Antu 'Ninquen' Syrah 2005

The second of my friend's attempt to familiarize me with South American terroir. I certainly get a sense that the Colchagua Valley has a lot of potential for syrah, although the Polkura I had earlier far surpassed this representation.

On the nose I detected some smoke as well as a salami component. The palate was very oaky, with cassis and salami (not the greatest flavour). This wine is definitely oak chipped, which is unfortunate, but it does have decent acidity. While simple and highly sulfered there is a push towards flavour that makes the wine decent.

Good

~$20 at BCLDB

Luis Perez Monastrell 4 D.O. Bullas 2005

Monastrell is a Spanish grape that in this case grows in the Bullas wine region in south eastern Spain near the city of Murcia. For many years wine experts thought that Monastrell was the same grape as Mouvedre. Now, genetic tests have shown the two varieties to be different. So, there is actually little known about Monastrell as a distinct grape since this discovery is pretty new. However, this is a pretty thick skinned grape that is quite dense and flavourful. This particular wine is a Parker favourite (rating at 92 I think), so keep in mind his preference for big, bold and up front wine.

The nose on this 100% Monastrell wine was candied cherry, red licorice and roasted herbed red meat. The palate continued the candied cherry trend and was generally a big fruit blast with a hint of pepper, sourness and fertalizer. This is big and flavourful, but it is also sort of artificial tasting. I much prefer my wines to taste like fresh cherry and not candied cherry. Some may enjoy this, but for me it was distinctly on the upper end of average.

Good

$27 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars

Phillips "The Hammer" Imperial Stout

Being ill is not fun. Being ill when you love wine is just cruel. I am finally on the path to recovery and had the chance to taste a tiny bit of this beer. I limited my intake to a couple ounces so I don't have the full experience, but I just couldn't resist trying this new beer from a BC brewery I generally like a lot and in a style I also tend to love.

The first time I tried this beer I had it at room temperature, which tends to bring out the flavours a bit more in this style. It was very dark, chocolately, very roasted charcol-like flavours and also reasonably bitter. It wasn't my favourite Imperial Stout since I felt it lacked complexity and depth in the finish, despite being pretty well balanced.

However, when I drank another couple ounces of this cold it was quite a bit tastier and smoother, as the bitterness was tempered and the balance accentuated. So, while not a favourite of mine in this style, I think it might be a great place for someone new to heavier beers to start, given it is far more balanced and less alcoholic than many.

Everybody raise a glass to getting better!

Good
$7/650ml at Private Stores

McEewan's Scotch Ale

On the trend of Scottish ale, this dark and strong ale is made in the malt-liquor style, meaning it is kind of cidery and sweet with a big dose of alcohol (8%). The ale consists of strong apple cider and molasses flavours built over a great deal of heat from the alcohol. It finishes with a slight bitterness that helps to temper the malt flavours. Overall this is pretty nice, although it is too sweet for my tastes. Ultimately I think it is over-priced for what it is and that there are much better beers available for the same price.

$16.99/6-pack at BCLDB
Good