The following wines have been reduced in price at participating VQA wine shops and BCLDB stores.
Calliope Riesling was $15.99 is now $14.99
Domaine de Chaberton Canoe Cove Cabernet/Merlot was $19.99 is now $17.49
Domaine de Chaberton Canoe Cove Shiraz was $25.99 is now $22.99
Hillside Reserve Merlot was $24.99 is now $17.49
Hillside Rose was $19.00 is now $16.99
Inniskillin Cabernet Sauvignon was $16.99 is now $15.49
Inniskillin Reserve Merlot was $16.99 is now $15.49
Inniskillin Reserve Pinot Blanc was $13.99 is now $12.49
Jackson Triggs Chardonnay Private Reserve was $12.99 is now $11.49
Jackson Triggs Merlot Black Series was $14.99 is now $13.49
Jackson Triggs Shiraz Private Reserve was $19.99 is now $18.49
Road 13 Stemwinder was $21.99 is now $19.99
Saturna Island Pinot Gris was $16.99 is now $14.99
Sumac Ridge Pinnacle White was $18.99 is now $13.29
Summerhill Baco Noir was $24.95 is now $19.95
Township 7 Chardonnay was $19.99 is now $18.49
Township 7 Merlot was $24.99 is now $22.99
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Chilean Syrah
One of the pleasures of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is the opportunity it provides to broaden your experience and knowledge of lessen-known delights. In a Wines of Chile sponsored guided tasting, hosted by Master of Wine Rhys Pender and wine educator DJ Kearney, I was afforded the chance to immerse myself into Syrah and explore its many incarnations in Chile's diverse terroir.
Aconcagua Valley
A short distance north from the capital city of Santiago lies the Aconcagua Valley with 1098 hectares of grapes planted mostly to red varieties including 94 hectares of Syrah. Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Aconcagua making up nearly half of the total plantings (475) but a few producers are experimenting with Syrah creating pleasant, juicy and reasonably complex examples.
Viña Errázuriz 2009 Max Reserva Syrah - $19.99
Licorice, cherry liqueur aromas stand out above classic red fruit and spice layers. A more straight-forward palate follows with intense black cherry, round spice and balsamic flavours.
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Viña Arboleda 2009 Syrah - $21.99
You'll find pronounced aromatics on the nose with both fruit and savoury flavours on the palate. Violets and rose petal aromas are followed by concentrated raspberry, coffee grinds, smoke, mineral and black pepper notes.
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Limari Valley
The Limari Valley, Chile's second most northern wine growing region, sees less than 4 inches of rainfall on average per year. The intriguing terroir experiences a Carneros-like morning fog effect from the Pacific Ocean which burns off in the afternoon and exposes the vines to the intense sunlight into the evening. Syrah makes up less than 10% of the plantings in the region at 112 hectares. Expect mineral rich Syrah reminiscent of Saint Joseph.
Viña Tamaya 2010 Reserve Syrah - $19
Inspired by Northern Rhone vinification techniques, this Syrah is co-fermented with 5% Viognier and aged in French oak for 9-12 months creating an enticing Syrah with good minerality and aromatic elements.
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Elqui Valley
Nestled at the southern end of the Atacama desert, the vines of the Elqui Valley live a harsh life. Extreme sunlight is tempered by high altitude vineyards (some of the highest on Earth) where the term "cool-climate" is used freely. Syrah plantings make up only 29 of the 508 hectares of the region, but the variety is generating a lot of buzz.
Geo Wines 2009 Chono Syrah Reserva - $18
Originating from Chile's driest wine region, this savoury, terroir expressing Syrah offers a gorgeous palate of oak spice, minerals, smoked meats, leather and dark, brooding fruit.
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De Martino 2008 Alto Los Toros Syrah - $45
At 1600m above sea level, the Alto Los Toros vineyard is one of the highest altitude plantings in the world. The result is an excellent, dense, cool-climate Syrah with concentrated licorice, vanilla and red fruit flavours and loads of spicy, mineral notes.
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Colchagua Valley
One of Chile's largest and most diverse wine regions with over 23,000 hectares under vine, the Colchagua Valley is home to many of the country's best known brands like Cono Sur and Montes. Look for vineyard information when available with Alpalta and Ninquén being two of the best for Syrah.
Viña MontGras 2009 Antu Syrah - $21.99
Produced from fruit grown in the Ninquén Mountain Vineyard, Chile's first high altitude vineyard. Well balanced with good complexity and concentration for the price. Has the tannins and acid to age well, should you care to wait.
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Viña Ventisquero 2007 Pangea Syrah - $59.99
A full bodied wine that although offers plenty of classic Syrah red fruit notes, tends to be memorable for its layers of savoury and robust characters like smoked meats and white pepper.
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Viña Montes 2007 Montes Folly - $86.99
Produced from 17-18 year old vines from the Alpalta vineyard that are really producing some amazing fruit. Remains the champion of all South American Syrah and the wine to gauge against.
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- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Monthly Picks: April 2012
Spring is here and (hopefully) the weather is turning. Time to break out the crisp, juicy white wines and enjoy the return of outdoor dinning.
Graham Beck Wines 2010 The Game Reserve Sauvignon Blanc - $15
Clean, crisp and focused, this South African Sauvignon Blanc has a lot going for it with good varietal expression of lemon/lime and kiwi fruit with typical grassy notes wrapped within a tart, mouth watering embrace of green apple acidity.
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Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2011 Gewurztraminer - $17
The palate is oily, chewy and off-dry, typical for the Alsatian variety. What makes the 2011 memorable is the rich fruit flavours are balanced with a higher level of acidity from the cooler, late harvest vintage.
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Oyster Bay Wines 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $17
Classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with loads of gooseberry, green apple, sweet grass and lemon drop aromas and flavours without pungent cat's pee notes.
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Fort Berens Estate Winery 2010 Chardonnay - $18
A nice, warm nose of candied fruit, ripe pears, apple cider and candy floss aromas greets you at-first-sniff. The dry, vibrant palate follows with rich orchard fruit flavours and mouth-watering acidity.
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Unconventional Wisdom 2010 Told You So - $22
The "Told You So" white is their easy-going, floral-nosed Viognier with 10% Sauvignon Blanc added for some extra green apple acidic bite.
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Meyer Family Vineyards 2010 Tribute Series Chardonnay - $35
The acid is higher in the 2010 release than that of the sublime 2009 vintage, but the oak treatment and malo-lactic fermentation has balanced the tartness with a welcomed creamy texture.
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Clean, crisp and focused, this South African Sauvignon Blanc has a lot going for it with good varietal expression of lemon/lime and kiwi fruit with typical grassy notes wrapped within a tart, mouth watering embrace of green apple acidity.
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The palate is oily, chewy and off-dry, typical for the Alsatian variety. What makes the 2011 memorable is the rich fruit flavours are balanced with a higher level of acidity from the cooler, late harvest vintage.
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Classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with loads of gooseberry, green apple, sweet grass and lemon drop aromas and flavours without pungent cat's pee notes.
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A nice, warm nose of candied fruit, ripe pears, apple cider and candy floss aromas greets you at-first-sniff. The dry, vibrant palate follows with rich orchard fruit flavours and mouth-watering acidity.
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The "Told You So" white is their easy-going, floral-nosed Viognier with 10% Sauvignon Blanc added for some extra green apple acidic bite.
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The acid is higher in the 2010 release than that of the sublime 2009 vintage, but the oak treatment and malo-lactic fermentation has balanced the tartness with a welcomed creamy texture.
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