WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Alamos Chardonnay 2015, Mendoza, Argentina $13.99 | 86/100 UPC: 085000018187
This Mendoza Chardonnay undergoes partial malolactic fermentation before spending four/six months on its lees in French and American oak. The technique appears to soften the sour acidity that can plague inexpensive Chardonnay. There are some citrus notes here that help to tighten up the butter and spice. Affordable, readyto-drink mid-week Chardonnay.
Hester Creek Old Vines Block 16 Trebbiano 2016, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley $23 | 87/100 UPC: 626990125341
A rare curiosity not only in B.C., but in Canada, this is from 49-year-old Trebbiano vines, planted on the Golden Mile Bench and treated with care. Look for musk melon, grapefruit, Asian pear drawn along a ripe, fuller bodied and glycerol slicked palate. Apricot fuzz lingers on the soft round finish. A solid pairing with pasta salads and calamari. Winery direct, grocery stores, restaurants.
Harper’s Trail Field Blend White Thad Springs Vineyard 2016, Kamloops $17 | 87/100 UPC: 626990128885
Riesling and Chardonnay make sense on paper — freshness and richness — but it’s no easy dance. Harper’s Trail pulls it off, showcasing orchard fruits and green apples on the nose that keep it fresh and lively before mixing pear and melon flavours on the palate. It’s ripe, and you can taste a bit of residual sweetness in the finish. Chill this down and serve it on the patio or put it to work with some spicy appetizers. Good value. Winery direct, private wine shops, grocery stores.
Stag’s Hollow Merlot 2014, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley $19 | 87/100
UPC: 626990032823 Winemaker Dwight Sick adds 5 per cent Petit Verdot to the mix to darken and spice this mid-valley Merlot. Half the fruit goes into the ferment whole cluster. It spends 18 months in 50/50 French and American oak before it is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The attack is fresh with plummy red fruit flavours, medium acidity and spice with slightly sticky tannins. Ready to drink. Best with grilled meats. Winery direct, private wine shops, grocery stores.
Tommasi Poggio al Tufo 2014, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy $19.99 | 89/100 UPC: 8004645600603
The 2014 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo is a 60/40 Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend that made the top 100 Spectator picks from a 18,000-strong pool of wines. The nose is clean with scents of meaty black fruits followed by rich red and black fruit mixed with leather and spice that fade into a supple, warm, mineral finish. Pork is a terrific match.