First two entries in the Vancouver Magazine taste-through, including their Best In Show! Sort of.

OK last weekend we started tasting our way through all the wines in the Vancouver Magazine wine edition. First up:

Glen Carlou 2011 Grand Classique ($19.99)

Cabernet Sauvignon 42% | Petit Verdot 24% | Merlot 12%| Malbec 11% | Cabernet Franc 11%

Notes of herbs and blackberries waft through the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, and boysenberry on the palate. Rich and concentrated. 87.






And to top off the evening, we opened up the wine they considered the Best In Show:

Wynn's 2011 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.99)

We didn't like this at all. Not AT ALL. In doing some research, I am constantly seeing very high scores from some wine critics that I respect (I mean like 95's and 96's) so I'm going to give this one a grade of "incomplete" and try it again. Our bottle wasn't corked, but maybe it was off a bit. We'll try it again. What a huge disappointment this bottle was.

On a totally unrelated note, we've also enjoyed a couple previously unreviewed wines:

Church & State 2014 Pinot Gris ($20.00)

Citrus notes mixed in with some granny smith apple and pear. The fruits continue through to the palate with an interesting amount of minerality. 86.








Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez 2010 Pesquera Reserva Ribera Del Duero ($60.00)

Aromas of red and black fruit with a touch of coconut. Medium bodied, with dusty notes and flavors of blackberry, vanilla and licorice. Long and smoky finish. Tasty now but would probably improve greatly in the long-haul. 89.







That's it for now, more good stuff to come!