Domaine de Nizas Rosé 2011 Languedoc AOC, France

Hello and Happy Wine Wednesday!  I hope your week has been exceptional....

My choice of reviewing rosé wines this month has helped me with the grey February skies Vancouver, B.C. gets this time of year... We have actually been blessed with a few sunny days and blue skies which makes me hopeful that Spring is around the corner and then Summer - where rosé drinking is mandatory!

My review this week is on Domaine de Nizas Rosé 2011.  This beauty comes form the gorgeous region of France called the Languedoc where I was fortunate to visit in 2009.  This area of France is quite well knows for its' rosé production and moderately priced rosé options.

Domaine de Nizas's Rosé is a stunning blush/pale salmon colour in the glass.  On the nose, it had a medium intensity and aromas full of freshly picked strawberry, raspberry, red cherry along with a slight violet note.

On the palate, this blush beauty was dry with medium acidity and was light bodied.  The flavours on the nose showed up again on the palate - absolutely freshly picked strawberries and red fruits but this time there was a hint of 'minerality' which was divine.  This rosé had a medium finish and tasted nicely balanced and bright in the mouth.

Rosé's from France tend to be made up of a blend of grape varieties.  Domaine de Nizas's has 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre.  Each variety adds a different component to the overall taste and flavour profile of the wine and these vines are all 15 years old. Syrah and Grenache are the two black grape varieties that do very well in hotter, southern France climates.  Mourvèdre can ONLY ripen in hot weather and is used as a blending grape to add colour, complexity and richness.  I love learning what different grape varieties contribute to a given wine for desired results...fascinating!

Rosé is made with black grapes but has a very short window of time with the skins - hence the lovely shades of pink and salmon.  This rosé had skin contact between 6 and 12 hours only and was fermented in stainless steel tanks to keep the fruit flavour bright and noticeable.

So, my lovely readers - Domaine de Nizas Rosé is a "Hell Yes" for me.  I picked up this bottle at Everything Wine for $22.99.  I am giving it 8 grapes out of 10.

• A fantastic summer sipping wine!
• Great value and great colour!
• Wonderful to pair with any Mediterranean or Asian food.
• Tastes exceptionally bright and crisp in the mouth.

Thanks you again, and as always, for reading!

Enjoy!

XO

C

Marqués de Cáceres 2011 Rioja Rosado

Hello and happy Valentine's Day week to you!  I hope it has been filled with love and laughter and wine of course!

Thank you for your positive feedback on Girls Go Grape!  Your input, suggestions and comments mean to the world to me.

This week, my review is on a Spanish Rioja Rosado from Marqués de Cáceres 2011.  It is a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Grenache.  Both grapes are indigenous to Spain and the Rioja region.  This was one of the earliest harvests that the winery has ever had due to the hot summer...and it comes out in the wine showing up as a bit restrained.  Almost like the heat got too hot and the freshness potential was a bit lost.

I picked this bottle up at Everything Wine for $16.99.  It was pale salmon/coral in colour and looked lovely in the glass.  This rosado had a medium minus intensity on the nose and was full of aromas of raspberries, strawberries, red currant and roses.  It had a slightly herbaceous note as well.

On the palate, the wine was dry with medium acidity.  It was truly a medium all around wine - medium body, medium alcohol, medium flavour intensity on the palate - again full of red fresh fruit and roses.  This is a simple wine.  It comes in at the low end of my price category and truthfully, I enjoyed the Monster 2011 Rosé a bit better.  I would rate this as a good wine but not a "Hell Yes".  It is one of those "Hmm, I am in the mood for something different and interestingly refreshing that isn't going to blow my mind but I want to experience something new..."  This is your rosado!  So - it is firmly in the GGG category of "If you are in the mood."

Also, a shout out to LM for suggesting I do a Girls Go Grape Un-corked evening!  Looking forward to sharing the information and knowledge I have gained so far with anyone wanting to know a bit more about their favourite wine.

