BC Wine Deal: November 2nd, 2012

The following wines have been marked down at your local BC VQA and participating BCLDB stores.

Calliope Riesling  was $14.99 is now $12.99
Chaberton Canoe Cove Cabernet/Merlot  was $19.99 is now 14.99
Church and State Coyote Bowl Meritage  was $34.90 is now $25.90
D'Angelo Setta Coppa  was $21.90 is now $15.90
Fork in the Road Red  was $19.99 is now $18.99
Howling Bluff 3 Sisters Pinot Noir  was $27.90 is now $24.90
Jackson Triggs Reserve Riesling  was $13.99 is now $12.49
Laughing Stock Blind Trust White  was $25.00 is now $20.00
Mission Hill Five Vineyards Cabernet/Merlot  was $16.99 is now $15.99
Mission Hill Five Vineyards Chardonnay  was $14.99 is now $13.99
Soaring Eagle Intermission  was $16.90 is now $14.90
Saturna Island Rose  was $11.99 is now $9.99
Township 7 Sauvignon Blanc  was $18.99 is now $17.49
Volcanic Hills Eruption Red Blend  was $29.90 is now $23.90

Monthly Picks: November 2012

November brings us long nights and cool, rainy days. Time for a glass of bold, red wine that will warm you up as you enjoy a good book, show or bath and dream of warmer times.

Chateau Des Charmes 2009 Cabernet-Merlot - $13
An impressive "budget" blend that over-delivers for the price with a nice nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla spice and oak aromas followed by a medium-bodied, smooth-tannin palate with a good balance of mature dark fruit and savoury herbs'n'spice flavours.
Icon Score

Maison Calvet 2010 Reserve - $16
A good entry-level red Bordeaux to explore how Old World blends form a medley of terroir and fruit characters at a bargain basement price.
Icon Score


Fort Berens Estate Winery 2011 23 Camels Red - $19
A youthful wine, by design, that aims to please with a blend of dry blue fruits, hard cherries, smooth spices, soft tannins, vibrant acidity and herbal notes. Each element compliments the other making this easy-going brew of 65% Cabernet Franc, 17.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.5% Merlot a fine addition to your Fall feats of roast beef, meatloaf and savoury pork dishes.
Icon Score

JoieFarm 2010 PTG - $24
This year's PTG sees the Gamay Noir rise to 52% of the traditional Burgundian "Passe-Tout-Grains" blend with Pinot Noir. A welcomed rise which infuses more tangy and spicy red fruit on to the concentrated nose and lush palate.
Icon Score

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2009 Oldfield Series 2Bench Red - $30
A blend of 45% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the wine boasts an enchanting bouquet of dark fruit and spicy vanilla wrapped in a prominent, smoky blanket of sweet tobacco and toasted oak aromas.
Icon Score

Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Renaissance Pinot Noir - $35
Concentrated and relatively robust, not a Pinot for the faint of heart. Both the nose and palate transition nicely from an intense red fruit intro through to a more reflective warm earth finish. Complex, long and very tasty.
Icon Score

Cakebread Cellars 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - $100
At five years of age this Cabernet is still quite youthful in appearance, a dark ruby hue, and in its development. Concentrated, sweet cassis and blackberry pie fruit aromas blend nicely with French vanilla, mocha, licorice and toasted oak notes on the intense nose.
Icon Score

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

LaStella and Le Vieux Pin: 4 New Releases

At a recent media open house I had the pleasure of tasting the new releases from both LaStella and Le Vieux Pin, two wineries owned and operated by the Enotecca group who often present the wines together to represent two equal halves of their larger Ode to European Winemaking story.

The LaStella wines take their inspiration from Italy while Le Vieux Pin professes Enotecca's love for France's Rhone Valley. Both, however, strive to produce quality, uniquely Okanagan Valley wines, not doppelgangers of each winery's venerable Old World muse. Below are my notes on a few of the recent and upcoming releases from both wineries:

Le Vieux Pin 2011 Ava - $35
14%. 78% Viognier, 11% Marsanne, 11% Rousanne
Though slightly muted, there's lost to like on the aromatic nose with peach and apricot fruit aromas adding to the pleasant bouquet. Clean and crisp with good minerality on the rounded, medium-plus bodied palate. Good length and depth.

Le Vieux Pin 2009 Retouche - $60
14.9%. 62 cases. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
An homage to a near-forgotten time when Bordeaux producers would augment their Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah from the Rhone Valley for much needed tannin structure and colour. LVP's take is a Cab-Syrah blend (roughly 70/30 split) that aims to emphasize the qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon rather than showcase a blended wine - a successful feat. Sadly, however, the story behind the wine is more engaging than the finished product. A solid Cabernet with a good expression of fruit on the palate and a subtle nose of dark berry fruit and oak influenced aromas.
Icon Score

LaStella 2009 La Sophia - $75
15.1%. 48 cases. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
A stunning Cabernet Sauvignon that grips your attention from the first sniff of sweet, concentrated dark berry fruit and deep licorice aromas. The truly gorgeous palate follows with a near perfect balance between the ripe, silky tannins, elegant texture and smooth acidity. Complex and captivating. Despite the fact this wine has yet to be released most of it has already been snatched up by wine club members. Contact the winery quickly to reserve one of the last few cases.
Icon Score

LaStella 2009 Maestoso - $100
15.2%. 148 cases. 100% Merlot
The Maestoso is a massive wine that seeks to knock your socks off with its unapologetic, Old World, heavy tannins. This wine needs a further 5-7 years to mature in order to properly appreciate the nuances of fruit, terroir and oak that are only barely perceptible today beneath the massive tannins. Bottled promise.
Icon Score

- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca