Fresh balanced lower alcohol white wines are becoming an ever increasing choice over bigger reds. A global trend but also a reflection of the wines that better suit the growing popularity of lighter cuisine with less use of increasingly expensive beef. The old standards of Chardonnay and especially white Burgundy & Chablis are pricing themselves out of the normal wine consumer market who now are looking for less expensive alternatives. One that is finding traction is Albarino (known as Alvarinho in Portugal) which is indigenous to NW Iberia – especially the border of Galicia in Spain (maritime Rias Baixas) and the Minho/Vinho Verde region (Moncao e Melgaco sub-region) in Portugal. They have a similar lively taste though the Spanish Rias Baixas usually show more refreshing zesty citrus fruit compared to the rounder riper peach/apricot notes of Portugal. There now are more successful single variety 100% Albarino in the marketplace but also mixed with different local grapes in blends. Other wine regions around the world are now producing excellent Albarino including USA (California, Oregon, and Washington State), New Zealand, Australia, plus Bodegas Garzon in Uruguay and Terravista Vineyards on the Naramata Bench of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. Check out the medal winning complex 2025 Terravista Albarino whole cluster pressed and cool fermented in Stainless using 25% lees aging in concrete egg for 5 months and some in neutral oak.

On November 2 in Vancouver at under the radar Spanish restaurant Casa Molina (Chef Javier Blanc) World Wine Synergy Inc (President Grace Li & GM Richard Loo) presented a wine tasting/lunch by Yago Gomez Gonzalez, Director of Adegas Valminor. A well organized educational affair with tasty food treats paired so well with focused quality for value wines:

ENTROIDO WHITE VERMOUTH & RED VERMOUTH: Both these new Vermouths have merit elaborated from Albarino Valminor with Vinolok closures. Entroida means carnival in the Galician language – ie. celebration. They both are top quality with lots of fresh flavours which are rather spicier and intriguing than your usual Vermouth at 15% ABV.

2021 ABADE DE COUTO “EL REBELDE”: The Abbot of Couto is a rebel hero who commanded the uprising against the French Army which occupied the south of Galicia back in 1809. Schist soils at high altitude grow native grape varieties for a red wine served quite cool showing some sweet cherries. Paired smartly with Jamon Iberico en crispy croquettes.

2024 VALMINOR ALBARINO: My favourite of the tasting flagship 2024 Albarino 100% was cold macerated for 6 hours at 10C. It has fresh vibrant dry citrus styling so balanced and elegantly structured at 13 % ABV. Decanter World Wine Awards liked their brand new 2005 awarding it 97 points and a Platinum medal. Valminor is a valley located in Galicia made up of 3 villages on the river Minho. Superbly matched with an oyster but worked well with most of the tasty dishes prepared By Chef Javier Blanc including his outstanding pulpo (octopus). I also liked that Javier even had in the kitchen the dependable oldtimer producer Verorla Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Andalusia, Spain in 5 litre format. Recommend you drink more Albarino!

2024 DAVILA O ROSAL: Davila gets its name from the founder of the winery Carlos Gomez Davila in 1997. O Rosal is a unique sub-region of south Rias Baixas where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean and at the frontier with Portugal. This is a white blend of Albarino with Loureiro & Treixadura that loses the purity of all Albarino on its own but gives floral notes with a smoother body in a more salty package. Listed and available at the BCLDB for $25.

2025 MINIUS GODELLO: This is 100% Godello grape from the small appellation of Monterrei under the Minius (Latin name for the Mino river – the natural border between Galicia & Portugal) label. This is less vibrant than Albarino but interesting, showing creamy herbal softer textures and more like an unoaked Chardonnay at 13% ABV.

2023 DAVILA L-100: This is 100% Loureiro (part of the earlier Davila O Rosal blend) only produced 4,435 bottles with open aromatics of spicy dried fruits and noticeable nine months lees aging at 12% ABV.

