Joie Reserve Pinot Noir

$46.49

Joie (zho-wah) means joy in French and Joie Farm specializes in the grape varieties of Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne which excel in the cool-climate, desert landscape of the Naramata Bench. While ownership has changed over the years the wines have remained consistantly very good, and they wer among the first in BC to start making quality wine. 

Gulfi Nero Baronj

$62.04

Gulfi are a family run, eco-conscious and old-school winery from Sicily, based just north of Ragusa but making wines in both the Western coastal region near their base and further north in the vineyards on and surrounding Etna.  Gulfi does not irrigate their wine, rather letting nature do the work to produce incredible results. Their range of wines places them amongst the very best from Sicily, and Italy as a whole for that matter. 

Le Clos des Cazaux Gigondas Sarrasine

$46.74

This powerful wine is the result of a selection of exceptional terroirs from Gigondas vineyards situated on the arid slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The Mistral wind blows regularly on those hillsides providing a cool balance to the heat of summer.

The poor, rocky soils force the vines to struggle down deep for moisture, keeping yields low but delivering high-quality fruit. This terroir produces a robust wine that can be kept for up to 10 years in the cellar. It's a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre, with a core of dark ripe cherries, garrigues and spice. It would go nicely with ham or prime rib.

Quintarelli Alzero 2014

$552.49

A legendary wine from a legendary producer! "The late, great Maestro del Veneto, Giuseppe Quintarelli, succeeded in establishing his mythical and legendary estate during an amazing sixty-year career. All of the tradition, love, heart, and soul of crafting one of the world's finest wines continue at the Quintarelli home and winery in the hills north of Verona," according to Kermit Lynch. Alzero is made by letting Cabernet Franc grapes air-dry before pressing. One of the last wines to be made by Quintarelli, who died in 2012. Serious collectors of top Italian wine will not want to miss out on this rich, intense beauty.

Domaine Lafage Novellum Chardonnay

$22.94

"A custom Cuvee created by importer Eric Solomon, the IGP Cotes Catalanes Novellum is a smokin’ value that’s made from 100% Chardonnay that spent three months in a tank (on Viognier lees) followed by three months in barrel. Tasting like it cost three times the price, it offers lots of orchard fruits, white peach, honeysuckle and a hint of vanilla to go with a medium to full-bodied, crisp, yet still textured and mouth-filling style on the palate. You can’t go wrong at the price and this is a terrific wine to enjoy over the coming year or two." Wine Advocate

Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Blanc

$34.84

Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon make terrific blending partners. The tart and cheek pinching characteristics of the Sauvignon are tamed by the round and mellow flavors of the Semillon generally increasing the richness of the wine. This white, from the Canterbury region of NZ, offers aromas of passionfruit, melon and gooseberry. These are supported by savoury hints of roast capsicum (pepper) and aubergine. It is rich and concentrated in the mouth but retains a tight-knit, refined structure with a zesty, dry, crisp finish. Enjoy this charmer with grilled prawns, pasta and seafood, or grilled oysters. 

Larmandier Rose Champagne

$157.24

 Larmandier-Bernier is, according writer Peter Liem, "one of the finest producers in the Côte des Blancs", garnering rave reviews not just from Liem but other top critics like Vinous' Antonio Galloni. The wines are unified stylistically, with chalky cores and delicate, lifted citrus and floral notes that seem drawn in pastel. But there are also strong differences, a testament to the distinct personalities within the Côtes des Blancs.

This is a rare saignee method champagne rose. Intense on the palate and delicate on the nose. This cuvée is produced from the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes picked in Vertus, where the two varieties grow together in the same plot of old vines. It’s made by macerating the berries for a few days, a technique not commonly used in Champagne. 

Dumangin Cuvee 17 3L Double Magnum

$361.24

A grower-producer in the heart of Chigny-les-Rose, Giles Dumangin has champagne coursing through his veins. Dating back to the 1650's, the Dumangin's have always worked with the vines of Champagne, but it wasn't until 1890 when Hippolyte Dumangin created Champagne Dumangin in the 1er Cru vineyards of Chigny-les-Roses. Five generations later, Champagne Dumangin is producing an array of wines, from their classic feminine style to their newer, high-end cuvees. This Cuvee 17 is (almost) an equal blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is one of their newest additions to their line. Cuvee 17 is a natural style champagne, but this is serious wine! With 33% of the bottle consisting of reserve wine, it creates a fierce complexity and opulent notes of elderflower, banana, lemon cream and hints of brioche. Perfect as an aperitif, with appetizers or with fresh seafood. 

Foradori Sgarzon

$59.49

 This is the lighter and more elegant of the two single vineyard Teroldegos vinified in Anfora. Aromas and flavours of blueberries, blackberries, and cherries follow through to a full body, round and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. A big and rich wine with so much density and complexity that would pair beautifully with aged Italian cheeses, red meats and even with your favourite tomato-based dish.100% single vineyard Teroldego from “Sgarzon” Vineyard. "Sgarzo” means vine shoot in the Campo Rotaliano. The vines that grow in the Sgarzon vineyard are particularly vital and benefit from the cooler climate that distinguishes this site.

At the age of just 20, Elisabetta Foradori (above) found herself in charge of the family winery, based in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains in Trentino, way back in 1984. It’s been quite a journey for her, and over time she has moved in a more natural direction, looking to get the ultimate expression of the place and the main variety here, Teroldego. In pursuit of this expression, she converted to biodynamics in 2002, and was certfied in 2009. There are 28 hectares of vines here, with three-quarters of this Teroldego (they did a mass selection and so now have 15 different clones, plus grew some from seeds), plus Manzoni Bianco (a cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling), Nosiola and Pinot Grigio, with production around 150 000 bottles a year. These vineyards are surrounded by mountains, and there are two main soil types: calcareous clay and alluvial. While many in the region grow on a high-yielding pergola system, most of her vines are vertically trellised. Since 2012, Emilio, one of her four children, has worked with her, and she has gradually taken a more natural direction. Part of this direction is a move towards using clay. Elevage is in a mix of large wood (oak and acacia), and increasingly these clay amphorae (tinajas from Spain, which are unlined). Jamie Goode