WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Bartier Bros. Semillon 2016, Oliver, Okanagan Valley
$17.99 | 91/100
UPC: 628055147152
The Cerqueira Vineyard is one of those magical spots in the Okanagan that speaks to place. The land slopes gently to the west, collecting the late day sun on the lower side of Black Sage Rd. between Oliver and Osoyoos. Winemaker Michael Bartier speaks lovingly (and long) on the granite cobbles coated with calcium carbonate dictating his main job, namely to let the site’s distinctive character shine through the wines. Semillon is an outlier in B.C. but when it’s done right, it shines. The nose in ’16 is strikingly fresh yet infused with that south Okanagan medicinal herb-laced yellow fruit, with grass, fig, nectarine skin, and mineral, salty notes. The structure is tight, the acidity firm and the length long. It’s still youthful but it will no doubt flip over to the nutty, honey, quince affair with time. I love this style now but you can forget this in the cellar for 20 years, too. Real wine.
Quails’ Gate Riesling B.M.V. 2017, Okanagan Valley
$29.99 | 91/100
UPC: 778856417029 Winemaker Nicki Callaway was looking for something special and different than her regular dry offering and BMV was it. Boucherie Mountain Vineyard is at the origins of the Stewart Family’s earliest Riesling plantings at Quails’ Gate. The wine is a blend of Clone 21B off the original Westbank site paired with Clone 49 grown in East Kelowna. It ferments for two months on indigenous yeast in neutral oak barrels, leaving the wine weighty, yet nimble with intense lemon-lime fruit and a touch of residual sugar to counterbalance the acidity and electricity that runs through the wine. BMV is part of the highly successful Collector Series, which means there isn’t very much to buy. Club members and winery direct is your best bet. Impressive, real wine. Riebeek Cellars Shiraz 2016, South Africa
$11.99 | 87/100
UPC: 6004944000199
This wine is an excellent lesson in wine buying. You have to think by the time you take all the tax off this, the shipping from South Africa, the profit of the winery, the agent and the retailer what’s left? Two bucks seems generous but wait: this wine is a star. It comes from the Riebeek Valley, Swartland, renowned for Shiraz and a place full of young, hip wine folks living the dream. I’m betting good genes, information sharing and peer pressure has given this wine all it needs and more for $11.99. Fruity, peppery, meaty and balanced it’s eminently drinkable. Is it a 90-point wine? No. Is it a great buy? Yes, if you know Shiraz. Try this with most any grilled meats, especially pork sausages. Chateau Canada 2015, Bordeaux, France
$19.49 | 88/100
UPC: 003419466182750 Château Canada is on a bit of roll these days, like a lot of lesser Bordeaux properties that are getting their act together. The château has been around for 155 years and makes wines from 30-year-old vines that lie over the rolling hills of Cubzacles-Ponts. This mix is a 70/30 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, averaging 30 years in age, and the style is fresh and modern. The attack is juicy, the fruit much brighter than previous editions with classic, dried cherry, earth, cedar and tobacco with a twist of balsamic in the back end. You could drink this now or through 2020 for best results, Steak frites anyone? Solid. Giovanni Rosso Barbera d’Alba Donna Margherita 2015, Serralunga, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy $27.99 | 89/100
UPC: 8028981005052 Giovanni Rosso started estate bottling its wines in 1995, exploring 11 separate parcels including blocks in the prime Barolo vineyards of La Serra, Vigna Rionda and Cerretta. Rosso switched from stainless steel tanks to concrete for his Barolo production and has gone down a very natural path with yeasts as well as moving to unfined and unfiltered at bottling. Expect a beautiful fresh cherry-scented and flavoured red with savoury, earthy undertones flecked with dried herbs and a classic hint of toasted almonds. The freshness masks some of its structure but you can be sure this will age handsomely for a decade or more. Super food friendly; think mushroom dishes, beef pastas, and sausages. Real wine at a fair price.