IconScores.ca: 2023

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2021 Chardonnay - 89pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2021 Chardonnay (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here upon release
Cost: $34 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: October 3rd, 2023

@BurrowingOwlBC

Tasting Notes: True to the house style, delivering an oaked, ripe Chardonnay with a pleasing juxtaposition of plump, popcorn-melon, malolactic fermentation notes and vibrant, citrus'n'stonefruit tangy characters that keep the nose fresh and the palate crisp. Oak influence is deliciously employed throughout this food-friendly, full-yet-refreshing Chardonnay which should be enjoyed in its youth. Drink now-2026.

River Stone Estate Winery 2019 Corner Stone - 92pts

River Stone Estate Winery 2019 Corner Stone (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here

Cost: $46.90

Alcohol: 13.8%

Date Tasted: July 28th, 2023

@drinkriverstone

Tasting Notes: At four years of age this Bordeaux-style blend is coming into its own with developing aromas of dark fruit, licorice, menthol and smooth spices creating a lovely, masculine bouquet worth the time spent on enjoying it. The palate offers a similar flavour profile but comes across as still youthful and untamed, needing more time in your cellar or, at minimum, a very long decant before serving. Best to wait, if you can. Drink 2025-2029.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon - 91+pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Website here
Cost: $43 + taxes
Alcohol: 14.5%
Date Tasted: July 5th, 2023
@BurrowingOwlBC

Tasting Notes: An elegant and smooth Cabernet Sauvignon with a sensual nose of both dark berry fruits and savoury spices and a delicate susón of cedar planks and olives. The similarly flavoured, dry palate offers a heightened presence of its fruit component and beautiful, silky tannins. The finish is long and effortlessly acidic. Pair with a modestly seasoned filet mignon. Ready to go now or hold for another 3-4 years for some continued development. Drink 2023-2027+.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Red Horizon - 89pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Red Horizon (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $31.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 14.5%
Date Tasted: July 5th, 2023

Tasting Notes: An engaging, proprietary blend of Merlot (58%), Petite Verdot (13%), Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) and lesser parts of Malbec, Cabernet Franc and German cross called Dunkelfelder. The nose is rich and joyful with ripe red and black fruit, vanilla bean and sweet incense. The palate takes a dramatic turn towards smoky-dusty-tarry land by way of the most delicious of routes with the fruit along for the ride, but playing quietly in the backseat.

A pleasantly complex and unique blend that is ready to be enjoyed in its youth while your big, tannin-heavy reds mellow in your cellar (or closet). Drink now-2025.

SpearHead Winery 2021 Saddle Block Pinot Noir - 90pts

SpearHead Winery 2021 Saddle Block Pinot Noir (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $38 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 410 cases
Date Tasted: June 23rd, 2023

Tasting Notes: A beautifully earthy Pinot Noir from Pinot specialists, SpearHead Winery in East Kelowna. Look for savoury and forest notes to be well supported by vibrant red fruit and sour cherry skins on both the boisterous nose and the dry palate. Lots of texture to enjoy with both supple and energetic elements in the mouth and through to the long finish which offers lingering vanilla and spice. Ready to go now or hold for 3-4 more years. Drink 2023-2026.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2021 Riesling - 87pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2021 Riesling (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $19.99
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 21st, 2023

Tasting Notes: Feminine with sweet, canned peach and apricot aromas on the delicate nose and a nice blend of ripe orchard fruit and refreshing, citrus acidity on the slightly off-dry palate. Finish is dry and crisp with hints of lemon peel. Drink now-2024.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Gewurztraminer - 89pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Gewurztraminer (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $17.99
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 19th, 2023

Tasting Notes: An off-dry, candied-fruit scented and flavoured Gewurztraminer beautifully grounded by tropical and orchard fruit acidity creating a crisp, refreshing finish. Loads of texture on the rich palate with a touch of classic, Gewurz spice adding depth. Pair with spicy noodle dishes like ramen or with spicy sushi. Drink now-2025.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Cabernet Merlot - 88pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Cabernet Merlot (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $25-27
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 10th, 2023

Tasting Notes: A tasty, fruit-forward blend of Merlot and both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with dusty dark fruit, licorice, toasted oak, baking spice and a touch of menthol on the pleasing nose and lip-smacking palate. A slightly, above average entry in the very crowded, Cab-Merlot market. Drink now-2025.

River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Sauvignon Blanc - 89pts

River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Sauvignon Blanc (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $23.90 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.7%
Production: cases
Date Tasted: June 10th, 2023
@drinkriverstone

Tasting Notes: This is a Sauvignon Blanc for lovers of the grape's pleasantly pungent qualities that are most often found in examples from New Zealand or the Loire Valley. Punchy and zippy on both the seductively stinky nose and potent palate. Look for lime zest and lime leaf, green apple, kiwi skin, cheese rind, chives and white peach notes with plenty of honeydew and lime acidity. The finish is both long and very crisp. Pair with oysters. Drink 2023-2025.

Calliope Wines 2022 Figure 8 White - 87pts

Calliope Wines 2022 Figure 8 White - BC VQA

Availability: Direct from the winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $19.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 9th, 2023

Tasting Notes: The Calliope brand is produced by the same family behind Okanagan Valley's iconic Burrowing Owl and offers well-made, approachable wines at entry-level prices. The Figure 8 White is a blend of 57% Sauvignon Blanc, 23% Gewürztraminer, 15% Riesling and 5% Viognier sourced from vineyards in both the Similkameen and Okanagan Valleys.

The style is crisp and dry with energetic notes of apple, lemon-lime, stonefruit, lime zest and peach pit. Pair with shrimp and prawn dishes and enjoy it in its youth. Drink now-2024.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Autumn Gold - 88pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Autumn Gold (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: VQA stores and direct from winery here
Cost: $19.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 12.5%
Date Tasted: June 8th, 2023

Tasting Notes: Wild Goose's Autumn Gold is an off-dry blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc which, despite the name, makes you think of hot, Summer nights thanks to its juicy and chewy notes of Tropical fruit and orchard favourites like ripe peach, Asian pear and apricot. A nice wave of citrus acidity keeps the palate fresh and lively. Ready to go now. Pair with your favourite appies or late-night snack foods. Drink 2023-2025.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2020 Viognier - 89pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2020 Viognier (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here (new vintage available)
Cost: $40
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 7th, 2023

@BurrowingOwlBC

Tasting Notes: The Burrowing Owl Viognier is both (nearly) full-bodied and crisp thanks a lovely balance of weight and acidity. Consistent with recent vintages, you'll find the characters of Asian pear, honeydew melon, papaya, hard peach, citrus and spice on the subtle, aromatic nose and the aforementioned, well-balanced palate. Ready to enjoy now or hold for up to another two years. Drink 2023-2025.

Winemaker's Cut 2020 Bohemian Petit Verdot - 89pts

Winemaker's Cut 2020 Bohemian Petit Verdot (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $37 + taxes
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: June 1st, 2023

Tasting Notes: A big, spicy and dark wine with toasted, blackened notes of blue fruit, charred oak and singed earth. All around, dense and brooding with bright, intense acidity. A wine to which you might want to say, "Dude, chill already." Open this one for the adventure seekers in your life, not the faint of heart or the romantics. Drink 2023-2025.

River Stone Estate Winery 2021 Cabernet Franc - 90-91pts

River Stone Estate Winery 2021 Cabernet Franc (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here

Cost: $38.90

Alcohol: 13.7%

Date Tasted: June 3rd, 2023

@drinkriverstone

Tasting Notes: An earthy and brambly Cabernet Franc with wild berry, wild sage and aromatic, sweet cedar notes. Long, complex and layered with lots to explore as it evolves in your glass and in your cellar over the next few years. Drink 2023-2027.

River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Malbec Rosé - 88pts

River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Malbec Rosé (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $24.90 (including tax)
Alcohol: 12.2%
Date Tasted: June 1st, 2023

Tasting Notes: For rosé connoisseurs, you'll find this likeable Malbec blush high on both the crispness and body indexes. Dry and well balanced, this is an aromatic and textured wine with real substance and plenty of red fruit, blossoms and rhubarb characters throughout. Think refreshing and refined, rather than delicate and demure for this pink beauty. Drink now-2024.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2019 Meritage - 92pts

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2019 Meritage (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $53 + taxes
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: May 28th, 2023
@BurrowingOwlBC

Tasting Notes: The assemblage of Burrowing Owl's hand-harvested and barrel-aged 2019 Meritage is consistent with the 2018 with just a little more Cab Franc and a little less Merlot and Petit Verdot. The final blend is made up of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec all sourced from the winery's Oliver and Osoyoos vineyards.

True to its lineage, this vintage of the winery's flagship wine is powerfully feminine with excellent intensity on the bold, black fruit and mint-scented nose and on the smooth, yet, mouth-watering, dark fruit and spice-infused palate. Approachable in its youth, enjoy with nicely salted, leaner cuts of beef or with your best dark chocolate for an after-dinner treat. Drink 2023-2027.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Pinot Gris - 88pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2022 Pinot Gris (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $19.99
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: May 26th, 2023

Tasting Notes: An off-dry, refreshing Pinot Gris with plenty of crisp, orchard fruit acidity to keep the palate nicely balanced. Classic white peach and nectarine aromas are enhanced with malolactic fermentation notes of buttery, candied fruit. There is also a nice vein of minerals throughout, but most prominently showing on the mouth-watering palate where similar flavours mingle with citrus notes. Ready to go now. Drink now-2025.

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Merlot - 89pts

Wild Goose Vineyards 2020 Merlot (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $25.99
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: May 25th, 2023

Tasting Notes: A dry, medium-plus bodied Merlot with lots of spice and mint accompanying the classic, mixed berry fruit and cacophony of savoury notes on the boisterous nose and the medium tannin palate.

Lots to like here at this price point with many pairing options and no chewy, residual sugar to deal with. Lamb with mint sauce or lean cuts of beef are a good start or go for something more bold like duck served with a wild berry reduction. Enjoy this one in its youth. Drink now-2025.

SpearHead Winery 2022 Pinot Gris - 91pts

SpearHead Winery 2022 Pinot Gris (Summerland) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and BC Liquor Stores
Cost: $22
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: May 7th, 2023

Tasting Notes: Another stellar vintage for East Kelowna's SpearHead Winery of the often underappreciated Pinot Gris grape. When executed with precision and care as SpearHead consistently does, Pinot Gris can yield a crisp, yet, generous wine with aromas and flavours of white peach, mellon, pears, citrus and gravel. The result is a wine which drinks - simply - beautifully.

You can find this underappreciated and overlooked white in most BC Liquor stores these days. Sure, you might get two, cheap bottles of Italian Pinot Grigio for the same price, but they will be plain and forgettable. You will remember yourself enjoying this wine and you will find yourself buying more. Drink now-2025.

SpearHead Winery 2021 Chardonnay Clone 95 - 90pts

SpearHead Winery 2021 Chardonnay Clone 95 (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $30
Alcohol: 14%

Production: 450 cases
Date Tasted: May 7th, 2023

Tasting Notes: A rich and robust Chardonnay sourced from the Naramata Bench which offers a boisterous nose of both Tropical and orchard fruit with zesty lemon notes, a touch of minerality and malolactic, buttery goodness, . Lots of texture on the equally intense, leesy palate thanks to time in oak and to its mouth-watering acidity from crisp apple and citrus flavours. A peaches'n'cream, wrap-you-in-a-warm-blanket-but-keep-you-awake-with-a shot-of-lemon Chardonnay to be sure. Drink now-2025.

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