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The following is our A-Z guide of the Best B.C Wines we have tasted in the past six months.
The wines are organised by winery and within each set the reviews are sorted by grape variety. The minimum score required to make the list is 87/100.
88 Arrowleaf Vidal Select Late Harvest 2004
BC $14.95 (375 ml) Winery, VQA Wine Stores and Private Retailers
Floral, mineral, peach, nectarine skin, green apple skin, plasticene nose. Fresh, round, elegant and clean with pear, baked peach, mineral, floral, diesel flavours. Well balanced, fresh style that is not too sweet. Excellent work.
88
Okanagan Falls,
BC $25.00 Winery
Buttery, popcorn, flinty, honey, vanilla, green apple skin aromas. Dry, round, elegant, slightly austere style with an oily, buttery, vanilla, baked apple, pear skin, floral citrus palate. The finish is crisp, dry and long.
88
Okanagan Falls,
BC $21.95 Winery
87 Burrowing Owl Merlot 2003
Oliver,
BC $24.90 Winery Only
Spicy, resiny, clove aromas spiked with dill, stewed tomato, vanilla bits of black cherry and chocolate. The entry is round, the palate full-bodied with dry tannins. Tobacco leaf, black cherry, tomato, black olive, chocolate pudding, vanilla flavours with a wisp of mineral and a warm, slightly resiny finish. Somewhat reminiscent of St. Émilion. Good but with more green notes and slightly tougher tannins, we have not seen here since the early days. Needs another two to three years in bottle to blossom.
88 CedarCreek Cabernet Merlot 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
BC $16.95
Quite a deep red/black cherry red, showing high extraction of color. The aroma has good ripeness, an aroma of stewed fruit, roasted, but in a pleasant way. Dry, very full, ripe, alcoholic, black fruits, balanced tannins, plenty of concentration, balanced acidity, soft mid palate but slightly chewy texture. This is quite impressive - powerful wine with plenty of ripeness and extraction. Very good quality and value.
88 CedarCreek Chardonnay Estate Select 2004
BC $19.99 specialty listing
Winemaker Tom Di Bello has released an attractive, buttery melon and honeysuckle white with fine mid-palate richness and creamy butterscotch notes in the finish. There's also enough acidity, freshness and complexity to hold your interest. A solid value B.C. chardonnay.
90 CedarCreek Chardonnay Platinum Reserve 2003
BC $28.99 speculative - Medallion Wines
Creamy lees, vanilla, green apple, floral, light citrus aromas with a touch of mango. Dry, fresh, round and elegant with green apple skin, mineral, spicy lees, vanilla, citrus rind flavours. Nice elegance and freshness, should improve over the next 1-3 years.
87 CedarCreek Dry Riesling 2004
BC $14.99 Winery, VQA Wine Stores
Winemaker Tom DiBello demonstrates a fine touch here exposing the juicy fruit of this variety. Look for a super fresh entry mixing green apple, green peach aromas juicy ripe citrus, red apple, and mineral lime rind flavours that are lip-smacking good. Very cool B.C. white that will work with a wide variety of west coast dishes. Excellent value.
89 CedarCreek Meritage Platinum Reserve 2002 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
BC $39.99 speculative listing - Medallion Wines
Spicy, black cherry jam, cassis, coffee, black olive, saddle leather aromas with a vanilla clove note. Round, dry, elegant style with some dry, grainy tannins. Peppery, tobacco, smoky, cassis, vanilla, tobacco leaf, clove and dill flavours. A bit young and tight now, needs 2-4 years. History suggests this wine will continue to improve in the bottle.
87
BC $24.90 winery direct and private wine shops
Vanilla, black cherry jam, floral, buttery, barnyard, tobacco aromas. Dry, round, supple tannins with smoky, resiny, peppery, vanilla pudding, black cherry flavours with a very hot, black olive, cigar finish and some tannins to lose. Needs a few years to round out.
