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Tastings: October 2020
31 October 2020
90PTS
Mission Hill Quatrain 2013
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHistorically in Bordeaux, it was common for wines to be "hermitaged," meaning they were bolstered with syrah from the Northern Rhone. Adding syrah to be a Bordeaux blend is now showing merit in the Okanagan, and Mission Hill has led the way with Quatrain, which was first introduced in 2005. In this case, 27 percent syrah is added to a blend of 43/18/12 merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. This shows a combination of blackberry and blueberry, with a dusting of attractive spices. If you have a bottle in your cellar, consider opening it over the holidays. It’s drinking just about at its peak, with the finish starting to dry out now.Prices:| BC | $75.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $79.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $65.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Quatrain 2013
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAt Mission Hill, they say, "Quatrain is four lines of verse that we interpret as four varietals (sic) giving balance and structure to this wine." It is a Bordeaux blend with some syrah in it. The '13 is a 45/25/18/12 blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon, mostly from something the French would never be allowed to do under AOC rules. The fruit comes mainly from Osoyoos, with a tenth coming in from Oliver. It spent 15 months in small French oak barrels. The crop was excellent, and it's translated to the wine. Rich and generous in black and blue fruit, It's closing in on full bottle maturity. That said, the attack is full-bodied with intense dark fruit flecked with dark chocolate, raisins, espresso, along with a savoury sagebrush finish. In a perfect window now to drink, especially with grilled lamb or a rich winter stew.Prices:| BC | $75.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $79.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $65.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Mission Hill Compendium 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Darryl Brooker's aim with Compendium is to create an ageworthy cabernet sauvignon-dominant blend that's not overly fruit forward. The 2016 vintage is 38/38/24 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc, which is predominantly sourced from Mission Hill's Osoyoos vineyards. This is quite savoury, almost reminiscent of youthful Left Bank Bordeaux, with graphite and herbs alongside bright black fruits. Brooker dialled back the new oak and went for less extraction when he took over the Compendium program, and both changes have paid off here. The fruit is front and centre and the tannins are fine and plush. Excellent now, but, yes, it will get better with time in the cellar.Prices:| BC | $82.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Jagged Rock Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, this is in a stunning location perched at 1400 feet within the Okanagan Highland foothills. Grapes like a view, or so the adage goes, and it's hard to disagree when you taste this wine. Okanagan cabernet sauvignon can be a mixed bag, but when it's done well, it's excellent. Try this if you think otherwise. There's a surprising amount of ripeness here for only 13% abv, and it easily manages to soak up the 40% new French oak. It's muscular and structured, with intense, dense tannins, so get out the grill if you're opening this anytime soon. Otherwise, tuck it away for 5-7 years.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaJagged Rock Vineyard, surrounded by steep rocky cliffs at 1400 feet elevation, is home to this south Okanagan cabernet. Warm, scrubby desert soils are more than a match for this savoury, smoky red that seemed to thrive in what is a cooler vintage. A mix of clones 191 and 337 have produced a refined, cool, blue fruit and brambleberry nose and palate followed by spice and vanilla. The wine is youthful and bright with amazing texture, thanks to dense but sweet, round tannins. There is no rush to open this bottle that was aged 17 months in French oak.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Naramata Ranch Chardonnay 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTwo of the most improved varieties coming out of Mission Hill are sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. It is the first release of Naramata Chardonnay to join the Terroir Series, and it is impressive. The Naramata Ranch is a geologically diverse site. The wine is a mix of clones 548 (11 year old vines) and 95 (30+ year old vines). I remember when the vines first went in and the ensuing struggles to get them growing. Let's just say it's been worth the wait. A warm spring and summer followed by a cool fall is the perfect recipe for chardonnay. It was fermented and aged in barriques, puncheons, and concrete eggs. Look for an enticing nose of citrus and creamy lees. The texture is perfect, playing off the leaner clone 95 juice with the richer 548 textures. Fresh, young, and ageable, this is a winner and great for food.Prices:| BC | $45.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Vista's Edge Cabernet Franc 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the current release from Vista's Edge, near the US border on the Osoyoos East Bench. It is quite youthful at present, with forward oak that needs time to fully integrate. It's also a bigger wine than the 2016 vintage, beside which it was tasted, with bold black fruits and less cabernet franc savouriness. The tannins are more forceful and extracted, perhaps due to fermentation in oak as opposed to concrete, so it needs some time to come into its own. At the moment, it's just a bit foursquare.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Vista's Edge Cabernet Franc 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada2018 is a coolish year, slightly warmer than 2016, but less crop. Wildfire smoke was an issue and will likely find its way into many BC reds. I noted very little in this wine, but it was made unaltered. Interestingly, winemaker Darry Brooker prefers to make the wine as normal and deal with the smoke if it becomes an issue at the end of winemaking. Presumably, it would be blended off if the smoke was too prominent. As it turns out, it's not a big deal in this delicious bottle that is long on fresh blueberry and dark plum, wrapped in dense, silky, round tannins that add to its finish and charm. Buy and hold; it is going to be something special. It is cabernet franc, clone 214, grown in Oliver BC.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 32 Vista's Edge Cabernet Franc 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis was the second vintage of cabernet franc to be bottled from Vista's Edge, located on the Osoyoos East Bench. Winemaker Darryl Brooker used a significant portion of whole clusters (40 percent) to bring back a lovely herbal, spicy note to the wine, a varietal character which is all-too-often lacking in Okanagan cabernet franc. The result is absolutely spectacular, and certainly one of the best I've tried to date from the valley, with a savoury edge that doesn't come at the expense of ripeness. It's pure and expressive, with a light touch of French oak that is firmly in the background. Sold out at the winery; if you manage to find this, buy every bottle you can get your hands on.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 32 Vista's Edge Cabernet Franc 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe cream of the crop makes it to this label that, in most cases, represents less than three to five percent of the MHFE franc fruit. The source in 2016 is a small, west-facing slope (with a vista) on the most southerly part of the eastern side of the Okanagan Valley. After a concrete and neutral oak fermentation, it spends 18 months in French oak, one quarter new. Expect a perfumed nose of black fruits with peppery, savoury undertones that spill across the palate, and leafy, graphite, black raspberry and pepper with a dusting of soft tannins and a long fresh finish. The sky’s the limit. Drink or hold beyond 2025.Prices:| BC | $50.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIf you haven't tried Perpetua in awhile, it's time to give it another look. 2015 marked the beginning of a gradual stylistic change for Mission Hill's flagship chardonnay, with the addition of Naramata fruit for the first time. There was a conscious effort to retain freshness in what was a challenging, warm vintage. Beyond looking to cooler sites to balance the ripeness of Osoyoos fruit, winemaker Darryl Brooker also blocked malolactic fermentation and partially aged the wine in concrete. The wine has developed nicely over the last five years as a result, and is just about drinking at its peak now with golden-hued fruit, honey, and beautifully integrated oak.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $54.01 | 750ml |
| MB | $50.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2015
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFive years down the road, the hot 2015 vintage is beginning to show a few cracks. The ripe, pear-flavoured chardonnay with plenty of spice and creamy, baked apple fruit is beginning to age, suggesting it's time to drink. 2015 signalled a move north with 25 percent cooler Naramata fruit added to the original all-Osoyoos chardonnay recipe. The first Darryl Brooker version also came with a much appreciated leesy, mineral package using three chardonnay clones: 76, 96, and 548. There is a saving saltiness in the face of less acidity that has held off the creamy, buttery notes, but as mentioned, the wine is beginning to show its age. It’s in a good spot but don't wait to drink your bottles.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $54.01 | 750ml |
| MB | $50.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Mission Hill Quatrain 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of the changes that winemaker Darryl Brooker wanted to make when he took over Quatrain was to make it a syrah-dominant blend. Mission accomplished in 2016: this is a 34/31/28/7 blend of syrah, merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. It’s obvious you don’t need much more syrah for it to leave a big mark. This is quite perfumed and spicy, alongside vibrant black fruits. It manages to be both dense and juicy with fine, sinewy tannins that make this a pleasure to drink now but it will certainly improve after being tucked away for 5-7 years. Another 2016 red that Brooker has hit out of the park.Prices:| BC | $75.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $79.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $65.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Mission Hill Quatrain 2016
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaQuatrain is the Bordeaux blend with some syrah in it. In 2016 the goal was to make it syrah dominant, and get more separation from the Compendium blend. The mix is a 34/31/28/7 blend of syrah, merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. It is fermented in small, specially designed French oak fermenters and aged in French oak barrels for 20 months. I like the changes here; there is more elegance and purpose with the larger syrah contribution. Look for a brighter nose versus 2013, with floral blue fruit. On the palate, it remains rich and peppery with a big blueberry, bramble palate flecked with licorice and savoury desert scrub notes in the finish. Best of all is the texture, allowing the wine to slip around your palate effortlessly. Hold seven to ten years or drink now with roast lamb, lamb osso buco, or a favourite steak cut. The 2016 harvest lasted 76 days and set records for being BC's longest harvest ever on record. The harvest concluded on November 9, marking an exceptional Okanagan vintage.Prices:| BC | $75.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $79.00 | 750ml |
| MB | $65.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2018
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine exemplifies the stylistic evolution of Perpetua under winemaker Darryl Brooker, which began with the 2015 vintage. More Naramata fruit, earlier picked, less oak, and more reductive winemaking. Better yet, he's taken the quality to another level. This is modern, world-class chardonnay. It would be easy to call this one of the best in the Okanagan, but that would be underselling it. It's beautifully restrained with bright citrus fruits and subtle oak, taut yet concentrated, with flinty, matchstick adding complexity. Highly recommended.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2018
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPerpetua is now harvested from four individual blocks of Dijon clones 96, 548, 95, and 76 in Mission Hill’s eastern Osoyoos (52 percent) and Naramata (48 percent) vineyards. At the winery, it is fermented sur lie for nine months in a combination of French oak barriques and puncheons, and turned out a delicious 13 percent alcohol. Look for a reductive struck match and lemon nose that permeates the wine from front to back. The mix of the fruit, texture, acid, and lees is near perfect on the palate, making this one of the best Perpetua yet.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTasted ahead of its pre-release in October 2020. Oculus is the merlot-dominant blend (58 percent in 2017) in Mission Hill's Legacy Collection, with 26 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 16 percent cabernet franc. I generally find Oculus to be more evolved on release than Quatrain or Compendium, maybe because of the pronounced ripeness. The fruit here is verging on baked, giving a perception of sweetness to the palate, alongside complementary dried herbs. It's a big wine, and one that should appeal widely, just give it some time to all come together.Prices:| BC | $135.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 Oculus is one of the biggest young versions of wine I have tasted, possibly rivalling 2009. Rich and full-bodied, it is going to need some time to settle into itself. The blend in 2017 is 49/26/25 merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, fermented and aged in French oak fermenters and barrels (25 percent new) respectively. 99 percent of the fruit is from designated Oculus blocks in the MHFE Osoyoos Vineyard. Winemaker Darryl Brooker has tinkered with the formula, dropping the new oak into the 25 percent range and upping the cabernet franc count to 25 percent, and both moves seem to suit the flagship. The palate is awash in rich, savoury black fruits and substantial tannins that, while texturally fine, will need time to dissipate and let the wine blossom. Can we say more California, less Europe this year? It will require a decade of watching before seeing the whole story.Prices:| BC | $135.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mission Hill Compendium 2012
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAfter two challenging, cool vintages, 2012 came along as a welcome change of pace. But it also wasn’t a blockbuster year, and the best wines show a lovely combination of freshness and ripeness - making them quite ageworthy. That’s on display here, with more overt herbaceousness than the other wines tasted in the line-up. Herbaceousness doesn’t mean unripe, though; after all, this is cabernet sauvignon (42 percent) we’re talking about. After eight years, the fruit, predominantly black is beginning to dry out, so begin to think about pulling this out of your cellar and into a decanter.Prices:| BC | $81.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $75.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Mission Hill Compendium 2012
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine continues to impress over the years. In 2012 the mix was 42/41/17 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. It is rich and stylish from the start, and more Bolgheri than Napa, if we can compare, with its tighter, leafier, floral cabernet fruit painted with savoury sagebrush, menthol, blackberry, black cherry. It is all one today, including some impressive rich, dense, smooth tannins that have mellowed perfectly. It is another level of finesse, and each passing year only heightens the quality here. Well done.Prices:| BC | $81.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $75.00 | 750ml |
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30 October 2020
88PTS
Pax Mission 2019
