Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Estate Pinot Noir - 86-87pts

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Estate Pinot Noir (Creston Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here.
Cost: $24.99
Alcohol: 13.3%
Production: 100 cases
Date Tasted: November 26th, 2010

Tasting Notes: The medium intense nose offers a nice combination of juicy red fruit and savoury oak aromas. With all the Baillie-Grohman wines I've tasted of their inaugural 2009 vintage, the nose is always there, it's the palate where the youthful vines, planted in 2007, show their age. Especially with this Pinot Noir which has some nice spice and forest floor characters but lacks concentration and depth. However, the oak treatment comes to the rescue to add some needed complexity and structure. The result is a wine that shows great promise for future vintages and whose current release will make an excellent pairing for gamey meets and stews.

I recommend cellaring this wine for another 6-months before opening to allow it more time to gel. Drink mid-2011-2013.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010 IconWines.ca

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Blanc-de-Noir Rosé - 86pts

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Blanc-de-Noir Rosé (Creston Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here.
Cost: $19.99
Alcohol: 13.7%
Production: 100 cases
Date Tasted: November 26th, 2010

Tasting Notes: Made in the traditional "Saignée" method ("bleeding" the colour from the skins) from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Good colour with an enchanting nose of strawberry and rose petal aromas and a sweet, full-bodied palate full of fruity flavours and a touch of minerality. The 18 g/l of residual sugar may over-power most foods except the spiciest dishes but the wine will make it an excellent pairing for a hot deck next summer. Enjoy this wine in its youth. Drink 2010-2012.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010 IconWines.ca

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Gris - 88pts

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Gris (Creston Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here.
Cost: $21.99
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 135 cases
Date Tasted: November 26th, 2010

Tasting Notes: A lovely, aromatic nose of perfume and citrus notes with light and fruity aromas. This estate grown Pinot Gris offers nuanced citrus and orchard fruit flavours with a well balanced, slightly off-dry palate and good acidity. 50% of the wine was oak aged which has added a nice texture and allowed the winemaker to dial down the sweetness while keeping some body. Drink 2010-2012.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010 IconWines.ca

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Gewurztraminer - 86pts

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery 2009 Gewurztraminer (Creston Valley) BC

Availability: Direct from winery here. Select VQA stores
Cost: $19.99
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 430 cases
Date Tasted: November 26th, 2010

Tasting Notes: With 8g/l of residual sugar this is certainly a Gewurztraminer that falls in the off-dry category. Not that the level of residual sugar is the be-all and end-all of the wine's perception of sweetness, it's really all about the wine's acid-to-sweetness balance. Here we have a balance that leans sweet due to a shortness of acid and the desire to keep the alcohol percentage at a reasonable level. The result is a fairly full-bodied Gewurz, light-brass in colour with a lovely, aromatic nose of apricots, apples and spice that will pair nicely with spicy Asian foods. Light mineral touches add a bit of complexity.

This Gewurztraminer will be the easiest wine from newly established Creston winery Baillie-Grohman to find and will be available through select VQA stores like Kensington Square in Burnaby. Drink 2010-2013.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010