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Tastings: September 2018
30 September 2018
90PTS
Free Form by Okanagan Crush Pad Ancient Method 2017
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFree Form is an organic, zero-intervention lineup of wines from Haywire Winery in Summerland, BC. The pinot noir fruit is the first to come off the Garnet Valley Ranch project. It was whole bunch pressed into 2000L concrete tanks and fermented on native yeast. The ancestral method means the bottles are filled only once, leaving the fermentation bubbles trapped in the bottle. At six months the bottle is disgorged and topped up with zero sugar. The result is a fresh, tight, red apple, citrus bubble with super fresh acidity. Impressive for such a young vineyard. The labels are made with ground stones turned into a fine powder and rolled to thinness. The process uses no water and no paper. The wine is delicious.Prices:| BC | $34.90 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée Brut NV
EnglandClassic Cuvee MV proves the maturity of Nyetimber, one of England's most lauded and recognized fizz producers. Only houses that can afford the resources of time and space to store wine over multiple vintages can produce a MV (or NV) blend. If you want to know exactly what years and grapes went into your individual bottle, when they were harvested, and when the wine was bottled and riddled, check the lot number printed on the back on www.nyetimber.com/wineinfo. I neglected to jot down the details of my bottle, sourced in California, though this 50-60 percent chardonnay, and 30-40 percent pinot noir, with the balance being meunier, all sourced from the winery's West Sussex and Hampshire vineyards. Individually parcel pressed, this underwent fermentation and time on lees in Elevage on the lees in stainless before blending (25-35 percent reserve wines) and approximately 30 months on the lees prior to release. This medium bodied wine carries yellow fruits and toasted stones along the cushioned palate, one that is held upright with a back bone of lemon acidity. That same citrus acidity easily balances out the 9.5 g/l RS and holds the wine in check. A griff of chalky texture lingers on the finish. Serious sparkler, seriously impressive.Prices:| USA | $70.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
8th Generation Vineyard Integrity Frizzante 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIt's been ages since I had a chance to try this stylish frizzante wine from 8th Generation. This year's entry is a blend of chardonnay, pinot gris and kerner, sourced from Naramata, Summerland, Okanagan Falls and Lake Country. They keep the CO2 from the fermentation and inject it back into the wine to create the frothy mousse. This sweet fizz is centered on grapey muscat perfume and flavours, along with candied pear, peach nectar and lime cordial. Though kerner makes up only 18 percent, it dominates. Due to the process the bubbles are quite assertive and large, this best appreciated when super cold, and consumed before bubbles and wine warms.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
460 Casina Bric Gianluca Viberti Nebbiolo Brut Rosé Prêt-à-Porter NV
Alba, Cuneo, Piedmont, ItalyPink sparkling dry Nebbiolo? Si! This is Nebbiolo d'Alba, whole cluster pressed and Metodo Martinotti (aka Charmat), on lees for eight months before bottling. Luring florals dart around damson berries, red currants, and wild roses in this pale salmon / orange wine, aloft with fine bubbles that fade quickly, and centered with a toasted walnut core. The finish is surprisingly long and pleasantly astringent, with nebbiolo's lovely bitter kiss. Enjoy this sophisticated sipper with paté, charcuterie or cured / smoked salmon. 460 Casina Bric, a hilltop farm in the local Piemontese dialect, is the most elevated vineyard in the village of Barolo, where the average elevation is 460m. Gianluca Virberti is the vigneron and owner.Prices:| BC | $18.00 | 375ml |
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89PTS
Nichol Vineyard Extra Brut Rosé 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPouring the palest blush hue, this new release from Naramata legend Nichol Vineyard takes pinot noir from the highest elevation vineyard on the property, and blends with five percent pinot meunier. Traditional method, this spends sixish months on the lees and is zero dosage. This was disgorged in July of this year. Brisk raspberry, orange rinse, whiff of cherries, raspberry, is taut with riffing minerality and finishes with some bergamot tea. Bone dry, enjoy this lean lens of Naramata as an aperitif. 180 total, half bottled now.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Nyetimber Rosé NV
EnglandNyetimber is one of England's most lauded and recognized fizz producers, and one that believes in traceability. A code on the back of the bottle allows you to trace this rosé at www.nyetimber.com/wineinfo. From West Sussex's greensand and chalk soils, this blends 60-75 percent pinot noir with 25-40 percent chardonnay, and a splash of pinot meunier. This contains up to 18 percent reserve wines, and spends an average of five years on the lees prior to release, with a dosage of 9 g/l. The pure, round cherry core is built out with a cushion of toasted brioche and scents of hazelnut, the whole rinsed with youthful, brisk raspberry, leaving the finish slightly astringent and amply fresh.Prices:| USA | $80.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut NV
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe standard for a reason, and the latest release of Gold Label Brut doesn't disappoint. In fact, it feels even sprightlier and livelier than ever. The latest release is based on 2015 fruit and disgorged in March 2018 - key intel on the back label. Okanagan Falls estate pinot noir and chardonnay is splashed with five percent pinot gris before two years on the lees. All are whole cluster pressed, and fermented separately before blending. Lemon zest leads this NV, with green apple, light biscuit, chalk across a nimble, lemony palate. Lively, bright and complete, striking a perfect chord between the bright acidity and the 8 g/l RS, this is deserving of its classic status and one of Canada's best bubbles, year after year.Prices:| BC | $31.90 | 750ml |
| AB | $36.85 | 750ml |
| ON | $28.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura Brut NV
Jurançon, Sud-Ouest, FranceA refreshing chardonnay crémant from the home of the famous Comté cheese, Jura. The attack is delicate with red apples and citrus undercurrents and just touch of honey in the back end. Surprising balance and elegance for the price. A perfect apéritif bubble especially for a crowd of wine nerds. It also comes at a very affordable price.Prices:| BC | $26.49 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Terre di Marca Organic Prosecco Bio Extra Dry Millesimato NV
Veneto, ItalyOrganic or Bio prosecco is a challenge given the climate in north eastern Italy, but we love the results in this 2017. The fruit grows in Treviso and it presents very clean and floral with fresh aromas of citrus-drenched apples. The attack is similar with creamy, bubbly fruit with apple, honey flavours. Soft and sippable it finishes on an off-dry note reflecting its 12+ grams of residual sugar. Best served before a meal with light seafood appetizers.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2010
EnglandNyetimber is one of England's most lauded and recognized fizz producers, and one that believes in traceability. A code on the back of the bottle allows you to trace this chardonnay at www.nyetimber.com/wineinfo. From West Sussex's green sand and chalk soils, this was parcel-pressed in a Coquard press, with elevage on the lees in stainless steel before going to bottle where it spent another five years on the lees. Striking acidity and chalk draws this linear streamlined wine along the slick, greyhound frame. The lees lining the mid comforts that acid line, supporting it to a lengthy, lemon pith and light toast finish. Beauty tension and energy here; will gain more complexity with time. This bottle was disgorged on September 15, 2016.Prices:| USA | $100.00 | 750ml |
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81PTS
Singletree Victory 2017
Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA new release from Fraser Valley's Singletree Winery, this is valley-grown siegerrebe, tank injected for a frizzante-styled fizz. Sweet, candy necklace (along with all its powdery dust) fills the frothy palate, one that finishes with aforementioned powder and a tart, lime peel, candied lemon (sour keys?) note. I can't call this a Victory.Prices:| BC | $22.50 | 750ml |
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29 September 2018
91PTS
Alois Lageder Cor Romigberg 2015
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyIn the 1980s Alois Lageder engaged cabernet sauvignon growers around the world before a decision was made to plant cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot on his property. In fact, the grape has 150-year-old tradition in the region. In 1986 the "Herz" (German for heart or Cor in Latin) site was planted to high density vines and farmed using Demeter certified biodynamic methods. Today Romigberg is basking in a combination of global warming, steep southwest facing slopes and mild winds that move up the mountain passes from the Mediterranean. The nose and palate is a combination of aromatic, spicy black cherry / blackcurrant. What may sound like a Napa wine is anything but. It’s the floral notes and the freshness here that make it Euro and the dryness that confirms it’s Italian. This should be cellared through 2020 before its first opened.Prices:| AB | $94.95 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Alois Lageder Krafuss Pinot Noir 2015
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThe Lageder pinot style is more Burgundian, if we can use that term, in the sense that elegance is the goal, not power. The Krafuss is released under the Masterpiece series taking its name from grandfather Lageder’s vineyard. The loam over gravel soils with calcareous glacial deposits sit on a gentle hilltop at 430 t0 450 metres above sea level. The 24-year-old vines are farmed and certified biodynamic. The goal, and the reality, is an aromatic, vibrant, layered, complex pinot that is predominately red fruited with spicy, mineral, salty notes throughout the finish. Mouth filling attractive style that you can drink now or hold through 2023. The ageing takes place in a mix of cask sizes 225, 300 and 500 liters.Prices:| ON | $67.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Alois Lageder Lagrein 2016
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyLagrein is said to have been mentioned in association with Alto Adige in a historical document dated 1370. It is a descendant of teroldego and is related to syrah, pinot noir and dureza. The name suggests its origins lie in the Lagarina Valley of Trentino. Today it flourishes in the warm sites in the Bolzano River basin where the soils are high in sand content, gravel and igneous rocks. This is red-fruited wine with an attractive plum fruit nose and a palate mixed with forest floor, leather, chocolate and spices. The style is fresh, and the tannins are light. It is fermented in both stainless steel and concrete vessels seldom reaching more than 12.5 alcohol. Perfect for grilled chicken.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Alois Lageder Natsch XVI 2016
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThe Lageder family has been studying schiava at some length as climate change creeps across the Alto Adige. This ancestral variety is native to Alto Adige but has yet to rise above its plain Jane structure. At Lageder they are searching for a “a more distinctive identity” in the hopes of exploiting its regional potential down the road. Today, Natsch, made with 100 percent schiava, remains in contact with its stems and skins for over seven months in wooden casks followed by 11 months in used oak barrels. The result is a much more interesting and vertical story of a medium dark, fruity, peppery wine with an earthy, vegetal, spicy undercurrent. Ancestral in nature modern in style. The fruit grows on the Römigberg Estate, at Lake Caldaro, some 250 to 330 metres above sea level. To be continued…Prices:| BC | $69.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Alois Lageder Bla XVI 2015
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalySouth Tyrol had a wealth of indigenous grape varieties, such as Blatterle a grape that is released from time to time under the Lageder Comet series. Most of these varietals have been long forgotten but with climate change and uncertain weather patterns some of these ancestral varieties that have lived for centuries in the region are being rediscovered and reimagined. Today at Lageder they are being released in small lots at Lageder to test the waters of modern wine drinkers. BLA∙XVI is getting just such a chance using traditional maceration techniques with whole grapes followed by a spontaneous, indigenous yeast fermentation. The grapes are grown over a deep ancient seabed sitting at 280 meters above sea level. The fermentation takes place over 5 weeks with whole grape processing in the stainless-steel tank before spending 19 months on its lees in used barriques. Very little sulphur is used during fermentation and none at bottling. The tone is medium light, the fruit is red and earthy. A kinder, gentler, clean wine from a different time.Prices:| BC | $69.99 | 750ml |
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96PTS
Alois Lageder 30 Years Lӧwengang Chardonnay NV
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThe first Lӧwengang Chardonnay was born 34 years ago at the 1984 vintage. The 30-year version is a blend 2013, 2014 and mostly 2015 fruit that in the end represents an inordinate amount of research and evolution that is all part of the Alois Lageder philosophy of challenging the norm, something Alois credits to a meeting with Robert Mondavi in the early 1980s. The curious and inspirational Californian encouraged Lageder to explore his terroir and experiment wherever possible to make the best wine, and to unearth the potential of Alto Adige. The gravel soil of dolomitic limestone growing around Magrè is the perfect medium for chardonnay and making an anniversary blend spanning three vintages means some of the components have been on the yeast and in the barrels for up to three years – think complexity, citrus, vanilla creamy, layer pear fruit that persists on the palate. The grapes are grown and certified bio-dynamic by Demeter from vines 21 to 71 -years-old.Prices:| BC | $120.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Alois Lageder Lӧwengang Chardonnay 2015
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThe Löwengang chardonnay was meant to grow in Magrè where it has shaped the history, culture and economy of the village community for centuries. The site is in the Bassa Atesina at the very southern border between Alto Adige and Trentino at 210-240 meters above sea level. The stony, sandy, deep soils formed millions of years ago as fossil deposits and hence contain a high amount of the prized dolomitic limestone. The micro-climate is influenced by the Ora, a warm wind from Lake Garda that blows up the valley warming and drying out the vineyards daily. At night the winds reverse to the north sending cool breezes through the region recharging the acidity in the grapes. The style is measured but rich with fine freshness and slightly exotic melon, pear and yellow apple aromas and flavours but it’s the lees and barrel notes that wrap up this wine in a lightweight glove of complexity and length. This would be the perfect foil to grilled wild salmon.Prices:| BC | $69.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Alois Lageder Gaun Chardonnay 2017
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThe Gaun is a 50/50 mix of cask fermented and stainless steel fermented fruit, all from the Gaun vineyards on the Magrè moraine. Look for ethereal yellow fruit and mineral notes. The texture is excellent, and the palate fresh with attractive apple, apricot, citrus fruit spiked with mandarin notes. The style is elegant and persistent, finishing long. A terrific food wine, this will hold through 2022.Prices:| QC | $27.50 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Alois Lageder Chardonnay 2017
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyThey make four chardonnays at Lageder, and this is their introductory label. The classico is 100 percent chardonnay grown between 230 and 420 metres above sea level on rocky, sandy, Alto Adige limestone soils. At 12.5 percent it has a lightness and freshness that gives it immediate appeal. Apple core, mineral and melons set the tone for this medium-bodied white, one that comes with perfect acidity. Four months on its fine lees adds some texture and mouthfeel to a wine that sees no wood. Perfect with west coast shellfish, fish tacos, or creamy pasta dishes.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Alois Lageder Gewurztraminer 2017
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyLageder Gewürztraminer is a mix of warm and cool sites: the warm Termeno gives richness and sweetness, while the higher and cooler sites in Valle Isarco bring the aromatics and the finesse. In some years the harvest can be a month and a half apart. The first thing you notice is the delicacy and lack of fat here. No oily notes, just pure, mineral, litchi, rose petals flecked with apricot, white pepper and a hint of ginger. Sausages are a great match along with pâtés, terrines and especially Thai curry dishes.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco 2017
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyPinot bianco, or weissburgunder, dates to the mid-19th century in Alto Adige, and like the pinot grigio it is widely planted. The best comes off the cooler sites at elevations between 300 and 500 meters above sea level. The Lageder PB is from vineyards in Magrè, Cortaccia, Salorno, Pochi and Tesimo and like the pinot grigio, the bianco is bright and complex, with just enough orchard fruit flavours to prick your interest before the mineral, chalky, leesy notes kick in at the finish. A simple, but well made, authentic style. Try this with grilled asparagus, fish cakes or lighter pasta dishes. Designed for immediate drinking. Great value.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Dolomiti 2017
Trentino- Alto-Adige, ItalyPinot grigio, grauburgunder or pinot gris is the most commonly cultivated white wine variety in Alto Adige, but the Lageder ‘Dolomiti’ is anything but common. The chalky soils with a high sand and gravel content are still within the purview of the warmer Mediterranean climate to ease ripening worries. You sense the chalky notes and minerality on the nose and palate, mixed with red apple and peaches drenched in citrus with a twist of honey in the finish. Elegant and stylish, I suggest west coast mussels or spaghetti vongole. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks where a small portion is in contact with stems and skins.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $21.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $19.95 | 750ml |
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28 September 2018
79PTS
Grizzli Muscat 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaEverything about this wine is confusing. From the recent 2015 release of muscat, to the super weight bottle, to the maple leaf prominent on the label, to the cheap capsule and cork... It's super evident that this entire enterprise was developed to appeal to a certain off-shore market, and really has zero to do with what is happening here. This wine is full of VA, sweet with honeysuckle, melon and orange tang. Short, sweet and sour on the finish, this is best passed by on any market.Prices:| BC | $24.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Lunessence Muscat 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSourced from both the Naramata Bench and Oliver, this is a sweet, ripe white full of juicy lime cordial, pear, perfumed muscat, and white honey. Bright acidity works hard to keep up with the sweetness, all wrapped up in a tidy 10.5 degree package. Simple, sweet white, best well chilled.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Muscat de Beaumes Venise Les Chants des Girolles 2014
Beaumes de Venise, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceMuscat has been the force behind this wine since it became part of the AOC Vin Doux Naturel in 1945. Griolles is made from 35-year-old small-berry muscat harvested at varying ripeness by making successive passes through the vineyard. The ferment is cold and stopped using neutral alcohol at 11 percent residual sugar. The result is a dependable, fresh and floral nose flecked with apricots, ginger and lemon oil. The palate is sweet and supple with spicy orange marmalade, quince and ginger and a lick of acidity to keep it alive through the finish. Sweet but elegant, it’s a stately dessert wine of substance and style. Try this with fresh berries and lighter cakes. The grapes are farmed using biodynamic methods but are not yet certified.Prices:| BC | $30.99 | 375ml |
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27 September 2018
89PTS
Mt. Boucherie Blaufränkisch 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMt. Boucherie is spreading its wings with vineyards up and down the Okanagan and beyond, including this Cawston gem in the Similkameen Valley. Now under screwcap this blaufrankisch (or lemberger), is a delight to drink. The aromatic nose offers up fresh pepper and perfectly ripe plummy red fruits with zero funk. The tannins are dusty light making this very food friendly. A perfect match for grilled sausages or chorizo spiced rice or a full roasted chicken.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Nichol Vineyard Nine Mile Red 2015
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaJuicy and bright, this is a unique blend of pinot noir (80 percent-ish) and st. laurent. Spicy, fresh, brisk and and pink peppercorn fill this light, smashable, chillable red. Leather lined, with sapid cherry, plum, tight peppercorn along crunchy acids to the finish. Like Nichol's wines, soft on approach and understated, but satisfying. Nine Mile was the original name of Naramata Village.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Nichol Vineyard St. Laurent 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is my first time trying Nichol's st. laurent solo, my usual familiarity with it in the popular Nine Mile Red blend. Turns out they made a little solo st. in 2012 as well. Bright, lifted, fresh, sapid, and tight, with wild blackberry, thorns, crunchy acids and fine tannins. Rinsed with white pepper and a wash of stony salts, this lighter red finishes with a lick of blue florals. Interesting fresh red ready to add into your drinking lexicon.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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26 September 2018
87PTS
Black Hills Alias 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAlias is a mixed bag of orchard fruit flavours that reflect the blend of riesling, pinot blanc, gewürztraminer, schoenberger, muscat and ehrenfelser that is finished off-dry. Expect a tropical barrage of fruit led by peach, candied orange and pear with a dollop of pineapple that finishes with a sugary undercurrent. Best served well chilled on the patio or with a favourite spicy curry dish.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Vixen 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaVixen is a late harvest blend, and in 2017 mixes pinot blanc, pinot gris and riesling. The style is generously sweet, in this case almost auslese-like. The nose is candied apple, honey and cinnamon while the palate brings sweet poached pear and honey, and a dusting of brown spices finishing long and weighty. Think about pairing this with an apple/rhubarb fruit crumble or even pumpkin pie.Prices:| BC | $17.30 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Jason Parkes Customs Gobsmacked Cyclops Love 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis idiosyncratic wine blends muscat, muller thurgau and a sprinkle of gewürztraminer in 2017, the three aromatic grapes caught taut with a limey acidity that squeezes in the waist of what could otherwise be a flabby, sweet, boring wine. Instead this surprises with its nervy acidity ruling, and the scented melon, perfumed florals, yellow apple and soft spices playing a background role. This tidy medium bodied, oily white would be a killer wine with Thai or Vietnamese dishes. The front label, drawn by Jason Parkes' nine year old daughter, is as beguiling as the back, a personal story about the winemaker's journey into wine. Cyclops Love is the first release of this project.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Liber Farm and Winery Hello Sunshine 2017
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHello Sunshine is made with organic grapes grown in the Similkameen Valley. The nose is slightly reduced with a yeasty, bread dough bent that sits on the mix of green apple, peach, and honey. It seems less polished than most of their labels. You can drink this now with canapés.Prices:| BC | $19.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Lunessence Sauvignon Blanc - Muscat 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is a confusing wine, labelled Sauvignon Blanc - Muscat, though also containing viognier, chardonnay, semillon in the mix. Truly, that's some crazy mix, yeah? All compact and clinical from stainless, this is an overtly sweet, weighty, Naramata white, with baked pear, apple butter, lime cordial and peach sherbet, on a fuller palate, finishing clipped. Serve very well chilled now.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Lunessence Quartet 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaQuartet is so named because it's a blend of four grapes: gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot blanc and oraniensteiner, sourced from Oliver and Summerland. This aromatic white wine carefully matches sweetness to fruit intensity to acidity, with bright lime, lemon sherbet, perfumed florals along a slight palate to a snappy finish. Chill well and enjoy now.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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24 September 2018
91PTS
CedarCreek Amphora Wine Project Desert Ridge Cabernet Franc 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the antithesis of the MHFE Terroir Series but as different as it is they are equals in many ways. Near to Vista Edge, this special bottling comes off Desert Ridge, another Osoyoos vineyard. The fruit is naturally fermented in clay without sulphur and is unfiltered. The nose is fragrant with rich floral undertones and bits of roasted tomato, black fruits, wild blueberry, over a super soft, supple palate. Easy to drink now, the question is will it age? Only time will tell, but it should be fine through 2021. I think Treve got it right when she described it as “full-bodied, but light-footed.”Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 32 Vista's Edge Cabernet Franc 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Terroir Collection was created to showcase the Okanagan Valley's unique microclimates and diversity, and in total only represents about the top three percent of Mission Hill’s estate fruit. The franc comes off a small, west-facing slope (with a vista) on the most southerly part of eastern side of the valley. The nose and the attack are intense with sleek black cherry notes and a dusting of cocoa. The palate is equally dense and hedonistic, with ripe blackcurrants, sweet cherry and the finest savoury underbelly that balances the fruit. Complex and layered, this wine will turn heads while making a compelling case for varietal cabernet franc. It’s aged for 17 months in French oak, of which one third is new. Bordelais in style but with better fruit. Stock up collectors.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Vulture 2015
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere was no problem ripening fruit during the warm 2015 growing season, something evident as soon as you smell this wine in the glass. It has all the leafy, savoury sagebrush notes you could ask for, but the black raspberry and even blueberry suggest fully ripe berries were taken to the crush pad. There is still a pinch of tannin to deal with via bottle age or a rich, mushroom covered T-Bone steak. Boisterous and fun, you can enjoy this now or hold through 2020.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
El Padre Cabernet Franc 2015
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, ChileEl Padre has been around for a while, gets favourable press most years and we can see why. It’s vibrant, the fruit is alive, and oh - it tastes like cabernet franc, a grape whose time has arrived. In fact, the blend is about 85 cabernet franc with some additional cabernet sauvignon and carignan from Morande’s San Bernardo estate in the Maipo Valley. The colour is bright purple and the nose vibrant with black raspberry, earthy, leafy, savoury notes that spill across the palate. It’s all the better for 18 months ageing in French oak and a further year in bottle. Simple but well made. Try this with your Thanksgiving ham.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nichol Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaJuicy, sapid and fresh, imbued with franc's intrinsic herbal duskiness, and teeming with dark plum, black raspberry, black cherry, and textured with broken stones. This has a fresh, slightly crunchy Loire-esque acidity that easily carries the fruit to a spiced finish. Tannins bone the sides with a light grip, but never overwhelm the fruit. This is classic Nichol: dusky, granitic, textural, understated. The thirteen rows of 1989 planted fruit was destemmed into open top fermenters, then basket pressed to neutral French barrique where it rested for the following year. Racked twice, this was bottled unfined and unfiltered.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Hester Creek Block 3 Reserve Cabernet Franc 2015
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom a super warm growing season, this franc is ripe and ready to drink after spending some 12-16 months in wood, 25 percent American with 75 percent French. Block 3 is 50 years old, a factor in controlling the fruit in such a hot year. The nose and palate are mix of leaf, mocha, soft black raspberries and some spicy, savoury, oaky, tobacco, coffee notes in the finish. The winery suggests you serve it with Moroccan duck breast or a classic Provence bouillabaisse and I say, why not?Prices:| BC | $28.95 | 750ml |
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21 September 2018
90PTS
Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaImbued with the Island's coastal freshness, the 2016 pinot noir walks very well that fine line of pinot poise. Dark cherry, loganberry, rose petals, crushed stones are framed with bitter cocoa tannins, dusting the sides to a grippy finish. This comes from a nearby vineyard in North Cowichan, and three clones of pinot noir. Post fermentation in tank, this spends 15 months in barrel. I prefer and recommend this with a slight chill, accentuating the bright fruit and freshness.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
JoieFarm En Famille Reserve Pinot Noir 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis year's Reserve is a blend of Naramata and Summerland fruit, and a mix of ten clones. The destemmed fruit was fermented in small lots, macerated for a week, gently pressed and then aged for eight months in barrel (40 percent new) for eight months. Dark and dusky, with wild blackberry, plum, black raspberry, cherry, blueberry all swirled with fine smoke and exotic peppercorn spicing that warms up the finish. Though potent and up front, this still is filled with graceful, pretty charm. This structured, youthful wine is all packed into a tidy 13.4 degree package, muscular like a Boston Terrier. Impressive, and will benefit with time in cellar.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Tinhorn Creek Pinot Noir 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSweet, soft potpourri perfume pervades this Golden Mile estate pinot noir. Native fermented, fifteen percent whole cluster, this was aged in oak (small percent new) for a year prior to this release. Plum, blackberry, damson plum is swirled with a bitter edge that helps hold tension, an important element in a 14 degree pinot. Tannins are black tea astringent, and autumnal spices linger on the finish. Drink this now with duck or richer pork dishes.Prices:| BC | $23.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2016
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis recipe is nailed now, as it is one of Blue Mountain's flagship wines. Estate vines from 10 to 32 years, and across six clones, make up this wine, one de-stemmed before native fermentation and time in French oak before being bottled unfiltered the following spring. Give this young wine a little time to breathe in the glass to reveal soft deep plum, black raspberry, all tinged with light pipe tobacco and seasoned with whispers of pink peppercorn. Tannins are slight, to match the slighter, softer palate. Though drinking well know, this deserves time in bottle.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $30.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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19 September 2018
87PTS
Hester Creek Character Pinot Gris Gewurztraminer 2017
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaLove the makeover here and the freshness brought into this wine. There is plenty of juicy yellow apple, pear bolstered by a citrus/gooseberry undercurrent. It’s off-dry, so spicy foods are the ticket, but why not dry this out a bit next vintage and let it tell the story of its desert origins.Prices:| BC | $17.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Black Hills Alias 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is an aromatic white blend built around perfumed, off dry, orchard fruit, led by white peach, pear and kissed with lime peel and ginger spicing. The grapes are a bit of an Okanagan fruit salad.The ripeness and RS tugs this medium bodied wine down a bit; best enjoyed well chilled and with a papaya salad or prawn curry.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Fitzpatrick Runabout White 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom the winery's Greata Ranch estate, this year's Runabout White is a blend of 43/31/19/7 chardonnay/gewurztraminer/pinot blanc/riesling, fermented in stainless. Yellow apples, white peach, Asian pear drives this lightly off-dry blend, one that thankfully relies more on snappy, bright fruit and fine spices rather than sugar. Lovely crispness and tightness here, and welcome for cracking now with mussels, clams or south Asian flavours.Prices:| BC | $17.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
JP Azeitāo Moscatel Graúdo Fernāo Pires 2017
Alentejo, Central and Southern Portugal, PortugalClassic simple summer sipper from Portugal. The moscatel provides the perfume and a bit of mouthfeel, while the pires brings the freshness and lift to the palate. Serve well chilled as an apéritif for best effect.Prices:| MB | $10.50 | 750ml |
| AB | $12.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $10.79 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Silver Lining Estate White 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine over delivers for an aromatic white blend, in this case a mix gewürztraminer, riesling and ehrenfelser. Look for bright, juicy watery stone fruit flavours that jump from the glass. The attack is floral with hints of litchi fruit but all balanced by a crisp acidity. In a sea full of ordinary, aromatic whites this stands out. Winery direct or private wine shops.Prices:| BC | $16.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Alive Organic White 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCan’t say enough about the improvement in this aromatic vegan wine and label. It’s barely off-dry, blending kerner, pinot gris and gewürztraminer with a pinch of chardonnay and riesling. There’s a subtle note of orange propping up fresh orchard fruits in this clean, bright, uncomplicated and food-friendly white. Just abut any vegetarian dish will be happy to be in the company of this modest 11 percent alcohol wine. Well done.Prices:| BC | $18.50 | 750ml |
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18 September 2018
87PTS
Blasted Church Cabernet Franc 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThese grapes were hand harvested from the Ashe Vineyard in Osoyoos and the Suncrest Vineyard in Oliver, and underwent a five-day cold soak prior to fermentation. The skin contact lasted some 21 days before the wine was aged in a mix of 55/45 neutral French and American oak barrels for 18 months. Look for an open, expressive nose of earth and red berries with bits of sage and chocolate on this massive wine. The attack is soft and round with vanilla, black raspberry, cinnamon and dry crushed leaf notes. Shy, this most certainly is not, and boozy it certainly feels. Best with braised or grilled meats or any mushroom dish.Prices:| BC | $0.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Rust Wine Co. Cabernet Franc 2016