Lodi, Central Valley, California, United StatesThis 100+ year old mission (aka pais) was planted on an old, dried riverbed in the early 1900s. The deep, sandy loam soils have been good to these dry farmed, organic old vines: they have super large trunks, and many are over 6 feet tall. After a whole cluster ferment, this spent 4 months in neutral French oak and one month in concrete prior to bottle. This light red looks more like a fuller rosé. Wild raspberry, cherry, fragrant wildflowers flow through this slight wine, with a sapid scrubby herbaceousness, and stubby, sticky tannins. Light and lively in hue and body, this welcomes a chill and would be a beaut to partner with ahi sashimi or banh mi.Prices:| BC | $60.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Herdade do Arrepiado Velho Tinto 2018
Alentejo, Central and Southern Portugal, PortugalThis powerful, rich Alentejo touriga nacional leaps from the glass with giant purple and blue fruits and florals: blackberry, cassis, dark plums, iris, violets. Tannins are chewy and firm, housing the plump, potent fruit to a lingering, warming finish. This was native fermented in a mix of inox and large oak vats before resting for a few months in the same. Antonio Maçanita (of FitaPreta) is the winemaker for this project. Requires time in bottle, or grilled lamb to tame now.Prices:| ON | $20.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Domaine du Crêt de Bine BioAddict 2018
Beaujolais, Burgundy, FranceFrançois and Marie-Therèse Subrin, along with thier daughter Florence and nephew Geoffroy, farm 5 hectares of land in the village of Sarcey, a village situated on a high plateau tucked between the Monts Beaujolais and the Monts Lyonnais in the southwest corner of Beaujolais. The Subrin’s vineyard is planted on granite soils with significant deposits of quartz and feldspar. On average, the vines are 40 years old. They are certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter), and are committed to working their land as healthfully as possible. This gamay is sourced from two parcels planted on granite and and granitic sand, one planted to 20 year old vines, and the other to 50 year old vines. This was native fermented with their pied de cuve, and semi-carbonic, in stainless, where it remained for a few months until bottling with small amounts of sulphur. Soft cassis, downy plum, cassis, and high toned purple florals float throughout this bright, lofty, naturalist Bojo. Tannins are finely grippy / ragged, and acidity is frisky. Take with a chill and grilled sausages.Prices:| ON | $24.95 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Filipa Pato & William Wouters Dinamica DNMC Baga 2018
Bairrada, Northern Portugal, PortugalThis biodynamic Baga is sourced partially from Filipa and William’s estate vineyards in Ois do Bairro, and partially from other growers in various villages in Bairrada. Handpicked, fully destemmed, and fermented and raised entirely in tank with a very gentle extraction but long maceration, adding the fine, firm structure here. Perfumed plum, cassis, wild blackberry is tight and fresh with the Atlantic's influence, and buzzing on the palate thanks to the limestone soils. A charming lighter red.Prices:| ON | $23.95 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Casa Castillo Monastrell 2017
Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, SpainJosé Maria is a 3rd generation owner / vintner of Casa Castillo, a farm that began as a rosemary plantation, but has evolved into one of Jumilla's top wine estates. When José Maria's grandfather purchased the property in 1941, at 850m on the chalky, cooler slopes of Sierra del Molar, there were already scattered vineyards dating back to the 1870s. José and his father began to replant the vineyards in 1985, and 1991 was their inaugural vintage. This Jumilla comes from younger vines mainly from their La Valle vineyard. Approximately 10% comes from a seasoning of syrah and garnacha. After a native ferment in tank, this is aged for 9 months in neutral 500L French barrels, concrete, and foudre. Plush and enveloping dark plum, wild blueberry, blackberry, thorny cassis is framed by soft tannins, and lofted with a potent freshness via the altitude and soils. Though this is 15%, it still holds bright, and would be a great pairing for sauced pork or mushroom medallions.Prices:| BC | $29.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nichol Vineyard St. Laurent 2016
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTasted two years along, this singular St. Laurent is even more impressive now than it was then. From a small plot on their home block, this bright, slight red is flush with perfumed plum, black raspberry, gripped with fine thorny tannins and a granite buzz through to a white pepper finish. Finessed and finely defined, this is a delight. What a gem.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Haywire Gamay 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSourced from Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver, this gamay was native fermented, partially whole cluster, with 4 weeks on skins before being aged for eight months in Nico Velo. Lovely crimson cherry spicing, with tight grippy sides, black plum, beautiful haunting peppery spicing, with an intrinsic herbal Okanagan scrub. #GoGamayGo.Prices:| BC | $22.99 | 750ml |
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29 October 2020
86PTS
Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut NV
Veneto, ItalyNow part of the Henkell group, Mionetto was originally founded in 1887 in Valdobbiadene and has become one of the world's top selling Proseccos. The fruit on their Prestige Prosecco is rather flat and simple: pear with a hint of florals, lacking the charm and purity of higher quality Prosecco. Expect a vigorous, frothy mousse on a light frame, leading to an off-dry finish (12 g/L residual sugar). It's an easy, approachable style at a fair price, though this will be most successful in sparking cocktails.Prices:| BC | $16.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $17.99 | 750ml |
| SK | $18.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $18.99 | 750ml |
| ON | $16.95 | 750ml |
| NB | $20.99 | 750ml |
| PEI | $20.99 | 750ml |
| NS | $19.95 | 750ml |
| NF | $20.98 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Frind Estate Premier Cabernet Franc 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrind Estate Winery is a new lakefront winery on the historic Bennett Property in West Kelowna. Markus Frind purchased the property in 2017 after he sold his company Plenty of Fish. With over 500 years of family farming history, Markus wanted to combine his two passions; technology and agriculture. He employed Erik von Krosigk, ex-of Summerhill, to make the wines. This franc is primed for drinking now, with soft and sueded tannins, wild cassis, ripe blackberry, cedar bough, and pepper spicing filling the medium bodied frame. Partner with roasted root led stews. A promising start.Prices:| BC | $35.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bartier Bros. Cabernet Franc Cerqueira Vineyard 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Cerqueira Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, and its sandy loams over granite till, this cab franc has 10% merlot tipped in, padding out the fleshy, juicy core. After destemming, this spent near 3 weeks on skins over fermentation, prior to pressing into neutral 225L French oak barrels, where it rested for 14 months. Wild blackberries, thorny cassis, pipe tobacco, and ample peppercorns flood the bright, savoury palate, housed with fine, well-integrated tannins. Drinking well now, and over the next couple years.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $21.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Tightrope Winery Cabernet Franc 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their estate Thomas Vineyard, on Naramata Bench, this cab franc spent three weeks on skins after a five day cold soak, and then headed to mostly French oak (50% new) with the remainder American wood, for one year. Plump and flush with savoury edged black cherry, dark plum, wild blackberries, cigar box, and curls of cedar spicing, this juicy, medium bodied red is set for drinking now. Tannins are well integrated, slightly sticky, and the acidity is bright, welcoming numerous winter veg / grilled pork pairings.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAn early bud break set 2018 off in a good direction before the cooler summer months stretched out the growing season into a warm fall. The ripening continued without affecting the acidity. The fruit was handpicked in early November, fermented and age in a 60/25/15 mix of French, Hungarian and American oak (60 percent new) for 18.5 months. The BOV franc opens with a spicy, savoury dark plum fruit nose. The theme carries onto the palate among the youthful oak and vanilla framed with intense cassis and blueberries with a twist of balsamic and a sprinkle of espresso. It will need five years to settle in, but if you can’t wait, think roasted pork or mushroom and veal osso buco.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $45.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $44.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Painted Rock Cabernet Franc 2018
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA cool year with smoky skies that further retarded full ripening into the late fall has yielded a more European version of cabernet franc this year, at a comfortable 13.8 percent. Less hedonistic than 2017, the emphasis is more on red fruit with a touch of black cherry and tobacco. The palate is bright and fresh, with tannins yet to disperse but should be comfortably drinking in 2023. If you can’t wait, you will need a steak to take on the youth in this wine. The fruit is hand-picked from a 3.01-acre block and fermented in small batches after a four-day cold soak. Each batch was barrel-aged for 18 months in 40% new French oak and blended before bottling.Prices:| BC | $44.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Hillside Heritage Series Cabernet Franc 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Hillside Cabernet Franc tracks down the floral, cranberry, spicy, tea leaf path. It doesn't knock you out with black fruit, alcohol, or big flavours, but rather it attracts with its subtly. In 2017 the dry, mid-weight red was all about red cherries, resin, and light spicy tannins in the back end. As I have said before, it is a wine for drinkers who are thinkers. Serve it now with grilled meats or wild mushroom dishes to round out the edges, or age through 2023. It is all Naramata, and that’s a good thing.Prices:| BC | $34.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThree years in this cabernet franc is still showing well. From estate vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos, this was fermented in tank over two months before getting an 18 months rest in barrels before going to bottling unfiltered. Leather, ripe black cherry rule a rich frame with notes of tar and roast onions poking through. Tannins are worn but still ample, with a ragged grip that pulls you along to the finish. The fruit feels ready to drink now, especially alongside grilled meats or root vegetables.Prices:| BC | $33.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $45.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $44.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Jean-Maurice Raffault Les Picasses 2017
Chinon, Touraine, Loire, FranceJean-Maurice Raffault and Rodolphe Raffault’s family began cultivating vines in Chinon 14 generations ago, when their ancestor, Mathurin Bottreau, bought his first parcel of vines in 1693. Today, Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault owns 50 organically farmed hectares of vines in 7 communes. This cabernet franc is from the Les Picasses lieu dit, atop a plateau overlooking the Vienne, the windiness of the site reflected in the windmill on the label. Soils here are stony limestone and clay. After destemming and a native ferment this moves to barriques for MLF and aging 18 months on fine lees. Wild cherry, cassis, liquorice, rules the medium+ palate, housed by ample grippy tannins to a bitter cherry, kirsch, and ample mineral salt finish. Quite structural, this will work well with a decant, and rosemary grilled pork or root veg.Prices:| ON | $23.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Lieu Dit Cabernet Franc 2019
Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United StatesFrom own-rooted vines off Happy Canyon Vineyard in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley, this was native fermented whole cluster, and then into neutral oak until the following spring. After a short stint back into steel for tightening, this was bottled. Tight, herbal cherry, with sapid plum, black raspberry, sous-bois, and a twinge of balsamic, this is a bright, brisk, and snappy naturalist franc, much more akin to Loire than anything I've tasted from Cali.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Culmina Family Estate Cabernet Franc 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA well-constructed franc that opens with cedar boughs, sagebrush, and red cherry that spills onto the palate with cracked pepper and licorice, enveloped in dense, round, smoky tannins. The acidity is perfect, adding vibrancy to a long finish. It is much more Euro in character and an oddity for the south Okanagan, where franc can be bold and rich. A wonderful elegant style that is only beginning its life and will cellar easily through 2026.Prices:| BC | $38.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
River Stone Cabernet Franc 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom estate vines now 16 years old, this cab franc was destemmed and partially crushed prior to ferment, and aging 14 months in French oak (1/3 new). The wood is felt in this compact, dense, savoury franc, thankfully kept to 13.1%. Even then, the southern Okanagan sunshine shows in the ripe cherry, cassis, blackberry jam palate. Tannins are firm and a bit blocky at this young age, finishing with some brown spices. Best now with roast beef or root veg.Prices:| BC | $31.90 | 750ml |
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27 October 2020
89PTS
Bartier Bros. Semillon 2015
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe last time I tasted this wine, in 2018, it was pretty awkward, an adolescent phase that sémillon goes through between fresh and perky youth and honeyed, relaxed age. 2015 is now showing more towards the latter, with the honeyed character helping to even the keel. The vintage was frosted out, so yields were meagre and concentration very high. The Cerqueira Vineyard fruit was whole-cluster-pressed and native fermented in stainless, where it remained 4 months on lees. Honeycomb mixes with ripe pear and ample lees on a creamy palate, with scrubby herbs drawn along to a lengthy, ashen finish—quite a big impact for 12.9%, and a nice contrast to the recently released 2019 sém.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bartier Bros. Sémillon 2019
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Oliver's Black Sage Terrace, this sémillon was tipped with 2% gewürztraminer from Summerland, which seems a curious move. After a whole cluster press, this aged 6 months in stainless. Tight and zippy, as youthful sém is, this is laced with green hedge and filled with crisp Asian pear, green apple, and white peach, with an ample underlay of earthy lees. Finishing snappy and bright, this is drinking well now with green curries or fragrant spiced Thai or Vietnamese salads. Or lay it down and watch sémillon's aging magic over the next few years.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Bartier Bros. Muscat 2019
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis muscat ottonel comes off the sandy loams of the Black Sage Bench, and was whole cluster pressed and fermented cool in stainless. True to grape, this is a richly perfumed wine, with florals, ripe melon, lime, and exotic spices that hint of the scrubby south Okanagan. Finishing snappy and clean, and at only 10.5% alcohol, this is sure to brighten brunches. Chill well and crack now.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2020
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaKloof Street is a second label from Mullineux Wines, a champion old vine winery in the Swartland, guided by wife and husband Andrea and Chris Mullineux. This comes from 3 sustainably farmed parcels of chenin: 38 year old vines planted in the stony shale and schist based soils of Kasteelberg; and two parcels of 40+ year-old dry land, bush vine Chenin grown in the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg. This was whole bunch, native fermented over 6 weeks in a mix of stainless and 15% older French barrels, and bottled after 7 months or so, with no additions or deletions throughout. Creamy and full in the mouth, with pear, lemon curd, lemon blossom, wet stone, on a streamlined, juicy frame, bedded with fine lees. A brilliant introduction to Swartland chenin, and ready for drinking now.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Bartier Bros. Semillon 2015
