WEEKEND WINE PICKS
KENDALL-JACKSON CHARDONNAY VINTNER’S RESERVE 2016, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
$23.99 I 89/100
UPC: 081584013105 Chief winemaker Randy Ullom mixes Monterey County citrus and lime flavours with the mango and pineapple flavours of Santa Barbara County, the green apple notes of Mendocino County and Sonoma County’s ripe pears. The wine is fermented and aged in French and American oak barrels and aged sur lie. The combination of freshness and roundness with a mix of papaya, pineapple and mango flavours makes this a crowd favourite. It is fully ready to drink. Try it with a chicken salad or a favourite creamy pasta dish.
LOOSEN BROS DR. L RIESLING 2016, GERMANY
$17.99 I 88/100
UPC: 183103000013
Dr. L. Loosen Bros. introductory Riesling is always consistent and affordable, especially given its all-Mosel fruit content. This is a fruit salad of juicy yellow and green fruits — think lime, lemon, green apple, gooseberries, all cresting a juicy, fresh just off-dry palate. Limey sherbet sticks on the side. Food-friendly and ready to drink, there is a tiny bit of fizz keeping it fresh. A perfect spicy sushi wine.
FINCA LAS MORAS RESERVA TANNAT 2016, SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA
$13.99 I 88/100
UPC: 7791540090387 We continue to be impressed by this firm, stony, blackberry inky juicy red that over delivers for its minimal price. It’s tannat, but in a much softer more approachable style than you normally encounter. The palate is long and rich with warm sticky tannins and a waft of pipe tobacco. All this requires is a hamburger, or a spaghetti Bolognese dish to tame its youth. Decant and air for 30 minutes for best results. Fine value if you like your reds rich and big and youthful.
LA CREMA SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2016, SONOMA COAST, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
$35.99 I 89/100
UPC: 049331002307
A large production Pinot that is a mix of estate and grower vineyards but all within the cool, marineswept boundaries of Sonoma County. The parcels are kept separate until the final blend to capitalize on the best lots. Look for an earthy, wild strawberry nose with a dusting of baking spices. On the palate, look for cherries, plum, pomegranate and spice. It’s aged in 95 per cent French oak, but only 25 per cent is new. Delicious, drinkable and authentic.
CHÂTEAULES CROISILLE CALCAIRE 2014, CAHORS, SUDOUEST, FRANCE
$32.99 I 91/100
UPC: 3760057140049 French malbec has a spotty history in Cahors unless you loved the monster, black editions that were the norm in the 1970s and ’80s and persist among some producers today. We lean toward the more refined offerings and Germaine Croisille is one such grower and family in its third generation making beautiful malbec with finesse and style. The vineyards are 30 to 25 years old on limestone soils and you can feel it throughout the wine and its understated fruit, light licorice and pepper and its sensational chalky textures. This is a bargain for wine geeks. Real wine.