Two Oceans Wines 2013 Sauvignon Blanc - 84pts

Two Oceans Wines 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (Western Cape) South Africa

Availability: BCLDB Stores
Cost: $9.79 + taxes
Alcohol: 12%
Date Tasted: July 31st, 2015

Tasting Notes: Pungent, verging on soapy, on the nose. With time, sweeter aromas appear; papaya, quince, gooseberry and kerosene. Palate is watery and lacks intensity of flavour, though, pleasantly balanced between its fruit and acid components.Citrus, kiwi and melon flavourss blend nicely. Finish is short. Drink now.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - 90pts

Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $25.30 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13.2%
Production: 1484 cases
Date Tasted: July 29th, 2015
@Bench1775

Tasting Notes: Has the rawness and funk of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the minerality and acidity of those from the Loire Valley. Delivers the 4 Gs of Sauvignon Blanc expertly: gooseberry, grapefruit, grass and gravitas. Add in some cool, river stone and warm, tropical fruit elements and you're left with a winner of a wine that can be enjoyed on its own or as a confident companion to seafood dishes.

No longer an under $20 wine, this Blanc has been hauling-in major awards and deserves consideration among the Okanagan's best. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - 89pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $20
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 399 cases
Date Tasted: July 28th, 2015

Tasting Notes: A vibrant and racy Sauvignon Blanc, on the nose, with grassy notes and citrus and peach pit aromas and a faint, susurrus of brioche that gets a touch louder as the wine warms in the glass. A pleasantly rich and layered palate follows, with a nice blend of acid, apple, passion fruit, stonefruit, lees, and gooseberry components. 

20% of the wine was aged in new French oak barrels contributing to the wine's impressive texture and overall leesyness. This Blanc may be too plump for those looking for a leaner, Summer sipper version of the variety - this is a wine for all seasons. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2011 Oldfield Series Pinot Noir - 89pts

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2011 Oldfield Series Pinot Noir (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here 
Cost: $30.49 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.6%
Production: 835 cases
Date Tasted: July 26th, 2015
@TinhornCreek

Tasting Notes: The Oldfield Series Pinot Noir is sourced from the winery's Black Sage Bench vineyard and spends 18 months in French oak barrels and then another 2 years in the bottle to ensure the wine is peaking when released - a successful program. 

The 2011 vintage had its ups and downs with a cooler than average growing season, yet, the finished wine shows ripeness in its tasty, New World blend of both juicy and tangy red fruit and light, earthy-herbal notes. The flavour profile is further enhance with a savoury blend of spices like anise, spearmint and cloves and is neatly wrapped in a blanket of mouth-watering acid and ever-so-slightly greenish tannins. Tomato stock and spice linger on the long, toasted-oak finish. Drink now-2018.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Le Vieux Pin 2012 Équinoxe Syrah - 92-94pts

Le Vieux Pin 2012 Équinoxe Syrah (Osoyoos Lake) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $89.90 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13.9%
Production: 334 cases
Date Tasted: July 24th, 2015

Tasting Notes: A beast of a Syrah, yet, still feminine and floral in style. A true femme fatale with both mass and levity, opening with a gorgeous blend of black cherry, crushed violets, vanilla-mocha, white pepper, spicy plum sauce and sweet pipe tobacco aromas on the memorable nose. The intense, brooding palate follows with concentrated dark red fruit and smooth pepper flavours, effortless acidity and ripe, fine-grained tannins. The finish is balanced and oh-so long.

Produced in the Northern Rhone method which blends in Viognier (3.5%) during fermentation, then aged in French oak for 19 months before bottling. Still youthful at 3 years of age with further development to come over the next 4+ years, though, it may hold for 10 years or more. Drink 2018-2022.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Averill Creek Vineyard 2014 Foch Eh - 87pts

Averill Creek Vineyard 2014 Foch Eh (Cowichan Valley) Vancouver Island - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $15.99 (including tax)
Alcohol: 12%
Production: 452 cases
Date Tasted: July 23rd, 2015

Tasting Notes: This tasty, cheekily-named wine is made from 100% Marechal Foch and makes an excellent, low-cost option for when you want to try something new and something a little different. Offers some classic and uniquely Foch aromas of toasted marshmallow, Grandma's grape jelly (including the canning wax), candied rhubarb, wild berry fruit and dried herbs. Palate is tangy, juicy and very raw with some prune-y fruit characters, smoke and spices on the moderate finish. Drink 2015-2016.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay - 88pts

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay (Golden Mile Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $16.99
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: July 22nd, 2015
@TinhornCreek

