2018
2018
Villa Sparina 2018 Gavi del Comune di Gavi 375 mL
Italian White
White blossom, stone fruit and fresh-herb aromas accompany green apple, lemon drop, peach and mineral notes. The palate is dry, concentrated and balanced, with a long finish. Made from Cortese, the wine ferments and ages in stainless-steel tanks. Pale straw colour shows green reflections. The designation is Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi, and the bottle is sealed with a cork.
Efrat 2018 Dry Red Wine
Israeli Red
Figs, red berries, redcurrant and plum appear with woody and spicy notes. The wine is dry and medium-bodied, with high acidity, some tannin and a short finish. Warm, jammy red fruit and a touch of sweetness are also present. Produced by Teperberg1870 in the Judean Hills, the wine is kosher and mevushal and comes from Israel.
Viña Falernia 2018 Pinot Noir Gran Reserva
Chilean Red
Bright ruby colour accompanies black cherry, raspberry and strawberry, with cedar, leather, forest floor, spice and smoked bacon. Marzipan and toast are also present. The palate is supple and silky, with freshness, savoury detail and a cocoa finish. This Pinot Noir comes from Chile's Elqui Valley and spends twelve months in oak. Alcohol is 14.5 percent.
Brotte 2018 Viridi Côtes du Rhône
French Red
Black cherry and plum meet smoke and liquorice in this organic Grenache-Syrah blend. The wine is unoaked, full-bodied and fresh in fruit, with fine, furry tannins. Crushed cherries, raspberries and a light dusting of pepper add to its juicy profile. The blend is eighty percent Grenache and twenty percent Syrah, vinified and aged in concrete for more than a year.
Bucci 2018 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore
Italian White
Deep straw colour leads into a fruity, persistent profile of Golden Delicious apple and almond. The palate has good body, balance, silky texture and finesse. Verdicchio is harvested by hand, gently pressed and vinified by vineyard parcel in stainless steel. Only the first pressing is selected, with no skin contact. The wines remain on their lees until spring, and malolactic fermentation is not induced.
Pentâge Winery 2018 Gewürztraminer
Canadian White
Baked apple, poached pear, tangerine and pink grapefruit appear in a spicy, fruit-led profile. The wine is full-bodied and off-dry, with grapefruit, lemon and apple character. It ferments in stainless steel and spends two months on the lees. Gewürztraminer comes from the Skaha Bench in the Okanagan Valley. Serve it cool with spicy noodles or sweet-and-sour chicken.
Covert Farms 2018 Pinot Blanc
Canadian White
Supple in texture, this Pinot Blanc comes from an organic family farm in Oliver. The estate grows all of its own grapes and maintains soil health through minimal mechanical disturbance and crop rotation. More than forty organically grown fruits and vegetables share the property with the vineyard. The farm spans 650 acres and lies near McIntyre Bluff in the southern Okanagan.
Les Vendanges de Lise 2018 Entre-deux-Mers Blanc
French White
Citrus, apricot, flint and fine vanilla appear in the profile. The palate is round and silky, with intense fruit, measured oak and a fresh finish; these elements remain in balance. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle form the dry white blend. Barrel ageing is part of the production, and forty-five thousand bottles were made. It can accompany scallop tartare.
Miopasso 2018 Fiano Terre Siciliane IGP
Italian White
Fresh floral notes and touches of honey accompany crisp citrus acidity. The palate is balanced and the wine may be served chilled as an aperitif or with seafood. Fiano grapes from Sicily are picked by hand, destemmed and softly pressed. Fermentation takes place between fourteen and sixteen degrees Celsius without malolactic fermentation, followed by time on fine lees and gentle filtration before bottling.
Rigour & Whimsy 2018 Flux Capacitor
Canadian White
Cloudy golden-amber in colour, with apricot, green apple, pine, young peas, white flowers, lemon and tangerine pith in the profile. The palate is lightly oily and slightly grippy, and the finish is fresh and textural with thyme and white pepper. The blend combines Pinot Blanc, Roussanne, Muscat, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Fermentation on the skins lasts two months in stainless steel, followed by seven months in used puncheons.
Kettle Valley 2018 Merlot
Canadian Red
Ripe tannins accompany blackcurrant and blackberry flavours. The wine is made entirely from Merlot harvested from the King Drive and McGraw vineyards in Naramata. Grapes were handpicked on October 19 and October 30 at about 25.3 Brix. The wine completes malolactic fermentation and matures for nineteen months in French oak. The small, family-run winery sits on the Naramata Bench in British Columbia.
Synchromesh 2018 Cachola Family Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Canadian Red
Subtle florality, dark earth, plum, wild raspberry and thorny notes accompany a silken palate. Smoked-stone character and grippy tannins are also present. Cabernet Franc clone 214 grows on west-facing gravelled clay slopes just north of Oliver. A slight haze reflects low-intervention vinification. The profile shows the grape’s earthy, green side and can be served with a light chill.
Zenato 2018 Valpolicella Superiore
Italian Red
Wild berries, blackcurrants and black cherries sit with spice, smoked meat, savoury herbs and dark chocolate. The palate is dry, robust and velvety, with vibrant fruit. The blend is led by Corvina Veronese, with Rondinella and Corvinone. Grapes come from the hilly area of Valpolicella Classico, and maturation takes place in large oak casks for twelve months.
Dow’s 2018 Late Bottled Vintage Port
Portuguese Fortified
Blackberry and blueberry aromas are joined by mint. The substantial mouthfeel carries black-forest fruit, fleshy black plum, peppery tannins and fine acidity, with tobacco and tea in a long, dry finish. Grapes come from Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira and are trodden in modern lagares. The blend includes Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz.
Las Hermanas 2018 Crianza
Spanish Red
Red and black fruit aromas appear with balsamic notes and Mediterranean herbs. The palate is delicate and elegant, with spicy flavours, cinnamon and vanilla. This red wine comes from Murcia and carries 14.5 percent alcohol. The blend combines Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation includes at least twelve months in oak and then at least twelve months in stainless steel.
Novaripa 2018 Monatic Dark Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Italian Red
Extremely dark colour shows purple glints. Concentrated black fruit appears with a vegetal note, while the palate has a solid, slightly firm tannic structure. Pressed plum, blackcurrant, cherry jam and milk chocolate are also present. Made entirely from Montepulciano, the wine spent one year in a combination of stainless steel and oak. The vineyards sit around 250 metres above sea level.
Niepoort 2018 Rótulo Touriga Nacional Dão
Portuguese Red
Wild fruit and violet form an expressive, delicate bouquet. The palate has good structure, mineral character and fine tannins, and the finish is fresh and persistent. This red is made from Touriga Nacional and carries 13 percent alcohol. The Dão vineyards lie on granite terroir at the foot of the Serra da Estrela. The style is fresh and light, with pronounced acidity.
Umani Ronchi 2018 Fonte del Re Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Italian Red
Pepper, pine, anise and pitch accompany ample dusky violet and plum. The profile runs across a very long palate to a dried-herb finish. Lacrima di Morro is an aromatic red grape named for the tear-like droplets that appear when the berries are ready to pick. Fonte del Re refers to a former spring near Morro d'Alba.
Château Roquegrave 2018 Médoc Cru Bourgeois
French Red
Violet, blueberry, cassis, raspberry, liquorice, vanilla and toast appear in a ripe-fruit profile, with grey pepper and caramel also present. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with fine tannins, freshness, mineral notes and a delicate finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot make up the blend. The vineyard follows sustainable farming practices in the Médoc.
Neon Eon 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
Canadian White
Off-dry in style, this Sauvignon Blanc was made as a natural white wine without added sulphur. The fruit came from organically or biodynamically farmed Okanagan vineyards. Fermentation proceeded spontaneously, with no commercial yeast, enzymes or other additions. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. The project began with this first vintage, following a strict no-additions and no-removals approach.
Mas des Caprices 2018 Le Blanc de l’Oeuf Corbières Blanc
French White
Fresh white fruit, chopped herbs and a dry saline finish define a rounded yet fresh profile. Carignan Blanc, Macabeu and Grenache Blanc make up the blend. The wine is raised in an egg-shaped cement vessel, contributing breadth and suppleness. The biodynamically farmed estate works sixteen hectares across the limestone plateau of Leucate and the schist foothills of Corbières.
