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Our Top Ten plus ties...ag FIZZ 88 See Ya Later Ranch SYL Brut N/V Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $19.99 winery direct and private wine shops A fine mousse previews a floral, meaty bread dough/brioche nose with nutty lees and peach pit aromas.
Our Top Ten plus ties...ag
FIZZ
88 See Ya Later Ranch SYL Brut N/V
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.99 winery direct and private wine shops
A fine mousse previews a floral, meaty bread dough/brioche nose with nutty lees and peach pit aromas. Crisp, round and fresh on entry with baked pear, marzipan, yeasty floral, peach flavours. A nice notch up in complexity for this bubble. Well done. (AG-ST)
WHITE
90 Thornhaven Gewurztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.90 winery direct
A carbon copy of last year and well worth searching for if you can locate it. Consistently one of the best gewürztraminer in B.C., I would say it is now easily among the best in North America. Fresh alive packed full of sweet lemon fruit flavours, lychee and a fresh floral citrus undercurrent. Terrific intensity and length. Bravo, again. (AG-ST)
89 Gray Monk Siegerrebe 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.49 winery direct, VQA and private wine stores
Siegerrebe is a cross between gewürztraminer and madeleine Angevine so it's normal to encounter a floral, spicy nose but in this case it has elegance, citrus fruit flavours and a touch of summer sausage meat. A very intriguing wine and a clear step up in quality from previous vintages. Perfect for serving choucroute garnie or chill and sip solo as an apéritif. (AG-ST)
89 Golden Mile Riesling Luckhurst Family Vineyards 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Golden Mile cleverly adds a bit of orange muscat to the riesling and the wine soars. Dry and, yes a bit slate-ty, this is an attractive riesling on many fronts. The acidity is youthful and at this point bracing for most but this is the road to travel down. Let me count the food you can serve with this if you can get the bo0ttle to the table before it's all gone. Bravo. (AG-ST)
88 Golden Mile Fifth Element White 2006 Viognier - Orange Muscat - Chardonnay
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Floral, spicy, perfume, honey, citrus aromas. Dry, crisp, delicate style with honey, creamsicle, ginger, rose flower, mineral flavours and a tart granny smith finish. A fine dry but fairly acidic style on the finish. Not for beginners. The blend is 61 per cent viognier (Black Sage Bench) 25 per cent orange muscat (Black Sage Bench) and 14 per cent chardonnay (Castle Vineyard). (AG-ST)
89 Tantalus Riesling 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Similar to the 05 the latest Tantalus has an equally inviting floral, orange blossom peachy nose with a high dose of minerality and a pinch of salt. Almost Mosel-like in its crispness and red apple crunch with more lime rind and green peach flavours in the finish. A crisp, lip smacking style that will appeal to the purists and food lovers. (AG-ST)
89 See Ya Later Ranch Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.99, AB $15.00 private wine shops
Consistently the best wine made at SYL is this chardonnay. It 100 barrel-fermented but now only 25 of the oak is new, leaving the fruit a chance to express itself. Look for a lovely lees character with floral, lemon, honey, buttery vanilla aromas. On the palate it's lively and fresh with buttery, baked apple, nutty, fruit flecked with citrus and smoky honey notes. Impressive texture and length. (AG-ST)
88 Black Hills Alibi 2006 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $23.90 winery direct and private wine shops
The current release Black Hills Alibi 2006, an 81/19 mix of sauvignon blanc and sémillon is simply a delicious drop of wine and a poster child for a B.C. white wine you can serve with food. It's both stainless steel fermented and a portion is also fermented in oak puncheons. The result is a super fresh stylish white. The Tenant's are working on the complexity meter to get that up a notch but other this is among my top ten labels in the valley. It will only get better. (AG-ST)
88 CedarCreek Dry Riesling 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.00 VQA wine shops
The '06 riesling is a delightful drop of juicy floral, lime rind and mineral aromas and flavours. The mid-palate is clean and fresh with grapefruit, green apple and orange citrus notes. The winery suggests saffron lobster risotto or ginger crab cakes. Bring it on. Great value here. (AG-ST)
88 CedarCreek Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Many B.C. producers have reached a watermark in '06 as in not mucking up the fruit. CedarCreek is ahead of that curve and this gewürztraminer is a good example. It's bright and fresh on the palate with a delicious mix of lime and peach with just a touch of sausage meat. The texture is perfectly oily with a spicy (ginger) lemon finish. Very versatile food and patio sipper wine. (AG-ST)
88 Gray Monk Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.99 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Gray Monk has hit all the bells this year with this delicious spicy floral peach fruit gewürztraminer. The mid-palate is fresh and clean with fine intensity of fruit flavour a touch of sugar and plenty of elegance. The finish is the usual a mix of mineral, citrus rosewater and leafy meaty flavours. Bravo. Think turkey or serve solo as an apéritif. Good value. (AG-ST)
88 Gehringer Brothers Optimum Pinot Gris 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.00 VQA and private wine shops
Lovely fresh peaches and honeysuckle aromas on the nose and it carries straight on through to its weight mid-palate. We love the fresh mineral, honeyed, ripe, pear flavours all with a touch of earth. A very fine example of B.C. pinot gris. Good value when compared to the category. (AG)
88 Joie Muscat 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, private wine shops
Italian Muscat is the idea here with its hedonistic sweet aromatic notes. Love the pure grapey flavours here and the perfect acidity. Not a wine for everyone but the curious oenophile will know what to do with this bottle from sipping it solo, to eating Indian cuisine. (AG-ST)
88 Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.99 winery direct, VQA wine shops
The new '06 is every bit as good as the previous edition. The nose is an enticing mix of peach, floral, nutty notes while on the palate the wine is elegant but not without some appeal mid-palate fat and flavours of citrus lees mango and spicy, butterscotch. It's also better balanced than the 05. (AG-ST)
88 Mission Hill Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.99 winery direct, AB $20.00 fine wine shops
Open, pungent Marlborough-style nose with a mix of gooseberry, lime rind and just a touch of grass. Rich and full-bodied with fine freshness and ripe pink grapefruit flavours and more lime rind. Like the previous edition this works well with west coast shellfish. (AG)
88 Quails' Gate Chardonnay Family Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 winery direct, VQA wine stores
The latest Family Reserve Chardonnay is made from 100 per cent estate grown fruit and it's all French clones. The FR is aged in only 40 per cent new oak and the dividend is a lively fruit character throughout. Lees stirring and full malolactic fermentation gives the wine a lovely texture to complement its pear and citrus flavours with spicy toasted oak underpinnings. Good now but will age gracefully and improve over the next three years. (AG-ST)
88 See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Gris 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.99 specialty listing
The latest SYL gris is a winner. The nose has a nice touch of earth mixed with yellow fruits honey and mineral notes. On the palate its rich and mouth filling with more honey, mineral, pear and green apple flavours. Cleaner with less obvious oak than in previous editions. (AG-ST)
RED
90 Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2005
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $33.00 winery direct
Although I'm not normally a big fan of cabernet franc, no one does it better in B.C. The nose is classic cedar and tobacco with bits of dried leaf, chocolate and cranberry. It's very supple on the palate with more spicy, cigar and cherry/chocolate notes. The finish is long, mouth filling and warm with fine fruit character and thankfully ripe tannins. Good now but will age. (AG-ST)
89 Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $37.00 winery direct
Like many Okanagan reds, it is usually the latest edition that is the best and that's certainly the case with the Portfolio 2005, easily the best we've tasted from winemaker David Enns. Burdened early on with the goofy 'cult wine' tag, Portfolio is beginning to spread its wings, shedding some of those green notes and dry tannins for a slightly more expansive palate of ripe cassis and black fruits and better oak integration. A solid effort and getting better each time out. (AG-ST)
89 Mission Hill Oculus 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $72.00 specialty listing
The latest Mission Hill 2004 Oculus has just been released at a formidable $70. It is the best yet and likely only the start of a series of vintages that will benefit from the most recent round of massive investments the winery. At 74 percent merlot it has the enticing 'drink-me' factor that earlier editions lack along with plenty of cedar cassis and savoury black fruit undertones. It's young and will need time but at this price it should be available for a bit. (AG-ST)
89 Osoyoos Larose 2005
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
