Upper Bench Estate Winery 2013 Riesling (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $22
Alcohol: 12.5%
Production: 404 cases
Date Tasted: February 24th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A vibrant Riesling with juicy, nectarine and white peach characters paired with cool, minerality and citrus acidity. Impressive depth on the expressive nose and the off-dry palate with added tangerine, kiwi, honeydew and flint aromas and flavours with light kerosene notes floating in the background. Finishes dry thanks to the palate-cleansing, yet, balanced acidity, with a touch of lingering spice and lime rind flavours. Drink 2015-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Upper Bench Estate Winery 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $35
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 188 cases
Date Tasted: February 20th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A seriously spicy Cabernet Sauvignon from Upper Bench's home vineyard on the Naramata Bench near Penticton. Quaffable, with spice box, tea, tobacco, vanilla, cola, toasted oak and dark fruit aromas on the blooming nose. Similar flavours grace the mouth-watering palate, though, the dark fruit is more prominent. Dusty tannins are ripe, but a touch mild and play more of a supporting role to the wild berry acidity. Spice lingers on the long finish. Ready to be enjoyed now. Drink 2015-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Cassini Cellars 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve (Golden Mile Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Sold out. Contact winery for library release information here
Cost: $40
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 122 cases
Date Tasted: February 18th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A nice, broody, cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon with masculine aromas of cassis, plum, blackberry, coffee grinds and vanilla fudge with subtle oak and cooking spice notes in the background. Cool-berry fruit leads the entry on the well-structured palate with layers of savoury and cocoa flavours appearing mid-palate and through to the long finish where dusty tannins and spicy-vanilla-mint notes linger. Ready to go now, though, this Cab should benefit from further cellar time. Drink 2015-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Upper Bench Estate Winery 2012 Estate Merlot (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $35
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 154 cases
Date Tasted: February 17th, 2015
Tasting Notes: This is the 2nd Merlot label released from Upper Bench for the 2012 vintage, sourced from the Naramata Bench winery's home vineyard, this 'estate' edition is distinguishable from its multi-vineyard blend cousin by the appearance of sweet, cured meats on the vanilla, spice and dark berry infused nose.
The influence of 20 months in 30% new French oak barrels manifests on the dry, textured palate, as subtle layers of spice, vanilla, mocha and pipe tobacco that blend effortlessly with dark fruit and minerals flavours and the fine, cool tannins.
Enjoy this wine today, with proper decanting, though, some cellar time of 2-4 years will foster further development. Drink 2016-2020. - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Domaine Saint-Damien 2013 Vieilles Vignes (Côtes du Rhône) Rhône Valley - France
Availability: Limited availability. Private wine stores.
Cost: $30 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: February 15th, 2015
Tasting Notes: Big, round and bursting with aromas of roasted herbs, bramble-y red fruits and sun-soaked rocks, this blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Carignan and 5% Mourvèdre is sourced from vineyards ranging from 35-65 years of age, and offers fabulous value for money. The 2013 edition offers more residual sugar on the medium-bodied palate than recent vintages have, but we're still well clear of sweet California reds territory. Look for good continuity from the nose with similar flavours on the well-structured palate and lasting spice on the satisfying finish. Drink one now and put another away for another 2-3 years of further development. Drink now-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Familia Gascón 2012 Malbec (Mendoza) Argentina
Availability: BCLDB Stores and Everything Wine
Cost: $13.99
Alcohol: 13.9%
Date Tasted: February 13th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A tangy, fresh Malbec from Mendoza that offers a blend of mixed berry fruit, spice and light, smoky oak on the bright nose and the slightly off-dry and mouth-watering palate. Finish is short, but, the price is right for the intensity on offer. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Bodegas Garcia 2011 'Señorío de los Baldíos' Roble (Ribera Del Duero DO) Spain
Availability: Limited. Private wine shops like Everything Wine
Cost: $22
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: February 11th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A lovely, juicy, 100% Tempranillo (Tinta del Pais) from the Ribera Del Duero region of Spain that acts as an excellent conduit for the aromas and flavours of the American oak barrels it was aged in for 4 months. The nose offers red fruit supported by layers of spices and in-your-face, sweetened vanilla extract aromas. The rounded palate is medium-bodied and intense, yet, quite playful and approachable, with a similar blend of red fruit and spice and added notes of cola, oak, tobacco and citrus acidity. The finish is long with lingering, cocoa-powdery tannins. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Black Hills Estate Winery 2013 Alibi (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and select VQA and private wine stores
