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88 8th Generation Vineyard Riesling Selection 2011 British Columbia, Canada BC $28.50 winery direct or private wine stores Love the effort here and the super fresh, zesty style, full of citrus and red apple fruit.
88 8th Generation Vineyard Riesling Selection 2011
British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.50 winery direct or private wine stores
Love the effort here and the super fresh, zesty style, full of citrus and red apple fruit. There is more intensity here than the norm and a strong mineral note. Indigenous yeast contributes to its unique intensity and textures. Well done and with 8 grams of juicy fresh fruit it would pair well with your favourite curry. (AG-ST)
88 Averill Creek Vineyard Cowichan Black 2010
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 (375 ml) private wine stores, winery direct
Nice spicy, warm blackberry jam, earthy, clove aroma. Ripe, round, juicy, somewhat sweet entry with floral, soapy, blackberry jam, clove, spicy flavours. Intense flavours with good balance. Try for dessert or to mix as a kir. (AG-ST)
89 Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Gris
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Still the standard among BC bubble producers beginning with its attractive nose of brioche, baked pear, green apple and nutty citrus notes followed by a dry, earthy, peach pit, green apple, pear and lemon/honey flavours. A classy well-crafted bubble with a fresh, delicate cool style made for food. The latest mix is 57% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 6% Pinot Gris all made using the traditional méthode champenoise. It is stored 24 months in glass, disgorged and kept another six to nine months before release. (AG-ST)
88 Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2011
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, private wine shops, AB $22.00 fine wine shops
Floral, light nectarine, earthy, pear, green apple and butter aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy palate with a hint of sweetness. Red apple, grapefruit, honey, butter, lees, peach pit and baked apple flavours. Good freshness and finesse for any seafood. (AG-ST)
88 Blue Mountain Pinot Gris 2011
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.00 winery direct, private wine shops, AB $24.00 fine wine shops, ON $27.00 consignment - Lifford
Very floral, baked pear, apple skin, butter, flinty, matchstick, spicy, ginger aromas. Fresh, dry, juicy, slightly austere palate with nettle, honey, grapefruit, spicy, herbal, lemon and lees flavours with a touch of butter. Very pure and tight style that should improve in bottle. (AG-ST)
88 Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 special order - Keystone Fine Wines
Love the open bright grassy, nettle, grapefruit nose here flecked with lemon and light passion fruit aromas. The palate is dry, fresh and juicy with more lemon, grassy, nettle, bell pepper and grapefruit flavours. A sauvignon with elegance, excellent vibrancy and balance to pair with lighter fish dishes. One of the best sauvignon styles we have tasted in the valley is a mix of 70 percent fermented in stainless steel and 30 per cent barrel fermented. (AG)
88 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2010
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops, AB $34.00 private wine stores
Nutty, spicy, smoky, vanilla, pear, mealy, baked apple and butter aromas. Dry, slightly lean but full and almost mature palate. Big nutty, spicy lees, baked apple, buttery flavours with a trace of sulphur. A solid effort that may be just a bit too worked to allow it to really soar out of the glass. Less is always more. (AG-ST)
90 CedarCreek Platinum Home Block Pinot Noir 2010
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $40.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Winemaker Darryl Brooker's first red wines to be released include the "Home Block" 2010 Platinum Pinot Noir (blocks 2 and 4) replete with its floral/fragrant cool pinot nose flecked with spice, black cherry and worsteshire sauce. The attack is similarly cool and restrained with light tannins and firm black and sour cherry fruit mixed with dried herbs. A new, cooler direction for his variety that better expresses its northern terroir. Try this with grilled salmon or roast turkey. Tasted several times since the fall it is improving each time. (AG-ST)
