After summer holidays are over and you are all relaxed from the sun, food, and wine with family and friends, September comes around. For the wine trade, this is the start of the busy season leading up to Christmas, and with this there are many agency portfolio tastings. I attended two portfolio tastings this past week, and I’m here to tell you about my picks from Charton-Hobbs. They do cover all the bases, with sparkling, red, white, and fortified wines, and also spirits. I did not have time to sample their spirit offerings, but did have a chance to try their wines, which cover the world. Enjoy!
My Wine Picks
Sparkling Wine
Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2006, France ($73.99) – This is a named vintage Champagne, which is only produced in great years when the grapes reach full flavour complexity. Light toasty nose that continues to the palate. Dry with fine bubble; citrus followed by nuttiness on the mid-palate. A bit of a splurge, but well worth it. Rating:
Ruinart “R” de Ruinart, France ($67.99) – Light flinty nose. Dry, light bodied, with high acidity and a fine bubble. Citrus, with flowers in the background, followed by light toasting. An interesting wine. Rating:

White Wine
McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2014, Australia (SPEC) – Semillon is still not as widely known as it should be here in BC and across North America. It is typically fermented dry and has Sauvignon-like flavours, but not necessarily to the same degree. What makes this grape fascinating is that it can age for a long time, and have a nutty, almost oaked flavour to it. Australia’s Hunter Valley is well-known for their long-lived Semillon. This Semillon is from the Hunter Valley. You can enjoy it now, or later, much later. This wine had a nice stone fruit and honey nose. Dry with medium minus body. Stone fruit and a hint of sweet spice flavours. Light and refreshing. Rating:
J Moreau et Fils Chablis 2013, France (SPEC, $23.49) – Very nice honey and white flowers, and stone fruit aromas. Medium minus body, dry and soft, with flavours of apples and apricot. Smooth. Delicious. And has a mineral streak. Impress your friends with this wine at a great price. Rating:
Kuhlmann-Platz Gewurztraminer 2014, France ($16.49) – Nice aromas of roses and lychee. Light body, off-dry with apples, lychee, honey, apricots, and a herbal note. Very nice. Rating:

Red Wine
Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012, Chile ($22.79) Light garnet in colour with a very flowery and red cherry nose. Dry, medium body and soft in the mouth. Candied cherries and sweet spice flavours. Fine tannins. An easy sipper. Enjoy with some smoked salmon. Rating:
Batasiolo Barolo Riserva DOCG 2006, Italy (SPEC, $43.49) – Medium garnet with orangey bricking in the glass. Bruised apples and dark cherry aromas. Medium body, dry with firmer tannins. Red cherries and apples on the palate. Tannins pick up on the finish. Rating:
San Felice Brunello di Montalcino Campogiovanni 2010, Italy (SPEC, $60.89) – Ripe red and candied cherries aromas. Dry, medium body with firmer tannins. Ripe cherries up front with cedar in the background. Dry finish. Very good. Rating:
Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2012, Spain ($21.79) – One of my favourite wines I tasted at this event. It was medium translucent ruby in colour. Ripe cherry with a hint of matchstick on the nose. Dry, medium minus body, soft, with flavours of violets, red fruit, and nutmeg. Yum. It is not a heavy wine, so you can sip it on it’s own, or have with a slow cooked pork or lamb dish. Rating:
