It's been many years since I've written about wine, but I'm going to start up again, since my 2017 new year's task is to write a tasting note and score each and every wine I try!
I'm going to do all this through Cellar Tracker but I'll also attempt to upload all notes to this blog.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Selections from the Liquid Art Tasting
Here's a selection of wines and bubblies I tasted at a tasting put on by Liquid Art sometime in 2010... I can't remember when so it must've been a great time!
FRANCE
Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV: Mineral, lemon, and a little bit of green apple. Crisp and clean Chardonnay based bubble . Good choice for shellfish. 87/100
Varnier Fannierre Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV: Briochey, with a nose of lemon tart and fresh squeezed lemons. Spicier in the mouth with candied ginger flavours. Almost gingerbready. A little too fruity for me. 86/100.
H. Billiot Fils Champagne Brut NV: A secret cuvee of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, this is without a doubt the best NV Champagne available in B.C. More muscular style here, with white chocolate and pear on the nose. Buttery, lemon mousse flavours take over on the palate and last a long, long time. Exquisite stuff. 91/100.
Cuvee de Vatican CDP Blanc 2008: Eggy, floral aromas on the nose, reminiscent of Burgundian Chardonnay. More elegant than I expected though. Nutty, wtih pear flavours in the mouth, nice spice too. Rich, and very good. 89/100.
Bret Brothers Grand Pere Macon Vinzelles 2004: Floral nse with white flowers and spice. Asian pear too. Bit disjointed in the mouth, with lots of crushed almond, pear, and lemon fruit. Nice buttery caramerlly finish. Decent length. Surprisingly good considering some of the other wines I've had from Bret Brothers. 87/100.
Foxglove Chardonnay 2008: Extremely nutty on the nose. Hazelnuts and almonds. Fresh bartlett pear on this nose as well. Plenty of red apple as well. Different than your average Californian Chardonnay. No malolactic fermentation and no oak. Viognier-esque. Don't love this. A little too weird for me. 85/100.
Domaine Gallety Vivrais 2007: Big, spicy nose full of rich red fruit. Cherry, spicebox, a little bit of subtle earthiness. Really nice, smooth excellent concentration without being overextracted. 2-3 in bottle should settle this one down. Pretty good! 89/100.
Domaine Giraud CDP 2007: Flat, shut down nose. Not much here. Strawberry and cherry fruit maybe? Light, boring and ethereal. In an awkward phase, will probably get better considering the pedigree and vintage. 78/100.
Cuvee de Vatican CDP 2007: Very spicy nose here. Subtle cherry and earth flavours. Lighter mouth feel here, and more elegance. Refined. Tannins a little aggressive, but that's to be expected with such a young wine. Thinkin man's Chateauneuf. 89/100.
Domaine de Pegau CDP Cuvee Reserve 2007: This is one of only 5 vintages where all the best fruit from Pegau's vineyards went into their reserve cuvee, Capo, which I didn't get to taste (which sucks). Their cuvee reserve has a dirty, earth and spicey nose, with rhubarb and black fruit too. Fresh and spicy on the palate with hints of tobacco. Great now, but built to last. Great stuff, but not as good as the 2006 and it's more expensive... 90/100.
ITALY
Pertimali Sassetti Rosso de Montalcino 2007: An amazing vintage for Montalcino. This wine smells like earth, forest floor, sour red cherry with a hint of grilled basil. Sour cherries in the mouth with that damp earth kind of feel. The acidity is magnificent. Great structure too, with very polished tannins even for such a young wine. Long finish too. Absolutely dynamite stuff. This best Rosso I've tasted in a long long time. 92/100.
Fanti Rosse de Montalcino 2007: Sweeter fruit here in this more modern style. Cherry and fruit compote on the nose and in the mouth. Light and not very interesting. Certainly underwhelming after that Pertimali. Solid, but not interesting. 87/100.
Pertimali Brunello 2004: Very neat vanilla-y cherrry and moss notes on the nose. Delicate, yet vigorous. Straberries in the mouth with high acidity. Creamy, delcious fruit on this wine balanced by such wonderful structure. I think I'm in love with the winemaker at Pertimali. Honestly, for the money I think I'd take the Rosso though. 90/100.
Fanti Brunello 2004: Herbaceous, spicy nose with cherry and other red fruits. Very smooth mouthfeel with bracing aciddity. Mouthwatering with a long long finish. This is textbook outstanding Brunello. 93/100.
La Rasina Brunello 2004: Less concentration on the nose here: I bet the grapes weren't left to hang as long. Lighter in body (almost watery) with flavours of raspberry and strawberry. Not too shabby here actually. A nice elegant style of Brunello. 89/100.
Clerico Ginestra Barolo 2004: Enourmous and tight nose with red fruit and high acidity. Floral too, with lots of rose petal and dried floral notes. Love the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate. Gripping with extremely high acidity that is going to need some time to calm down. Truly excellent upward potential in a wine that's a little offensive today. I think this will be incredible in 5-7 years. 94/100.
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2007: Very dark red in the glass. Kind of looks like prune juice! Sweet fruit on the nose with lots of kirsch, black plum, concord grape and blackberry. Lovely nose. Not so much fruit that I'd say it was from Australia, but certainly not restrained. Very smooth in the mouth with black plum and christmas cake flavours. Outstanding length and structure here too. Very, very good effort from the Douro valley (the heart of port country!). This has to be the star of the tasting. Incredible focus and depth in this excellent wine. 96/100.
Sardonia Castilla y Leon 2006: Minty, cool mentholy nose with blueberry fruit. Very interesting and geeky! Smooth mouthfeel with little tannin. Smooth, plummy and herbacious. Not bad at all! 90/100.
Artadi Pagos Viegos Rioja 2006: Spanish literally for "Old Vines" this Rioja is very stinky in the glass: lots of earth and old school type smells. Leather, farmyard and some red fruit too. Smooth, well balanced wine with nice tannin structure. Long finish. Really great Rioja. With I could afford this. Finish lingers nicely with notes of pomegranate. 92/100.
Artadi Vina El Pison Rioja 2006: Artadi's top bottling that scored 100 points in 2004. This wine is huge. Rich nose of cherry, strawberry and other mixed red fruits. Very ripe and big but with good elegance still. Lots of vanilla and wood coming through too: this wine was aged for 16-18 months in new oak. Rich mouthfeel with big fruit and nice structure. Smooth, silky, and truly excellent. Great length. Built to last as well. I'd give this one at least twenty years of life. 94/100.
Well there we have it! Thanks to Liquid Art for inviting me and allowing me taste some truly great stuff. For me, the stars of the show were the Pertimali Rosso, the Quinta do Vale, and the Artadi Pagos Viejos. Truly grand wines for their prices.
FRANCE
Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV: Mineral, lemon, and a little bit of green apple. Crisp and clean Chardonnay based bubble . Good choice for shellfish. 87/100
Varnier Fannierre Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV: Briochey, with a nose of lemon tart and fresh squeezed lemons. Spicier in the mouth with candied ginger flavours. Almost gingerbready. A little too fruity for me. 86/100.
H. Billiot Fils Champagne Brut NV: A secret cuvee of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, this is without a doubt the best NV Champagne available in B.C. More muscular style here, with white chocolate and pear on the nose. Buttery, lemon mousse flavours take over on the palate and last a long, long time. Exquisite stuff. 91/100.
Cuvee de Vatican CDP Blanc 2008: Eggy, floral aromas on the nose, reminiscent of Burgundian Chardonnay. More elegant than I expected though. Nutty, wtih pear flavours in the mouth, nice spice too. Rich, and very good. 89/100.
Bret Brothers Grand Pere Macon Vinzelles 2004: Floral nse with white flowers and spice. Asian pear too. Bit disjointed in the mouth, with lots of crushed almond, pear, and lemon fruit. Nice buttery caramerlly finish. Decent length. Surprisingly good considering some of the other wines I've had from Bret Brothers. 87/100.
Foxglove Chardonnay 2008: Extremely nutty on the nose. Hazelnuts and almonds. Fresh bartlett pear on this nose as well. Plenty of red apple as well. Different than your average Californian Chardonnay. No malolactic fermentation and no oak. Viognier-esque. Don't love this. A little too weird for me. 85/100.
Domaine Gallety Vivrais 2007: Big, spicy nose full of rich red fruit. Cherry, spicebox, a little bit of subtle earthiness. Really nice, smooth excellent concentration without being overextracted. 2-3 in bottle should settle this one down. Pretty good! 89/100.
