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87 Barcello Canyon Pinot Diablo 2006 Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $18.00 VQA wine stores Minty, stewed cherry, riparian, tobacco, leather, pruny, spicy nose.
87 Barcello Canyon Pinot Diablo 2006
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 VQA wine stores
Minty, stewed cherry, riparian, tobacco, leather, pruny, spicy nose. Round, lightly sweet palate with peppery, pruny, rancio, tobacco leaf, and stewed plum and rhubarb flavours. Good intensity and fruit but tannic and will need a few years to soften. Try with cheese and nuts. (AG-ST)
88 Black Hills Chardonnay 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $32.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Fresh lees, vanilla, cooked peach, butter and green apple skin, slightly grassy, smoky edge. Fresh, crisp, round, slightly oily texture with a hint of sweetness. Green apple, pear, vanilla, light lees, garlic, butter, mineral, citrus flavours with a touch of nectarine skin and butterscotch. Warm, crisp finish, very solid. Fresh delicious light style that just lacks a bit of extract. (AG-ST)
88 Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Peach, floral, honey, lees, light garlic nose with a touch of citrus and buttery vanilla. Crisp, dry, elegant, somewhat taut style. Lees, spicy, grassy, lemon, green apple skin, garlic, waxy, mineral flavours. A bit austere with a touch of bitterness on the finish but a good food wine. Needs a year or so to soften. Good value for British Columbia and surely a pinot blanc leader. (AG)
88 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2007
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Mineral, baked apple skin scents flecked with vanilla, garlic lees, butter and citrus aromas. Fresh, round, off-dry palate with some viscosity. Vanilla, buttery, spicy lees, garlic, baked peach, baked apple, waxy, grapefruit flavours with a butterscotch and orange finish. A touch of austerity but otherwise solid and well made. Try with halibut. (AG-ST)
89 CedarCreek Ehrenfelser 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Two years ago I suggested this wine be bottled and ready to go for May 1 and it happened. This year I asked for a screwcap and it has appeared. The result is a fabulously fresh example of what B.C. aromatic wine can be. Expect a fresh floral, mineral, spicy, orange flavoured white that won't quit on the palate. Just off dry it was made for spicy Indian, Thai and Chinese foods or serve liberally on the patio. (AG-ST)
87 CedarCreek Estate Select Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.99 specialty listing
Look for a bright, fresh, clean green apple core with a cover of vanilla. It's a barrel fermented adding an attractive, creamy buttery texture that over lays a honeysuckle, citrus fresh palate and finish. Crisp and clean with good flavour this is a terrific seafood wine. Good value. (AG-ST)
87 Crowsnest Gewurztraminer 2007
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $13.43 VQA Wine Stores
Classic gewürztraminer nose with floral, spicy, fruity nose streaked with the scent of charcuterie. The entry is fresh and sweet with honey, nectarine skin and floral fruit flavours. The finish is long and dry in the Alsace mode. This is an excellent food for spicy pan-Asian dishes. (AG-ST)
87 Crowsnest Riesling 2007
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 VQA wine stores
Green apple, peach skin, floral, guava, grassy aromas with a slight bread-y note. Fresh, round, soft entry with some mid-palate sweetness. Bready, guava, leesy, red apple, peach and honey flavours. More suitable for spicy Indian food or with fruit. (AG-ST)
88 Forbidden Fruit Winery Cerise d'Eve Cherry Port 2007
British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Minty, spicy, tobacco leaf, cedar, cooked cherry nose. Rich, round, somewhat sweet palate with cedar, tobacco, cherry jam, licorice root, and menthol flavours. Good intensity but very unusual. (AG-ST)
88 Forbidden Fruit Winery Impearfection Fortified Asian Pear Wine 2007
British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Floral, lemon oil, cooked pear, nutty, mineral aromas. Fresh, crisp, round palate with a slightly sweet palate. Spicy, cooked pear, floral, lemon skin, mineral flavours. Finish is a touch bitter and nutty but very solid. (AG-ST)
