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Tastings: November 2018
28 November 2018
90PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Knight's Challenge Chardonnay 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIt's only year two for Knight's Challenge, coming off Sunset Vineyard, where elevation changes and east/west row orientations give winemaker Phil McGahan several options at the end of the growing season. Sunset sits south of the old Barn Vineyard (now Jagged Rock) on the Black Sage Bench and is planted to 24-year-old Dijon chardonnay clones, 76 and 95. McGahan uses clone 76 for structure and organization and clone 95 to up the richness, something this version has in spades. They can be picked at separate times with two distinct blocks to preserve acidity and freshness or build rich, mouth-filling chardonnay. The wine is 50 percent wild ferment but all aged, 16 months, in French oak that is 45 percent new. It is a classic New World chardonnay, California-like this year, with rich, buttery, ripe fruit but classy, well-integrated, stylish oak and a strong Okanagan savoury mineral streak. If you like the richer, upfront style of chardonnay, this is for you. Lobster anyone?Prices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Attack Chardonnay 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAttack is the odd man out when it comes to Checkmate’s single site labels. In 2015 it received a complexity upgrade, mixing two clones: Dijon 76 and the Dekleva selection from Jagged Rock (Black Sage Bench), Border Vista Vineyard (Osoyoos East Bench), plus Combret Vineyard and Dekleva Vineyard both on the Golden Mile Bench. The ageing, 16 months, occurs in French foudres, one new, the other one-year-old with no malolactic fermentation. Winemaker Phil McGahan says the 2015 ferments were long and cold to help build texture - fully evident here. It's the brightness and what I like to term electricity that grabs you at the front of the glass. The minerality and texture are cru Chablis-like, and when you mix in a seashore breeze and flinty, saline notes flecked with bits of tropical fruit and five-spice, you sense a special, complex version of chardonnay that will age well through 2021. Impressive style with a big future – this is next world BC chardonnay. Serve with west coast oysters on the half shell.Prices:| BC | $115.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen Taken Chardonnay 2015
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Queen Taken Chardonnay comes off the Dekleva Vineyard, perhaps the coolest of all the Checkmate chardonnay sites, and lies just west of the estate Combret Vineyard. The nose is aromatic and savoury with rich peachy, creamy flavours and a silky, wet stone mineral back end. There's lots of finesse here with some surprisingly piquant notes, ripe melons and even a touch of rosewater to round out the palate. It should be fun to watch this age through 2020 and develop in the bottle. Note: a first release collectors' item. Dekleva Vineyard sits between 362 to 377 metres above sea level, inside the Golden Mile Bench sub-GI southwest of the town of Oliver, and beneath Mt. Kobau and the Thompson Plateau. The vineyard is over 40 years old and is planted to a chardonnay clone of unknown origin, now being called the Dekleva Selection after the original family who grew it. The soils that help to define the Golden Mile Bench DVA are a predominantly gravel-based: a coarse mix of Stemwinder, Ponderosa and Ratnip, and they permeate the wine with a unique Okanagan essence.Prices:| BC | $125.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the full meal deal but done in a sophisticated way. Rich honey, peach, vanilla nose reflecting its barrel fermentation and ageing in 39 percent new French oak. Baked apple, toast, ripe pear with a mineral undercurrent coat the palate. Good finesse and elegance and a long, lingering back end. Well done and an impressive effort. This will take on any rich dishes with ease. Next world chardonnay.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe tweaking at Perpetua continues and the 2016 is harvested from four blocks in eastern Osoyoos (88 percent) and Naramata Ranch (12 percent) estate vineyards. The Dijon clones were fermented and aged on fine lees for 15 months in a combination of concrete eggs, stainless steel and French oak barrels. Ripe, richer perfumed pear fills a fuller, creamy palate, one brightened and lightened with a perfumed lift and prettiness. Lemon kisses, tangerine, peach blossom finishes off with a slick lick of flint on the finish. This is one impressive chardonnay that is evolving much the way they acclaimed Penfolds Yattarna has. A fresher, more streamlined look at this once-heavy footed wine and a promising look towards the future.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen's Advantage Chardonnay 2015
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe newest Checkmate chardonnay is Queen’s Advantage, a nod to the unknown clone that inhabits the winery’s estate plot, Combret Vineyard, thought to be among the oldest chardonnay vines in the country. The old gnarly vines, are deeply rooted into the Golden Mile Bench sub-GI, searching for the calcium carbonate coated stones buried deep into the rocky hillside site. The trick in 2015 was to battle the heat and stay on top the vineyard but that got a lot easier with the precision viticulture that has transformed these precious vines, limited their yield and allowed them to better express their superior site. The nose and palate will wow with a purity of floral fruit from lemons, tropical papaya and pears, washed in wet stones. It’s the layering of flavours that wow, as does the intensity and length of the finish. An outstanding effort in a difficult year. The fruit was hand-picked and fermented with 43 percent native yeast in barrel and it went through 100 malolactic fermentation with batônnage. The final wine was aged 16 months in French oak barrels, of which 48 percent were new. Production was eight barrels.Prices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $190.00 | 1500ml |
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91PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Capture Chardonnay 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe fruit for Capture is grown at the Border Vista Vineyard on the East Osoyoos Bench at 340-350 metres above sea level. It's a single block planted in 1997 to Dijon clone 76 over fine-textured, complex, low-nutrient sandy soils. The fermentation was all in barrel, and 64 percent was native. Despite a normally warm site and a super warm year, the entire wine went through malolactic fermentation before spending 16 months in French oak, of which 54 percent is new. Again, I'm reminded of the Mission Hill Perpetua, albeit with more concentration. Winemaker Phil McGahan says the attractive aromatics that jump from the glass are partially due to the native ferment. He also uses more water bent barrels to keep the toast factor in check and let the fruit speak. As a result, the '15 is surprisingly and pleasantly less rich in the mouth. In August, the pick was the earliest ever, preserving acidity and freshness. Expect enticing orchard blossoms on the nose with creamy textures, apples, tangerines and pears. The wine is just beginning to awaken, but I already like the finesse and length. As for Capture, it's a term to avoid in chess but describes the vineyard site tucked up against the border with nowhere to go. Drink through 2022.Prices:| BC | $90.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $200.00 | 1500ml |
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27 November 2018
89PTS
Raúl Pérez La Clave 2016
Bierzo, Castilla-Leon, SpainThis is predominantly mencia, with a splash of alicante bouchet (known as garnacha tintera) grown in Bierzo, and is the personal project of the famed oenologiet Raúl Pérez. Black crimson, wild blueberries, dark plum on a medium bodied palate, one with enough acidity to easily raft 14 degrees of alcohol, but not to overwhelm the leathery cushion and tobacco on the mid-palate. There's a downy, earthy softness on the grippy finish, that requires protein or roasted winter squash to mitigate.Prices:| Spain | $10.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Telmo Rodriguez Corriente Bueno de Diario 2015
Rioja, SpainI’ve always had great respect for Telmo Rodríguez but when he says this is “good everyday wine", it’s not hard to worship the guy. Corriente is a tribute to an unofficial and traditional Rioja wine qualification from the early twentieth century. Essentially, it's wine without pretence, a wine that “represents a region, its culture, and surely its wine.” The blend from Rioja Alavesa is a mix of tempranillo, graciano and garnacha grown by traditional suppliers, often in field blends, on bush vines, and is manually harvested in small boxes. The ferment is done with native yeasts, the ageing is in barrels and foudres of mixed ages. The wine is gentle from front to back, with a damp earth, mineral tilt, and meaty cherry/raspberry, red fruit aromas and flavours. Juicy, mouthwatering almost gamay-like but without the obvious fruit. Think more terroir and less fruit.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $19.99 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Solaz Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Valdepeñas, Castilla-La Mancha, SpainRed fruits, powdered wood tannins and peppery spice is swelled with warmth to a sweeter, short finish. This is a simple and easy blend of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon from Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, thankfully kept to a moderate 13 degrees alcohol. Best served with a light chill and platter of burgers.Prices:| BC | $10.79 | 750ml |
| MB | $9.75 | 750ml |
| YK | $14.40 | 750ml |
| ON | $11.65 | 750ml |
| NS | $13.00 | 750ml |
| PEI | $12.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $10.16 | 750ml |
| QC | $13.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCoolshanagh produces a small amount (1200 cases) of estate-grown chardonnay all off west south-west facing vineyard at 49.6 degrees north. To me, this is an authentic cult wine because it’s extremely limited, and the quality is very fine. Burgundy is the model, winemaker Matt Dumayne is in charge, and sensibly the wine is much more about the scrubby pine trees and grasses that dot the landscape that clings to a ledge high above the lake. The grapes are fermented whole-cluster in neutral French oak and new French foudres with smaller amounts placed into egg-shaped concrete fermenters. The two lots are mixed and placed in concrete eggs for ten months of lees contact. Size matters at Coolshanagh (the name translates to meeting place) and because the vineyard is small. the fruit is picked block by block, several times. In 2016 it began in mid-September and ran into early October. Post ageing and lees stirring, it was bottled without fining or filtration. It is the most elegant Coolshanagh yet, offering electric acidity, creamy lees textures, and rich, layered apple and pear with some of the best French oak framing I have experienced in the Okanagan. Wow.Prices:| BC | $36.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Cune Rioja Crianza 2012
Rioja, SpainCVNE is named for the first initials of Compañía Vitivinícola del Norte de Espana, the fifth generation winery responsible for this La Rioja Alta blend of 85/15 tempranillo / garnacha tinta and mazuelo. After a stainless ferment, this spent one year in American and French oak barrels before bottling, and a rest in the cellar. Dried cherry, sanded wood, red florals on the medium bodied palate, one brightened with steady acidity and seasoned with salts. Tannins are lightly sticky, and ready to partner up with skirt steak or baby lamb.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $15.55 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.95 | 750ml |
| MB | $17.01 | 750ml |
| AB | $19.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Vina Real Rioja Crianza 2014
Rioja, SpainTasted again a few months along, and this tidy Rioja Alavesa blend of tempranillo, garnacha and mazuelo is still an easy-midweek choice. Soft black fruit is brightened with cherry and a swing of balsamic. Tannins are smoothed with a light dusty, stony and lightly smoky note through this youthful red. After a stainless ferment, this is transferred to French and American oak for 12-14 months. There's a bitter dark cocoa twist on the warming finish that keeps this slender wine upright and ready for burgers.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Vina Real Reserva Rioja 2012
Rioja, SpainThe Reserva is a solid step up from the Crianza both in quality and in price. Well worn wood, leather, fresh and dried cherry through this sinewy, spicy blend of tempranillo, garnacha and mazuelo from the Rioja Alavesa sub zone. Vanilla and oak spice sticks on the warming finish. This was stainless fermented and then aged in a mix of French and American oak cases for 22 months prior to bottling and a rest in the cellar. Bittersweet cocoa lingers on the finish. This medium-bodied, old school red is best served up with saucy pork or lamb dishes.Prices:| BC | $35.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Dominio de Punctum Viento Aliseo Viognier 2017
La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha, SpainExceptional value here for this biodynamic viognier from DO La Mancha. You'd think that viognier's inherent richness would be off the charts in the warm lands of La Mancha, but this is rich in texture only, not weight. Broken stones, apricot pith, magnolia blossoms, beeswax, and flax fill the impressive 13 degrees palate, one that is far more savoury and stony than expected, and welcomed all the more for it. A slight grip of stones lingers on the finish. Your new winter white.Prices:| BC | $14.50 | 750ml |
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26 November 2018
89PTS
Sperling Vineyards Old Vines Pinots 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAnn Sperling farms the east Kelowna bench land her grandparents settled more than 150 years ago, and she does it biodynamically, with decades of winemaking experience and inherent familiarity with the land. This is a blend of pinot gris and pinot blanc, with 35 years vine age. Tight and snappy, bedded with grapefruit, bosc pear, yellow apple, citrusy lees and kissed with ponderosa pine, this wine has energy that keeps it humming its entire 12.5 degree frame. Classic northern Okanagan, and understated as Anne's wines always are.Prices:| BC | $27.89 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Greywacke Pinot Gris 2016
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandGentle pressing has provided this lovely creamy, gentle, alluring mouthfeel, which this is built around. Fruit is sourced from sites in the Brancott Valley and in Rapaura. Two-thirds of this was native fermented in older oak, with the remainder in stainless for brightness. Fresh pear, spice, lemon, wild roses intermingle through the comfortable finish. With a gentle rise of RS, this expressive, Alsatian-esque gris is for weightier dishes. Much of the fruit for this wine is from the Selection Ovaille and Mission clones grown at Wrekin Terrace Vineyard in the Brancott Valley, a valley floor site on gravelly clay-loam soils typical of the Southern Valleys. A smaller parcel of the newly released Entav 52 clone (known for its small bunch and berry size) was grown at Riverbrook Vineyard in Rapaura, in young alluvial soils containing high proportions of greywacke river stones. The vines were trained on a two-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis and crop thinning is carried out to target a modest yield of 7.5 T/HaPrices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Ex Nihilo Pinot Gris 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Lake Country estate, this pinot gris was fermented and then aged on the lees in stainless, at cool temperatures. This feels every inch stainless, in a tight, clinical sense, with yellow apples, crunchy pear, some grapefruit pith and a wash of ale that butts up against a big bump of RS. Disjointed and warmer than its 13 degrees declared, chill this and pour alongside steamed moules or clams.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Evolve Pinot Gris 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Evolve style is friendly, round, easy-drinking and often with a sweet and sour edge (a bump of residual sugar followed by tart ending). Look for classic honey, floral overtones that preview bright orange, peach and candied red apple before a slightly sour finish. You can serve this simple white solo but well chilled, or pair with lightly spiced appetizers.Prices:| BC | $16.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Pinot Gris 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Reserve series is a mix of 30 diverse microclimates, using only the top 15 percent of fruit coming off the estate vineyards. In 2017 15 percent of the selected Naramata fruit was barrel fermented and aged four months in oak, five percent of which was new, and ten percent neutral. The result is a wonderfully textural and fresh white with citrus sprinkled ripe stone fruit and ginger spice. Very food friendly. Is Naramata the pinot gris sweet spot?Prices:| BC | $21.49 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Five Vineyards by Mission Hill Pinot Grigio 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFive Vineyards ends up with a variety of cast off fruit, from young vines and what’s left after all the big Mission Hill labels are made across the Okanagan, but it’s the winemaking that makes this label such an attractive value. Always bright and juicy, this fresh, orchard fruit forward pinot gris comes off cool and refreshing with lingering ginger notes. Try this with fish or chicken dishes.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
| NS | $19.00 | 750ml |
| YK | $18.65 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Haywire Switchback Organic Vineyard Pinot Gris 2017
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom the organic Switchback vineyard, this clone 52 pinot gris was harvested in four batches, and whole cluster pressed to concrete tanks for native ferment with full MLF (harder to control in concrete) and ten months on the lees without racking. The 2017 is amply textured, creamier on the palate than the snappy 2016, and weighted with white peach, pear skin, apricot fuzz, melon, orange peel, and desert sage. The precision farming and silty, gravelly, calcium carbonate-laced soils keep this aloft, and 13 degrees alcohol keeps it drinkable.Prices:| BC | $26.90 | 750ml |
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25 November 2018
90PTS
Terravista Figaro 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIn 2017, Figaro turned back time to 2010 when they had first added marsanne to what had become a viognier/roussanne Figaro blend. The ratio in ‘17 is 53 percent roussanne, 34 percent viognier and 13 percent marsanne. The viognier and marsanne comes out of the uber stony, Similkameen Valley; the roussanne is from the warm Oliver region. The roussanne and marsanne are puncheon fermented before ageing up to 10 months sur lie. The palate is electric with peachy, nectarine fruits with a dusting of dessert sagebrush. As rich as it is, there is an undercurrent of acidity that takes on the weight and nutty notes in the finish. It’s so interesting the bottle seems to empty out in no time at all. Brava Senka.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Terravista Figaro 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA first look at the long gone, 2016 Figaro confirms the wine has little problem ageing. In fact, it tastes as if it was just bottled. In ’16 the mix is roussanne and viognier and it opens with gentle floral, honeysuckle notes with a hint of green. The attack is full and layered showing depth and complexity that comes with a touch of age, yet it is refreshing thanks to its pure, juicy nectarine orchard fruit sprayed with citrus and ground nuts. Textured and long, this is a beauty you could easily pair with fresh west coast seafood or beef tartare or salmon sashimi.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Le Chevalier de Sterimberg Blanc 2014
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceThe Hermitage blanc is named after Gaspard de Stérimberg, a knight who settled in Hermitage and built the landmark stone chapel that sits atop the hill. The fruit is farmed biodynamically with a 70/30 mix of marsanne/roussanne coming off four sections of the Hermitage hill where the vines average 60-years old. The sites are as follows: Rocoule (small limestone galets roulés – adds minerality to the wine); Maison Blanche (mostly clay with some of the limestone galets roulés – adds structure); La Croix (fine sand) and Les Murets (classic clay/limestone). The ageing occurs in 55 percent French oak (5 percent new) as well as 25 percent older demi-muids and 20 percent small concrete eggs. As always, the wine projects power and weight through a fragrant, peachy nose. The palate is a complex mix of nutty, creamy, mineral and citrus with a hint of complexing oxidation. The finish is surprisingly crisp and long.Prices:| BC | $99.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné St Peray Les Sauvagères 2016
Beaumes de Venise, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, FranceLes Sauvagères is the local name given to the marsanne in Saint-Péray, implying its tendency to evoke the wild as its vines work their way deep into the town’s steep limestone slopes. The AC is only 70 hectares in total, one of the smallest in the Rhone Valley. The limestone is the magic behind this fresh, tight, vibrant white with nutty citrus flavours and a whack of minerality throughout. This comes from 30+year old vines and is 30 percent domain grown. The ageing is complex with 55 percent French oak (five percent new), 25 percent placed in small concrete eggs, and 20 percent goes into stainless steel. There is no malolactic and no battonage, leaving a pure, fresh white that speaks of its terroir.Prices:| BC | $33.99 | 750ml |
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23 November 2018
90PTS
Tarapacá Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Region de Aconcagua, ChileTasting this wine blind would be no easy task. The nose is Kiwi with a fresh, pungent, gooseberry scent but the minerality and dried herbs transport you west to Chile and the super-chilled air of the Leyda Valley. Gooseberries, citrus drenched rinds and fresh cut lemongrass all conspire to grab your attention here. Balance and poised for west coast seafood at a ridiculously cheap price.Prices:| BC | $21.65 | 750ml |
| AB | $18.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $22.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Inniskillin Reserve Fume Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSoft, herbal, grassy nose with bits of lime and passionfruit. The palate is rich with intermingled flavours of guava, lemongrass and red grapefruit before finishing dry and clean. Food friendly for the likes of fish tacos or fishcakes. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Leyda Estate 2017
Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Region de Aconcagua, ChileIf you are a fan of Marlborough sauvignon but not the price this Leyda appellation SB hits all the same notes and more for a lot less. The nose is a lime rind and passion fruit affair that spills across the palate with clean, fresh, grassy, musky, sweet gooseberry flavours with a wisp of asparagus and lemon blossoms. Easy sipping with simple steamed shellfish dishes or serve with fresh goat cheese – a perfect match for spaghetti alle vongole. Super value.Prices:| BC | $13.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $11.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $12.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $12.99 | 750ml |
| NL | $15.90 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2014
Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand2014 was a little warmer than the average, and a lovely representation of the powerful aims of this wine. Sourced from the same southern Wairau blocks as the previous vintages, plus partial Awatere, this was entirely fermented in older French barrique, with only 7 percent new wood (lightly toasted) and spent 11 months in oak before tightening in tank for 6-8 months prior to blending and bottling. Wild herbs, meadow grasses are carried by a fine, tight, brisk hum of of spicing through the stony, lanolin-lined finish. This is an excellent example of a wine that transcends grape variety.Prices:| BC | $36.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandThe flagship savvy from Greywacke was picked off ten vineyard sites in the southern part of Wairau Valley with a sprinkle of Awatere fruit in the mix. Bright, green tinged gooseberry and white peach mingles with lemon verbena, all over a healthy slick of lees. This saw 15 percent fermented native, all in stainless, and spent three months on fine lees for that characteristic Greywacke weight and mouthfeel. Classic.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $28.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $25.00 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Evolve Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaEvolve is all about bright, fresh, juicy wine with a touch of residual sugar to keep it easy-sipping. The sauvignon opens with tropical fruit notes leading the way, and in 2017 the flavours are a mix of lime cordial, pear, nectarine and ripe melon. Fun to sip solo, or even better if the food you are eating has a bit of a bite of heat or spice. Ready to drink and highly affordable.Prices:| BC | $15.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Time White Meritage 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMaybe the best wine they make at Time is the White Meritage. This blend is 73 sauvignon blanc and 27 percent sémillon, the latter adding complexity and richness in what looks like a fine vintage. The nose is a mix of pears and ripe melons with a dusting of tangerine skin. More melon and honey mark the nose with just a hint of very well managed oak in the finish. Best with lobster and richer fish dishes that need a bit more wine weight to stabilize the match.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bench 1775 Meritage White 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere is something quite satisfyingly stately about white Bordeaux blends, and this one holds true to type. A blend of Naramata Bench semillon and sauvignon blanc, this was 'partially' aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels, the wood absorbed into the richness of the wine, and providing an appropriate siding for the pear curd, ripe melon, quince jam, all spiced with rasped nutmeg and carrying a sizeable bump of RS.Prices:| BC | $31.90 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bench 1775 Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine is a blend of five different picks that come off the home estate vineyard, and two of those are partially aged in barrel. The nose is aromatic, like New Zealand, with ripe gooseberry, lime zest and bitter guava notes in the finish. A perfect wine for BC shellfish.Prices:| BC | $25.90 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Mission Hill Reserve Series is crazy excellent value, and each year it simply outdoes the previous version. Case in point, the 2017 sauvignon blanc. Multiple pick times bring a vibrancy and freshness to this wine. Some 20 percent of the wine spends time in oak and concrete (split about 50/50) while the balance remains on its lees in stainless steel. Look for a tropical pineapple, citrus nose that previews a taut, dry, lemongrass, lime palate and finishes with a creamy, sagebrush scented note. Impressive value. Shellfish anyone?Prices:| BC | $21.49 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandNothing much has changed here and for Matua, said to have produced New Zealand’s first sauvignon blanc in 1974 in Auckland, its likely the way they like it. The style is classically and boldly Kiwi, with intense citrus, dried herbs and jalapeno scented nose that previews a lip-smacking, citrus, peppery, tropical, passionfruit palate. The fruit is a blend of more than 100 different sites across Marlborough's Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Ready to drink and given the acidity here it can take on most dishes that come with a little fat.Prices:| BC | $22.49 | 750ml |
| QC | $17.15 | 750ml |
| MB | $18.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $19.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $19.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $16.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $20.49 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve White 2015
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaI finally caught up with one of my favourite BC whites to see how it survived the warm 2015 vintage and the answer is with ease. It’s all Similkameen fruit, 96 percent sauvignon blanc and four percent sémillon that comes off two Keremeos vineyards. It’s fermented on its own yeast in barrel for nearly seven weeks before ageing in barrel on lees with occasional battonage for another six months. The nose is a highly sophisticated affair of floral, leesy citrus pear notes that spill onto the palate with more lemon and grapefruit pith flavours. The acidity is bright with stony mineral flecks throughout. This will only get better in bottle over the next five years. If you must serve it now think whole roasted lemon stuffed free range chicken. Production is just under 50 cases.Prices:| BC | $59.90 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc Vintner's Reserve 2016
California, United StatesOpen, fresh, light sweet nose of melon, honey and grapefruit. The attack is juicy but slightly sweet on entry with canned grapefruit, honey, baked pear that leads to round vanilla notes. Good fruit and pleasant friendly style for the middle of the road sauvignon consumers. Well done.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $20.00 | 750ml |
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22 November 2018
85PTS
Black Sage Vineyard Zinfandel 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRich, sweet candied cherry fruit nose with violet perfume. This wine has always been aromatic behaving like a weekday zinfandel rather than a serious, cellar dweller. Look for a rush of sweet black upfront fruit that fades into a spicy, dry tannin finish. A party red for ribs, meatballs and stews.Prices:| BC | $23.49 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Rust Wine Co. Zinfandel 2014
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRust Wine Co. opened a year ago, taking over what was Rustico Farm and Cellars for their tasting room, and making small lot, single vineyard wines from around the Okanagan. This is well suited to the winery's style, matching a potently ripe red grape, in this case older vine Golden Mile Bench zinfandel, to the winery's more-is-more outlook (just feel the heft of the wax-topped bottle). Dense red fruit, raspberries, cherry compote, nutmeg is amply cushioned by a downy pillow of ripe berry fruit, and bracketed by medicinal cracked red pepper spice. Tannins are cedar sanded smoothed, and the finish feels its zin-appropo 15 degrees. For sharing with friends now, over saucy, grilled ribs.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Sunrock Vineyards Illumina 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA gloriously warm vintage has beefed up what is already a beefy wine, one that is roughly two-thirds zinfandel and one-third shiraz. There is a pureness of fruit here but not raisins or prunes, just juicy red/black fruits with a bunch of spice. That appears better balanced than the 2013 but it is not without power and an overly friendly blackberry, vanilla, chocolate finish. I like this style with baby back ribs off the barbecue.Prices:| BC | $39.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Zinfandel 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOpen, smoky blackberry, briary nose with touch of saddle leather. The attack is dry, the structure medium bodied in terms of intensity and weight, but you feel the alcohol. The fruit is fresh with peppery, black cherry, licorice flavours with some rustic tannins. In a sense, a rustic red that is just a little out of sync. Best with savoury, grilled sausages.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $27.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $27.99 | 750ml |
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20 November 2018
89PTS
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Summerhill Vineyard Riesling Demeter Certified Biodynamic 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOld vines (riesling clone 21B planted in 1978) and certified Demeter biodynamic vineyards are at the heart of this riesling, fermented outdoors with the ambient vineyard yeasts in the Summerhill Vineyard in 2017. The fruit is whole cluster pressed and fermented cold and left with a healthy dose unfermented sugar to counter its naturally crisp acidity. It’s off dry, but vibrant with complex notes of honey, lemon, peach and river stones. Love the intensity, and while it's on the sweet side it only needs a spicy, savoury turkey dish to set it right.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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19 November 2018
94PTS
Lingua Franca Hope Well Pinot Noir 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesThe fruit for this wine was grown by LF viticulturalist Mimi Casteel on a prime site in the Eola-Amity Hills, not far from the Lingua Franca Estate. The fruit is all Dijon Clone Pinot Noir 667 coming off a biodynamically farmed vineyard using sheep, llamas and permaculture techniques. The attack is fresh and ripe. The wine is stunning mix of minerals and saline flavours doused in refined red fruits with just a hint of earth and spice in the finish. This wine is going to need three to five years in bottle to let the complexity and nuances come to the foreground but when it does, look out.Prices:| BC | $125.00 | 750ml |
| US | $66.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Lingua Franca Ryan's Plow Pinot Noir 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesThe source for this darker pinot is the oldest vineyard site (planted in 1975) in the eastern Eola-Amity Hills, comprised of older Pommard and Dijon 115 clones. The style is denser and weightier, almost voluptuous from fruit that is farmed organically or biodynamically. ‘The Plow’ is a reference to another era in farming as well as a tribute to LF growers and vineyard workers who keeping the cover crop in place all year round, disturbing the vineyard soils as little as possible. As intense and rich as this wine is it still has the LF purity and focus that brings you back to the site and core beliefs of the team. Can we say more New World than Old World? Made for grilled salmon with an Asian soy dressing. This cuvée comes from two vineyards overseen by Australian viticulturist Ryan Hannaford who recently worked with Dominique Lafon at Evening Land.Prices:| BC | $125.00 | 750ml |
| US | $66.00 | 750ml |
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96PTS
Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesThe 2016 is the first official release off the LF Estate, built and completed in 2016. Co-owner Larry Stone has been fascinated by the dry-farmed organic soils for years located in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills. The 66-acre LS Vineyard sits next door to two iconic Eola-Amity Hills vineyards: Seven Springs, and Lone Star Vineyard, and is planted to 18 different Dijon clones and heritage clones and rootstock, sourced from very specific Oregon sites whenever possible. The attack is all wow: so silky and stony with a fragrant, dusty earthy, Oregon red beets nose. Texturally it is amazing, both soft yet structured and mouthfilling. The palate is a delicate mix of perfectly ripe sweet pinot fruit with red cherries and plums that persist forever. To hear Stone talk about his wine, and the site he had coveted for years (and given up every viable asset he owned to buy it) is both scary and a joy. According to him, the site is pinot perfect with an eastern exposure, morning sun, moderate cooling winds, slopes of 12-20 percent and excellent drainage. All that remains is how it will adjust to global warming, but for now it's delicious.Prices:| BC | $99.00 | 750ml |
| US | $66.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesAVNI Pinot Noir is crafted to reflect the complex flavor profile of Oregon’s volcanic soils, in this case 40 percent estate fruit, twelve percent highland Dundee soils and nearby neighbors. The hallmark of Lingua Franca is elegance and this sleek, cool, focused, red fruited pinot is all that and more. Look for raspberry, cran-cherry raspberry, plums and mineral with twist of citrus. It’s the simplicity and purity that attracts and of course, sings Oregon. The ageing is done in mostly barriques - 80/20 old and new.Prices:| BC | $69.00 | 750ml |
| US | $53.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Estate Chardonnay 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesThe BHV Chardonnay is made with 20-year-old plus fruit grown on Nekia soils (essentially thin Jory soils) at an altitude of around 700 feet in Salem. Stone says it’s the only west facing vineyard he works with and it is completely exposed to the cooling Pacific Ocean winds blowing across the Van Duzer corridor. Bunker Hill is a richer version of AVNI, with vibrant, mineral, stony, smoky pear aromas and flavours that persist through a very long intense citrus drenched finish. I love the crunchy, mouthwatering style here restrained in a complex way on the palate. A lasting finish of citrus, herbs, and white flowers concludes with flinty, mouthwatering minerality, that has intensity but floats on the tongue. The vine material is one of the earliest plantings of Dijon clone Chardonnay 76 in Oregon, planted by the same Joel Myer who replanted Seven Springs in the same year, 1995.Prices:| BC | $95.00 | 750ml |