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSemillon with age, under screwcap, equals magic. And it is made in Canada. At five years of age, the stark, pointy fruit that is the youthful Bartier Sem has flipped over to a much richer version of this grape. Honeyed, creamy and ripe pear give it a more exotic face, paying back to those who can wait for the transformation. It was whole cluster pressed and native fermented in stainless, where it remained for four months on its lees. Go BC.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Hillside Heritage Series Viognier 2019
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaConsistency is the hallmark of fine wine and even finer winemaking. Winemaker Kathy Malone has brought her considerable talents to Hillside and improves the wines bit by bit every year. Naramata grown and raised, this viognier jumps the fence, leaving the heavy, cloying style for a brighter, fresher interpretation. It's aromatic, and there are the honeysuckle notes you expect, but the palate is leaner and spicier, leaving you wanting another sip. Just 40 percent is barrel fermented in 1st (12% new), 2nd, and 3rd fill French oak barrels, while the balance fermented long and slow in stainless steel. After six months in oak with frequent stirring of the lees, the parts were blended. It's a knockout at 12 percent alcohol, and it is finished dry.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Da Vero Catarratto Vino Bianco Biologico 2018
Sicily, ItalyAraldica is a third-generation, family-operated co-operative based in Piedmont, though they also work on projects outside of their home region, like this catarratto, from Sicily. These organic grapes come from the northwest corner of the island, at Calatafimi, in chalky soils around 500m. This was vinified and rested in stainless to preserve the fruit. Exotic melon, mandarin, white peach, Asian pear fills a short, snappy, crisp palate, with an inherent brightness from the soils, and altitude. Lovely simple seafood / green veg wine.Prices:| BC | $15.49 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Five Vineyards by Mission Hill Pinot Blanc 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaKeep it clean and simple, and you have the Five Vineyards mantra. It's mostly about the fruit and the vineyards and less about the winemaking, the latter of which is less intrusive to keep the costs in line. Pinot Blanc is undervalued in BC, but it is more about the brightness of fruit at this level. Look for a fruit salad nose and a mix of green fruit, bitter lime, and a dash of pink grapefruit. Try this with your favourite sushi roll or seafood tempura. Good 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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90PTS
Tenute Pietro Caciorgna Guadoilvento Etna Bianco 2019
Sicily, ItalyPaolo Caciorgna is a renowned Italian Oenologist having worked in some of the greatest names in Tuscan viticulture. Along with consulting to many Italian wine producers he has his own label, Pietro Caciorgna named in dedication to his Father Pietro. Paolo acquired plots of ancient ungrafted vines in the Contrada Marchesa. The high altitude (700-800m) of the vineyards and volcanic soil. Very pretty, with delicate florals, honeysuckle, lemon verbena, white honey, on a vibrant, alive, buzzing palate. Bright with soils and altitude.Prices:| Italy | $30.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Zarate Albariño Val do Salnés 2019
Val do Salnés, Rías Baixas, Galicia, SpainFounded in 1707, the family owned Zarate estate is located in Rias Baixas' Val do Salinas subregion. Their sloping, weathered granite vineyards are translated via albariño, a grape intrinsically associated with the estate. Seventh-generation Eulogio Pomares runs this historic bodega today, farming almost fully biodynamically. This is from 30 year old vines, fermented native, and with three months on the lees in stainless. Pear, white peach, green apple, white honey is held riveting with a brace of river stones and granite. This wine is vibrant on the palate, and lingers in the mouth long after the last drop. Certainly nothing like your average albariño.Prices:| ON | $24.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Loimer Pet Nat mit Achtung 2019
Kamptal, Niederösterreich, Weinland Österreich, AustriaThe muskateller for this biodynamic pét-nat comes from marine / limestone gravels in Gumpoldskirchen, Kamptal, and vines up to 20 years old. This was a whole cluster native fermented in barrels before heading to bottle during ferment, where it spent 6 months on lees. This was disgorged in March 2020. Beautiful florality, with an aromatic garden of flowers, fragrant melon, pear sorbet, meadow grass, and a wash of persistent, fine bubbles. Just off-dry, cloudy by intent, and 11%, this is a killer bottle of fun.Prices:| ON | $30.95 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Damilano Arneis 2018
Langhe, Cuneo, Piedmont, ItalyDamilano is one of the oldest wineries in Barolo, dating back to 1890 when Giuseppe Borgogno started cultivating and producing wine from the grapes from his own vineyards. This comes from 20 year old vines, rooted in sand, and fermented and aged briefly in stainless, to hold freshness. Bright and vibrant in youth, this glides quince, herbal pear along a silken palate, amply buffered with lees and an oily texture reflective of the grape. Quite complete and mouthfulling, belying its welcome 13%. A fantastic food-friendly white, for anything from spring green salads, to fresh halibut, to bagna cauda.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bosio Langhe Favorita 2018
Langhe, Cuneo, Piedmont, ItalyChances are you haven't had much favorita in your life. You have, perhaps, had vermentino though, a close genetic relative of this Piemontese white grape. Bosio's comes from Santo Stefano Belbo, and calcareous clay soils 200-300m. After a day of skin contact, this was fermented and aged in stainless, on lees, for 3 months. Tight, fine yellow fruits, honeysuckle, elderflower shimmer with a tight mineral spicing afforded by the soils, and climate. Tastes distinctly, nobly Piemontese, and could easily become a new favourite.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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26 October 2020
90PTS
Township 7 Reserve Benchmark Series Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Benchmark Series Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is a stylish new release for club members on the allocation list, and lucky them. It's almost all Blue Terrace Vineyard fruit grown in Oliver. The style is fresh and dry with high mineral content. Lemons, almonds, this is a reasonably rich, barrel-fermented blanc. Serve this with a wide variety of seafood and white meat dishes. Impressive.Prices:| BC | $26.97 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2019
Sancerre, Upper Loire, Loire, FranceFounded in 1987, Pascal Jolivet owns 70ha in the Loire, 45 of which are in Sancerre. This, Pascal Jolivet's 'signature Sancerre' is a specific blend of their Sancerre terroirs: 50% limestone, 30% limestone clay, and 20% flint. Each terroir is native fermented and vinified separately in stainless tank with up to 6 months on fine lees before blending. It's interesting to understand the parts here: Limestone brings minerality and finesse; Limestone clay enhances fruit and richness; flint provides structure and minerality. This certainly transcends grape, and is a harmony of place. This organic wine hums along the tightly wound palate with white grapefruit, green apple, fennel, and a fine slick of lees. Throughout is a potent stony note, drawing this to a lengthy, subtly flinty finish. Classic, pure, and bright, this drinks beautifully now and will continue in your cellar.Prices:| BC | $38.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Mission Hill Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIf you know how to make serious wine, my experience is usually other wines, especially affordable wines, will be made with the same due care and attention. It’s certainly true at Mission Hill Family Estate where they are proud to put their name on entry level wines because they deliver for the price. This sauvignon carries on the growing tradition at MHFE to make excellent sauvignon blanc. The nose is aromatic with grapefruit and sweet tropical fruit that spills across the palate. The finish is full flavoured and medium long with lime and lemon pith, and a clean, fresh ending. Try this with cream cheese and crackers topped with smoked salmon. Good value.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Fern Walk Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFern Walk is a south Okanagan sauvignon that looks and tastes a lot like the famed Kiwi version. Bright citrus and grass mark the nose and palate, offering a lime, gooseberry, guava affair with some cool climate asparagus lurking in the back. It is all you could want in a simple, straight up sauvignon with just enough ripeness to keep the bitterness at bay. If you're a fan of New Zealand but want to support the home team, this would be a good start. Love the price.Prices:| BC | $16.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand2019 Tohu is sourced entirely from vineyards located in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley. The nose has a fantastic aromatic effect as soon as you approach the glass. Tropical fruit, lemongrass, passionfruit, and tomato leaf easily lift the wine from the glass. The attack is even more intense with ripe, juicy, sweet pink grapefruit, fresh-cut grass all sitting over a mineral base, and a lemon finish. Fresh and long, this is a well-made sauvignon. The fruit is all machine picked and fermented cool for 21 days. The Awatere Valley is cooler, drier, and windier overall than other sub-regions of Marlborough, leading to an even longer growing season.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Calliope Sauvignon Blanc 2018
British Columbia, CanadaThis fruit comes from Keremeos, with a small part (12%) cold soaked for 12 hours before tipping into the mix. This was primarily fermented in stainless tanks, with 5% seeing oak. Post ferment, this was left for 6 months on lees prior to bottling. Bright and punchy with passionfruit, guava, grapefruit, this is an easy, simple unmissable savvy, finishing with a swell of warmth. Chill well and crack now.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
| JPN | $37.95 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Zorzal EGGO Blanc de Cal 2019
Gualtallary, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Central Region, Mendoza, ArgentinaThere are wines that challenge norms, expectations, assumptions and taste buds. This is one of them. Zorzal’s Eggo shines a pale gold in the glass. The aromas are a mix of fruit and earth – grapefruit, verbena and celery leaf with wet clay and dusty stone notes. There is a wild and woolly aspect to the aromas, abetted by the toasty/yeasty signature of lees ageing. Does it smell like textbook sauvignon blanc? Absolutely not, but it hints at it with grass, herbs and citrus pith. Stinging acidity (in a good way) drives lemon and crisp apple flavours deeply into the palate, where a sneaky richness starts to build. The finish is especially compelling: textural, juicy, botanical, pungent and dripping with mineral complexity. It’s a touch reduced now so aerate it well with a good slosh in a decanter. Zorzal is one of Argentina’s most innovative and trending winery – and it has a Canadian connection with a faction of Calgary investors. There are three Michelini brothers who each have their own wineries but collaborate on pretty much everything. Juan Pablo Michelini is the winemaker for Zorzal’s Eggo line (there is a pinot noir and malbec too). A local company made the concrete eggs which help to convey the mineral rich depths of Gualtallary and Tupungato, two special zones within the Uco Valley. Now for food: you’ll unlock latent fruit in Blanc de Cal by pairing with savoury tangy dishes like goat’s cheese salad, chili and lime fish tacos or couscous tabbouleh.Prices:| AB | $29.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $38.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Weingut Sattlerhof Südsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Südsteiermark, Steiermark (Styria), AustriaThe Sattler family has been growing wine in the village of Gamlitz since 1887, and they were one of the first in the region to bottle high quality dry white wines under their own name in the 1970s. Willi Sattler is the current family member in charge and has grown the estate to 40 hectares of organically farmed vines in some of the region’s most famous vineyards. This steely, fresh, and herbal white comes from the steep quartz and limestone slopes of Südsteiermark. Sustainable viticulture, selective handling, and stainless steel vinification has preserved the aromatic and expressive citrus, passionfruit, crunchy alpine pear, and sleek frame. The palate adds complex lees notes, providing depth and nuance. Very much vibrant and alive.Prices:| ON | $24.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
River Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThere is no big change in a surprisingly solid bottle of sauvignon that joins a growing number of BC bottles that are establishing this variety as more than ordinary. The grapes are grown just North of Oliver on the cooler, west side of the valley, in sandy loam deposited during the last glaciation. With a bump of residual sugar at 7.7 grams per litre, as we said last time, it is more Californian than Kiwi. The attack is tropical with pink grapefruit, gooseberry and vibrant minerality spilling across the palate and finish. Steamed mussels, crab cakes or clams all work here.Prices:| BC | $21.90 | 750ml |
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23 October 2020
88PTS
Kaiken Selección Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Mendoza, ArgentinaThis youthful cab spent only 6 months in oak, but it's immediately present, from first sniff through the warming finish. That said, it nails the style of wine, and the target audience. Ripe cassis, blackberry, thorns, anise ride thick on the palate, with hints of smoke, and blocky tannins. A wave of kirsch rides the finish. Best taken as intended: with grilled beef and lamb.Prices:| BC | $15.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $15.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $19.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Kaiken Selección Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Mendoza, ArgentinaThis wine packs a lot of bang for your buck. The fruit is ripe and expressive, ranging from cassis to blackberry to blueberry, with a notch more definition than you typically get at this price point. You also get oak. It’s not overbearing, but has a nice spicy quality that plays well with the fruit. There’s a touch of residual sugar to the palate, but it’s also not a sweet, easy red. There’s some structure here, showing the firm, linear character of cabernet, while still being approachable and not austere. This is the type of wine it’s always nice to have a bottle (or two) of on hand. Recommended; great value.Prices:| BC | $15.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $15.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $19.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaThe 2018 Leeu Passant Cab is a blend of parcels from Stellenbosch: one parcel of 39 year old dry farmed bush vine cab planted in deep alluvial soils of Firgrove; 2 parcels planted on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain; and one parcel planted in the deep decomposed granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills. This was destemmed and native fermented, with a couple weeks of skin contact before moving into 500L barrel for 20 months (30% new). Classically inspired, with cab's inherent structure framing savoury cassis, black cherry, black plum, and gravels. Tannins are firm, but softly seamless, guiding this to a lingering, graphite finish. Beauty drinking now, or for setting down over the next few years.Prices:| BC | $70.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe pinnacle tier of wines at Nk'Mip, this Qwam Qwmt Cab Sauv comes off a block directly below the winery in Osoyoos, and was aged in French and American oak for 18 months. Sweet, ripe, and rich, with vanilla, mocha, toasted wood, with a plush, cushy middle, and big, striated and sanded tannins, directing this to a warming finish. A big, ripe, hedonistic Southern Okanagan red, as expected.Prices:| BC | $34.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Matchbook Red Gravel Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Dunnigan Hills, Yolo County, California, United StatesSometimes you can judge a book by its cover - or a matchbook, in this case. It pours a deep purple colour with plump, ripe black fruits and smoky, dusty oak. Medium-full bodied, there’s a smooth, viscous quality to the palate thanks to some residual sugar (5 g/L), but not enough to entirely mask the grainy tannins. It’s a big, bold red that delivers on its promise at a reasonable price. From Central Valley's Dunnigan Hills AVA, this is a 75/23/2 blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, and malbec that's been aged in a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak for 12 months.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $17.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $14.60 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Napa Valley, California, United StatesThis is a surprising Napa cabernet in more ways than one. On one hand, it's a more traditional style that doesn't chase ripeness or fear herbaceousness, as exemplified by its bright red currant fruit and dried herbs. On the other hand, it shows a glimpse of Napa's potential future. Wineries are exploring alternatives to cabernet as temperatures continue to rise year after year, and in this case, small components of touriga nacional and petit sirah are incorporated into the blend. The end result is a wine that is fresh, food friendly, and frankly just delicious. Recommended.Prices:| BC | $45.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $29.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2015
Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, United StatesThis is an archetypical New World cabernet, combining confected, jammy black fruits with prominent sweet baking spices from aging in 50% new oak for 18 months. There's a sweetness to the attack given the ripeness level of the fruit, which has removed any herbal character, but it's still medium-bodied with some degree of freshness. The tannins are a touch astringent right now, so get the grill out if you open this over the next 1-2 years.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $28.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $28.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis is an honest wine that's not trying to be something that it's not. You feel the warmth of Chile through its soft, lush black fruits, but it's not doused in oak and still retains the lively herbal character of cabernet. More medium-bodied than full, it's a fresher style that will make a solid Tuesday night wine. I'd like to see a notch more polish to the tannins, which are a bit rough at this point, but it will still go down easy with a pizza.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $17.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Quara Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Cafayate, Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, ArgentinaThis opens up with a leesy, reductive note that resolves itself rather quickly, leaving tart red fruits that are not overly characterful. The palate is similar, though buoyed by some residual sugar (4 g/L), in quite a lean style of cabernet sauvignon with sour acidity. It's not altogether seamless and gives the impression of being quite worked. Pair this with tomato-based dishes to help balance the acidity after giving it a quick decant.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
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94PTS
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2017
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThirty years of Don Melchor seems to have flown by as we watched the Puente Alto, Maipo Valley vineyard literally mature in front of our eyes. Elegance is perhaps the most significant change in this label over the decades. Part of it is winemaking, and part is in the improvements in viticulture. I first encountered this wine back in the early 1990s, and it is easy to see that texture and tannin management is also a factor in its ascension to a top-flight cabernet sauvignon. The nose is fragrant, with a savoury boldo dusting that simmers under the ripe black fruit flecked with spice and subtle hints of vanilla. It is a highly lauded vintage, and the result is an equally impressive cabernet sauvignon. Not quite Bordeaux and not quite Napa strikes a balance that frankly looks little like British Columbia. Best to hold this through the first five years and be prepared to serve it long past a decade of cellaring.Prices:| BC | $149.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Craven Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South AfricaFrom west-facing 1999 planted vines on Polkadraai's Karibib Vineyard's decomposed granites, this was early picked and partial whole cluster, fermented native and on skins for a short time before moving into neutral French barrel. This opens into black cherry, wild raspberry, dusty graphite on a slight 12.5 degree palate. Tannins are characteristically granitic grippy and fine, and acidity is easily capable of lofting this to a lingering, stony finish.Prices:Read Full Note
22 October 2020
88PTS
Frind Estate Premier Merlot 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrind Estate Winery is a new lakefront winery on the historic Bennett Property in West Kelowna. Markus Frind purchased the property in 2017 after he sold his company Plenty of Fish. With over 500 years of family farming history, Markus wanted to combine his two passions; technology and agriculture. He employed Erik von Krosigk, ex-of Summerhill, to make the wines. This medium-bodied, youthful merlot is wood-forward, with a whack of lightly toasty cedar-lined wood housing super ripe plum, black raspberry, and earthy cherry fruit. Tannins themselves are sanded pretty smooth, finishing with a warming curl of kirsch. Pretty upfront and very much in youth, pour this alongside beef or mushroom burgers.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Frind Estate Premier Merlot 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMerlot continues to make its way in BC and as its origins improve, so do the wines. Frind Estate is using fruit from Rock Pile Vineyard in Oliver. The old gravel pit has a new life, and it seems at one with merlot. Look for a fresh, open, mocha, cherry chocolate nose with cedar and sagebrush. The attack is similar, with sweet intense cassis and espresso. It finishes with a touch of residual sugar, which won't bother most folks, but I think you should age this three to five years to let all the parts come together. Think mushroom burgers, or a flat iron steak.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Burrowing Owl Merlot 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom estate vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos, this merlot was destemmed, cold soaked, and fermented in stainless, and then moved into barrels (mix of French, American, Hungarian, and Russian) for 14 months. True to house style, this is a big, forward, spiced red, now worn into itself with time. A leathery base beds cedar-lined cassis, black cherry, and baking spices, with tannins fairly well-integrated, though still wood-shorn. A great example of southern Okanagan, desert-imbued merlot.Prices:| BC | $32.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $34.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $29.95 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Bartier Bros. Merlot Cerqueira Vineyard 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom the Black Sage Bench's Cerqueira Vineyard, this Merlot (tipped with 2.7% syrah) was destemmed and fermented in stainless over 3 weeks, prior to moving into neutral 225L French barrels for 13 months. Juicy black plum, wild cassis, thorns, and tart black cherries flood the mouth, bright with acidity that lifts the near 14% palate. There's a cool stoniness that streams through this wine, bound by long, soft tannins, and finishing with a tart snap. I appreciate this merlot is bright and light on its feet, and not weighted down by rich oak and over-extraction, like many of its southern Okanagan contemporaries.Prices:| BC | $22.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $21.99 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Burrowing Owl Merlot 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom estate vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos, this wine aged for 14 months in French, American, Hungarian, and Russian oak. The result, as you might expect, is a spicebox of aromatics and flavours, infiltrating a plush, full body of kirsch, cassis, and blackberries, bitter espresso, and tobacco. Tannins are firm, though well integrated, providing more structure than perhaps you're expecting from a BC merlot. This finishes dryly with ample bitter dark chocolate, welcoming pairing with grilled steak.Prices:| BC | $32.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $34.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $29.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Castello di Roncade Merlot 2018
Veneto, ItalyThis estate was founded in 1508, and the current family has owned the historic property since the early 1900’s. The entire estate is farmed organically. This merlot was aged in large neutral oak vats for 8-9 months prior to bottling. Soft plum, tart blackberry is sharp with acidity, and housed by fine, downy tannins to a shorter finish. This is a simple red that hints at merlot, but shouts of Veneto.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Tenuta Guado al Tasso Cont'Ugo 2015
Tuscany, ItalyThis Bolgheri merlot was selected form a single parcel, Cont'Ugo, and opens with an inviting sweet, savoury black cherry, blueberry nose. On the palate, it is all about soft textures, and lush red and black fruit marked with spice and espresso, and a classic fresh mineral finish. Drink through 2025 with pheasant, quail, mushrooms, and grilled beef.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 1500ml |
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87PTS
Township 7 Provenance Series Merlot 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWe have seen some bigger, richer versions of merlot from Township 7 of late, and this is another one. It begins with dry, dusty, earthy, spicy aromas that spill onto the palate. The tannins are prominent, and the fruit is somewhat suppressed at this point. The style persists through the back end of the wine. It needs time, but the lack of fruit at this point suggests it will likely remain firm and dry most of its life. Check back in a year.Prices:| BC | $25.97 | 750ml |
| AB | $24.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Therapy Reserve Merlot 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Therapy Reserve Merlot is out. This comes off the Black Sage Terrace Vineyard in Oliver, where the fruit is cropped low. It was fermented in a single vessel and has undergone extended skin contact for 28 days post-fermentation. It was aged in French oak barrels for 25 months and was bottled unfiltered. The nose is a cedary, black fruit affair with a savoury, meaty, tobacco leaf undercurrent. The palate is a mix of black cherry and cedar with more meaty notes that take over the finish. A rustic version of merlot that is ready to drink. Best with healthy dishes like mushrooms, duck, or grilled beef.Prices:| BC | $52.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Lunessence Merlot 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe nose is a generous mix of oak, plums, and black cherries. The attack is similar, with more cherry-berry fruit and herbal undercurrent. The tannins are firm and dry and will need some time to dissipate. A rustic version of the variety that needs a piece of grilled meat to smooth out the edges.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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0PTS
Culmina Family Estate Merlot 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCorked. Try another one.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
River Stone Merlot 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSmoky skies slowed the ripening in 2018, adding extra hang time, although it should have little or no effect in the warm south Okanagan. The grapes come from the home estate vines growing around the Oliver-based winery closing in on 15 years of age. The vineyard is made up of south-facing slopes sitting over rock, sand, and gravel, rich in calcium. Post ferment, it is aged in French oak barrels (33% new) for approximately 18 months. It opens with dark fruit aromas and spice. The spice leads on the palate with the oak, suggesting it needs time to settle in. Black raspberry, mint, and spice line the palate from front to back with a savoury, dry, firm finish. Best now with steak or a rich, creamy cheese, or wait three to five years for the full picture.Prices:| BC | $25.90 | 750ml |
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92PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Black Rook Merlot 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRetasted six months down the road, Black Rook remains focused on getting to the finish line somewhere around 2030. The fruit comes off the Black Sage Bench, pushed up against the Okanagan Highlands at 300+ metres. It is a warm, sandy site with low vigour soil that shapes small clusters, yielding intense black fruit that possesses both power and finesse. The mix in 2016 is 90 percent merlot, 5 percent petit verdot, and 5 percent cabernet franc. There was a splash of syrah in the blend last year, and it appears better without it. It remains a rich, brooding red wine, aged in 100 percent new French oak, but it presents with a sense of elegance and could be described as light on its feet, at least in the front end. The finish is warm and spicy. Only nine barrels were made in 2016. Buy and hold.Prices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $196.00 | 1500ml |
| BC | $480.00 | 3000ml |
| BC | $989.00 | 6000ml |
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94PTS
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Opening Gambit Merlot 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis wine continues to impress in the bottle, and as the months slip by, it is slowly putting on weight to bolster its velvety texture. It is the best Opening Gambit since the first Checkmate vintage release in 2013. The blend is 85.7/9.5/4.5 merlot, petit verdot, and cabernet franc, the latter two having a lasting impact on this delicious bottle's style. The nose is fragrant and savoury, but in 2016, the fruit is particularly pure. The texture is creamy and supple, aided by dense, sweet, soft tannins that build the structure without drying out the wine. Bolgheri-like, its savoury mocha finish is part of the charm. Inspected cluster by cluster, the fruit is hand sorted and gently destemmed before another round of individual berry selection is done before an indigenous ferment. Post ferment, the juice is gravity drained into new French oak barrels for 21 months of ageing.Prices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml |
| BC | $196.00 | 1500ml |
| BC | $480.00 | 3000ml |
| BC | $989.00 | 6000ml |
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21 October 2020
88PTS
Frind Estate Brut Methode Classique NV
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrind Estate Winery is a new lakefront winery on the historic Bennett Property in West Kelowna. Markus Frind purchased the property in 2017 after he sold his company Plenty of Fish. With over 500 years of family farming history, Markus wanted to combine his two passions; technology and agriculture. He employed Erik von Krosigk, ex-of Summerhill, to make the wines. This is a blend of riesling and chardonnay in a fresh, off-dry, traditional method fizz. A short amount of time on lees and a generous bump of RS keeps this fruit-forward, showing off the region's orchard bounty of pear, apple, and blossoms. Youthful and easy, take this with a brunch or sunny patio.Prices:| BC | $24.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Elephant Island Blanc de Blancs 2015
