Château Paloumey 2009 Cru Bourgeois (Haut-Medoc) Bordeaux - France
Availability: Limited
Cost: $30-40
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: March 30th, 2018
Tasting Notes: From the cellar. From the Haut-Medoc, the Chateau Paloumey is nearly an even split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (51-49%) and is reaching its peak in its 9th year, opening with a mature, fully-integrated nose of spiced plum, light menthol, coffee, oak and vanilla. The palate is equally integrated and similarly flavoured with an elegant weight and feel. Finish is starting to fade with the regressing tannins. Drink now-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Chateau Des Charmes 2016 Estate Bottled Gamay Noir (Niagara-On-The-Lake) Niagara Peninsula - Ontario
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $15.95
Alcohol: 13.4%
Production: 3010 cases
Date Tasted: March 30th, 2018
Tasting Notes: An easy-drinking, low tannin and food friendly Gamay, perfect for your next turkey or pork tenderloin roast, with aromas and flavours of spiced-up blueberries, pomegranate, black plum and sweet earth notes. Acid is pleasantly perceptible but never over-powering or bright. Finish is a bit short. Drink now-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Familia Bastida 2015 Alceo (La Mancha DO) Spain
Availability: Private wine shops like Everything Wine
Cost: $15-18 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: March 28th, 2018
Tasting Notes: Not your typical "cheap Spanish Tempranillo" with a lovely, feminine nose of ripe berry fruit and complimentary, light, pipe tobacco and anise aromas. The palate is quite Californian on the entry with a front-loaded, sweet, black and red fruit followed by a wave of earthy spice, leather and American oak flavours which balance the sweetness nicely.
Needs a long decant to come together in the glass. Hold for another 2 years for further balancing between the fruit and the savoury characters. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2016 Gamay Noir (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $22.90
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: March 22nd, 2018
Tasting Notes: A beautiful nose of potpourri, Christmas spice and wild berries opens this quaffable, Okanagan Falls Gamay. A slightly plumpy, front-loaded palate follows with rich, juicy red fruit, dried cloves and light, earthy tannins. Tart, huckleberry acidity shows on the spiced finish to (mostly) counter-balance the ripe'n'sweet elements. Ready to go now. Drink 2018-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Sperling Vineyards 2011 Brut Reserve (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here Cost: $50 + taxes
Alcohol: 11.5%
Date Tasted: March 25th, 2018
Tasting Notes: A classic blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the winery's biodynamically farmed home vineyard in East Kelowna, this traditional method Brut is choke full yeasty-goodness, taut citrus fruit and fleshy McIntosh apples on the warm, cuddly nose and on the bright, grippy palate. Finish is long and effervescent. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Oyster Bay Wines 2016 Chardonnay (Marlborough) New Zealand
Availability: Widely available at BCLDB and private stores
Cost: $16-20
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: March 24th, 2018
Tasting Notes: Subtle, on the nose, with light, apple and lemon tart aromas peaking through. This well-priced, Marlborough Chardonnay is all about the salad and seafood friendly palate which nicely balances a kiss of residual sugar with mouth-watering, citrus acidity and tangy orchard fruit flavours. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2016 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $49.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 2208 cases
Date Tasted: March 22nd, 2018
Tasting Notes: A rounded and lush, New World Pinot Noir in the vein of Central Coast California, yet, clean and focused with only a trace of jammy berry fruit on the otherwise, elegant and long, dry palate. Fine tannins and raspberry acidity add texture and depth, supporting the dark chocolate-covered cherry cream truffle and vanilla-oak flavours. A touch of spice and candied, cherry skins linger on the finish.
Ready to go now or enjoy over the next 4-5 years. Drink now-2023.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2016 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $39.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 1175 cases
Date Tasted: March 20th, 2018
Tasting Notes: The luscious Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay is more discerning with its vineyard block selection and spends more time in new/newish French oak during fermentation and elevage compared to its leaner, "Estate" cousin (a blend of multiple blocks). Rich in tone and viscosity, yet balanced with a fine vein of citrus acidity and an echo of minerality throughout which contrasts the ripe, melon, Tropical and orchard fruit beautifully.
