Monthly Picks: January 2012

This month we feature nothing but red wines to help you battle the winter blues. Sorry, no bargain wines in this month's selections.

Fairview Cellars 2009 Bucket O' Blood - $27
Loaded with both Cabernet and Syrah character, the nose is robust and complex with layers of bright red and blue fruit with notes of mint, white pepper, vanilla and oak.
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Young and Wyse Collection 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $27
Impressively complex, possibly due to longer hang-time than typical during the 2010 vintage, with an unique savoury flavour profile of tobacco leaf, bitter mocha, licorice, pine sap, Christmas spice and cassis fruit.
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Cassini Cellars 2009 Syrah - $34
The dry, fresh and youthful palate will excite your taste and touch senses with concentrated flavours of ripe cherry, rhubarb, dark chocolate, oak, allspice and white pepper with a bright mouth feel due to prominent acid and a sexy, dense texture.
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Aces Okanagan Estate Winery 2007 Pocket Kings - $35
A blend of 66% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc delivering a sublime nose of dark berries, graphite and savoury, toasted oak and light spice.
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Meyer Family Vineyards 2010 Reimer Vineyard Pinot Noir - $40
This delightful purple-ruby hued Pinot Noir begins with a gorgeous nose worth taking the time to enjoy before moving on to the concentrated, tart palate. Rich, round aromas of dark cherry, raspberry seeds, ripe plum, vanilla, dried flowers and a hint of oak mingle nicely in the glass creating a pleasing bouquet that will make you smile.
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Laughing Stock Vineyards 2009 Portfolio - $42
A stellar example of a Bordeaux inspired Okanagan blend that boasts a dense nose of blackberry and cassis fruit, anise and clove spices followed by an exquisite, powerful, full-bodied palate of similar flavours with added savoury elements of coffee grinds, toasted oak and fresh tobacco leaf.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2009 Nota Bene - $53
The fruit characters on the gorgeous nose and juicy, sublime palate are the ripest since the 2003 vintage. Higher extraction and more modern vinification techniques have upped the concentration and increased the potential cellar life for this highly collected blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc.
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Monthly Picks: December 2011

December is about getting together with loved ones and celebrating any number of special holidays or simply the successful completion of another year. Think of this month's picks as a possible shopping list for the multitude of parties I hope you get yourself invited to over the next 4 weeks.

Henry’s Drive Vignerons 2009 Morse Code Shiraz - $14
A touch of sweetness resides on the tart, yet mild-mannered palate but rest assured we're miles from Yellowtale territory here. Enjoy as a satisfying Tuesday night treat.
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Errazuriz 2007 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - $14
intense nose of apricot, lemon and honey is followed by and equally intense, watery-textured sweet palate of honeyed citrus flavours. Enjoy nearly all of the intensity of an icewine without the palate coating heaviness and at a fraction of the price.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2009 Merlot - $19
Acidity and tannin levels seem higher than previous vintages adding a bit of extra umph to the finished wine and some extra longevity for those of you buying by the case.
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Montes 2009 Limited Selection Cabernet Carmenere - $20
Despite a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Carmenere, it is the once-thought-to-be-eradicated 6th Bordeaux varietal Carmenere whose candied fruit and spice characters dominate the intense nose.
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Young and Wyse Collection 2010 Amber - $20
Crisp citrus acidity, in turn, balances the fullness on the palate resulting in a very tasty wine with a moderate-plus finish and excellent texture.
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Meyer Family Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir - $25
A very well put together Pinot with some classic Burgundian flavours and upfront, juicy red fruit flavours. A fine mineral vein runs through the flavour profile adding depth and intrigue.
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JoieFarm 2009 PTG - $27
Classic Pinot barnyard/austerity meets familiar Gamay fruity/spice - a unique wine for BC consumers who likely have rarely tasted an authentic "Passetoutgrain" from France for which this wine is in homage.
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Painted Rock Estate Winery 2010 Chardonnay - $30
The best Chardonnay yet from Painted Rock is chalk full of character with a lovely, sensual balance of oak and sweet orchard fruit on the nose and palate.
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Monthly Picks: November 2011

November is the month of remembrance. Hey, remember when wine critics were tauting BC Syrah as the next "it" grape for the Province? Yeah, Cabernet Franc kicked its ass... but I digress and offer you a bit of both for this month's picks.

