WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Phantom Creek Estates Riesling 2020, Oliver, Okanagan Valley $33 I 91/100
UPC: 696852069755 The red wines at Phantom Creek get most of the press, but the white wines under the direction of noted Alsace winemaker Olivier Humbrech MW are no less impressive. In 2020 he captured all the power of the vintage and funnelled it into this Black Sage Bench Riesling. The nose is warm and fragrant with exotic phenolic notes mixed with honeysuckle, pears, orange zest, and plenty of creamy, eggy notes in the finish. It is more Alsace in style, and 19 months in Austrian white oak foudres solidifies the notion. Drink or hold.
Rust Wine Co Gewürztraminer 2022, Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley $25 I 89/100
UPC: 626990098720 South Rock Vineyard sits at the southern end of Oliver's famed Golden Mile Bench, British Columbia's first official sub-appellation. The vineyard is home to some of the oldest vines in B.C. These clone 47 Gewürztraminer ungrafted vines planted in 1973 get four days of skin contact before fermentation in stainless steel. The nose is restrained with quiet ginger and floral undertones that support a dry palate with a touch of skin-contact phenolic bitterness. This sophisticated version of Gewürztraminer is best served alongside a favourite curry dish or a South Asian bowl.
Selbach Riesling Fish Label 2020, Mosel, Germany $20.99 I 89/100
UPC: 717215001707 This off-dry Riesling is made by one of Germany's oldest wine-producing families with roots that go back to the 1600s. It is fruity and packed with super ripe apple and nectarine offset by the always bright Mosel acidity, and it comes with an intoxicating juicy style. Perfect for a spicy curry dish and a wine you can buy blind every year and be rewarded with a delicious bottle. It is an authentic value-for-money wine with a certain pedigree that reflects its terroir and the Selbach commitment to quality.
Pure est Tempranillo 2021, Spain $19.99 I 88/100
UPC: 8437018061204 Pure est Wines are seeking to create a community where all wine lovers — new and old — share a connection to nature. The fruit is grown organically, and there is a pureness to the flavours. So bright and vibrant, its spicy, dark plum hits you upfront and spreads across a soft, creamy palate with a texture that slides down easily. Well-made, medium-weight red for white meats and simple party appetizers. Good value, but it is sold only in select private wine shops.
Four Shadows Merlot 2019, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley $26.99 I 89/100
UPC: 626990339434 This wine has improved each of the last three years, and this is the best effort yet for this classic release. The nose is a minty, spicy affair of black fruits that tumbles onto the palate mixing black currants, cassis, and a delicious umami-like earthy character. It is reminiscent of Bolgheri and, at times, other B.C. reds streaked with desert scrub. You can drink or hold this, but you have a solid bottle of wine. Pair with grilled lamb chops, beef ribs, or simple pizza funghi.