Red - New World

Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Chile

$20-23

The February 27th, 8.8 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami had a real affect on Chile’s wine industry.  Not just to the wineries and cellars, but most importantly, to the homes of the vineyard and winery workers.   The majority of the damage occurred to the Maule, Cachapoal and Colchagua areas – all major wine regions. An assessment by Wines of Chile indicates that the damage sustained by wineries affected less than 13% of the country’s cellared wine. This equals approximately US $250M. Supply to countries around the world will not be affected and the 2010 harvest, which has begun in the northern wine regions, is proceeding as planned.

The best way to help these wineries – and their real life human resources – is to keep purchasing Chilean wine. Not that you need any other reasons to pick up this lovely red. Though Carmenere can be a stemmy hard sell in the wrong hands, when yields are low and care is taken, wines like this result. A dark ruby hue and whiffs of black cherry, ash and cedar is your introduction to this bottle of 100 percent Carménère. On the palate, characteristic Chilean leafy herbaceousness balances out with savory dark chocolate, ripe black plum and leather. A fourteen-month stint in French Oak plumps up the mouthfeel and softens the tannins. Pair with meaty pasta – carmenere can take the salty olives, bell peppers and chunky tomatoes that scare many big reds. 

The Colchagua Valley, where Viu Manent is centered, lies within the Rapel Valley Wine District, sandwiched between the foothills of the Andes and the winds of the Pacific. Wine Enthusiast named Colchagua Valley as Wine Region of the Year 2005, and numerous international wineries have invested here, including Rothschild-Lafite.

*** stars

By Treve Ring – online wine editor

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

*          Basic drinkable, uncomplicated plonk

**       Good example of varietal type.  

***     Very good quality, represents the regional style/terroir, worth seeking out. Recommended

****   Exceptional, above average, top of class. Highly Recommended

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now!

Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, BC

$24-26

This is a storming wine.  Big gutsy flavour for big blustery days – like January in BC.  Foch is a wine that people either love or love to hate – there’s no middle ground.  But really – what’s not to love about Starling Lane’s version?  A dark ruby colour, with plush vanilla, dark raspberry, deep plum, dusty cocoa, and a lovely spicy finish.  Nice acidity - and thankfully none of the gaminess that would turn this love story sour. This is a big red from a cool climate!  Partner with slow roasted venison or lamb, cracked pepper and glazed root veg.

Maréchal Foch [MAY-ray-shahl FOHSH] is a hybrid, grown in North America.  A hybrid is a breeding between two species of vine, in this case vitis vinifera and vitis riparia – in the hopes of gaining the positive benefits of both species.  

This wine is sold out at the winery, but there are still a few bottles available at select private liquor stores and savvy restaurants.  Tip – get on Starling Lane’s contact list and reserve for next vintage.

*** and a half stars

By Treve Ring – online web editor

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

*          Basic drinkable, uncomplicated plonk

**       Good example of varietal type.  

***     Very good quality, represents the regional style/terroir, worth seeking out. Recommended

****   Exceptional, above average, top of class. Highly Recommended

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now!

Okanagan Valley

$30.00 – $32.00

Want to stump your buds at your next blind tasting?  Bring this in your brown bag.  This Sangiovese (the grape of Italy’s Chianti wines) was grown right here in BC – and is the only Sangiovese planting in the Okanagan (in Canada?) to date.  Here it is blended with 12.5% Barbera to up the body and deepen the colour.  Spicy black cherry and violet aromas lead to a earthy palate of pepper, herbs, anise, cedar and ripe cherries.  The tannins are dark cocoa dry, the body is bantamweight and the finish is lengthy and elegant.  Pair with Parmigiano Reggiano, crusty bread and tomato sauced polenta.  ***  and a half

Sandhill Winemaster Howard Soon is a legend in BC – and this year’s honour of Winery of the Year at the Canadian Wine Awards is a well deserved nod to a man and wine program that never compromises.  His Small Lots program wines are cult favourites – all handcrafted on a small scale (only 644 of this Sangiovese vintage was produced) and snapped up quickly. www.sandhillwines.ca/  

 -by Treve Ring, online web editor

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

*          Basic drinkable, uncomplicated plonk

**       Good example of varietal type.  

***     Very good quality, represents the regional style/terroir, worth seeking out. Recommended

****   Exceptional, above average, top of class. Highly Recommended

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now!

