1/9/2022 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Opaque. Leather and soil on the nose. Mineral and cranberry held together with great acid. Nice wine. Great QPR.

12/10/2021 - kablerc wrote:

Opaque in the glass. Mushrooms and earth on the nose. A bit of red plum. Stewed meat and savoury spices with a bit of cranberry-like acidity. This is well-made and balanced wine.

11/30/2021 - kablerc wrote:

Claret colour. Muted nose. Cigar and raisin. Medium finish.

10/22/2021 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Very light in the glass. Aromatics of pear and chalk. Floral. Off-dry and super quaffable. This is $21 CAD and enjoyable. Buy a case and keep a few bottles chilled. Open it when friends drop by and you want something to offer with a random snack. Everyone will want more. I’ve bumped up to 88 because the QPR is great.

10/1/2021 - kablerc wrote:

Pale yellow. Tropical nose. Round Chardonnay with lady finger banana and super ripe pineapple. Bought after tasting at the winery. Reminiscent of summer. Did not disappoint. Ok QPR.

9/17/2021 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Black red. Opaque. Meaty nose with wafts of grape juice. Cranberry and tart with a refreshing acidity. Very Beaujolais nouveau on the attack that transitions to lingering mineral and allspice. This would pair excellently with a Thanksgiving meal. Good QPR.

9/6/2021 - kablerc Likes this wine:

The style of this wine is very much my preferred style. Translucent brick red colour. Green bell pepper and white peppercorns crushed and dashed with berry juice on the nose. Herbascious. All kinds of mineral and acid on the palate - hints of black lime. This wine is fantastic.

6/17/2021 - kablerc Likes this wine:

If you don’t enjoy oxidation or savoury whites, this wine isn’t for you. If you do, the Las Mercedes is spectacular. It is more interesting than the Monopole Clasico. Golden yellow with nose of fresh caramel popcorn and butter. Savoury and viscous with rosemary and the meatiness of grilled pineapple. Dried citrus finish. +1 for being super interesting.

4/23/2021 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Eucalyptus on the nose. Light maroon. Ranier cherry with good acidity. This is a wine for now.

4/13/2021 - kablerc wrote:

This is young. Translucent burgundy. Bell pepper on the nose with a dash of citrus. Restrained. Herbaceous with a hint of tart cherry. The acidity is good. Hot finish. This is well-made wine. It will be better in a year. Best in two to three years.

4/27/2019 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Ruby. Transparent. Eucalyptus, mulch, and cherries on the nose. Bright cherry followed by nice acidity. Light oak. Nice finish.

12/16/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Wow. I thought I had found my value red for 2017, and this one comes in at the last minute. Light in the glass. The nose bursts with fruit, and filled the room upon opening. Tart and acidic. Some have said raspberries, but I got pomegranate and mineral. Dry, long finish. Will grab a few more bottles. $37 CAD

11/18/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Transluscent. Typical Rioja nose or cherry and leather. Old world style with very nice mouthfeel. Strong acidity. Beautiful example of traditional style Rioja. $70 CAD

9/9/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Vanilla and toast on the nose. Granny smith with subtle toastiness transitioning to ripe melon flavors. Well worth the $58CAD.

5/19/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Transparent. Very subtle bing cherry and slate on nose. Leather and subdued fruit on the palate. Old world in style. Very pleasant. Not a great QPR, but a well-made wine.

3/25/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Drinking this young. Decanted for ~2 hours. Brick red. Earth and leather nose with a bit of funk that blows off in the glass. Classic old world Chianti with great structure, minerals, and acidity. Enjoy with osso buco or even pizza. At $51CAD, a bit pricey for mid-week sipper. But well worth it.

1/6/2017 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Nearly opaque. Muted nose with dark berries and earth. Old world in style. Similar to Rhones from cooler vintages or quality Washington State Cabernet. Just ripe red fruit, leather, and integrated oak. My first Uruguayan wine, and if this is any indication of the quality, I need to find more.

12/14/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Very nice everyday quaffer. Opaque. Tomato and cocoa on the nose with a bit of herb. Coffee and herb on the palate with a nice acidity that will cut through stronger foods. Short but pleasant finish. Just a little hot. Good QPR.

11/1/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Love it! Pale in the glass. Run this one through an aerator and let it begin warming. The nose opens with a pretty slate and sea. Super acidic with white flower and brine. Pleasant aftertaste. Excellent QPR.