Tasting Notes: Stonefruit, pineapple and light spice grace the muted, cool nose of this Chardonnay from the Southern Okanagan Valley. The palate is juicy and generous, yet, grounded with mineral and citrus flavours, finishing crisp with lingering lemon zest and vanilla spice. One of the best Tinhorn Chardonnay releases in several years (and well-priced too). Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Monte Creek Ranch 2014 Chardonnay - 86+pts

Monte Creek Ranch 2014 Chardonnay (Kamloops) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $15.99 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.9%
Date Tasted: July 21st, 2015

Tasting Notes: A partially oaked, medium bodied Chardonnay from Kamloops-based winery Monte Creek Ranch, opening with muted aromas of apple skins, grapefruit flesh and a little bit of smoky flint on the nose. Palate is a little disjointed at the moment with acidic, bitter, mineral and fruit elements not yet fully in-synch. Another 6 months of bottle age should promote further integration. Finishes with just a touch of residual sweetness beneath lingering lemon zest notes. Drink 2016-2018.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

JoieFarm 2012 "En Famille" Reserve Chardonnay - 90pts

JoieFarm 2012 "En Famille" Reserve Chardonnay (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $30
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 275 cases
Date Tasted: July 20th, 2015

Tasting Notes: JoieFarm's reserve-tier wines, labelled "En Famille", are now bottle aged for an extra year prior to release, a rarity for the Okanagan Valley, especially for white wines. The added time in the bottle provides the wine more time to settle and mature, allowing the winery to release an end product that more closely resembles the wine they had envisioned.

What's the vision? A BC Chardonnay that delivers the same elegance and balance of the cellar worthy wines of the Côte de Beaune and Mâconnaise, two bar-setting, Chardonnay regions of France - a tall order, but one that is generally met, year-to-year.

The 2012 edition has elegance, grace and length, showing excellent restraint on the nose and concentration on the palate. A blend of tropical and orchard fruit, mixed with fleshy lees, raw honey and cool mineral notes. Oak treatment is present with vanilla and spice everywhere, especially on the long finish. Alcohol is a little more obvious in this release, likely due to a dry, late Summer in 2012, though, as the full-ish body matures, the ripe, candied fruit flavours that will develop further over the next few years should dampen any perceptible 'heat' today. Drink 2015-2019.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2013 Pinot Noir - 87pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2013 Pinot Noir (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here 
Cost: $30 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Date Tasted: July 17th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Tasty? Yes, Engaging? Yes. Classic Pinot Noir? Sadly, no. This is a big, bold wine with the concentration and 'heat' to match the winery's flagship Meritage label. Intense, red fruit, dialled-up to '11', opens this Pinot with layers of toasted oak, sweet flowers, cured meat, cedar plank and pepper aromas on the nose.

The intense red fruit, oak and pepper notes carry through to the equally concentrated, mouth-watering palate where flavours of rhubarb and wild berry acidity help off-set the full bodied weight in the mouth. The finish is long and spicy. Drink 2015-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Eagle Bluff Estate 2014 Crooked Post Chardonnay - 88pts

Eagle Bluff Estate 2014 Crooked Post Chardonnay (McIntyre Bluff) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Contact winery directly here
Cost: $23.90
Alcohol: 13.8%
Production: 80 cases
Date Tasted: July 15th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Fairview Cellar's first Chardonnay, released under the Eagle Bluff Estate label, opens with an intriguing nose of smoked butter, baked apples and mandarin slices. The smokiness continues on the medium-plus bodied, nicely textured palate where citrus fruit and mineral notes join the party, creating a crisp backbone for the smoky oak and orchard fruit flavours on offer. Finishes long with lingering vanilla, lemon rind and spice notes. Drink now-2016.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

McWatters Collection 2013 Chardonnay - 87pts

McWatters Collection 2013 Chardonnay (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Select VQA and BCLDB stores
Cost: $21.79 + taxes
Alcohol: 14.2%
Date Tasted: July 12th, 2015
@McWattersWine

Tasting Notes: Opens with buttery, apple crumble and baked honeycomb aromas on the nose followed by a ripe melon and apple entry on the lush palate. Citrus acidity soon takes over and balances the residual sugar and sweet orchard fruit, finishing, full circle, with baked apple and caramel notes and lingering, tangy lemon peel. Drink now-2016.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Bodegas Catena 2013 Alamos Chardonnay - 88pts

Bodegas Catena 2013 Alamos Chardonnay (Mendoza) Argentina

Availability: BCLDB stores
Cost: $13.29 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: July 13th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Offers fantastic value, keeping it simple with a focus on the balance of  clean, crisp orchard fruit and rich, malolactic and barrel fermentation characters. Sourced from the high altitude vineyards of Mendoza, the wine does spend 6 months in a combination of American and French oak, imparting a myriad of spices on the finish and texture on the palate, balancing the bright, apple and peach flavours. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

