Tagged : okanagan wine

in Wine & Food
Howling-Bluff-Suma-Quies-Pinot-Noir-3

Howling Bluff Pinot Noir

2009 Vintage – Suma Quies Pinot Noir

Tasted: August 2011

Ooh, I like this one. After loving the 2007 vintage, and liking but feeling a bit mixed on the 2008 vintage, the latest vintage — 2009 — from Howling Bluff Winery is excellent. This is the wine I’ve been waiting for, and wait I did! I actually had to track this down because it sold out so quickly after its release — likely on account of some of the big awards it won. Regardless of awards and accolades, I like this particular Pinot because it has a bit of heft to it. Fuller body than some of the Burgundian Pinots I’ve had as of late, but certainly not brutish. This one sets a nice balance between intense flavours of cherry and raspberry and light touches of earth, oak, and subtle hints of sausage. It’s a complex blend of flavours with good structure for aging and pairing with a wide range of foods from eggplant, to chicken, to a rich alfredo sauce ravioli dish. It’s too bad it will be difficult to find any more of this!

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in Wine & Food
New-Poplar-Grove-Winery-Building- 1

Poplar Grove Winery

Poplar Grove is one of the Okanagan’s best bet wineries. Now located on the slopes of Munson Mountain adjacent to the Penticton sign, at the start of the Naramata Bench, they command one of the most fabulous views in the Okanagan.

A fantastic Bordeaux Blend — The Legacy — is their flagship wine, but equally impressive are their Cab Franc, Syrah, and Pinot Gris. They are also related to Poplar Grove Cheese, which is now a separate business, but can sometimes still be found in the tasting room. This is a winery that really can’t do wrong and an absolute must visit in the Okanagan.

Poplar Grove Winery
425 Middle Bench Road North
Penticton, BC  V2A 8S5
[t] 250.493.9463
[w] poplargrove.ca 

MAP

Tastings:

April Sat & Sun 10am-5pm
May to Oct 7 days a week 10am-6pm
Nov Sat & Sun 10am-5pm

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Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc

A legendary wine from a legendary winery. Not too much more I can say about that! While probably not at its peak, it was a privilege to try an Okanagan white wine from this long ago. Surprisingly it was actually still showing alright. Now if only I can get in on some old reds…

 

in Wine & Food
Mission-Hill-SLC-Chardonnay-2

Mission Hill SLC Chardonnay

2005 Vintage
Tasted: May 2011

Chardonnay is often polarizing in white wine circles with most people either loving or hating it and very few left in the middle, but when Chardonnay is good, it’s really good.

After 6 years in the bottle this one by Mission Hill is drinking very nicely. It’s supple and soft on the palate with just enough malolactic creaminess. There is still a hint of oak and some nice citrus notes, but it isn’t overly acidic.

It won’t jump out at you but it’s the subtleties that made this a nice one to drink. At the risk of sounding snooty this one might be most appreciated by a refined palate and someone who has tried a lot of Chards. For those who don’t care it definitely goes down easy!

 

 

 

 

 

in Wine & Food
Stags-Hollow-Cachet

Stag’s Hollow Winery Cachet

 

No. 2 – 2009 Vintage
Tasted May 2011

Unfortunately I never got to try vintage number 1 of the flagship Cachet from Stag’s Hollow Winery in Okanagan Falls, but I wish I had because Number 2 is very very good.

Being that this wine is a Syrah/Grenache blend with a dash of Viognier and Marsanne, it is a rare blend for the Okanagan and is worth the $40 price tag for that alone if you are an Okanagan oenophile. The usual earthy complexities of a Chateauneuf du Pape type wine arise in the flavour profile with some nice punchy acid on the tip of the palate and a bit of Glossette chocolate covered raisin in there somewhere. Mix that with some dark lush blackberries and a bit of leather and you’ve got a winner. I also feel like I can taste that bit of Viognier in there much like you can in a Cote Rotie style Syrah, but I could just be making that up because I knew it was in there before I drank it.

In any case, the fruit is intense, and there’s enough tannins and acid to go with that to indicate that this wine is worthy of some cellar time. I enjoyed drinking it now, but would love to pack some more of this away for future enjoyment. The Cachet has definitely earned a place at the $40+ Okanagan wine table.

in Wine & Food

Dirty Laundry Winery Bordello

2008 Vintage
Tasted: March 2011

Dirty Laundry serves up some wine with a fun theme. The former bordello that is the namesake of their top-tier reserve Bordeaux blend wine makes up the backbone for much of their marketing. The winery itself is known for producing an excellent Gewurztraminer and some fun red wines. This one in particular makes for a great gift and has an interesting label. If you look closely you’ll find brassieres, handcuffs, and other items of the like.

The wine itself is a big red blend of earth and cooked berries with big tannins and a relatively full body. Definitely drink with meat — preferably lamb or steak.