10/30/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Light in the glass. Brick red. Chalk and cherry on the noise. Mineral in the mouth with subtle berries - almost blackberry. Vegetal and a bit of menthol at the end. Super pleasant mouthfeel. Very well made.

9/25/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Nearly opaque. Stewed fruit on the nose with hint of caramel. Tart cherries with chocolate and super silky mouthfeel. Medium and lingering finish. Paired with lasagna (super thick Béchamel top layer) - worked wonderfully with the nutmeg. If only all BC wine could be this good... $46 CAD.

8/6/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Cantaloupe and flint on the nose. Light straw in the glass. Pleasant in the mouth with quince and floral over mineral. Very nice. Recommend at $26 CAD.

4/4/2016 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Brick red, semi-transparent. Pine needles and crushed berries on the nose. Ripe fruit but not overly extracted or raisiny. Old world style with good tannins and lingering finish. Continues to develop with air. Enjoying this more than I expected. $35 CAD, $25 USD

10/26/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Semi-opaque. Tobacco on the nose. Herbal flavors with stewed red fruit. This is a perfect mid-week wine. More interesting then most at this price point. Not plonk. $13CAD, $7USD...

10/11/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Burgundy color. Meaty nose. Bright fruits with spice. Short cola finish. An excellent Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser. Very good QPR at $10 USD.

8/20/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Muted to antiseptic on the nose. Very light red in the glass. Hints of cola. Very good structure and finish. Feel like this can open up more. When I tasted in store, I got stronger cherry cola and traditional Oregon Pinot mouthfeel.

5/23/2015 - kablerc wrote:

This wine is an 87, but it gets a bonus for being a great QPR. Buy a case, and drink it on any weeknight. Translucent. Nose of strawberry and spice. Nice acidity, with sour red fruits. Very food friendly.

4/26/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Translucent violet in the glass. Green pepper and peppercorn on the nose with hints of plum. White pepper and cola that transitions to bright red fruit. Finishes vegetal. An old world style is attempted, and mostly succeeds. The white pepper overpowers an elegant fruit. At $34 CAD, it loses one point for poor QPR (which is typical for most BC wines).

4/23/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Bricked color. Tobacco and crushed cherry on the nose. Integrated alcohol with cranberry and minerals. Very pretty!

4/11/2015 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Brick red. Plums and a bit of bret on the nose. Old world with smooth mouthfeel. Very pleasant. Would be a solid 90 if it weren't $34 CAD a bottle.

1/30/2015 - kablerc wrote:

Tea and chocolate on the nose. Semi-opaque, brick red. Old world style. Nice tannins. Well-balanced oak. Nice raspberry tea flavor. Solid effort.

12/20/2014 - kablerc Likes this wine:

This wine picks up the terroir of Briones. Cherry drenched leather on the nose. Mineral and tobacco blended with plum. Nice acidity. Good finish. Old world in style. The nose on this wine is phenomenal. At $40 CAD / $24 USD, the QPR isn't great.

9/5/2014 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Pale red and very light in the glass. Strawberry on the nose. Super bright sour cherry with solid acidity and a nice tangy white pepper. Finishes with a lingering bell pepper. This would be stellar with BBQ pork or beef ribs. 3rd bottle this year. It is a definite favorite. $32CAD / $20USD

2/7/2014 - kablerc Likes this wine:

Please value white. Unspectacular but unoffensive. Minerals on the nose.

9/26/2013 - kablerc wrote:

Translucent purple. Beautiful color. The nose indicates some heat and brambles. Very new world. In a blind tasting, I'd guess Central Coast, California. The Merlot overpowers the Tempranillo. It wasn't offensive, but not my type. More oaky than I prefer. If you like new world Merlots, I'd pick this up. At $5 US at Trader Joe's there is no reason to complain.

9/22/2013 - kablerc wrote:

Deep violet. Muted nose of vegetal and wet stone. Silky mouthfeel with strong mineral component, muted bell pepper and good acidity. Nice sour cherry tartness. This is a winner. $23 CAD and ~$15 US, savor this wine!

9/17/2013 - kablerc wrote:

Pleasant nose of cranberry and rose. Translucent and violet. Peppery with very bright red plum + leather and nice acidity. Old world and rustic. Not a California Zin fruit bomb. Probably a solid 87, but at $4.99 from Trader Joe's in WA (it sells for $3.99 in other states) it is a steal and gets a point for QPR. Buy a case and make it your Wednesday night wine for the next 3 months.

7/5/2013 - kablerc wrote:

I want to like this wine. At $27 in Canada, I wouldn't call it an excellent QPR. However, it is what I would expect from Washington State - an alternative to California Cabernet. Deep garnet nearing opaque. Muted but brambly nose. Pleasant mouthfeel with chocolate notes on the start. The mid-palate is stewed red fruit. Boozey on the finish - I know it is 14.5% which keeps it from getting a 90 or higher. The alcohol could be better integrated.

3/25/2012 - kablerc wrote:

Deep red, semi-transparent. Cassis and jam with a hint of menthol or spicy herb. Muted fruit with tea, tar and pretty transition to cherry. This is drinkable on its own, and I'd pair it with light appetizers (serrano wrapped asparagus, perhaps). At $18CAD, this is a steal.

3/16/2012 - kablerc wrote:

Ok, I give BC wines a hard time because generally, they are poor QPR. It isn't the wine's fault, it is just economic circumstances (and maybe a bit of the VQA self-importance). I was given this BC wine, so I feel that I can rate it on its merits, QPR aside. Here goes: brickish red color. Nose of black tea and a bit of earth. An elegant mouthfeel with black tea and cherries. Smooth. Is it phenomenal? No. However, it isn't over-extracted and huge like many California Merlots, and it has a long finish. I don't know the price, but if it were $12 - 13 CAD (compare to $8 - 9 US Washington Merlot), I'd definitely consider buying again. Solid effort.

3/2/2012 - kablerc wrote:

Maroon. Tea leaf and crushed plum on the nose with a hint of white pepper. Savory dominates the palate with crushed cherries, pleasant finish. Solid $18CAD wine from Marquis.

2/29/2012 - kablerc wrote:

Light straw color. Smoked apple and apricot on the nose - beautiful. Refreshing. Grass, lemon and a toasted profile that makes this unique and memorable. A great buy at $14 for WOW at Marquis.

1/28/2012 - kablerc wrote:

Light, reddish purple and translucent. Slight tar on the nose with a bit of pepper and berries. Old world palate of crushed fresh berries sprinkled with white pepper. Well-made and great QPR.

10/8/2011 - kablerc wrote:

Medium red and more translucent than I would expect. Nose of fireplace ash and strawberry. Mouth coating with slightly sharp tanins. Well integrated alcohol. Well-made, but not my favorite.

7/8/2011 - kablerc wrote:

Light in the glass. Nose of tar, cherry and green pepper - wonderful! Initial attack of cranberry with mid-palate transitioning to tobacco, bay and tongue gripping black tea. At $25CAD, I'm loving this!

6/26/2011 - kablerc wrote:

A 90 on the second night. Nose of tropical fruits and noble rot. Bright yellow. First night, this came across as a bit disjointed, and honestly, a bit offensive (pop & pour). The second night, I enjoyed this wine. Some of the funk had waned and been replaced by honey, hints of lavender and very ripe pineapple. I'm going to have a second bottle and run through the Venturi before enjoying. Good and interesting effort out of NZ.

6/5/2011 - kablerc wrote:

Hate to pan this wine, but aromatically challenged. Semi-opaque. Initially, an astringent attack with brambles and cranberry. Transitions to pleasant but disjointed red fruits. Medium-long finish.

6/5/2011 - kablerc wrote:

This was the consensus favorite for the evening. Light color for a Tempranillo. Nose of red fruit with earth. Palate of soft, very soft, red fruits with leather and chocolate finish. Hints of tobacco on mid-palate. Short finish. A crowd pleaser! Beats yellow-tail, but I wouldn't recommend for an educated audience.

6/5/2011 - kablerc wrote:

Nearly clear in color. Nose of citrus and white flower. Palate of grapefruit squeezed over freshly cut grass. Hints of apple. Short but pleasant finish. Good QPR.

6/5/2011 - kablerc wrote:

Light yellow in color. Nose of melon and honey. Mineral, slight citrus and definite honey on palate. Tons going on with pleasant, hints of cardamom and food-friendly finish. Highly recommend.