Domaine Giraud CDP 2007: Flat, shut down nose. Not much here. Strawberry and cherry fruit maybe? Light, boring and ethereal. In an awkward phase, will probably get better considering the pedigree and vintage. 78/100.
Cuvee de Vatican CDP 2007: Very spicy nose here. Subtle cherry and earth flavours. Lighter mouth feel here, and more elegance. Refined. Tannins a little aggressive, but that's to be expected with such a young wine. Thinkin man's Chateauneuf. 89/100.
Domaine de Pegau CDP Cuvee Reserve 2007: This is one of only 5 vintages where all the best fruit from Pegau's vineyards went into their reserve cuvee, Capo, which I didn't get to taste (which sucks). Their cuvee reserve has a dirty, earth and spicey nose, with rhubarb and black fruit too. Fresh and spicy on the palate with hints of tobacco. Great now, but built to last. Great stuff, but not as good as the 2006 and it's more expensive... 90/100.
ITALY
Pertimali Sassetti Rosso de Montalcino 2007: An amazing vintage for Montalcino. This wine smells like earth, forest floor, sour red cherry with a hint of grilled basil. Sour cherries in the mouth with that damp earth kind of feel. The acidity is magnificent. Great structure too, with very polished tannins even for such a young wine. Long finish too. Absolutely dynamite stuff. This best Rosso I've tasted in a long long time. 92/100.
Fanti Rosse de Montalcino 2007: Sweeter fruit here in this more modern style. Cherry and fruit compote on the nose and in the mouth. Light and not very interesting. Certainly underwhelming after that Pertimali. Solid, but not interesting. 87/100.
Pertimali Brunello 2004: Very neat vanilla-y cherrry and moss notes on the nose. Delicate, yet vigorous. Straberries in the mouth with high acidity. Creamy, delcious fruit on this wine balanced by such wonderful structure. I think I'm in love with the winemaker at Pertimali. Honestly, for the money I think I'd take the Rosso though. 90/100.
Fanti Brunello 2004: Herbaceous, spicy nose with cherry and other red fruits. Very smooth mouthfeel with bracing aciddity. Mouthwatering with a long long finish. This is textbook outstanding Brunello. 93/100.
La Rasina Brunello 2004: Less concentration on the nose here: I bet the grapes weren't left to hang as long. Lighter in body (almost watery) with flavours of raspberry and strawberry. Not too shabby here actually. A nice elegant style of Brunello. 89/100.
Clerico Ginestra Barolo 2004: Enourmous and tight nose with red fruit and high acidity. Floral too, with lots of rose petal and dried floral notes. Love the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate. Gripping with extremely high acidity that is going to need some time to calm down. Truly excellent upward potential in a wine that's a little offensive today. I think this will be incredible in 5-7 years. 94/100.
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2007: Very dark red in the glass. Kind of looks like prune juice! Sweet fruit on the nose with lots of kirsch, black plum, concord grape and blackberry. Lovely nose. Not so much fruit that I'd say it was from Australia, but certainly not restrained. Very smooth in the mouth with black plum and christmas cake flavours. Outstanding length and structure here too. Very, very good effort from the Douro valley (the heart of port country!). This has to be the star of the tasting. Incredible focus and depth in this excellent wine. 96/100.
Sardonia Castilla y Leon 2006: Minty, cool mentholy nose with blueberry fruit. Very interesting and geeky! Smooth mouthfeel with little tannin. Smooth, plummy and herbacious. Not bad at all! 90/100.
Artadi Pagos Viegos Rioja 2006: Spanish literally for "Old Vines" this Rioja is very stinky in the glass: lots of earth and old school type smells. Leather, farmyard and some red fruit too. Smooth, well balanced wine with nice tannin structure. Long finish. Really great Rioja. With I could afford this. Finish lingers nicely with notes of pomegranate. 92/100.
Artadi Vina El Pison Rioja 2006: Artadi's top bottling that scored 100 points in 2004. This wine is huge. Rich nose of cherry, strawberry and other mixed red fruits. Very ripe and big but with good elegance still. Lots of vanilla and wood coming through too: this wine was aged for 16-18 months in new oak. Rich mouthfeel with big fruit and nice structure. Smooth, silky, and truly excellent. Great length. Built to last as well. I'd give this one at least twenty years of life. 94/100.
