March Meritage Rd1 - Naramata Bench Results

The result may have been "chalk" as the two top seeds survived their first round match-ups but the battle was anything but predictable. In the first game, #1 seeded Poplar Grove 2006 The Legacy's size and weight seemed to have a clear advantage over the fluidity and refinement of the Kettle Valley 2006 Old Main Road. However, as they say in sports, "that's why you play the game".

In the second match, Naramata powerhouse La Frenz 2007 Grand Total Reserve took on Laughing Stock 2008 Blind Trust Red in a match of precision blending and great labeling.

The 2nd-round will see The Legacy take on the Grand Total Reserve in the Elite Eight.

Complete Box Scores:

W - (1) PG '06 The Legacy. Points: 91pts. Cost: $50.
L - (4) KV '06 Old Main Road. Points: 90pts. Cost: $35.
Game notes:  Kettle Valley put up a valiant effort against their Naramata brethren offering succulent, smooth tannins and excellent mouth feel. But in the end it was the Legacy's depth and complexity that carried the day and the Poplar Grove Meritage into the second round.

W - (2) TC '07 Grand Total Reserve: 92-93pts. Cost: $40.
L - (3) LS '08 Blind Trust Red: 89pts. Cost: $28.
Game notes: Fans may think of "excellent varietal wines" first but La Frenz Winery proved to have formidable blending power in its playbook and when Laughing Stock seemed to have the upper-hand with imaginative stock exchange labeling, it managed to match each and every graduated cylinder full of tasty Meritage that the Blind Trust Red threw at it and won the day.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca