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WHITE 89 Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2006 Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $20.00 winery direct Open honey, mineral, floral aromas with sweet lime rind notes.
WHITE
89 Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2006
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 winery direct
Open honey, mineral, floral aromas with sweet lime rind notes. Rich, ripe and round in the mouth with a brightness and texture that sets B.C. pinot gris apart for its competitors. Fresh juicy mineral fruit with bits of red apple honey and ripe pear fill the palate. The finish is unusually off-dry but with citrus undertones.
89 Joie A Noble Blend 2006 Gewurztraminer - Kerner - Pinot Blanc - Ehrenfelser - Riesling
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.90 winery direct, private wine shops
The 2006 Noble Blend swaps out the ehrenfelser for muscat leaving all the previous components: gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot blanc, kerner, and riesling, more or less the same. This is a delicious style of wine that should be widely imitated in the Okanagan. Floral, spicy, sausage notes with peachy, litchi fruit and just a touch of oil in the texture and some residual sweetness make it a delight to sip. Bravo.
89 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2005
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Winemaker Randy Picton's latest Q2 chardonnay is a treat to drink. Much like the '04 it has spicy, cinnamon, leesy character on the nose mixed with baked apple and honey notes. The entry is dry, and a touch less fat with nutty lees, mineral, pear and honey flavours with some green apple skin and resin in the aftertaste. The finish is warm, creamy and a touch sweet. You can drink this now or hold it a year or two. Well done.
89 Sandhill Pinot Gris King Family Vineyard 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $19.99 private wine shops; BC $17.99 specialty listing
This is the best and the weightiest, Sandhill pinot gris I have tasted and I have had all six vintages and surely it's the best fruit yet from the King Family vineyard in Naramata. It is so round and full-bodied, yet fresh, with smoky, grassy, nutty lime notes. On the palate there is plenty of zest and more mineral, green apple skin and buttery nutty notes. Kudos to the King family and winemaker Howard Soon for getting all of the flavour into the bottle.
89 Wild Goose Gewurztraminer Mystic River Vineyard 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.95 speculative listing - Peacock and Martin
Cooler crisper more mineral version of the regular WG gewürztraminer and without the resin or soap. This is a delicious bottle of wine and has myriad food possibilities from curried chicken to Szechuan prawns and beyond. Fresh clean finish. Well done.
88 Herder Pinot Gris 2006
British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.90 winery direct
The Herder 2006 Pinot Gris is un-oaked and blends fruit from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Honey earth and pears greet the nose in a delicious mix of fruit and liveliness. If there was ever a poster boy for no oak in Pinot gris this could be it. The plate is packed with green apple fruit bits bread dough mineral and citrus. The finish is lip-smacking fry. Yeah, and long live B.C. pinot gris.
88 Inniskillin Okanagan Chardonnay Dark Horse Estate Vineyard 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 specialty listing
Bright, fresh green apple, lime rind, spicy, floral, creamy lees aromas. Round, crisp, baked green apple, citrus rind, mineral, creamy lees with a touch of guava. Fine cooler fruit version with verve. Best with food but works on the patio too. Ready to drink.
88 Lang Vineyards Riesling Farm Winery Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Lang's most consistent wine hits all the buttons again in 2006. Orange blossom and honey mix with green apple aromas on the nose while the palate is a tangy mix of minerals, baked apple and citrus rind flavours. Not as complex as we would like, especially given the hefty $5 per bottle price increase, but it's fun to sip and should be for sometime now that it is under screwcap.
88 Mission Hill Pinot Gris Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $19.25 fine wine shops; BC $21.99 specialty listing, VQA and private wine shops
More or less a carbon copy of the '05 with its fresh, crisp, lemony demeanour. The entry is lip-smacking fresh with northern Italian honeyed grapefruit, green apple mineral tones mixed with some creamy mid-palate textures. A touch less dry, or conversely, fruitier than the previous version which I'm sure will be welcomed by most sippers. Made for B.C coastal food. Well done.
88 Quails' Gate Chardonnay Limited Release 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.99 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Slightly fresher than the previous edition the '05 Limited Release has an inviting mineral, flinty nose bits of honey and baked apple. The entry is dry with grapefruit, mineral, honey flavours that finish with a dash of citrus oil. It is contemporary, New World chardonnay with the oak under control. Best with food and I like the suggestions of pork tenderloin or West Coast seafood.
88 Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.99 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Open sweaty grapefruit rind with bits of passion fruit. It's super tight and crisp with impressive flavours of juicy green apple, grapefruit rind and honey/mineral flecks. An easy-sipping shellfish white with a small percentage of sauvignon blanc to lift the fruit and a bit of barrel fermented chenin blanc to boost the mouth texture.
88 Therapy Vineyards Artist Pinot Gris 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct
The "Artist" gris from Therapy is a limited production wine that was made to support the "South Okanagan Women in Need Society" (SOWINS). Local artists were asked to submit work based on theme "Woman in the Community" and the winner was Liz Marshall for her piece titled "Bell" that appears on the front label. The wine is great fun. Unoaked it jumps from the glass with a fresh citrus scent and mixed into mineral pear flavours. Bright fresh light and easy drinking it is a perfect summer sipper with a delicious dry finish. Bravo.
RED
90 Jackson-Triggs Merlot Proprietors' Grand Reserve 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.78 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Winemaker Bruce Nicholson may be gone and this wine will reminds most that he will be missed. Typical JT it is rich, dense and sweet on the nose and the palate. Sweet cherry jam, vanilla and chocolate notes preview a big mouth-filling merlot with just a touch of spicy black olives. Lovely ripe characters pervade the finish with coffee and smoky oak and a dusting of tannin. Should keep well for five to seven years.
89 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Merlot 2004
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Spicy, smoky peppery, clove aromas flecked with black olives, tobacco and black cherry. On the plate it has a sweet fruit character, with coffee cocoa espresso, cherry flavours. Fragrant, warm peppery resiny red with chunky tannins. Well made and should improve over the next 3 to 5 years.
89 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Meritage 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Much like last year the 04 opens with a cedar-y - mocha nose with bits of smoky bacon and spice. On the palate it's suave and showing some restraint with fine-grained, dry-ish tannins and plenty of peppery, cedar, olive and black fruit flavours with a twist of garrigue. An impressive young wine, if a bit dry, that dabbles in restraint. Needs thee to five years to fully develop.
88 Foxtrot Pinot Noir 2005
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $49.99
Floral, spicy, celery salt nose with cooked cherry, worsteshire, pepper and lifted, pruny rootsy aromas. Soft, round, supple entry with spicy, mocha, black cherry, peppery, vanilla, soy flavours. Finish is warm with some bits of orange spice, lees and cedar. A slightly riper, warmer, plusher version of the 2004. Well done.
88 Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Merlot 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.90 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Lake Breeze gets a lot of press for their pinotage but this merlot is well worth investigating. Just enough pepper and acidity takes it out of the sweet realm and into the more serious, worth cellaring category. Look for a fragrant dry red with bits of licorice, black fruit, tobacco and smoky resin. Perfect for grill steaks.
88 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2005
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $0.00 VQA stores / private wine shops
Chocolate, sausage, spicy, savoury, black pepper, licorice root, garrigue aromas with a touch of black cherry. Soft, round, dry, slightly tannic palate. Spicy, plum, peppery, licorice, smoky resin, and tobacco leaf flavours. Some light tannins to shed but should be a solid performer for the next 2 years.
88 Noble Ridge Meritage 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.95 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The first time we have tasted this wine and it's an impressive start. The blend is an 80/20 merlot/cabernet and fine use of cabernet in our estimation. Love the plush dark fruit (okay maybe it's a bit warm and lifted) and the chocolate mint notes on the nose and palate. Lots of vanilla and plenty of alcohol give it a smooth 'sweet' finish. A solid start that should point to better wines as some refinement is brought to the mix. Drink or hold for five years.
88 Osoyoos Larose 2004 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec - Cab Franc - Petit Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $40.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $40.00 private wine shops; ON $40.00 consignment - Vincor International; QC $40.00
Smoky, coriander, tobacco, dill, chocolate, cedar, saddle leather, floral aromas. Dry, round, slightly tight entry with chewy tannins. Floral, cherry, tobacco, rootsy, licorice, vanilla, prune, cranberry, and cedar flavours. Improving complexity and balance but the textures and tannins are still quite austere. Needs 2-4 years.
88 Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Family Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $39.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Spicy, celery salt, smoky, rhubarb, cherry, resiny aromas. Ripe, round, supple, slightly dry entry with very light tannins. Celery, strawberry, rhubarb, rootsy, smoky vanilla flavours with a bit of orange rind and resin on the finish. Good solid balance and intensity. Should improve over the next 2-4 years.
88 Sandhill Small Lots Program One Phantom Creek Vineyard 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Petit Verdot - Malbec
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $32.99 fine wine shops; BC $32.99 Winery; Granville Island Brewing Retail Store
Olive, dill, tobacco, cassis, smoky, peppery, coffee nose. Round, soft, supple palate but dry. Smoky, coffee, mocha, tobacco, cassis, black olive, savoury flavours. The finish has a touch of acidity and earthy herbal notes that will be a good match for roast beef. 511 small lots made with 82/9/9 percent cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and malbec. Just needs some polish to shine.
88 Sandhill Small Lots Program Petit Verdot Phantom Creek Vineyard 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $26.99 Exclusive to Earl's Restaurant
Now one of the best 'Small Lots' is Richard Cleave's Phantom Creek Petit Verdot. Smoky, coffee, mocha, peppery notes mix with cherry, floral, cranberry and saddle leather aromas. Round, dry, elegant, supple but with some youthful grainy tannins. Floral, cranberry, spicy, peppery, tobacco leaf, cherry, smoky vanilla, coriander and caraway flavours. Good intensity if a bit light on extract. Very smoky, oaky finish but should dissipate over the next 1-2 years. Good effort. 124 small lots made.
88 Sandhill Small Lots Program Three Sandhill Estate Vineyard 2004 Sangiovese - Barbera - Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $32.49 fine wine boutiques; BC $29.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Rootsy, licorice, black cherry, chocolate pudding, spicy, savoury, gamey aromas. Dry, round, slightly lean entry with a bit of acidity showing. Smoky, vanilla, cherry, savoury, tobacco leaf, peppery, cassis flavours with a coffee finish. A bit young and warm, need a year or two to round out. 411 cases made with a blend of 48/37/10/5 sangiovese, barbera, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
88 Stag's Hollow Merlot 2004
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $21.99 winery direct
Another stylish effort from Stag's Hollow where it seems the funky red syndrome has final left the premises. Not too dark but nevertheless full-flavoured with a big smoky, cherry jam nose with flecks of earth. Bordelais styling with a vibrant mid-palate and in a soft, medium-weight, balanced red. The finish is warm but this is a solid effort for the price. 500 cases produced.
88 Summerhill Pyramid Merlot 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.95 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Coffee predominates on the nose and palate of what is a well made clean merlot with just enough spicy fruit and acidity to remain balanced. A simple soft, tasty, clean 100 per cent organic merlot that should have broad appeal.