88
BC $24.90 winery direct and private wine shops
Peppery, spicy, sweaty saddle, smoky, cigar butt, cranberry, buttery vanilla, blackberry aromas. Dry, round, slightly tannic entry with some dryness at the end. Smoky, peppery, leafy, cigar, cranberry, cherry, vanilla, resiny flavours. Very warm (alcoholic) with some lean tannins, should improve over the next 2-3 years.
87 Gehringer Brothers Ehrenfelser Dry Classic 2004
BC $11.99 specialty
Always consistently well made the '04 has a spicy, floral nose flecked with honey, orange and mineral aromas. Ripe, round, slightly fat entry but good acidity with buttery, peach, orange creamsicle, baked apple and mineral flavours. Succulent, fresh style, almost viognier-like. Solid match for Indian or Chinese food and a great buy.
87 Gehringer Brothers Pinot Gris Private Reserve 2004
BC $13.49 Specialty
Floral, pear, red apple, honey, slightly leesy aromas. Ripe, round, dry palate but elegant with green apple, honey, citrus rind, gooseberry and floral flavours with a crisp finish. Solid and very good value.
88 Gehringer Brothers Riesling Private Reserve 2004
BC $13.99 Specialty
A whiff of matchstick sulphur blows off quickly to reveal another impressive fresh riesling from Gehringer sporting green apple skin, green peach and mineral aromas. The entry is juicy and crisp with more green apple and green peach flavours with flecks of baked pear, honey and mineral. Fine freshness and balance that is what we come to expect form Gehringer. Super value.
87 Golden Mile Merlot Luckhurst Family Vineyards 2003
BC $18.90 winery direct and private wine shops
Big smoky vanilla, spicy, sage, oregano nose with saddle leather, black cherry streaks. Fat, round and dry, with a fair amount of alcohol, followed by big sweet vanilla fruit laced with mocha, pepper, black cherry, olive and sage flavours. There are plenty of youthful tannins but it should smooth put over time. Well done.
BC $34.90 winery direct and private wine shops
Green apple skin, toasty lees, light garlic, creamy, floral, vanilla aromas. Rich, round, dry palate with a dry mineral quality. Lime rind, vanilla, green apple, spicy lees, grapefruit flavours with a nutty, buttery vanilla citrus finish. A bit tight and warm, needs about 6 months or so in bottle to smooth out. Good effort.
88 Herder Josephine 2004 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Keremeos,
BC $28.90 speculative listing - Landmark Selections
Smoky, toasted oak and vanilla with green olive, pepper, tobacco leaf and minty notes streaked with black cherry and a touch of rubber. Very warm entry with ripe, supple tannins. Vanilla, smoky resin, peppery, black cherry, cola, pudding flavours with some green tobacco and olive on the finish. A bit too hot but it's youthful with seductive supple textures. Drink or hold three to five years. Needs 1-3 years. The blend is 60/33/7 merlot / cabernet sauvignon / cabernet franc.
89 Herder Merlot 2003
BC $18.90 Winery
Spicy, peppery, earthy, coffee, vanilla, resin, tobacco aromas. Ripe, rich round but dry with some gritty, grainy tannins. Big spicy, clove, coffee, vanilla, peppery, licorice, black cherry jam flavours with some Christmas pudding notes. Good balance if a bit oaky, tannic and hot at this stage. Keep for 3-5 years. Fine effort.
87 Herder Pinot Gris Bellamy Vineyards 2004
Keremeos,
BC $14.90 Winery and LRS
Floral, mineral, honey, baked pear, citrus rind aromas. Ripe, round, crisp and fresh with spicy lees, mineral, pear, apple skin and honey flavours with a dry, honeyed finish. A bit austere but very fine intensity. Another solid effort form Herder.
87 Hillside Estate
BC $19.95 Specialty
Clean spicy, floral, ginger, honey nose with a touch of light lees for interest. Crisp, fresh, round and juicy with mineral, spicy, orange peel, ginger, green apple skin flavours with a touch of lime. It has a bit of viognier-like character in the finish. Well done.
