June 18, 2015

A very hard to find OK red (not uncommon; almost every decent BC OK wine is “hard to find” and anything of repute tends to sell out quickly). We did not find it typically Pinot; it has none of the lightness and grace of a Burgundy. But it is a gorgeous red sipper. The winery describes it as black currant, vanilla and toffee. I would say menthol, licorice, star anise, medium tannins with a long finish (which, frankly, doesn’t linger in a refined way). Easy to drink.
If you can find this and if you can pay the winery rate of $20 or something relatively close, I would say only one thing: Buy. Buy lots.
Price: $22 at Mud Bay Wines, an absolutely wonderful BC wine shop tucked away is Tsawwassen.
Market Liquidity: In the hit and miss of BC’s Okanagan, this is a hit.
Posted in British Columbia, Pinot Noir, Red Wine |
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June 18, 2015
This wine spoke to me. Truly. It was like a calling. Like when the curtain rises in opera and you gasp at the scene. Think ride of the Valkyries. Astonishingly masculine, it absolutely epitomized terroir, was monstrously strong without being oppressive. There are dominant notes of cigar leaf and woodsy aromas, earthy, modestly tannic, and with layers of nuance that linger and linger. It is not your everyday red. It is not masquerading as Ch Neuf du Pape. I personally don’t know whether I’ve ever had Marsalan before, but this was a stunning discovery. It has the heft of Cab Sauv and the intrigue of Grenache and the delectability of something lighter, maybe cru Beaujolais. If this is off the radar, if this is what 89 points is all about with the wine crowd, bring it on.

Price: $11.70 USD. Seriously.
Market Liquidity: How sweet it is. How effing sweet it is.
Posted in France: Rhone, Marsalan, Red Wine |
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