Cost: $25
Alcohol: 13.4%
Date Tasted: February 9th, 2015
Tasting Notes: Mimics the experience of chomping into a freshly picked white peach, from the aromas and flavours down to the medley of textures; the tangy acidity, the juicy flesh and even the bitter skin. Fantastic. This ode to white Bordeaux, a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon, also offers notes of herbs, minerals and exotic, tropical fruits and makes for an excellent, mouth-watering aperitif. Drink now-2016.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Black Hills Estate Winery 2012 Syrah (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $36.90
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: February 9th, 2015
Tasting Notes: This estate-grown Syrah opens with a generous, feminine nose of dark cherry, cola, white pepper, French vanilla cream and light floral aromas. The concentrated, dry palate is cooler and more Rhone-y, with pepper spice leading the way followed by layers of cherry, cured meats, oak and minerals. The texture is lean and a tad smoky with mannered, fine tannins and fresh, wild berry acidity. The finish is long and peppery - a fine example of Southern Okanagan Valley Syrah. Drink now-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Bartier Bros. 2011 Syrah (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26.90
Alcohol: 13.2%
Production: 320 cases
Date Tasted: February 5th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A cool, lean, savoury themed Syrah, sourced from the Black Sage Bench, with a masculine profile of blue fruit, peppercorn, mineral, cola, vanilla and light menthol aromas and flavours. A blend of 87% Syrah and 13% Cabernet Franc, this medium bodied wine has a spicy, fluid texture. Tannins are a tad lean, but, well-matched to the liquidity of the dry palate. The finish is mouth-watering with lingering spice-box and smoky tobacco notes. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Bartier Bros. 2011 Merlot (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26.90
Alcohol: 14.7%
Production: 350 cases
Date Tasted: February 4th, 2015
Tasting Notes: Impressively ripe and juicy for the 2011 vintage, especially for a Merlot under $30. It's expensive to ripen fruit in cooler years due to crop thinning; the practice of leaving fewer grapes on the vine to have a better chance of developing enough sugar in the berries (the measure of brix) to ferment into wine and of reaching full phenolic ripeness in the berry's seeds (counters any greenness in the tannins). The Bartier Bros. Merlot, sourced from a Black Sage Bench vineyard, managed both feats in 2011, though, not entirely on its own, as it were.
This tasty, blackberry pie-infused wine is actually a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the later of which, is mostly perceptible on the nose where floral notes are a welcomed addition to the otherwise, berry and wild herb bouquet. The palate is quite full and smooth, with medium tannins and a gentle roundness to its texture. The berry and herb theme continues through to the finish, though, its licorice, charred oak and spice that linger. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Cassini Cellars 2011 Nobilus (Golden Mile Bench) Okanagan Valley - BCAvailability: Direct from the winery hereCost: $39Alcohol: 13.7%Production: 125 casesDate Tasted: February 3rd, 2015Tasting Notes: The Cassini "Nobilus", the Southern Okanagan winery's 100% Merlot premier label, spends a full 24 months in new French oak prior to bottling and the effects (benefits) are front and centre on both the charming, dense nose and the lean, mean palate. Look for aromas of cassis, menthol, vanilla, mocha, spice and charred cedar planks followed by intense dark fruit, licorice, cocoa powder and graphite flavours.
The palate is medium-bodied supported by grippy tannins and mouth-watering acidity and finishes long with lingering iodine and spice notes making it an excellent pairing for lean, red meat dishes cooked to medium-rare (tops), like an herb-crusted rack of lamb. Ready to go now. Drink 2015-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Black Hills Estate Winery 2012 Nota Bene (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Sold out at the winery, though, VQA and private wine shops have it in stock
Cost: $54-60
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: January 31st, 2015
Tasting Notes: Nota Bene has been a Cabernet Sauvignon-leading blend for the past 11 vintages, but, for 2012, the winery has switched back to a Merlot-driven Meritage blend, similar to the inaugural release of 1999. The latest edition sees a whopping 57% Merlot mixed with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc and despite the changes, the 2012 offers good typicity for the iconic brand suggesting the vineyard site is the most dominant influence over the finished wine and not the finite percentages of the main components.
Whether its Cab-Merlot or Merlot-Cab, you'll get your fix of dark fruit supported by a medley of savoury characters; wild sage, tobacco and dry herbs. There are also hints of licorice, mocha and plum adding complexity. Fine tannins and French oak flavouring help structure the palate where a kick of wild berry acidity keeps the finish mouth-watering. Spice lingers through to the next sip.
This is a wine more for the future than the present. It takes hours to open up today, though, with careful cellaring, in another 2 years this won't be a problem at all. Drink 2017-2022.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