88 Inniskillin Okanagan Chardonnay Dark Horse Estate Vineyard 2004
BC $18.99 specialty
Bright, fresh green apple, lime rind, spicy, floral, creamy lees aromas. Fresh, round, crisp, baked green apple, citrus rind, mineral, creamy lees with a touch of guava. Nice cooler fruit and clean with verve. Good for food or sipping. excellent effort.
87 Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Viognier 2004
BC $19.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Wet stone, ginger, citrus, light honey aromas. Fresh, soft, round, warm palate with honey, citrus, baked pear, ginger, orange flavours. A bit alcoholic but has good intensity and balance for current consumption. Impressive first release.
87 Inniskillin Okanagan Pinot Blanc Reserve 2004
BC $12.99 Specialty
Green peach, red apple, nectarine, citrus nose with a floral note. Ripe, round, elegant and fresh with vibrant red apple, nectarine, mineral and citrus flavours. Dry and zesty, delicious. Fine value and one of the best pinot blancs in the province.
88 Jackson-Triggs Chardonnay Sun Rock Vineyard 2004
BC $22.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Spicy lees, mango, orange blossom, smoky vanilla aromas with a baked apple note. Ripe, round, fresh and tasty with orange, vanilla, creamy spicy lees, citrus and pineapple flavours with a smoky, resiny vanilla note. A bit warm but has very good fruit.
88 Jackson-Triggs Meritage Blanc Proprietors' Grand Reserve 2004 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
BC $19.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Grapefruit, grassy, nutty, leesy, vanilla aromas with some floral, cinnamon and canned asparagus notes underneath. Round, elegant, ripe palate with creamy, vanilla, canned grapefruit, kiwi, melon, fig, mineral flavours. A touch soft with some sweetness at the end but good balance. Attractive consumer style.
89 Jackson-Triggs Merlot Sun Rock Vineyard 2003
BC $29.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Big lifted, mocha, vanilla coffee, spicy, savoury, sage, oregano aromas with some black cherry. Soft, round, ripe, fat, warm style with some tannins. Lots of vanilla, smoky coffee, peppery, black cherry, plum flavours with a savoury pudding finish. Warm, youthful tannin finish. Needs 2-4 years to soften.
88 Jackson-Triggs Shiraz Sun Rock Vineyard 2003
BC $29.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Enticing smoky leather, tobacco leaf nose with vanilla, chocolate pudding, savoury, garrigue and spicy vanilla aromas. Rich, ripe, round but warm and tannic too. Big chocolate, vanilla, cola flavours streaked with coffee, clove and plum jam with a rootsy, tobacco, leathery finish. Lots of tannins on the finish and quite warm, definitely closing down. Will need two or three years to develop in bottle.
88 Jackson-Triggs Viognier Proprietors' Reserve 2004
BC $14.99 specialty
Floral, spicy, ginger, creamy citrus, apple skin and mineral aromas. Soft, round, full and ripe with toasty, spicy, citrus, honey, apricot flavours and a bit of bitter ginger zing on the finish. Well balanced overall and should be a perfect fit with spicy Thai dishes.
89 La Frenz Semillon 2004
Naramata Bench,
BC $17.00 Winery Only
Pale to medium straw, with high intensity of aromatics, some grassy tones, ripe melon with a touch of tropicality. Dry, medium to full, creamy mouthfeel, rich texture, broad, well balanced, good concentration and long length. Excellent value.
89 La Frenz Tawny N/V
Naramata Bench,
BC $20.00 winery direct
This is a fortified port style wine with a lovely open, floral, spicy/nutty rancio raisin-y nose with a hint of orange peel and leafy tobacco. The entry is warm and spicy with nutty raisin-y flavours spiked with orange peel, gingerbread and Christmas cake in the background. Impressive effort only available direct from the winery.
87
BC $0.00 VQA Wine Stores
Very peppery, spicy, clove nose with vanilla, chocolate, black cherry and tobacco highlights. Dry, round, full-bodied with light dry tannins. Smoky, resin, vanilla, peppery, spicy, licorice flavours with stewed cherry and mint. A bit hot and chunky, should improve over the next year or so.