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRust Wine Co. opened a year ago, taking over what was Rustico Farm and Cellars for their tasting room, and focused on making small lot, single vineyard wines from across the Okanagan. This is from Okanagan Falls' Lost Horn Vineyard, and clone 01. Ripe, dense and full, with smoked tobacco, big black fruit and wood spice, reflective of the 13 months in French oak (20 percent of which is new). A ripe sweetness lingers on the sweetness, as does ragged / wooden tannins. This is a giant wine, with ample potency, but lacking finesse. Pair with grilled meats.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Grizzli Cabernet Franc 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine is at least as big as its overweight, monster bottle. The fruit is super ripe giving it a sweet nose of plums and blackberries. The palate is similar with smoky sweet black fruits dusted with brown spices and a savoury, dried herb, mineral undercurrent. Big and blowsy, this will appeal to a certain set that loves their reds ripe and rich. It's ready to drink, and the match would a roasted leg of lamb.Prices:| BC | $92.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Little Farm Winery Pied de Cuve Cabernet Franc 2017
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSourced from Similkameen's Blind Creek Vineyard, this was foot trodden and left on the skins for a native ferment for a couple of weeks before gentle pressing into stainless, where it remained for the following year. Brown tinged, cloudy, and balsamic imbued, this natural wine is not for everyone. In fact, the first time I tried it, at room temp, I promptly popped it in the fridge. A few hours later, improved, but still cloudy with brown spices, nutmeg, worn wood, wormwood, twinged with green and lingering with earthiness. Unlike Little Farm; will try another bottle in future.Prices:| BC | $31.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Harper's Trail Thadd Springs Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016
Kamloops, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine opens with an attractive, vibrant palate of mostly red fruits with a pleasant, savoury, undercurrent. The tone is floral raspberry with tobacco and dark cherries, all in a medium sized package that delivers. A non-blockbuster that is easy to like. Serve this with a veal chop for best results.Prices:| BC | $29.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Reserve Cabernet Franc 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Tinhorn Cabernet Franc comes with an addition of 15 percent merlot, the two main red grapes at the winery. The ’15 is dark and the attack is weighty and dense with vanilla, spice, licorice, black fruit and sagebrush notes. The palate is soft, and the wine tends to spill north and south as well as east and west spreading, chocolate, coffee, figgy fruit and spices everywhere. At three years of age it is only just beginning to find itself. Certainly, you could cellar this through 2021. The wine is fermented naturally, with extraction as needed over the thirty days of skin contact. All French oak (30 percent new) assures this wine will hold your interest. Serve now with Texas-style barbecue ribs.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
The Hatch Cabernet Franc 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2016 franc is not as captivating as the 2015, although the acidity is fresher. Just on the edge of lifted, the black raspberry fruit melds with a resinous backdrop flecked with pepper and dried tomato leaf. Funky to the finish, but ready to drink. Try this with grilled sausages.Prices:| BC | $33.60 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Narrative Cabernet Franc by Okanagan Crush Pad 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRetasted six months along. This was organic fruit sourced from Osoyoos and Golden Mile Bench, and was fermented and aged in concrete for nine months prior to bottling. Thorny, dusky plum, black raspberry, dark plum, wild thorns with lovely, lively peppery spice. Beauty shades of purple here, with lightly grippy tannins. Acidity lifts all. Lovely hands-off approach to cabernet franc.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
CedarCreek Amphora Wine Project Desert Ridge Cabernet Franc 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSoftly textured, yet with pixelated spices, this year's Amphora Wine Project is entirely cabernet franc, from the scrabbly soils of Desert Ridge vineyard in Osoyoos. This was native fermented, hand plunged and topped up with more of the same wine before it was sealed in a neutral, unlined clay amphora and left to sleep for eight months - no inputs or outtakes. Dusky dark cocoa, black raspberry, wild blueberry, mint, on a soft, downy and supple palate. Full bodied, but light footed, this is best when decanted and allowed space to open and stretch. Looking forward to more Projects from CC.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Bartier Bros. Cabernet Franc Cerqueira Vineyard 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis cabernet franc, from Black Sage Terrace's Cerqueira Vineyard, is splashed with 12 percent merlot, native fermented, on skins for 24 days and bottled unfined and unfiltered after a year in French oak. Ripe, soft and plush with plump blackberries, black plum, pipe tobacco and franc's characteristic herbaceousness. Tannins are velveteen, cushioning the sunbaked fruit to a warm, baking spice finish. If you like your big reds on the softer side, crack this.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $21.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Quinta Ferreira Cabernet Franc 2013
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAt five years old this wine is showing little age after spending 19 months in oak and considerably more time in bottle. The styling is Euro and drier, which gives it its own charm, but there is a fine thread of black cherry fruit and cedar throughout. There are still tannins to be dispersed but you can open this now with roasted meats, venison, strong cheeses, or cellar through 2022.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Château du Hureau Les Fevettes 2014
Saumur, Loire, FranceLes Fevettes is from the estate's oldest cabernet franc vineyard, planted in 1943 on deep clay and sand, and has been vinified separately since 1989. Organically farmed, this macerated on skins for approximately one month before spending two years in foudres and being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Satisfyingly alluring with savoury cured meats, baking spices, sultry five spice, dried violets with downy, soft clad tannins. Mulberry, dusky plum, perfumed cassis lingers on the finely textured finish.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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17 September 2018
90PTS
Blasted Church Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAn impressive effort in what turned out to be a warm 2017 vintage after a cool rainy start, remember the floods. The harvest is down twice: a September 20 pick that was whole cluster pressed into 23 percent French oak barrels and left on the lees for seven months. The second pick took place on September 28. The fruit was destemmed, pressed and fermented in stainless steel. There a some sémillon in the mix grown along the Northern shores of Osoyoos Lake adding richness and texture. This must be ranked among the top sauvignons made in BC now. Fresh, bright, herbal with bits of tropical fruit that carry through the guava, citrus lengthy finish. Mussels are a must but most any shellfish will taste better with this wine.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandDog Point is made in a more reductive, Burgundian style that gives this kiwi sauvignon a distinct perspective from its Marlborough peers. The nose is a moody, smoky, mix of juicy lime and lemongrass that spreads across the palate with medium weight and a very creamy texture. The finish is equally beguiling with a touch of nettle, yeast and minerality. Food friendly if you can wait for the food to get to the table. Drink or hold, there is no rush to drink this fine white under screwcap.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.25 | 750ml |
| SK | $38.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $36.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $26.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Blasted Church Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFeaturing their new labels, the 2017 sauvignon blanc is from their estate, picked in two separate picks. The first was whole cluster pressed before being racked to French oak barrels (23 percent new) for fermentation and lees aging for seven months. The second lot was destemmed before being pressed and fermented in stainless steel. These were then blended and bottled. Bracing, tight, lemony acidity, passionfruit, nettles is buffered a touch with some of that lees and oak, though still shines through to the end. Pithy citrus and guava lingers on the snappy finish. Reminiscent of Kiwi or Chile savvy, but distinctly BC, especially with the label of the naked angel sunning on Vancouver's Wreck Beach.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Emiliana Adobe Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Orgánico 2018
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, ChileAlways fresh and showy it’s difficult to find fault with a wine that is so inexpensive. Expect a clean, bright, fruity, organic sauvignon with a dash of ripeness. The attack is all citrus and grass, with a lick of jalapeno and passionfruit. There is superb value here in a sauvignon blanc that should terrify Kiwi producers selling the equivalent or less at twice the price.Prices:| AB | $12.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $13.15 | 750ml |
| NB | $12.79 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Allan Scott Family Winemakers Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandThis is classic Marlborough from the super bright, mouthwatering citrus overtones to the jalapeno, nettle, gooseberry aromas. The attack is follows the same path with dry, juicy, crisp, grapefruit, lemongrass and passion fruit flavours that persist through the finish. The fruit comes off a mix of Marlborough sites and its used to build a full palate of flavours. Most any shellfish work here, as well as creamy pasta sauces. Good value for the style.Prices:| BC | $19.49 | 750ml |
| NB | $18.75 | 750ml |
| NS | $24.79 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe vines, a mix of tow French clones are now ten+ years old and settling into the site and the wine just fine. The fermentation is with native yeast in a mix of stainless and French oak, the latter adding some weight and mouthfeel if clipping some freshness. Five months in stainless steel, foudre and puncheons builds intensity and richness mixing pears, citrus, white peaches all with a dash of spice. There’s just enough acid to take on fatter seafood dishes or at least those served with a butter sauce.Prices:| BC | $18.90 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
River Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaLove the way they weave ripeness of fruit into this sauvignon without making it simple. The grapes are grown just North of Oliver on the west side of the valley on sandy loam deposited during the last glaciation. Melon, passionfruit, guava and grapefruit carry the day in a very stylish rendition of this mineral stony sauvignon. Bravo. Try this with a favourite squid dish or steamed mussels.Prices:| BC | $21.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA blend of 10 and 11-year-old vines, and two French clones, this estate wine was whole cluster pressed and settled overnight before native fermentation in a mix of stainless and French oak. Post ferment, this remained on partial lees (the stainless lees was removed and reserved) for five months, and included time spent in stainless, foudre and puncheons. Always polished, this brings lemon curd, white blossoms, Asian pear, white peach to a finely spiced finish. There's a cut of bitter lemon that holds this 12 degrees wine to attention.Prices:| BC | $18.90 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bartier Bros. Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Oliver's Black Sage Terrace and its sandy loam on granite, this savvy was whole cluster pressed before five months in stainless steel and on lees. The lees work is evident here, pillowing the lemon, green apple, white peach, grapefruit to a zesty finish. This reminds me of coastal Chilean savvy, combining the sun-warmed ripeness of fruit with the freshness of the soils and site.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Singletree Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe latest iteration of Singletree sauvignon is fermented in stainless steel giving it a much fresher style with plenty of zippy citrus notes. The nose is a touch tropical with ripe melon notes mixed with grass and a skiff of green pepper. A nice upgrade in refreshing lightness that we didn’t see in the barrel fermented ’15. This would be perfect with pasta and butter clams or simple fish tacos or fish cakes to deal with the dry finish.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Haywire Free Form Natural and Unfiltered White 2016