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThough better known for their fruit wines, this orchard-based winery also makes a few wines from grapes, including this 2015 Blanc de Blancs from Sideshow Hill Vineyard, in Naramata. These estate chardonnay grapes were from 16 year old own-rooted vines, and spent 5 years on lees after secondary ferment, in bottle. This is a lovely, complete, and evolved bottle of fizz, with well integrated toast, brioche amidst fresh apples, lemon pith, and a refreshing salinity that cleanses the lengthy finish. Very impressive, drinking well now, and with time ahead. Only 94 cases.Prices:| BC | $65.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Monmousseau Cuvee J.M. Brut 2015
Touraine, Loire, FranceThe JM Brut is an 80/20 mix of chenin blanc and chardonnay that opens with an aromatic nose of nutty baked apple, pear, and citrus. The palate is similar, with a lively, lightly foamy hit of honey, citrus, almonds, and pears. Cuvée JM is made according to the Méthode Traditionnelle, with 24 to 36 months on lees. An elegant, fruity bubble that lands on the sweeter side of dry. Try this with spicy appetizers.Prices:| BC | $19.99 | 750ml |
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84PTS
Palladiano Durello Spumante Brut NV NV
Veneto, ItalyI've opened a lot of sparkling wines. A lot. This was the hardest sparkling wine I've ever opened. In fact, after trying for 10+ minutes to get the cork out, I had to enlist help, and a set of pliers. After then the cork snapped off in the bottle. So - if someone who has opened thousands of bottles of sparkling wine over the past decades can't open a simple bottle... The wine itself is amply off-dry, with garden florals, sweet pear, honey. This durello was tank fermented, with a couple of months on lees.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Seven Stars Vega Sparkling Wine Fool's Gold Vineyard 2018
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaI was knocked out by this wine, mostly because I was expecting something perfumed and sweet, and what I got were fabulous tiny bubbles and a wonderful, fresh, fruity sparkling wine with an impressive creamy texture. Ready to drink and would be fun with slightly spicy appetizers. Well done and a fine addition to the Township line-up.Prices:| BC | $32.97 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Filipa Pato 3B Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV
Bairrada, Northern Portugal, PortugalThis traditional method fizz is a blend of Bical, Cerceal, and Maria Gomes, vinified in stainless before a few months on lees after 2nd ferment. It is bottled with no dosage. Tight, zippy, and lean, this streaks across the slight 10.5% palate with light melon, lemon, meadow flowers, all riveted with marine freshness. Refreshing.Prices:| ON | $25.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Ciù Ciù Rymarosé NV
Marche, ItalyThis charmat method sparkling Sangiovese rosé comes from Offida and Acquaviva Picena, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno. It spent four months on lees in the pressurized tanks prior to disgorgement, with a minor dosage. This lively, dry rosé skips along a lean, slightly grippy / skin textured palate with red currant, raspberry, orange, and cherry blossom, taut and tart with a cranberry briskness that hums along the finish. An excellent food-friendly aperitif wine.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Haywire The Bub 2017
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada2017's The Bub is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay, 70% of which come from Summerland's Watkins Family Vineyard, and rest from Secrest, in Oliver. Primary fermentation was in a mix of stainless and concrete before bottling and secondary fermentation for 30 months prior to bottling, with zero dosage. This was disgorged in early summer 2020. Bright and tight with pear skin, citrus, wild herbs, this zips along the palate with vibrant acidity, finishing with a chalky minerality. Lovely balance, freshness, and finesse, once again claiming its space as one of BC's top bubbles.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Fitz Brut Sparkling Wine 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFour years down the road, the Fitz Brut, from their Greata Ranch estate, situated between Peachland and Summerland, is still showing a bright, youthful edge. The nose has that northern cool climate subtlety with notes of pear, minerals and buttered toast. The mix is 66/26/6/2/ chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot blanc and pinot meunier, grown over stony, gravel soils. Essentially dry, Fitz is the winery’s signature bubble that is adjusted yearly to reflect 'the vintage, the people and the site.' As mentioned, the freshness expressed by a citrus, green apple entry and creamy peach and pear mid-palate gives this an energized finish. Drink now or hold even longer. Fitz spends a minimum of 24 months on its lees and is much the better for it. Good value.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Tantalus Blanc de Blancs 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaTantalus has a long history of sparkling wine that dates back to the days of the property founders, the Duliks. Pioneers are good, but I'll take winemaker David Patterson's bubble any day, especially his deft handling of this stylish Blanc de Blancs. The chardonnay begins its journey in French oak puncheons for six months before moving to its final resting place in bottle for 22 months of extended lees contact. Crunchy lemons, fresh pear, and a whack of salty, stony minerality envelopes your palate from front to back, giving the wine its elegance and understated power. Drink or hold for the next decade, the choice is yours. Serious stuff at a fabulous price.Prices:| BC | $27.83 | 750ml |
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20 October 2020
90PTS
J. L. Chave Sélection Mon Coeur Côtes-du-Rhône 2018
Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, FranceFor the Domaine Chave experience, at an approachable price, look to JL Chave Selections, a négoc operation sourcing fruit from across the Rhone. Jean-Louis makes these wines to showcase what he believes to be the potential of appellations with which he works. Mon Coeur is a blend of four distinct terroir located in and around Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and approximatly equal parts Syrah and Grenache, from vines between 20-60 years. This youthful wine opens with a puff of reduction, so best to give it a little bit of airtime before tucking in. Immediately syrah's meaty, peppery, savoury notes rule, infiltrating dusky cassis, black olives, potent violets. Grenache pads out the sides, with its ripe, leathery sun-baked strawberry and cherry. Tannins are somewhat raggedy, though appropriate, and the finish is warming (also appropriate for 15%), all of which make this prime for drinking alongside grilled lamb and/or winter root veg now. A heartier, impactful C-d-R.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Bartier Bros. Syrah Cerqueira Vineyard 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Black Sage Bench's Cerqueira Vineyard, this syrah was mostly destemmed (10% whole cluster) before an 18-day ferment and 17 months in neutral 225L French oak. Big and mouth-filling, with savoury freshness (that 10% whole cluster went a long way), helps buoy ripe cassis, wild blackberry, shepherd's pie, and crushed violets. Tannins are ample, lightly sticky, and well-integrated, properly supportive of the fruit. Though this is drinking very well now, it will doubtlessly improve in bottle over the next couple of years.Prices:| BC | $30.34 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tightrope Winery Syrah 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis bright, tart, full-bodied syrah comes from the Naramata Bench, and was cofermented with 3% Viognier in a series of small lot ferments in stainless. This aged for 10 months in French oak, with a little American oak in the mix. Full and fleshy, with heaps of cracked pepper, sweet salami, seasoning the chewy and dense blackberry, perfumed violet fruit. Tannins are supple, helping draw this weighty wine to the tart, warming finish. Very much in youth, partner this now with spiced beef kabobs or grilled lamb now, or wait a couple of years to let this settle into itself. Not sure why this stelvin bottle weighs so much.Prices:| BC | $34.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Bartier Bros. Syrah Cerqueira Vineyard 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Bartier Syrah is grown a stone's throw from the winery, on the Black Sage Gravel Terrace's Cerqueira Vineyard. The nose is wide open, offering sweet cassis mixed with floral violet undertones and a strong minerality. The attack is savoury and silky, pushing wild silver sage scented blackberry jam through the finish. Young, round, and lively, it's gulpable now but will age for many years. The fruit is mostly destemmed (10% whole cluster) before undergoing an 18-day ferment and 17 months in neutral 225L French oak. Impressive terroir wine Mr. Bartier.Prices:| BC | $30.34 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Pirramimma 1892 Shiraz 2018
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia1892 opens with an inviting McLaren Vale nose of ripe blueberries, black cherries, and brown spice. The attack is juicy and soft with light tannins leading to easy sipping dark fruit and milk chocolate lined with cedar and baking spices. The finish is deftly arranged to offer a touch of vanilla and plums with no added acidity poking through the back end. It is fun to drink and ready to drink. It will work equally with hamburgers, grilled sausages, or meaty pizzas.Prices:| BC | $27.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tightrope Winery Syrah 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis Naramata Bench Syrah is cofermented with three percent viognier, presenting super fresh and bright. It was barrel aged for ten months in mostly French oak, adding a light touch of toastiness to a silky, smooth palate. The attack is savoury and tart with plenty of black pepper, floral, mineral, blueberry, blackberry. Terrific balance and styling at only 13.8 percent alcohol make this a winner for dinner now, although I suspect it will age effortlessly through 2025 under screwcap.Prices:| BC | $34.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Nichol Vineyard Old Vines Syrah 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the oldest syrah in Canada, planted in 1990/91 on granite bedrock at the end of the Naramata Bench. It remains one of my favourite wines to taste and track, with every year a different record of season. Elegant and finessed as ever, with rivers of black cherry, black plum, wild raspberry, black pepper, and dried violets, seasoned with scrubby Okanagan desert herbs. This savoury, understated, and confident red lingers with mineral salts. Canadian classic, drinking beautifully now, but will continue to age gracefully.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Nichol Vineyard Syrah Nate's Vineyard 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaNate's Syrah is Nichol's younger vine estate syrah, named for the owners' son, and planted in 2007-2010 on granite bedrock and glacial till. From the Beaucastel clone from WA State, these vines are dry farmed, with 2 weeks of skin contact before going into neutral barrel for 12-14 months. Shepherds Pie! Incredible peppercorns, dusky plum, flood a savoury, meaty, potent palate, with youthful black cherry, wild blackberry, and thorns. Drinking stunning now, and will over the next few years easy. Beaut.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Narrative Syrah Viognier 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is a more delicate style of syrah led by perfumed, floral aromatics that are backed by plummy fruit. No doubt, the addition of viognier plays an important role. It makes for an elegant pour, that’s really quite pretty. There’s only a handful of wineries making syrah like this in the Okanagan, but it’s unquestionably a successful style. Between the freshness of fruit, relatively moderate alcohol, and fine, silky tannins, it’s easy to pour another glass. Crushable indeed. Highly recommended, and good value.Prices:| BC | $26.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Scout Vineyard Co-ferment 2019
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCo-ferment is exactly what is states: a co-ferment of Similkameen syrah and riesling in quervi and neutral barrels. This pours a dusky, glowing, purple/crimson hue, with peppered plum, blackberry thorns, candied cherry, wildflowers, and a cut of astringent, balsamic acidity that rinses the finish. Super natty, this dry, light wine is best taken with a brisk chill.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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19 October 2020
91PTS
Testalonga Stay Brave 2019
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaOne of the stars of South Africa's New Wave wine renaissance, Testalonga is Craig and Carla Hawkins' personal project, dedicated to experimental wines and rescued grapes, often from old vineyards. They were the first of the Swartland Revolution collective to start their own vineyard project, back in 2015, when they moved to a farm in the northern reaches of the Swartland, nestled into the Olifantsberg mountain, called Banditskloof. With 10 days maceration, this Chenin is the introduction to Testalonga’s skin contact wines. Sourced from koffieklip over granite soils outside of Paardeberg, this deeper golden hued wine is gripped tightly, holding herbal melon, fine lees, apricot pith, mandarin peel, golden apples, to a streaming saline finish. Beauty complexities here, in this leading natural chenin.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Testalonga Keep on Punching 2019
Swartland, Coastal Region, South AfricaOne of the stars of South Africa's New Wave wine renaissance, Testalonga is Craig and Carla Hawkins' personal project, dedicated to experimental wines and rescued grapes, often from old vineyards. They were the first of the Swartland Revolution collective to start their own vineyard project, back in 2015, when they moved to a farm in the northern reaches of the Swartland, nestled into the Olifantsberg mountain, called Banditskloof. This organic Chenin Blanc is from Pieketberg sandstone, planted 1961. After a whole bunch press, 2/3 fermented in foudre, with the rest in stainless. After blending, this moves to wood and stainless to rest. Pouring a hazy yellow hue, this streams with tight lime pith, underripe melon, fine earthy lees, a saline wash, and light lemon peel friskiness. The photo is one Craig’s brother took in Cambodia. This is their largest production line, and fantastic value for a natural chenin (even way over here in Western Canada).Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Domaine Vendange Roussette de Savoie Madame de M... 2017
Savoie, FranceDomaine Vendange was founded in 2015 in Combe de Savoie, on the foothills of the Massif des Bauges. The Domaine extends over 10 hectares on south facing slopes, and focuses on local grapes Jacquère, Altesse, and Mondeuse. This altesse (aka roussette) is from 20 year old vines in the silty clays around the winery, was fermented in stainless where 1/3 underwent MLF, and then aged in a mix of older barrels and stainless for 10 months. Nimble and shining, with tight elderflower, hawthorne, subtle wild rose, and bergamot oil, this streams the slight palate to a stone dust finish. A lovely, savoury, salted wine that transmits its place. Can't get much better than that.Prices:Read Full Note
87PTS
Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Sec 2019
Vouvray, Touraine, Loire, FranceThis dry(ish) sec Vouvray sees chenin's want for honeyed notes, with the slick of blossom honey that covers the stone, red apple, lees filling the creamy, brief palate. Gives a solid, though basic glimpse of the riches that Vouvray can achieve.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Hajszan-Neumann Nussberg Grüner Veltliner 2018
Wien (Vienna), AustriaWeingut Hajszan Neumann is located at the foot of the Nussberg and the district of Grinzing, with 20 hectares of certified biodynamic vineyards spread across the mineral rich weathered limestone soils. After a short maceration on skins, this was native fermented in stainless, where it remained until the following spring. Smoked flintiness permeates the sleek palate, joined with streams of elderflower, hawthorn, river stones, white pepper, with earthy yeast playing a strong supporting role. Super savoury, this is certainly a wine of place.Prices:| BC | $34.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Loimer Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2019
Kamptal, Niederösterreich, Weinland Österreich, AustriaCarrying on his family's winemaking tradition, after studying oenology at Austria’s Klosterneuburg University and working in Germany and Napa, he took over the winery from his father in 1997. His 80 hectares of vineyards began conversion to biodynamics in 2006, and all are certified today. Unlike most of his peers, Fred vinifies his wine to dryness, like this concentrated, stony, older vine grüner from vineyard around Langenlois, growing on loess and gneiss soils at 200-400m. Predominantly fermented and aged in large stainless tanks (5% in large oak barrels), this rested 4 months on lees before blending and bottling. Wet rock rules this bright, shining GV, with green apple, Asian pear, lemon rind streaming along the palate. Ample white pepper infiltrates the palate, already buzzing with soils.Prices:| ON | $22.95 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet Les Pins De Camille 2019
Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, Languedoc, Sud de France, FranceOne of the consistents from Languedoc, this Picpoul de Pinet has been a regular feature on our shelves for years, and for good reason. This picpoul runs white peach, pear, greengage, and lemon verbena along a slim, yeasty palate, to a brief finish. Best taken with steamed clams with this tipped into the broth.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Lieu Dit Chenin Blanc 2017
Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United StatesLieu Dit is a partnership garagiste operation between two friends: Justin Railsback, sommelier; and Justin Willett, winemaker. They came together to produce low intervention wines in cooler Santa Barbara County, using only Loire Valley grapes. From Santa Ynez, this was native fermented in both tank and barrel, before moving to neutral French oak for 7 months on lees, prior to a short stint in stainless before bottling. The captures chenin's wet stone sleekness, woven through subtle quince, bosc pear, downy lees, flake salts, and honeysuckle. There's a delicate vibrato on the finish that lures back, as does the welcome 12% alcohol. Smart, bright, and vibrant, this is New California, thankfully.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Lieu Dit Melon 2018
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United StatesLieu Dit is a partnership garagiste operation between two friends: Justin Railsback, sommelier; and Justin Willett, winemaker. They came together to produce low intervention wines in cooler Santa Barbara County, using only Loire Valley grapes. This older vine melon comes from the lauded Bien Nacido region, an ideal place to capture the grape's marine-trinsic nature. Crisp and bright with lemon pith, river stone, a fine slick of lees, and a fine chalky definition that lingers on the finish. This lithe wine clocks in at a welcome 11.7%, ideal for cracking into with freshly shucked oysters. Well done capturing the spirit of this Atlantic grape, off the Pacific.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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16 October 2020
90PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Block 2 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 season yielded smaller berries, clusters, and yields, leading to excellent quality fruit. On the palate, you can sum that up as high flavour concentration, moderate alcohol, and balance. The site itself sits on the lower slopes of Home Block vineyard on Lakeshore Road in Kelowna. The block’s clay soils originate from the immense Lake Penticton's post-glacial sediment, the ice age predecessor to Okanagan Lake. The 27 year old vines appear to love the terroir, yielding less spice and more dusty soft tannins shaping a fine mouthfeel from front to back. Look for plummy, dark cherry with a dusty, stony, mineral underside. Impressive and fun to drink now, although I suspect it will keep through 2023 and beyond. Mushrooms, salmon, and pork will all work here. The wine is fermented in and spends four weeks in concrete before ageing 12 months in French oak barrels.Prices:| BC | $54.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Stewart Family Reserve is the winery's flagship red. The fruit comes off the slopes of Mt. Boucherie, adjacent to the winery in West Kelowna. Each year only the finest blocks make it to the Reserve, that totals just under 14,000 bottles. There is a hint of smoky reduction in the nose, so be sure to give this some air once you crack the screwcap to allow its earthy, cedar cherry with a streak of spicy new oak to breakthrough. The attack is similar, with mineral, savoury, black raspberry with just enough acid pushing back across the length of the palate to keep it balanced. Just a baby but should be just fine as it unfolds. Likely best between 2023 and 2027. It's a perfect turkey wine, but will work with pork and mushrooms too.Prices:| BC | $51.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $49.99 | 750ml |
| MB | $56.50 | 750ml |
| ON | $54.95 | 750ml |
| QC | $48.00 | 750ml |
| SK | $59.99 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Spearhead Pinot Noir Cuvée 2018
East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA mix of clones in the Golden Retreat Vineyard in Summerland is the source of this delicious pinot noir owned by Spierhead. Winemaker Grant Stanley has brought his intense style to the winery, and the results are impressive. The attack is awash in blueberries, blackberry and lively juicy red and blue fruit that mesh with an earthy, mushroom, spicy undercurrent. A full-on cool climate northern pinot with personality. Well done. Another marker that points to Summerland being a pinot noir hotbed.Prices:| BC | $40.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Noir 2017
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaClassic Vancouver Island pinot noir. Delicate, pale, low alcohol (12 percent) by pinot standards, high acidity and freshness to beat the band. The fruit is decidedly red as in raspberries and pomegranate, with cedar, floral, spicy notes with light tannins. It's a pretty style, an intellectual style of pinot noir that will entice curious wine drinkers. It will work with any dish that is creamy or packing a bit of fat, be it salmon or a creamy, mushroom risotto. A stylish Vancouver Island pinot that makes a statement about a special place.Prices:| BC | $37.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Blue Mountain Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Reserve Cuvée is a mix of three estate vineyards with an average age of 34 years and a blend of four clones: 113, 114, 115, and 667. It is all hand-harvested, destemmed, and lightly crushed into open top tanks. The settled wine is moved into a mix of barrels from new to four year old wood for ageing. It is clearly more intense than the Estate Pinot, denser in colour, weight, aromas and flavours. Look for black cherry, black raspberry with smoky, reductive, meaty, mushroom undertones that suggest some decanting time is in order. The finish is already smooth and silky, so it should be ready to drink by 2022 at the latest. Experience tells us it ages effortlessly. Try this with a savoury stuffed turkey or a mushroom risotto if you need to open it now.Prices:| BC | $45.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 23 River Flow Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlue Mountain revamped its pinot noir program in 2017, choosing to add three single vineyard labels that are really more like individual blocks. Block 23, or River Flow, is a north facing, eastern sloping section of vineyard planted to Dijon clones 113 and 114. It is own rooted, and now 26 years old. The winemaking is more or less that same as the Reserve: destemmed fruit undergoes a 3 week maceration, gentle pigeage, and native fermentation before transferring to new through 4th fill 228L French barrels, where it remains for 17-18 months. The style is fresher and cooler than Gravel Force but with similar meaty, barnyard undertones. The red fruit notes and more prominent acidity give it a brighter, more elegant style. Still young, this will age for six to eight years with little problem. Serve now with a splash decant and roasted chicken.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 14 Gravel Force Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlue Mountain revamped its pinot noir program in 2017, choosing to add three single vineyard labels that are more like individual blocks. Gravel Force is Block 14, named after the numerous small, round stones mixed into the light clay that spreads over an old, dry river bed. The attack is full and beefy, reflecting the west and south-facing vineyard that gets a hefty sun dose. The thirty-one year old clones that go into the wine are 115 and 667. Like last year, the style is fairly opulent, even muscular, with a prominent earthy, barnyard nose that previews a ripe, black cherry palate with considerable freshness and a long silky finish. It’s amazingly concentrated and long for wine with 13 percent alcohol. It is best served now after a splash decant but will hold through 2025 and beyond.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
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93PTS
Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 9 Wild Terrain Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlue Mountain revamped its pinot noir program in 2017, choosing to add three single vineyard labels that are really more like individual blocks. Block 9, or Wild Terrain, was planted in 1998 over flat and rolling terrain with numerous expositions to the southwest that build complexity. The clones are 667 and 114, and the plantings are well over two decades old. The wine opens with a savoury, desert scrub undercurrent mixed with damp earth and spice. The ferment natural, and there are gentle barrel to barrel rackings during the ageing process. Wild Terrain is perhaps the ripest of three single block labels, with notes of sweet raspberries mixed with savoury, spicy sagebrush, cranberry, and cherry that persist through a long finish. A touch of salt and minerals adds complexity to the finish. Let this age for five years. Definitely unique.Prices:| BC | $55.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Clone 667 Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaCedarCreek’s pinot noir clonal set allows armchair winemakers to take an in-depth look at the palette of pinot noir. Each clone brings its own character, with clone 667 best known for its darker fruit profile and more tannic structure. And this certainly tastes true to that archetype. This is not a shy pinot; the fruit has an elevated ripeness and density to it, with the body to match, but the palate still maintains a nice freshness. It does this despite being a bit blocky. The tannins are firm and grainy at this point and it probably needs at least another two years to settle in bottle and allow the oak to further integrate. Winemakers often blend clones because they each bring something unique and complementary to the glass. Now it’s your turn to decide.Prices:| BC | $135.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Clone 777 Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClone 777 is one of three separate single clone pinot noir releases from CedarCreek this vintage, that provide a window into the differences between a trio of French Dijon clones 777, 667, and 115. All three are growing on the silty loamy soils of CedarCreek, high above Okanagan Lake inside the Home Block Vineyard. They were all fermented and aged similarly, making comparison an interesting prospect. A dampness and forest floor undercurrent mixes from front to back here, with smoky, herbal, black fruit. The flavours persist on the palate with the help of a dusting of baking spices and oak. This wine is built for rich bird/game dishes or autumnal mushroom menu items. A lot is going on here, and should appeal to those who prefer the more rambunctious New World style. Clone development is the physical process of identifying beneficial traits in individual grapevines or vineyards, taking cuttings from those vines, including budwood, and then propagating it over several growing seasons until you have a good reservoir of the parent material. The clones in these releases are all Dijon Clones, developed at the University of Dijon from the 1950s onwards.Prices:| BC | $135.00 | 750ml |
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92PTS
CedarCreek Platinum Clone 115 Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClone 115 is one of three separate single clone pinot noir releases from CedarCreek this vintage that provide a window into the differences between the trio of French Dijon clones 777, 667, and 115. All three are growing on the silty loamy soils of CedarCreek, high above Okanagan Lake inside the Home Block Vineyard. They were all fermented and aged similarly, making comparison an interesting prospect. The 115 presents entirely differently from the more boisterous 777. It has a much more elegant demeanour with more red fruit, a little brighter acidity, and very silky textures. It is attractive, to say the least. Salmon seems like the go to match here, or perhaps a favourite cauliflower soup recipe.Prices:| BC | $135.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Laughing Stock Vineyards Pinot Noir +28/09 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2018 vintage brings some evolution to Laughing Stock's pinot noir program. Unlike previous vintages, this is predominantly sourced from Okanagan Falls, specifically Arterra's Thomas Ranch Vineyard. The winemaking is still true to Laughing Stock's hedonistic house style, but the partial use of whole cluster fermentation has added some stemmy complexity to complement the lush black fruits, with the oak also dialled back a notch. The palate is suave and almost glycerous, with supple tannins that will make this an easy pour for fans of ripe New World pinot noir.Prices:| BC | $36.99 | 750ml |
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15 October 2020
86PTS
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Summerhill Vineyard Pinot Noir Demeter Certified Biodynamic 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their estate vineyard planted in 2000, this was native fermented in an older oak foudre before moving to stainless for MLF and a few months' rests, before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Balsamic, dark plum, tart sour cherries flood a downy palate, with smokey/soft tannins guiding this to a short, tart, drying finish. Best taken with some fire-grilled mushrooms or pork kabobs.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Estate Grown Pinot Noir Demeter Certified Biodynamic 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their estate vineyard planted in 2000, this was native fermented in an older oak foudre before moving to stainless for MLF. Half was then rested for 3 months in neutral oak before being blended back into tank, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Pouring a cloudy hue, this coats the palate with tart black cherry, sour plum, ample twinges of balsamic, with soft tannins to a sour finish with a kiss of smoke. High acid, this is quite natty, and needs some fat or protein to fill out the leanness.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Hillside Heritage Series Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIn 2017 this Naramata Bench pinot has a touch of elegance and restraint that is always a good place to start in the New World. Juicy raspberry fruit previews a slightly darker, drier, black cherry palate with earthy, spicy notes. The textures are appropriately silky and provide the medium for the complex soya, cherry, earthy, savoury finish. Impressive for the price, and while you could cellar this for a year or two, drinking it now is a definite possibility. Roasted chicken would be a fine match.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Mission Hill Estate Series Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Estate Series Pinot is farmed sustainably, from sites across the Okanagan Valley, yielding lightly aromatic black cherries with light dusty tannins and brown spicing. Simple, fresh, with a light, tart undercurrent and a mid to short finish. Ready to drink. Try this with a pulled pork sandwich.Prices:| BC | $22.99 | 750ml |
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86PTS