2024 MINIUS MENCIA: This small Monterrei D.O. again for the red 100% Mencia at 12.5% ABV using all stainless steel and no wood. Your scribe found this so juicy with sweeter fruit intensity paired nicely with a tender Spanish pork shoulder course.

Another excellent educational wine and food lesson again so well orchestrated by the World Wine Synergy team. Revealed for this market some top quality wines at good value to enhance Spanish food and to use on other occasions. My congrats. Check out which wines are available in your marketplace. There is a very good, more detailed report and photos of this outstanding event posted by my friend Karl Kliparchuk on his My Wine Pal social media site linked here.

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Question: There is a lot of concern in my wine community about the drought conditions during 2026 experienced in Burgundy including Chablis. How did the 2026 drought affect the grape vines and the new wines?

Answer: Thank you for your most topical question. Yes the 2026 drought in Burgundy combined with very hot Summer temperatures put the vines under extreme water stress. When temperatures get over about 35°C (95°F) and water is scarce, the vines close down their leaf pores (stomata) to conserve moisture. When this happens the vine stops taking in CO2, which shuts down the photosynthesis needed for normal grape ripening. The result is smaller berry size with higher concentrated sugar and lower acidity. Some minor stress as we know can benefit the vine and grape quality, but extreme conditions like those in 2026 raise concerns about uneven less natural ripening and the overall balance of the resulting wine. The smaller crop of wines in 2026 will not be as consistent as in a classic year showing rounder softer styling with some highs but also more lows. Caveat emptor.

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Richebourg Grand Cru is a small esteemed wine property in Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, covering only 8.03 hectares (just under 20 acres) and producing about 2,700 cases per year. It is shared by 11 owners with Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (DRC) clearly being the largest with 3.51 hectares. Richebourg is composed of two lieux-dits: the southerly Les Richebourgs (5.05 hectares) and the northerly, east-facing later ripening Les Verroilles ou Richebourgs (2.98 hectares). The vineyard breakdown for the two main producers in this wine tasting included DRC with 2.57 (in four plots) + .94 (one plot most north-eastern) and Meo-Camuzet (M-C) totalling .35 with .05 + .31 hectares respectively. Over 50+ years of intense Burgundy studies, your scribe has been most fortunate to taste all 11 Richebourg producers and many vintages – some more recent ones are reported on this Blog. Check out a previous Richebourg vertical linked here on August 10, 2020 for more background details. Also linked here are Meo-Camuzet Premier Cru verticals of Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees dated February 10, 2025, and Les Charmes July 8, 2024. The members of the Group of Eight keenly anticipated this unique privileged event with all wines generously donated by our leader Ian Motttershead. On October 27, 2026 the Group of Eight Vancouver met for event #147 at our regular spot of BLUE WATER CAFE for a dinner/tasting of nine vintages of Richebourg within the narrow window of 1991 to 2002 inclusive in two flights from oldest to youngest. I admired the perfect serving talents of Assistant Wine Director Melissa Lu, who provided consistent, even pours with no sediment in the glass. Well done. Such a difference in the pleasurable textures of aged red Burgundy when there is no sediment. What an opportunity to see if Richebourg is worth its expensive price and whether it is ageing well.

Our splendid evening commenced with an aperitif of KRUG ROSE NV BRUT matched with an exquisite Sablefish whose succulent flavours were deliciously enhanced by Pine mushrooms. This 27th edition of Rose started as a new composition back in 1976 “inspired by the Maison’s reputed art of blending” for an “astonishing act between finesse and substance.” This one is a blend of 38 wines from 9 different years (from 2005 to 2015) with reserve wines making up 55% of the final blend: 57% Pinot Noir (including 10% traditionally macerated PN), 23% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier. What a beautiful striking pink colour with complex intensity and elegance produced by Julie Cavil. All this brings back many fond memories of attending the International Wine & Food Society Festival in Singapore at the end of October 1989 with an outstanding Krug Champagne tasting conducted by Remi Krug on October 26, 1989. The very pale colourless Rose was served after 1981 Clos de Mesnil and before the 1973 & 1969 Krug Collection. I asked Remi why there was no colour. He answered that “the colour will vary due to the fermentation methods used but they must avoid tannins or bitterness. There will be some Pinot Noir colour coming from the Ay grape skins to bring fruitiness and the delicate salmon pink colour.” This one is too pale but the focus is more on the taste than the look.” From those early days of experimentation on the Rosé, they now have it down perfectly.

