Viti Liquor Store in Yaletown carries a wide selection of specialty wines, hand-crafted local and import beer and over 160 sought-after whiskies. Visit Viti at 900 Seymour Street.
Las Perdices Don Juan Reserva 2007 Argentina 14.5% alc. Under $40.00
Even against a white background, this wine is almost black in the glass. But don’t let that scare you. And if you can stifle a yawn long enough at yet another 91 point score from Robert Parker, you can let this inky serum glide over your senses with some pleasure. This red is no California product manufactured, before a vine was even rooted, for a certain critic’s tired imagination. Then again, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
No, this blend of Malbec, Syrah, Bonarda & Merlot delivers a little more intrigue than just that.
This wine is big on crushed black fruit aromas carried on the plumes of volatile acidity that appears as airplane glue so very fleetingly. Finishing flourishes come as pepper and fresh cedar- this is a heady wine that will keep you inhaling as if you had a bigger problem.
Rich, masculine flavours of licorice, prune and if you’ve ever smoked a pipe you’ll recall the warm salty,sweet tobacco nectar that leaks from the stem to your lips… that’s a sample of the savoury flavours offered by this deep blend. The tannins are well-manicured giving a soft mouth-feel as the concentrated soy flavours bleed to a lip-smacking umami close.
Serve this with slow-cooked beef ribs with black pepper and maple or mix it up with a chicken mole with a side of dirty rice.
Young & Wyse Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Okanagan BC 13.3% alc. Under $35.00
This Cab is still young enough that the nose is a little shy but blackberry and currants make an appearance with a backup of plum and violets in the chorus. The tannins have been well-managed and through the dark fruit flavours there’s a pleasant saltiness that’s stimulating enough to keep you drinking through the black pepper and toasted nut notes.
This is the first Cabernet Sauvignon from Young & Wyse and it’s a well-made addition to their very successful Merlot. Grilled rib steak or roast game meat is the way to go with this and I would suggest that it’s best drinking is within the next 1 to 3 years.
Emiliana Novas 2010 Chardonnay/Marsanne Chile 14% alc. Under $25.00
You won’t too often find Chardonnay & Marsanne blended together. Why would you? Yet because the Emiliana name can be trusted to offer value-for-money, this idiosyncratic blend does deliver some pleasurable drinking for wine adventurers.
Straight out of the glass the Chardonnay makes its presence known with aromas of oak, butter toffee and almonds followed by “greener” more savoury aromas from the lower-acid Marsanne addition.
The warm Chardonnay aromas replay softly on the palate followed by flavours of green olive and sweet herbs suggesting a dinner of Provencal chicken with cream or a summers day salad at a patio lunch. Deliciously different.
Ralf Joneikies is the General Manager of Viti Wine & Lager in downtown Vancouver. Having trained at Niagara College he has a background in wine making, wine chemistry and viticulture and in 2008 was fortunate to assist in winemaking duties at one of Germanys pre-eminent family-owned estates. In 2009 he was invited to participate as a reviewer with the LCBO Vintages tasting panel and in November of that year assumed the role of GM at Viti. Viti proudly services a broad range of tastes and price considerations and is recognized as one of Vancouver’s premier destinations for Craft Beer and Single Malt Whiskies.
Viti Yaletown Liquor Store – 900 Seymour Street Vancouver
Viti Wine & Lagers
ph: 604.683.3806
info @ vitiwinelagers.com