Well there we have it! Thanks to Liquid Art for inviting me and allowing me taste some truly great stuff. For me, the stars of the show were the Pertimali Rosso, the Quinta do Vale, and the Artadi Pagos Viejos. Truly grand wines for their prices.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Training your Wine Palate
Hello!
I stumbled upon this super cool video that can answer many of the questions people have about wine tasting! How the hell does anyone taste what they taste in a glass of wine? I've read tasting notes where the reviwer likened the wine to "a babbling japanese brook on the palate." That's where I would say he's full of it... But there are many many things you can taste in a glass of wine! All you need to do is train your palate a little bit!!! Let my favourite (ok... maybe second favourite) wine critic show you how it's done...
http://tv.winelibrary.com/2006/12/15/how-to-get-your-wine-palate-trained-episode-148/
I stumbled upon this super cool video that can answer many of the questions people have about wine tasting! How the hell does anyone taste what they taste in a glass of wine? I've read tasting notes where the reviwer likened the wine to "a babbling japanese brook on the palate." That's where I would say he's full of it... But there are many many things you can taste in a glass of wine! All you need to do is train your palate a little bit!!! Let my favourite (ok... maybe second favourite) wine critic show you how it's done...
http://tv.winelibrary.com/2006/12/15/how-to-get-your-wine-palate-trained-episode-148/
Monday, September 21, 2009
1982 Penfold's Grange
Over the past week I had the opportunity to drink one of the best wines I've ever had. Due, of course, to the grace of Kevin, and to some extent, organized crime. Long story. Here's what I thought of the 1982 vintage of the Penfold's Grange-Hermitage.
The grange was born in the '50's and continues to be Australia's most famous wine, typically fetching prices of $400 CAN for a single bottle of the current vintage. It's probably the only wine I (or anyone for that matter!) would compare to first growth Bordeaux.
The nose of this wine was incredibly delicate, straight out of the bottle. Raspberry jam and red plums and even a little cranberry sauce. Spicy too, but not too much. I was amazed at the concentration of the fruit! This wine was 27 years old after all...
In the mouth the wine had an unbelievable texture. It was honestly like drinking cashmere. The silkiest wine I've ever tasted, easily. Amazing elegance for a shiraz blend as well. The finish was long and very satisfying, with just a touch of tannin on the back end. Absolutely unbelievable wine, and an example to the world of how incredible Australian wine can be when done properly. I'm scoring this wine 96+ Points and I think it may be one of the best wines I have ever tasted.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wine and Food Pairings
With school just around the corner, sit down dinners are coming back as well! Here's some suggestions for pairing some of my favourite BC wines with autumn foods.
Blue Mountain Pinot Noir and Duck: Especailly grilled duck. Not so much duck l'orange. Keep the sauce simple and let the wine do the talking. It's got a great voice of it's own. The fat from the duck will fill out what parts of the mouth the wine won't.
Wild Goose Gewurztraminer and Thai Noodles: Yum yum! Crank up the spice to keep yourself warm all through the fall. The sweet and spiciness of this gewurztraminer will keep your mouth from being lit on fire. Delicious combo without breaking the bank. Here's one of my favourite recipes... http://www.recipezaar.com/Thai-Noodles-Phad-Thai-22085. Ready in 15 minutes! (Pre-soak the noodles!)
Black Widow Oasis and Chicken Sausage Stir Fry: The tropical notes on the nose of the Oasis lend it to dishes that include pineapple or coconut oil. Remeber the good old days of summer with a chciken sausage stir fry and a glass of this lovely white. Scallions, Garlic, carrots, soy sauce and pineapple make a great little stir fry. Just add rice!
Laughing Stock Blind Trust with a hearty beef stew: Is there anything more reminiscent of fall then a hearty beef stew? Not only does this wine tast delicious with it, but can be added to the mixture before chow time. Try this recipe for a delicious and easy meal. http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Beef-Stew-57503
Hillside Estate Cabernet Franc with Chorizo and goat cheese pizza: One of my all time favourite wines with an absolutely delicious meal. Think study session with a girl you want to impress. Here's a great little recipe. http://www.recipezaar.com/Auberge-Chorizo-Goats-Cheese-and-Onion-Pizza-Thin-Crust-255453
Hope you try some of these out and enjoy them! I think I'll head home and enjoy a glass of Cab Franc with some pizza myself.
