This week, I have three very nice wines that I enjoyed with each being somewhat of a
surprise to me.
There are two good red wines and a white that revealed itself in a sort of unconventional way. I hope you like them as well as I did.
Cheers.
Finders Seekers
Langhorne Creek 2010 Shiraz
Viognier (923193)
Australia
$13.99
Australian Vintage Limited is a large wine producer. In fact, they are the second largest in Australia. In France, the wines produced in this way are known as ngociant wines. A ngociant is a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the
result under its own name.
This doesn't mean the company won't have its own vineyards but they also buy grapes from independent growers. Finders Seekers Langhorne Creek Shiraz/Viognier is one of their wines. The grapes for this wine were sourced from Langhorne Creek on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia.
The colour is dense plum and a good indicator of some of the aromas to come. The body in the glass is bold and substantial with thick legs developing after a good swirl.
On the nose, I found it to be fruit forward but not jammy. Ripe fruits such as black plum, black cherry dominate the black pepper and baking spice.
The aromas are rounded out with hints of cedar and sweet tobacco.
In the mouth, it was lush and fruity with lightly balanced acidity, tannin and just a hint of sweetness.
The medium plus body provides a decently long finish. This is a great barbeque wine for any red meat dish and for $13.99 a fine week-day wine.
Familia Bianchi
Malbec (907972)
Argentina
$19.99
Wines made from the Malbec grape are so prolific on our shelves; it is difficult to not be drawn to them.
Leading the way is Familia Bianchi. They took to the Malbec grape with such gusto it became their signature wine. Located in Argentina's San Rafael valley in the Mendoza province, the winery was founded by Italian emigrant Valentin Bianchi in 1928.
Overtime Bianchi children became involved in the business and the winery's name evolved to become Familia Bianchi.
Today, this very successful winery remains in family hands.
A deep purple with touches of red filled the glass and there was nothing thin about this wine. I found the aromas were pronounced with black fruits and a strong presence of blueberries. The ten months of aging in French and American oak have had their influence too.
Touches of coffee, spice and oak were present on the nose also. The mouth feel was lush and the flavours layered. There is good black and blue fruit presence along with flavours provided by time spent in oak barrels.
The silky tannins and lightly crisp acidity ride through the lingering finish in this full-bodied wine.
Twenty dollars may make this a weekend wine but certainly worth a try and will pair with most foods including beef, foul or stronger hard cheeses.
Sumac Ridge
2010 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
593087)
British Columbia
$12.99
In the store last week, a bottle of wine broke in the store and poured all over the floor. Nothing too new about that but as others and I were preparing to clean up the mess we were all struck by the aromas coming up off the floor. As with most worksites there are rules that prohibit drinking on the job and besides I'm not often given to drinking off the floor so I had to buy a bottle and taste it at home.
The white wine that was so alluring was Sumac Ridge's 2010 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.
This home grown British Columbian VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) comes from one of B.C.'s pioneering wineries qualifying under the VQA rules and standards.
This wine that had offered such enticing aromas from the floor was a lemony gold colour and once in the glass emitted those same
aromas as before.
Tropical fruits the likes of melon and mango along with some of the herbaceous qualities often found in Sauvignon Blanc were all present.
In the mouth, this light to medium-bodied wine was clean and crisp with those sweet and tart fruit flavours that appeared in the aromas. Throughout the month of May, this mouth-watering wine has been reduced in price to $12.99 and is perfect for lighter fish like cod, sole or shellfish.
Al Spoklie is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre. The bracketed numbers are the product codes for the B.C. liquor stores.
