Tag Archives: mystery case

One to cellar one to drink now

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Located on the south-east mid-slope of the Saint-Amour vineyard in the lieu-dit of “Les Billards”. Piedmont soil and old alluvial deposits; heavy clay with some areas over very deeply weathered granite

In the cellar, the vinification is semi-carbonic and lasts between 12 to 15 days. A weighted grill keeps the cap submerged in the fermenting juice, which gives a very gentle extraction of tannins. The wines are aged in cement tanks.

This bright Gamay from a single estate is full of juicy red fruits and light tannins.  Deep and full bodied… almost tangy.  Marvelous balance and a long, complex finish.

Some cellaring would let the tannins soften up and this would certainly be one to put down for a few years.\

SAINT AMOUR – DOMAINE DES BILLARDS HERITIERS LORON 2019$27.99 

14.5% Alcohol

UPC: 03298660029715

Volcanos and clay

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Clay over volcanic rock is part of the terroir that makes this certified organic white. It is matured on its lees. Lees are the natural deposit formed by the solid particles in the wine over the winter. After alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine rests on its lees all winter until bottling at the end of March.

It is never racked, which allows the conservation of a small quantity of carbon dioxide, giving the wine a fine beading, a quality appreciated by many.

The palate is dominated by lively acidity, impeccably balanced by a refreshing tropical fruity note mixed with a soft creamy texture.

The Goddess of Wine tells me I often serve my whites too cool …except this one.  She says Chill it well. So we did, and served it with fish.

An interesting mystery to solve would be to try a red from the same terroir.

MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE – CHATEAU DE LA GRAVELLE 18

$19.49 regularly $20.99

12% alcohol

UPC: 03760233945574

Complete with Instructions

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This Verdejo from Rueda has the lightness and purity of its fruit. These old Verdejo vines are true warriors and were, in another life, blended into red bulk wines of the province of Leon. El Petit Bonhomme staked out their pedigree and achieved this mouth-watering wine by nurturing these grapes to their full, lustrous potential.

Pale golden colour with pear and peachy notes on the nose, engaging crisp and vibrant round texture in the palate, citrus and passion-fruit, herbaceous and mineral notes, with an intense powerful finish.

We keep coming back to this one. Try something different to pair it with for supper and you will find new nuances to the wine.  

RUEDA VERDEJO – EL PETIT BONHOMME BLANCO

$17.9913.5% Alcohol

UPC: 08437012278264

Dynamite.  Burned bridges.  Where are the Gurlz?

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This bunch doesn’t do anything the Traditional Way.  A church was blown up (the dynamite) to loosen the nails … then moved it to the winery.  They’ve burned a few bridges along the way to making world class wines with a great sense of fun.

They were the first Okanagan winery to make all their wines with screw tops.

Iconic location.  Iconic wines for an iconic experience.

Hatfield’s Fuse is a great blend ready to incite good times with fish, chicken or creamy pasta.

36% viognier, 16% orange muscat, 12% chardonnay musque, 9% sauvignon blanc, 8% chardonnay, 7% pinot blanc, 6% pinot gris, 4% gewurztraminer, 2% riesling

$20.00 a bottle is low bribery money to pay to get the Gurlz to come for supper.

Refined Intensity

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The ‘Vigna Pedale’ Castel del Monte Riserva DOCG di Torrevento is a bold wine, multi-award-winning by international critics for its original, elegant and extraordinarily harmonious presentation.

The Hills of the Castel del Monte DOCG area – Pedale area of southern Italy is where this Nero di Troia grape flourishes.  A deep ruby red with garnet hints.  Its INTENSE on the nose and very full on the palate.

BBQ styled meats work really well or serve up some aged cheeses and classic cold cuts. As we get into Fall this will be ideal with a roast.  I’d  even serve it with a fish based dish.

Vigna Pedale Castel del Monte DOCG Red Riserva

$19.99

13.5 % alcohol

Delivers

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The use of oak might be subtle, but the flavours are quite intense (berries, plums, touch of liquorice) with a lovely textured finish.  

