The wine showed a dark ruby almost opaque color. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry, vanilla, licorice, mossy earth, oak and eucalyptus all arrived on a nose dominated by dark berry fruit. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry jam, vanilla, plum, mossy earth, licorice, oak and eucalyptus followed through on the palate with the jammy foreshadowing of the nose. The wine exhibited excellent structure and length, along with velvety tannins. This lushly-textured wine would pair classically with a standing rib roast or Beef Wellington.

Dark crimson. Lightly minty nose and then rather sweet pinched fruit on the palate. A little timid but decent enough even if a little drying on the end. 16/20

Screw cap. Round and fruity, this is a distinctly flavored Sauvignon (lime, lemon grass, grapefruit, passion fruit) that is crisp, balance, and very long on the finish. Needs modest aging. 7% Semillon. 85% fermented in stainless steel, 15% in French oak barrels. 4+ stars, excellent.

Full bodied, round, and intensely flavored, this wine has good depth of fruit, evident complexity, and a smooth long finish, tasting of apple, pineapple, vanilla, peach, and spicy oak. Long aftertaste. Excellent value. 4+ stars, excellent.

Dark crimson. Meaty, Marmite nose and then very sweet and a bit diffuse on the palate. Lively, slightly vegetal finish. Very ambitious and more readable than the Howell Mountain 2014. Still quite tannic. 16.5/20

Very dark crimson. Rich, intense, ambitious. Rather hot on the end. Very concentrated but that doesn’t make it a pleasure to drink. Drying, introvert finish. Tannins still quite marked. 16/20

Very heavy bottle. Dark crimson. Quite complex nose and pretty demanding and youthful on the palate. This seems less ashamed of its tannins than most. And I’d keep it longer before broaching it. An interesting treacly note but it’s not too sweet. 16.5/20

Wine with …Coq au Vin Blanc Tasting of apples and pears, with a crisp finish, this is a rich but vivacious white wine. It matched the coq au vin step by step in terms of texture, body, and flavor.

California #Strong Another family owned artisan winery, La Crema focuses exclusively on cool climate appellations. That means the grapes spend more time on the vine allowing for a deeper, more dramatic spectrum of flavours and aromas to develop. And that creates decidedly rich and layered wines like this beauty. Presenting multi-layered flavours of red, blue and black berry fruit, the finish is smooth, warm and accented with exotic spice.

The Sonoma Coast is exceptional: intensely flavored, full bodied, and well balanced, with medium richness, a long palate evolution, and a very persistent finish, tasting of black cherry, red currant, rosehips, black tea, and spicy oak. 5 stars, exceptional.

Wine of the Week Sherry: “Dry but fruity with big raspberry and black cherry flavors; clove and vanilla on the finish.” (3.75 stars out of 5) Chris: “An earthy and leathery nose with bright cherry and vanilla flavors with a silky finish.” (3.75 stars out of 5)

Drawn from eight vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, La Crema Pinot Noir 2015 delivers a deftly balanced blend of the sensuous and the serious. Aged a sensible nine months in French oak, 24 percent new barrels, the wine displays a dark ruby hue shading to a transparent rim and vivid aromas of black cherries and plums inflected by notes of sassafras and sandalwood, pomegranate and beetroot; it flows across the palate in an array of satin drapery that’s dense and almost chewy, though animated by brisk acidity that lends liveliness and spareness to the texture. A few minutes in the glass deepen all effects, bringing in hints of ripe raspberry and raspberry leaf, boxwood and flint, all leading to a finish that feels wholly complete and integrated. 14.5 percent alcohol. This pinot noir has the structure to pair with pretty hearty fare, but my choice would be medium rare duck breast served with farro and a pan-reduction. Excellent.

La Crema continues to produce high quality, great value Pinot Noirs. The 2015 Monterey is an elegant, complex wine of excellent quality. Velvety in texture and full bodied, it is moderately rich, well balanced, and long on the finish, tasting of cherry, red currant, raspberry, toast, black tea, and oak. 4+ stars, excellent.

Wines of the Week: Eight Bottles For Easter La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2013 blends dark cherry, plum and cedar wood flavours, with a distinctly smoky background and a lick of spice and even hints of mocha.

Wines of the Week In 1993, Jess Jackson bought La Crema winery and with the help of winemaker Dan Goldfield, elevated the quality of the wines and enhanced the winery’s reputation as a top producer of Burgundian varieties. Chardonnay from Saralee’s Vineyard is highly prized for balance and elegance with aromas of orchard blossom and stone fruits, leading to flavors of pear and apple with hints of vanilla and caramel.

2018 Rosé releases “Rosé continues to be one of the hottest trends in wine, with a broad appeal,” said Kendall-Jackson winemaster Randy Ullom in a release announcing the national launch of 2017 Vintner’s Reserve Rosé. "Some thought this trend would end, but it has shown no signs of slowing down."

Wine of the Week The 2017 rosés are here, including a new kid in town — and a surprising one at that. Yes, this actually is the first vintage for the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve California Rosé 2017 ($17), and it’s a nicely crafted, refreshing aromatic delight. Berries, citrus and stone-fruit flavors play off one another deftly and deliciously, and this wine provides plenty of looks, lift and length. It’s sourced from coastal vineyards in three counties (Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Mendocino) and is mostly pinot noir, with some grenache and syrah blended in. Bring on the mollusks and shellfish, and/or the soft cheeses and crunchy salads for this impressive debut.

Using grapes from Monterey and Santa Barbara counties, the winemaker has created a well-rounded pinot noir with black cherry and strawberry flavors with a hint of sweet vanillin oak.

A very good Pinot Noir: supple in texture, full bodied, and complex in flavor (cherry, strawberry, spicy oak, toast, vanilla, red currant), it is well balanced, and long on the finish. 58% Santa Barbara County, 34% Monterey County, 8% Mendocino County. 3+ stars, very good.

Very fine quality, this is a stylish, finely flavored Merlot that is supple, well balanced, moderately intense, and long and harmonious on the finish. In aroma/flavor, it tastes of black currant, cherry, blackberry, toast, and cedar. Lightly tannic, it will develop with further aging. 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc. 5 stars, exceptional.

Let’s Talk Wine: Enjoying red, red wine blends Together syrah, cabernet sauvignon and malbec with a solid base of merlot. Soft tannins with layers of plum, raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate, and hints of vanilla and chocolate, combine to create a wine that is smooth and fruit-forward.

Let’s Talk Wine: Enjoying red, red wine blends A lovely fruit-forward complex wine has spiciness from the zinfandel, dark and red fruit tones from the syrah, a kiss of chocolate from merlot, and sumptuous tannins from the petite sirah and grenache grapes.

Excellent Cabernet. It is supple, complex in flavor, and full bodied; a wine with good depth, light tannin, and a firm, long finish, tasting of black currant, cherry, herbs, pepper, and oak. Can be aged further. 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot, 1% Malbec. 4 stars, excellent.

Wine To Serve At Your Next Event My favourite wine that I got to try at the Vancouver Wine Festival was the Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay. Typically, I’m not a chardonnay fan – but this chardonnay completely converted me. The Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay is made up of tropical notes which give it a really bright freshness, and that’s balanced with creamy notes of vanilla and butter. At the booth, they suggested pairing this wine with grilled chicken, and corn on the cob. I also felt that this wine would pair incredibly well with popcorn! I know, unique and odd pairing suggestion but there’s something about the creamy buttery and vanilla notes in this wine that made popcorn seem like a natural choice to pair it with. So, next time you’re settling in for a movie night, grab a bottle of Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay and a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

40 Wines that Changed the Way We Drink Was this the wine that launched a million fern bars? Back when shoulder pads were big and hair was even bigger, Chardonnay took off. By 1994 it was America’s number one white wine. Vintner’s Reserve drove that market, and for 25 years now it’s been the best-selling Chardonnay in America. The 2016 is rich and inviting, full of pineapple fruit and vanilla spice.