89 Clos du Soleil Saturn Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Keremeos, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Honey, egg, passion fruit, apricot, minty, floral and orange aromas. Ripe, round, full, juicy and sweet but elegant palate with apricot, honey, grapefruit, grassy, egg yolk and mint flavours. Good fruit and intensity with some finesse. Drink now or keep for a few years. Very solid effort. (AG-ST)
88 Clos du Soleil Signature 2010 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Petit Verdot
Keremeos, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $40.00 winery direct
Coffee, spicy, peppery, minty, vanilla, black olive, tobacco, cranberry, rooty, chocolate aromas. Smooth, round, full palate with some astringent tannin. Smoky, coffee, vanilla, cranberry, cherry, peppery, herbal, tobacco, savoury herb flavours. Finish is very warm and dry with some austere tannin. Needs 2-4 years to soften. (AG-ST)
88 Fort Berens Meritage 2010 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $27.00 vqa, private wine stores, winery direct
The latest FB Meritage is another step up the notch for winemaker Rolf de Bruin and puts a spotlight on the Lillooet meso-climate. There is a freshness and blance to this wine that I like and with 65 percent merlot some built in drinkability and softness that has appeal. The nose and palate mix black fruits, with a savoury edge but all in all a ripeness plus acidity and smoothness that makes it food friendly. Well done and fair value. (AG-ST)
88 Haywire Gamay Noir 2011
Summerland, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.00 winery direct; speculative listing - Trialto Wine Group
Originally scheduled to be part of a blend this Gamay Noir from Secrest Vineyard was bottled nits own thanks to an intervention by consulting winemaker Alberto Antonini. We love the big raspberry, black cherry, floral, peppery, liquorice nose and the dry, tight, elegant, slightly lean styling. It's fresh with earthy, floral, peppery, raspberry, liquorice root, coffee and dried herb flavours. A cooler version of Beaujolais but offers some good intensity and balance. Well done. (AG-ST)
89 Kanazawa Diamond Flower Late Harvest Pinot Blanc 2011
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 (200 ml) winery direct or private wine stores
The Diamond Flower is a beautiful aromatic white that relies on pure fruit flavours and intensity grab your attention. Oranges, apricots and nectarine skin mix with ripe apples and bright acidity to make this a memorable sip. Sweet but hardly cloying this is a wonderful addition to a small group of excellent 'late harvest" wines made in BC. Try this with fruitcake for the holidays. (AG-ST)
89 Kanazawa Raku 2010 Syrah - Viognier
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct or private wine stores
Big liquorice, black cherry, gingerbread, meaty, chocolate, leather, poultry spice and floral aromas. Round, soft, fresh, juicy palate with meaty, sausage, chocolate, vanilla, licorice, herbal, liquorice, poultry spice and tobacco leaf flavours. Fairly intense style but reasonably well balanced and ripe. (AG-ST)
88 Lake Breeze Semillon 2011
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Zesty grapefruit, floral, hay, light jalapeno and butter aromas. Fresh, juicy, round, slightly sweet palate with grapefruit, gooseberry, hay and bell pepper flavours. Good acidity to balance the sugar with fruit. (AG-ST)
89 Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Pinotage 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Similar to last year's excellent effort the '09 has a peppery, floral, black raspberry nose flecked with spice, tobacco leaf and meaty/Oxo aromas. The attack is fresh and dry with youthful tannins on the palate with smoky, coffee, black raspberry jam, liquorice, vanilla, peppery, roasted meat and pepper flavours. Good intensity and fruit but needs another year more in bottle to excel. Try now with roast lamb. (AG-ST)
89 Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio +15/10 2010 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot - Malbec
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $42.00 winery direct
The flagship Laughing Stock red opens with chocolate, vanilla, menthol, and savoury, sage notes flecked with cool-climate peppery, cassis, tobacco leaf and cranberry aromas. The attack is dry, fresh and round with a slightly tart palate and light tannins. It was a cool year. More cool coffee, coconut, chocolate, cranberry, cassis, orange peel, herbal, and cedar, vanilla flavours mark the palate. The finish is warm with some astringency to shed. The oak is dominant rat the moment and that and a cool year suggests that you will need to be patient before it settles down. (AG-ST)
