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Gold Hill Winery 2021 Charisma Pinot Gris - 86pts

Gold Hill Winery 2021 Charisma Pinot Gris (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $21.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 12%

Date Tasted: September 26th, 2022

Tasting Notes: A straight-forward, pleasantly crisp, Pinot Gris with no oak influence and citrus and stonefruit characters throughout. There's a hint of gripiness on the moderate finish due to citrus rind flavours or a touch of grape skin tannins. Should pair nicely with salads and a hot deck. Drink now-2023.

Gold Hill Winery 2021 Charisma Pinot Noir Rosé - 86pts

Gold Hill Winery 2021 Charisma Pinot Noir Rosé (Golden Mile Slope) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $21.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 12%

Date Tasted: September 8th, 2022

Tasting Notes: A vibrant and refreshing rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes. Classic red fruit aromas grace the herb-encrusted nose while the watery, mouth-watering palate offers subtle flavours of cran-apple, steel and white peaches. A nice, Summer drink. Drink now-2023.

Gold Hill Winery 2021 TerreLab Tempranillo Rosé - 86pts

Gold Hill Winery 2021 TerreLab Tempranillo Rosé (Golden Mile Slope) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $24.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 11.4%

Production: 40 cases
Date Tasted: August 8th, 2022

Tasting Notes: A mellow and mineraly blush made from Tempranillo grapes sourced from the winery's Golden Mile Slope home vineyard. Subtle, red fruit notes grace the floral and steel scented nose. The dry palate offers nice, food-friendly acidity and continues the reserved, subtle presentation of light, red fruit and mineral characters. Drink now-2023.

La Frenz Winery 2021 Viognier - 86pts

La Frenz Winery 2021 Viognier (Naramata Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $23 + taxes
Alcohol: 14.5%
Date Tasted: June 4th, 2022

Tasting Notes: Ripe, candied fruit open the beautiful nose of this melon-scented, off-dry blend of 85% Viognier and 15% Chardonnay. Though the honeydew acidity shows through, the 12g/l of residual sugar and creamy glycerin creates a slightly, unbalanced finish. Ready to go now. Drink 2022-2024.

Bartier Bros. 2021 Rosé - 86pts

Bartier Bros. 2021 Rosé (Summerland) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: BCLDB stores and direct from the winery here
Cost: $18.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 12.5%
Production: 3402 cases
Date Tasted: May 4th, 2022

Tasting Notes: A dry, refreshing, blended blush produced by combining Gewurztraminer (41%), Chardonnay (30%) and Pinot Gris (25%) with a touch of Syrah (4%) to contribute the needed colour and tannins. Clean and crisp with only 12.5% alcohol, this rosé offers excellent value and plenty of food-pairing possibilities for your Summer, patio parties. Drink now-2014.

Blasted Church Vineyards 2018 Hatfield's Fuse - 86pts

Blasted Church Vineyards 2018 Hatfield's Fuse (Skaha Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here. BCLDB stores
Cost: $16-20 + taxes
Alcohol: 12.5%
Production: 7025 cases
Date Tasted: October 28th, 2020

Tasting Notes: A white blend of Germanic and French aromatic varietals (a whopping 11 grape varieties in total) with a pleasant, bright offering of orchard and citrus fruit supported by layers of spice and fleshy, grapiness. Very snack-food friendly. Drink now-2022.

Lakeside Cellars 2019 Sauvignon Blanc - 86pts

Lakeside Cellars 2019 Sauvignon Blanc (East Bench Osoyoos) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $25 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.8%
Date Tasted: July 9th, 2020

Tasting Notes: Opens with muted funk on the lightly pungent nose of lemon grass, passion fruit and peas. This is followed by a nicely constructed, yet, watery palate of gooseberry, citrus and mineral characters. Finish offers mouth cleansing acidity but doesn't hold any lasting weight. Drink now-2021.

Lakeside Cellars 2019 Rosé - 86pts

Lakeside Cellars 2019 Rosé (East Bench Osoyoos) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $23 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.8%
Date Tasted: July 7th, 2020

Tasting Notes: A medium amber rosé comprised of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc, offering a subtle nose of alpine strawberry, nectarine and Rainier cherry aromas. A bit watery, mid-palate, with the texture of table grape flesh and peach'n'grapefruit acidity showing on the tail-end and through the moderate-plus, lip-smacking, dry finish. Ready to go now, as (pretty much) all blush wines are. Drink 2020-2021.

Calliope Wines 2019 Gewurztraminer - 86pts

Calliope Wines 2019 Gewurztraminer (Okanagan Valley) BC

Availability: Private and VQA stores in BC
Cost: $16.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: May 31st, 2020

Tasting Notes: An off-dry, subtlety-scented, Gewurztraminer whose spicy, mouth-watering finish balances the natural sweetness nicely thanks to plenty of crisp, lemon/lime acidity and a hint of minerals. Pair with Indian dishes or fried, Asian noodles. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2020 IconWines.ca

Winemaker's Cut 2019 Boho Zen - 86pts

Winemaker's Cut 2019 Boho Zen (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26 (including taxes)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Production: 700 cases
Date Tasted: May 22nd, 2020

Tasting Notes: The Boho Zen is a 90/10 split of Syrah and Merlot which saw zero oak contact and relied on a naturally accumulated yeast on the skins to spontaneous fermentation. The lack of time in the barrel enhances the youthful, juicy nature of this wine which offers a Beaujolais Nouveau-like profile on the fresh and casual nose where mixed berry and floral notes dominate and on the vibrant, spicy palate where racy acidity makes a lively pairing with the underlying savoury and wild berry flavours.

