In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am including a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’.
It will be much like the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines that have been aged.
It came to my attention that in an earlier review, I included a wine that is no longer made by a certain winery. They were very happy with the mention and my positive comments, but they were concerned someone might try to track down a bottle and be disappointed when they found it wasn’t being produced any longer. So, from now on I will keep the ‘Wednesday Wine Review’ to recent vintages that should still be available and ‘From the Cellar’ for those that I have to blow the dust off of. There are no hard and fast rules. I recently bought a couple of reds at my local liquor store that were 2010 vintages (a great deal in my eyes). While most people drink what they buy in a matter of days, if not hours, more and more people are realizing the benefits of holding on to some of their wines and are enjoying the benefits of doing so.
Prices indicated are the costs when purchased.
2013 Pinot Noir (McLean Creek Vineyard)
Meyer Family
Okanagan Falls, BC
$40.00
Garnet red/brick and medium-deep intensity. Rich and layered on the nose with varietal aromas of forest floor, dried red fruit and berries, game, savoury, spice, and black tea. Well balanced and good body and velvety smooth tannins. The flavours follow the nose. A medium-plus finish. At $40, certainly not my everyday wine, but if were from Burgundy, you’d pay a lot more. Buy as much of the current vintage as you can and try to have the patience to cellar some. You will be glad you did.
2013 Primitivo (Reserve)
Pacific Breeze
New Westminster, BC
$29.99
Unfiltered and unfined, this wine comes from the Bella Grace vineyard in Shenandoah Valley in California. It was aged in French and American oak for 26 months. Garnet red with hints of brick. The nose is layered and complex with lifted aromas of dried fruit, fruit cake, cherries, black berries, cocoa powder, vanilla, leather and graphite. Well balanced with velvety soft tannins. Rich and intense on the palate with flavours reflecting the nose followed by a medium-long finish. Lucky me, I believe I have one more lingering in the cellar (but not for long).
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Reserve)
Cassini Cellars
Oliver, BC
$40.00
Garnet red with deep intensity. Dark fruit, dark berries, earth, plum, dust, and cocoa on the rich nose. Well balanced with smooth ripe tannins. The flavours mirror the nose followed by a lingering medium-long finish. An impressive example of BC Cabernet Sauvignon.
2014 Compass
Vin Amite
Oliver, BC
$29.90
Garnet red with a hint of brick and deep intensity. The nose is rich and deep with aromas of plum, cherry, blackberry, beetroot, earth, sweet spice, and vanilla. Well balanced with smooth ripe tannins. The palate is complex with flavours that follow the nose. A medium-long finish with fruit flavours lingering. So good!
2011 Harmonious
Siren’s Call (BC Wine Studios)
Okanagan Falls, BC
$32.29
This five grape classic Bordeaux Blend is garnet/black with deep intensity. The nose is layered and complex with aromas including plum, dark cherry, dark berries, cassis, earth, fruitcake, and a hint of menthol. Well balanced. The palate echoes the nose followed by a medium-long finish. Wow!
(All photos – Sam Hauck)