We finished with 1961 TAYLOR FLADGATE “VERY OLD” COLHEITA TAWNY PORT SINGLE HARVEST LIMITED EDITION aged six decades in seasoned neutral oak casks now showing an amber look with silky smooth textures and complex velvety fig, orange marmalade, butterscotch flavours. Impressive how it finishes with a still fresh acidity lift at 20% ABV. Only 2,900 bottles were released at the end of 2020 in a special decorative box. A clever dessert pairing of baked figs with stilton, candied pecans, and spruce tip honey showed the old tawny to best advantage.

The main event featured nine Richebourgs, and here are a few of my comments:

1991 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DRC: I always enjoy this underrated red Burgundy vintage. At Rousseau in Chambertin I prefer it to their 1990s. April frosts plus June & August hail in Vosne-Romanée reduced the crop, making 1991 less heralded early on. Some 1991 wines really have improved with bottle age. Here the Richebourg has some paling edge but holding the deep red look. Most open intriguing bouquet with exquisite styling. Adore the power combined with elegance in the combination of rich, smooth, long, complex flavours. Weighty, robust, and full-bodied with softening tannins. Starting on a long exciting plateau of thrilling enjoyment. Clearly my fav of this flight. Excellent!

1993 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DRC: Palest edge in this flight. A bit closed at first but the underlying whole bunch stems used in fermentation are noticeable to me. Also, it’s not balanced enough with edgy acidity and firmer tannins that aren’t completely integrated. I have enjoyed the superb 1993 Meo-Camuzet on other occasions more than this DRC one. Question mark where it is going from here?

1994 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DRC: The darkest deepest look but with a paling rim. Rather dull and not forthcoming nose, but with some interesting spicy earthy dried floral notes. Sweet entry and softer tannins show rather lovely but less refined. It is on a plateau now but not a real collector’s vintage. Nick Wright states “I like all the vintages for different reasons.”

1995 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DRC: Lightest look with less depth. Shows good maturing fruit with chocolate and Oriental spices; open and attractive. Structured with lively acidity. DRC trademark of delicacy and elegance. Reminds me of the three-pack of off vintages in the sixties and seventies that we used to buy and drink from DRC. They all were very light but so complex – especially with food. At an early DRC La Tache vertical the 1972 La Tache was my favourite one, with the acidity balance so well paired with a fresh wild salmon course. Don’t undersell these lighter years of DRC

1995 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DOMAINE GROS FRERE ET SOEUR: Nearly .7ha just East of the Meo-Camuzet parcel in Verroilles. Red with paling rim. Bouquet influenced by younger vines, resulting in a simpler style. A touch of mint, rounding nicely but a tad dry. Not as complex as the lighter 1995 DRC from the first flight.

1996 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU ALAIN HUDELOT-NOELLAT: Only .28 hectares in the middle of Les Richebourgs but a good effort here in 1996. More fruit and richer, energetic age that Blair Curtis liked. Producer known for emphasizing finesse and elegance as shown here. Nose better than the palate balance.

1998 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DOMAINE MEO-CAMUZET: Much darker red, deeper look than the earlier wines. It was smart to serve these M-C last as they have much more fruit – as we noted in the Richebourg tasting 6 years ago. However, the 1998 is less intense than the 1999 or 2002. Fresh enticing fruit with an old-style balanced structure (more so than the riper current vintages from 2015). M-C delivers massive pure fruit with power and texture, using no stems. Perhaps arguably less elegant, but that’s no problem.

1999 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DOMAINE MEO-CAMUZET: Much darker with buckets of ripe attractive perfumed Pinot Noir signature fruit. Shows key complex spices and structure from this outstanding vintage. Impressive special concentrated black fruit power with elegance underneath. So impressive with all the elements just starting to come into harmony. Clearly the best wine for further aging in your cellar. Untapped excellent potential with patience to be something truly outstanding down the road!

2002 RICHEBOURG GRAND CRU DOMAINE MEO-CAMUZET: Very dark but not as deep as the 1999. I always find this 2002 vintage so charming and underrated. Again, it really shines with the most open ripe cherries bouquet. Stylish and balanced structure with a silky velvet mineral palate. Most of us including Fred Withers declared this charming beauty The Wine of the Night. Generous underlying fruit will carry this beauty for quite a while longer. Otherworldly having top quality red Burgundy with the best food pairing—sweet meat game birds like quail and truffles. What a pairing! As Ian Mottershead so aptly summarized Richebourg “as wines to contemplate!” I second that note.

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Question: I see references of “hl/ha” in wine notes. What does that mean?

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Wine properties evolve over time due to many factors including changes in ownership and different winemakers invoking their own wine style. Also, vineyard vines mature as they age, often yielding less fruit but with greater intensity, or they may be younger if recently replanted. All that together and more with the variability of each vintage usually makes for an interesting wine tasting vertical. This is especially true where there has been a dramatic change in the style at a property such as Chateau Pavie in Saint Emilion since 1998 under the direction of Chantal & Gerard Perse. They invested heavily in the cellars and about 90 acres of south facing vineyards, with vines planted 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. They also moved to a deeper, richer, more powerful style of Pavie – a favourite of Robert Parker. Ian Mottershead spoke well about the château’s background for this venerable Saint-Émilion property. Alexandre Valette purchased Chateau Pavie in 1943 and it passed within the family to his grandson Jean-Paul Valette in 1957. Jean-Paul managed the Estate for about 40 years until the 1998 purchase, producing lighter wines with more elegance and underrated terroir definition. Your scribe visited Jean-Paul several times during the seventies and eighties and always enjoyed going with him into his unique limestone cellar caves at the top of the sloping property to fetch an old bottle for tasting. Fond memories.

On October 20, 2026 La Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver held a historic dinner/tasting of nine vintages at the fine dining restaurant newly named Five Sails by Alex Kim (the new co-owner and talented Executive Chef). We started with exquisite canapes of bite-sized Yellowtail & King Crab paired with NV DELAMOTTE BRUT CHAMPAGNE an old house founded in 1760 and now owned by the Laurent-Perrier Group since 1988. It’s a dependable, solid blend from top vineyards, featuring 55% Chardonnay for elegant structure, 35% Pinot Noir for depth of fruit body, and 10% Meunier for open aromatics with roundness, aged 3 years sur lie with around 7 g/l dosage. We finished with 2012 CHATEAU CLIMENS BARSAC, which was 100% Sémillon but offered lighter-bodied, elegant, yet intense flavours.

The main event featured nine vintages of Chateau Pavie, presented in three flights from youngest to oldest:

2014 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: The youngest example a blend of 60/22/18 of Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark, deep, and excellent; it has big fruit-expressive aromas with full, rich, smooth polished textures. Ripe but structured shows rounding tannins and a touch of licorice. Impressive. No rush.

2008 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: In this cooler year Merlot in the blend at 70% with 20% Cabernet Franc & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 18 months in 65% new oak at 14.5% ABV. Showing bottle variation, it had a bit paler edge with intense fresh cherry notes, more acidity (lower pH) and firm tannins. Stylish, with more St. Emilion delicacy definition and herbaceous rosemary coffee-chocolate flavours. It was enjoyable now and really shone brightly with an outstanding Pine Mushroom course.

2004 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Dark but subdued on the nose with lighter cherry-plum preserves on the palate; full and rich but rather one dimensional. Seems lush, softer, and modern. Likeable style. Andrew MacNeil commented that the first flight comprised three difficult vintages yet all “have strong aromas of big blackberry fruit with resolving tannins”. First Group favourite votes were quite evenly divided.

2003 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: What a surprise! I just tasted this at the 2003 horizontal  linked here on October 12 where it disappointed. I later learned that bottle had been cooked by the very hot Arizona sun. Storage of older wines can be key. This one is dark, open, with cooler fruit that is not overripe and it doesn’t show the 14.9% ABV on the bouquet. In fact the textbook St. Emilion signature entry impresses with juicy perfumed flavours and none of the Port/Zin notes, though it shows drier tannins on the finish. It is amazing to see such differences between two bottles of the same wine.

2001 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Deep with a paler rim but initially very smoky indeed. It cleared somewhat in the glass, revealing big, luscious, tannin-integrated maturing fruit. Christine Collison’s favourite of the Second flight and also the Group favourite.

2000 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: The rich extract of 2000 warranted an early 100 point score from Robert Parker. First use of their now standard “Eleanor or Alienor” bottle shape, which is high-shouldered with a deep punt. Attractive black cherries and dark chocolate notes are more exotic. Christine Collison commented on “smaller berries providing more concentration”. I enjoyed the smooth supple seductive textures on entry and the overall complexity of this one paired with a superbly cooked duck breast

1999 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Good colour but less deep and less ripe. Open aromatics with cocoa and tapenade are enchanting. Lighter year shows. John Clerides stated “lean and angular side but likes the leather”. Refreshed the palate nicely with the fatty short rib Wagyu (which seemed more Kobe-like marbled).

1998 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Dense deep dark right to the rim. Great Right Bank vintage shows. I like the concentrated balance and complexity here. Full, round, and delicious, and it will continue to evolve. John Clerides admired the “structure and purity with layers of flavours – but almost prefers the 1999 styling”. The 1998 was made by Alain Reynaud of Pomerol fame. This 1998 was the third flight’s favourite and Wine of the Night.

1983 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Only vintage shown that was produced by Jean-Paul Valette. Bottle variation resulted in a smaller pour. Mature and very light pale red showing briary earthy notes. John Clerides “quite liked it with the leathery, chocolate style.” Lots of members liked it even though it was quite dry because it showed some terroir. Developed in the glass. A little weak in this vintage IMHO.

POSTSCRIPT: As 1983 was the only example of the earlier style, your scribe decided to follow-up with two more examples and a ringer. These provided a more complete truer picture of the Chateau Pavie character from 1958 to 2014 – over a 56 year span – from two quite different regimes:

1975 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Fairly good red appearance for a 50+-year-old wine—deeper and brighter than the 1983. Initially on decanting and immediately pouring at a cool temperature a quite wet cellar smell was noticeable. As it warmed and aired it cleared to a more terroir-driven St. Emilion textbook with herbal, “sous bois”, and plummy notes. OK

1958 CHATEAU PAVIE SAINT-EMILION: Amazingly clear and bright nearing 70 years old. Shipped by Mahler Besse and bought with a BCLDB sticker on release. Stored well. Intriguing bouquet of mushrooms and delicate flavors on the palate that enticed. It has lost fruit and is quite dry now, but it was a remarkable refreshing balanced lower alcohol wine paired with long slow cooked local BC lamb shoulder & vegetables. What an educational classic showing! Those old Bordeaux continue to surprise you with their longevity. Hope the current style at Chateau Pavie will last as full of life as this one did.

1975 CHATEAU CANON SAINT-EMILION: The ringer was a St. Emilion star on the limestone plateau overlooking the Village. Darker and with much more remaining fruit than the 1975 Pavie. Sings better now for the Right Bank 1975s improved reputation as the thick grape skins and early unyielding tannins have mellowed into something complex and delicious.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum QED.

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