Cheers!
Blue Mountain Pinot Noir and Duck: Especailly grilled duck. Not so much duck l'orange. Keep the sauce simple and let the wine do the talking. It's got a great voice of it's own. The fat from the duck will fill out what parts of the mouth the wine won't.
Wild Goose Gewurztraminer and Thai Noodles: Yum yum! Crank up the spice to keep yourself warm all through the fall. The sweet and spiciness of this gewurztraminer will keep your mouth from being lit on fire. Delicious combo without breaking the bank. Here's one of my favourite recipes... http://www.recipezaar.com/Thai-Noodles-Phad-Thai-22085. Ready in 15 minutes! (Pre-soak the noodles!)
Black Widow Oasis and Chicken Sausage Stir Fry: The tropical notes on the nose of the Oasis lend it to dishes that include pineapple or coconut oil. Remeber the good old days of summer with a chciken sausage stir fry and a glass of this lovely white. Scallions, Garlic, carrots, soy sauce and pineapple make a great little stir fry. Just add rice!
Laughing Stock Blind Trust with a hearty beef stew: Is there anything more reminiscent of fall then a hearty beef stew? Not only does this wine tast delicious with it, but can be added to the mixture before chow time. Try this recipe for a delicious and easy meal. http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Beef-Stew-57503
Hillside Estate Cabernet Franc with Chorizo and goat cheese pizza: One of my all time favourite wines with an absolutely delicious meal. Think study session with a girl you want to impress. Here's a great little recipe. http://www.recipezaar.com/Auberge-Chorizo-Goats-Cheese-and-Onion-Pizza-Thin-Crust-255453
Hope you try some of these out and enjoy them! I think I'll head home and enjoy a glass of Cab Franc with some pizza myself.
Cheers!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Blasted Church Winery
Blasted Church is one of the more beautiful places I got to visit on the bench. It's extremly touristy but with plenty of information to keep those of us interested in wine from getting bored. the T-shirts for sale are kind of silly though... makes me think Blasted is more interested in marketing than winemaking. Here's what I thought of their most recent vintage.
Blasted Church "Mixed Blessings" White Blend 2008: A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Ehrenfelser. Fragrant nose shows apple and pear. Medium body with lots of pear fruit. A little too tart for me. Short finish. 82 Points.
Blasted Church "Bible Thumper" Pinot Gris 2007: Very oakey nose. Overoaked for my palate. Palate is lacking fruit, and drowning in the oak. Very tart. Short, nutty finish. Disapointting, but not terrible. There are people that will really like this. 79 Points.
Blasted Church "Revered Series" Chardonnay 2006: Nice butter and peach on the nose with banana notes as well. Nice mouth feel. Reminiscent of Californian chardonnay. Short finish. Reminds me of banana cream pie. 84 Points.
Blasted Church Riesling 2008: Nice lime notes on the nose. Lime and apples on the nose. Finish is disappointing. Worse than the average. 80 Points. Not Recommended.
Blasted Church Pinot Noir 2007: Smokey. Cherry pie filling on the nose. Palate isn't very refined, just simple with cherry fruit. Short finish. And I hate the label. 81 Points.
Blasted Church "The Dam Flood" 2008: A blend of 60% merlot and 40% lemberger: not a cheese, but rather a light ripening varietal comparable to gamay. Spicy with cardimon on the nose, and almost a cinammon characteristic. Tasty, easy drinking red, and very gulpable. Be careful with this one! 85 Points. Recommended.
Blasted Church "Amen" Port-de-Merlot N/V: Light red in colour, with some dustiness. Interesting to look at, and I adore the bottle. Cherry notes on the nose with burnt sugar and caramel notes as well. Sharp palate full of cherry and tobacco. Hot, but decent finish. I wish this was available in half bottles. Not bad, but not great either. 84 Points.
Blasted Church is definetly a tourist trap, but still a ton of fun to visist. Average wine, with fun labels that turn any Tuesday night into a party. You can taste the fun in these wines.
Blasted Church "Mixed Blessings" White Blend 2008: A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Ehrenfelser. Fragrant nose shows apple and pear. Medium body with lots of pear fruit. A little too tart for me. Short finish. 82 Points.