| US | $68.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Lingua Franca Avni Chardonnay 2016
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United StatesIn the case of the AVNI Chardonnay, a Stone family name that means “my stone” or “mother earth,” it’s grown on 100% Jory soils in Dundee’s Durant and Willamette Valley Vineyards in Salem, Willakenzie vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton, with a contribution from Loubejac vineyard fruit near Monmouth, in Willakenzie and Dupee soils. The nose is subtle, the palate racy with silky textures and an alluring complexity. In a sense big, but light on its feet through its mix of delicate pear and citrus with a stony, mineral, floral finish. Drink or hold.Prices:| BC | $69.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $52.25 | 750ml |
| US | $37.00 | 750ml |
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18 November 2018
88PTS
Quails' Gate Cailleteau Gamay Nouveaux 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCailleteau (baby quail) 2018 is the third release of the Quails’ Gate nouveau gamay that pays homage to the French tradition of vineyard owners and workers in the region of Beaujolais celebrating the end of harvest by drinking the “new wine.” The grapes are picked, fermented and bottled within a one-month time frame, to be released on the third Thursday of November. The goal is a vibrant, juicy, fruity red wine you can drink today. The result is all that, and in 2018, with less sweetness and more savoury components. Expect fresh crushed black cherry flavours with a touch of pepper, brown spices and forest floor. The texture is soft and round making it easy to sip. The grapes were picked on September 30 at Drought Vineyard in West Kelowna. The wine was made using traditional carbonic maceration techniques or fermenting whole clusters of grapes in a carbon dioxide rich environment.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Puy de Dôme Les Volcans 2014
FranceThe Auvergne is the largest area in Europe, and Puy-de-Dôme is the highest peak in the chain, at 1465m. Raspberry, dusky crimson, gripped with fine white pepper dusky tannins and shellacked with a thin leather of cherry and underlay of forest floor and mushrooms. Pleasant, lighter red for current consumption. Purchased for 10 quid in the UK.Prices:| AB | $20.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Château de Vaux Beaujolais Village Nouveau 2018
Beaujolais Villages, Beaujolais, Burgundy, FranceLe Nouveau est arrive! This was my first 2018 Bojo Novo tasted, and thankfully to the care and attention of vigneron Yannick de Vermont, it's a good one. From gravel and sands, and low-intervention farming, this quick-to-market wine was partial carbonic, underwent full MLF, and spent time in raw concrete before being bottled and expedited. Juicy raspberry gummies, cherry cola is bounded by finely nippy, concrete-clinging tannins and swelled by easy acidity. The finish is savoury and tobacco smoke kissed. Yes, crack this Villages level Novo this week, or anytime in the short term, most particularly chilled.Prices:| UK | $8.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Sébastien Laurent Zweigelt Ladyhawke Vineyard 2017
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 Sebastian Laurent Zweigelt is a rare 100 percent zweigelt grown in the Similkameen Valley. This is wine from another era in that it is fresh, full of bright red fruit and with piquant acidity throughout. The fruit is divided in two at the winery, 50 percent underwent carbonic maceration while the other half was fermented in an open top stainless-steel tank. The final blend was a 90/10 mix of fermented and carbonic free run juice aged in three-year-old French oak. Lively, bright and fresh, serve this slightly chilled to best effect. In the vein of a Tavel rosé but would be fine as a winter red for mushroom, root vegetable vegetarian dishes. No additions other a minute amount of 15mg/l of sulphur, prior to bottling. Good value.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
JoieFarm PTG 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPTG references Passe-Tout-Grains, the underdog classic that combines pinot noir with gamay. Through winemaker / founder Heidi Noble's lens, that is expressed through 60 percent pinot noir (two clones) from the home Naramata vineyard with 40 percent Naramata Bench gamay. Cherry, plum, mushrooms, forest, moss ride a juicy, round palate along fine and supple tannins and a wave of bright acidity to a spiced finish. For drinking now, slightly chilled, and liberally. Yay for gamay.Prices:| BC | $25.90 | 750ml |
| AB | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
JoieFarm Gamay 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada#GoGamayGo. This year's gamay builds on the strengths of 2015, without the forest fire smoke issues of that vintage. Juicy and dense with black raspberry, cherry, plum, spiced forest berries and a proper lick of smoke that coils around the core to the finish. This is from Naramata's Deep Roots Vineyard, clone 509, fermented, then macerated for a week on skins before racking to barrel where it rested for ten months on fine lees in a mix of 30 percent new barriques, as well as puncheons and a wooden cask. Tannins are silken, inviting drinking now with salmon or mushroom risotto.Prices:| BC | $19.50 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Rust Wine Co. Gamay 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRust Wine Co. opened a year ago, taking over what was Rustico Farm and Cellars for their tasting room, and making small lot, single vineyard wines from Golden Mile, Okanagan Falls, South Cawston, and West Osoyoos. Soft, cushioned cherry, red plum, sweet berries and perfumed red flowers on the palate, one round and eager and meant for drinking now.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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17 November 2018
88PTS
Township 7 Viognier Raju Vineyard 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere a new winemaking regime at Township 7 and this wild fermented viognier (30 per in new oak, the balance in stainless steel) is a good example of the move to fresher, brighter wines of origin. A single vineyard, in this case ‘Raju,’ located in the in Osoyoos area, but only classified Okanagan Valley, is the best sub-app because it’s impeccably defined, if unaudited, but I digress. The nose is suitably fresh and aromatic with floral jasmine flecked with honeysuckle, peach and apricots, all sprinkled with brown spices. Best of all it’s svelte as opposed to fat and that makes it more appealing to drink with food. Well made and more of this please.Prices:| BC | $24.97 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Time Viognier 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis viognier comes off two sites: Raison d’Être Vineyard, Naramata and Adega Vineyards, Osoyoos. Some 70 percent is cool-fermented in stainless steel tanks, with the remainder barrel fermented and aged 4 months in new and used French oak. The style is fresh with less pineapple, butter and orange, and more apricot, citrus, floral notes with a green guava, lime finish. A welcome departure from the sweet and thick. More of this food friendly-style Harry because, it’s time.Prices:| BC | $29.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
McManis Family Vineyards Viognier 2016
Lodi, Central Valley, California, United StatesPerfumed pear and peach blossoms, apricot fuzz and honeydew rule this estate Cali viognier, one bumped a bit with sugar, but held in check via a cool ferment and time time stainless. There's a powdered orange that sticks on the shorter finish, which would be helped by citrus shellacked Chinese chicken.Prices:| BC | $23.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Limited Edition Viognier 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAnother south Okanagan viognier, this one from a warm, west Osoyoos vineyard, yet like many 2016's it shines. Bright, stylish and decidedly less fat than the 2015, this viognier is all verve, citrus and tangerines. This reserve tier springs from the best fifteen percent of fruit that comes into the winery and chief winemaker Darryl Brooker says those locations making the grade are consistant from year to year. The wine is fermented in a mix of concrete eggs, oak barrels and stainless steel tanks, and as mentioned it's fresh and svelte. Juicy citrus, green apple, tangerines flecked with ripe oranges attack the palate and persist to the creamy, dry, finish. Try this with a variety of south Asian cuisine.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Vanessa Vineyard Viognier 2017
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 growing season in the Similkameen Valley was atypical: the spring was cool and late, constraining the crop, as did a summer of drought. A perfect fall saw a small but ripe crop come to the winery. Vanessa is a spectacular, west/southwest hillside vineyard set on mostly rocky soils that take on the daytime sun and heat and release it all night long. The pick was late at October 16, but the fruit was magnificent. A long, cool ferment yielded a rich powerful, exotic style of viognier reminiscent of ripe peaches, baked apples and highly aromatic honeysuckle, but with enough acidity and minerality to remain vital. Well done and ready to drink. The winery suggests a match of baked brie and apricots and I am in. Long sold out but look for it in restaurants.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Liquidity Viognier 2016
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlend of brighter more acidity estate fruit, and richer, riper fruit sourced from Blind Creek Vineyard in the Similkameen. Ripe pear, white peach, light florals, stones and lime blossom on a lightly lush palate. Fuzzy peach, apricot pith lingers on the earthy, lengthy finish. Always one of BC's leading viogniers (not an easy feat) and this vintage shows it again.Prices:| BC | $23.00 | 750ml |
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16 November 2018
88PTS
Unsworth Vineyards Ovation Solera NV
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaUnsworth Ovation is a solera blend of estate maréchal foch. The more I taste this grape, the more I think is that it is best suited to port style wines. Very reminiscent of a late bottled vintage port with some slightly elevated alcohol notes mixed into sweet, dark, fruitcake flecked with dried plums. The textures are rounded, with more sweet, spicy, lifted, fruit notes in the warm finish. This is a good start; let the solera continue. Best with nut-based desserts or local blue cheese dishes.Prices:| BC | $19.90 | 500ml |
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97PTS
Fonseca Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalFonseca seldom, if ever, disappoints. From its deep, almost opaque colour to its inviting, intense, pure fruited nose it lures you into the glass with great expectations. Black cherries, blackberries, menthol, violets and more swirl out of the glass above the rich, jammy, hedonistic fruit that takes over and persists in the mouth for minutes. The key here is the fine level of acidity that stretches the wine out from front to back, keeping it fresh and exposing a richness of texture that sets it apart from most of its peers. A brilliant wine and one that will go the distance well into the second half of this century. Three separate pickings began at Panascal on September 2, Quinta do Cruzeiro September 28 and Quinta do Santo António October 6. Collectors take note.Prices:| BC | $179.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $169.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $125.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $140.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $75.00 | 375ml |
| AB | $65.00 | 375ml |
| MB | $125.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $73.00 | 375ml |
| SK | $120.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $375.00 | 750ml |
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95PTS