88 Forbidden Fruit Winery Plumiscuous Plum Mistelle 2008
British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Spicy, floral, cooked strawberry, plum aromas. Fresh, tart, somewhat sweet but balanced. Citrus, spicy, peppery, mineral, canned plum, strawberry flavours. Very tart, warm finish but has good fruit characters to have with dessert. (AG-ST)
87 Forbidden Fruit Winery Pomme Desiree iced Apple Dessert Wine 2007
British Columbia, Canada
BC $27.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Canned apple, mineral, nalgene, floral, minty aromas. Sweet, rich, round, slightly soft palate with spicy, cooked red apple, mineral, minty flavours. Good intensity if not quite fresh enough in fruit character. (AG-ST)
87 Howling Bluff Pinot Noir 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $26.90 private wine shops
Spicy, peppery, floral, cedar nose with bits of worsteshire, black cherry, cola aroma. Soft, round, dry, elegant palate with earthy, orange peel, cherry, rhubarb, smoky, resin, cedar and tobacco leaf flavours. Finish is a bit warm and tart but with some finesse. Headed down the right path. (AG-ST)
87 Inniskillin Okanagan Chardonnay Dark Horse Estate Vineyard 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 specialty listing
This wine always has fine chardonnay character mixing notes of green apples with peaches with just a touch of butter. The style is now a bit old fashioned, less oak would no doubt be a plus and it needs to get to market just a bit earlier. Still many will like this style and if served with a whole roasted chicken it will be hit. (AG-ST)
87 Joie Reserve Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Big canned lychee, grapefruit, floral, butter, pineapple, vanilla lees aromas. Ripe, fat, round, slightly oily but chalky palate with light to medium concentration. Bitter grapefruit, mineral, leesy, buttery, honey, lychee, floral, muscat, lemon peel flavours. Crisp, dry, oily finish but somewhat hard and leesy with a tart edge. (AG-ST)
88 Le Vieux Pin Apogée Merlot 2006
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $65.00 direct order - Christopher Stewart
Peppery, tobacco, cedar, light barnyard, black cherry, coffee, vanilla, soupy, Oxo-cube aromas. Rich, round, full bodied style with very dry, somewhat hard tannins. Big coffee, vanilla, toasty oak, tobacco, cedar, plum, black cherry, herbal, smoky flavours. Good intensity but somewhat hot with very dry tannins. Needs 2-5 years to soften but not sure about the fruit. (AG-ST)
88 Mission Hill Chardonnay Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 winery direct
Darkish yellow orange for such a young wine. Peach, butter, pineapple, vanilla, mango, pear and baked apple aromas. Round, fresh, elegant and crisp with some fatness on the palate. Buttery, tangerine, pineapple, vanilla, spicy lees, grapefruit rind flavours with some green apple skin and ginger spice on the slightly bitter finish. Good effort if a bit warm but fresh. (AG-ST)
87 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $16.00 private wine stores, MB $15.00, NF $17.30, NS $17.00, QC $16.10, SK $16.00, YK $18.00
Winemaker John Simes dies a great job with this variety and if he ever gets it under screwcap, well look out. The '07 is getting long in tooth under cork but it is still relatively fresh with baked apple and honey undertones. Look for a mix of citrus and pineapple fruit and a soft buttery finish. Bring on the oysters. (AG)
87 Mission Hill Pinot Noir Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 specialty listing, AB $25.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $28.00 Vintages
Very floral, cherry jam, spicy, vanilla, cola, mocha, tobacco leaf. Round, dry, slightly tart palate with smoky oak, vanilla, peppery, rhubarb, cola, rooty, tobacco leaf, barnyard, meaty flavours. A bit tart with some tea leaf tannins but solid and fun to sip. (AG-ST)
87 Mission Hill Reserve Late Harvest Riesling 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 (375 ml) specialty listing, AB $26.00 (375 ml) private wine stores
Slate, nutty, toasty, green apple skin, mineral, pear aromas with a bit of petrol. Round, elegant, somewhat sweet palate with petrol, nutty, slate, baked green apple, citrus, pear flavours. Solid riesling expression with finesse but fully mature. Drink now. (AG)
88 Mission Hill S.L.C. Chardonnay 2006
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $27.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops, AB $30.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $28.00
Very similar to the 2004 in our estimation with its buttery, nutty oily citrus peel nose and flavours with underlying lees and vanilla. The fruit is fairly tight with bright green apple notes, minerality and harder oak notes that will likely appeal to Old World aficionados and maybe less with New World sippers. A cool style that is more in the French camp than say the cool examples from the coast of California or Chile. Creamy fish dishes should help reveal its best side. (AG-ST)
89 Mission Hill S.L.C. Merlot 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct, private wine shops
The latest S.L.C. merlot has slightly smoother textures than previous editions but remains long on French oak, coffee grounds and cool peppery spicy notes. The palate is firm and dry with more minty garrigue notes mixed with coffee, black cherries and cedar and cocoa powder. The finish is long and showing some youthful dry tannins. This still needs time to soften and let the fruit shine. Should be perfect with lamb shanks. (AG-ST)
93 Mission Hill S.L.C. Riesling Icewine 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $80.00 (375 ml) specialty listing, AB $80.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $80.00 (375 ml) private order - Mark Anthony, QC $80.00 (375 ml)
Pear, light apricot, orange, butter, green apple, grassy floral aromas. Round, elegant, crisp and fresh palate that is sweet but not cloying with tart acidity. Granny smith, pear skin, orange, lime, apricot, butter and peach skin flavours. Good finesse and elegance in an overtly rich style. (AG-ST)
88 Mission Hill Sauvignon Blanc Five Vineyards 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $14.99, MB $11.99, ON $15.95, SK $13.98
Now a solid workhorse in a slim B.C. category. Fresh and clean and zippy as you would expect with bits of kiwi fruit, pear, gooseberry herbal aromas and flavours. The latest edition is creamier which is a nice offset to the lime rind and mineral flecks in the finish. Think white meats, white sauces, white fish and this white wine. Bag the cork please. (AG)
88 Mission Hill Vidal Ice Wine Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $49.99 Winery, Mark Anthony Wine Marts, Private Wine Shops, SK $50.00
Marmalade, buttery, mineral, nalgene, baked apple skin aromas with a touch of dried apricot. Ripe, rich, round, elegant palate with balanced acidity and sweetness. Cooked apple, nalgene, mineral, apricot skin, orange peel flavours. Solid, balanced but a bit mature. (AG)
88 Mt. Boucherie Estate Collection Semillon 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Orange, spicy, grapefruit, lees, mineral, grassy aromas. Dry, round, elegant, juicy palate with grapefruit, jalapeno, grassy, orange, creamy lees, nutty, gooseberry flavours. Good intensity and acidity with some maturity but some life ahead. Well made and balanced. Good value. Well done. I would love to see this under screwcap and just after it's bottled - the new Australian style. (ST)
89 Mt. Boucherie Family Reserve Summit White 2004 Chardonnay - Semillon - Pinot Gris - Riesling
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct
This is my first look at this impressive white that blends chardonnay, sémillon, pinot gris and riesling. It's fermented in French oak followed by 18 months in bottle. The nose is has an attractive toasted pear and nutty scent and it follows through on the palate. Rich peachy fruit with toasted nuts and vanilla wraps up the back end with just enough acidity to keep it interesting. Impressive creamy textures finish off the experience. Well done. (AG-ST)
88 Mt. Boucherie Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 speculative listing - Pacific Wine & Spirits
Cool tobacco leaf, rooty, carrot top, caraway, worsteshire, and light saddle leather and rhubarb aromas. Dry, soft, round, supple palate with rhubarb, strawberry, cola, vanilla, smoky, rooty, tobacco leaf flavours with a warm, slightly tart, orange peel finish. Good value in well made pinot. (AG)
88 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2007
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct
Leesy, spicy, light vanilla, cooked peach, orange, buttery aromas with a floral note. Dry, elegant, slightly oily palate with hazelnut, oily, leesy, garlic, baked apple skin flavours with a touch of vanilla and orange rind. Tight, dry finish with a touch of bitterness but good finesse. Still on the young side but it will continue to improve in the bottle. (AG)
90 Osoyoos Larose 2006 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $40.00 private wine shops, AB $40.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $40.00 consignment - Vincor International, QC $40.00
The most recent release and the finest yet reveal a definite combination of Bordeaux styling and Okanagan ripe fruit. Typically spicy with tobacco, coffee, smoky leather and black olive nose streaked with black cherry, poultry spice, vanilla and liquorice aromas with a touch of coriander. Dry, and as moderately rich as Paschal Madevon will allow, this version is ripe and warm on the palate with grainy, supple tannins. Coffee, cedar, vanilla, spicy, pepper, cassis, black cherry and savoury, black olive saturate the mid-palate. There is fine aromatics and balance with an unexpected suppleness (yeah). The finish has a savoury dark chocolate undertone. This will surely benefit from 4-8 years bottle age but expect it to tighten up for the next few years before re-emerging in 2012-2014. (AG-ST)
87 Pentâge Pentage 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - Syrah - Gamay
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Peppery, tobacco leaf, meaty, resin, cedar, barnyard, compost, dried herb, mushroom aromas - not very clean. Dry, round, elegant palate with some dry, light tannins. Cedar bark, peppery, coffee, vanilla, cherry, prune, chocolate, cranberry flavours all in balance. Very warm, meaty black tea tannin finish. Better than the '04 but the nose is lacking. (AG-ST)
89 Pentâge Winery Pinot Gris 2007
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Expect a stylish open, grapefruit nose with floral, lemon, pear and anise notes. The entry is ripe and round, the palate is fresh and elegant with pink grapefruit, lime and mineral flavours spiked with green apple skin, honey and light lees flavours. Very citrusy with good intensity and finesse and balanced. Good value here and certainly now among the finest pinot gris made in British Columbia. (AG-ST)
88 Pentâge Winery Sauvignon Blanc - Semillon 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Bright floral, gooseberry, grapefruit nose with bits of hay and nettle. Fresh, round, elegant palate with a touch of oiliness, but juicy. Granny Smith, gooseberry, grapefruit, butter, floral, minty, spicy, grassy flavours. Good texture and fruit components that should be a fine match to seafood or salmon. Very solid value and attractive wine. Let's get this is Stelvin next time out. (AG-ST)
87 Pétales d'Osoyoos 2004 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 private wine shops
A year plus on now, this wine has substantially improved. Smoky, peppery, coffee, black olive, prune, tobacco leaf, cedar aromas lead to a dry, round, smooth and supple palate. Tobacco, coffee, black cherry jam, licorice, herbal, prune and smoke flavours. Shows good finesse and ready to drink but will hold or improve for 2-3 years. Very encouraging for what is essentially a second label. (AG-ST)
87 Pétales d'Osoyoos 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 private wine shops
Spicy, cherry, tobacco leaf, black olive, barnyard, cassis, coffee, herbal aromas. Dry, elegant, slightly tight and lean palate with light tannins. Cherry, cranberry, peppery, orange peel, five spice, tobacco, savoury, coffee and leather flavours. Good complexity needs a few years to round out. This is a bit more linear and green than the 2004 edition. (AG-ST)
87 Poplar Grove The Legacy 2004 Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $50.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Meaty, peppery, compost, earthy, smoky, tobacco leaf, cedar aromas with a bit of cooked carrot. Dry, fresh, lean entry with light gritty tannins. Cherry, cranberry, coffee, vanilla, herbal, tobacco leaf, peppery, green tea flavours. Old Bordeaux style but still lacks ripeness. (AG-ST)