89
BC $14.90 VQA Wine Stores
Fresh mix of pear, mineral, nectarine skin, perfumed fruit nose with a hint of honey lees. Very lively on the palate with citrus, peach, butter, clover, honey and green apple flavours. A touch sweet but has good acidity and fruit intensity. Drink by the case.
88
Naramata Bench,
BC $15.90 VQA Wine Stores
Fresh grapefruit, gooseberry, melon, grassy butter aromas, very fresh. Clean, crisp, round palate with a light oiliness. Grassy, bell pepper, gooseberry, grapefruit flavours with a mineral, slightly sweet finish. Well done.
87
BC $22.90 VQA Wine Stores
The only pinotage we know of in
87 Lang Vineyards Grand Pinot 2004 Pinot Gris - Pinot Blanc - Pinot Auxerrois
BC $14.90 VQA Wine Stores
Apple skin, citrus, floral, smoky, dry lees, mineral aromas. Fresh, round, elegant and full with some sweetness. Nice peach, honey, mineral, grapefruit rind, and nectarine flavours with a buttery, earthy note on the finish. Good crispness and juice but a bit warm.
89 Lang Vineyards Riesling Late Harvest 2004
BC $15.90 VQA Wine Stores
Another magic moment from Lang. Rich ripe red apple notes mixed with peach, honey and orange aromas and some lingering matchstick notes that blow off in the glass. Very crisp and elegant with light sweetness but perfectly balanced. Ripe orange, mineral, honey, red apple flavours with a touch of grapefruit on the finish. Reminiscent of a German kabinett or spätlese. Delicious with finesse and low alcohol. Bravo and I love the realistic pricing.
88 Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2003 2004
Naramata Bench,
BC $35.00 Winery
Citrus rind, spicy lees, nutty, vanilla, buttery, waxy aromas mark the somewhat Burgundian nose streaked with garlic and green apple skin. This is an elegant, fresh style with some oily textures and spicy lees, vanilla, creamy, baked pear, mineral, grapefruit rind flavours. The finish mixes butter and bitter apple skin. Well balanced overall. A nice touch of pinot gris is added for zip. 270 cases made.
87 Lineage Chardonnay Unoaked 2002
AB $13.90 private wine shops; BC $14.90 specialty
Tight mineral nutty peach fruit nose. Clean tart Chablis-like entry with a fresh lemony mineral, peach palate. A lean crisp style that should appeal to those drinkers who prefer the Northern Euro-style chardonnay. Shellfish would be a fine match.
87 Mission Hill Merlot Five Vineyards 2003
AB $15.75; BC $16.99 Specialty; MB $17.29; NB $16.99; QC $15.95; YK $16.95
We like the development of this truly B.C. merlot over the past few years with its smoky, resiny vanilla, black olive nose streaked with cherry, spice and saddle leather aromas. Soft, round, slightly tannic entry with cedar, chocolate, prune plum, vanilla, spicy flavours. A bit dry and tannic on the finish but there's enough fruit and it remains youthful. Solid effort and affordably priced.
93 Mission Hill Riesling Ice Wine Reserve 2004
AB $49.99 fine wine boutiques; BC $59.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Floral, creamy, mineral, green apple skin, nectarine aromas. Fresh, vibrant, elegant, clean palate with green apple, pear, mineral, orange zest, lime and apricot flavours. Somewhat sweet but fine acidity balanced with balanced intensity. Drink anytime over the next 2-4 years.
88 Mission Hill S.L.C. Chardonnay 2004
Osoyoos,
AB $26.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $29.99 Winery, Mark Anthony Wine Marts, Private Wine Shops; ON $28.00
Citrus peel, buttery, green apple, lime, canned peach aromas with a touch of lees and vanilla. Round, dry, slightly oily texture but tight with green apple skin, lime, buttery, mineral, floral flavours. Finish is crisp with a grapefruit rind note. More Chablis like than
88 Mission Hill S.L.C. Merlot 2003
BC $34.99 winery direct and private wine shops march '06
True to the Mission Hill style, the S.L.C. merlot opens with tight peppery, spicy, cool cherry aromas laced with mint, coffee, garrigue, vanilla and licorice notes. The palate is dry but rich with plenty of youthful grainy tannins. Black olive, black cherry, smoky vanilla, resiny, herbal, oregano flavours. Good intensity but a touch green and tannic. Similar to a semi-modern St. Emilion. Needs 2-5 years to put on some weight and loosen up. It will undoubtedly improve with time in bottle so do not rush it.
95 Mission Hill S.L.C. Riesling Icewine 2004
AB $59.95 fine wine boutiques; BC $79.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Very floral, grapefruit, mineral, orange, baked pear, light plasticene/vinyl aromas. Ripe, fresh, crisp but fat with green apple, orange, grapefruit, baked pear, honey flavours and some key lime on teh finish. Very good acidity and balance in a more narrower mouth profile. Fine effort.
89 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
AB $26.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $29.99 Winery, Mark Anthony Wine Marts, Private Wine Shops
Open spicy, grapefruit juice, green apple, green melon, clover, floral nose with some smoky, vanilla streaks. Ripe, round, dry and elegant with kiwi, grapefruit rind, green melon, smoky, spicy gooseberry flavours with a touch of lees and vanilla. Well balanced, crisper style with very good fruit characters. Should improve over the next year or two.
89 Mission Hill S.L.C. Syrah 2003
AB $31.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $34.99 Winery, Mark Anthony Wine Marts, Private Wine Shops; MB $34.99; ON $34.00
Tight coffee, pepper, spicy nose with floral, black cherry, licorice root notes and smoky, vanilla-pudding tones. The entry is soft and rich, the best yet for a young Mission Hill syrah with grainy tannins in the back end. Fine minty, peppery, coffee, smoky vanilla, black cherry and tobacco flavours. Needs a few years to fully integrate and round out but well made cool climate syrah. Very promising, be patient. Good value.
90 Mission Hill Vidal Ice Wine Reserve 2003
BC $49.99 (375 ml) Winery, Mark Anthony Wine Marts, Private Wine Shops
We definitely prefer the freshness here and the slightly lighter weight on the mid-palate. It's sweet enough to attract all yet there is a luscious edge and an acidity lift at the back end that makes this more drinkable. Look for bright apricot fruit and peach skin flavours throughout. Built for dessert or simply serve solo.
87 Mt. Boucherie Estate Collection Semillon 2004
BC $22.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Grassy, grapefruit rind, leesy, tangerine aromas. Ripe and round and fresh with a slighlty oily, sweet and sour entry. Grassy, jalapeno, grapefruit rind, tangerine, mineral flavours. Well made, forward style for current drinking.
94 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine 2004
Osoyoos,
BC $59.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Open mineral, pear, vinyl, citrus rind, green apple, peach aromas with a floral note. Ripe, rich, round, slightly fatter style with orange, pear, mineral, baked apple, marmalade flavours. Good acidity and length with some pear, creamsicle flavours on the finish. Well balanced with verve and flavour intensity.
89 Okanagan Spirits Poire Williams Eau de Vie N/V
BC $39.90 Specialty
This is intense with big mineral, floral, ripe pear, spicy, latex glue aromas. Dry, round, fiery but rich with intense ripe pear skin, floral, mineral, spicy flavour with a soapy note. Very alcoholic but the real thing for those who love pears.
87 Osoyoos Larose 2003 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
AB $40.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $40.00 private wine shops; ON $40.00 consignment - Atlas Wine Merchants
Tasted twice within the week. The nose is quiet mix of smoky/vanilla, saddle leather and tobacco leaf with spicy coriander notes and just a hint of violet, cherry and dried plum aromas. The entry is rich an intense but very dry with chewy, austere tannins. Peppery, smoky, resiny, licorice root flavours with light streaks of black cherry, vanilla and cedar bark. The finish is warm dry and austere with elevated acidity. This will need years to soften. Re-taste in 2010.