Fern Walk Pinot Noir 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFern Walk Pinot is a simple, earthy, light strawberry version of the variety, with fairly prominent acidity that accentuates the dryness in its finish. A very simple version of pinot noir best served with a bit of fat like salmon or pork to take on the acidity and cleanse the palate.Prices:| BC | $18.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tightrope Winery Pinot Noir 2017
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Naramata sweet spot in the middle of the Okanagan Valley seems tailor made for pinot. Lok for spicy, cherry, raspberry, black cherry, even riper than last year. The palate is satiny soft and the pinot mouthfilling and sweet but with a balancing undercurrent of earthy, rooty, spicy notes that keep it all together through a long persistent finish. Impressive texture and length, and only 13.7 percent alcohol. Sonoma, lookout. A perfect wine for Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinners. Fine value.Prices:| BC | $31.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Therapy Pinot Noir 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Jacq Kemp has done an admirable job pulling Therapy Vineyards into the future, first in the vineyards and now in the bottle. The 2018 pinot noir opens with an intense, vibrant, cool-climate aroma featuring fresh red fruits with a floral underbelly. On the palate, look for fresh raspberry, cranberry, rhubarb notes with a dry, spicy finish. A barely noticeable 46 percent new oak fills in the final picture of a well balanced, medium weight pinot that hails from Naramata Bench and a Summerland vineyard across the lake. The winemaking includes a ten-day cold soak and fermentation in small batch fermenters that allow the pinot noir to be pushed and pulled in different directions, aiding overall complexity. Post ferment and pressing it rests in French oak barrels. Food friendly.Prices:| BC | $25.99 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Mirabel Estate Pinot Noir 2017
East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMirabel Vineyards is owned by Doug and Dawn Reimers, long time grape growers in southeast Kelowna. If the Reimer name sounds familiar, it because this vineyard has appeared on several famous BC labels, including Meyer and Foxtrot. The vineyard's name is Mirabel, and since the 2015 vintage, the Reimers have taken full control of their fruit to sell it under the Mirabel Vineyards label. The site is moderately steep with a cool, northwesterly aspect, and the soil a mix of alluvial and windblown silt over gravel. The vineyard is planted with a mix of French Pommard and Dijon clones farmed sustainably. The style is reserved, with spicy, rooty, earthy flavours and a modicum of black cherry and brambleberry. More Oregon than California, it is perfectly suited to mushroom, salmon, or duck dishes. Drink or hold through 2023.Prices:| BC | $32.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe new single block program, and the well-established reserve program, leaves the estate pinot as the recipient of younger vine fruit, although even they are a dozen years old at a minimum. It is a mix of French clones 114, 115, 667, and 777, in an understated, somewhat reductive style, with savoury, sour red fruit dusted with tannin and spice in a dry finish that barely sits above 13 percent. Proper for its price and a solid introduction to BC pinot noir.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Stag's Hollow Pinot Noir Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA mix of Dijon clones from Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard is the star behind this stylish pinot noir. The attack is juicy, the fruit ripe but with earthy, sour cherry, black cherry, and black tea atop spicy forest floor, trailing into a dry, dusty, smoky finish. Its delicacy comes from only 13.6 percent alcohol, which allows all the pinot complexity to shine. It is fun to drink and ready to drink. Try this with grilled salmon and fall vegetables. Drink or hold through 2022.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $26.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Stag's Hollow Pinot Noir Stag's Hollow Vineyard 2018
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Stag's Hollow is always a slightly bigger pinot than the Shuttleworth Creek version, given its advantage of a warm west facing aspect. The nose is fresh and clean with vibrant cherry and plum that spills across the palate. Again lively and lithe, the juicy red fruit mixes with licorice and cola, before a long, mouthfilling, balanced finish. Stag's Hollow Estate Vineyard is home to the oldest pinot vines at Stag's Hollow. Now at 26 years of age, they deliver a complex mix of co-fermented Dijon clones 115 and 667. Turkey would be a fine match.Prices:| BC | $27.00 | 750ml |
| AB | $26.00 | 750ml |
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14 October 2020
89PTS
Mayhem Fortified Gewürztraminer 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Naramata's Cellarsbend Vineyard, these gew grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented down to 19 Brix before the sugar level was arrested with the addition of 93% alcohol. It was then moved to barrel for 20 months' rest, including one summer spent outside in the heat, evaporating water and concentrating the wine. This pours a pale yellow hue, much like a dry white, but that's where the comparison ceases. This is a fragrant, focused, concentrated wine from the first whiff, with ample orange blossom, marmalade, apricot jam, golden raisin, caramel, and gingersnap. The fuller palate is glossy and smooth and amply sweet, with a lingering anise/apricot glow. At 18%, a little goes a long way. Try pairing this, chilled, with pumpkin pie.Prices:| BC | $30.43 | 500ml |
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88PTS
Bartier Bros. Gewürztraminer 2019
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Summerland's Lone Pine Vineyard, this is a moderate style of gew, showing some of the grape's intrinsic peach / apricot / floral richness, but tempered with a bitter citrus and pear skin bent. The end result may appeal to those who prefer a richer, honeyed gew, as well as to those looking for a dryer snappy style. The finish is snappy and bright with a splash of sweet, welcoming a chill and some spicy foods.Prices:| BC | $19.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Tightrope Winery Pinot Noir Fleet Road Vineyard 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of two pinot noirs from 2018 comes from their estate Naramata Bench Tightrope Vineyard and the adjacent Garage Vineyard. After destemming, a 5-day cold soak, and native ferment, this was aged in French oak (30% new) for 10 months before bottling. This is a bright, finely textured pinot, offering raspberry, ripe strawberries on a leather and forest spices bed. Acidity is bright and cran-twinged, and the tannins are long and lightly grippy, guiding this medium+ pinot along a silken palate. Drinking very well now, and will evolve over the next few years.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tightrope Winery Pinot Noir Rubis 2018
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of two pinot noirs from 2018, this comes from Naramata Bench's Rubis Family Vineyard. After destemming, a 5-day cold soak, and native ferment, this was aged in French oak (30% new) for 10 months before bottling. Dark plum, bright black cherry glides along a gently plump palate, spiced with sasparilla and sultry baking spices. Tannins are long and supple, guiding this to a slightly warming finish—best alongside proteins to match, like duck or pork tenderloin.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Hillside Gewürztraminer 2019
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIf you had a shortlist of gewürztraminer wants, the Hillside version grown on the Naramata Bench would tick all the boxes. The nose is fragrant with a touch of Alsace, exotic fruits, tangerine in its fragrant spicing. The style is off-dry but with plenty of freshness to balance the litchi, tangerine, ripe pink grapefruit. Last year I called it a party-in-a-glass, and I stand by it again in 2019. Makes for a fun patio sipper. Sip this at a cool temperature or match up with a favourite curry or spicy South Asian dish.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Pfaff Gewurztraminer 2017
Alsace, FranceTextbook entry-level Alsace gew consistently, which is why many wine students will be familiar with this label. This year's incarnation is as before: honey, lychee, marmelade, apricot on a wide, softer, sweeter palate, with ample lashings of ginger spicing. Simple stuff, chill well down.Prices:| BC | $21.99 | 750ml |
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09 October 2020
90PTS
Free Form Vin Gris 2019
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFor the first time in 2019, Free Form Vin Gris comes from Garnet Valley Ranch. It is made the same as the previous two vintages: whole bunch pressed and native fermented in concrete, where it underwent full MLF and rested for six months on lees prior to bottling unfiltered, with a wee amount of SO2. Tight and focused, with gooseberry, quince on a slick, sleek palate, with ample energy and verve. The finish lingers with a bergamot note, and ample mineral salts. Well done, yet again; this wine will only improve with time in bottle.Prices:| BC | $26.90 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Free Form Vin Gris 2018
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis Vin Gris is 40 year old vines pinot noir from Summerland's Heckmann Family Vineyard, managed by Summerhill. Whole bunch pressed, this was native fermented in concrete, where it underwent full MLF and rested for six months on lees before being bottled unfiltered with a wee amount of SO2. Super textural, very long in the mouth, finishing with quince and a caramelized and salted orange note on the finish. Super juicy, bright, textural and long, this is a gem.Prices:| BC | $26.90 | 750ml |
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08 October 2020
90PTS
Painted Rock Malbec 2018
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Painted Rock Malbec (clone 589) covers one acre. It opens with an opaque purple colour and a sweet black fruit nose of blackberries, black cherries, and cassis with a light underlying floral component. The attack is juicy and full of ripe black fruit and soft tannins after 18 months in 30 percent new oak. A cooler year has brought a better balance to this wine, and with no volatility: two things that left 2017 a bit wanting. It's still a rambunctious effort but with some civilized edges. Cellar for 5-7 years before you begin to explore its future.Prices:| BC | $39.99 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Clos de los Siete 2017
Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Central Region, Mendoza, ArgentinaMichel Rolland, the world-renowned Bordeaux winemaker, partnered with other Bordeaux families to develop seven vineyards on 2,000 acres in the Uco Valley of Mendoza. The plan was to have an "ambassador" wine made with fruit drawn from across the project that Rolland would put together each year. Today Clos de los Siete is a blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and a little petit-verdot and cabernet franc. The styling is all Bordeaux, and it is polished and elegant. It represents France and Argentina's best, offering restraint and rich, powerful black fruit with a strong sense of terroir. The tannins are dense but supple and will only disappear as time slips away. It's a delicious wine at a fair price that you need to decant at the moment or that you can cellar for five to seven more years until it reaches its peak.Prices:| BC | $26.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $19.95 | 750ml |
| ON | $23.95 | 750ml |
| MB | $24.99 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Culmina Family Estate Malbec 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis malbec is planted on Arise Bench, on the Golden Mile Bench, one of three benches at Culmina. After traditional fermentation, it spends 16 months ageing in French oak, of which 17 percent is new. The attack is elegant and sophisticated, followed by dusty mineral and licorice with plenty of texture and mouthfeel. Still, the fruit is curiously backward at this moment. There are faint hints of blueberries and blackberries, but the dryness and earthy savoury notes are dominating. I like this wine, but it is going to need time to develop fully. Best now with grilled beef.Prices:| BC | $39.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Burrowing Owl Malbec 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPredominantly from Osoyoos' estate Eva vineyard, and the remainder from the home vineyard in Oliver, this was aged in a mix of French, American, and Hungarian oak, with 32% new wood, where it remained for 18 months. Quite structural, with a very peppery, green note that colours the savoury cherry, wild blueberry, darkly perfumed raspberry that permeates the palate. Quite fine and elegant, with long, finely grippy tannins to the finish. Well done.Prices:| ON | $40.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Graffigna Malbec 2018
San Juan, ArgentinaGraffigna has produced wines from higher altitude Andean vineyards since 1870, and this malbec carries on that tradition with malbec sourced from Tulum (700m) and Pedernal Valley (1400m) in San Juan. Soft layers of juicy cherry, raspberry, crunchy plum fruit float along a savoury edged palate, with bright acidity with finely raspy tannins to hold all in place. Not the longest finish, but come on, at under $13 (on sale until Oct 31), this is about as good as it gets.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
| On | $13.95 | 750ml |
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07 October 2020
89PTS
Tenute Falezza TF Rosso 2014
Veneto, ItalyThe Falezza family is making classic Veronese wines, and this rosso is no exception. A blend of corvina Veronese, corvinone, rondinella, molinara and oseleta presents a round, juicy, warm, soft manner. Expect a nose of dry, earthy fragrant cherries and more of the same on the palate where the plummy/cherry fruit flecked with spice finishes medium-long with soft tannins, leather and licorice notes. Ready to drink and a perfect spaghetti red for Wednesday night.Prices:| BC | $31.05 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Castello di Roncade Cabernet 2018
Veneto, ItalyThis estate was founded in 1508, and the current family has owned the historic property since the early 1900’s. The entire estate is farmed organically. Cabernet blends 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, matured in large neutral oak for 8-9 months. The cherry, raspberry fruit is hemmed in with lashes of sapid green branch, and dusted with peppercorn. Tannins are soft and lightly sticky to a shorter finish. A lean, green, bright (12.5%) version of cabernet, reminiscent of Loire Franc.Prices:| BC | $25.00 | 750ml |
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91PTS
Le Volte dell' Ornellaia 2017
Tuscany, ItalyLe Volte is Bolgheri-based Ornellaia's red blend, featuring a mix of two-thirds merlot, 20 percent sangiovese, while the remaining 12-14 percent is cabernet sauvignon. The attack is typically generous with rich blackberry and blackcurrant, freshened and lifted by an undercurrent of wet stone minerality and spicy balsamic notes. In 2017, a dry year, the grapes struggled to gain size but yielded intense fruit. Ornallaia Director of Wines, Axel Heinz, is all about complexity without forsaking any generosity whenever possible, and he did it in 2017. The grapes are fermented separately in small steel tanks before spending ten months partly in used Ornellaia barriques and cement tanks. There is no stone left unturned. Drink or hold through a decade and beyond. Good value.Prices:| BC | $32.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $35.00 | 750ml |
| QC | $30.00 | 750ml |
| ON | $30.00 | 750ml |
| NS | $33.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Nari Rosso 2019
Sicily, ItalyAn atypical blend of nero d’avola (80%) and petit verdot (20%), this has simple, juicy black fruits accented by subtle, spicy oak from three months in French barriques. Medium-bodied, it’s surprisingly soft and approachable, but still dry, though there is some tartness to the finish. A fine everyday sipper, best enjoyed with a light chill alongside tomato-based pasta dishes. A steal at $9.80 in Quebec.Prices:| BC | $14.99 | 750ml |
| QC | $9.80 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2014