Croft Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalWe love the important work The Fladgate Group has done at Croft, completely restoring its reputation and glory and putting it back in the high-level stakes game of Vintage Port. This soon-to-be eight-year-old Vintage Port port is ready to go, fragrant, open, generous, and showy, especially for those who prefer a port full of youth and fruit. The attack mixes sweet cassis and blackcurrants with a savoury, firm undercurrent and relatively high acid for Croft. The onerous, ongoing vineyard restorations are paying dividends. The finish is prolonged and flecked with brown spices. All that said, there is no need to open this wine until 2026 and beyond that over two decades. A perfect wine to treasure in the cellar and open to mark birth dates, anniversaries, etc., associated with 2016. You won’t be sorry.Prices:| BC | $105.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $100.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $109.00 | 750ml |
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98PTS
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalAs you might expect, weather plays a big part in what is a splendid year for vintage port. A rare wet spring and cool weather recharged the drought-stricken soil, reduced yields and lengthened the growing season into the cooler fall months. The first grapes picked at Quinta de Vargellas arrived at the winery on 17th of September, with the Pinhão Valley estates following on the 23rd and 26th respectively. The colour is opaque. Lovely pure fruit with perfect acidity and bones all in the elegantly restrained Taylor style. A sure sign of an extraordinary wine is you can drink this now or put it away forty years and beyond. Young collectors can be assured this wine will be with them their entire lives.Prices:| BC | $479.97 | 3000ml |
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97PTS
Dow's Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalThe principal part of the 2016 Dow Vintage Port is sourced from the Vinha dos Ecos vineyard. Now thirty years old it yielded a tiny 0.68 kg/vine from mostly touriga franca. From nearby Vale Botelhos, winemaker Charles Symington chose Sousão to bring colour and freshness to the mix, with another piece from Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira adding touriga nacional and alicante bouschet. This is a sensational Dow and one of the best I have tasted since the 1963. It’s all here intense fruit, perfect acidity and spirited smoked, black fruit, exotic orange and a savoury undercurrent. So impressive and so young. One for collectors to savour for decades.Prices:| BC | $95.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $50.00 | 375ml |
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93PTS
Warre's Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalWarre 2016 is 46/37 mix of touriga nacional and touriga franca and just under half of that is from old inter-planted vineyards. The nose is broad and highly expressive offering floral violets, and when the sweet, black, smoky fruit hits your palate it is almost overwhelming. This is a more hedonistic style that offers charm and elegance over power and complexity, at least for the moment. The finish is softer and shorter than the top wines, but this is a fine, mid-term, 20-year port in my estimation.Prices:| BC | $96.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $82.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $70.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $85.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $86.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $46.00 | 375ml |
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96PTS
Graham's Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalIf you want to know why field blends are so revered in Portugal, taste this sensational bottle of port, half of which is made with an old field blend of touriga nacional and touriga franca. The Graham charm factor is off the charts in 2016. The attack is warm, broad, juicy and massive but with details that keep it all in line. Gobs of dark fruit sits over a beam of acidity that maintains an inner brightness, less you think it’s all just show. It may not age forever but it will drink forever starting right now. With 113 grams of residual sugar it doesn’t disappoint the sweet tooth, but it’s equally balanced by a floral, savoury, licorice, black fruit that swells across the palate long into the finish. Superb. As per usual, Quinta dos Malvedos makes up the largest portion of fruit at some 35 percent followed by contributions from Quinta do Tua, Quinta da Vila Velha, Quinta das Lages and Quinta do Vale de Malhadas. In all the final mix is 40/31/23/6 touriga nacional, touriga franca, vinha velha - old mixed vineyards - and sousão. Production is a meagre 96,000 bottles.Prices:| BC | $125.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $126.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $153.75 | 750ml |
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95PTS
Cockburn's Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalIts been eight years since the Symington family took over Cockburn’s, and this wine is a stunning turnabout. The bulk of the fruit comes of the 97ha vineyard at Quinta dos Canais and most of that is a mix of touriga nacional and touriga franca. It’s inky black, with a powerful mix of graphite, liquorice, black fruits and spice that are equally bound up on the palate. The textures are silky soft and the sweet, peppery, floral, black tea flavours and spicy finish persist forever. Wow, Cockburn is back. Super quality and it should be able to age for 25 years.Prices:| BC | $88.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $80.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $80.00 | 750ml |
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15 November 2018
89PTS
Perseus Eclipse 2015
British Columbia, CanadaThe grape mix is an interesting shift of malbec, syrah and cabernet franc from the south Okanagan (note no cabernet sauvignon. It comes off as friendly, round and juicy with cherry, plums and liquorice, flecked with spice and a modicum of chocolate. A more appealing style that’s fresher and brighter than previous editions. Ready to drink and perfect with anything grilled both beef or vegetables.Prices:| BC | $34.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Narrative Non-Fiction Red Blend by Okanagan Crush Pad 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCabernet sauvignon (2/3) and cabernet franc from a certified organic vineyard in Osoyoos make up this textural big red, one that comes by its firm, amply grippy frame from fermenting and aging in concrete for eight months. Thorny black fruit, espresso, medicinal cherry, crushed stones and cracked peppercorns is kept fresh with acidity, and that aforementioned grippy texture keeps it feel fresh and from being weighty on the 13 degree, medium bodied palate. Savoury and unapologetically so, this is killer good with grilled sausages.Prices:| BC | $19.90 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Château Angludet Margaux 2011
Margaux, Haut-Médoc, Médoc, Bordeaux, FranceOwned by the Sichel family since 1961, Angludet is situated in the highly sought after real estate of Margaux, and neighbouring many Cru Classé properties. When the Sichel family purchased the property in 1961, they worked to unite and restore the estate to standards worthy of its neighbours. Traces of vines on the estate go back to the 12th Century, and wine has always made wines from the same plots. Vineyards are atop a deep gravel rise (40 feet elevated) plateau which keeps yields low and is the classic hallmark of this site. This vintage blends 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 35 percent merlot, 10 percent petit verdot. Cement vinification for up to one month is followed by one year in barrel, before fining and light filtration. Acidity is so well integrated that it's unnoticeable, save for carrying that medicinal-ringed finish which lingers on. Drinking very well now, and will only appreciate with another five years in the cellar.Prices:| BC | $74.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Bench 1775 Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSmoked black cherry, ripe black raspberry, smoked meats, and black pepper on a thick, branchy, dense palate, ringed with medicinal resinous pitch and hugged by tuggy, black tea tannins. Mint pops up now and again, providing a welcome blast of freshness to this full bodied, ripe, thick red. There's a tense interplay between ripe fruit and unripe fruit here that doesn't settle well without a pork chop intermediary. Osoyoos sourced blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah (plus five percent merlot), that spent eight months in French oak, and suffers the heat wave sun saturation of 2015.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
HMC McWatters Collection Meritage 2016
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2016 growing season is proving to be magic for many Okanagan red blends. An early start followed by a mid-season slowdown, followed by a long, warm, dry autumn has given wineries premium fruit having benefited from the long hang time and benign conditions. The result is an elegant McWatters meritage with rounded tannins and equal parts red fruits (intense cherries and raspberries) mixed with black fruits (blackberries and blueberries). It is ready to drink now but will repay some five years in the bottle. Best now with grilled meats, Bolognese sauces, or richer gamed dishes. This grapes grow in the sandy loam soils of Oliver’s Black Sage Bench. The blend is 50/35/15 cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc matured in small French oak casks for 15 months.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bench 1775 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2014
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is delicious stuff. There is structure from the cabernet sauvignon and a lot of juicy, fresh, round, easy-sipping merlot spiced with a touch of syrah. The entry is all dark cherry fruit with a savoury undercurrent. The gentle fruit grows at the east-facing, Oxbow Vineyard in Osoyoos boasting some sagebrush, notes of meat, more cherries and a wisp of tobacco. More red fruit than black, this is for drinking now through the midterm. This style really benefits from spending a year in two-year-old wood adding some beneficial oxidation and zero new oak. Barbecue-friendly.Prices:| BC | $31.90 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Ex Nihilo Night 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Night is Ex Nihilo's ode to Bordeaux mixing cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot all grown on the warm, Black Sage Bench. The protocol is rich, full-bodied, often bruiser-style reds at Ex Nihilo but this 2016 is a pleasant departure offering a red-fruited, elegant, medium-bodied red. Perfumed violet leaves, crushed cassis, cherry and wild raspberry preview a sleek palate, one that is drinking well now, and will over the mid-term. The grapes were destemmed, fermented on skins, pressed to barrel where it rested for MLF and 20 months in French and American oak before blending to create the vintage's style. Well done.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Hester Creek Terra Unica Cabernet Syrah 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAnother 2016 red with silky tannins and prominent fruit among the spice and savoury undercurrents. Juicy, black plums, licorice and white pepper flavours spill across the palate that finishes fresh with some cool, meaty, peppery notes. Round, soft and simple this one is ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $32.95 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Le Dix de Los Vascos 2013
Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, ChileLe Dix celebrated 10 years of Lafite in Chile back in 1996 but we only see the wine in exceptional vintages. The 2013 growing season was dry year, laid over successive warm days and cool nights, yielding a blend of 85/10/5 cabernet sauvignon, carmenère and syrah. The wine originates from 80-year-old vines located at ‘El Fraile,’ or the monk vineyard, in Colchagua. The nose is underscored by ripe, fragrant, cherry aromas laced with blackberry and leafy licorice notes. The palate is intense but finely structured mixing black olives, black fruit, white pepper, tobacco and cedar but all with refinement. As elegant as it gets for Chile and a wine that should age well through 2023.Prices:| BC | $63.99 | 750ml |
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14 November 2018
86PTS
Fort Berens Cabernet Franc 2016