BC | $30.00-32.00

Go figure. These two could make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Passetoutegrain, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, is not exactly the belle of the Beaune, but boy does this wine hit all the right buttons. PTG combines the best attributes of both partners. It is medium bodied with ripe cherry, spice and smoke flavours, a silky smooth texture and a long persistent finish. Very highly recommended! www.joie.ca

 - Reviewed by Larry Arnold

Argentina $33.00-36.00

This monster from Mendoza will put paid to all those who doubt the potential of Malbec from Argentina not to mention Kosher wine from the planet. Flechas de los Andes is a joint venture between Baron Benjamin de Rothschild and Laurent Dassault, one of the orginal partners in Michel Rolland’s Clos de los Siete project. Coming in at a whopping 15.5% alcohol this incredible Ç•ber-Malbec is black as pitch and as dense as a dwarf star. Super concentrated, with black cherry, pepper and earth aromas, this brute will stain the crystal, not to mention everything else it comes into contact with. It does not let up on the palate, au contraire, my pasty little friends; the dense fruit flavours come at your genteel unsuspecting palate in unrelenting waves of deliciousness. Oh, did I say 15.5% Well you would never know it; smooth as your baby’s bottom, with a mind blowing finish! Very tasty but avoid spillage!

Reviewed by Larry Arnold

&nbs

Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

$40.00

In light of the recent worldly financial markets, it can be difficult to gauge whether to Buy! Hold! Cellar! Laughing Stock’s Portfolio.  Do you quaff it now, enjoying the thoroughly ready-to-drink big Bordeaux-styled red?  Or do you lie it down for a couple of years, hoping your asset pays off? Either way, this one is a winning investment.

Luckily, Laughing Stock owners, winemakers and founders David and Cynthia Enns didn’t get the memo that BC can’t produce big reds.  Thus, their aim to produce the highest quality small production wines from the Valley was a high risk stock that has paid off in spades.  Again with the 2007 vintage, all five classic Bx varietals are used here: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  The result is a richly textured, very structured sipper.  Big dark berry fruit, smooth vanilla and dark cocoa blend seamlessly to the finish.  And if you can wait, you’ll be richly rewarded, as this will prove even more plush and elegant in 6-8 years time.

*** 3 stars now (but I’ll bet the bank on 3.5 stars in a few years time)

Reviewed by Treve Ring, EAT online wine editor

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

*          Basic drinkable, uncomplicated plonk

**       Good example of varietal type.  

***     Very good quality, represents the regional style/terroir, worth seeking out. Recommended

****   Exceptional, above average, top of class. Highly Recommended

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now!

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Compendium 2006

- Reviewed by Treve Ring

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

*          Basic drinkable, uncomplicated plonk

**       Good example of varietal type.  

***     Very good quality, represents the regional style/terroir, worth seeking out. Recommended

****   Exceptional, above average, top of class. Highly Recommended

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now! 

Darryl Lamb, Manager of Firefly Fine Wines and Ales in Vancouver shares this pick —and a good story to go with it:


"Sokol Blosser is a beautiful 72 acre winery located in the heart of Oregon’s world famous Willamette Valley in the rolling Dundee Hills. I just recently visited in the spring and absolutely fell in love with their 2006 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir.

The Vineyard is in immaculate condition and organic farming practices are rigidly enforced by the USDA which has certified the vineyard organic since 2005. Sokol Blosser’s vineyards also use solar power for 33% of its power needs.

The 2006 Pinot Noir is an excellent wine. Rich and textured, its nose is perfect Oregon Pinot Noir. It has earth and berry notes with just a hint of truffle. The wine was aged for 16 months in new and used French barrel. This wine should cellar quite nicely over the next five years.

My fiancé and I just had a bottle paired with beef tenderloin and it was magical. This wine has the body for soft tender beef and the more subtle forest floor flavours in the wine shone through when combined with the savoury flavours of the meat.

We carry the 2006 vintage at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales which is located in the Plaza 500 complex on Cambie and 12th right next door to Figmint Restaurant. We are open from 10 am to 11pm each and every day including holidays."

