Fort Berens Estate Winery 2012 Meritage (Lillooet) Fraser Canyon - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $29
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 844 cases
Date Tasted: December 17th, 2014
Tasting Notes: Once again for 2012, the Fort Berens Meritage is a blend of fruit from the winery's home vintage in Lillooet and from the famed Sundial vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. The components follow a Right-bank recipe of 72% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, delivering a masculine wine with firm, blue fruit and underlying layers of savoury notes like toasted oak, cured meat and coffee grinds. Field berry acidity keeps the palate fresh and mouth watering with a touch of citrus peel on the long finish that is otherwise dominated by Christmas cake spices. Drink mid-2014-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
Le Vieux Pin 2011 Retouche (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Sold out. Winery website here
Cost: $65
Alcohol: 13.7%
Production: 62 cases
Date Tasted: December 14th, 2014
Tasting Notes: The name for Le Vieux Pin's Retouche is a clever historical reference to a long forgotten practice when Bordeaux producers would secretly augment their Cabernet Sauvignon blends with Syrah from the Rhone Valley for much needed tannin structure, colour and depth. Essentially, it's a 80-20 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, (a blend now commonplace thanks to Aussie imports), but it's much more fun to reference sneaky Bordelais of centuries-past.
I found tasting the 2009 vintage of the Retouche to be less intriguing than the clever name, thankfully, for the 2011 vintage, the wine in the bottle measures up.
The nose showcases creamy dark fruit aromas spiked with lifted menthol notes while hints of cherry-cola and spice lie in weight. The palate will seem tight unless properly decanted (or bottle aged for a further 1-2 years), once it opens up, you'll enjoy classic Cabernet blackberry and cassis flavours with Syrah and oak barrel influences adding depth and a pleasant roundness to the wine. The long finish is chalk
full of smooth spices. Drink late-2015-2019.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
Maison Louis Latour 2012 Bourgogne Chardonnay (Burgundy AOC) - FranceAvailability: BCLDB storesCost: $24.99Alcohol: 13%Date Tasted: December 13th, 2014Tasting Notes: This expressive and palate-pleasing wine is a blend of Chardonnay sourced from multiple vineyard sites throughout the Burgundy AOC, all with vines 30 years of age or older. Beyond malolactic fermentation (a naturally occurring secondary fermentation that softens the acid content of the wine) this Chardonnay is a very pure representation of the grape thanks to the minimalist approach employed by Maison Louis Latour (fermented and aged in stainless steel - no oak contact). The result is an honest, crisp, fruit'n'floral Chardonnay with a light kick of spice and river stones on the moderate-plus, mouth-watering finish.
Lean enough to pair with seafood and round enough to match with creamy pasta - exceptionally food friendly. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
Church and State Wines 2011 Coyote Bowl Series Syrah (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $35
Alcohol: 13.4%
Date Tasted: December 13th, 2014
Tasting Notes: A beautiful, spicy Syrah from a challenging, cool vintage that offers Northern Rhone-like, intense aromas of white pepper, cherry, vanilla-coke, violets and blueberry fruit. Similar flavours grace the masculine palate with the inclusion of light citrus, mineral and toasted oak flavours. Weight, tannins and length are only medium intense, though, the overall wine is well balanced and offers good typicity for the variety in BC. Drink 2014-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2012 Fortified Vintage Foch (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from winery here and VQA stores
Cost: $25
Alcohol: 18%
Production: 394 cases
Date Tasted: December 10th, 2014
Tasting Notes: Marechal Foch makes a natural fit as the base for a fortified, Port-style wine like this tasty, after-dinner treat from Quails' Gate. Foch's unique combination of berry fruit and homey, camp fire aromas and flavours makes a solid foundation for the extended barrel ageing and Brandy fortification which imparts added layers of blue fruit, oak characters and exotic citrus fruit to the intense nose and sweet palate. Drink now-2020.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
