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91 Blue Mountain Pinot Noir Reserve (Stripe Label) 2008 Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $36.00 special order - Keystone Fine Wines The Striped Label Reserve is a blend of five clones and older vines - 19 to 25 years of age.
91 Blue Mountain Pinot Noir Reserve (Stripe Label) 2008
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $36.00 special order - Keystone Fine Wines
The Striped Label Reserve is a blend of five clones and older vines - 19 to 25 years of age. When compared to the regular pinot is appears spicier and more deep fruited with dried cherries, forest floor and compost flavours prevailing on the palate. It supple palate plays host to a more savoury style pinot with bits of exotic orange and or nectarine in the finish to turn heads. Duck would a great pairing but roast chicken would be equally satisfying. (AG)
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)
91 Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $30.00 specialty listing
Old Vines is the definition of iconoclastic. Freethinking and individualistic, the fruit (essentially grown organically) comes off a single block planted in 1978. Expect super intense aromas of lime and lemon preview a palate that is equally intense offering up peachy stone fruit characters all with an incredible undercurrent of acidity. This wine will live forever but in the meantime you can drink it with just about any food just for fun. Stock up. (AG-ST)
90 Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2009
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct, private wine shops
There is plenty to like here beginning with a standard the rest of the valley would do well to ape. The wine is open top fermented, hand punched down and the result is the perfect combination of red and black fruit flavours flecked with vanilla and spice form the barrel. We love its dry attack and the firm dark fruit, fresh ripe rhubarb and compost and strawberry jam flavours. You can drink it now but it will improve with age in the bottle. Love the sensible alcohol here and its great value. The vines are now 12 to 25 years old and the vineyards include multiple clones of pinot noir that surely add to its complexity. (AG)
90 Moon Curser Afraid of the Dark 2010 Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 winery direct
This is all-Osoyoos grown fruit that may surprise those who regularly suggest it's too hot to make white wine in the south. Each of the three varieties is fermented separately before blending but there is no oak in the mix, yeah! Viognier marsanne and roussanne signal a tight Rhone-style blend and despite its name - Afraid of the Dark, it is a white wine to die for. We love its fresh, peachy, ginger/nectarine aromas and fruit. The palate is equally intense and electric. Well done again. Don't be afraid of the packaging but be forewarned the wine is far more serious than it looks. (AG-ST)
90 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2008
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct
The '08 is a fine upgrade in the previous edition adding riper fruit to an intoxicating mix of savoury, peppery, black fruit aromas. The attack is dry and rich with savoury, liquorice, dried herb and black cherry fruit. We love the balance here and the sweet tannins that make the difference in the finish. Roast lamb anyone? (AG-ST)
90 Pentâge Winery Viognier 2009
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.50 winery direct, private wine shops
Floral, butter, ginger, lees, honeysuckle, nectarine aromas. Round, fresh, soft palate with honey, butter, lees, ginger, baked pear, orange peel flavours. Good solid styling in a buttery style that you can drink now. Super clean and fresh under screwcap. Love the new low price too. (AG-ST)
90 Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2007
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $35.00 winery direct, private wine shops
When BC red wine is clean it usually has all the rest of the ingredients to jumps up my quality chart. Take this cabernet franc for instance. Love the ripe tobacco, cherry jam, vanilla, violet aromas and the similarly ripe, round, rich, dry palate. The tannins are present but fine-grained with savoury, soft varietal-ly correct franc black fruit and sage flavours that go long with finesse. Bravo. You can drink now or keep this for another two years for perfection. T-bone steaks anyone? (AG-ST)
90 Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Dijon Clone Selection 2008
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $55.00 winery direct
A Dijon (Burgundy) clone selection, now over a decade old, is behind this new, only available at the winery (and restaurants) release. This no trophy wine but rather the result of 20 years of searching for the holy pinot grail. Expect a spicy, celery salt, rhubarb and ripe strawberry nose with flecks of tobacco leaf, dried herbs and barnyard. The attack is dry, fresh and supple with strawberry, smoky, herbal, rhubarb, tobacco, lees, and spicy, minty, vanilla flavours. Good finesse with fresh acidity and a juicy note. Best if decanted for about 15 minutes. Drink now or over the next 2 years. Duck confit would be a perfect match. (AG-ST)
90 Stoneboat Vineyards Pinot Blanc VLH 2008
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.00 (375 ml) winery direct
Honey, citrus, ripe pear, butter, green apple and floral aromas. Ripe, sweet but fresh palate with moderate acidity. Clean, baked pear, honey, lime, butter, quince and apple flavours. Good delicacy and fruit flavours without being too heavy. Ready to drink now - 2 years. (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)