SKU# 608786


Firefly Fine Wines and Ales: 604-875-3325, www.fireflyfinewinesandales.com

***** Among the top wines in the world. Worth traveling for. What are you waiting for? Buy it right now!

Natalie King, Director of Food & Beverage at The Sidney Pier Hotel and Spa sends us this recommendation:

"This is an absolutely superb example of BC Pinot Noir. It is a deeply coloured wine with an intense nose of cherry & spice. It is so silky smooth in the mouth, with satisfying and rich berry flavours and an oaky spiciness. So well balanced and nice long finish to savour. Although tough to find (I think it is only available in fine restaurants in BC), it is worth the hunt to enjoy it with a great meal. Our service team loves selling it; although it is a bit pricey, customers are always impressed and very satisfied with the recommendation."

Rich Massey from the Galiano Inn sends us this pick:

“My choice for wine of the week hails from a small gravity flow winery in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

As our restaurant is a showcase for local products from small farms it’s only natural to pair with wines made from fruit grown under the same climatic conditions. The Averill Creek 2006 Pinot Noir is a testament to the powerful illustrations of how local wine not only compliments but also enhances the taste of regional food.

I love this pinot as it shows much more than just typical cherry fruit; it speaks terroir straight from its delicious soul. A rich hue to the eyes complemented with an appealing velvety texture on the palate. Expect a food friendly seam of acidity with minerality and earthy aspects highlighted by generous amounts of leather and cedar embraced with soft smoke and hints of tobacco.

Pair with lamb or poultry but this vino truly shines with grilled salmon on a warm cedar plank.”

Andrew Melville of Marquis Wine Cellars chooses this wine for EAT's readers:

“Perhaps the greatest deal on a Cabernet Sauvignon in the market is the Laura Hartwig. A fuller-bodied wine, the Laura Hartwig has distinct aromas of blackberry, cedar and a touch of menthol. The palette is decidedly juicy, with a great mouthfeel and chewy tannins. Approachable and highly delicious now, this wine would make a great started wine for a cellar as it will age gracefully for many years to come.”

CSPC# 185264, $18.90.

Beth Crawford from the Mattick's Farm VQA sends us this wine pick:

"Road 13 (formerly known as Golden Mile Cellars) is a "Prince" of a winery. The packaging looks completely different, but Michael Bartier and his Assistant Bailey are consistent in their production of kick-ass wines. This gold medal winning Merlot is full of dark fruit flavours augmented by just the right amount of oak. It is a wine that is robust and flavourful and has great length to the finish. I knew that I liked this wine, but forgot how much until I tried it again recently! You won't be disappointed."

Larry Arnold, wine columnist for EAT shares this current favourite.

“There is a lot going on here, with layers of spicy oak, licorice, sage and ripe cherry fruit on the nose. Medium-bodied with supple fruit flavours, nicely balanced with a blush of soft tannins. Sounds pretty good, tastes even better!”

Widely available at VQA, private and government stores. $19.00-22.00
Check out their website at www.tinhorn.com

Mike Sly from Mattick's Farm VQA shares this current favourite with EAT: "The Jackson Triggs Shiraz private reserve won a gold medal at last year's Okanagan Wine Festival. Bright forward fruit with the best qualities an Aussie Chiraz and the Rhone. Nice savoury finish." $19.99. CSPC# 593103.

Marlisa Beadle of uber hip Stage wine bar in Fernwood suggests the 2004 Three Drops Cabernets from Mt. Barker region in Western Australia: "It is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cab Franc. It is hard to find a wine from Oz with any age to it like this one. It even has the telltale bricky colour indicating it is getting older and softer and screwcap as well. Soft Blackberry fruit from the Cab Sauv and slight herbacousness from the Cab Franc make this a very interesting standout wine. The cool harvest that year does not give any hint of Aussie fruit bomb or huge alcohol. It has a lot of finesse, think Bordeaux even."

