Cono Sur – 2 Thumbs Up

Chateau Montus Cuvee Prestige Madiran 2001

$97.40 at Broadway International Wine Shop

If there was a wine to savour, this would be it. I wish I could afford this wine but alas, that sample from the wine tasting night would probably be the only time I’ll ever have it.

 The wine made of 100% tannat grapes that is aged in 60% new french oak barrels and 40% one year old ones. Color of the wine is almost inky black and from the rep.’s point of view, you can probably cellar this for another 10- 15 years. Even then, it’s showing a lot of complexity when we drank it at 2007. Aroma of sherry, cloves, caramel, okay, cigarbox. It smell nice and sweet and yet it’s dry and spicy with nice rounded tannin. Had this wine with salmon marinade in star anise. The star anise match perfectly well with this wine.

Sola-Nero Olera Canadian Port

$10.99 at BC Liquor Stores

Bland. Save your money unless you want to use this as a cooking port. Maybe it’s not hot enough in Oliver, BC but Canadian Port is nowhere near the Portgual ones, or South Africa or Australia for that matter. We’re still young and it shows in this port. Too much alchol fume and not enough of the fruitiness, plum you expect from a table port. Buy Bin 22 or Clocktower Twany instead. It’s worth spending a bit more money. In this case, you get for what you pay for.

de Bortoli petite sirah 2005

$11.99 at BC Liquor Stores

At this price, I was quite surprised how well the fruitiness and tannin balanced each other out. Big, juicy, cinnamon/clove?, and spicy. Had this wine with a mushroom sauce pasta. Perfect with a simple striploin and as an everday table wine.

Porto: Dow’s Vintage 1970

We tried this port after it was aired for 3 hours. Best description we can come up with: Complex, smooth and varied in taste.

Taylor Fladgate White Port

For those who think port is too sweet, you must try the Taylor fladgate white port with tonic water. Serve over ice in a tall glass.

1/3 part white port
2/3 part tonic water
sprig of mint
thin slice of lemon

Very refreshing. Who needs mojito when you have this drink in the summer. Yum-yum!

Vacqueyras Bouvencourt 2003

Eleve et mis en bouteille a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 13.5% alc/vol
Broadway International Wine Shop sells for $13 for 375 ml

Fetzer Valley Oaks Gewürztraminer 2005

Marlene brought this one over for a dinner night with spicy East Indian food. I must say, this one was really easy to drink, even on its own. It has a light finish. I made a fennel salad with 3 citrus and walnut. The wine balance the salad really well. Yet I also had the same wine next day with spicy veggie samosa and Churches’ fried chicken. Somehow, it cut down the grease. The wine’s floral note was lost to the spicy food but somehow the softness of the wine just work for me. Could be that I’m not a big fan of heavier white too.

Quinta Vale D.Maria reserve LOTE No 01

Bottled August 2003 │ $35

This is the port that got both Daniel and I hooked! OMG! Could a wine be this yummy. Daniel has never really like the tannin bite from red wine. So when we discovered porto, it was a match made in heaven! Helen

Fonseca Porto Bin 27 Reserve

2006 │ $22.90

For an everyday table port, this one stands out the most and worth every penny of it. Has a prune, dried apricot, smokey flavour. Has a bit of tannin/spicy bite. Smooth with a nice finish.

La Bastide 2005

Vin de Pays de l’Herault, France │ $9.99
Grape variety: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan