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87 Arrowleaf Gewurztraminer 2006 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $15.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops True to form the Arrowleaf gewürztraminer is offers up a floral nose with light spicy sausage notes flecked with orange rind.
87 Arrowleaf Gewurztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $15.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
True to form the Arrowleaf gewürztraminer is offers up a floral nose with light spicy sausage notes flecked with orange rind. Now under screwcap it is super fresh with tinges of minerality and spicy peachy fruit. Clean fresh and unbeatable for the price. Well done. Sip all summer on the patio or serve with Thai food.
87 Arrowleaf Red Feather 2006 Pinot Noir - Chardonnay
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $12.99 Winery, VQA Wine Stores and Private Retailers
Bingo. The latest Red Feather hits all the right notes for the patio. The grapes are mostly pinot noir with a dash of chardonnay to lift the nose. The aroma is an earthy mix of strawberry and minerals. On the palate it is fresh and clean with a candied, strawberry fruit flavours and as is their style, there is just add enough sugar and acidity to keep your interest. A perfect summer patio wine again. Love the price.
88 Black Hills Alibi 2006 Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $23.90 winery direct and private wine shops
The current release Black Hills Alibi 2006, an 81/19 mix of sauvignon blanc and sémillon is simply a delicious drop of wine and a poster child for a B.C. white wine you can serve with food. It's both stainless steel fermented and a portion is also fermented in oak puncheons. The result is a super fresh stylish white. The Tenant's are working on the complexity meter to get that up a notch but other this is among my top ten labels in the valley. It will only get better.
87 Black Hills Carmenère 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.90 winery direct and private wine shops
B.C.'s first carmenère is a pleasant surprise. It's leafy (almost vegetative) but like cabernet franc it can get away with a bit of that character if the fruit is ripe. Carmenère is tricky to grow, at least that's what the Chileans tell me - with its naturally low acidity and need to ripen very late if you wait to long it can be flabby but if you pick to soon it's too peppery and herbaceous. In this case Black Hills has come close to hitting the mark with the leafy rubbery earthy fruit mixing with some sweet black fruit tones in the back end. The finish is soft and fiery. It doesn't have the real chocolate flavours you can get in ripe carmenère but these are young vines and it is a first crop. As the vines mature and the cardamom, tobacco, chocolate flavours come to the forefront it should be a varietal to watch.
87 Blasted Church Gewurztraminer 2006
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 winery direct, vqa and private wine stores
Much like the previous edition look for floral, mineral, rosé petal notes with bits of spicy baked apple. The mid-palate is clean fresh with nectarine, lychee mineral ginger flavours. Perfect for black bean crab dishes. Well done
90 Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2005
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $33.00 winery direct
Although I'm not normally a big fan of cabernet franc, no one does it better in B.C. The nose is classic cedar and tobacco with bits of dried leaf, chocolate and cranberry. It's very supple on the palate with more spicy, cigar and cherry/chocolate notes. The finish is long, mouth filling and warm with fine fruit character and thankfully ripe tannins. Good now but will age.
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.
87 Calona Vineyards Gewurztraminer Artist Series Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $17.99 private wine shops; BC $14.90 specialty listing, vqa and private wine shops
Bright fruity lychee fruit nose with bits of sausage and floral notes. On the palate the fruit clean and ripe and a touch drier than previous versions. Simple but well made gewürztraminer mineral, ginger and floral fruit flavours. Fine value.
88 CedarCreek Dry Riesling 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.00 VQA wine shops
The '06 riesling is a delightful drop of juicy floral, lime rind and mineral aromas and flavours. The mid-palate is clean and fresh with grapefruit, green apple and orange citrus notes. The winery suggests saffron lobster risotto or ginger crab cakes. Bring it on. Great value here.
87 CedarCreek Ehrenfelser 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.09 winery direct, VQA wine shops
The '07 ehrenfelser from CedarCreek has summer written all over it. The nose is a mix of sweet honeysuckle, tangerine and minerals. Fresh and ripe its creamy textures offer up bits of pink grapefruit, floral, peachy mineral flavours. A perfect solo sipper for summer or pair with spicy, Asian or Indian dishes.
88 CedarCreek Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 VQA stores / private wine shops
Many B.C. producers have reached a watermark in '06 as in not mucking up the fruit. CedarCreek is ahead of that curve and this gewürztraminer is a good example. It's bright and fresh on the palate with a delicious mix of lime and peach with just a touch of sausage meat. The texture is perfectly oily with a spicy (ginger) lemon finish. Very versatile food and patio sipper wine.
87 CedarCreek Merlot Cabernet Classic 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.99 specialty listing
The 'Classic' blend is 59/28/13 merlot/cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc and it spends some 18 months in French oak for polishing. Look for red fruit aromas spiked with vanilla and mocha. The palate is dry with flavours of blackberry, plums and just a hint of blueberries with plenty of fine-grained tannins at the back end. Perfect for hearty, Fall dishes like game or lamb or sausages.
88 Church and State Syrah 2005
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $26.00 specialty listing
Tasted several times this single vineyard syrah from the south Okanagan is coming into its own. The entry is soft and ripe, the tannins light and the flavours a big mix of peppery, vanilla, chocolate pudding, black cherry and licorice root. Fairly oaky but it appears to be soaking into the wine at this point. I'm a bit surprised to see this in government stores but there you have it. Grab it while you can.
87 Desert Hills Syrah Select 2004
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $32.00 winery direct
The new DH syrah has a soft richer coat of aromas and flavours. Look for plenty of black pepper with chocolate, espresso and black cherry on the mid-palate with milk chocolate and roasted meat undertones. The tannins are soft and there a twist of vanilla in the finish. Best with lamb and or rich cheeses.
87 Fairview Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, restaurants
Open buttery, vanilla, honey, lemon oil nose with sweaty grapefruit rind and passion fruit aromas. Soft, round, fresh palate with an oily texture. Vanilla, spicy cinnamon, butter, grapefruit, passion fruit, grassy melon rind flavours. Good solid fruit core and balance if a touch oaky on the finish.
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.
87 Gehringer Brothers Riesling Private Reserve 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.00 specialty listing
Riesling is the calling card of Gehringer and this latest example has the requisite riesling character with intensity and finesse. Look for peach and green apple notes with a modicum of minerality to balance out the flavours and bits of honey and pear to prevent any bitter undertones in the finish. Good value.
89 Golden Mile Riesling Luckhurst Family Vineyards 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.00 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Golden Mile cleverly adds a bit of orange muscat to the riesling and the wine soars. Dry and, yes a bit slate-ty, this is an attractive riesling on many fronts. The acidity is youthful and at this point bracing for most but this is the road to travel down. Let me count the food you can serve with this if you can get the bo0ttle to the table before it's all gone. Bravo.
88 Gray Monk Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $14.99 winery direct, VQA wine shops
Gray Monk has hit all the bells this year with this delicious spicy floral peach fruit gewürztraminer. The mid-palate is fresh and clean with fine intensity of fruit flavour a touch of sugar and plenty of elegance. The finish is the usual a mix of mineral, citrus rosewater and leafy meaty flavours. Bravo. Think turkey or serve solo as an apéritif. Good value.
87 Herder Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.90 winery direct
When you have 76 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 24 per cent cabernet franc in the same B.C. wine blend you are bound to get the spicy, savoury garrigue black sage and olive notes that mark our cran-cherry- flavoured, local reds. A big slab of beef would help this wine at the dinner table otherwise it needs three to five years of ageing and even then it's will always be dominated by minty green olive fruit.
87 Herder Josephine 2005 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $28.90 speculative listing - Landmark Selections
Similar to last year it opens with dill, olive, tobacco and sweet vanilla notes mixed with milk chocolate, cedar, sweaty saddle, gamey aromas. Dry, round, supple palate with slightly dry tannins. Spicy, vanilla, floral, cola, chocolate, cherry jam, resiny, licorice flavours. Good texture and balance, needs a year or so to soften.
87 Herder Merlot Osoyoos Lake Bench 2005
Keremeos, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.90 winery direct
The latest herder merlot is a blend of Cawston, Keremeos fruit from the Similkameen valley with another third coming from Oliver aged in 80 per cent French oak (20 American). Open spicy peppery nose with bits of earth, vanilla and black fruit. The entry is spicy with resiny licorice black fruit and mocha coffee undertones. Good acidity in a Bordelais style with just a few grainy tannins in the finish. Cellar for three to five years for best results.
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.
87 Hillside Estate Mosaic 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot - Malbec
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $34.95 winery direct
Certainly an improvement over the '03. The latest Mosaic blends, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot and nine months of French and American oak. The entry is sweet almost JT like with plenty of mocha coffee chocolate highlights and a ripe dark fruit finish. Christmas cake and dried fruit describes the finish. This will have a lot of and although now that it is cleaner than ever we would like to see a slightly drier version.
