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WHITES 90 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2004 Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBC $24.99 VQA stores / private wine shopsWinemaker Randy Picton has conquered the oak barrel in 2004 and given us a delicious spicy, cinnamon, leesy, baked apple chardonnay nose with nutty, floral, orange notes.
WHITES
90 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2004
Osoyoos,
BC $24.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Winemaker Randy Picton has conquered the oak barrel in 2004 and given us a delicious spicy, cinnamon, leesy, baked apple chardonnay nose with nutty, floral, orange notes. Dry, elegant, slightly fat entry with nutty lees, mineral, vanilla, honey, waxy, spicy, green apple skin flavours. The finish is warm but with plenty of pear and citrus and a streak of buttered popcorn. Ready to go but with fine sophistication. Try with grilled trout and almonds meunière.
89 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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 Township 7 Reserve Chardonnay 2004
Oliver,
BC $24.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Green apple, floral, popcorn nose with honey, grapefruit, cinnamon and lees aromas all in the crisp, round, elegant style. Somewhat buttery with popcorn, baked apple, citrus, mineral, floral, green apple skin flavours with a nutty, garlic lees, chalky, vanilla finish. Very solid if a bit oaky now. Should improve over the next year as the oak dissipates.
REDS
90 CedarCreek Merlot Platinum Reserve 2003
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $39.99 VQA Wine Stores
Floral, black cherry, spicy, vanilla, smoky bacon, black olive, chocolate and tobacco aromas with a gamey, saddle leather streak. Dry, round, slightly astringent palate. Lots of spicy, coffee, black cherry, bacon, tobacco and green olive flavours with a bit of green bean and chocolate on the finish. Good length but some tannins and acidity need to meld. Cellar for minimum three years.
90 Sandhill Small Lots Program Three Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2003 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
Young but well balanced with peppery, chocolate, garrigue, black cherry, floral notes with vanilla, coffee, black olive and smoke. On the palate, it is round and dry with fine elegant supple characters. Spicy, black cherry, mocha, vanilla, peppery, spicy, black olive flavours with a touch of cardamom. Needs 1-3 years but try now with any grilled meat. The best red blend yet from Sandhill ─ 53/21/13/13 barbera, sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
89 CedarCreek Cabernet Franc Estate Select 2003
BC $24.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Love the smoky, cigar, black cherry, resiny nose with hints of licorice, sage vanilla and cranberry. Tight, full, rich, warm palate with a touch of acidity and defined tannins. More expressive cedar, cranberry, smoky, vanilla pudding, peppery, flavours with some saddle leather and tobacco on the finish. Full and young, this has potential to become affine red wine. Excellent beginning.
89 Nichol Vineyard Syrah Reservare 2003
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $34.90 winery direct
Where others wineries have floundered in a difficult 2003 vintage, the Nichols appear to have hit the target. Love this smoky, meaty, gamey, nose flecked with pepper and rootsy aromas. Dry, round, slightly tannic entry with a sense of elegance throughout. Dense peppery, gamey, meaty fruit with floral, black berry, smoky, spicy flavours with a bit of saddle leather and coffee grind on the finish. Needs 2-4 years. Well made and perfectly suited to strong meat dishes. Fine effort.
89 Sandhill Small Lots Program Two Burrowing Owl Vineyard 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot -
Okanagan Valley
BC $29.99 winery direct and private wine shops
Open floral peppery nose with licorice, cassis, black cherry, mocha aromas with some barnyard and smoky leather. Rich, ripe and round with dry if soft tannins. Intense coffee, peppery, smoky, resin, vanilla, cassis, black cherry, black berry flavours on the palate with a warm, vanilla pudding finish. Needs 2-5 years but will improve. Good balance overall.
89 Sumac Ridge Pinnacle 2002 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $43.00 private wine shops; BC $50.00
Stewed cherry, cassis, and coffee nose streaked with pepper, smoke, bacon, leather, barnyard and garrigue-like spice. Rich, ripe, fat and round not to mention somewhat alcoholic. Smooth, substantial tannins but balanced. Intense smoky, coffee, cedar, mocha, cherry cola, black olive, rootsy clove flavours. Big and warm and ripe. This needs another 3 to 4 years in bottle to pull it all together. Good effort.
89 Township 7 Syrah 2003
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Tobacco leaf, menthol, pruny, cherry, shoe leather, coffee and barnyard aromas with a meaty streak. Dry, round, slightly tannic entry but good elegance. Chocolate, coffee, menthol, cool leafy, olive, tobacco flavours with some cherry mint on the finish. A touch oaky but has good expression and balance.
