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91 Mission Hill Oculus 2007 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $70.00 winery direct, AB $70.00 private wine stores, ON $70.00 Vintages, consignment mark Anthony We waited to taste the latest Oculus because it always seems so much better after it's been in the bottle for more than a year.
91 Mission Hill Oculus 2007 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $70.00 winery direct, AB $70.00 private wine stores, ON $70.00 Vintages, consignment mark Anthony
We waited to taste the latest Oculus because it always seems so much better after it's been in the bottle for more than a year. The nose is peppery with the south Okanagan black olive, cassis, menthol mineral undertone and bits of cherry jam, vanilla, coffee, meat, tobacco and saddle leather. The attack is rich and dry with full, warm, fine-grained tannin the preview more coffee, vanilla, chocolate, pepper, blackberry jam, cassis and black olive and tobacco flavours. Long and warm with some youthful tannins and oak to shed. Like the last few Oculus it will improve over the next 3-5 years in bottle. (AG-ST)
90 Thornhaven Gewurztraminer 2010
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct
Nobody does it better in BC or Canada. Every year this fresh, ripe, perfectly-tuned gewürztraminer is well worth hunting down. The combination of freshness, varietal character and ripe citrus, litchi fruit flavours with a strong floral undercurrent are exceptional. Terrific intensity and length. Bravo, again. (AG-ST)
90 CedarCreek Platinum Merlot 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 specialty listing, winery direct
The CC Platinum merlot is a blend of clones 181 and 346 from Desert Ridge, CedarCreek, Greata Ranch, Mauz and Van Westen Vineyards. The oak is French, the nose a rich mix of black cherries and vanilla with a dash of roasted coffee. The palate is packed full of plummy, spicy, black raspberry fruit with bits of mocha vanilla and a fresh finish. A good example of why British Columbia can make better merlot than most other regions in the world. (AG-ST)
90 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops, AB $22.00 fine wine boutiques, NB $30.00, ON $27.00 private import - Mark Anthony Brands
Another fine effort with floral, passion fruit, grapefruit, honey, baked pear, light lees and vanilla aromas. Fresh, juicy, elegant palate with good acidity balance. Grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, lemon grass, lees, vanilla and honey flavours. Good finesse and intensity. Ready to drink but may improve over the next 1-2 years. (AG-ST)
90 Stag's Hollow Cachet 02 Limited Edition 2009 Grenache - Syrah - Viognier - Marsanne
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $50.00 vqa wine stores, winery direct, direct delivery via online
Cachet is made with the best fruit each year regardless of variety. Big spicy, licorice, black raspberry jam, leather, tobacco, floral, spicy, ginger, gamey with a bit of vanilla and chocolate. Ripe, rich, round, dry, warm, fresh palate with light tannins. Ginger, vanilla, coffee, peppery, black raspberry, cherry jam, orange, liquorice and savoury flavours. A bit warm and tart but offers very good fruit and intensity in a first release. A daring wine to make but well worth it now. (AG-ST)
89 Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.00 winery direct, private wine shops, AB $25.00 fine wine shops, ON $35.00 consignment - Lifford
Five different clones make up the blend that is 50 per cent barrel fermented in one to four year old oak while the remainder is tank fermented to keep the fruit alive. Expect a crisp mineral citrus flavoured entry with bits of toasted oak and lees. The style is elegant and reserved - a mini Chablis perhaps, with a bright lemon toasted fruit finish. Should easily age through 2013 and beyond. Well done. (AG-ST)
89 CedarCreek Platinum Chardonnay 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Another fine effort with that inviting creamy lees and nutty citrus nose flecked with butter, peach and orange zest. The mid-palate is rich and dry with fine elegance and weight with more spicy, vanilla, baked apple, nutty, citrus, melon flavours. Cool style chardonnay that works so well with food. Sleek and sophisticated. (AG-ST)
89 Church & State Chardonnay 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct or direct delivery via online ordering
The '08 chardonnay is a mix of Gravelbourg and Dekleva Family Vineyard blending fruit from two south Okanagan benches: Black Sage and Golden Mile. This is an impressive wine chardonnay with winemaker Bill Dyer's deft touch all over it. Love the bright, tropical fruit aromas, creamy textures and toasted vanilla hazelnut finish. A great wine with halibut. (AG-ST)
89 Gehringer Brothers Cabernet Franc Ice Wine Signature Series 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $50.00 (375 ml) specialty listing
Bright raspberry ruby colour. Strawberry jam, cedar, tobacco, earthy, minty, dried cranberry aromas with a bit of watermelon. Round, full, moderately sweet style with softer acidity. Strawberry jam, cedar, watermelon, tobacco leaf, herbal, spicy, cranberry flavours. A simple, forward style with some finesse and fruit. (AG)
89 Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio +14/10 2008 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $40.00 winery direct
Typical Northwest peppery, tobacco leaf, savoury, dried herb nose with black olive, smoky, coffee, vanilla and light barnyard aromas. Round, dry, fresh palate with some grippy tannin. Vanilla pudding, coffee, peppery, earthy, cedar, tobacco flavours dominate the youthful palate before you get to the black cherry, cranberry, savoury, green tea flavours. Love the youthful, fresh finish but with a big dose of oak to shed. Needs 2-4 years more in bottle. Another good effort and getting closer to the finish line. (AG-ST)
89 Mission Hill Chardonnay Reserve 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 specialty listing, AB $19.00 private wine stores, MB $20.00, ON $20.00, QC $20.00, SK $20.00
Bright floral, honey, citrus, apricot skin nose flecked with butter, light lees and baked apple aromas. The palate is fresh, juicy and round with grapefruit, honey, vanilla, baked green apple, light lees and nectarine flavours. Crisp and clean the finish is elegant good fruit and vibrancy. The best yet in this series and a baby clone of the Perpetua at a great price. (AG-ST)
89 Painted Rock Red Icon 2008 Merlot - Malbec - Cabernet Franc - Petit Verdot
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $55.00 winery direct, private wine shops
Expect intense smoky, meaty, gamey, tobacco, barnyard aromas flecked with coffee, vanilla, cassis, saddle leather, clove and savoury aromas. The attack is supple and fresh with light tannins and more cassis jam, black cherry, coffee, cedar, tobacco, liquorice, chocolate and savoury tea flavours. A bit hot and thin on the finish but it has fine intensity. It will require a few years to better integrate all its parts. The '08 Icon is a mix of 30% Merlot, 25% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Franc and 20% Petite Verdot all aged 18 months in new French oak. (AG-ST)
89 Poplar Grove Reserve Chardonnay 2010
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $0.00 PG wine club only
Much better style in the reserve with its butter, light lees, pineapple fruit and underlying richness. Love the baked apple entry and the French oak, both of which are still interacting. Dry long buttery tarte tatin notes with nutty, oily pineapple fruit and ripe red apples. This wine needs another three years to settle down and work with the likes of halibut and fresh fruit salsa, abalone or lobster. (AG-ST)
89 Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2009
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct, private wine shops, AB $20.00 private wine stores, NS $24.00, ON $20.00, SK $20.00
This wine is really improving each vintage out. Look for a fresh green apple hazelnut butter aromas that precede a creamy entry. Love the weight here and the fine tuning on the mid-palate with its green apple grapefruit honey flavours with flecks of orange. An impressive rendition of the ripeness one can get in British Columbia with the restraint and complexity. A terrific restaurant wine and a chardonnay for wine lovers. (AG-ST)
89 Sandhill Chardonnay Sandhill Estate Vineyard 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.00 winery direct, BC Liquor stores, VQA and private wine shops, AB $19.99 private wine shops, MB $17.00, SK $18.00
Appealing aroma of lees with light garlic, creamy, baked green apple, pear, and honey, citrus and peach notes. Ripe, round, off dry, fresh palate with more honey, smoky, spicy, garlic, baked pear, leesy, orange and light vanilla flavours. Solid fruit expression with good lees and a bit of sweetness on the finish. Good value here in a modern chardonnay style. (AG)
89 Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Merlot 2007
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.00 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The seventh Oldfield Series Merlot blends 92% merlot with 5% cabernet franc and 3% syrah all aged 18 months separately in new, one and two-year old French oak. After the blending it spends another 15 months in bottle before release. The result is a red showing some attractive bottle-aged characters of sweet scented black cherry and chocolate with bits of cardamom, liquorice and saddle leather. Nice improvement on the previous edition. Try this with prime roast of beef. (AG-ST)
