May 21/07 - Our Latest Top Ten BC Picks

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 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 Black Hills Sequentia 2005 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.90 (375 ml) winery direct, private wine shops
Orange, baked apple, pear, grassy, honey nose with a touch of lees. Round, elegant, somewhat sweet style with light apricot, butter, lees, honey, canned pineapple, floral flavours with a light grassy, green apple finish. Very solid, fresh late harvest style. The best yet from Black Hills. The '05 blend is 55 sémillon and 45 sauvignon blanc.

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 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 Wild Goose Pinot Gris 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.95 speculative listing - Peacock and Martin
A very consistent performer that seldom hits any low notes or super high ones. A touch of colour signals the pinot gris grape as does its earthy, spicy honey quince nose. Fresh and dry it hits the palate with some weight and more mineral, citrus flavours, earthy, green apple, oily notes and just a hint of ginger in the finish. Well done.

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.

88 Burrowing Owl Syrah 2004
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $29.90 winery direct
Black cherry, dried lychee, mineral, smoky, roasted sausage nose with rootsy, chocolate aromas with a touch of compost and bell pepper in the background. Dry, tight, somewhat lean on entry with a bit of acidity poking through. Very meaty, licorice root, medicinal, pruny, menthol, black cherry, gamey, raisin-y, compost flavours. A bit young but lacks the balance of the 2003 with some excess acidity and dryness. This edition has a synthetic cork. Solid if a bit dry.

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 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 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 Sumac Ridge Meritage Black Sage Vineyard 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 specialty listing
A big expressive smoky vanilla, chocolate pudding nose with flecks of black olive and cassis. The entry is richer and broader than last year with plenty of ripe tannins and peppery, bitter chocolate, coffee spicy, coffee flavours with bits of green olives in the finish. This will improve over the next three to five years.

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.