Stoller Family Estate 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
American Red
Blackberry, bramble and baking spice appear in a dark, earthy profile. Fine-grained tannins and vibrant red fruit carry through the finish. Fruit came from selected Willamette Valley sites and several Pinot Noir clones. The wine aged for almost a year, with fifteen percent new oak and the remainder in neutral barrels. The growing season brought a warm, dry summer and a cool September that allowed extended ripening.
Rathjen Cellars 2018 P + G Pinot Noir–Gamay
Canadian Red
Wild cherry, raspberry, plum and pink peppercorn appear in a light, juicy profile with fresh acidity and salinity. Pinot Noir and Gamay from Vancouver Island make up the blend in equal proportions. The fruit received a forty-eight-hour cold soak, followed by native fermentation in open-top bins and one week on skins. Each variety spent one year in neutral French barrels before blending, then another year in barrel. Bottling was unfined and unfiltered.
Collestefano 2018 Rosa di Elena Marche Rosato
Italian Rosé
The colour resembles raspberry juice, and fresh red-berry aromas are present. The palate is mellow and vinous, with the crispness of a white wine and closing notes of geranium, red apple and aniseed. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon make up ninety percent of the blend, with other grapes forming the remainder. The fruit was hand harvested, softly pressed and macerated for six hours. Four months on lees took place in stainless steel. The vineyards were farmed organically.
Maison Audebert et Fils 2018 Chinon Les Hautes Vignes
French Red
Cabernet Franc forms this dry red from Chinon. The family estate has worked from Bourgueil since the first half of the nineteenth century and now tends more than forty hectares across Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Chinon. Its vineyards span sand, gravel, siliceous clay, chalky clay and tuffeau. The wines reflect a single-variety approach centred on Cabernet Franc and the character of each vintage.
Carlania Celler 2018 El Petit Carlania
Spanish Red
This light, fluid Trepat red comes from Conca de Barbera and organically and biodynamically farmed fruit. The wine is unsulphured and presented as natural. Pomegranate colour accompanies floral and fruity aromas, spice and blueberry. The palate is fresh, fruity and spicy, with a dry finish. The vines grow above four hundred metres and are more than fifty years old.
Chapel Hill 2018 Bush Vine Grenache McLaren Vale
Australian Red
Black cherries, blueberries, crushed violets and roses appear with an earthy mineral streak recalling sun-baked clay and warm stones. The palate is powerfully structured, taut and focused, combining fruit and savoury spice with sinewy tannins. The aromatic profile also recalls the crush pad at harvest. The wine comes from South Australia and carries 14.5 percent alcohol.
Kettle Valley 2018 Old Main Red
Canadian Red
Blackcurrant and vanilla aromas join currant, blackberry, plum and fig flavours, followed by soft, silky tannins. The Bordeaux-style blend combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the Old Main vineyard with Petit Verdot and Malbec from the King Drive vineyard. Fruit was hand-picked between November 1 and 5. The wine completed malolactic fermentation and spent twenty-one months in French oak before bottling.
Tenute RaDe 2018 Derthona Timorasso Colli Tortonesi
Italian White
Pale yellow with golden highlights, showing dried fruit, honey and walnut. The palate is full-bodied, savoury and persistent. Timorasso grows on sandy soils in the Colli Tortonesi. Hand-harvested grapes are cold macerated and gently pressed, followed by static clarification and slow low-temperature fermentation. The wine remains on fine lees for six months with regular bâtonnage, then ages a further six months in bottle.
Bella 2018 King Vineyards Chardonnay Ancestrale
Canadian Sparkling
Chardonnay comes from King Family Farms in Penticton. The ancestral method uses a single fermentation: the wine is bottled while still fermenting and finishes that fermentation in bottle. Grapes are destemmed and basket pressed, with two rackings before hand riddling and hand disgorgement. No dosage is added. The vineyard was farmed conventionally for this release.