Lesley scored this wine: 92/100

I took part in the Italian Chamber of Commerce wine dinner at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver on February 18, 2014 featuring wines from the Oltrepo Pavese (beyond the Po River) in Lombardy, the third most important wine producing area in Italy, and the Italian capital of Pinot Nero. The Oscar winning Pinot Noir for me was the San Michele ai Pianoni Pynos Pinot Nero- 100% Pinot Noir aged 18 months in French oak. An elegant wine with intense flavours of Marasca cherry, blackcurrant, liquorice and spice, it was the perfect pairing with the 2nd course of Risotto Alla Bonarda created by Executive Chef, Darren Brown. San Michele ai Pianoni is a boutique winery that has had vineyards in the heart of the Oltrepo Pavese since 1718 at 45 degrees Latitude N. All the wines are produced from 100% estate grown organic grapes.

Lesley scored this wine: 92/100

Buy local! Buy BC! Cheer on Canada with Silkscarf’s 2010 Pinot Noir, a high quality wine of true varietal character. Grown on 10 acres of vines on excellent cool climate terroir, this Pinot Noir is crafted with minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery. Run by a lovely Middle Eastern Family and close friends, this boutique winery is well deserved of its Silver Medal win at the 2013 Wine Align Canadian National Wine Awards. Aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, Silkscarf 2010 Pinot Noir is ruby at its core, but garnet in colour at the rim of your glass. Delicate in body with gentle tannins and vivid acidity, the nose is savoury, sweet and floral with aromas of red berries, violets, garrigue, and spice. Dry on the palate, the flavours are ever changing and evolving from bright raspberry and Maraschino cherry to lush plum and clove spice with savoury notes of dried herbs. The velvety tannins will win your heart. Drink now with smoked salmon and chilled horseradish in the Canadian spirit and remember 2010! $38 at Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village, Vancouver, BC.

Lesley scored this wine: 91/100

Fairly new to the BC market, the Momo Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 made my Monday night. Brought to us by the Seresin Family and their 3 biodynamic vineyards on the plains of the Wairau Valley of Marlbourough, this classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc celebrates the heritage of the Seresin Family with its Maori name Momo, meaning “ofspring”. Pale with a light green hue, Momo Sauvignon Blanc 2012 has expressive aromas of asparagus, Serrano chilli, capsicum, stone fruit, camomile, and nettle. Allowed to sit on the lees after fermentation, Momo is a medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc with a rich, silky texture. The palate offers complex flavours of guava, passionfruit, gooseberry and elderflower. Such fantastic fruit concentration is achieved with the use of wild yeast strains. The mouth-watering acidity results in a long crisp, clean, lemon/lime finish with a hint of minerality. I thoroughly enjoyed every sip of this fruity, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc with a simple plate of nachos topped with Jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese and homemade guacamole, though Momo may be more worthy of a more gourmet dish, such as Thai crab cakes or asparagus topped with a medley of seafood and Hollandaise sauce. You could also just drink it on its own as a aperitif. In any case enjoy it young and fresh. If you like this you will also appreciate Matua Sauvignon Blanc. A great value summer sipper from a top tier Marlborough producer, Momo can be found at private stores such as www.legacyliquorstore.com in Vancouver, British Columbia for around $28.

Lesley scored this wine: 90/100

Recently I was very fortunate to receive a 2009 Balthasar Ress Schloss Reichartshausen Rheingau Riesling and to appreciate how good a bottle of wine this was for $24 you need to understand a bit about the German wine laws. Weingut (grower/producer) Balthasar Ress has been the sole owner or Monopole of a 33 ha parcel of land in the Schloss Reichartshausen Village since 1979. The winery is also a member of the VDP, Verband Deutscher Pradikats – und Qualitats Weinguter or the Association of German Quality Wine Estates. Under this classification this area is given the name Erste Lage – top vineyard site with distinctive characteristics where only Riesling is cultivated and known to produce racy wines with pronounced acidity – a quality required for long term aging. There is also another top tier German wine quality classification, Pradikatswein or previously QmP, of which the Rheingau is one of 13 quality wine regions recognized. This wine is a Kabinett meaning that the grapes had to be picked at between 67-82 Oechsle (must weight) and are usually made in a dry to medium dry style. Balthasar Ress, seit (since) 1870 once belonged to a Cistercian Monestery, Kloster Eberbach from the early 12thC to the early 19thC. Needless to say with 8 generations of experience behind them Balthasar Ress makes quality Rieslings. I enjoyed this bottle on Valentine’s Day with seared scallops on cilantro salsa verde accompanied by pan fried cauliflower and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction. This low alcohol Riesling was a great complement with its aromas of clover honey, ripe pear, acacia blossom, and a hint of wet slate. The palate offers sweet honey, ripe apple and yellow peach flavours with camomile notes and a spicy ginger and nutmeg finish. Drink now or hold on to this treasure of a Riesling for several more years.

Lesley scored this wine: 90/100

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Vancouver, BC, and I thought I would write about a wine that is so pretty in colour with its salmon pink hue that it makes you smile as if you had woken up to the sun shining on your face. I am talking about a 6th generation family owned estate that dates back to 1850, Domaine Sourdais and their Chinon Rose 2012 of the Loire Valley, France. 100% Cabernet Franc with a fragrant nose of rose petals, strawberries, and savoury herbs. This light, youthful, low alcohol rose really satisfies. The palate is bursting with bright red fruit, sweet red bell pepper, and refreshing minerality that provides for a long, rich, juicy finish. Serve with salmon, cream cheese, dill pinwheels and toast an early spring! Only $22 at BC private liquor stores.