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTasted again a half year along. This is an orange wine (skin contact white) from Summerland's Waters & Banks Vineyard, fermented native in stainless, where it remained on the skins for nine months before being pressed and left to rest for two months prior to bottling. Medicinal orange, tangerine, hops, white cherry are expressed along the textural and grippy palate, tied with herbal citrus oils and lingering with ample spices, flake salts. This has really come together in the past few months, showing once again that Matt Dumayne's textural wines benefit from time in bottle.Prices:| BC | $34.90 | 750ml |
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14 September 2018
89PTS
Tinhorn Creek The Creek 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIt took 23 years to release a flagship red at Tinhorn Creek, The Creek, but CEO and former winemaker Sandra Oldfield decided 2014 would be the year. The blend is a mix of vines from six to twenty years, grown on the home Golden Mile Vineyard site and across the valley at Black Sage. The mix is 53/19/17/9/2 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. The cabernet sauvignon dominated red is partially wild fermented and aged for two years in French and Hungarian barrels. Global warming has inspired winemaker Andrew Windsor to take a chance on the later ripening cabernet sauvignon to give The Creek a strong, linear edge which, has been achieved with 2014. The soft entry devolves into a mineral, salty, nutty, blueberry fruit-laden palate. A touch softer and more approachable than the complex 2015 sample I tasted, but it is still a solid start. For now, roasted meats or a grilled steak is you best bet, or simply wait five years for the final outcome.Prices:| BC | $55.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $75.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $75.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $75.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bodegas Vetus Flor de Vetus Verdejo 2016
Rueda, Castilla-Leon, SpainThis verdejo come out of the DOs of Toro and Rueda, and from old bushvines grown at 800-930 metres above sea level in sandy soils. Simple winemaking and stainless-steel tanks lead to a fresh, intense nose of citrus fruits that persists from the front of the palate to the back. A perfect mid-week seafood wine for clams, oysters or mussels.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $20.66 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2015
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesSokol Blosser is family owned and operated now by the second-generation Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser. The estate pinot is tasty mix of fresh ripe raspberries, black cherries with a dusting of white pepper, cedar and black tea. The tannins are in line with silky texture but suggest this will age three-to-five years in the bottle. Wild salmon is the match but Ahi tuna, duck and or pork will all work according to the family.Prices:| BC | $39.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $39.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $39.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $39.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Poplar Grove The Legacy 2014
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is an excellent follow up to the 2013, and the best tannin-managed Legacy yet. It’s never a powerhouse, which is a plus in my estimation, but the challenge is to get more than just a hedonistic bent because its the layering and complexity that will take this to another level, and closer to its asking price. The blend is dominated by cabernet franc at 44 percent with 24/24/4/4 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, and petit verdot in turn. It’s at its savoury best in 2014 with an almost voluptuous entry of black fruit, dried leaves, licorice and sagebrush. A stylish red that just leaves me only wanting more in the finish. Drink now or hold three to five years.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $56.99 | 750ml |
| SK | $47.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Pirramimma Ironstone Petit Verdot 2015
McLaren Vale, South Australia, AustraliaThis is an absolute giant of a red wine from the Fleurieu District in McLaren Vale. It's entirely petit verdot, a variety that used to ripen in Bordeaux once a decade, but that obviously has no issues with achieving ripeness in McLaren Vale, especially at Pirramimma where they have a great feeling for this variety. The wine spends 24 months in a mix of French and American oak that seems to have little effect on the boisterous, spicy, blackberry, boysenberry and black olive flavours that swarm your palate. As big as it is, the tannins are dense and rich with polished edges. It needs a decade for the patient, but I can see folks grilling steaks and washing it all down with this blockbuster this weekend.Prices:| BC | $59.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $61.53 | 750ml |
| SK | $62.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $65.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Parés Baltà Indigena Garnatxa 2015
Penedès, Catalunya (Catalonia Cataluña), SpainIf you don’t like wine, this wine is not for you. That should spell it out. The Indigena Garnatxa (or garnacha, or grenache), begins its story with organic fruit. After a simple ferment it goes into seasoned French oak for a short time to allow the wine to breathe and the fruit to sing. The result is a juicy, wild fruit nose that carries on to a medium-weight palate and right through the finish. It’s both floral and mineral and super easy to drink. Whole roasted chicken seems right here.Prices:| BC | $29.91 | 750ml |
| AB | $27.61 | 750ml |
| SK | $30.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $30.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $21.95 | 750ml |
| NS | $27.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Region del Valle Central, ChileExpect a vibrant, fruity nose of blueberry, blackberry and blackcurrant, with pipe tobacco and savoury boldo the latter being the South American version of garrigue. This 2015 is much more refined than previous outings, led by the wood fading into the background, and an alcohol level capped at a respectable 14 degrees. The fruit is a mix of Rapel and Colchagua Valleys, with 10 percent merlot to soften the edges. Only 55 percent of the wine was aged in older French oak for one year. Still firm and with tannins to disperse but nothing a steak won’t deal with. Modern and fresh, this is a good one and getting better in the bottle.Prices:| BC | $23.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $27.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $23.02 | 750ml |
| NS | $22.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $28.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Napa Valley, California, United StatesAnother stellar vintage in Napa Valley gives us this delicious 78/15/3/2/2 mix of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, malbec and cabernet franc from Phelps vineyards in South Napa, Oak Knoll District, St. Helena, Rutherford, and Stags Leap District. It seems to easily soak up the 40 percent new oak, leaving a dark, inky red with intense, sweet, black fruit. You taste the small berries and loose cluster intensity, yielding sweet mulberries, plums, anise and dense, rich, soft tannins. It’s the layers and complexity that sets this apart from the norm, and what you pay the premium for. An impressive young cabernet that will only get better. If you must drink it now the match is rare T-bone steak.Prices:| BC | $125.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $121.95 | 750ml |
| MB | $151.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $125.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $116.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Black Label Claret Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
California, United StatesThis aptly name Claret is light in style with the emphasis on plums and blueberries and a touch of licorice and floral notes in the finish. The blend has evolved to cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and petit sirah, the later two, challenging the claret designation. One year in French oak brings structure, but like last year, the overall impression is of a simple, light, fruity red that is ready to drink now.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $32.32 | 750ml |
| MB | $35.99 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Argiano Solengo 2015
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, ItalyThe 2015 vintage gets the buy sign across Tuscany, and Argiano built in 1858 on a hilltop just southwest of Montalcino, is no exception. Solengo is a Super Tuscan blend of 50/30/15/5 cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot and sangiovese, packed full of power but still offering a certain amount of Tuscan restraint in a California-meets-Tuscany style. That said, 2015 is an in-your-face vintage and bursting with savoury, ripe, black fruit and spicy, tobacco notes. This wine continues to show constant improvement over the last decade and is certainly a candidate for five to seven more years in the cellar. Serve now with rustic meat dishes.Prices:| BC | $93.57 | 750ml |
| AB | $91.47 | 750ml |
| SK | $95.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $95.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Sette Ponti Crognolo 2015
Tuscany, ItalyAnother rich sangiovese. This one with ten percent merlot is barrique-aged and from the acclaimed 2015 vintage, needs another five years to settle into itself. Despite the tannin and austerity there is a tangy freshness with spicy, cherry, earthy, tobacco notes that should ensure cellar time. A wild look at sangiovese you could serve now with grilled meats and mushrooms, but three to five years ageing would be a good plan too.Prices:| BC | $39.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $34.95 | 750ml |
| AB | $37.50 | 750ml |
| QC | $30.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $45.99 | 750ml |
| SK | $40.99 | 750ml |
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13 September 2018
91PTS
Meyer Family Vineyards Chardonnay Stevens Block Old Main Road Vineyard 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom one of BC's top Chardonnay producers, this single vineyard, Naramata Bench white has a ripe and generous mid, with searing lemon, chalk, heady pear, and downy, cloud-plush lees. There's a lick of reduction that works to counter the ripe fruit sweetness to welcome effect. Give this youthful wine time to breath now, or better yet, cellar for a couple of years. This from the coolest part of the Old Main Road vineyard in Naramata, around 350m and planted to Wente 4 and 5, and on alluvial deposits / silt loam overlaying clay. This spent four months on fine lees in stainless, and with full MLF.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Little Farm New-ish Oak Chardonnay 2016
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRound and generous mid, but with a snap of focused acidity, this well highlights the calcium carbonate laced soils of Cawston's Mulberry Tree Vineyard, the organic home property of Little Farm Winery. Lemon, lees, verbena is stretched across a long palate, buffered by time in wood, but aloft with that aforementioned acidity, lemon pixellated and intense. The wood will be better integrated with time, though this was tasting lovely on the day after opening now. A cuvée to keep an eye on in future. Tiny production. Winery direct.Prices:| BC | $45.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Harper's Trail Thadd Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2016
Kamloops, British Columbia, CanadaExpect a fresh, vibrant nose with a riot of tropical fruits including pineapple, mango, and guava. There is a crispness here and a lick of garlic lees to fight off the ripe, sweet fruit that flattens out the wine in the back end. A drier version would be perfect. A fun sipper you can serve with a spicy sushi roll.Prices:| BC | $17.90 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay 2016
Padthaway, South Australia, AustraliaA lot has been said about brands and some of it well deserved but not all brands are equal, and you can experience it with this Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay. It’s not your parents chardonnay but rather a much fresher, more focused version that reflects many of the changes that have been going on in Australian chardonnay. Less oak, bright green apple fruit with a swath of orange and even a pinch of minerality is about all you can ask for $15.95. Try this with a fish or chicken burger.Prices:| BC | $15.49 | 750ml |
