WEEKEND WINE PICKS
St. Hubertus Riesling 2015, East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley $16.75 89/100
UPC:
625259103151
Intense open nose with kerosene, bright peach, red apple and a fair bit of peppercorn. The attack is juicy with plenty of orange and honey splashed apricot, cut with a wet stone minerality that tightens up the finish. Impressive at 12.8 in a super warm year, it should be sensational in a normal cooler growing season. Pick your favourite curry. Real wine. Real value. Sacred Hill Reserve Chardonnay 2016, Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand
$26.99 | 89/100
UPC: 9416623000746
In 2016, the cool growing season in Hawke’s Bay finished in a storm of heat and dry conditions, perfecting ripeness in the vineyard. The nose is a fragrant mix of citrus and hazelnuts. The palate is round and creamy with sweet lemon pie, orange and mineral flecks and vanilla undertones. The fruit comes off the famed Riflemans Terraces and is all barrel fermented in French oak barriques. A touch old style, but well made. Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2017, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley $17.99 | 87/100
UPC: 626990241232
Flood and drought plagued the valley in 2017 and smoke was a summer constant in Naramata, but after all was said and done, the fall was long and warm and the fruit ripened to perfection. The Poplar Grove Gris is always ripe and fruity with sweet nectarines, lime zest, honeysuckle on the nose. The palate is lush apricot and sweet peach with just enough acidity to keep it in line. This is a winner on a warm patio, which is most days in the summer at Poplar Grove’s Vanilla Pod Restaurant. Made with almost all Naramata fruit, plus four per cent from Osoyoos. Front Row Shiraz/Mourvedre/ Viognier 2016, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa $13.99 | 87/100
UPC: 6009804300402
Front Row is a mix of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier produced in Swartland. The fruit is purchased on long-term contracts; the goal is a value-for-money blend. The style is light, soft and peppery with hint of minerality. The fruit is ripe if not slightly overripe with bits of vanilla and meaty mocha flavours but there is just enough funk to keep the ripeness all in order on the palate. Simple, solid and ready to drink. Jaillance Cremant de Bordeaux Brut Rose Cuvee de l ‘Abbaye N/V, Bordeaux, France
$23.99 | 88/100
UPC: 3416145020600
Three years down the road, the Crémant de Bordeaux Appellation, established in 1990, has upped its game. It’s all Merlot and is aged for 18 months in a cool cellar carved out of a quarry. It’s the texture and elegance here that attracts. There is an ethereal, herbal, red fruit character that barely penetrates the outer layers of the wine but overall, it’s a very acceptable bubble well suited to food. Try this with a mixed charcuterie plate, seafood fritters or to open the patio. Ready to drink.