#1 - Icon Wine of the Year
Though the components change year-to-year, Painted Rock's Red Icon is an exceptionally consistent, high-end blend that successfully executes its but de vie to deliver complex, New World flavours wrapped in an elegant, Old World structure.
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#2
Perhaps lacking in the power department when compared to the opulent and dense 2010, the 2011 thrives on subtle layers of sweet red and dark fruit, dry rock, fragrant flowers, warm garrique and smooth tobacco aromas and flavours.
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#3
Supremely elegant and nuanced, LaStella's flagship wine, Maestoso, proves that 100% Merlot wines can be just as memorable and complete as equally priced Cabernet Sauvignon when handled with as much care and detailed attention that the Osoyoos Lake winery applies to this beautiful wine.
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#4
My favourite words for the Painted Rock Chardonnay are "consistency", "pure" and "effortless". And its the last word of the bar-setting trio that makes this wine such a stand out. The nose is generous with layers of pure fruit (orchard, citrus, tropical) supported by French oak, minerals and light brioche aromas, but it is the effortless palate that is most memorable.
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#5
A warm, sweet scented, perfumed nose with berry, prune and spice notes. The palate is both silky and powerful with fantastic balance of fruit, herb, savoury and spice characters. Tannins are fine and dusty. The finish is long and memorable.
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#6
This is near, pitch-perfect, cool-climate Cabernet with a lovely balance between its concentrated, dark berry fruit and its complex, vegetal'n'herbs components. The feminine palate is smooth with fine, ripe tannins and hints of graphite, vanilla, coffee grinds and cherry-cola. Herbs and cassis purée linger on the long, long, smoky finish. Will evolve over a decade-plus.
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#7
This blend of 55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah from Italy's famed Marchesi Antinori is a seductive, over-achiever that effortlessly blends, plump, red and blue fruit with sweet herbs and dusty, savoury flavours of cured meats, cocoa powder and leather. oak influence is generous, but well integrated, contributing to the fine, supple tannins and smooth palate.
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#8
Aromas of smoke, cured meats, white pepper and minerals may make you think first of the Northern Rhone, but really, this is pure Okanagan and one of the valley's best examples of how Syrah can thrive in BC when planted in the right areas and handled with tough love, as they do at Painted Rock Estate Winery.
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#9
A big Pinot at a big price for folks looking for mannered intensity wrapped in an elegant veil of dark fruit and sweet forrest floor aromas. Medium purple hued Pinot with a silky textured palate bursting with ripe dark cherry and black currant fruit balanced by meaty-earthy notes, all-the-while remaining Pinot-esk, though, only barely.
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#10
Tropical, citrus and pear fruit hit you first in the form of vibrant aromas and intensely sweet flavours. Then, the wine's secondary and tertiary layers appear as waves of crisp acidity and lingering spice; adding balance and complexity. This wine is a joy to drink.
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#11
Not so much as improves on the outstanding 2011vintage, but rather, dials up the intensity of certain elements, like the robust tannins and dense blackberry purée on the nose and palate, thanks to the hotter growing season which delivered more sun and heat units for the vineyard team to work with.
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#12
The palate offers good continuity from the nose and showcases flavours and structural elements from each of the blended components: 39% Merlot (juicy, mixed-berry fruit, alcohol viscosity), 38% Cabernet Franc (plum, vegetal, rustic tannins, texture), 17% Cabernet Sauvignon (dark berry notes, extra tannins) and 6% Sangiovese (savoury, huckleberry acidity).
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#13
The enchanting, Rhone-inspired "Ava" combines 61% Viognier, 21% Roussanne and 18% Marsanne into a deliciously rich and creamy textured wine that blends tropical and melon fruit with mineral and exotic nut aromas and flavours to create a layered, sensual wine that will stand on its own or pair with Poulet de Bresse-esque dishes.
#14
A dense, masculine blend of Bordeaux varieties that opens with a complex nose of cool blackberry, wild red currant, menthol, black cherry, coffee grinds, cardamom and baking spice aromas. The medium-plus bodied palate is loaded with brooding, dark fruit and toasted oak flavours, with light, savoury notes adding depth.
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#15
The nose opens up to reveal sweet-scented, floral and vanilla-oak notes above the layers of dark berry and cherry fruit. Delightful. The palate is full of texture, restraint and fine tannins with dense dark fruit flavours complimented by oak, mocha and mineral notes. The finish is long and balanced.
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#16
This beautifully constructed, dense Vidal ice wine smells and tastes of a bowl of apricot and honeydew-infused custard adorned with shavings of candied lime peel. The unctuous, honeyed fruit is balanced nicely with lemon/lime acidity through to an everlasting finish.
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#17
This blended, entry-level Pinot Noir does the Sonoma Coast proud showcasing the sub-region's delicate, low-key approach to Pinot Noir that makes the Sonoma Coast stand-out from the richer, meatier Pinots from the inland AVAs like Russian River Valley.
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#18
An always pleasing blend of Bordeaux varietals with the new edition consisting of 39% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, delivering the winery's signature sweet tobacco and blackberry aromas complimented by lifted floral and light spice notes on the nose.
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#19
Elegant and layered, this is a Loire Valley-styled Sauvignon Blanc with a kiss of subtle oak, whose but de la vie is to deliver scrumptious, mineral-infused, citrus fruit aromas and flavours via its engaging nose and refined, balanced palate. Mouth-watering and refreshing minus any hard edges or crowd-dividing pungency.
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#20
Most impressive. Subtle, at first, especially if served too cold. Awakens after a breather in the glass and a chance to warm-up to room temperature, revealing a hidden opulence of warm, inviting orchard fruit aromas and cool, mineral and green apple peel notes. The palate offers off-dry levels of residual sugar (13g/l), yet, finishes almost dry thanks to equal counterbalance of green apple and citrus acidity.
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#21
With a wine made from fruit harvested from 48 year old Marechal Foch vines, you might expect a unique, even exotic experience, and here, Quails' Gate delivers, yet, it's a familiar uniqueness. Think BC Cabernet Franc mixed with the ambiance of a camp site (smoke, singed wood, BBQ meats, mulled wine, burnt marshmallows, the works).
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#22
Consistent and unheralded, the River Stone Cabernet Franc is a must-try for all Franc-ophiles who love how the Bordeaux varietal successfully transmits the unique terroir of the southern Okanagan Valley.
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#23
Quaff the nose for hours while the wine opens in your glass to reveal a well-structured, dry palate of fine tannins, wild berry acidity and flavours of blue fruit, cherry-cola and spices. Ready to go now, though, will hold for many years in your cellar with some further development.
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#24
Excellent continuity carries through from the nose to the dry, medium-plus bodied palate where the trio of red fruit, spice and earthy flavours shine. Tannins are mild, yet refined and structure the palate nicely while wild berry acidity keeps the finish refreshing and your mouth salivating for more.
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#25
Church and State's Gravelbourg Chardonnay is an exploration of texture and of the masculine qualities of the Burgundian grape, with the former enhanced from extended lees contact during élevage, adding fullness to the mouth feel and imparting brioche aromas and flavours.
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- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2014 IconWines.ca
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