April was officially declared BC Wine Month and Gold Hill Estate Winery is the featured winery on Wine Club Canada this month. Here is a link to Wine Club Canada if you want to check them out. Please note that this month you can use Valerie10 to receive a 10% discount on new subscriptions.
Here are our picks from Gold Hill for #BCWineMonth
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc Rosé 2022
Appearance: A clean, clear, slightly paler Apricot colour
Nose: Fresh cut fruit, ripe peach and nectarine. A light touch of mandarin orange
Palate: Fruit forward with richer, riper fruits, ripe raspberry, rhubarb and some stone fruit, dry with a medium body and excellent acidity.
Quality: 90
Food Pairings: French cheese, pâté, shellfish or white fish
Decanting: Normally I wouldn’t worry about decanting a Rosé but it’s never a bad idea.
This is a Rosé with a bit more power than you may be expecting. It has excellent acidity and almost a touch of tannin in the mouth but I think that’s just a product of the crisp dryness of this wine.
An excellent Rosé that is ideal on its own and certainly makes a good patio sipper, but it goes much further than that. The wine would pair nicely with a number of seafood dishes. Lately I have been quite interested in how colour influences my pairing. In this case I would not hesitate to try the wine with a slow baked Spring Salmon. Serving the salmon with a Béchamel sauce and fresh garden peas garnished with chopped parsley.
The wine is versatile and has good character. This could easily become a favourite that you may want to buy by the case just so you don’t run out.
Photo courtesy of the winery.
Gold Hill Merlot 2020
Appearance: Shimmering ruby red in the glass with nice legs
Nose: Ripe fruit such as blackberry and stewed plums, with a touch of tobacco and a slight herbaceousness
Palate: The rich and ripe notes of blackberry, stewed fruit and some herb follows to the palate.
Medium to soft tannins. Medium + body with lingering ripe notes.
Quality: 90
Food Pairings: Roast duck, any Italian tomato based pasta, but it must be al dente.
Charcuterie and hard cheeses.
Decanting: Yes, absolutely decant a Merlot. For this one I would decant up to four hours with some cooling time in the refrigerator.
For decanting, my rule of thumb is longer is better and it won’t hurt if you overdue it. The chilling is important and it’s historic. Wine has been around for at least hundreds of years. Central heating in comparison is new.Therefore, think about the average chateau with rugs hung on the wall and over windows to try to protect the heat from drafty fireplaces. There was a reason the fireplaces were taller than the residents. So the point being, cool your reds, don’t chill, just cool, and serve them around 17 or 18 degrees. That is likely cooler than you keep your home.
Covering the elephant in the room for wine drinkers of a certain age, it also got a bad rap a few decades ago. A bad rap it didn’t deserve. Thankfully, savvy winemakers, like Val Tait, did not desert the noble grape. So if you have put Merlot in a less than quality character status, think again.
The Gold Hill Merlot stands proud. It is rich and complex with good acidity. Well balanced, and although it can be a slightly heavier body, it is smooth and palatable. This Merlot has tantalizing ripe fruit with medium and well matched tannins.
Raise the pairing bar and consider beef stew with root vegetables or slow-cooked beef short ribs.
Gold Hill Merlot Oxbow Reach 2019
Appearance: Maroon with garnet edges, with a rich undertone..
Nose: Opening with ripe blackberry, Italian plum, old pipe
Palate: Plum, a hint of cocoa, followed by blueberry and some blackberry, pleasantly lingering finely structured tannins, smooth and lingering
Quality: 92
Food Pairings: Roast chicken, barbecue, especially smoky meats, pork spareribs. Also pairs well with grilled vegetables.
Decanting: The wine would benefit from at least two hours of decanting, followed 30 minutes in the refrigerator, followed by 30 minutes outside the refrigerator, or put the wine back in the bottle and place in a wine fridge for up to one hour..
This is a medium + bodied wine that exhibits ripeness and a rich finish. Tannins are tame and add to the interest on the palate. The level of acidity keeps the wine fresh but complex. A very enjoyable wine that is plush and velvety on the finish. The wine definitely punches above its weight.
In addition to suggested pairings above the wine could also be susceptible to richer meats like a beef tenderloin because of its leaner properties. A vegetable stir-fry with dark miso would make an ideal pairing.
Likewise it also works as a stand alone wine due to its structure and slightly earthy notes. Richness gives depth that resonates on the palate with a lingering finish.
In a word the wine is superb.
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc 2020
Appearance: Garnet Red
Nose: Pleasant floral scents with dark fruit, mixed berries, some herbaceous notes in the background.
Palate: Blackberry and dark fruit notes, ripeness with a touch of spice
Quality: 92
Food Pairings: I would pair this wine with pork ribs or roast chicken. It lends itself to roasted meats that are not too heavy.
Decanting: My suggestion with red wines is to decant. With a wine of this quality it would be enhanced with a couple of hours and a short time in the refrigerator. Rule of thumb one hour before serving put the wine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, remove the wine and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Gold Hill wines are aged before release making them a quality choice for wine enthusiasts that look for a wine that has depth and complexity. The wine exhibits notes of fresh, ripe fruit. Mostly berries with a sense of richness. Some boysenberry notes that is interesting. Soft tannins that add to the experience. In the mouth the wine is medium bodied allowing it to pair nicely with roasted, somewhat fattier meats. like roast chicken and pork ribs. But don’t save this just for barbecue season it’s a year round treat. Mellow with a smooth finish.
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc 2019
Appearance: Burgundy red
Nose: Ripe berries, blackberry, plum, a deep floral scent as it sits. Some minerality that enhances the aromas.
Palate: Rich, ripe fruit, berries and dark stone fruit like plum, prunes. Tannins on the light side of medium.
Quality: 94
Food Pairings: Prime Rib steaks or bone-in Prime Rib roast. Pairings should be rich and flavourful.
Decanting: The wine will benefit from decanting but doesn’t need a lengthy time to smooth out. Like many red wines it improves the experience with a slight chill before serving. Just put the decanter in the refrigerator one hour before serving, remove the decanter from the refrigerator after 30 minutes giving it 30 minutes of resting before serving.
This wine is rich but not overpowering. Pairing with the finest red meat dishes. I recommend Beef Wellington with it’s puff pastry compliment. It’s a challenge and ultra rich so if that isn’t for you consider a 1” thick prime rib or a bone-in Prime Rib Roast. Is the wine worth that expensive a pairing? Oh yes, it definitely is. Gold Hill age their wines before release so you know it’s ready to drink, although like the best red wines it will allow for longer cellaring.
The wine is rich and quite bold but still exhibits a medium body that is enticing. Tannins are tamed by the right level of acidity. This wine is complex. Flavours of plum torte and a touch of tobacco followed by a smooth, velvety finish.
Treat yourself, you will not be disappointed. My suggestion would be to buy more than one, maybe a few if that fits your budget. You will be glad you did.
Don’t forget this month you can use Valerie10 to receive a 10% discount on new subscriptions.
This link gives you all the details about which Gold Hill wines are available to order from wineclub.ca
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