British Columbia, CanadaThis Lillooet winery's white label cabernet franc (to differentiate from the grey label reserve series) is mostly estate, with 21 percent from the Similkameen. This blends clones 327 and 214, and spends time in French and American oak. Soft, dusky forest fruit, smoked cedar on a cushy, downy palate. Cracked pepper and nutmeg cloaks the vanilla finish. Easy and soft, lacking the acidity and verve and cut I'd hope for, but if you like your bigger reds soft, ripe and peppery, here you go.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Hester Creek Block 3 Reserve Cabernet Franc 2015
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlock 3, on the Golden Mile Bench, turns fifty years old in 2018. The current release of their well-known cabernet franc is 2016, but I was able to take a boo at the 2015, from the hottest year on record in the Okanagan. This feels every inch of the heat, plus 16 months in wood, 25 percent American and 75 percent French. Thick with sun-baked, ripe, black fruit (cherries, cassis, black plums), this is dragged across the full palate by tuggy tannins, and a fine line of acid, to a peppery, cedar spiced, very hot finish. Even now, this requires beef or beet stew to counter.Prices:| BC | $28.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bench 1775 Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis stelvin-capped red is quite reductive upon opening, but airtime in glass or a splash decant will help blow that off, revealing brooding blue / black fruits led by damson plums, blueberries, ripe blackberries and aromas of spearmint, violets and cracked pepper. Tannins are downy soft and acidity is moderate, rafting this medium bodied wine to a snappy finish. This comes from Oxbow Vineyard, in Osoyoos. A characterful, if peculiar blend that works for lentils / winter squash / beef / mushrooms.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Time Cabernet Franc 2016
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Black Sage Bench's Sundial Vineyard and 1993 plantings, this is a ripe, dense, accessible big red, with tannins smoothed and the approach and entry simple. Blackberry, dark coffee, peppery spicing, sticky / powdery tannins and a short, stuck finish, this is a simple, classic southern Okanagan red for drinking now, preferably with beef.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bench 1775 Cabernet Franc cl 214 2014
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe combination of the aromatic clone 214 and the cooler eastern-facing slopes of Osoyoos makes for an impressive, floral nose of violets mixed with plums and wild blueberries. The warm, for BC, 2014 vintage has brought this red to full ripeness with bright plummy fruit framed by more cabernet franc-like smoky, peppery, resiny notes and soft tannins. Peking duck would be a great match, as would grilled lamb and any assortment of winter root vegetables. Drink or hold through 2020.Prices:| BC | $34.50 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Vanessa Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2015
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA single barrel of Cabernet Franc was one of the first single varietal wines made from Vanessa Vineyard grapes at Sandhill as a test of the vineyard’s grapes capabilities by Howard Soon. This is the first release under the Vanessa Vineyard label. The vines were planted in 2006 and they are centered in one of the warmest vineyards in British Columbia. The extremely rocky site is the perfect antidote to the highly productive cab franc vines, keeping the yields in check. After 20 months in barrel, this franc has emerged as a hedonistic rich, round, warm, savoury, soft red with sweet berry fruits and a spicy finish that should have wide appeal. More Bolgheri than Bordeaux, it would be interesting to see this with a little less oak but I quibble. Many will love this style with a T-bone steak, and the price is realistic.Prices:| BC | $49.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Hester Creek Block 3 Reserve Cabernet Franc 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaGolden Mile Bench's Hester Creek estate vineyard Block 3 turned fifty in 2018, a rare feat in our young wine industry. After fermenting on skins and a gentle press, this cabernet franc is aged in a combo of French (75 percent) and American (25 percent) oak barrels for 18 months prior to release. Perfumed cassis, wild blackberry, thorns, violets coat the full palate, one cushioned by tuggy / structured tannins and centered on a core of juicy cool black plum. Cedar lingers on the sticky finish. Very much in youth, but for current / short term drinking, especially alongside beef tenderloin. This wine continues to show much promise but we are still wondering what an all-French oak version would look like.Prices:| BC | $28.95 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Il Caberlot 2014
Tuscany, ItalyOne of the rarest wines in Tuscany, the secluded hilltop estate of Podere Il Carnasciale, in the mountains of southern Chianti’s Valdarno region, is the only vineyard to cultivate Caberlot. The grape is a genetic mutation of cabernet franc, with distinct characteristics of merlot. It was discovered in Veneto by Remigo Bordini, and planted in conjunction with Bettina and Wolf Rogosky at the Tuscan estate in 1986, with the aim of producing something entirely different from the Chianti of the time. This low intervention, organic-focused red certainly is unique: super peppery, herbal edged cherry, with sapid resin and worn leather wrapping around a very compact and dense red palate. That alluring franc herbal edge, plus bright bergamot acidity keeps this aromatic red fresh on the medium palate through a lingering, spiced finish. Tuscany this is, but sangiovese this certainly is not. This aged in French fûts and barriques, 60 percent new, for 22 months, and was racked only once prior to bottling unfiltered. The wine, bottled in magnums only (2000 annually), rests an additional 18 months prior to release. Drinking beautifully now, but with another decade easy. *The bottle I tried was a split, intended just for restaurants, and hence the name Sommelleria on the front label.Prices:| ON | $457.95 | 1500ml |
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13 November 2018
90PTS
Narrative Pinot Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaNarrative, wines that tell the story of the Okanagan, is made with purchased fruit, in this case from 32-year-old vines in Okanagan Falls. The entry is linear and tight with beautiful freshness reminiscent of mountain flower blossoms and fragrant ripe pears flecked with a savoury dust. The attack is bone dry, but the ripe fruit balances the palate, leaving a super fresh inviting white to take on a variety of seafood, particularly in spicy sauces. Less varietal, more quintessential Okanagan.Prices:| BC | $22.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Rigour & Whimsy Pinot Blanc 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the inaugural wine and release from new Rigour & Whimsy, a tiny family owned operation in Okanagan Falls. This pinot blanc was sourced from a high-elevation vineyard north of Oliver that was transitioning to organic, whole berry fermented on the skins for two months before aging in barrel for 15 months. A small amount of sulphur was added just before bottling. Stencilled with the typical tight orange wine texture, and with prickling acidity bracketing the streamlined flow, this carries perfumed peach blossoms, cantaloupe, apricot fuzz, lime pith, to a snappy bitter peach pit finish. Cleansing acidity keeps this moreish.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Pinot Blanc 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe pinot blanc star is rising in BC and this is one of the labels leading the charge. The aromas and palate are a mix of refined pear and apple fruits sprinkled with that Okanagan sagebrush, dried herbs that fit into the long creamy, perfectly bitter textures and residual lees character that fills out the palate. The acidity easily lifts the back end giving enough life to take on a wide variety of foods like grilled chicken, fall mushrooms or eggplant dishes. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $21.49 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Five Vineyards by Mission Hill Pinot Blanc 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFive Vineyards is all about simplicity, where fruit triumphs over most other aspects of winemaking. The grapes are Oliver-based, the freshness and bright acidity is authentic. The palate is mix of ripe green/gold pear/apple fruit with bits of lime and a touch of pink grapefruit. Sushi rolls are affine match and you can experiment with sauces. Fair value.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
| SK | $18.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $17.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.45 | 750ml |
| NB | $19.00 | 750ml |
| NF | $20.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $18.00 | 750ml |
| YK | $21.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards The Mischief Pinot Blanc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 is similar to the juicy 2016, though this has spent a little more time on lees for added texture, and the fruit feels much richer and expansive on the palate. From their Greata Ranch estate, this underwent a lengthy three week ferment before time in neutral oak and stainless (55/45). Yellow fruited (apple, pear, apricot), with scented melon and a wee bump of RS, which is unnecessary though intended to counter the brisk acidity through the spiced finish. Medium+ bodied, this will have wide appeal.Prices:| BC | $24.50 | 750ml |
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12 November 2018
96PTS
Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2015
Tuscany, ItalyThe evolution of Guado al Tasso has been subtle over the years but removing the syrah from the blend in 2007 has reshaped this wine for the better. The current mix is 55/20/18/2/ cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot, all of which are thriving in the Bolgheri amphitheatre. We love the freshness and vibrancy in what could be the biggest structured Quado ever, certainly since 2011. The attack is similarly pure and impressive but with less oak and sweet fruit and more mineral, salty, savoury marine notes. It truly becoming a wine of place. It’s a terrific year for blended Tuscan reds and this will be one of the best, two decades down the road. Collectors take note.Prices:| BC | $94.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $80.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $83.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $247.00 | 1500ml |
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93PTS
Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2014
Tuscany, Italy2014 was a very different year at Guado al Tasso highlighted by a 50 percent drop in production. In fact, the blend, 40/40/20/ cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, not seen before or since, testify to the difficult growing conditions that eliminated the late ripening petit verdot. In this case less is more and the ‘cool’ 2013 Quado may be among the most refined Quados yet. Savoury aromatic dried herbs and menthol mixing with plummy sweet black fruits and silky tannins give it an alluring style. The finish is equally beguiling with a tobacco mineral undercurrent and round, fine-grained tannin adding just enough structure to suggest it can age a decade or more. More Bordeaux than Super Tuscan. Guado al Tasso takes its name from notoriously shy badgers that cross the many streams which run through the property.Prices:| BC | $94.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $80.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $83.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $247.00 | 1500ml |
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92PTS
Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato 2016
Bolgheri, Tuscany, ItalyBruciato 2016 is more vertical, led by a very spicy syrah component. The fruit was picked between late August and late September and went through a short 10 to 15-day ferment and maceration before heading to stainless steel and barrels for the cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. These components are blended at the end of the year and further aged in oak for seven months, then bottle for four months. The 2016 comes with more red fruit and those savoury salty notes that the winemaking team is pursuing. Almost the polar opposite of the blockbuster 2015. I welcome more finesse and expect with a new dedicated winery facility ready to go in 2018 the movement will continue. Drink or hold through 2022.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $28.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $30.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $32.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato 2015