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, ItalyThis is quite a savoury Tuscan blend of sangiovese (60%), merlot (20%), and sagrantino (20%), which is very much on the oxidative side of the spectrum, even for Italy. Expect sundried tomato, sandalwood, leather, and not a lot of obvious fruit at this point of its life. There’s a notch more verve to the palate, though the fruit's not overly concentrated or dense, with grainy tannins that dry out the finish. Drink now.Prices:| BC | $29.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $39.99 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Ciù Ciù Bacchus Piceno 2019
Ascoli Piceno, Marche, ItalyBacchus is equal parts Montepulciano and Sangiovese, grown in mixed clay soils 300m on the Marches hills surrounding the towns of Offida and Acquaviva Picena, in Ascoli Piceno province. This unoaked red is printed for drinking now, with bright dark cherry, fleshy dark plum, mulberry, and tart balsamic filling a round, supple palate. There's a spritz to the palate, making this somewhat disjointed against the ample, ripe, and sticky tannins that house this to a baking spiced finish. Pour with fire roasted beets and / or rabbit rillettes.Prices:| ON | $17.95 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Maeli Rosso 2017
Veneto, ItalyMaeli is owned by the 21st generation of Bisol brothers, Gianluca and Desiderio, and is nestled in the Euganean Hills’ volcanic, chalky slopes. The organic winery is directed by winemaker Elisa Dilavanzo. This blend of Merlot, Carmenere, and Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the volcanic and chalky hills of Veneto's Colli Euganei. After a native ferment, 30% of the wine was aged in neutral oak barrels, with the remainder in stainless and cement tanks. Deeply coloured, this youthful, energetic, and rich Italian red is full of fragrant dark mulberry, violet, fresh basil, and dark chocolate spicing on a deep palate. Tannins are ample and grippy, with a dusty grip to the sides. This powerful red is best served with equally rich meat pastas or braises.Prices:| ON | $25.95 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Monte del Frá Bardolino 2018
Verona, Veneto, ItalyBardolino borders the more familiar appellation of Valpolicella, but the style and grape varieties are similar. A blend of 65 percent corvina and 30 percent rondinella, with a small dollop of sangiovese, this is a juicy red that will go down easy with a slight chill. The tannins are negligible, the alcohol modest at 12.5% abv, and the sappy brambly fruit is front and centre. If you're in the mood for a light-bodied red and want to further explore Italian wine, you've found the right bottle. Recommended.Prices:| BC | $16.99 | 750ml |
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06 October 2020
89PTS
Culmina Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Golden Mile Bench estate's Arise Bench, this cabernet sauvignon was aged for 16 months in French barrels (50% new). Classic cab on the nose, with savoury cassis, graphite, fragrant cedar, and ripe, medicinal cherry filling the compact, concentrated frame. You can feel the sun warmth here in the slight plumped raisination of the fruit. That said, the altitude and cab's inherent bones keep this upright. Tannins are firm, and well integrated into the deep fruit, finishing with a gentle swell of warmth. Drinking well now, and should do so over the next couple of years in your cellar.Prices:| BC | $39.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Culmina Family Estate Merlot 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSun and wood plump with green tomato / tomato leaf, plum, bitter cherry, tart raspberry, leading to medicinal kirsch on the finish. Tannins are ample, and a big ragged, giving a cedar hewn grip to this big, warming red. Somewhat disjointed at this stage, definitely requiring lamb or venison to partner.Prices:| BC | $35.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Culmina Family Estate Cabernet Franc 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom their Arise Bench, on the Golden Mile Bench, this intense red was fermented and aged in French oak (22% new) for 16 months. Savoury throughout, with graphite, cedar stave, and toasted oak seasoning the brooding black cherry, bitter cassis, and ample lashings of cracked clove and nutmeg. Tannins are large and pretty polished, but still a bit ragged in youth, benefitting from decanting and a pouring alongside lamb or venison.Prices:| BC | $38.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Culmina Family Estate Malbec 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Arise Bench, on their Golden Mile Bench vineyard, this malbec aged for 16 months in French oak (17% new). Polished and smooth, as is the Culmina way, this is plush with ripe blueberries and super ripe blackberries, and seasoned with nutmeg and allspice. That said, all is held back some, and shy at present, hinting that this big red could use some more time in bottle to show its malbec nature. Tannins are well managed, showing a bit at the end, but nothing that a rare steak or lamb chops couldn't tame at this point.Prices:| BC | $39.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Culmina Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaMerlot may be the red grape most commonly associated with the Golden Mile Bench, but this reminds us that we shouldn't overlook cabernet sauvignon. From vines planted in 2009 on Arise Bench, this fruit is oozing with ripeness, in combination with a savoury edge of dried herbs and cedar, that manages to hold up to the chocolate and toast of aging in 50% new French barriques. Medium-full bodied, this is fully extracted and densely packed with tannins but they're still plush and smooth thanks to extended time on skins post-fermentation. It makes this approachable now, though you'll want a hearty protein, but will be even better in 5 years.Prices:| BC | $39.00 | 750ml |
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02 October 2020
89PTS
Peak Cellars Riesling Block Eleven 2019
Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlock Eleven is Clone 21B riesling, originating from Germany’s Mosel Valley. The fermentation stopped when 84 percent of the sugar had been transformed into alcohol, leaving 32.3 grams of residual sugar to instil a natural sweetness and flavour intensity to the wine. Don’t fear, it's not that sweet because the natural acidity is extremely bright, giving it a sense of balance, shuttling back and forth between racy acidity and sweet fruit. In the Mosel, the fruit and the wine tend to be crunchy, which is very similar to what we have here in the northern Okanagan Valley at Carrs Landing. The tropical pineapple, mango, guava are offset by the green apple, savoury, sour candy, and lemongrass. Very food-friendly, especially with Asian dishes with a bit of heat, or try it with a ham and pineapple pizza.Prices:| BC | $28.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Peak Cellars Fieldling Block 26 Field Blend 2019
Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlock 26 is a field blend inspired by the winery’s Block 26 planting at Carrs Landing of pinot gris, riesling, and gewürztraminer. The block is picked once, and all three varieties are co-fermented. The result is like a little bit of lightning or electricity in the bottle. Look for peach, apricot, red apple, nectarine, pear, and melon rind. Floral, bitter, mineral, savoury, and fruity on the mid-palate and dry in the finish, and you have a winner. The ultimate blend is a 53/32/15 mix of pinot gris, riesling and gewürztraminer—a terrific wine for most vegetarian dishes.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Peak Cellars Riesling 2019
Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWinemaker Stephanie Stanley has stuff a wide range of fruity aromatics into her Carrs Landing, Okanagan Valley riesling, filling the wine glass full of lemon, lime, pear, grapefruit, honey, and bright floral notes. The palate is quite similar, awash in friendly sipping, mostly dry, lime, lemon, pear and honeydew melon, all lined with an appealing mineral bed. Pick your favourite match from chicken to Margherita pizza, spicy Thai, Mexican, and more. It is very versatile. Well done and at a very affordable price. Stock up.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Peak Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaExpect a northern 50 degrees plus rosé with an enticing light pink colour and rhubarb, cranberry, pomegranate aromas. The palate is a similar mix of cool red fruits, including raspberry and cranberries, with a hint of licorice and a squeeze of nectarine. Bright full flavours with pinot delicacy will work with a variety of menu items. Grapes come off several blocks grown over soils with a lot of clay, adding smoothness to the finish.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Peak Cellars Pinot Noir 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis was my first go at the point noir since its inception. We have had early glimpses at some early releases but nothing like this. As the project in Carrs Landing unfolds, it is clear this will be the cornerstone red wine at O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars. In 2018 the pinot came with a wealth of vitality. The nose has an earthy forest floor style of aromatics, a little Oregon, a little New Zealand and a lot of BC. Dark red cherry fruits dominate with bits of dark chocolate, desert scrub, spice, and floral notes. The textures are equally alluring, and the complexity attracts from front to back. On the palate, the wine continues to build with darker fruit flavours, and more rooty, cedar and bitter marmalade notes. Impressive young and not near ready, but you can enjoy this now or wait for it to come around over the next three to five years.Prices:| BC | $32.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Peak Cellars Gewurztraminer 2019
Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis is a fun white wine with all Gewurztraminer's keynotes, including rose petals, orange blossoms, spice, and ginger. The palate follows on with similar, smooth flavours after three months of barrel ageing. In the end, there is a little stamp of BC savoury desert scrub to add complexity and depth. The winery suggests serving it with Singapore noodles, Korean bibimbap, vegetable curry, or Thai red duck curry. Good value.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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87PTS
Peak Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe notion of unoaked chardonnay is all about purity, freshness and exciting aromatics. In this northern 50° N wine, you get a clean, dry, fresh style, and it comes with pineapple, sweet melon, and peachy/pear undertones. It’s an orchard of flavours and fun to drink. Like most unoaked wines, it lacks a midpalate and some of the creamy textures I find so attractive, but there is a place for a wine this well made, and there will be a market for it too. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Peak Cellars Chardonnay 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIn 2017 the chardonnay was entirely barrel fermented and aged in French oak for 11 months (20% new). Right off the top, you get notes of vanilla and butterscotch mixed into that northern green apple scent, mixed with citrus and minerals. On the palate, there is an immediate softness and more creamy, buttery notes with very light toast. A fresh, medium-weight, simple, forward style that is ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $30.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Peak Cellars Grüner Veltliner 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWe continue to be impressed by early grüner veltliner releases in BC, and the O’Rourke's Peak version demonstrates how electric it can be. Fresh, savoury, and full of citrus-drenched melons and gooseberries, this is a joy to sip. A herbal, mineral, peppery finishe adds some complexity to an excellent young effort. Go Carrs Landing; a perfect wine for vegetarian and vegan dishes, or for those who like elegant wines.Prices:| BC | $24.00 | 750ml |
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01 October 2020
87PTS
Oliver Twist Pink Cadillac Rosé 2019
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe label kind of gives away what style of wine this is. This year's fun and easy blend is cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot: basically you get the feeling this is whatever that doesn't fit in somewhere else in the portfolio. Pouring a deeper pink hue, this glosses along the palate with watermelon, strawberry jam, and orange. A fuller rosé, at 14%, this requires a brisk chill and some burgers and chips to match.Prices:| BC | $20.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
La Closerie des Lys Les Fruitières Rosé 2019
Limoux, Languedoc, Sud de France, FranceThis pale rosé blends syrah, cinsault, grenache, and merlot from Limoux. The Château's vineyards are in the Pyrenean foothills, and from vines from 300-600m. They have 272 acres, planted to 13 varieties. Fruit for the rosé comes from the highest elevation plots, hence the inherent freshness here. Wild strawberries, grapefruit, orange, and watermelon ride a slender, juicy frame, finishing snappy and bright. Lovely food-friendly or solo sipping pink.Prices:| BC | $17.99 | 750ml |
| AB | $15.49 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Tightrope Winery Rosé 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThis deeper-hued pinot noir rosé has a strange blending partner: barbera. The grapes were left with skins for a couple of days prior to pressing, hence the deeper tone of pink. Raspberry, strawberry, tangerine, florals is cut with a brace of cranberry that tightens the glycerol-padded palate. This punchier rosé finishes with some salty spices and a juicy snap that welcomes all matter of foodstuffs.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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88PTS
Di Lenardo Le Nuvole Uvaggio Rosato 2017
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ItalyThis salmon/peach hued rosado comes from merlot from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, at the foothills of the Alps. This was stainless fermented and aged for 3 months with regular bâtonnage. Quite silken and glycerin, in that Provençal model, with strawberries and rosehip gliding along the palate to a snappy, subtly spiced finish. For enjoying now, especially with seared albacore, or roasted peppers / rosé sauced pastas.Prices:| BC | $22.00 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Mirabel Rosé of Pinot Noir 2019
East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOn the deeper edge of pale, this French-inspired east Kelowna pinot noir is a mix of estate Pommard and Dijon clones, coloured by maceration for 16 hours, and then left on lees for 6 months. Juicy strawberry, raspberry, mandarin is woven with spices, and bedded with a thicker cloud of lees, finishing with a rhubarb twist. A polished and elegant style, this can hold its own against a flight of French rosé, any day.Prices:| BC | $21.00 | 750ml |
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90PTS
Free Form Rosé 2019
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaLike the 2018, this year's Free Form Rosé is cabernet franc off Osoyoos' Sekhon Family Vineyard, native fermented in concrete where it remained on lees for a few months. Pouring an attractive shining paler hue, this is a beautifully salted, savoury, bone-dry rosé, finely grippy from time in concrete, and teeming with fine grained spices, wild strawberry, raspberry, and dessert herb edginess. Food and solo-sipping friendly.Prices:| BC | $26.90 | 750ml |
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89PTS
Foxly Rosé 2019
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA wet, cool end to the growing season and increasing bird pressure finished off a year of low yields, brightened by the debut of F Foxly Rosé, produced primarily from skin contact pinot gris sourced from several sites in both the Okanagan and Similkameen Valley. The final colour, light salmon, orange/pink, was tweaked with a splash of Zweigelt. All the components are fermented separately to dryness and aged in stainless steel through winter before the blend was put together and aged further until May. The nose is a pleasant mix of blood orange and peach that spills across a palate into peaches, strawberries, watermelon, and a mineral underside. Creamy but crisp, this is fun to drink and takes me more toward the Provençal style. Ready to drink.Prices:| BC | $23.00 | 750ml |
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November 2020