PRETTY GOOD WITH PINK
Pair this dish with an off-dry rose
B.C. Liquor Stores will celebrate California wines this weekend with a major release of some of the best reds made in the Golden State, albeit at some staggering prices. Northern California — think Sonoma County and Napa Valley — is riding a series of warm, dry (drought) vintages that have been on an extended, high-quality run since 2012.
Wine experts love to rate vintages, but the five years of 2012 to 2016 have been so good, it’s difficult to know which will be the superior ones over the next decade. This Saturday at 9:30 a.m., B.C. Liquor Stores will release a wide selection of wines from the 2014 vintage, thought to be one of the best years in the recent run of excellent growing seasons.
I’m a huge fan of the 2013s, but I’ll admit there is an added finesse to many of the 2014s that is rare. The better news is that it looks as though after years of very little change in style, California vintners are finally beginning to dial into their sites to explore the outer edges of acidity nervousness and finesse, and not just the power and the weight easily achieved in such warm climes. Wait a minute, you say. What about the less-ismore, high-acid, stony, mineral, red-fruited, juicy reds that all the kids are shouting about? Well, guess what? There is another style in the modern wine business and it is widely admired by a large group of consumers for its forthright black and red fruits and powerful rich tannins. And it’s not going away any time soon.
B.C. Liquor Stores has given the Bordeaux folks a big platform once a year for decades, so giving California, its single largest import market by sales, a chance to show off once a year is equally deserved. The release will touch on some of the biggest names in the business, including a few that were the purview of wine club members. And some of those are being sold in large-format bottles such as 1.5, three and six litres. It’s not all super expensive, but I suggest you get to the store early.
I’m told there will be a handful of early released 2015 small-lot wines for sale and if you walk the aisles you will find some 2013 and 2012 bottles as well. The largest offerings will be available at 39th and Cambie, Park Royal and Richmond Brighouse stores with smaller offerings at select outlets.
The complete list of wines and stores is online at B.C. Liquor Stores’ website.
Some of the legendary 2014 wines in the release include selections from Colgin, Dalle Valle, Dominus, Eisele, Grace Family, Harlan, Lokoya, Opus One, Paul Hobbs, Screaming Eagle, Spottswoode and Verite. It is a showing of names long overdue and will quickly restore some long-lost lustre to this category sadly known of late more for its sugary blend reds than these magnificent labels.
If you are looking for relative bargains you can cellar for a decade or mostly enjoy now with food, our insider picks include Stag’s Leap The Investor, Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville, Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon Generations, O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Brave Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso, Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon and Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon.
It’s a terrific opportunity to put a few wines away to celebrate a birth year or an anniversary, and the best will live 20 years no problem. Finally, for a deeper look into some of the wines, check out our weekend wines elsewhere on this page to see what we thought about them in the glass.
Let’s hope this release and sales will somehow entice some of these wineries to rethink the B.C. market and attend next year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival where California is the theme. Given the origins California exports began in earnest in Vancouver almost 40 years ago, it would be a delight to see them return in big numbers.