2017
2017
Township 7 2017 Seven Stars Sirius
Canadian Sparkling
Pale straw colour and a fine bead accompany apple, brioche, peach stone, baker's yeast and honey. The palate is creamy, with yellow apple, lemon and lively acidity. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from a South Langley vineyard form the blend. The wine is made by the traditional method. Toast and lees notes sit alongside pear, tangerine and a lingering citrus finish.
Roagna 2017 Langhe Rosso
Italian Red
Tart cherry, leather and tar meet zesty acidity and solid structure, with dried red cherry, kirsch, mint, cinnamon and orange peel adding further detail. Fruit is hand harvested from vines between twenty and twenty-five years old. Fermentation lasts about ten days in wooden vats, followed by at least two months of submerged-cap maceration and roughly five years in neutral oak and cement.
Parés Baltà 2017 Rosa Cusiné Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature
Spanish Sparkling
A subtle rose colour with a salmon rim frames tiny bubbles, dried and jammy fruit, an energetic creamy palate, ripe fruit and a lengthy finish. Made entirely from Grenache, the grapes are hand harvested and gently pressed. Fermentation in stainless steel is followed by three months on fine lees with daily bâtonnage, then traditional-method bottle fermentation and at least forty-eight months of ageing.
D’Angelo 2017 Valle del Noce Aglianico del Vulture
Italian Red
Dark and brooding, musty blackcurrant, dried cherry, cinnamon, clove and cocoa meet ripe red-berry fruit in a racy, sleek profile. Saline mineral notes accompany grippy tension, while the wine is not aggressively tannic. The finish is dramatically long, with mocha and liquorice. Made from Aglianico, this red comes from Basilicata's Aglianico del Vulture appellation in southern Italy.
Bodegas LAN 2017 Rioja Gran Reserva
Spanish Red
Deep garnet-red colour with a ruby rim accompanies ripe black fruit, fig, balsamic notes, spice and smoke. The blend is harmonious and balanced, with approachable tannins and a long finish. Tempranillo and Mazuelo come from vineyards in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa planted more than forty years ago. The wine spends twenty-five months in mixed barrels and thirty-six months in bottle.
Josmeyer 2017 H Vieilles Vignes Pinot Auxerrois
French White
Mirabelle and apricot appear with mineral and saline detail. The Pinot Auxerrois is fleshy and chalky, with long bitter notes. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand and whole-cluster pressed for about seven hours. After natural settling, spontaneous fermentation takes place in a century-old foudre. The wine rests on fine lees for several months before filtration and bottling.
Pax 2017 Buddha’s Dharma Vineyard Chenin Blanc
American White
Melon, wool, Mirabelle plum and flowers appear with exotic fruit and spice. The Chenin Blanc is fresh and long. Vines were planted in nineteen forty-four on gravelly volcanic soils and are dry farmed without chemicals. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed. Ambient fermentation and full malolactic conversion take place in neutral French oak and new Stockinger Austrian barrels, followed by ten months in the same vessels.
Zorah 2017 Karasi Areni Noir
Armenian Red
Dark berries, herbs, pepper and anise appear with smoky detail and a silky texture. The Areni variety grows on own-rooted vines at 1,400 metres in sandy, limestone-rich soils scattered with large stones. Natural-yeast fermentation takes place in concrete tanks. The wine then spends about twelve months in buried amphorae and a further six months in bottle.
Michael Gindl 2017 Buteo 12 Grüner Veltliner
Austrian White
Frosted grape pulp, underripe fuzzy peach and white spice accompany a long, wild finish. The Grüner Veltliner comes from biodynamically farmed vines in Hohenruppersdorf, within the Weinviertel. Grapes receive ten hours of skin contact before a slow eight-hour press. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in wood, and the wine then spends six months resting on its lees.
Penfolds 2017 St Henri Shiraz
Australian Red
Blackberry, mulberry, currant and plum accompany herb, dark chocolate, liquorice and panforte notes. Fine, powdery tannins appear in a dense profile. The finish is long, with chocolate and mineral detail. Red raspberry, dark berry and pepper also appear. Shiraz is joined by nine percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation takes place in old 1,460-litre vats, with little overt oak character.
Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme 2017 Touraine Pinot Noir
French Red
Pinot Noir comes from purchased organically farmed fruit from a single parcel called La Ceverie, on clay and limestone soils. Whole clusters receive a fifteen-day maceration before the wine spends six months in 225-litre barrels. The red is bottled unfined and unfiltered, generally without added sulphur; up to fifteen milligrams per litre may be used at bottling when required.
Château de Béru 2017 Montserre Chablis
French White
A deep, creamy nose sits above a round, juicy profile with freshness, salinity and considerable length. The elevated parcel contains fossilized limestone and Kimmeridgian rock. Seventy-five percent of the wine is raised in barrel, with the remainder in tank, and the bottling is made without added sulphur. The Chardonnay vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically, and the finished wine is unfined and unfiltered.
Domaine de l’Ecu 2017 Ange Pinot Noir
French Red
Pinot Noir is harvested by hand, with half the fruit destemmed. Native fermentation takes place in stainless steel, with pumpovers during the first seven or eight days, followed by pneumatic pressing and twelve months in amphora. Bottling is unfined and unfiltered. Ripe black fruit, blackberry, violet and delicate spice accompany a full-bodied profile that combines power with delicacy.
Agostina Pieri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Clusters are selected by hand in the vineyard and again on sorting tables in the cellar. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by twenty-two days of maceration. The wine spends twenty-four months in wood, divided between 600-litre demi-muids and larger French-oak casks, then six months in stainless steel and eighteen months in bottle. The blend is entirely Sangiovese from two south-facing vineyards.
Giulia Negri 2017 Barolo La Tartufaia DOCG
Italian Red
Wild berry, redcurrant, spice, tar, rose and earth accompany a full and generous expression. Violet, red cherry, tobacco and nutmeg appear with polished tannins and fresh acidity. Pure red-cherry flavour, lifted rose and fine structure add further detail. The organically farmed Nebbiolo matures for two years in large Slavonian oak casks, using fruit from high-elevation plots in Serradenari.
Double Canyon 2017 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Blackberry, pie crust and baking vanilla accompany raspberry and light confectioners' sugar. Peach and raspberry also appear with juicy acidity and a lingering finish. The blend contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Fruit comes from Horse Heaven Hills in Washington's Columbia Valley. Scorched earth, barrel spice, graphite and dark cherry add further detail.
Michael David Winery 2017 Lust Zinfandel
American Red
Chocolate-covered strawberry, liquorice, vanilla and wood smoke accompany cranberry, cherry brandy and toasted baguette. The flavours are bold, with spice and a lingering finish. This Zinfandel comes from Lodi in California and contains 15.5 percent alcohol. Lodi lies between the San Francisco Bay and Sierra Nevada, with afternoon breezes reaching inland through the Sacramento River Delta.
Michael David Winery 2017 Sloth Zinfandel
American Red
Cherry, fig, vanilla and clove accompany bright cherry fruit, toasted marshmallow and nutmeg. Spice and tannin detail also appear. The blend contains Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from Mendocino County. Fruit comes from the Larramendy vineyard, planted in the 1950s on gravelly loam, and the wine matures for sixteen months in new French and American oak.
Bodegas Cueva 2017 Vino Tinto Cosecha Magnum 1.5 L
Spanish Red
Made from Bobal in Valencia, this red comes from organically farmed vines on calcareous clay and sandy soils. Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and macerated in a carbonic environment with indigenous yeasts, then matured in stainless steel. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered and without added sulphur. The wine is presented here in a 1.5-litre magnum.
Benjamin Laroche L’Atelier 2017 Chorey-lès-Beaune
French Red
Restrained and elegant, this village-level red Burgundy shows mineral and cherry notes. Medium tannins accompany refined cedar and an elegant finish, with chewy, sturdy raspberry fruit. Deep purple colour, moderate tannin and rich character also appear. The body is soft and light. The wine is French Pinot Noir from Chorey-lès-Beaune, a village appellation in the Côte de Beaune within Burgundy.
Capezzana 2017 Ghiaie della Furba Toscana IGT
Italian Red
Deep ruby in colour, with complex and elegant fruit and spice. The wine is full-bodied and firm, with dense tannins and well-balanced acidity. Wild berry appears in the persistent finish. The blend comprises Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The wine spent fifteen months in barriques. Its dry, structured profile also includes red fruit, leather, wood and balsamic notes.
Terre Bianche 2017 Bricco Arcagna Rossese di Dolceacqua
Italian Red
Pickled cherry, spice and incense accompany a savoury, silky, warm profile with slight tartness. The red spends time in oak, and its fruit comes from Bricco Arcagna. Suggested pairings for the table include grilled red meat, rabbit, game birds and goat served with white beans. Made from Rossese, the wine comes from the Liguria region of Italy.
Enrico Serafino 2017 Monclivio Barolo
Italian Red
Deep ruby colour with garnet hues accompanies currant, liquorice, tobacco, spice, coffee and leather. Blackberry joins a multifaceted, harmonious and smooth character, with full body, chewy tannins and a pleasant finish. Hand-sorted Nebbiolo undergoes long maceration before twenty-two months in medium-sized oak casks. The vineyards lie in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra and Monforte in Piedmont.
Antonio Caggiano 2017 Taurasi Vigna Macchia dei Goti
Italian Red
Intense ruby colour appears with black forest fruits, liquorice, vanilla and red berries. The wine is vigorous, elegant, soft and warm, with sweet tannins, freshness and a very long finish. Made entirely from Aglianico grown on clay-limestone soils, the fruit is harvested by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The vineyard sits within Taurasi in Campania.
Cappellano Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris 2017 Barolo
Italian Red
Sweet red cherry and redcurrant lead a lifted, savoury bouquet, with rose petals, mint and cedar adding detail. Liquorice, tar, earth and a touch of bitter chocolate deepen the profile. The palate is powerful yet finely drawn, its vibrant acidity and wiry tannins framing the ripe fruit. Mineral tension carries the wine through a persistent finish of cherry, herbs, smoke and spice, with a measured dry grip.
Roagna Pajè 2017 Barbaresco
Italian Red
Rose petals, red cherry and cranberry lead a restrained but finely detailed bouquet, joined by tobacco, dried flowers and warm spice. The palate is silky and light-footed, with vibrant acidity and fine, sandy tannins giving shape to the delicate fruit. Mushroom, leather and gravelly mineral notes emerge with air. Graceful rather than forceful, it finishes long and gently savoury, with dark berries, liquorice and a lingering earthy lift.
Castello di Perno Perno 2017 Barolo Riserva
Italian Red
Dried rose, red cherry and ripe plum open with tar, leather and liquorice. The palate is full-bodied and elegant, its firm tannins integrated by vibrant acidity and generous fruit. Blackberry and cranberry meet forest floor, tobacco and warm spice as the wine develops. Balsamic, anise and mineral notes extend the finish, giving this structured Riserva both depth and composed persistence.
Kleinood 2017 Tamboerskloof Syrah
South African Red
Cranberry, blackberry and blackcurrant open with plum, violet and jasmine. White pepper and a light dusting of spice add savoury lift without overwhelming the fruit. The palate is elegant and composed, with rounded tannins carrying a fresh line through the middle. A lingering finish returns to dark berries, flowers and gentle pepper. Pair with lamb, venison, grilled beef or tomato-based dishes with warm spices.
Ursa Major 2017 Sabor a Mi
Canadian Red
Deep garnet in colour, this opens with blackberry, cassis and dark plum, followed by green herbs, nutmeg and allspice. The palate is dry and finely balanced, with juicy dark fruit set against a subtle saline note and a bright mineral lift. Whole-cluster fermentation lends energy and savoury structure, while neutral oak keeps the fruit clearly in focus. It finishes vibrant and composed, with blackberry, spice and cool mineral detail lingering.
Dry Creek Vineyard 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Black cherry, black currant and dried cranberry open, followed by raspberry and fresh boysenberry. The palate is full-bodied and rich, with ripe dark fruit framed by refined tannins and bright natural acidity. Cocoa, bay leaf, sage and sweet tobacco add savoury depth, while white pepper and cedar bring lift. Layered and composed, it finishes long with currant, spice and a persistent herbal note.