A casual wine for casual foods. Think BBQ favourites with fresh slices of tomatoes. Enjoy in its youth. Drink now-2022.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2020 IconWines.ca

Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2019 Rosé - 86pts

Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2019 Rosé (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $17.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 12%
Production: 9600 cases
Date Tasted: April 19th, 2020

Tasting Notes: This pale-salmon hued wine is a blend of Gamay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (percentages withheld) and clocks-in with a modest 12% residual alcohol for the 2019 edition. Leaner and more citrus-y than recent vintages, but ever well-balanced and finished with a beautiful profile of delicate, red fruit, melon and mineral aromas and flavours. Crisp and refreshing. Perfect for salads, hot decks or a nice bag of crisps. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2020 IconWines.ca

Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2019 Gewurztraminer - 86pts

Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2019 Gewurztraminer (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $17.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 5,900 cases
Date Tasted: April 16th, 2020

Tasting Notes: Leaner and balanced dryer than the average BC Gewurz, this 2019 edition keeps with the house style highlighting the stonefruit and Tropical fruit characters in its flavour profile which are framed nicely by ample, citrus peel acidity and a lively, bristly texture. Ready to go now. Drink now-2022.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2020 IconWines.ca

Rust Wine Co. 2019 Chardonnay - 86pts

Rust Wine Co. 2019 Chardonnay (Okanagan Falls) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $22 + taxes
Alcohol: 12.6%
Date Tasted: April 11th, 2020

Tasting Notes: Though stainless steel ferented, this Chardonnay is fairly rich with a nice combination of orchard and citrus fruit characters and some rounded edges (likely) due to a partial, malolactic fermentation which softens the natural acidity and contributes a touch of melon and tropical fruit into the final profile. Ready to go now. Drink 2020-2022.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2020 IconWines.ca

Stoneleigh Vineyards 2018 Sauvignon Blanc - 86pts

Stoneleigh Vineyards 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) New Zealand

Availability: Widely available at BCLDB and private stores
Cost: $16-18 + taxes
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: November 28th, 2019

Tasting Notes: A citrus fruit and Asian pear dominant nose with a supporting layer of mineral and pungent aromatic notes. Palate opens with some residual sugar and plump orchard fruit upfront, then finishes crisp and refreshing with a touch of spice and citrus peel lingering. ready to go now. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

Stoneleigh Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir - 86pts

Stoneleigh Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir (Marlborough) New Zealand

Availability: Widely available at BCLDB and private stores
Cost: $17-20 + taxes
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: November 28th, 2019

Tasting Notes: A straight-forward Pinot Noir with a classic Marlborough nose of funk-meets-fragrance. Look for vibrant, raspberry seed and cherry aromas supported by earthy notes and a touch of cedar sap and green olive. Palate is a bit thin on complexity, depth and texture, though, the lively acid does provide some lift on the moderate finish. Simple, entry-level New Zealand Pinot for a Tuesday night. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

Monte Creek Ranch 2017 Pinot Noir - 86pts

Monte Creek Ranch 2017 Pinot Noir - BC VQA

Availability: Sold out. Direct from winery here
Cost: $??
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: October 20th, 2019

Tasting Notes: A light and fruity Pinot Noir with some nice spice and oak throughout and a little added weight from the 14% alcohol. Quite drinkable and food-friendly with a touch of lingering, wild berry acidity which refreshes the palate befor your next bite. Sealed with a Stelvin cap to lock in the fresh, lively presentation. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2018 Pinot Gris - 86pts

Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2018 Pinot Gris - BC VQA

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $20 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.6%
Date Tasted: July 2nd, 2019

Tasting Notes: A pale, amber gold hue with pear and apple notes prominent on the mineral and lemon peel scented nose, followed by a similar collection of flavours on the bright, mouth-watering palate. Slightly thin mid-palate where a touch of heat sneaks through the orchard fruit and the green apple and lemon-lime acidity. Spice shows on the lip-smacking finish.

A Gris for Summer and salads, or, in complete contrast, for a fireside snack of hard cheeses. Drink now-2021.

Rust Wine Co. 2018 Rosé - 86pts

Rust Wine Co. 2018 Rosé (Cawston) Similkameen Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $22 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.8%
Production: 224 cases (750ml), 120 cases (Magnums)
Date Tasted: June 27th, 2019

Tasting Notes: A blush of Cawston-sourced Merlot producing classic, Summer berry aromas and flavours with cran-apple acidity and texture and a touch of tannin from the skin contact during the crush. Nothing too complex and nothing out-of-place. A fine, versatile rosé for hot decks or a spicy bag of chips. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

Charles Smith Wines 2016 The Velvet Devil - 86pts

Charles Smith Wines 2016 The Velvet Devil - Washington State

Availability: Direct from winery here and BCLDB stores
Cost: $16.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: June 11th, 2019

Tasting Notes: Opens with a warm embrace of uber-ripe blackberry and red currant fruit on the sensual nose and the slightly off-dry, slightly bright palate. Toasted oak notes support the juicy mid-palate, but disappear on the short finish. Drink now-2021.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

Chateau Des Charmes 2018 Cuvée D'Andrée Rosé - 86pts

Chateau Des Charmes 2018 Cuvée D'Andrée Rosé (Niagara-On-The-Lake) Niagara Peninsula - Ontario

Availability: Direct from the winery here and select LCBO stores
Cost: $16.95
Alcohol: 12.7%
Production: 508 cases
Date Tasted: June 10th, 2019

Tasting Notes: A refreshing, Pinot Noir-based rosé with a crisp, citrus-y bitterness to the palate with mouth-watering acidity and both the flavour and texture of ripe, fleshy plums. Look for additional red berry and rhubarb aromas and flavours with a touch of herbs and honeycomb notes supporting. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2019 IconWines.ca

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