| AB | $16.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $17.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $16.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $15.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $16.45 | 750ml |
| NS | $18.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Meyer Chardonnay 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Meyer Chardonnay is a blend of estate fruit from McLean Creek Road (planted 1994) in Okanagan Falls and Old Main Road (1996) in Naramata, as well as a vineyard on Anarchist Mountain. Sixty percent of this saw time in stainless, with the remainder in neutral French oak for four months. Rich and buttery (full MLF), leading cream, lemon curd, pear, lime blossom. Ripe, rich, and full, this is a bit plumper than the rest of their snappy, tidy, progressive portfolio.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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12 September 2018
90PTS
Colognola Via Condotto Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2017
Marche, ItalyWe love verdicchio in a general sense but when I see one under screwcap, well it's hard to resist. Cardboard free and ready to sing this Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is a perfect example of the genre from its straw yellow colour to its bright, fresh, floral nose. The palate is vaguely herbal with a mix of stony, fresh orchard and yellow fruits flecked with green figs and citrus. Taut enough to work with food but rich enough to take on most flavours it’s a dinner table winner. Chill, twist, and serve with a favourite vegetarian dish or local shellfish. Real wine and solid value too. Delicious.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Viognier +10/10 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe LS viognier has always been a rich, open, blousy style and the 2017 is no exception. This wine is all about rich, peach flavours dotted with melon and orange. Barriques and concrete eggs have given it plentiful texture that soaks up a bit of the fruit richness and alcohol lending it a sense of balance that you might not expect. The finish is long and persistent with bits of ginger ale and candied orange. Perfect for a favourite curry.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Van Westen Vineyards Viognier 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Van Westen viognier vines are closing in on 15 years at both the Orlando and Granite Ridge Vineyards along the Naramata Bench. The winery barrel ferments the fruit in six to ten-year-old neutral French oak barrels for five months. The result is a fuller, lush, style with plenty of peach and apricot fruit with a touch of lime. Near the end some mineral, floral honeysuckle notes linger. Despite the ripe fruit the style is tightening up offering more restraint. Try this with lamb tagine with apricots.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Black Hills Viognier 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRich, ripe and round, plumped with ginger ale, pear, honey and apricot. There is acidity here, thankfully, to meet viognier's inherent generosity. The finish is snappy with lime pith, holding all tight and encouraging another glass. Great typicity of grape and place this year; well done.Prices:| BC | $24.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
JoieFarm En Famille Reserve Gewurztraminer 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is an estate gew, from JoieFarm's Naramata Bench vineyard, and planted to clones 643 and 47. Styled by Alsace, but distinctly orchard bench, this was destemmed, gently crushed and soaked in the press for six hours before activation. A higher must ferment temperature was used to draw as much of the rose petal and ginger possible from the grapes. Fermentation was stopped cold before the wine went totally dry, and the wine was then stored on fine lees on stainless for ten months. As with all the reserve tier wines, this spent an additional year in bottle before release. Full and expansive with said roses and ginger, cold cream, lush peach, marmalade and sultry mandarin blossoms, but all the while threaded with a wire of acidity. This is certainly a richer, fuller style, and fully embracing it, winningly.Prices:| BC | $27.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Interloper Gewurztraminer 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPlanted in 1996 on the south field of the home Greata Ranch estate, this had an extended hang time before fermenting long, slow and cool over 25 days. Filled with apricot, white peach, pear and a garden of pink florals. Grapefruit laced acidity balances the sun-built RS, and holds through a spicy gingersnap finish. Lovely, varietally-pure, without heft, gew.Prices:| BC | $24.50 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Mt. Boucherie Gewürztraminer 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 is a fresher brighter version made with fruit that comes off the South Okanagan’s Golden Mile Bench paired with a small portion of fruit picked near Cawston in the Similkameen Valley. The style is just off-dry but with enough freshness to keep from wandering off the job. Look for a mix of litchi, rose petals, ginger, orange notes in a cleaner style that we applaud. This is a fun wine to serve with turkey or spicy appetizers.Prices:| BC | $18.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Surrau Branu Vermentino 2016
Sardinia, ItalyWhen you look at the light, yellow hues you think this wine is past its due date but of course it’s not even close. It sweeps across the palate both with authority and intensity signaling a quality version of this versatile grape. The plate is mix of citrus, white pepper, green apple floral notes with salty mineral undercurrents with just a slight bitter hint of almond. Delicate, refreshing but substantial enough to stand up to a variety of seafood and complex vegetarian dishes.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $21.95 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Black Tower Rivaner 2017
GermanyThis Rivaner or Müller-Thurgau is cool fermented to bring out its fresh fruit flavours. The nose is aromatic with notes of almonds and pears. The palate is all about citrus and passionfruit with a touch of orange. Simple clean and just off-dry it offers fair value and it’s ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $13.49 | 750ml |
| AB | $12.00 | 750ml |
| NLL | $13.87 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Meyer Gewurztraminer 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is always a leaner, streamlined gew, welcomed in a region that can easily sun-bloat the grape’s inherent expansiveness. Thanks to their estate 1994 plantings (with German cuttings) and gravel/sandy soils, this remains one of the more interesting expressions in Canada. This was picked numerous times: the first was whole bunch pressed, and the latter picks destemmed, lightly crushed and left on skins for a full day before pressing. All were combined and underwent a long (5 week), cool native ferment in stainless and older French oak. The wine rested three months on lees before bottling. Gooseberry, rambutan, cantaloupe, apricot and fine rasp ginger spice quickly fill the medium-bodied frame, one plumped by lees time. I wish more BC folks treated gew with the attention MFV does.Prices:| BC | $18.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
The Hatch Life Cycle of a Hobo 2017
East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWe thought this wine was impressive last year and its nothing less in 2017. Made from thirty-year-old müller-thurgau from a single vineyard in East Kelowna it captures the essence of this early-ripening perfumed varietal that was planted in favour of riesling back in the day when many thought riesling wouldn’t ripen. Love the bright crisp fruit here that frames the wines and keeps it from wandering off at the edges. Peach, apricot and green fruit all combine to give this white considerable intensity before a dry finish. Fun with food too.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 29 Bluebird Passage Viognier 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA pair of viognier clones combine to makes this unoaked version of Viognier. It has a light juicy quality that attracts, especially if you prefer that over the big rich perfumed oak-fermented and aged versions of viognier. Look for a fresh, stony, orchard fruit nose and palate with a light-ish peachy tangerine undercurrent with a ginger ale finish. The fruit comes off the cooler western area of Osoyoos and the wine is ready to drink. Try this with Pad Thai.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Hester Creek Old Vines Block 16 Trebbiano 2017
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe sole trebbiano from the Okanagan Valley, the 2017 Hester Creek Old Vines comes off a vineyard that is now 50-years-old. This one is similar to the 2016, richer and expressive, but still pinned with a bright string of acidity and textural spices and layers from these old vines. Whole-bunch pressed, cool settled and fermented in stainless at cool temperatures for four months. Light honeysuckle tickles yellow pear, Asian pear, melon and citrus, all layered with downy lees to a lingering, spiced finish. Best enjoyed at slightly warmer temperature, when it can really show off in the glass. Richer in mouthfeel, like Rhone whites, but with the citrus snap of trebbiano, this is unique in the world.Prices:| BC | $23.95 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Singletree Winery Sieggie 2017
Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFruity and floral, this off-dry, Fraser Valley grown siegerrebe is a fruit salad of peaches, pears, apricots and limes on a light (11.5 degree) with a spritzy palate. Acidity is almost bright enough to hold the sweetness, ample as it is. Refreshing for brunch or lighter fruit desserts. Chill well.Prices:| BC | $18.50 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Summerhill Vineyard Grüner Veltliner Organic Vegan 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaYou don’t see lot of grüner veltliner in BC but it’s coming in dribs and drabs and I have little doubt it will establish itself as a curiosity at the least, if not a rarity, worth tracking down. This biodynamically certified white has a deeper colour than I would like but its naturally made and I’m guessing with little to no sulphur. Expect a richer entry with cloudy notes of salt and pepper, citrus and minerality. The palate is dry and weighty with an Italian almond-like bitter finish. Its unique and for a first try worth investigating. One thing is for sure this is the real thing not a lot of intervention. Sablefish might be the best match.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Tyrrell's HVD Single Vineyard Hunter Semillon 2010
Pokolbin, Hunter, New South Wales, AustraliaWhat’s not to admire here from the nutty, mineral, grassy, grapefruit, quince nose to its crisp, delicate, passion fruit, grapefruit, nectarine, lime, nutty flavours. It’s still youthful and showing fine delicacy and freshness but there are hints of lanolin and cashew not far off preparing to take over for the next 30 to 40 years. The texture is building across the palate and the food possibilities are endless. Bravo.Prices:| BC | $36.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Villa Locatelli Friulano 2016
Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ItalyFriulano is a signature varietal from the region that in the glass the locals affectionately call “tajut”. The colour is a touch yellow, the nose a mix of wild flowers and grass with hints of almond. The palate is smooth and medium bodied with waxy, honey, ripe melon, yellow apple, and ripe nectarine fruit interrupted by an herbal and light almond bitterness on the finish. A rare wine that works with light soups, or more normally, rustic charcuterie plates.Prices:| BC | $17.79 | 750ml |
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10 September 2018
90PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Qwam Qwmt (reserve) syrah continues to impress as the vines age and the winemaking is refined. There is plenty of heft but with a certain unexpected elegance, through rich, savoury, black fruit and pepper, to the sagebrush scented finish. The textures and tannins are rounded to allow for early-drinking, but this wine is built to age another decade and it will only get better.Prices:| BC | $54.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Black Hills Syrah 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2016 growing season got off to a great start under record heat, but eventually, temperatures subsided, and the season lengthened to the advantage of the syrah. Less bacon fat and white pepper is the story in 2016, making this wine more fun to drink for syrah aficionados. Floral, with black and blue fruits, the soft, supple tannin carries the flavours on a long ride to the back of the palate. It is more hedonistic than complex; there is an acidic twang on the back end than needs to be fully integrated into the wine with three to five more years of bottle age. Love the 13.9 percent alcohol that doesn’t dominate the wine.Prices:| BC | $39.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bartier Bros. Syrah Cerqueira Vineyard 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaGrown on the Black Sage Terrace's Cerqueira Vineyard, this deep, moody, juicy, syrah was fermented with ten percent whole clusters, on native yeast in neutral French oak barrels. The result is a vibrancy of fruit flavours including blueberry, black cherry and even some wild blackberry flecked with savoury, peppery tobacco notes. The finish is floral and mineral just adding to its drinkability factor. Drink or hold; you can do both with this elegant edition.Prices:| BC | $30.34 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah +11/10 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAlways consistent, the 2016 LS syrah is something special. The fruit is all out of the Perfect Hedge vineyard in Osoyoos, and the style, they say, “is inspired by Côte Rôtie in Northern Rhone.” The blend is 95/5 syrah/viognier although you doesn’t feel much of the viognier in 2016. Some 22 percent is fermented and aged in French oak puncheons adding lush, silky tones to this boisterous red. Look for ripe blueberry, Bing cherry and black raspberry with a dusting of white pepper and minerals. This needs a decade of cellaring to reach perfection, but don’t worry, there is plenty of fruit for the journey.Prices:| BC | $36.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Pirramimma Low Trellis Ironstone Shiraz 2015
McLaren Vale, South Australia, AustraliaThe Oz style is all about fruit and softness. In this case, it's rich red plums and sassy mulberry fruit with a dusting of vanilla. On the palate the wine is expansive but vibrant with more dark plums, blackberries, and flecks of milk chocolate. The finish is substantial, with soft spice and a very light pepper tone, compared to Rhone or BC. A hedonistic style of shiraz with balance, this will age for a decade. Some 40 percent of this shiraz spends 28 months in new French oak and American oak, but thanks to the high fruit factor the tannins are kept well in check. A roast leg of lamb would be the ticket here.Prices:| BC | $59.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Langmeil Shiraz Valley Floor 2015
Barossa Valley, South Australia, AustraliaThree months down the road there is a touch more pepper creeping into this rich and sweet-scented oak aged shiraz from the Barossa. Six generations of farming give us fleshy, silky, valley floor shiraz that packed full of potent black fruit and sweet blueberries lined with cracked pepper to the finish. It’s an older style with some acidity poking through the back end, but it’s still admired by many. Smoky, charred meat from the grill is the match here to take on the alcohol and weight of the Barossa fruit.Prices:| BC | $33.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $35.99 | 750ml |
| SK | $33.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $27.50 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Rust Wine Co. Syrah 2016
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRust Wine Co. opened a year ago, taking over Rustico Farm and Cellars for their tasting room, and making small lot, single-vineyard wines from around the Okanagan. Roast meats meet lavender potpourri in this giant red, grown on the Black Sage Bench. Restrained, this is not, instead of going for a big, punchy, earthy, rooty, herbal red, floated by coffee, creamed corn, and pitch to a warm finish. I appreciate waxed tops on some wines, not when I have to spend a while chipping off a thick cap of soft wax only to find another wax-tipped topped cork underneath. Not so user-friendly, unless you need a big bruiser red to partner with your grilled beef.Prices:Read Full Note
92PTS
Nichol Vineyard Old Vines Syrah 2015
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSavoury, structural, singular with wild blackberry, thorns, peppercorns and a lick of anise, all interwoven with Nichol's characteristic duskiness, unhurried palate and understated charm. Tannins are firm, but sueded, housing the pure black fruit but never overwhelming it. A swell of medicinal tobacco cherry lingers on the lengthy finish. This is the oldest syrah in Canada, planted in 1990/91 on granite bedrock at the end of the Naramata Bench. After destemming, this fermented on skins in large open top fermenters before being basket pressed to neutral French barrique. After aging time in neutral barrique and puncheons, this was bottled unfined and unfiltered. In youth now, this is a quiet wine that will reward with cellaring.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Nichol Vineyard Syrah Nate's Vineyard 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaNate's Syrah is Nichol's younger vine estate syrah, named for the owners' son, and planted in 2010 on granite bedrock and glacial till. This is a fresh, jubilant, savoury wine for drinking now while you hold the Old Vines Syrah in your cellar. After destemming the fruit, half was pressed after a five day cold soak while the remainder fermented on the skins. Both lots aged in neutral French barrique until the following spring, when it was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Shepherds pie and wild black cherry are structured with herbal detailing and scented with dusky floral violets to a persistent fine peppery note on the lengthy, perfumed finish. A charmer.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Road 13 Syrah Malbec 2016
British Columbia, CanadaThe grippy, pepperiness, of this syrah is tempered with the fruity lushness and blue lift of malbec. This year's vintage is also seasoned with 11.5 percent petit verdot, and 2 percent viognier, primarily sourced from Similkameen's Blind Creek Vineyard, with a smaller fraction from their estate Okanagan vineyards. Sweet blueberry, violets are threaded through the cassis and wild blackberry fruit, ripely lush on the palate and propped by soft tannins. The finish is pastille sweetened espresso. I believe that less is more, whereas this is still in the more is more camp.Prices:| BC | $32.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Shiraz 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIn some ways Mission Hill reminds me a bit of Robert Mondavi back in the day. They don’t make any mistakes at the winery, as exemplified by this reserve shiraz made in the Australian spirit: dense, rich and showy. The nose is open and bright, the style rich and hedonistic with pepper, blackberries, sweet plums and even some light floral notes. Weighty and dense, this requires a powerful menu item to match the richness and length. Can’t wait to see this in 2025. For now, barbecue pork.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $28.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $27.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $28.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $27.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Le Vieux Pin Syrah Cuvée Violette 2016
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAmply floral, as the name suggests, with perfumed violet, blackberry, potpourri, baked plum, and black peppery spicing. Cofermenting this mix of 11-16 year old Golden Mile Bench, Black Sage Bench, North Oliver fruit with 2.6 percent viognier just ups the perfume power. The mouthfeel is plush and the tannins silky smooth, with just a sense of black peppery grip. This spent 14 months in French oak, 15 percent of which was new, and it was bottled unfined and lightly filtered. This year feels softer and rounder than the previous edition.Prices:| BC | $26.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Sunrock Vineyard Shiraz 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom a warm site in a warm year, this has been well handled. The attack has a sense of freshness along with a signature savoury, peppercorn nose. It spends a year in French and American oak adding some extra weight and tannins, that at this point present a touch hard. The attack is rich in black fruit, be it cherries or raspberries with some nervous acidity poking through the back end. Not as rich as you might expect, this will need time to shed some tannins before it's fully ready to drink. Lamb would be a good choice if you must open it early.Prices:| BC | $27.49 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 23 Crosswinds Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Terroir Collection is all about meso-climate and place, and the top three percent of estate fruit as hand-selected by winemaker Darryl Brooker. This syrah is named after the crosswinds that pass across the lakes and up and down the valley as well as the crossing of the high desert and lakes. Elegance and power describe this delicious wine available to Mission Hill Wine Club members. Black cherries and sagebrush with pepper and olive tapenade stuff this wine full of flavour and density but with a sense of elegance. Love the tannin management, and the potential here to go long. Very impressive refinement, capturing the site and the power but with all the elegance. Cellar through 2024 with ease.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah +11/10 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Perfect Hedge vineyard in southern Osoyoos, this stylish wine blends 95% Syrah with 5% Viognier, to classic affect. This gives the nose a floral lift and softens the warming pepper note ever so slightly before a sweet salami, violet, plush blackberry core. Tannins are sticky, and the fruit potent, sticking the lingering finish with traces of pipe tobacco. Nearly one quarter of this wine was fermented in French oak, and all of it was aged in French oak (36 percent new) for 16 months. Big wine, matched by big beef dishes now.Prices:| BC | $36.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Volcanic Hills Syrah 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is a solid effort made in the juicy, red fruit style. The nose and palate are all about light, smoky, earthy, meaty, cherry fruit with a touch of twang in the finish. There’s some dry notes and touch of coffee in the back end, but nothing that grilled lamb chops or a beef stir fry can’t deal with. Solid.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Dirty Laundry Vineyard Kay - Syrah 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPerfumed violet, meaty, musk notes fill this full-bodied syrah, propped up with cloves, mince, and pepper. The palate is a soft pillow of blackberry jam, cassis, sweet salami, milk chocolate and lingering pink peppercorn, tugged in at the sides with light tannins. It's cofermented with five percent viognier skins to add some perfumed notes to this ample red.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Hillside Syrah 2015
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2015 Hillside Syrah, from Hidden Valley Vineyard in Naramata, expresses attractive black raspberry and cinnamon spiked with a touch of espresso. There is an elegance in this warm year, ripening the fruit but only yielding 13 percent alcohol. There is seven percent viognier in the mix to add some floral tones to this red that spends nine months in used and new (26 percent) French oak barrels. Blanced, silky and supple, it is a perfect accompaniment to grilled lamb, sausages and powerful cheeses.Prices:| BC | $26.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Moon Curser Syrah 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSmoked meats, dried violets, potent black licorice fills the palate of this Osoyoos syrah, entirely from Bartsch Vineyard. Sun-ripened sweetness dominates, followed by hard pressed tannins, reflective of fermentation in oak and stainless, followed by aging in mostly Hungarian oak. That eastern European spiciness is evident throughout, as are the rustic edges not nearly filled out by the perfumed violets and vanilla that stick on the pasty finish. Overt and potent, from a hot year.Prices:| BC | $23.39 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bartier Bros. Syrah Cerqueira Vineyard 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Black Sage Terrace's Cerqueira Vineyard, this deep, dusky syrah was ten percent whole cluster, native ferment in neutral French oak barrels. After 14 months in wood, this was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Blueberry, blackberry, black cherry jam is infiltrated with thorns, pipe tobacco, peppery spicing, perfumed musk and dried violets. There's a lovely hint of feldspar, manganese throughout this wine. Tannins are plush, as is the full body, finishing with a flush of warmth.Prices:| BC | $30.34 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets 2015
Crozes Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceThe name ‘Jalets’ derives from ‘galets’, the Old French for the pebbles left behind by the glaciers that sit below the 25 to 35-year-old vines. The fruit is approximately 30 percent domain (including 10 percent from the single-vineyard Les Jalets and 20 percent from Domaine de Thalabert). It’s all aged in 15,000-liter, tronconique vats and upright neutral barrels. Opening with a meaty, earthy, salty cranberry nose, the attack is soft with simple, red fruit flavours. It an easy-sipping, early drinking style. Best with a savoury roasted chicken.Prices:| BC | $38.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $26.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $26.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $26.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $27.85 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 2015
Crozes Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FrancePaul Jaboulet purchased the 40 hectare Thalabert site, the oldest single vineyard of the appellation, in 1834. Over the ages it has proven to be an excellent syrah site and I can attest from my cellar it has a great ability to age in bottle. Today the pebbly terraces that support the 60 to 80-year-old-vines are farmed biodynamically and the yields are impressively low, at the best of times in the 25/30 hl/ha range. The modern Thalabert sees only 20 percent new oak and most years it’s a wine for collectors. The 2015 is a very fine bottle and should not be missed. Many have compared it to the stellar 2010 but I feel the structure is even more enticing, and the wine more pure. I don’t know if we can do this in BC but we should try to get this form. The blackcurrant fruit, the earthy truffle notes, the seamless structure and dusty, floral, chalky finish scream class. Great with roast turkey, or mushroom risotto.Prices:| BC | $56.99 | 750ml |
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97PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 2015
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceI’ve been lucky to taste some great bottles of Hermitage La Chapelle over my lifetime, including the 1961, 1978, 1990, 2009 and the 2010, but it is clear the 2015 will easily rank among the best some twenty years from now. This syrah comes with all the pedigree of its outstanding site on the top of the hill of Hermitage. The tannins are rich, firm and dense but with some polish, suggesting they will age gracefully, allowing collectors to open a bottle or two along the way to measure the wine's progress. It’s concentrated but with a streak of acidity/minerality/stones to keep it taut and focused. Floral black fruits, pepper, black olive, all in a spare manner. Understatement, freshness and length add up to a wine that will be worth the wait a decade or two from now. Try to find a way to put a couple of bottles down today.Prices:| BC | $335.99 | 750ml |
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07 September 2018
90PTS
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2014
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy2014 is all about elegance, from its moderate alcohol of 14 percent to its early drinkability. Cool nights extended the growing season, lending an aromatic edge to this “Super Tuscan,” 60/20/20 blend of sangiovese, merlot and sagrantino. It’s grown at 400 metres above sea level in Trequanda, Fattoria del Collea, on hilly limestone, sandstone and sea sand soils. Look for spicy, vibrant red fruits with a firm, acid tannin balance and a long dry finish suggesting it can take on a variety of rich dishes or easily spend a decade more in the cellar. A rare bargain in BC.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $39.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Lungarotti Ilbio 2015
Umbria, ItalyIlbio is an organic red made with sagrantino grapes, but outside of the Montefalco DOCG it is known as an Umbria IGT Rosso. The vines are high density over a medium, clay mixture with a light amount of stones. It spends ten months in 30 Hl casks followed by six months in bottle, and the result is sensational. Juicy and vibrant, its silky textures spill across the palate packed full of liquorice, cinnamon, pipe tobacco and delicious vibrant, jammy balsamic fruit. Love the balance and elegance of this rich red, one with ageing potential. A perfect wine for richer mushroom dishes.Prices:| BC | $31.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
G. D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba 2016
Piedmont, ItalyG.D. Vajra was established in 1972 and named after Aldo Vaira's father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra. Aldo's wines are all about pristine flavours. The fruit grows at some 400 metres above sea level in the village of Vergne in the commune of Barolo. Considered a traditionalist, Vaira balances old-style winemaking methods with modern techniques, namely temperature-controlled ferments. Vajra Barbera d’Alba comes from a variety of Vajra estate vineyards, belonging to three different geological ages: Tortonian, Serravallian and Messinian. Each parcel is individually fermented for an average time of 15 to 20 days with atypical gentle punch downs and cap rinsing for longer periods. It’s aged a minimum of 12 months, mostly in stainless steel vats, with a minimum contribution aged in French oak between five to ten percent. Violets rule the roost of this spicy, almost rich red berry fruit wine that spills across the palate with elegance. Drink now with classic steak tartare or cellar there to five years.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Feudo Maccari Nero d'Avola 2016
Sicily, ItalyA savoury, soft red-fruited red with an appealing nose and an even more appealing texture. The fruit is from 17 to 39-year-old bush vines that grow little more than a kilometer from the Mediterranean. The attack is round, juicy and fresh with ripe cherry fruit flecked with liquorice and dried herbs and a perfect amount of acidity. Think lamb stew or chops or a favourite pork dish. Killer value here.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $19.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $15.92 | 750ml |
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06 September 2018
90PTS
Quails' Gate Riesling B.M.V. 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of Quails' Gate's small-lot Collector Series, the BMV signifies Boucherie Mountain Vineyard, the location of their historic BC estate. This wine, however, mixes estate riesling clone 21B with clone 49 grown in East Kelowna. Native fermented for two months in neutral oak barrels, this off-dry wine snaps with green apple acidity, drawing pear, quince, gooseberry, on a narrow palate, bedded with a slick of RS. Big jump up in complexity from their standard riesling, and hopefully a trend the winery will continue following.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
JoieFarm En Famille Reserve Riesling 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaJuicy and mouthwatering, this year's riesling is from the old block of St. Hubertus Vineyard in Kelowna, planted in 1978. After a cool, two-week ferment in stainless, this was left on the lees in stainless for six months before bottling. The RS is offset by a lacey, lemon/lime sherbet acidity, sharpening pear flesh, ripe apricot, white peach on a cold-cream coated palate. Mid-sweet, this finishes with a lingering spice.Prices:| BC | $27.90 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards The Lookout Riesling 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis blends estate Greata Ranch grown fruit from Block 8, along with grapes from Kelowna's Mannhardt Vineyard. This plays the line between sweet and sour very well, offsetting zesty limey acidity with potent yellow apple, Asian pear, honeyed pear and a super juicy, ripe core. This has a long, cool 30+ day fermentation in stainless to preserve fruit purity. A lovely, quenching, medium-bodied, off-dry style to enjoy now.Prices:| BC | $24.50 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWow. Tantalus has made a name for itself for their rieslings, both the jubilant and joyous young vines, and this, the stately, structural and savoury Old Vines Riesling, from 1978 estate plantings. This is not about fruit, but about place. Savoury is an understatement, with broken stones, pear skin, apricot kernel and ample texture, bracketed by lime pith and currents of acidity. This was fermented to near dry, leaving 8 g/l RS to counter the high acidity. Drinking so well now, but this wine was built for 10+ years. Cellar.Prices:| BC | $30.35 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tantalus Riesling 2017
East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTantalus makes two table wine rieslings annually: this, the juicy younger, lip-smaking and imminently likable riesling sourced from a variety of estate blocks, and the Old Vines Riesling, which is a more savoury, serious, structural model. This is off-dry and jubilantly so, with lime pulp, pear pulp, apricot on a seriously quenching, medium bodied palate. Acidity is electric, and able to easy carry the 16.5 g/L RS. Lovely, expressive, energetic riesling for drinking now or over the short term. En Pointe, Tantalus.Prices:| BC | $19.91 | 750ml |
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05 September 2018
90PTS
CedarCreek Meritage 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe heart of this 38/37/20/5/ blend of malbec, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc is the super warm Haynes Creek vineyard in Osoyoos. Winemaker Whelan loves the jammy, blueberry notes the desert malbec brings to this black fruit scented red. The attack is riot of floral, cedar, tobacco notes with a touch of stony minerality to keep it linear. The tannins stretch out in fine-grained fashion adding depth and complexity without dryness. Love the fruit, spice and persistence in what is a youthful wine. I’m told there will be a package change and this fine wine is a good example why it’s needed. Best with grilled meats or mushroom dishes for the moment but I would wait three years for the real show.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Block 3 Riesling 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHistorically, the Platinum Block Riesling gets two picks. In 2017 there were three in a ‘Platinum’ attempt to create a complexity of flavours and acidities in the wine. The fruit is 100 percent own-rooted, and the clone remains a mystery from its big bunches to its loose bundles of grapes. It gets 8-12 hours of skin contact, 50 percent stems, and is naturally fermented in a mix of stainless steel tanks, stainless steel barrels, neutral oak barrels and ceramic balls — post ferment the juice spends a minimum five months on its lees to shape its creamy palate. The style is tighter and leaner than the regular riesling with a pronounced peach, orange, ginger nose and a delicious, floral, mouthwatering finish — everything in balance here with a clean, mineral undercurrent to add a dash of complexity drink or hold.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
CedarCreek Riesling 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Taylor Whelan is not looking for the piercing acidity that some of his competitors are going after, but he is embracing a softer, more enticing style. The 2017 is ‘Spatlese-like’ made from fully ripe riesling grapes. Most of the fruit, all clone 21B, comes off the young Home Block vineyard, Block 1, planted in 2013, but some 25 percent is of the fruit is over 30 years old. Some nine percent is aged in oak for a bit of texture and weight. Expect an open floral, citrus nose. The attack is intense with a long showy bead of limey acidity tempered by the residual sugar. An intense, long, and mouthwatering bargain. Thai curries, vegetarian dishes or a sunny patio all work here.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
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October 2018