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Duca di Saragnano Nero di Troia, 2019
The neck of this bottle has a sticker (not shown in the pic) that it scored 97 points. 97 points! On a scale of what? 113? Then yes darling, this is up there. Up there in the points. As for the wine. What is the wine? Red. It’s red. It’s identifiably red. It’s drinkable. I […]
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Blue Mountain Reserve Pinot Noir, 2018
Liked it a lot, did not love it. It’s potent, it’s a gut punch, it has none of the ethereal lightness of Burgundy. There is tar, yeast, and very sharp pepper notes, cranberry on the finish. The professional reviews said smooth and silky; we definitely totally, unequivocally got nothing smooth. In fact, it could do […]
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Bizou + Yukon BEE-zoo Bubbles, 2018
This is an easy-off flip cap and easy on the pocket-book super effervescent, no buoyantly effervescent sweet—but not too sweet, not cloyingly sweet—decently fruity if in a faux fruit sort of fashion, bubble gum fruit flavour, perfectly sippable patio style (not so much celebratory style) lively and colourful as in literally colourful Okanagan fizzy that […]
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CVNE Gran Reserva Rioja, 2013
From the cellar: Is this the best kept secret in Vancouver? In the middle of a pandemic we walked into a private wine store and bought a seven year old bottle of Rioja. As part of a mixed half case they gave us a 10% discount. And a year later, when we got around to […]
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Domaine Brusset Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail, 2010
From the cellar: 2010? Well, first of all, here’s a forgotten bottle. It happens. Purchased 2012! Obama was President! Survivor was in Samoa! We fully expected this to be past; it was novelty only, zero expectations. And with zero expectations we were pleasantly rewarded. Gobs of fruit, mixed berry compote, almond, a zingy, fruity, chewy […]
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Hester Creek Trebbiano, 2019
Trebbiano in the Canadian Okanagan. Who knew? And old vines at that. To be fair, we knew; during the stay at home C19 days of stir crazy stillness. And we knew where to score it at the vineyard price, in Vancouver, at $23, rather than, say, Marquis, at $29. So why bother blogging about that […]
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Envinate Palo Blanco, 2018
Woodsy, walk in the dewy woods, if you will, dampness and pungent, sour, acidic, and heavy, like an earthen pot; and look at the glass, that mellow amber hue. This is the Yin to, say, an ethereal Alsace white Yang. And it is novel; pretty much unlike any white you’ll have in the cellar. I […]
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Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon, 2015
From the cellar: Ah yes I remember it well (said Maurice Chevalier in Gigi for anyone under 102). This gorgeous wine straddles the fence of sticky, crushed blackberries, inky on the fingers after picking, with cleaning the stalls at the racetrack. There is a deep, dark, currant and savoury streak crossed with the barnyard, undeniable […]
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Chateau Gaillard Clos de Mez Morgon, 2017
Heaven. I repeat: Heaven. We splurged for an Easter weekend red, something meat and vegan friendly, and this was the ultimate. So bold and striking, a great big gob of fruity juiciness with these niche floral notes floating through like motifs, great balance, terrific finish. And we finished it, in a flash. Rarely do we […]
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Envinate Vinos Atlanticos Migan, 2018
Listan Negro. Say what? Earthy. Like damp forest, pine needles and boggy soil, really unusual, mysterious, and although deeply engaging a tad strange. There is a Cousin Itt about the palate finish, odd but lovable. Unexpectedly hugely food friendly. Some smoke on the nose with crushed currant underneath. Pretty hard to describe, not easy to […]