88 Le Vieux Pin Ava 2011 Viognier - Marsanne - Roussanne
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct - Spring 2013
Floral, apricot skin, ginger, honey, grassy, vanilla and cooked quince aromas. Full, round, dry, somewhat juicy and elegant palate with a light oiliness. Pear skin, quince, soapy floral, honey, ginger, lees, nutty, light vanilla and apple skin flavours. A bit lean and warm on the finish but has good intensity and solid balance. Will be best with seafood. (AG-ST)
88 Le Vieux Pin Syrah 2010
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $45.00 winery direct
Big white pepper, poultry spice, ginger, sausage meat, tobacco, cherry, vanilla, chocolate, savoury, black olive and menthol aromas. Dry, fresh, slightly lean palate with light tannins. Gingerbread, poultry spice, sausage meat, peppery, coffee, licorice root, tobacco leaf, vanilla and tea flavours. Elegant with solid complexity if a bit tart and short on the finish. Should improve with 1-2 years aging. (AG-ST)
91 Mission Hill Compendium 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Petit Verdot
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $107.00 (1500 ml), BC $50.00 winery direct, MB $45.00 private wine stores, SK $45.00
The latest Compendium blend is 40/35/20/5 mix of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. The grapes come off specific blocks in Oliver and Osoyoos and end up in 100 percent French oak for 14 months. Nose is remarkably floral with a strong sense of minerality and a hint of seashore. The attack is sleek and sophisticated. The tannins are small firm and chalky; the flavor profile is very Bordelais with tobacco, black olive savoury notes throughout. An impressive young red wine. (AG-ST)
90 Mission Hill Quatrain 2009 Merlot - Syrah - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $50.00 winery direct or private wine stores, AB $45.00 private wine stores, MB $50.00, ON $47.00 consignment - Mark Anthony
The 09 Quatrain is a 30/30/20/20/ blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc fermented in large French oak vats. Expect a fragrant nose cherry with sweet liquorice and spicy warm mocha, meaty notes. All the fruit comes off the best blocks farmed in the south Okanagan and spends 15 months in French oak. The finish is warm and long with chalky but firm tannins and will need some time to come around in the bottle. (AG-ST)
88 Pentâge Winery Our Port in a Storm Dirty Dozen Vineyard 2010
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Port in a Storm '10 is the first fortified zinfandel released at Pentâge. The winery fortifies this wine with its neutral grape spirit and it's barreled for a year. The wine has a huge fruity primary fruit nose suggesting its zinfandel origins. The palate is warm but balanced with spicy white pepper and raspberry fruit flavours. We suggest while this wine is still quite youthful you serve it with chocolate to best effect. (AG-ST)
90 Pentâge Winery Pentâge 2007 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - Syrah - Gamay
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Ash, earthy, tobacco leaf, menthol, black cherry, saddle leather, peppery, cassis aromas with a bit of meat and prune. Dry, full, somewhat tannic palate with tobacco, compost, earthy, prune, black berry, cedar, rooty, licorice, peppery flavours with some coffee oak on the finish. Good concentration with some young tannins and oak to diminish the note of rusticity. Try this with your favourite meat dish. (AG-ST)
88 Poplar Grove Merlot 2009
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Meaty, black olive, prune, coffee, cherry jam, tobacco, licorice, cedar and mint aromas. Rich, full, round, fat but soft with light tannins. Prune, ash, cedar, coffee, vanilla, smoky, kirsch, orange peel and herb flavours. Good texture if a bit soupy and overripe. Ready to drink. (AG-ST)
90 Poplar Grove Syrah 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Spicy, savoury, tobacco, liquorice root, poultry spice, cherry jam, plum and barnyard aromas with a touch of ginger. Rich, ripe, concentrated and a bit tannic with peppery, liquorice, black cherry jam, plum, savoury meat, tobacco, sage, floral flavours. Good fruit and intensity but with some heat. Needs a few years to fully round out. An excellent effort. Bring on the lamb. (AG-ST)
91 Quails' Gate Late Harvest Totally Botrytis Affected Optima 2011