Bolgheri, Tuscany, ItalyIl Bruciato is not the second wine of Guado al Tasso but rather another label featuring cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. In 2015 it has all the hallmarks of the warm vintage, i.e., richness, weight, slightly softer acidity and tannins, all of which suggest you can drink this much earlier. That said, it’s a terrific wine with all the hallmarks of Bolgheri with the savoury, menthol, Mediterranean garrigue and the Italian dryness that lets you focus on the black and blue fruit that persist long onto the palate. Balance has become a watchword at Bruciato adding to its charm. Stock up if you can find it.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $28.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $30.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $32.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $30.00 | 750ml |
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09 November 2018
89PTS
Vanessa Vineyard Meritage 2014
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2014 growing season was a dream in the Similkameen with an early, dry start, a pleasant summer with no huge heat spikes, and a temperate, cool nights, warm days, autumn. The fruit arrived in pristine condition, a couple of weeks ahead of the average pick dates. In 2014 it amounted o 1920 Growing Degree Days versus an average closer to 1700. The nose is notably improved with clean, fragrant black fruits and broken stones. The attack is rich but not overpowering, with spicy and savoury, rich dark fruit flavours and spice. The finish is long and persistent with firm, dry tannins and some of that 40 percent new French and American oak poking through, flecked with coffee, toast and chocolate.Prices:| BC | $39.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Blue Grouse Quill Red 2016
British Columbia, CanadaThis is a spicy, medium bodied red, pitch-perfect for fall, with ample cracked pepper and cinnamon, forest berries, moderately smoked cedar, all centring a herbal, medicinal cherry core. Tannins are evident but well tucked into the fruit, propping it up and welcoming pairing with grilled squash, wild mushrooms or pork chops. This year's wine blends fruit from the Okanagan Valley (47 percent cabernet franc and 40 percent merlot), with Cowichan Valley marechal foch.Prices:| BC | $19.00 | 750ml |
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08 November 2018
91PTS
Tormaresca Pietrabianca Castel del Monte Chardonnay 2016
Puglia, ItalyPietrabianca is a 90/10 chardonnay/fiano blend of certified, organic fruit grown at Bocca di Lupo in Castel del Monte. The wine has a southern fingerprint from the south, a certain roundness from ageing in oak barriques and fragrance but without any heat or fat, sweet flavours. The attack is fresh with an intriguing mineral undercurrent, creamy, vanilla, tropical fruit with a soft, yet elegant, finish. Perfect for a variety of Mediterranean seafood or what we see here on the North Pacific.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tormaresca Bocca di Lupo 2014
Puglia, ItalyAglianico Castel del Monte is a DOC controlled appellation and Bocca di Lupo is 100 percent aglianico, all grown and certified organic from the Bocca di Lupo estate in Minervino Murge. A warm and wet vintage caused serious problems with downy mildew across the region and only the vigilant were successful. Normal weather marked August and September, leaving an early October harvest of fully ripe fruit that gets 15 days of skin contact in the form of punching down the cap, rack and return, and the occasional, brief, pump over. The juice is aged in French oak barriques and in bottle at the winery for a least 24 months. The colour is just off-dark with a ripe red fruit nose. The attack is earthy, even rustic at first, with figgy, plummy fruit and rich, satiny, fine-grained tannins. The finish is long and persistent with more spice, black raspberries and black pepper with a twist of balsamic. Wild boar meatballs with papardelle pasta is a fine match, as is any black truffle dish or harder, aged cheese.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tormaresca Trentangeli Castel del Monte 2015
Puglia, ItalyA terrific year in Italy has resulted in a very fine Castel del Monte red. It’s a 70/20/10 mix of aleatico / cabernet sauvignon / syrah. The nose is an enticing fragrant mix of violets and ripe dark fruit aromas – a vertical Bruciato. The attack is full bodied and fresh, featuring sweetly spiced black raspberry and licorice with a streak of anise and dried herbs. The savoury, earthy notes really contribute to the mix, giving the wine a complex personality made for lamb osso buco. Drink or hold through 2023. Back up the truck.Prices:| BC | $19.49 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo 2016
Salento, Puglia, ItalyTorcicoda is an elegant plea to stop the appassimento. Now in its tenth year, this primitivo it is anything but primitive, with a fresh, modern style, and going for elegance over power and warmth. The grapes come from two sites: head-pruned bush vines and a cordon system in the Maime Estate vineyards at San Pietro Vernotico, and a selection from the Bocca di Lupo estate in Minervino Murge. Post ferment, it spends ten months in small French and Hungarian oak barrels and a further eight months in bottle before release. I like the fine-grained, well-managed tannins and just a hint of Mediterranean sweetness, black cherry/ black raspberry licorice, and dry elegant finish. A terrific choice for turkey or mushroom pasta dishes.Prices:| BC | $31.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $20.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $25.00 | 750ml |
| NB | $27.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tormaresca Calafuria 2017
Salento, Puglia, ItalyWe haven’t seen Calafuria in BC yet because it’s all the rage in Italy and there isn’t enough to go around. This negroamaro rosato is grown at the Maìme estate in San Pietro Vernotico. It was a very dry, warm year but the traditional viticulture of Puglia is well suited to the conditions, as evidenced by this tasty pink. With some help from a cooling Tramontana north wind there is a freshness here along with very clean, peachy, grapefruit flavours with a delicate watery edge. This is fun and now the number one selling rosé in Italy. A super patio pink.Prices:| BC | $0.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Tormaresca Chardonnay 2017
Puglia, ItalyThis wine was a surprise. It's warm in Puglia so it’s no problem to ripen chardonnay, but to get a juicy, fresh, vibrant example is another story. The nose is awash in fresh cut apples drenched in citrus and even some floral notes. The palate is fresh with creamy leesy textures and more apples with light herbal, grassy flavours. Food friendly and highly affordable, this is a bargain. Back up the truck.Prices:| BC | $13.29 | 750ml |
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07 November 2018
90PTS
Château Trillol Grenache Carignan Syrah 2014
Corbières, Languedoc, Sud de France, FranceCorbières is high up in the mountains, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, around 450m. The Sichel family took over the property 30 years ago, when there were 15 producers in the valley. Today they are the only one. Low yields, low mechanism, and the challenging conditions to work the steep hills contributed to farmers looking elsewhere than this, dry, arid, windy climate, which is a real shame. Lovely dark plum, crushed cassis, stones, herbal arid scrub from the grenache, carignan, syrah. Very expressive, with the iron-clay / rocky soils coming through, carried by the lift of the altitude. Very late to harvest due to conditions, but holds acidity and texture beautifully. This delicate wine spends one year in barrel, but very little new wood, to maintain the freshness. Drinking very well now, with classic bistro fare.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Brotte Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Barville 2015
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, FranceThe 2015 vintage was an excellent one in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Barville opens with spicy black pepper notes and black cherries soaked in garrigue. The attack is silky with more spice and dense red/black fruits that persist across the palate and linger for minutes. You could wait another five years to drink, or you could enjoy it now with a robust piece of roasted or grilled lamb, anything with truffles, or a savoury-stuffed turkey. Domaine Barville is the ancestral name of Laurent Brotte's family estate in Barville. The 15ha southwest facing site is split into seven parcels that sit on two of the best parts of the appellation: clay and pebbles at Pradel and shattered limestone at Beaurenard. The blend undergoes a three-week maceration before the syrah and mourvèdre spend a year-plus in equal parts new French oak, one-year-old and two-year old barrels. The grenache is matured in concrete and 100-year-old oak vats to better preserve the fruit.Prices:| BC | $73.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Road 13 GSM 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIts been a while since we've tasted a GSM blend from Road 13. The last that crossed our tasting table was the 2013 version, then labelled Small Lot Collection. This year the grenache and mourvedre were cofermented with syrah skins from an earlier fermentation. After punching down for ten days or so, this was pressed to older and newer French until the following spring, when some of the syrah (five percent) was added in. This also carries a two percent tip of viognier. Ripe plum, dusky wild blackberries lead a warm, brambled palate, streaked with leather and lightly sticky tannins. Lovely balance in this Okanagan red, and ideal for autumnal consumption with grilled sausages and winter squashes.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu De Père en Filles 2015
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, FranceAll the work going into the cellar and vineyard at Jaboulet is finally making its way to the wines, evident in Plan de Dieu. Winemaker Carolyn Frey blends 80/10/10 grenache, syrah and mourvèdre to make this round, fleshy red that is drinkable now but carrying some richer tannins that will allow it to age gracefully thorough 2022. Look for peppery black fruit flecked with a mineral, savoury undercurrent and dense, fine grained tannins with a whiff of garrigue. Grilled pork, beef or a south Asian curry would all complement this red at the table.Prices:| BC | $37.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $22.95 | 750ml |
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06 November 2018
98PTS
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2016
Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, PortugalAs you might expect, weather plays a big part in what is a splendid year for vintage port. A rare wet spring and cool weather recharged the drought-stricken soil, reduced yields and lengthened the growing season into the cooler fall months. The first grapes picked at Quinta de Vargellas arrived at the winery on 17th of September, with the Pinhão Valley estates following on the 23rd and 26th respectively. The colour is opaque. Lovely pure fruit with perfect acidity and bones all in the elegantly restrained Taylor style. A sure sign of an extraordinary wine is you can drink this now or put it away forty years and beyond. Young collectors can be assured this wine will be with them their entire lives.Prices:| BC | $479.97 | 3000ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of Mission Hill's Reserve tier of wines, this cabernet sauvignon was sourced from estate vineyards in Osoyoos and on the Black Sage Bench, and spent 13 months in oak. Dusky, structural black fruits, walnut, anise, whiffs of plum and appropriate structural oak, well placed for a savoury result. Well knit, with moderate alcohol, this is drinking well now and will continue to do so in the cellar.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $28.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $25.25 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Vanessa Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe first release of a cabernet sauvignon yields a wild, brawny, stony red with substantial tannins. The palate is a cedar, smoky, oaky affair with a strong undercurrent of Similkameen sagebrush and tumbleweed. Big and robust, this guy is going to need some time to settle into itself. The fruit is not as pure as I might expect so there is work to be done and more finesse would be appreciated. Decant for 45 minutes at least, and best with grilled or roasted meats.Prices:| BC | $79.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Burrowing Owl Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom the hottest growing season on record in the Okanagan, this has sucked up all of the scorching desert heat in the Oliver and Osoyoos vineyards and expressed it through this massive cedar structured red. Ripe and dense sweet cherry, cassis vanilla jam, medicinal notes, resin, smoked paprika on the powerful palate, one that gained stature through time in French, American, Hungarian and Russian oak, 20 percent of which was new. A lavish style, wrapped with gummy / powdery tannins, and best enjoyed with a lengthy decant and a partnering with lamb.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $48.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $44.95 | 750ml |
