2024 Chardonnay (Here and There Series)
Fort Berens
Lillooet, BC
$24.99
Pale straw with medium-light intensity. Tropical fruit, peach, pineapple, banana, lemon cream, and honey on the nose. Good balance. The flavours echo the nose, followed by a medium-plus finish. This lightly oaked wine suits a wide range of foods, including a spice-rubbed roasted chicken.
89 Points
2024 Sauvignon Blanc (Good Neighbours)
River Stone
Oliver, BC
$24.90
Pale lemon yellow with medium-light intensity. There is no mistaking what this wine is with its classic sauvignon blanc nose. Lemon cream, banana, lanolin, gooseberry, grapefruit, honeydew melon, grass, fresh peas, honey, and beeswax. Well balanced with full body. Rich on the palate with flavours following the nose. A medium-long finish. This is a lovely expression of sauvignon blanc. The Good Neighbours series reflects wines made with grapes from Washington State.
92+ Points
2023 Rosé
Tantalus
Kelowna, BC
$23.48
Pale cherry red with a touch of orange and medium-minus intensity. Cranberry, pomegranate, dried cherry, herbs, and Asian pear on the nose. Good balance. Pleasing on the palate followed by a medium finish. This blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier is a lovely patio sipper and would pair nicely with a charcuterie plate.
90+ Points
2018 Antaño
Garcia Carrion
Rioja, Spain
$14.99
I decided to pick up this wine when I saw that someone at the Toronto Star had scored it highly. Maybe this would prove to be one of those very good value wines that I occasionally stumble across (often based on a colleague’s recommendation). As a wine judge myself, I don’t pay a lot of attention to wine scores, especially those from a couple of individuals, but there are others I do respect, and their scores can be a good indication of whether a wine is worth a try. Garnet red with medium-deep intensity. Pleasing red fruit, spice, and vanilla on the nose. Satisfactory balance. The palate echoes the nose, followed by a medium finish. Fruit forward and uncomplicated. This is a simple drinkable everyday wine best served with a pizza or burger.
85 Points
2022 Big Bang Theory
Blasted Church
Okanagan Falls
$24.00
This vintage of Big Bang is a blend of 50% Merlot, 26% Gamay, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah for complexity and depth. Garnet red with deep intensity. Red and black berries, cherry, floral, perfume, plum, spice, earth, coconut pencil shavings and vanilla, on the nose. Good balance. The palate shows flavours of prune, blueberries, coconut, cherries, and vanilla.
89 Points
(All photos – Sam Hauck)