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 (375 ml) specialty listing, AB $30.00 (375 ml) fine wine shops, MB $30.00 (375 ml), SK $30.00 (375 ml)
Big floral, ginger, apricot, spicy, honey, waxy, citrus aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy, elegant palate with well-balanced sweetness and acidity. Lychee, apricot, honey, ginger, spicy, lime, baked apple and lanolin flavours. Nice and fresh with good juicy fruit flavours. Consistently fine from year to year. (AG-ST)
89 Quinta Ferreira Porta D'ouro 2009
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $0.00 (500 ml) VQA wine stores, winery direct
I'm told the name has to change if they want to keep their VQA designation but this is a very good rendition of port, made by a Portuguese family, not in Portugal. The fruit is merlot and the fortification came late in the game to keep the sugar in check. At 18.2 percent alcohol it has a bit of fire and price on the nose and during the attack but there is a richness of black fruit with hints of dried fruits and sage in the finish. Try this with older hard cheeses, chocolate or a bowl of slated nuts. Well made. (AG-ST)
88 Road 13 Road 9 Farm Syrah Mourvedre 2011 Shiraz - Mourvèdre
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct
Smoky tobacco, peppery, sage, poultry spice, floral, black olive, meaty, ginger aromas. Round, suave, slightly tannic palate with tobacco leaf, peppery, savoury, coffee, roast bell pepper, caraway, floral, chocolate, meaty, smoky flavours. Fresh and short but with good complexity for near term consumption. The syrah and mourvèdre are co-fermented on viognier skins and aged in older oak barrels. (AG-ST)
89 Road 13 Seventy-Four K 2011 Merlot - Syrah - Viognier - Cab Sauv - Cab Franc - Mourvedre
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Seventy-Four K is a 46/45/ m and syrah with viognier, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and mourvèdre from Black Sage Bench, upper and lower, the Golden Mile and Cawston's upper bench. It's a cool vintage but the blend seems to rise above the challenge. The nose is very smoky and showing plenty of oak toast after spending twelve months in French and American Oak. Look for a dark colour and despite more oak and toast a svelte black fruit undercarriage with refinement and balanced. The finish is long and well balanced with dried herbs and chocolate notes. This need five years more age in bottle or you can serve it now with a big piece of grilled meat. (AG-ST)
88 Spierhead Pinot Noir 2010
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct
It's pretty easy to like this soft, slippery pinot long on juicy fruit. It's not complex but it's fun to sip. Kelowna is beginning to flex its pinot muscles all we need are more examples and less showy oak to join the fold. Buy this soft, cherry scented and flavoured red and try with a piece of grilled or roasted chicken and enjoy all winter. Teriffic value. (AG-ST)
88 Stag's Hollow Merlot Renaissance 2010
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Very smoky, oaky, coffee, chocolate, prune, black cherry, liquorice and black olive aromas with a bit of meat and leather. Ripe, rich, smooth, round palate with light tannins. Big vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cedar, tobacco, leather, black cherry jam and herb flavours. Pretty oaky but with good concentration. Needs two to four years to fully develop. (AG-ST)
92 Stoneboat Vineyards Verglas 2010 Pinot Blanc - Orianiensteiner
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $33.00 (200 ml) winery direct
Another impressive edition of this wine. Lime, floral, apricot, honey, marmalade, light plasticene and egg yolk aromas. Ripe, fresh, juicy, sweet but elegant palate with good intensity. Lime, baked green apple, honey, dried apricot, marmalade and egg yolk flavours. Lots of acidity here to keep things fresh but with super flavour intensity too. Well worth the considerable investment. (AG-ST)
88 Synchromesh Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken Storm Haven Vineyard 2010
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Open attractive, floral, buttery, nutty nose with apple skin, petrol, lemon and citrus aromas. The palate is fresh and juicy if somewhat austere with some sweetness. Lemon oil, petrol, slate, baked apple skin, lees, nettle and nectarine flavours. Good intensity and length all in a leaner style. Made for food. Impressive. (AG-ST)
88 Synchromesh Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard 2011
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Attractive floral, slate, green apple aromas with light smoky petrol, lemon highlights. Fresh, delicate, juicy, off dry palate with lemon oil, spicy, Vaseline, green apple, nectarine skin flavours. There is fine acidity-sweetness balance with some delicacy and length to add to the picture. Huge potential here to make a great wine every year. (AG-ST)
88 Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series 2Bench Red 2009 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct, vqa wine stores
Smoky, peppery, leather, barnyard, black cherry, cedar, coffee, balsamic, cigar aromas. Round, smooth, fresh palate with light tannins. Balsamic, leather, meaty, peppery, licorice root, cedar, tobacco, coffee, rosemary and cranberry flavours. Finish has some vanilla, menthol and chocolate with some gripp-y tannins to shed. Could use 2-3 years to round out. (AG-ST)
89 Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc 2010
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct, vqa wine stores (Feb 1 2013)
Open leafy, barnyard and red fruit aromas greet you on the nose. This is a fairly intense style with a slightly reduced nose upon opening (we recommend splash decanting and getting some air on the wine for 15 to 30 minutes) The palate is quite rich and soft with good franc density and weight and more typically earthy, cedar, smoky, black fruit flavours that finish long and smooth. This wine is just a baby and will continue to improve in bottle over the next two years. Pair with rich, grilled meats dishes. (AG-ST)
88 Township 7 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $26.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
There is nothing easy about growing cabernet sauvignon in the Okanagan but in this case this 2009 Oliver-based vineyard delivered. Savoury black fruit with hints of sagebrush, coffee and ripe black olives bits of chocolate preview some youthful, blocky tannin that will need a couple more years in bottle to dissipate. Warm and rich you can decant and serve this now with big meat dishes to best effect or cellar through 2018. (AG-ST)
88 Township 7 Merlot 2009
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 specialty listing
Chocolate, prune, coffee, cherry jam, peppery, spicy, barnyard, minty, leather aromas. Round, dry, slightly astringent palate with cedar, coffee, chocolate, cherry, cedar bark, tobacco leaf, spicy, vanilla flavours. A bit tart and tannic but should improve over the next few years. (AG-ST)
88 Upper Bench Chardonnay 2011
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, VQA stores, private liquor stores
Honey, peach, matchstick, buttered popcorn, vanilla oatmeal, baked apple, fennel, spicy aromas with a floral note. Full, round, dry, juicy creamy palate with baked apple, butter, pear, honey, lees, and nutty garlic flavours. Youthful with some finesse, needs 6-12 months in bottle to develop. Impressive beginning for this label. (AG-ST)
89 Van Westen Vineyards V 2009 Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Petit Verdot
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct and private wine shops march '06
Savoury, pepper, cedar, black cherry, chocolate nose flecked with black olive and tobacco aromas. Rich, ripe, full, round palate but warm and still with some tannin to shed. Coffee, chocolate, prune, black cherry jam, cedar, vanilla and sage flavours with a bit of clove and ginger. Needs several years to round out but has lots of fruit and intensity. Serve now with roasted meats or cellar for five years. (AG-ST)
89 Van Westen Vineyards Viognier 2011
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Honey, ginger, orange peel, lychee, rosewater, spicy, lees aromas. Fresh, round, juicy, elegant palate with a hint of sweetness and oiliness. Good vibrancy with creamsicle, ginger, lychee, rose petal, green apple, nettle and lemon oil flavours. Perhaps bit too floral but with finesse and balance. Should improve over the next year or so. (AG-ST)
91 Van Westen Vineyards Voluptuous 2009 Merlot - Cabernet Franc
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct and private wine shops march '06
A very inviting open peppery, smoky, coffee nose with vanilla, waxy, cherry jam, light barnyard and tobacco aromas. Dry and full with youthful tannins but with fine concentration. Delicious, smoky, peppery, earthy, vanilla, dried cranberry, curry and cherry jam flavours that do not quit. Fine fruit and intensity but with a tannin structure that should allow this to age for 3-5 years and soften. A super effort. (AG-ST)