87 Quails' Gate Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve 2003
AB $35.00 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $35.00 Winery, Limited Specialty; MB $35.00
Very peppery, smoky vanilla, resiny nose with earthy, blackberry aromas and a bit of a port-like aspect. Rich, round, dry and warm with gritty tannins and peppery, chocolate, vanilla, cedar, blackberry, licorice root and leather flavours. The finish is dry warm and tannic at this point and it's showing plenty oak too. This needs 3-4 years to smooth out and let the fruit shine through.
88 Quails' Gate Botrytis Affected Optima 2004
AB $29.99 (375 ml) Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $29.99 (375 ml) Specialty, LRS, VQA Stores; MB $29.99 (375 ml)
Floral, perfumed, soapy, plasticene nose with pear, honey and nectarine skin aromas and an underlying a waxy note. Round, elegant, fresh palate with good acidity. Baked peach, mineral, pear, citrus, mineral, honey flavours. Lighter style for current drinking.
91 Quails' Gate Merlot Family Reserve 2002
BC $40.00 Specialty
Super spicy, vanilla, clove nose with notes of coffee and pudding. Rich, round, ripe smooth tannins with big alcohol and lifted fruit flavours. On the palate look for big smoky oak, coffee, vanilla flavours with streaks of licorice and cedar. A very warm year has left this a bit over ripe but it's well worth cellaring to see how it develops over the next few years.
87 Quails' Gate Merlot Limited Release 2003
AB $19.99 Private Wine Shops; BC $19.99; MB $19.99; NS $19.99; ON $19.99; SK $19.99
Smoky, spicy, cardamom, cherry, coffee, vanilla, stewed aromas. Soft, round, dry, slightly tannic entry with very smoky, clove, vanilla, coffee, peppery, cedar flavours with a chewy, cherry, minty finish. A bit young and lean but solid.
88 Quails' Gate O.V.F. Reserve Old Vines Foch 2003
AB $35.00 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $35.00 Winery
Big vanilla, spicy, smoky oak, cassis, gamey, bacon aromas. Soft, round, supple entry with ripe tannins. Plenty of chocolate coffee, vanilla, smoky oak, floral, black cherry and green peppercorn flavours. A bit lean on the finish but very well made with lots of oak.
87 Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Family Reserve 2003
BC $35.00 winery direct and private wine shops
Smoky, spicy, resiny, vanilla upfront with earthy, herbal, cherry and rhubarb aromas. Dry, warm, slightly tannic entry. Very peppery, spicy, resiny, smoky, vanilla, rootsy, cola, black cherry flavours. Very dry, tannic finish with good acidity but alcoholic. Needs a few years to tame the beast and oak.
89 Quails' Gate Riesling Icewine 2004
AB $54.99 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $54.99 (375 ml) Specialty, LRS, VQA Stores
Floral, apricot, orange, honey, lime rind and green apple aromas with a touch of volatility. Ripe, round, rich, juicy palate but a touch soft.
91 Red Rooster Minus Thirteen Pinot Blanc Special Select Late Harvest 2004
BC $13.90 (375 ml) VQA wine shops
Ripe apricot, baked green apple, orange rind, honey aromas. Very rich, fat, round, sweet style but has good elegance. Plenty of dried apricot, baked pear, mineral, orange, honey and butter flavours. Good fruit and intensity but has soft acidity. Drink while young and fresh.
87 Sandhill Cabernet Franc Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2003
BC $17.99 specialty
Smoky, spicy, tobacco, raspberry, cranberry aromas with a touch of stewed tomato. Dry, round, full bodied style with ripe, round tannins. Lots of tobacco leaf, peppery, earthy, licorice root, cranberry flavours. A bit chunky, should improve over the next 1-3 years.
88 Sandhill Chardonnay Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2004
BC $16.99 Specialty, LRS, VQA Stores
Hazelnut, spicy lees nose mixed with butter, vanilla, green apple skin and floral notes. Ripe, round, dry palate with buttery, spicy lees, baked apple and honey flavours and touch of citrus and nutty biscuit on the finish. Well made. A leaner, slightly more sophisticated style from Sandhill that we welcome.
88 Sandhill Pinot Blanc Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2004