JoieFarm 2014 Un-Oaked Chardonnay - 89pts

JoieFarm 2014 Un-Oaked Chardonnay (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $22.90
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 443 cases
Date Tasted: July 14th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Opens with a gorgeous, lifted nose of sweet, white peach, apricot and tropical fruit, with aromatic notes of flowers and light spice and an undercurrent of cool minerals and citrus. Despite the lack of oak contact and barrel ageing, a richly textured palate follows the nose thanks to plenty of lees contact in the stainless steel tanks. Similar flavours adorn the palate with enhanced stonefruit and citrus notes and loads of mouth-watering, briny acidity. Enjoy this refreshing, well-made Chardonnay in its youth. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Chateau Des Charmes 2013 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay - 86pts

Chateau Des Charmes 2013 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (Niagara-on-The-Lake) Niagara Peninsula - Ontario

Availability: Direct from the winery here and LCBO stores
Cost: $13.95 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 2511 cases
Date Tasted: July 14th, 2015

Tasting Notes: This is an easy-going, barrel fermented Chardonnay from the Niagara Peninsula, priced well at under $15 and offering a nice combination of pear, apple and citrus fruit and oak-influenced characters of vanilla, butter and spice. Not overly complex, but a solid expression of classic Chardonnay orchard fruit with some added depth coming from a light vein of minerals on both the nose and palate. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery 2012 Heritage Block - 89-90pts

Stag's Hollow Winery 2012 Heritage Block (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here, BCLDB and VQA stores
Cost: $24.99 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 2200 cases
Date Tasted: July 11th, 2015

Tasting Notes: One of the best, mid-range, red blends, consistently every year, that opens with sweet'n'smoky berry fruit, spicy chocolate and perfume aromas on the nose. The tasty palate that follows is structured with soft tannins and berry acidity, offering a flavour profile representative of its blend of Bordeaux varieties (49% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Franc, 8.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Malbec and 2.5% Petit Verdot). Look for mixed dark berries, spicy plums, cocoa nibs, vanilla, toasted oak, menthol and dried herbs.

Enjoy this wine now with a fine cut of lean beef like tenderloin, Or, put away a bottle or two for further development. Drink now-2019.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay - 89pts

Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay (Sonoma County) California - USA

Availability: BCLDB stores
Cost: $19.99 + tax
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: July 11th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Though, a haze of smoky, toasted oak and caramel aromas hits your nose first and suggests a heavy, viscous wine is on its way, this Chardonnay is surprisingly only medium-bodied and well balanced with orchard fruit leading the way on the palate. A touch of ripe pear sweetness and lemon-lime acidity linger on the long, spicy finish. A refreshing, well-rounded, food-friendly Chardonnay. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Chateau Des Charmes 2014 Cuvée D'Andrée Rosé - 87pts

Chateau Des Charmes 2014 Cuvée D'Andrée Rosé (Niagara-On-The-Lake) Niagara Peninsula - Ontario

Availability: Direct from the winery here and select LCBO stores
Cost: $14.95
Alcohol: 12%
Production: 1536 cases
Date Tasted:  July 11th, 2015

Tasting Notes: A medium-cranberry hued rosé made from 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir grapes on the Niagara Peninsula offering playful, red berry, watermelon and pink grapefruit on the subtle nose and the easy-going, well-balanced palate. Grapefruit peel and a hint of dry herbs linger on the effervescent finish. Drink now-2016.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Graffigna 2014 Centenario Reserve Pinot Grigio - 85pts

Graffigna 2014 Centenario Reserve Pinot Grigio (San Juan) Argentina

Availability: BCLDB Stores

Cost: $12.59 + taxes

Alcohol: 12.5%

Date Tasted: July 11th, 2015

Tasting Notes: A light, subtle Pinot Gris, with nothing out-of-place, though, nothing terribly memorable either. Perfect as a picnic wine for a hot day to pair with salads and sandwiches. Apricot and apple lead on the doux nose and refreshing palate, with tropical fruit acidity and delicate mineral notes supporting. Drink now-2016.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca

Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - 88pts

Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Pinot Gris (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery's wine shop only. Website
Cost: $20
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: July 10th, 2015
@Bench1775

Tasting Notes: One of the tangiest Pinot Gris in the Okanagan, but not the leanest, with some wanted fullness in the mouth from a touch of residual sugar and the 14% alcohol contributing body. A citrus, mineral and apple driven profile with hints of pungent, Sauvignon Blanc-like grass'n'hay notes. Finishes (very nearly) dry thanks to crisp, green apple acidity. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - 89pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here 
Cost: $19.90 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: July 9th, 2015

Tasting Notes: Shares many characteristics with partially, barrel-aged Chardonnay; full-ish, spicy, leesy and creamy. The flavour profile is somewhat similar as well, with some rich, ripe melon and orchard fruit galore, but this is undoubtedly a Pinot Gris thanks to tell-tale, nectarine, unpasteurized honey and meyer lemon notes. 

