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It's easy to get carried away when you are tasting the "home town" wines if only because you want them to show well, but that's why we go to great lengths to taste most B.C.
wines alongside similar wines from the rest of the world. At gismondionwine.com we do our best to keep our B.C. reviews as current as possible; the scores and prices provided allow you to measure our best against similarly priced imports. Only the best wines make the list and we are proud to share the selections with you as we uncover them.
Availability, as in finding the top wines, remains a challenge and is not for the sleepy or slow of foot. Despite our best efforts to let you know where the wine is we suggest you contact the winery direct to obtain the most current distribution information.
The following "Top Ten and Ties" list represents the very best B.C. table wines EXCLUDING icewines that we have tasted in the last six months.
TOP 10
91 Burrowing Owl Syrah 2003
Oliver,
BC $29.95 Winery
Very dark cherry colour. Big smoky, dried lychee, sausage meat aromas with peppery, licorice root, blackberry jam notes. Rich, round, fat and ripe with blackberry jam, smoky, peppery, vanilla, dried lychee, mineral, gamey flavours with a long, minty, smoky meat finish. Hot (alcoholic) but still a fine effort with a Northern focus. This young brute needs 2-4 years.
91 CedarCreek Cabernet Sauvignon Platinum Reserve 2002
BC $39.99 Winery
Dark cherry colour. Lots of spicy, peppery, cedar, tobacco leaf mixed with resiny, smoky vanilla aromas cassis and olive. Lovely round, ripe supple textures with fine grained tannins. Fresh cassis, coriander and pepper entry with spicy, cherry, smoky oak and vanilla flavours. Long and warm but well balanced with good finesse. Young, showing some oak, will improve over the next 3-5 years. Newer Bordelais style ― this is very fine, well crafted cabernet sauvignon. Bravo B.C.
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.
90 Burrowing Owl Meritage 2002 Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $34.90 Winery Only
Just released the 02 is a blend of 40/40/20 cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Mocha, minty, black cherry, tea, black berry jam aromas mixed with tobacco, leather, cranberry and peppery orange peel notes. Rich, round, warm and dry with supple, ripe tannins. Big spicy, mocha, peppery, minty, tobacco, clove, smoky black olive flavours with a cassis, coffee vanilla pudding finish. Quite suave with good intensity, should age well over the next 4-6 years. Impressive ― 1000 cases made in a new Pomerol-like style. Reminiscent of Vieux Chateau Certan but hotter.
90 Township 7 Syrah 2002
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.90 Winery and LRS
Smoky sausage, peppery, spicy, leather, black berry aromas. Soft, round, elegant style with black cherry, spicy, licorice, floral, roasted coffee flavours with a warm, peppery, leather mineral finish. Good finesse, supple, has some
89 Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2004
Oliver,
BC $20.00 Winery
Another fine effort from BOV albeit slightly leaner and crisper than in the past and showing a touch more alcohol. Look for a floral, spicy, citrus, light buttery nose with mineral, earthy aromas. Round, dry, elegant palate with grapefruit rind, minerals and spice with light buttery lees and green apple flavours.
89 Sandhill Syrah Small Lots Program Phantom Creek Vineyard 2003
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.99 Winery; Granville Island Brewing Retail Store
Open warm, roasted pepper, tomato leaf and smoky-oak vanilla nose with prune/black cherry notes. Smooth, round, supple and dry on entry with fine spicy, vanilla, smoky oak and peppery, pudding, black cherry and anise flavours. Good ripeness and balance if a touch warm. Drinkable now but should improve in bottle for a year or two. Bravo.
88 Blasted Church Merlot 2003
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.99 VQA Wine Stores; Private Wine Shops
A super dark opaque colour previews a rich spicy nose of black raspberry and smoky, tobacco leaf. The entry is smooth (there is plenty of alcohol) and supple (light tannins) with cedar-y, coffee, smoky, black cherry, vanilla fruit. A warm year has ripen the fruit and spiked the alcohol but this will be enjoyed by many.
88 Blue Mountain Chardonnay Reserve (Stripe Label) 2002
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 Blue Mountain Pinot Noir Reserve (Stripe Label) 2002
BC $32.00 Winery
Spicy, barnyard, cinnamon, smoky nose with streaks of celery top, mushroom/compost aromas and black cherry underneath. Dry, round, elegant palate but still a bit tight with earthy, spicy, smoky, mushroom, barnyard, stewed cherry and rhubarb flavours.
