BUYING GUIDE

oak. Predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon. Its flavour could be mistaken for a good Bordeaux. Medium-bodied with noticeable tannins, tasting of black cherries and plums. Will not get better from here. Drink now. (RL)*

CHÂTEAU GARRAUD LALANDE DE POMEROL 2015, BORDEAUX ($32.10)

Already pleasing despite its youth, with noticeable notes of leather and tobacco showing some development. The fruit is fresh and opulent with a nice generosity of plum, graphite and cacao. Medium to full body with ripe chalky yet fine tannins and fresh acid. High alcohol balanced by generosity of fruit. Nice typicity and offering great value. (MB)

SPAIN PALACIOS REMONDO LA MONTESA RIOJA CRIANZA 2014, RIOJA ($25.26)

Organically farmed blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Mazuelo from high altitude vines (c. 600 metres), these vines grow at some of the highest points in Rioja. Upfront ripe cherry and raspberry before a fresh and luscious well-balanced palate with balanced acidity and enduring spice and vanilla notes. (TP)

RECOMMENDED ARGENTINA TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES RESERVA MALBEC 2017, MENDOZA ($25)

Firm with dark fruit, coffee, vanilla and spice, grippy tannins and ripe fruit. A bold style done well, but perhaps a touch more finesse would enhance the wine’s balance. (GB)

FRANCE DOMAINE LA BOUYSSE CUVÉE MAZERAC 2015, AOC CORBIÈRES BOUTENAC ($30)

Siblings Martine Pages and Christophe Molinier are fourth generation vignerons overseeing an estate (biodynamic since 2013) that dates back some 115 years. Concrete fermented, with the Carignan whole-bunch pressed, aged 12 months in French oak. Aromas of dried fruit with earthy undertones before a mouth-filling palate supported by firm tannins. (TP)

DOMAINE LA SIRANIÈRE AOC MINERVOIS LA LIVINIÈRE 2014 ($30)

A blend of mainly Syrah (78%) with Grenache (15%) and Carignan (7%) from a boutique producer, only four hectacres, grown on south facing slopes in the foothills of Siran in Minervois. Grenache and Syrah with old vines Carignan were hand harvested and cold fermented in stainless steel, 15 months in French oak. Vibrant, inviting notes of red and black fruit with a plush and spicy palate wrapped in approachable and well-integrated tannins, before a lengthy velvet close. (TP)

DOMAINE FLORENCE ALQUIER RIEUTORD AOC FAUGÈRES 2017 ($35)

Forward red berry notes with floral and slate hints followed by a well-balanced palate, generous mouthfeel with seamless tannins above definite schist through the lengthy finish. (TP)

DOMAINE MIRABEL LES ÉCLATS AOC PIC SAINT LOUP 2017 ($35)

Forward black fruit with spicy hints precede a plush, mouth-filling palate of blackberry, mulberry, cassis and anise, with well-integrated tannins and a generous, lingering close. (TP)

ITALY LA MASSA TOSCANA IGT 2016, TUSCANY ($28.85)

When a wine from Tuscany is modern yet charming and irresistible. Rich and appealing with abundant notes of cherries, cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of graphite, basil and tomato that lifts the wine. Concentrated with grippy tannins, fresh acid and 13.5% well supported by generosity of fruit. Nice management of wood. Well done. (MB)

PORTUGAL MARITAVORA DOURO CLASSIC 2014, DOURO VALLEY ($27)

Meaty, floral and brooding with firm, but elegant tannins, dark fruit, savoury and fresh with a pleasant juiciness on the drying finish. A blend of predominantly Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional from 20- to 50-yearold vines. (GB)

OVER $35 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CANADA HESTER CREEK THE JUDGE 2016, GOLDEN MILE BENCH ($49.95)

From some of the oldest vinifera plantings in the valley, this blend of Merlot (37%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) and Cabernet Franc (26%) with a splash of Malbec and Petit Verdot spends two years in mainly French oak. Lifted notes of black and red berries with vanilla precede a plush palate of mulberry, black cherry and anise with approachable tannins through a liquorice-toned close. (TP)

RECOMMENDED SPAIN NUMANTHIA TERMES 2015, TORO ($44)

Rich, powerful and concentrated with loads of dark fruit, earth, spice, licorice and mineral, slightly smoky, firmly tannic and bold with a long, big finish. (GB)

NEW ZEALAND CLOUDY BAY PINOT NOIR 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($62)

Firm with an abundance of fruit, spice, earth and a tannic core. A well-made wine with all the components, but comes across as a little formulaic and lacking in soul. More depth and finesse for this price is warranted. (GB)

BEFORE & AFTER DINNER LUSTAU EAST INDIA SOLERA RESERVA SHERRY, SPAIN ($28.76)