Blasted Church "Bible Thumper" Pinot Gris 2007: Very oakey nose. Overoaked for my palate. Palate is lacking fruit, and drowning in the oak. Very tart. Short, nutty finish. Disapointting, but not terrible. There are people that will really like this. 79 Points.
Blasted Church "Revered Series" Chardonnay 2006: Nice butter and peach on the nose with banana notes as well. Nice mouth feel. Reminiscent of Californian chardonnay. Short finish. Reminds me of banana cream pie. 84 Points.
Blasted Church Riesling 2008: Nice lime notes on the nose. Lime and apples on the nose. Finish is disappointing. Worse than the average. 80 Points. Not Recommended.
Blasted Church Pinot Noir 2007: Smokey. Cherry pie filling on the nose. Palate isn't very refined, just simple with cherry fruit. Short finish. And I hate the label. 81 Points.
Blasted Church "The Dam Flood" 2008: A blend of 60% merlot and 40% lemberger: not a cheese, but rather a light ripening varietal comparable to gamay. Spicy with cardimon on the nose, and almost a cinammon characteristic. Tasty, easy drinking red, and very gulpable. Be careful with this one! 85 Points. Recommended.
Blasted Church "Amen" Port-de-Merlot N/V: Light red in colour, with some dustiness. Interesting to look at, and I adore the bottle. Cherry notes on the nose with burnt sugar and caramel notes as well. Sharp palate full of cherry and tobacco. Hot, but decent finish. I wish this was available in half bottles. Not bad, but not great either. 84 Points.
Blasted Church is definetly a tourist trap, but still a ton of fun to visist. Average wine, with fun labels that turn any Tuesday night into a party. You can taste the fun in these wines.
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars
The reason I got into wine can honestly be stated as Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars. I'll always remember the first glass of their Pinot Noir I had. 2005 vintage: just delicious. Quite the expirience. Obviously I was really excited to visit them in Okanagan Falls this year. Here's what I thought of their wines this vintage.
Blue Mountain Brut N/V: Nice vanilla notes on the nose, with crisp green apple and lemon. Also very crisp on the palate showing toasty apple slices and yeast notes. Elegant finish. One of BC's best sparklers for sure. Traditional method, and aged for 9 months before release. 90 Points.
Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2007: Pear on the nose with lemon and apple notes as well. The mouthfeel is quite soft and shows some subtle oak. Nice length on the finish. Refreshing. 89 Points.
Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2007: Slightly oakey nose, but certainly not overpowering. Ripe peach and toast with butter. Nice viscosity and concentraion in the mouth, showing fruit flavours of white peach and apple. Elegant with some nice minerality. Follows through to an oakey, delicious finish. 90 Points.
Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2007: Light vanilla oak on this subdued but complex nose. Cherry and creme de cerise show through as well, complimented by some spice. The palate is extremly smooth with loads of cherry, ripe strawberry and spice. Nice light body too. Good finish. Delicious wine. 92 Points. Recommended.
These wines are truly delicious, and they represent, for me, some of BC's best wines. Too bad they're so hard to find! If you can get your hands on some without visiting the winery, make sure you pick some up. If you see some of the stripe reserve label for sale, buy a bottle for me!
Blue Mountain Brut N/V: Nice vanilla notes on the nose, with crisp green apple and lemon. Also very crisp on the palate showing toasty apple slices and yeast notes. Elegant finish. One of BC's best sparklers for sure. Traditional method, and aged for 9 months before release. 90 Points.
Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2007: Pear on the nose with lemon and apple notes as well. The mouthfeel is quite soft and shows some subtle oak. Nice length on the finish. Refreshing. 89 Points.
Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2007: Slightly oakey nose, but certainly not overpowering. Ripe peach and toast with butter. Nice viscosity and concentraion in the mouth, showing fruit flavours of white peach and apple. Elegant with some nice minerality. Follows through to an oakey, delicious finish. 90 Points.
Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2007: Light vanilla oak on this subdued but complex nose. Cherry and creme de cerise show through as well, complimented by some spice. The palate is extremly smooth with loads of cherry, ripe strawberry and spice. Nice light body too. Good finish. Delicious wine. 92 Points. Recommended.
These wines are truly delicious, and they represent, for me, some of BC's best wines. Too bad they're so hard to find! If you can get your hands on some without visiting the winery, make sure you pick some up. If you see some of the stripe reserve label for sale, buy a bottle for me!
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