That is it for me today...
Happy 'almost' Valentine's Day!
Enjoy!
XO
C

Monster Vineyard's Rosé 2011

Ahhh, February - the month of red hearts and Valentine's Day cards.  I could not help but choose rosé as my wine selection for this month.  In my opinion, rosé is often times forgotten as an option.  My love affair with this rosés started in 2009 in the glorious city of Carcassonne, France.  My husband and I were still footloose and fancy-free (read childless) and we travelled quite a bit.  We did a jam packed 2 week trip through the south of France and completed our tour in this fine, medieval walled city.

It was August and the day we arrived in Carcassonne registered somewhere around 38 degrees C.  Holy hotness...It didn't stop us from walking around the castle walls, up narrow staircases with archways built for people that stood no taller than 5'4".  At the end of our day, we stumbled into a tiny bistro that was set within a courtyard.  We asked the waitress what she suggested in regards to a wine selection.  She looked at us almost incredulously.  "Rosé, of course!."  And so it began...

My first rosé on the review block is none other than Poplar Groves' Monster Vineyard's Rosé.  I went to the Village VQA in Edgemont Village for my B.C. pick and the fellow behind the desk suggested it.  At $16, it just sneaked its' way into my price category and I am VERY happy it made it!  I had no idea that Poplar Grove, whose wines I love, had a second label in the market!

As you can tell by the photo, this lovely bottle stood out on the shelves.  I didn't quite know what I was looking at but I could see its' beautiful colour inside!

Monster Rosé 2011 is a medium pink colour with medium intensity on the nose with aromas of fresh red fruit - red cherries, red strawberries and cranberries.  On the palate, it was dry with medium + acidity and it was incredibly refreshing.  This rosé tasted as it smelled with those wonderful red juicy berries along with some gorgeous red grapefruit flavours.  It was nicely balanced - not complex but a great drinking wine for $16.00!  It had a medium finish and tasted great.  It is a youthful wine, so nothing to cellar here - just get down to enjoying it!

An interesting note - you want to serve your rosé cold - 7 - 13 degrees C.  This wine surprised me though - it was lovely nice and cold but it was actually quite wonderful when it came up to room temperature which made it an even better value.  This could be a brilliant patio drinking wine to gulp down happily in the summer heat or something new and different to try during a colder month for its uniqueness and refreshing taste.

So, my lovelies - Monster Rosé 2011 is a 'Hell Yes' wine.  I had a great suggestion from one of my charming male readers (TS) who suggested I do a quick synopsis at the end of my review as to the highlights of the wine.  Great idea.  Done!

• Very refreshing and great for a hot summer day or when you are feeling in the mood for a little pink! (Who doesn't like pink??)
• A fantastic pairing for tapas, grilled tuna or salad.
• For $16 - this wine delivers some great bang for the buck!
• I am rating this 8 grapes out of 10 for value and refreshing appeal.

Here's to February and all things pink!
Enjoy!
XO
C

Taste B.C. Review - some great B.C. finds!

Hello and Happy Wine Wednesday!

I hope you have had a wonderful week full of great wine, great friends and great conversation!

This week, I am changing it up a bit...I am going to do a quick review of some of the fantastic wines I tasted at Taste B.C.  This fabulous event is held once a year and all the proceeds benefit B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation.  Tasting wine and helping a worthwhile charity?  Hello - sign me up every year, please!

On January15th, I met some amazing people - wine makers, winery owners, reps...you name it...this is a great evening out in Vancouver.  I attended Taste B.C. with one of my BFF's Natalie Reynolds.  We did a circuit of the room and focused on whites first then did some reds on the second go around.

In no specific order, here are some of the wines I really enjoyed and will be seeking out in the local wine store shortly:

• Wild Goose Winery - both their Stoney Slope Riesling VQA 2011 and the Mystic River Pinot Gris VQA 2011 were outstanding!  The GM Roland Kruger was most enjoyable to meet. 
• Calliope Wine's Figure Eight White 2011 was a very nice blend and their Viognier 2011 was very tasty.
• Misconduct Wine Co's Richard da Silva was passionate about his wines and they delivered some wonderful tastes.  Namely, their Suspect Series Pinot Noir 2009.
• Stoneboat Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris and their 2010 Pinot Noir were fantastic.
• Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series 2Bench Red 2009 was very good.
• Poplar Grove Winery's 2011 Pinot Gris was terrific as usual and one of my favourites.
• Painted Rock Estate Winery's 2011 Chardonnay was wonderful.
• Liquidity Wine's 2010 Pinot Noir was lovely and fruit forward and their 2009 Pinot Noir was truly outstanding!
• Blue Mountain Winery 2011 Chardonnay was fruit forward with a nice citrus taste and medium body - lovely!  Also, their Gold Label Brut N/V is always a winner in my book!

Roland Kruger of Wild Goose Vineyards

Richard da Silva of Misconduct

Peter Hunt Victoria Spirits

Thank you to all of the wineries that participated in this event!  It is a success because of the amazing B.C. product we have so much to be thankful for!

One other company I would like to mention is Victoria Spirits.  They make an absolutely glorious Gin and the Master Distiller, Peter Hunt, was at the event.  The process of distilling spirits is quite fascinating, as is making wine, and I was pleased that they were on site to sample their fantastic product.  If you are a Gin drinker, give this local company a try - you will NOT be disappointed.

As you can tell, I had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed meeting all of these passionate people.

Next time you are in the B.C. liquor store or a VQA store - be sure to pick up one of theses selections.

Coming up for the next two weeks, I will be reviewing Rosé wines as we count down to Valentine's Day...

As always, thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
XO
C

B.C.'s Tantalus Pinot Noir 2010

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Here in Vancouver our regular rain has returned and it actually feels good!  Vancouver is gorgeous in the sunshine and I trust everyone got outside as often as my family did...

In my wine education news - I have successfully earned my certificate in WSET Level 2.  My results were mailed to me yesterday and I am VERY pleased with my mark.  Whoo hoo!  I celebrated with a bottle of Burrowing Owl 2011 Pinot Gris at Cactus Club Park Royal Village last night.  Lovely...

Now - for the good stuff...

This week I tried Tantalus Vineyards' Pinot Noir 2010.  I picked it up at the Village VQA Wine Store in Edgemont Village.  Mary, the owner, is an amazing wealth of knowledge and assisted me with my selection.  It was $29.99 which fit perfectly with the other price points of the Pinot Noir's I have selected for this month.

It was a medium ruby colour and looked quite pretty in the glass.  It had a medium intensity on the nose with aromas of red cherry, red berries, sweet spice and violets.  It was refreshingly dry with a medium plus and medium fine grained tannins that balanced each other nicely.  It was medium bodied and had a quite pronounced flavour intensity.

This wine was nicely complex with just enough going on.  There was a nice long finish to this Pinot Noir that I really enjoyed.  I think this lovely B.C. Pinot Noir from Tantalus Vineyard falls into my "Hell Yes" category.  It is a nice expression of the grape variety enjoying a cooler climate and this comes out in the wine.  I would call this Pinot Noir 'Very Good'.

Tantalus's Pinot Noir 2010 can be enjoyed now but has potential for ageing.  This Pinot Noir comes from both German and French plantings:

This wine was produced from 2005 and 2006 Dijon plantings and 1985 Spatburgunder plantings. It was aged in a combination of new and old French barrique for 12 months.

At $29.99 - I consider this wine to be a great addition to your cellar.  It would be beautifully enjoyed with a fresh B.C. salmon dish.  

Here's to another fantastic wine from another fantastic B.C. winery!
Enjoy!
XO
C

Red Burgundy - Louis Latour's Pinot Noir

Hello and Happy Wine Wednesday!

I hope your week is going exceptionally well...

Last night I attended Taste B.C. at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver with my dear friend Natalie Reynolds.  All proceeds of the event go to the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation.  I was thrilled to be a part of this well run event - it was an amazing success that showcased all of the talented winemakers, wineries, craft breweries and local distilleries B.C. has to offer.  I will be writing a blog post on this event at the end of the month...stay tuned!

Continuing with my Pinot Noir reviews this month, I travel to Beaune, France in the Côte D'Or.  This appellation in Burgundy is Pinot Noir's classic home.  The soil type, climate and location of Beaune is where Pinot Noir reaches it apex.  This grape variety is NOT for the faint of heart.  Pinot Noir has been compared to 'sex in a glass' as well as being the work of the devil...hmmm.  Not sure that I am on board with either of these descriptions but it is obviously a grape variety of interest and intrigue to be sure!

I selected Louis Latour's 2011 Pinot Noir as my wine for the week.  I wanted a very 'classic' representation of the grape in its' classic home.  I picked it up at the B.C. Liquor store for $22.99 and I was very pleased with what was inside.

This Pinot Noir was a clear pale ruby colour.  It had a medium intensity on the nose and smelled of red currant, strawberry, red cherry, earth, white pepper and blackcurrant leaf - YUM!  I could not wait to take a sip.  This wine was dry with medium acidity and fine grained tannins.  There was a medium - alcohol and it was medium - in body as well.  The flavours matched those on the nose yet I tasted less pepper on the palate.  It was a nice, balanced wine.

This was a good bottle of wine for the price. It really tastes like the region...it is a great example of what a mid-priced Pinot Noir from Côte D'Or taste like.  Louis Latour's Pinot Noir tastes like a $30 bottle of wine to me which makes it a great value.  It is a VERY food friendly wine because it is not heavy.  This lovely red compliments food as opposed to being a stand alone.   This Pinot Noir would pair beautifully with smoked cheese, tuna, salmon or even pizza.


Louis Latour's 2011 Pinot Noir is a "Hell Yes!" wine...it is delicate but complex.  It is very easy to drink and because it is so food friendly and a great value - it will become one of my 'house' wines.

I wish you a wonderful day.
Thanks again and always for reading!

XO
C

Spy Valley Pinot Noir - New Zealand

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Today is a good day.  My Level 3 WSET class starts up again tonight - very much looking forward to continuing my education in my favourite subject - wine!  I can talk about wine for hours and I am thankful for all of the people in my life who share this passion with me.  A HUGE thank you to all of you reading my blog...I may not know you but I am writing to you.  I hope that I can turn you onto a new wine or grape varietal that you haven't uncovered yet.  Thank you for reading.  Thank you for passing along my blog site to your friends, and so on... You really have made the start of 2013 fantastic!

Continuing along my Pinot Noir tastings for the month of January, Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2011 from New Zealand was my choice this week.  I was at Granville Island and went into the Liberty Wine Merchant shop across from the market.  I like their selections of wine and most often, I can find something unique to try.

New Zealand and specifically the Marlborough area of NZ is known for its' Pinot Noir grapes.  New Zealand is actually becoming the second 'classic' region for Pinot Noir behind Burgundy in France.  The soils are quite similar as are the climates so the wines have a similar style to them and this is described best as an 'elegant' style.

Spy Valley's Pinot Noir was a bit pricier at $31.99 at the Liberty Wine store.  It had a clear garnet colour and looked quite light in the glass as a Pinot Noir should.  On the nose there were aromas of raspberry, plum, dirt, chocolate and a bit of coffee.  On the palate, I tasted more herbaceous flavours of grass and violet as well as the raspberry and plum.  I found it had a bitter almond taste to it as well as some black pepper and liquorice notes.  It was a dry wine with medium high acidity.  The tannins were low and it was light in body.  Spy Valley's Pinot Noir 2011 is a complex tasting wine.  It had a medium plus finish and I would rate it as a very good quality wine.

That being said, I, personally, did not really enjoy it.  I could not put my finger on what it was but I felt like there was something missing.  And, for $31.99 a bottle, I was disappointed.  I did have a glass the next day and I felt that the wine evolved and opened up nicely overnight.  You can cellar this wine for 3 - 5 years and maybe that is what it needed.  I would put this into the "If you are in the mood" category.  Maybe you want to taste what an 'elegant' Pinot Noir tastes like - this is not a bad choice but I am sure I can find another elegant style to review that is in the $20 range...

With that being said, I am off to search for my next selection of Pinot Noir!

Enjoy and thanks again for reading!
If you have a wine you would like me to review - just leave a comment for me.

XO
C