Rounded, never flabby, the wine goes through a secondary (malolactic) fermentation to soften the acid content and enhance the texture and flavour profile with yeasty, brioche and lemon curd notes. The finish is very long with lingering and nicely integrated citrus peel, macadamia nut and spice flavours - absolutely delicious. Ready to go now. Drink 2018-2023.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2016 Chardonnay (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $22.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 10,600 cases
Date Tasted: March 19th, 2018
Tasting Notes: A pale gold hued, dry Chardonnay sourced from multiple blocks in the estate vineyards and aged in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak vessels prior to bottling. Fruity and rich with a medley of orchard, melon and patisserie aromas and flavours and supported by a strong chorus of mineral notes and citrus acidity. A well-rounded Chardonnay, approachable and easy to like. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2016 Pinot Noir (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $26.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 5450 cases
Date Tasted: March 19th, 2018
Tasting Notes: You can practically taste the caramelized corners of a BBQ'd, maple-glazed, salmon steak when you sniff this tasty, ultra-BC, Pinot Noir. Brambly red berry fruit, craft cola, fresh black cherry and mannered, savoury notes grace the nose while similar flavours are framed by medium intense, earthy tannins and fresh, cran-cherry acidity. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Liquidity Wines 2016 Pinot Noir (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.3%
Date Tasted: March 19th, 2018
Tasting Notes: The 2016 edition of Liquidity's estate Pinot Noir drifts away from center towards the over-extracted end of the viscosity spectrum with thick, pruny notes embedded in the menthol and oaky-blackberry scented nose and on the black cherry and vanilla-cola flavoured palate. Ready to go now. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
SpierHead Winery 2016 GFV Saddle Block Pinot Noir (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $30
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: March 19th, 2018
Tasting Notes: Be sure to take the time to appreciate the well-rounded, feminine nose of this single block Pinot Noir which offers sweet, cola-tinged, berry fruit aromas and notes of spice and floral potpourri. Palate is medium everything, as expected with Pinot, offering good balance between berry fruit, soothing cedar and savoury herbs'n'spice. Finish is tad shorter and the RS is a touch thicker than the 2015 edition. Ready to go now. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Liquidity Wines 2016 Reserve Chardonnay (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $TBD
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 160 cases
Date Tasted: March 10th, 2018
Tasting Notes: Sourced from a single block of the winery's Okanagan Falls home vineyard from 22 year old vines planted exclusively to clone 76, this full-bodied, Tropical fruit upside-down cake inspired Chardonnay is sensual and tart at the same time. Flavoured similarly to its Estate cousin with layers of papaya, peach, baked pineapple, macadamia nuts, French vanilla, oak, minerals and a touch of lingering spice. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Liquidity Wines 2016 Estate Chardonnay (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.4%
Production: 780 cases
Date Tasted: March 10th, 2018
Tasting Notes: Sourced from the winery's Okanagan Falls home vineyard from a mixture of clones and vine ages, this Chardonnay is similarly flavoured to the winery's elegant Reserve, with a little less body and a touch less perceptible residual sugar (though the stats tell a different story; 2.2 g/l VS. 1.7 g/l.
The subtle nose and mouth-watering, full-ish palate are graced with the aromas and flavours of papaya, peach, sweet pineapple, macadamia nuts, quiet vanilla, minerals and a hint of gingered spice. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Chateau Des Charmes 2016 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (Niagara-on-The-Lake) Niagara Peninsula - Ontario
Availability: Direct from the winery here and LCBO stores
Cost: $14.95 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 13.4%
Production: 4823 cases
Date Tasted: March 9th, 2018
Tasting Notes: This full-ish bodied, barrel fermented Chardonnay offers great value in this price range for what's in the bottle: nice, green apple acidity enveloped by a toasty blanket of ripe melon and pear, baked lemon and Cracker Jack candied nut flavours. Moderate finish is mostly dry with a touch of lingering spice. Drink now-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Sperling Vineyards 2016 Amber Pinot Gris (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $30 + taxes
Alcohol: 11.6%
Production: 150 cases
Date Tasted: March 7th, 2018
Tasting Notes: This wine is about as pure of a representation of 'fermented grape juice' as you can get - spent yeast sludge sediment and all. Fermented together using only natural yeast were 40% whole clusters, 40% whole berries and 20% pressed juice. The amber colour comes from the brassy hue of the Pinot Gris skins and the aforementioned sludge is simply byproduct of the fermentation steps, though, it's usually fined and filtered out prior to bottling.
This mineral and melon flavoured wine successfully captures the nascent rawness one experiences when tank sampling in a winery's cellar of a yet unfinished product - for better, for worse. Unique as it is in the market, for me, I can't seem to extradite the sense that this wine is stifled potential. Drink now.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
Stag's Hollow Winery 2015 Renaissance Meritage (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $43.50
Alcohol: 14.4%
Date Tasted: February 16th, 2018
Tasting Notes: A youthful, feminine Meritage blend of 76% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc all sourced from the Okanagan Falls winery's home vineyard. The nose is delightfully fruity and sultry with ripe, red and black berry aromas supported by sweet and savoury licorice, vanilla, oak and a plethora of spice notes.
The dry, medium-plus bodied palate is bursting with sweet, blackberry and red cherry fruit, dusty, fine tannins and a medley of oaky-spicy flavours and subtle notes of smoky chocolate and herbs through to the long finish. Ready to go now with a long decant, but at this price it would be best to wait until the wine begins to peak in another two years. Drink 2020-2026.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca
