Tag Archives: mystery case

Place a warning on the label

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You might wish to drink the whole bottle at one sitting. It’s silky and smooth, but intense.  This is one of Argentina’s tastiest Cab Francs.

 
And, it’s Great Value !!

Lamb chops were the flavours on the plate, fruit forward were the flavours in the mouth.  Terrific balance and complexity.

The vineyards cover 100 hectares of land, 97 of which are implanted with grapes. The main varieties produced are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz among the reds; and Chardonnay among the whites. The oldest wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon lot which was planted 41 years ago. The average age of the vineyards is 30 years, ranging from the 5 year-old new blocks to the oldest ones planted in the 70’s.

CABERNET FRANC – SANTA ANA LA MASCOTA 2018
$14.99
14% Alcohol
UPC: 07790762052838

Follows Through

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It smells light, tastes ripe in a medium bodied way.  It’s smooth and has a soft finish. There is a lovely crisp acidity to it.


 Simple but enjoyable and food friendly.

The grapes are from one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards: Solano County, Mendocino County and Lake County in the Napa Valley. A late August harvest for the warmer climate blocks in Solano and Lake County and finishing at the end of September with Mendocino County grapes.


We chose scallops for our food pairing.  Music was Jazz at it’s best.

CHARDONNAY – WILLIAM HILL NORTH COAST 2017

$19.99 regularly $21.99

13.8% Alcohol

UPC: 00085000021590

Light My Fire

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We have bridges to Burn!  

Apparently the brothers were pyromaniacs when younger: graduating from matches to rocket launchers!  Supposedly the Matchbook brand is in memory of fires they once stoked.


The best barrel lots were chosen for the final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot. 2019 Matchbook Cabernet is a showcase of the quality fruit grown in the red gravel soils of Dunnigan Hills (the Northern part of California’s Central Valley).


The wine starts out slightly sweet in taste but the favours become quite intense.  Well structured and smooth finish. This could almost become an everyday Cab for any house.  But drink it all in one sitting because it doesn’t hold up overly well for a second day’s sipping.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – MATCHBOOK RED GRAVEL DUNNIGAN HILLS 18

$15.99 regularly $19.99

13.9 % alcohol

UPC: 00859551001383

Dems Fightin’ Words

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She said she was awfully suspicious about those tiny bubbles on the side of the glass – even though The Goddess had said it wouldn’t be fizzy.


Then, at first sniff, she said, smiling,  “Apple Cider” ..


Can’t fool da gurl – it’s a Riesling!


Even though she was a bit too sweet for herself, it’s certainly the best Riesling yet that we’ve tried; and it’s one from close to home – Washington State.


Medium lightness, dry (slighly off dry) and leans a little to the acidic side. Casual is a term that fits well.


Supposedly, eating Chinese take out one night and watching a fight scene from a notorious martial arts film, he had an idea: a dry white wine that can be paired with Oriental cuisine. It pairs well with just about anything.


RIESLING – CHARLES SMITH KUNG FU GIRL 2018

$13.97 regularly $16.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00086003253001

The Roasted Veggies did it

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Bergerac is a wine region and appellation in South West France, covering an area along the Dordogne River. The wines are close in style to those of Bordeaux, around 100km (60 miles) to the west. Wine has been made in this region since the Romans – and all thanks to the monasteries which established vineyards on the banks of the Dordogne.


This Grand Cuvee is a blend of the classics: Cabernet and Merlot –  It is a most savoury red that works its way around your mouth – full of flavour.  It has length and depth and structure and balance – all in check.  A little softer than most Bordeaux and probably won’t age as well – Not to worry, we’ll be drinking them as soon as we buy more.


We generally have a white with Roast Chicken, but with the mess of roasted veggies around it we decided to have a red blend. Glad we did, the wine beautifully accompanied the meal. 

BERGERAC – CHATEAU LA BESAGE GRANDE CUVEE 2017

$20.99 regularly $21.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 03700898210594

Balanced between North and South

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North-South Organic.  South Okanagan delivers rich and round.  North yields fresh.  From the Winery’s Simes Vineyard -2019 delivers a great balance and flavour with a distinctive character.  There is nice acidity – better than in previous years – which makes it a little more balanced.

Everything or Nothing – pick your pairing. This will be most enjoyable on a hot West Coast Summer’s day.

Cedar Creek 2019 Pinot Gris

$18.99

13.4 % Alcohol

Definitely Distinctive

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It’s fresh.  It’s light. It’s Fragrant.  Nice, but not offensively fruit driven.  Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay.
This one is ideal as an aperitif or, as we did,  with an omelette with parboiled, then grilled, potato slices.
it was recently awarded a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

ROSE – OYSTER BAY MARLBOROUGH 2020

$17.99 regularly $19.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 09415549805602

Outside Mystery Case #8, making it a baker’s dozen

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Even though it’s from Baron Philippe de Rothschild, I wouldn’t consider it specifically special or really noteworthy. Nice. Yes. Exceptional. Not.  I’m gonna be brutal, and say it’s not quite up to Pays d’Oc high quality standards.


It does have the typical aromas of Sauvignon Blanc and there is a nice concentration of citrus fruits.  It is very fresh and went well with scallops and couscous and a grape/cucumber salad.


It’s nice low price gave The Goddess an opportunity to pick a couple of others at the top end of our budget.

PAYS D’OC SAUVIGNON – ROTHSCHILD

$10.97 regularly $12.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00083960707714

They thought they could trick us

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Didn’t work. The daughter will get the Blood Orange Gin that was packaged with the Sauv Blanc.

Pioneers in process and varietals – The Brancott Winery was one of the first to plan Sauvignon Blanc in the Marlborough region in 1973., and have been instrumental in developing the region as one of the foremost regions in the world for this grape.


We liked it for it’s uniqueness in flavour. It would be instantly recognizable in a taste test grouping.  Well balanced with a very full fruit set of flavours and a fresh acidity.


It goes very well with Eastern Mediterranean dishes, particularly if serving just mezes (appetizers).

Easy to spot, just look for the upside down A on the label.

SAUVIGNON BLANC – BRANCOTT ESTATE MARLBOROUGH

$13.99 regularly $15.99

12% Alcohol

UPC: 09414024524366

What gets imported where?

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Rather than import salmon into Croatia, it’s better to import their wine to BC and enjoy locally caught salmon.  The combination made for a great dinner.


Over a year ago we had their red.  And loved it, so were very much looking forward to sampling the white.


We certainly were not disappointed.  New varietals – Pošip 70%, Vugava 20%, Chardonnay 10%. Posip and Vugava bring freshness, with just a touch of chardonnay to round it out.. A most enjoyable wine.


This is an elegant, wonderfully balanced, white blend from Croatia’s Brac island. Jako Vino’s Stina range.

Stina refers to the white stone of the island. 


CUVEE WHITE – STINA 2018

$23.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 03859892605742