Janis Goard, wine director & sr. restaurants manager at
Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa shares this wine pick:

It was the Napa Cab that changed my mind about Napa Cabs.  It has all the fruit and concentration you would expect, but is so beautifully balanced with lots of earthy tobacco leaf, ripe cherry, plum, cocoa, blackberry, and a host of other black fruits. It has a lovely gentle spice that lies on your palate to a lengthy finish.  For such a young wine it was a bit of a surprise to find it so well integrated, and I think it will be enjoyed for years to come.

Winemaker:  Dave Phinney (also makes the Prisoner and Mercury Head, trained at Opus One and Whitehall Lane, a definite rising star)
The 2005 Juliet is a blend of 96% cab, 2% petit verdot, 2% malbec
Vineyard: 1350 ft up on Atlas Peak above Stag's Leap in the Foss Valley.

From British Columbia’s Okanagan comes this easy-drinking, mid-week red. Priced at a manageable $14.95, it is a good introduction to the under-appreciated Cabernet Franc grape. In the Old World Cab Franc is used as part of the classic Bordeaux blend or Meritage as it is often referred to in the New World. It also appears as a single varietal in the Loire region of northern France, where it can become stunning Chinon in a warm year. But it is in the New World that Cab Franc really shows promise and a number of BC wineries have begun making wines from Can Franc that are well worth drinking.

Bright red in colour, this wine opens with expressive fresh cherry and raspberry and a backdrop of wood smoke and green pepper. The follow-up swallow might be straightforward but there’s enough juicy fruit, acid and a touch of tannin to make this a lovely food-friendly wine. Give it a bit of time after uncorking to let the flavours develop and try it with slow-braised beef chuck steaks (I did mine in a crock-pot) and you’ll have an affordable Wednesday dinner has never tasted so good.

This week's wine pick comes from EAT editor Gary Hynes:

In the depths of a BC winter, nothing is more warming than a bold red from a hot climate. Aurelio Montes, co-founder and winemaker of the Montes Winery in Chile has been traveling around BC pouring samples of his award-winning wines for interested consumers.

At a price that barely nudges the twenty-dollar mark, Montes 2007 Cab-Carmenere (+603530) beat my January blues. Tasted at SIPS, a new wine bar in James Bay, it showed powerful, spicy flavours from the ripe Carmenère grape tempered with classic cigar box Bordeaux style and a long, full-bodied finish. Aurelio referred to this wine as the wine he most often drinks at home.

Other Montes wines worth a try is their signature 100% cabernet sauvignon Alpha (+32258) an intense, opulent and silky, well-balanced red that helped put Chile on the map. The bargain of the evening at $16.05 was the smooth 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (+464479) showing pretty flavours of cinnamon and mint in a medium-full body. These and other Montes wines are readily available at private wine stores around the province.

Photo: Montes winemaker Aurelio Montes

Beth Crawford of the VQA Store at Mattick's Farm picks this week's wine:

This is a wonderful Bordeaux blend red from Bill Eggert's eight-acre vineyard in Oliver. Bill's techniques in the vineyard and in the cellar produce a mouth filling, fruitdriven, nicely balanced, full bodied red. Perfect for these dark evenings curled up by the fire and a great companion to rich beef dishes like tenderloin.

(Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars in photo).

Executive Chef Stephan Drolet of Wren Restaurant recommends Old Main Red by Kettle Valley, 2004 or 2005 for EAT readers: "This wine has the longest legs I`ve ever seen in such a young red! It`s got huge flavours and stands up to a wide array of flavours. Go grilled game meats, braises, spices, and, in some instances,
salmon, with a nice red wine jelly on it. The sweetness of the jelly is a nice counter-point to the wine, and lets the salmon shine.

As with all wines (and opinions on wine) it`s all so very subjective to the moment. A great ambiance, surrounded with friends and family, whether you have it with food or just on its own, and, well, this is tough to beat with other young wines here in BC."

For more of-the-moment wine recommendations, listen to the very savvy Michelle and Micheala of House Wine on CFUN radio.

There is nothing shy about this thick concentrated red from the sun-baked, windswept vineyards of the Andes. Blackish purple and loaded with ripe blackberry, blueberry and cherry flavours! The mouth-filling texture on the palate is lovely-deep round and rich, silky smooth but with plenty of grip through the finish. A big wine with flavours to match that will handle anything autumn blows your way!  $16.00-18.00