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05 November 2018
88PTS
Northern Lights Estate Northern Spirit Series Huckleberry 2016
British Columbia, CanadaHuckleberries are fans of wet weather, making them a favourite in BC, especially in coastal areas and from sea level to sub-alpine, ripening over a wide period based on elevation. This fruit wine is impressive in the mouth, certainly the most grape wine-like with earthy strawberry/cranberry/apple quince notes, firm acidity and tannin. Just off-dry but with acidity, it presents dry. This could be interesting with grilled meats and mushrooms. Well done.Prices:| BC | $16.98 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Northern Lights Estate Bell Family Reserve Heritage Haskap 2016
British Columbia, CanadaThe flagship red at Northern Lights is this Heritage Haskap, grown near the Nechako River at Heritage Farms in Quesnel. The Bell Family Reserve series is a limited edition; only 90 cases were produced, so you must be connected to the winery website to get your share. The wine surprisingly goes into medium toast French oak, although the dark red berry fruit remains intense. The winery claims you can age it in bottle up to five years and given the obvious freshness and tart flavours I’m not surprised. The fruit looks more like blueberries or cranberries, but its closer relative is the tomato. The flavours are leather and tart, suggesting mushroom and meat dishes.Prices:| BC | $16.98 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Northern Lights Estate Cuvée Blanche Wine Master's Blend NV
British Columbia, CanadaCuvée Blanche is just that: a blend of fruits that make a fresh, inviting, crisp, dry white. The fruits involved are gooseberry, apricot, apple and rhubarb, and the flavours are very suggestive of summer fruit salad. The winery suggests serving this with rosemary roast chicken, vegetarian cannelloni, or lasagna. Clean and solid, it's ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $16.98 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Northern Lights Estate Seduction Strawberry Rhubarb Wine NV
British Columbia, CanadaNot unlike an off-dry rosé, this is particularly sweet but with a twist of citrus in the finish to keep it from being cloying. A rhubarb red blush in the glass, it shows opulent tropical fruit notes with some of the spicy litchi notes you find in gewürztraminer. Anything spicy would work here given the sweetness, but I am leaning towards spicy sausage, or even a spicy chicken curry. It could work with cake and fruit desserts. Seduction was a Best in Category (Fruit, Honey, Dessert wines) at the BC Best of Varietal Competition 2016 and a gold medal winner at the 2016 All Canadian Wine Championships.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Northern Lights Indulgence Raspberry Dessert Wine NV
CanadaIndulgence is good word for this intense, pure rendition of raspberry fruit. Did you know that raspberry is a member of the rose family? Certainly one whiff of this wine would confirm that statement. It’s pure, sweet raspberry with a modicum of acidity for balance. The winery suggests drizzling it over ice cream, baking into your favourite crumble, or simply enjoying in a glass. A daring match might be duck. Super quality here. This in not your father's fruit wine.Prices:| BC | $23.00 | 375ml |
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86PTS
Grizzli Raspberry 2014
Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is a different style when tasted alongside the Northern Lights. The nose is aromatic and pure raspberry, but the attack is much drier and more herbal. It tastes more like an earlier pick with drier fruit and higher acidity, and its earthy undercurrent suggests serving with an Asian chicken salad, or pork dumplings.Prices:| BC | $34.95 | 375ml |
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86PTS
Grizzli Blueberry 2016
Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe blueberry wine at Grizzli falls into the same style as the raspberry, with an aromatic, correct blueberry nose followed by much drier and more herbal notes on the palate. The wine is made from a special species of Fraser Valley blueberries with smaller berry size and more intense flavours. Just off-dry with a touch of spritz, it would be a fine match with a cheese plate of brie and Camembert, nuts and fresh fruit.Prices:| BC | $34.95 | 375ml |
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03 November 2018
85PTS
Unsworth Vineyards Symphony 2016
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaSymphony is a blend of hybrid grapes, principally cabernet libre and labelle, with a little petit milo. The nose is a cedar, leafy affair marked with roasted coffee, cherry and dill, not unlike an old school Ontario cabernet franc. The attack is round with juicy herbal cherry, choke cherry and earthy vegetal black raspberry. Hearty and ready to be served with grilled spicy Italian sausages.Prices:| BC | $23.39 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Edoardo Miroglio Mavrud and Rubin Bio 2016
Thracian Valley, BulgariaThe organically grown and certified mavrud and rubin grapes combine 3000 years (mavrud) and 60-plus years (rubin) of indigenous growth in Bulgaria. You can expect a fresh, terroir-scented nose with cherries and currants. The wine is aged in oak for about six months in botti (French oak, 33 hl capacity) and Bulgarian oak barrels (500 l) adding a bit of texture and weight and just a hint of wood to the mix. The attack is juicy and fresh with intriguing earthy cran-cherry/red currant that fade into a forest floor finish. Ready to drink. Think sophisticated but affordable pizza/barbecue beef wine. Good value.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Chronology Red Wine 2015
California, United StatesThe 2015 Chronology Red Wine mixes traditional Bordeaux grapes with Rhône varietals, ‘kissed’ as the winery says, by Angelica (Mission grape). The colour is deep, the nose plummy with red fruits and a hint of brown spice. The attack is soft and round, as expected, and while ripe, it’s a little drier than the norm of these blends that come in super-heavy bottles, often a signal of sugar bombs. Expect ripe flavours of black fruit and chocolate with brown spices and a touch of tea tannins. A steak and ribs wine, and the richer and rarer the better.Prices:| BC | $59.99 | 750ml |
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85PTS
Rocky Creek On The Mark NV
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaAnother look 30 months down the road at this one-of-a-kind-blend of 2012 and 2013 cabernet foch, maréchal foch, tempranillo, malbec and carmenère, grown on Vancouver Island in four southwest facing vineyards. The grapes went through a multi-day cold soak before fermentation, an extended maceration and nine months of ageing in barrel. The attack is juicy with cool, acidic cran-cherry red berry fruit with an earthy, foxy undercurrent. It’s a touch more mellow but still alive enough to take on a fall mushroom beef stew or grilled hamburgers.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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01 November 2018
92PTS
Greywacke Chardonnay 2015
Marlborough, South Island, New ZealandKiwi chardy can be such a delight, as is the case with this vintage of Greywacke, one that ably handles the reductive style. This was sourced from vineyards across the Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains, specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura. The mix is 2/3 Mendoza clone, 1/3 clone 95, with half of the batch sent directly from press to barrel. After native ferment, partial MLF, this spent 18 months in wood with low battonage, and 20 percent new barrels. The wine tightened with six months in stainless prior to bottling. It works. Flinty and racy, with focused, driving lemon, lemon peel and pith, along a cushioned bed of lees, pear, white peach and underbrush of crunchy rock salts and gravels. Potent and powerful, yet so fresh and vibrant, its 14 degrees alcohol isn't felt at all. Very drinkable now, and in future.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Domaine du Chardonnay Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2015
Chablis, Burgundy, FranceThis is a fairly new partnership, formed in 1987 when Etienne Boileau, Christian Simon and William Nahan had a vision to join their vineyards and expertise together to create Domaine du Chardonnay. They farm 38 hectares vines across Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Chablis 1er Cru. This 1er Cru Vaillons, situated south sloping on the left bank, is light and tight with green pear, green melon, and light quince. As it warms, subtle, well timed tropical notes emerge. Unlike some fruitier Vaillons, this subdued example draws more wet chalk, broken stones, along the bone dry, chiseled palate. This is a sleek, lean take on the cru.Prices:| BC | $49.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Réserve de Vaudon 2015
Chablis, Burgundy, FranceDrouhin has been around since the 1880s, with the current generation's great grandfather starting the business as a negociant. In the early 20th century the family started as winemakers, purchasing and planting their first vineyards in the early 1960s. The Réserve is a slightly richer, more expansive palate than the entry level Vaudon, again mixing biodynamically-farmed Drouhin estate fruit, but here drawn primarily from Premier Crus Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu on the right bank, close by the Grand Cru terroirs. Some beeswax kisses the green and yellow apple, Bosc pear, with a touch of ash and skin of lees making the sharp cut of green apple more approachable. This spent fermentation plus approximately eight months in stainlessPrices:| BC | $36.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $32.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $32.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2015
Chablis, Burgundy, FranceDrouhin has been around since the 1880s, with the current generation's great grandfather starting the business as a negociant. In the early 20th century the family started as winemakers, purchasing and planting their first vineyards in the early 1960s. From the left bank's south facing slopes of 1er cru Vaillons, this well straddles the line of green apple, lemon pith nimbleness and shimmer, with a complete core of chalk, quince and pear kissed centre. This streams along with a riff of sea salts, pear skin to texture. This wine was fermented and aged in stainless, on lees until racked and bottled in summer 2016.Prices:| BC | $55.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Drouhin Vaudon Chablis 2015
Chablis, Burgundy, FranceDrouhin has been around since the 1880s, with the current generation's great grandfather starting the business as a negociant. In the early 20th century the family started as winemakers, purchasing and planting their first vineyards in the early 1960s. This is their entry level chablis, sourced from across the appellation, and with time in stainless for 7-8 months. Juicy green and yellow apple, pear, green melon, river fresh with a smoked grapefruit snap, this is a solid, consistent, wine for mid week. At Drouhin, 2015 was an early and dry year, warm, but without high yields. Still, acidity remained good and carries this easily to the snappy finish.Prices:| BC | $40.99 | 750ml |
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December 2018