88 CedarCreek Ehrenfelser 2004
BC $14.99 Specialty
Floral, orange blossom, mineral, red apple nose with some perfumed, apricot notes. Soft, round, elegant and fresh with mineral, grapefruit, green apple, nectarine and rose petal flavours. A touch sweet and warm but has good acidity and balance and very true to type. Try as a sipper, with duck or with Indian food.
88 Gehringer Brothers Riesling Private Reserve 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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.
88 Herder Merlot Bellamy Vineyards 2003
Keremeos,
BC $18.90 Winery
Lawrence Herder the former Golden Mile winemaker is making his own wine in the
88 Inniskillin Okanagan Pinot Blanc Dark Horse Estate Vineyard 2004
BC $15.49 Specialty
Floral perfumed, bubblegum, honey-scented nose with red apple, mineral, grapefruit rind aromas. Very fresh. Round, elegant palate with fresh acidity and a touch of oiliness. Spicy, mineral, slate, green apple skin, floral, citrus flavours. Attractive style for drinking or with food. Well done.
88 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $12.00; BC $12.99 Specialty; MB $12.49; NB $12.79; NS $11.44; ON $12.90; QC $13.95; SK $12.99
Winemaker John Simes has nailed the '04 Pinot Blanc and I suspect its all about vineyard control. Mission Hill was painfully slow off the mark to commit to estate vineyards but you can see now why it pays to have complete control over your fruit. This is quintessential
88 Mission Hill Pinot Gris Reserve 2004
Okanagan Valley,
AB $17.25; BC $18.99 Specialty; VQA and Private Wine Shops; MB $16.59; NB $18.69; ON $18.95; SK $17.99
Grapefruit, red apple, mineral, lees, honey and quince aromas. Round, dry, crisp and fresh but nicely balanced with honey, grapefruit, green apple, spicy, buttery mineral flavours. Nice intensity and fruit but finishes a bit on the dry side. To be released late summer 2005.
88 Orofino Merlot Cabernet 2003 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon
Cawston,
BC $29.95 Winery
Big chocolate vanilla, tobacco nose mixed with smoky pepper, mineral, cherry and saddle leather aromas. Rich, round, structured and ripe with grainy tannins. Lots of smoky vanilla, chocolate espresso, tobacco, black cherry flavours. Chunky, chewy finish - very young, should improve over the next 2-5 years. Good effort.
88 Sandhill One Phantom Creek Vineyard Small Lots Program 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon - Petit Verdot - Malbec
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.99 Winery; Granville Island Brewing Retail Store
The '02 Small Lots One is a 95/5/3 blend of cabernet sauvignon/petite verdot and malbec grown at Phantom Creek Vineyard just off Black Sage Road south of Oliver. Look for a huge spicy, smoky nose with coffee pudding, tobacco, caraway and peppery blackberry fruit aromas. Rich, hot and fat it has a supple mid-palate with big coffee, cedar, tobacco, mocha, black cherry, cedar and stewed plum flavours. A monster, alcoholic red that will appeal to hose who love big rich powerful reds.
88 Sandhill Chardonnay Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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 Tinhorn Creek Gewürztraminer 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.50 VQA Wine Stores
The latest Tinhorn gewürztraminer follows in the fresh, mineral, floral, ripe, lychee nut fruit, footsteps of its previous edition. This is gewürztraminer with attitude, red apple fruit, spicy, honey, and just a touch of bitter lime rind on the finish. Think Thai or Indian or just pop it open on a warm summer's day. Only the screwcap is missing.
88 Township 7 Chardonnay 2004
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.90 Winery and LRS
Light butter and lees notes mix with peach, melon, green apple aromas streaked with citrus undertones. The entry is round and elegant, the palate soft but fresh with grapefruit rind, mineral, green apple, buttery, honey flavours. Crisp, some finesse, like a buttery mineral Chablis-style. Well done.
88 Township 7 Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.90 Winery and LRS
Open peppery, meaty, spicy nose with smoky, cassis aromas tobacco, mint and black olive. Dry, round, elegant but somewhat tight. Cassis, spicy, leafy, mineral, earthy, tobacco flavours. Nice finesse and balance but needs some additional fruit. Should improve in bottle over the next two to three years.