Peppery, black cherry, saddle leather, coffee, vanilla, green bean, black olive nose with a touch of sausage meat and licorice. Dry, tight palate with young, grainy tannins but good finesse. Peppery, spicy, coffee, vanilla, licorice, cassis, black cherry, tobacco leaf, black olive flavours. Young, well balance but somewhat austere, this will need 3-5 years to soften but should improve. (AG-ST)
88 Blasted Church Revered Series Merlot 2005
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.99 winery direct online only, AB $35.00 fine wine shops
The Revered Series 'reserve' showed well at the Canadian Wine Awards thanks to its rich expression of fruit. Look for plenty of toasted oak and spiced flavours of mocha, coffee and ripe black fruits. Fine length here and still some tannin to dissipate suggests it will improve in time. Best with a rib-eye steak at the moment. (AG-ST)
88 Burrowing Owl Syrah 2005
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $38.00 winery direct
Smoky, coffee, roasted bell pepper, barnyard, vanilla, port-y, licorice, savoury, all spice nose with some compost notes. Very soft, round, supple, dry palate but warm. Spicy, smoky, vanilla, milk chocolate, mace, sage, coffee, black cherry, flavours. A forward ready -to-drink style that should improve with a few years in bottle. (AG-ST)
88 Church and State Syrah 2005
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $26.00 specialty listing
Tasted several times this single vineyard syrah from the south Okanagan is coming into its own. The entry is soft and ripe, the tannins light and the flavours a big mix of peppery, vanilla, chocolate pudding, black cherry and licorice root. Fairly oaky but it appears to be soaking into the wine at this point. I'm a bit surprised to see this in government stores but there you have it. Grab it while you can. (AG-ST)
88 Fairview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $34.90 winery direct
Clean spicy, mocha, peppery, vanilla nose with flecks of coffee, black berry, barnyard and smoky compost notes. Ripe, round, dry, slightly tannic palate. Good cassis jam, peppery, spicy, coffee, vanilla, black olive, tobacco leaf flavours. Slightly alcoholic finish but with fine fruit and balance. The best we've had yet from Fairview. Well done. (AG)
88 Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Malbec 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.99 winery direct and private wine shops
The latest edition is little less extracted and more balanced than last year with black cherry, mocha, and licorice meaty notes on the nose. The palate is rich and dry again with the savoury, meaty roasted mushroom notes and plenty of youthful fine grained tannins. As mentioned it seems a bit better balanced and little less powerful in a good way. Another fine effort. (AG)
88 Jackson-Triggs Shiraz Proprietors' Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 specialty listing, AB $17.50 private wine shops
The JT shiraz has enjoyed much acclaim over the years from this writer and the latest effort continues to impress. Typically it offers up big generous blackberry blueberry fruit on the nose with just a hint of briary sage underbrush. The front end is loaded with peppery, vanilla black fruit flavours streaked with mocha coffee and some elevated Oz-like acidity. Very warm, peppery finish. Should be just fine with turkey. (AG)
88 Mission Hill S.L.C. Syrah 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $39.99 winery direct, Mark Anthony stores, AB $31.00 fine wine boutiques, MB $34.99, ON $40.00 consignment - Mark Anthony Brands
Spicy, white pepper, floral, licorice, meaty, black cherry jam, tobacco leaf aromas. Round, dry, slightly tannic palate, fresh but has some elegance. Sweet vanilla, licorice, sage, milk chocolate, black cherry, plum, tobacco, smoked meat, minty flavours. Good fruit intensity in a more Euro style with an extra dose of oak. We look for forward to an all French oak edition at some point. (AG-ST)
88 Quails' Gate Maréchal Foch Limited Release Fortified Vintage 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.95 winery direct
Foch and Quails' gate go top together so it should come as no surprise to see a fortified edition from the winery. FVF as it's referred to, is made in a traditional fortified Port style using super ripe maréchal foch grapes. The mocha, coffee black fruit and chocolate flavours along with a touch of Christmas cake do an admirable job of imitating the real thing. (AG-ST)
88 Tinhorn Creek Oldfield's Collection Merlot 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.00 winery direct, VQA wine stores
Spicy, peppery, cherry jam, coffee, black olive, sandalwood aromas. Dry, soft, round, supple palate with grainy, smooth tannins. Black olive, coffee, vanilla, peppery, licorice, black cherry, tobacco leaf, cardamom flavours. A bit warm but has good balance. Needs 2-3 years to integrate but this is certainly the best release yet of this wine. (AG-ST)