Fort Berens Estate Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc - $25
Easy-going tannins help create a soft, silky texture in the mouth. Produced from fruit grown on the Black Sage Bench in the southern Okanagan. A Sunday roast Cabernet Franc.
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River Stone Estate Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc - $26
This Cabernet Franc makes an unexpected homage to the Australian modus operandi of producing big, juicy and ever-so-sweet reds.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2008 Oldfield Series Syrah - $30
Medium-plus bodied Syrah with a healthy dose of spice and dark cherry characters both on the pleasantly layered nose and dry, complex palate.
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SpierHead Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc - $30
The delicate nose will entice you with ample potpourri and crushed fresh flower aromas followed by a full-ish, buttery palate of dark and red berry flavours with enough of an acid kick to keep the mouth feel fresh, vibrant and not overly creamy. The finish is long and complex with some lingering spice and fruit puree.
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Blackhills Estate 2009 Syrah - $35
The winery made its name with a big red blend but has recently been branching out to see what else their Black Sage Bench vineyard can grow. First Syrah is solid and worth a try.
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Cassini Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc - $TBA
Oak treatment has helped structure the wine with firm tannins adding depth and longevity. The finish is long and very satisfying with lingering cinnamon stick characters.
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Monthly Picks: October 2011

October is the month of Halloween but it is difficult to find any inspiration from this candy-industry-fueled holiday for a Monthly Picks theme. The only things related to wine that are truly scary are corked wines and an empty glass. All of the following selections were sealed with a Stelvin enclosure to avoid any such fright, but if you pick one up you'll be sure of an empty glass.

Intrigue Wines 2010 "10" - $16
A blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat Caneli that serves to intrigue your senses like a clever collage with the varietals each adding an element to the final product rather than a seamless, integrated presentation.
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Cassini Cellars 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $19
A Sauvignon Blanc hinting towards a New Zealand style with mouth-watering acidity, grassy character and crisp minerality. Where it breaks boldly from the Kiwi mold is the addition of lush tropical fruit to the flavour profile and a higher level of alcohol which creates extra texture and body.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc - $20
The fruit and tannins are ripe, the acidity resets your palate and the finish is moderate plus - the makings of a very good wine that will make every critic's "best value" list at the end of the year.
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Bartier-Scholefield 2010 White Table Wine - $22
A blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with impressive balance and concentration for a wine produced with minimal intervention in mind. If you were to make a "serious" wine out of Honest John's White from Road 13 Vineyards this would be the wine.
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Nobilo 2008 Icon Sauvignon Blanc - $23
A tart, but not bombastic, fresh Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region that offers classic gooseberry and grass characaters as well as lush tropical fruits and a touch of lime zest.
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Monthly Picks: September 2011

Big House Wines 2009 White - $13
Despite the grocery list of ingredients, the wine is not overly complex, yet the crisp, fun and easy-drinking character of the wine make it an easy addition to your summer sipping rotation.
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Cassini Cellars 2010 Mamma Mia Pinot Gris - $19
Residual acid keeps the sweetness in check leaving your palate refreshed for the next mouthful. The finish seems to go on and on and stays balanced with just a touch of lingering spice.
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Red Rooster Winery 2008 Reserve Meritage - $23
Recently awarded a Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence, this Cabernet Franc leading blend offers an intense, tangy nose of dark berries, dark cherry, stinky cheese, licorice, anise and toasted oak aromas.
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Chateau Bellevue La Randee 2009 Grand Vin - $25
Far from a wallflower, this intense blend from Bordeaux offers a big nose full of earthy characters and complex aromas of blueberry, cassis, plum, cedar, hazelnut, vanilla, oak and smoke with floral notes and Cabernet Franc funk.
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Fairview Cellars 2009 Merlot - $25
An intense, bold nose of ripe, extracted dark berries supported by toasted oak, vanilla and pencil shaving aromas. On the palate the entry is sweeter than typical for a Fairview wine with scrumptious dark fruit purée, sweet oak flavours and mouth-watering acidity.
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Eroica 2009 Riesling - $20-30
Produced from Columbia Valley fruit, the Eroica Riesling is a joint venture between Washington State's Chateau Ste Michelle and Germany's Dr. Loosen. The collaboration produces a spectacular Riesling year-in, year-out which seems to celebrate vintage variation rather than try to overcome it.
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Chateau Giscours 2005 Grand Vin - $70-90
The superb, well rounded 2005 vintage sees 60% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 32% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot yielding a wine with rounded tannins, a chalky texture and a long, balanced finish.
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Monthly Picks: August 2011

La Frenz Winery 2010 Rosé - $18
With a kiss of sweetness on the palate, the wine handles the balance of acid and tannin effortlessly with a good expression of red fruit and a hint of savoury chracters to add complexity.
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Fort Berens Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Gris - $18
Produced from West Kelowna grown fruit and fermented in stainless steel tanks, this Pinot Gris is fruit forward and terroir driven with excellent austere characters to balance the orchard fruit and lemon zest notes.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $19