88 Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Much like the previous version this chenin opens with an aromatic grapefruit citrus now with flecks of minerality. It's high strung with super crisp, grapefruit, and green apple fruit with a tart citrus finish. A unique cool-climate look at chenin that calls for food like shellfish. Perfect for oysters on the half shell. (AG-ST)
87 Quails' Gate Dry Riesling 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.00 specialty listing
Much like last year, the QG Dry is super fresh with floral, limey, grapefruit aromas and flavours and a touch of lees. The style is lip smacking fresh and dry and it screams for food. Plenty of citrus and mineral flecked flavours cleanse the palate prepare you for more food and wine. Try with assorted chicken or pork dishes. (AG-ST)
87 Quails' Gate Gewürztraminer 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The latest Gewurztraminer has quite a leesy bread dough nose with bits of pear and litchi nut fruit in the background. The palate is light and fresh reflecting its cool stainless steel ferment the fruit bright and refreshing with just a dusting of sweetness in the finish. A versatile food wine for West Coast cuisine. Good value. (AG-ST)
87 Quails' Gate Late Harvest Totally Botrytis Affected Optima 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $33.00 (375 ml) specialty listing, AB $36.00 (375 ml) fine wine shops
Pale yellow colour. Floral, honey, waxy, lychee, sausage, peach aromas. Ripe, round, elegant, lighter style with rose petal, leesy, sausage, lychee, orange, candied green apple flavours. Solid but lacks concentration and zip. (AG-ST)
91 Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Stewart Family Reserve 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $45.00 winery direct and private wine shops
This pinot has been a work in progress since winemaker Grant Stanley arrived. Red fruits, black cherries and spice with a one per cent drop in alcohol make this a winner to say the least. The wild ferment also adds another dimension. At the moment it's easy to like its fat, muscular edge but expect it to lean out a bit. Fine density and mouthfeel which is what pinot noir is all about. Bravo; the best yet. (AG-ST)
87 Quails' Gate Tawny Non Vintage N/V
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Very rancio, raisiny, maraschino licorice, chocolate, Christmas cake, cedar aromas, very unusual. Somewhat tart, austere palate with medium sweetness and light tannins. Cedar, walnut, tobacco, raisiny, dried cherry, herbal, coffee, candied citrus flavours. Lots of rancio tawny character, perhaps needs a few years yet to soften some tannins. (AG-ST)
87 Road 13 Jackpot Syrah 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct, vqa and private wine stores
Very spicy, savoury, meaty, peppery, floral, vanilla, black cherry, smoky coffee with a sausage, rubber note. Dry, round, supple, slightly lean entry but elegant. More savoury, smoky, rooty flavours mixed with liquorice, tobacco leaf, sour cherry, oaky coffee flavours. Easy going, slightly meaty and green style with some complexity but lacks concentration. (AG-ST)
88 See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Noir 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Vanilla, smoky, barnyard, tobacco leaf, carrot top, black cherry, rooty, coffee, strawberry aromas. Round, dry, slightly tannic palate but elegant and round. Vanilla, spicy, peppery, worsteshire, cherry, rhubarb, clove flavours. Somewhat oaky and warm but with good overall balance. (AG-ST)
87 See Ya Later Ranch Riesling 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $15.99 specialty listing
Spicy, floral, bubble gum, green apple, peach, citrus, guava aromas. Crisp, round, full style that finishes a bit sweet. Green apple, guava, orange, grassy, grapefruit rind flavours. Good solid consumer style if a bit warm and rindy. (AG-ST)
87 Stoneboat Vineyards Pinot Gris 2007
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct
Fresh leesy bright style of pinot gris with bits of citrus and mineral. Dry stony mid-palate with just a hint of creamy spiced fruit in the finish. Fine ripeness marks a warm, floral, mineral finish. Good potential here if the alcohol is kept in check. (AG-ST)
88 Sumac Ridge Meritage Blanc Black Sage Vineyard 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 specialty listing, vqa and private stores, winery direct