87 Joie Chardonnay Un-oaked 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, private wine shops
They love aromatics at Joie and it marks the nose of the '06 Un-Oaked Chardonnay that contains about 40 per cent of the aromatic chardonnay clone, Musqué. Look for plenty of green apple fruit with bits of sour grapefruit and oily mineral, flavours. Good effort.
88 Joie Muscat 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, private wine shops
Italian Muscat is the idea here with its hedonistic sweet aromatic notes. Love the pure grapey flavours here and the perfect acidity. Not a wine for everyone but the curious oenophile will know what to do with this bottle from sipping it solo, to eating Indian cuisine.
87 Joie Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 Pinot Noir - Gamay - Maréchal Foch
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.90 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The Joie wines continue to improve in 2006. The Rosé is fresher with bright, melon notes and a dash of pink grapefruit. The entry is soft with some obvious sugar but the acidity is lively and the flavours fresh. Drink all summer on the restaurant patio, which is about the only place you can buy it.
88 Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.99 winery direct, VQA wine shops
The new '06 is every bit as good as the previous edition. The nose is an enticing mix of peach, floral, nutty notes while on the palate the wine is elegant but not without some appeal mid-palate fat and flavours of citrus lees mango and spicy, butterscotch. It's also better balanced than the 05.
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.
87 Lang Vineyards Gewurztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $18.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Big fresh style gewürztraminer with a sweet honey creamsicle nose. The entry is weight with some obvious residual sugar and plenty of spicy, mineral, floral, peach skin and rose petal flavours. Clean ripe and fresh. Best with spicy food.
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.
87 Laughing Stock Vineyards Pinot Gris 2006
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $20.00 winery direct
Big clean and crisp best describes this wooded pinot gris that spends about seven months in second year oak barrels getting plenty of lees contact. The nose is mix of mineral honey and floral notes with a crisp, citrus, fruity mid-palate and a leesy finish. Fine complexity, if but a bit warm in the finish. Made for food and cooler weather.
87 Laughing Stock Vineyards Pinot Pinot 2006 Pinot Gris - Pinot Blanc
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $22.00 winery direct
Laughing Stock's "Small Caps program is home to this 75/25 mix of pinot gris and pinot blanc. The pinot blanc seems to bolster the otherwise earthy mineral notes of the gris adding a sweet peachy, nectarine skin quality to the fruit which is both spicy, warm and slightly sour in the finish. Only 170 cases were made so they should have no problem moving this at $22 a pop.
89 Mission Hill Oculus 2004 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc - P.Verdot
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $72.00 specialty listing
The latest Mission Hill 2004 Oculus has just been released at a formidable $70. It is the best yet and likely only the start of a series of vintages that will benefit from the most recent round of massive investments the winery. At 74 percent merlot it has the enticing 'drink-me' factor that earlier editions lack along with plenty of cedar cassis and savoury black fruit undertones. It's young and will need time but at this price it should be available for a bit.
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.
87 Mission Hill Pinot Noir Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $27.00 fine wine boutiques; BC $29.99 specialty listing; MB $28.00; ON $29.00
Smoky vanilla, resin, rhubarb, green tea leaf aromas. Dry, round, tight but elegant palate with more resin, cedar, cooked rhubarb, smoky, celery flavours. A simple, ready-to-drink pinot that will be best with food.
87 Nk'Mip Cellars Pinot Blanc 2006
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 specialty listing
Winemaker Randy Picton whole bunch pressed his Nk'Mip Cellars Pinot Blanc 2006 and fermented it in stainless steel. The result is a super clean, fresh, pinot with delightful tropical fruit flavours and fine acidity. The finish is a mix of citrus and mineral notes that cleans the palate throughout the finish. Delicious and good value too. Now under screwcap.
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 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.
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 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2005
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $34.99 winery direct
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.
87 Nk'Mip Cellars Riesling 2006
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $17.09 winery direct, vqa wine stores
We love the way winemaker Randy Picton works his riesling combining honey notes with fresh apples or what he simply calls orchard fruits. The palate is fresh with a touch of sweet fruit and fine minerality. Sip solo or pair it up with spicy Asian/Indian dishes for maximum effect.
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 Chardonnay Family Reserve 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The latest Family Reserve Chardonnay is made from 100 per cent estate grown fruit and it's all French clones. The FR is aged in only 40 per cent new oak and the dividend is a lively fruit character throughout. Lees stirring and full malolactic fermentation gives the wine a lovely texture to complement its pear and citrus flavours with spicy toasted oak underpinnings. Good now but will age gracefully and improve over the next three years.
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.
87 Quails' Gate Dry Riesling 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 specialty listing
This has a super fresh style packed with floral, green apple skin and grapefruit aromas. On the palate the entry is equally crisp with plenty of citrus and grapefruit flavours flecked with bits of lime oil and mineral. The finish is tart and clean. Made for food and wine aficionados.
87 Quails' Gate Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.99 winery direct, vqa wine stores
The former "Limited Release" label has new look and a crowd pleasing 10 grams per litre of residual sugar. It's fermented cold, in stainless steel, using north and central Okanagan fruit and the result is a terrific little gewürztraminer. It has a fresh, lively, pear and litchi nut fruit flavour flecked with spicy, floral, mineral bits. Thai, Indian, Chinese take your pick or put some away for that Thanksgiving turkey.
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.
87 Quails' Gate Pinot Noir Limited Release 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $24.99 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
The 05 Limited Release moves up another notch this year. Slightly riper with less resin and celery salt it's beginning to really smell and taste like pinot. The nose is mix of spicy sweet black cherry fruit with bits of barnyard and compost aromas. A cool climate supple red with slightly grippy, youthful, tannins at the backend. Lovely uncomplicated pinot from B.C.
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.
87 Sandhill Syrah Sandhill Estate Vineyard 2005
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $21.99 private wine shops; BC $19.99 winery, private wine shops
This is the first Sandhill syrah and it comes in a highly concentrated almost soupy style. There are plenty of peppery meaty resiny flavours flecked with bits of plummy black fruit. The finish is hot as in warm and alcoholic. A bit of a bruiser that is going to require a bit more finesse in the vineyard and the winery to reach higher a level. Best with roasted meats at this point.
89 See Ya Later Ranch Chardonnay 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
AB $15.00 private wine shops; BC $18.99
Consistently the best wine made at SYL is this chardonnay. It 100 barrel-fermented but now only 25 of the oak is new, leaving the fruit a chance to express itself. Look for a lovely lees character with floral, lemon, honey, buttery vanilla aromas. On the palate it's lively and fresh with buttery, baked apple, nutty, fruit flecked with citrus and smoky honey notes. Impressive texture and length.
88 See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Gris 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.99 specialty listing
The latest SYL gris is a winner. The nose has a nice touch of earth mixed with yellow fruits honey and mineral notes. On the palate its rich and mouth filling with more honey, mineral, pear and green apple flavours. Cleaner with less obvious oak than in previous editions.
88 See Ya Later Ranch SYL Brut N/V
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.99 winery direct and private wine shops
A fine mousse previews a floral, meaty bread dough/brioche nose with nutty lees and peach pit aromas. Crisp, round and fresh on entry with baked pear, marzipan, yeasty floral, peach flavours. A nice notch up in complexity for this bubble. Well done.
89 Tantalus Riesling 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $19.90 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops
Similar to the 05 the latest Tantalus has an equally inviting floral, orange blossom peachy nose with a high dose of minerality and a pinch of salt. Almost Mosel-like in its crispness and red apple crunch with more lime rind and green peach flavours in the finish. A crisp, lip smacking style that will appeal to the purists and food lovers.
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.
90 Thornhaven Gewurztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.90 winery direct
A carbon copy of last year and well worth searching for if you can locate it. Consistently one of the best gewürztraminer in B.C., I would say it is now easily among the best in North America. Fresh alive packed full of sweet lemon fruit flavours, lychee and a fresh floral citrus undercurrent. Terrific intensity and length. Bravo, again.
87 Tinhorn Creek Gewürztraminer 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $15.49 winery direct, private wine shops
Gewurztraminer is always one of the best labels at Tinhorn and the '06 is no exception. The nose is highly perfumed with ginger and lychee notes and its typical orange creamsicle notes. The entry is fresh and clean with more peach spicy fruit flavours. Well balanced, light fun style. Perfect for Indian or Thai cuisine.
87 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris 2006
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $16.00 VQA wine shops
This screwcap version is as goods as it gets now. This is light, delicate, pinot gris that is made for summer sipping and it's perfectly revealed in this format. Look for light floral notes mixed with delicious crisp green apple mineral and nectarine notes. The finish is round, soft and dry with just a hint of sweet fruit.
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.
