WEEKEND WINE PICKS

Frind Estate Winery Chardonnay 2022, Okanagan Valley $24.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990415329

This is a fine followup to 2020, an easy-sipping, cool Chardonnay with green apple and citrus. Another measure of acidity this year gives the wine an added dimension. With a little more lees for complexity, it will be a solid addition to the Okanagan Chardonnay crowd. For now, it’s worthy of a simply dressed margherita pizza or a favourite vegetarian power bowl. Well done.

Mt. Boucherie Original Vines Sémillon 2022, Okanagan Valley

$34.99 I 91/100

UPC: 8122891153

Lost Horn Vineyard overlooks Lake Vasseau and Macintyre Bluff and turned 22 in 2022. The soil is a mix of glacially deposited rock in mounds with glaciofluvial sands and gravels, which seems perfect for Sémillon. Sixty per cent of the juice was fermented in stainless steel, and the remainder was wild fermented in new French oak barriques with full malolactic fermentation (MLF). This underwent bâtonnage over six months before a final blend and returned to stainless steel for two months. This is an intriguing wine pitching intensity, some richness, and honey with beautiful lean but ripe pear. This sophisticated front end leaks into a savoury orange-streaked finish.

Tommasi Le Fornaci Lugana 2022, Veneto, Italy $36.99 I 90/100

UPC: 8004645359105 Le Fornaci is a Lugana white from the southern tip of Lake Garda due east of Verona. The Lugana DOC straddles two Italian regions: Lombardy, with 90 per cent of the vines to the west, and Veneto to the east, where 60 per cent of the winemaking occurs. Le Fornaci, or the Furnace, is named for a local Roman brick kiln, but the show’s star is the Turbiana grape. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks with no MLF and no wood to keep it ultra fresh as it ages briefly — three months — on its lees. You will love the intense white flower nose with additional citrus notes. On the palate, the flavours are bold, mixing lime, green apple and honeysuckle with salty almonds. It is a fabulous seafood wine perfect for West Coast diners.

Gérard Bertrand Côte Des Roses Rosé 2021, Languedoc, France

$24.95 I 89/100

UPC: 3514123111002 Gérard Bertrand has been pursuing several rosé versions, each with its charm. This introductory Côte Des Roses Rosé comes from various sites across the Languedoc. The blend is Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, each vinified separately in stainless steel before blending. The palate is a cool, sleek, fresh affair with a rush of juicy strawberry and raspberry flecked with tangerine and bright acidity that keeps you returning to the glass. Finished under a Vino-loc, the bottle looks as good as it tastes. Prawns, anyone?

Col d’orcia Brunello di Montalcino Organic 2018, Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $69.99 I 92/100

UPC: 801670003412

Col D’orcia, as the name points out, is a sunny slope that runs down to the Orcia River at the southwest border of Montalcino. This is structurally attractive with firm but dense sweet tannins, a medley of savoury dark cherry streaked with tobacco, mushrooms and light chocolate with a complexity of earth and eucalyptus. This elegant version of Brunello’s style should carry itself well for eight to 10 years. It was fermented over three weeks in stainless steel and aged for two years in varying-sized Slavonian and French oak casks.