Aromas of dried fruits, citrus and smoky hints lead to a seductive and mouth-filling viscose palate, layers of raisin, nutty notes and zesty notes, layered in perfect harmony, and supported by balanced acidity. When served slightly chilled, it is an ideal companion for Manchego or blue cheeses. (TP)

FORTY CREEK VICTORY LIMITED EDITION 2019, LOT 013, BOTTLE NUMBER 04925, CANADA ($80)

A big, rich, bold whisky. Polished and smooth, with aromas suggesting baking spice, toffee, nougat/marzipan/almond/ vanilla with just a dollop of something maple syrup, maybe? Viscous and warm in the mouth, with a touch of cayenne pepper spice along with caramel/sultana nuances as well as toasted/buttered hazelnut and a dash of marmalade. The pepperiness persist on the long, clean finish. (TS)

THE MACALLAN 12 YEARS OLD DOUBLE CASK, SCOTLAND ($100)

Without putting too fine a point on it, this expression of The Macallan is absolutely gorgeous. Aged in a combination of olorosso-seasoned American and European casks, it reveals a sublime nose that oozes malted grain, buckwheat honey and mild ginger, with floral/citrus undertones. Silky and superbly balanced, the flavours lean towards sweet malted barley, mild vanilla, butterscotch, caramel and a hint of citrus. Nice complexity on the (wonderfully) persistent finish. (TS)

BEER & CIDER ALARMIST BREWING LE JUS, CHICAGO, UNITED STATES ($15/4-PACK 16 OZ)

This beer is all about the haze, pouring a juicy fluorescent orange with a mousseand latte-like foam. The sip starts off with papaya and guava moving to pineapple and a seedy passion fruit centre. A low but persistent orange-rind bitterness balances the sip. This hazy brew is tough to find — you can only buy it at some wine and beer stores in Illinois, but it is worth the hunt as it won gold at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival for Hazy, Juicy IPAs. (TL)

RAINHARD FOUR ON THE FLOOR PILSNER, ONTARIO ($3/355 ML)

Rainhard’s Pilsner has been a work in progress for years, and the current rebrand signals an arrival at a destination. It pours hazy gold with a nose of red apple and sweet, dried meadow grasses. It has a peppery mid-palate and quite a long, gentle bitter finish. The balance leans bitter here, but for fans of the Czech style, this is a winner. (JSJ)

SAWDUST CITY GOLDEN BEACH, ONTARIO ($3/473 ML)

Sawdust’s most popular core beer features a body lightened by some wheat. Light acidity works in concert with the grapefruit, pineapple and mango from the dry hops, creating a light, tart pale ale with mild bitterness. Exactly the thing for a hot summer’s day. (JSJ)

BENCH BREWING COMPANY HENRY ON CHERRIES, ONTARIO ($7.95/500 ML)

This beer is cherry dominant even in appearance. It pours a hazy garnet, and the sip, rather than continuing the delicate aroma of cherry juice, rolls right through to the cinnamate of the pit. This happens at every sip, and the tartness of the cherries is only kept in check by the structure provided by the oak foeders in fermentation. At 7.1%, deceptively light. (JSJ)

SAWDUST CITY OTHER PEOPLE’S WORDS, ONTARIO ($10)

Part of the Winewood series, Other People’s Words is a blend of a two-year-old saison with a younger version of the same beer and a lashings of cranberry juice. The effect is tartly sweet and complex with the textural width that two years of oak impart. This is a promising sign that the Winewood series continues to develop in both concept and quality. (JSJ)

MOUNT ST BERNARD TYNT MEADOW ENGLISH TRAPPIST ALE, ENGLAND ($5/330 ML)

England’s only Trappist brewery produces a single product and happily represents English tradition rather than that of their Belgian brothers. Tynt Meadow might as well be referred to generically as a strong dark ale with notes of red licorice, coffee, treacle, molasses and dried strawberry ahead of a small amount of drying astringency at the back of the palate. Sort of a Belgian Dubbel seen through a glass, darkly. (JSJ)

BRASSERIE DE LA SENNE ZINNEBIR, BELGIUM ($5/330 ML)

De La Senne are part of the new wave of breweries in Brussels, taking their name from the River Valley. Zinnebir is a blonde ale with a nose of black pepper and drying hay that leans into grassy on the sip. A small amount of fruity plum and some light spice make up the mid-palate before a harmonious finish that brings the yeast phenolics and hop bitterness together. (JSJ)

BRASSERIE DE LA SENNE CRIANZA III, BELGIUM ($5/330ML)

Crianza is De La Senne’s take on a Flanders red ale, featuring ripe red fruit and ribes on the nose with tempered acidity on the palate that balances the width of the oaked body. While the complexity is less than some classic examples of the style (the dried fruit never quite gives way to Balsamic depth), the carbonation lifts it into bright, exuberant cherry and damson plum candy territory. (JSJ)