tropical fruit notes compliment the austere style resulting in a delicious and well priced Sauvignon Blanc to be enjoyed in the company of your favourite hot tub (or hard cheese like Gruyère).
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Chateau Des Charmes 2008 St. David's Bench Vineyard Gewurztraminer - $20
An excellent, focused, single-vineyard Gewurztraminer offering classic peach, apricot and lychee fruit characters with a juicy, full-bodied and expressive mouth feel.
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Stoneboat Vineyards 2009 Pinotage - $25
On the nose, blueberry, prune and black pepper aromas mingle pleasantly with the likes of moody toasted oak, barnyard and saltine notes. The dry palate entertains with a vein of sweet dark fruit followed swiftly by savoury oak and spice flavours.
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Le Vieux Pin 2009 Viognier-Roussanne - $29 (on-sale from $35)
The inaugural release is impressive, to say the least and shows great promise for future vintages. The key to this wine is the lush tropical fruit character and rich, chewy texture which is very well balanced by crisp, but not tart acidity.
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Robert Mondavi Winery 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $40
Certainly, a Napa Valley Cab through and through, but not the foundation block to build a cellar of the same upon. Enjoy now for the pure masochistic pleasure of a young Napa Cab but the highly extracted nature of this wine needs time to mellow.
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Monthly Picks: July 2011

With a tepid summer out West and real scorcher in the East, this month's picks are a little all over the place. Some Summer Sippers to battle the heat and some sublime Pinots to ease the pain of rain.

St. Hubertus Estate Winery 2009 Dry Riesling - $15.50
The rich, tropical and tangerine nose of this well-priced Riesling from Kelowna also offers delicate perfume and lime zest notes which seem to hover in the glass. The dry palate follows with intense flavours of granny smith apples, pineapple, kiwi and citrus fruit.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir - $20
There is a classic Pinot Noir earthiness to the nose of this wine but it is the raspberry, cherry, mint and smoked cedar aromas which take center stage and confuse your mind that you'll be drinking a much more expensive Pinot.
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River Stone Estate Winery 2010 Malbec Rosé - $20
The intense, dry, full-ish palate follows with mouth watering acidity, bold flavours of pomegranate, pink grapefruit and hints of balsamic vinegar with enough tannins to add texture and depth.
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SpierHead Winery 2010 Riesling - $22
Produced from fruit grown in the home vineyard of the East Kelowna-based winery, the SpierHead 2010 Riesling offers a rich nose of baked apples with supporting slate mineral notes followed by a bright, focused, citrus and mineral-flavoured dry palate.
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JoieFarm 2010 Muscat - $23
The nose pops out of the glass with tangy citrus and candied fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is both biting and delicate. Crisp and fresh, yet gentle in its release of bright, nectarine, peach and lemon flavours.
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Stoneboat Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir - $25
The smooth, round palate follows suit with a similar flavour profile and more pronounced savoury spice. Medium body and tannins compliment the bright texture creating a mouth feel that's both playful and sensual.
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Church and State Wines 2007 Pinot Noir - $26
Medium garnet in colour, this Pinot offers superb concentration of raspberry, cherry, savoury spice and earth note characters on the sublime nose and silky palate. Fully dry, yet veins of sweet fruit linger with spice on the long and refined finish.
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Monthly Picks: June 2011

Hester Creek Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Blanc - $16
Delicate floral notes greet you on the nose of this lovely and well-priced Pinot Blanc from Hester Creek followed by baked apple, stonefruit and herbaceous aromas.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer - $18
Off-dry and richly aromatic with mountains of spice on the medium intense nose and full palate. Stonefruit, citrus and peach fruit characters aplenty with a well-balanced, long finish.
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JoieFarm 2010 A Noble Blend - $24
Compared to the 2009 release, the 2010 has a bit more of an acidic kick; a hallmark of the cooler, yet longer growing season. Otherwise, all of the delicate, feminine characters return on the nose and off-dry palate: sweet lychee, spicy grapefruit, aromatic orange blossoms, candied fruits and strong stonefruit.
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See Ya Later Ranch 2008 Rover - $25
A solid follow-up to the excellent 2007 vintage which may not be quite as impressive in its youth, but possesses the same fortitude to deliver, over time, similar concentrated and brooding dark cherry, spicy pepper, toasted oak and licorice characters as its predecessor.
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Stag's Hollow Winery 2009 Syrah - $28
A blend of co-fermented 92% Syrah and 8% Viognier, produced from fruit from grown in Osoyoos and Penticton, resulting in a bold and adventurous Syrah that is approachable in its youth yet will hold nicely over the next 3-4 years.
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Fort Berens Estate Winery 2009 Meritage - $28
A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc produced from grapes grown on the Black Sage Bench, this wine has silky-smooth textured tannins with excellent concentration of ripe dark berry, toasted oak, vanilla, spice and mint characters on the vibrant nose and sensual, dry palate.
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Blackwood Lane 2009 Pinot Noir - $44
Possibly, the quintesential BC Pinot Noir as it requires no "Burgundy-esk" or "Central Otago-like" descriptor. This Pinot is pure BC... and that's a major compliment. An exceptionally well balanced, fruit forward, intense wine that shines on the sensual nose with ripe cherry, raspberry jam, cherry-cola and toasted oak aromas.
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Viña Montes 2006 Purple Angel - $54
A fantastic Carmenère to which all others will likely be compared with a super smooth texture, complex character, a long finish, good aging potential and a near perfect balance.
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