WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Ruffino Moscato d’Asti 2014, Veneto, Italy
$16.99 | 86/100
UPC: 8001660198450
Sweet light and floral, just as Moscato d’Asti should be. On the palate this version is a little less ethereal, sporting more weight with sugar ripeness. Orange blossoms, pear cordial and elderflower finish with a light spritz and a snap. Best enjoyed on a warm patio well chilled, even over ice.
Bartier Bros. Rosé 2017, Okanagan Valley
$17.99 | 88/100
UPC: 628055147312
A mix of Oliver, Black Sage Terrace and Summerland fruit with the perfect, pale colour. The ’17 is a slightly richer style for Bartier, with the addition of 18 per cent Muscat to 40 per cent Chardonnay, 31 Gewürztraminer and 11 Cabernet Franc. The fruit is whole cluster-pressed to release the finest juice and aged five months on the lees. A mouth-watering citrus, melon, orange tea affair with a clean, floral finish. Very food friendly, simply chill and serve.
Moraine Riesling 2016, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
$22 | 90/100
UPC: 626990176602 Moraine’s 2016 Riesling is 100 per cent Naramata Bench fruit of which about half is its estate grown clone 49. It’s all whole-bunch-pressed and wild fermented in three batches over four weeks, six weeks and nines weeks at very cool temperatures (under 13 C). What can we say? This is delicious wine with the perfect tension between fruit sugars and acidity. It is fresh, floral, mineral, ethereal, and very unordinary. Best with a chicken or pork curry. Real wine offering real value. Private wine shops.
Moraine Pinot Noir 2016, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
$27 | 90/100
UPC: 626990127833
How much do we like this 2016 Pinot Noir that springs from 18 small batch ferments? A lot. The nose is a mashup of Oregon and New Zealand, but with perfect restraint. The single-site, all clone 777 Pinot is juicy and bright. It seems to float out of the glass on a bed of black cherry fruit, dried herbs, and earthy forest floor. Cool delicate, persistent, balanced and delicious. This is real wine with a genuine Pinot ethos and finesse at a mere 13.3 per cent alcohol. Private wine shops.
Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos 2015, Bierzo, Castilla-Leon, Spain
$36.99 | 90/100
UPC: 8437004566089
The wine festival highlighted Pétalos and its old vines, in this case, 60-years plus, and its bio-dynamically farmed Mencia grapes spread across several small, rocky hillside plots. The attack is round and juicy, the nose aromatic and inviting with rich earthy, dark berry, fruit flavours and just the right amount of tannin and texture to support the fruit. It’s a playful, welcoming style meant to entice and complement your meal. You will drink the entire bottle.