful fruits grown and harvested at the vineyard, not over worked, letting the quality of the vintage express itself. An incredible well made, well balanced and elegant wine that was a joy to drink. I really like this label, for me it’s shows how Chianti and food, especially paired with Italian food elevate every meal to a delicious experience. I have twice enjoyed this wine in the last week, no bottle variation here. Both stunning 👌 Cheers my wine friends 🍷