 Vintage Conditions: Heavy winter rains and a mild spring led to the production of strong canopies, which protected the fruit during the summer heat, and resulted in wines of great strength and character.  5 months in stainless steel 80% 3 months on French oak 3 months on American oak planks 10% planks 10% .

The wine doesn’t need a big wordy write up.  It’s hearty, healthy, and worthy.

Team it up with big flavour pasta dishes, or bbq meats or maybe venison

Rosemount Shiraz

$18.98

13% Alcohol

Worked so well together

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This extremely quaffable Chinon is made with fruit grown on 45-65 year old vines produce a dark purple in colour wine.  Round and seductive is a good description with slightly chalky tannins and crunchy acidity. Fermented and aged in cement and bottled without sulphur.

Domaine de l’R’s vineyard is managed as naturally as possible by working the soil and protecting the vines from disease with sulphur and copper. The harvest is carried out manually and only gravity is used for movements in the cellar (and therefore racking is minimal). Fermentation takes place in raw cement vats and the addition of sulphites takes place only when necessary prior to bottling.

Powerful is a good description. Medium Bodied  but full of flavour. We had it with bbq ribs.

CHINON – DOMAINE DE L’R LE CANAL DES GRANDS PIECES 2020

$30.99 regularly $34.99

13.5% Alcohol

UPC: 03760104954957

Here but there

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BC’s Brothers G of South Africa.  Excellent quality wines at a very reasonable price.

Protea is one of the most distinctive South African Chenin Blanc’s available on the market.

Fresh, but complex.  Smooth. Crispy is a great way to describe it.  Stonefruit aromas with a slight lemon zest edge. We very much enjoy the vibrancy. The acidity might be a little high for some people, but we liked the ‘edge’ it adds.  The finish is long and creamy. 

Serve it cool, but not cold.

CHENIN BLANC – RUPERT WINES PROTEA

$14.99

13% Alcohol

UPC: 00086891081144

3 Valleys

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Alexander Valley runs from the centre of the Sonoma County east to the Mayacamas range that borders with Napa. Warming heat and less ocean influence allows the reds like Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen especially well. 

This cabernet sauvignon is heavy with berries flavours. Firm, velvety tannins and a loong finish.

The grapes were gently destemmed, but not crushed, leaving a significant portion of whole berries for fermentation. A full eight to ten days of contact between the grapes and the skins allowed us to extract intense color and flavor before fermentation. After primary fermentation, the wine completed malolactic fermentation to soften the acid structure and add complexity.

We kept dinner simple: tzatziki, thin Med pita, lamb/beef/veal kefta with lots of raw veggies.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – FREI BROTHERS RESERVE ALEXANDER VLY 17

$26.99 regularly $29.99

13.8% Alcohol

UPC: 00085000010532

Let’s go for a little hoof

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Monte Antico, which means “ancient mountain,” is Neil and Maria Empson’s wholehearted tribute to Tuscany. Their forty years of passion and experience led them to create their own label along with their good friend Franco Bernabei, a master in Italian winemaking. Together, they have styled the quintessential Tuscan grape Sangiovese, highlighting all it has to offer and complementing it with just enough Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to bring it all together.

This wine is 85% Sangiovese with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. Grown in a balanced combination of geological diversity. Aged for a year in oak (80% Slavonian barrels, 20% barriques). All of the barriques are made of French Oak. 10-20% of the barriques are new and the remaining percent are 2nd year barriques.  Finally, the wine is aged in the bottle for 6.”

Dark ruby in colour, with a herby bouquet.and a medium- to full-bodied palate. Round, spicy, elegant, attractively fruity and extremely versatile – in other words food-friendly and pocketbook friendly!

The food friendly part was delivered by lamb shanks.

TOSCANA – MONTE ANTICO

12.5% Alcohol

$16.99 regularly $17.99

UPC: 00726452000152