The richness and sweetness of the fruit characters are balanced nicely by mineral and woody/hay aromas and flavours. The finish is long and refreshing with lingering spice and citrus peel flavours. Drink 2015-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

SynchroMesh Wines 2014 Stormhaven Vineyard Riesling - 93+pts

SynchroMesh Wines 2014 Stormhaven Vineyard Riesling (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $35 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 9.4%
Date Tasted: June 29th, 2015
@SynchromeshWines

Tasting Notes: Yes, it's a pricey wine, especially for a variety that one usually pays in the range of $15-25 for, but tasting is believing and the Stormhaven Vineyard Riesling is an exceptional example of just how good the Germanic grape can be when it is treated with the admiration it deserves as it has by the winemaking team at Synchromesh.

Riesling can be as complex and as intriguing as any red varietal, and that's without the aid of enhanced flavours and structure from new oak. It transmits terroir and even evolves in the glass like a classic Pinot Noir (when allowed to warm-up a bit). Yet, it can be a hard sell in the Okanagan with some producers moving away from the variety and ripping out their vines. Thankfully, Synchromesh is championing the Riesling grape with 5 unique bottlings available. They are truly, all-in for Riesling.

The Stormhaven Vineyard release is their flagship Riesling, produced from their Okanagan Falls property. It has a whopping, 35gpl of residual sugar, yet, finishes (very nearly) dry thanks to the effortless balance of the natural acidity and flavour profile of stone fruits and minerals - peaches, mangos, nectarines and river stones. Notes of sweet melon and herbs add depth while the long, long finish is kissed by citrus.

This is a Riesling that should age well, but only time will tell (it is a fairly young vineyard, after all). Though, my guess is this wine will evolve in the cellar for another 10+ years. Drink now-2025+.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Related Article:
http://www.iconwinesbc.blogspot.ca/2013/05/get-to-know-alan-dickinson.html 

LaStella Winery 2014 Vivace Pinot Grigio - 89pts

LaStella Winery 2014 Vivace Pinot Grigio (Osoyoos) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here and private wine stores
Cost: $21.65 ($24.90 taxes included)
Alcohol: 13.4%
Production: 771 cases
Date Tasted: July 7th, 2015
@LaStellaWinery

Tasting Notes: The Vivace is produced in the Italian, Pinot Grigio style which focuses on a clean, crisp expression of the Pinot Gris grape. Offering ripe, orchard fruit, wild herbs, citrus peel and stonefruit on the nose and palate, and supported on the palate by citrus acidity and just enough residual sugar to mask the alcohol and create a joyful and full-ish texture in your mouth.. This wine should be enjoyed in its youth and paired with a fruity, summer salad or with friends on a sun-filled deck. Drink 2015-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

Eagle Bluff Estate 2013 Crooked Post Pinot Noir - 89pts

Eagle Bluff Estate 2013 Crooked Post Pinot Noir (McIntyre Bluff) Okanagan Valley

Availability: Limited. Contact winery directly

Cost: $26-30
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 400 cases
Date Tasted: June 29th, 2015
@FairviewCellars

Tasting Notes: Fairview's popular Pinot Noir is made without bleeding a portion of the juice off the skins during the crush to intensify the colour and flavours - this wine needs no alternation to add intensity, it has heaps of natural red fruit and earth flavours to begin with.

Look for layers of cherry, raspberry skin, huckleberry, boysenberry, sun-drenched earth and river stone aromas on the nose followed by a bright palate of similar fruit flavours and a kiss of vanilla-infused oak. A touch of spice and berry notes linger on the long finish. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

La Frenz Winery 2014 Chardonnay - 87pts

La Frenz Winery 2014 Chardonnay (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and private wine shops

Cost: $22-26
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: July 1st, 2015
@LAFRENZWINERY

Tasting Notes: Opens with the, as-advertised, peaches and cream aroma profile on the welcoming nose with citrus and mineral notes playing a strong supporting role. The palate is both vibrant and smooth, with a nice combination of bright, orchard fruit and creamy, baked pear flavours contributing depth and texture. The finish is satisfying with a touch of sour, citrus peel and spice lingering. Drink now-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca

River Stone Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - 88pts

River Stone Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $20 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13.4%
Date Tasted: July 5th, 2015
@drinkriverstone

Tasting Notes: The house style for River Stone's Pinot Gris may be settling on a vibrant, punchy expression of the varietal, after two consecutive years showcasing tangy, mineral-infused orchard fruit with background lees and herbal characters adding depth on the nose and palate. The finish is refreshing and long with lingering citrus peel and herb notes. Drink 2015-2017.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca