Hunkering Down for Harvest

TASTING NOTES | WINE SEARCH | ARTICLES | VIDEO

As the summer comes to a close, most wine people are emptying barrels and tanks, bottling wines, cleaning machinery, or wrapping up a holiday in anticipation of the upcoming 2020 harvest. It is a highly emotional time in the wine business when hopes are at their highest for the perfect end to a year-long growing season. At GOW, the harvest marks the beginning of a new vintage, new wines to taste and new stories to tell. Not surprisingly, we can't wait. ~ Anthony

VIDEO: ARGIANO - BERNARDINO SANI

Argiano is evolving. The style is embracing a more elegant version of Brunello di Montalcino. The result is site-driven wines from a winery that’s understanding its terroir in new ways – even after 440 years. We speak with winemaker Bernardino Sani about the subtle evolution.

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VIDEO: SEGURA VIUDAS - GLORIA COLLELL

Thanks to Gloria Collell, Segura Viudas is learning what matters to wine drinkers. The proof is not just in the glass - it starts in the vineyard.

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WAITING TO SEE ARGENTINA'S BEST IN B.C.

With so few shelf-facings in this province, the South American giant has struggled to tell its story beyond value and commercial wines.

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STYLE MATTERS

The wine industry is too focused on quality. The average bottle of wine has never been better, but that doesn't mean consumers will like what they find.

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CHEESE: RUTLAND RED

Rutland Red is a traditional clothbound version of Red Leicester (pronounced “Lester”) from the UK, which is perfect for your next picnic.

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WHAT WE'RE DRINKING

ANTHONY

90/100

LaStella
Vivace Pinot Grigio 2019

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Vivace is not your grandmother's pinot gris. Like its moniker, it is vivacious, following down the mineral, salty, citrus route. Taut and alive, it is also a fabulous food wine. Post ferment, it feeds on its lees for a few months to add a touch of cream to an otherwise crisp, lip-smacking gris that screams for seafood. First-class effort.

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TREVE

91/100

Domaine Rolet
Crémant du Jura Blanc Brut NV

Jura, France

This blend of chardonnay, savagnin, pinot noir, and poulsard was sourced from various marl-based vineyards in and around Arbois, and was whole cluster pressed with at least 6 months on lees prior to secondary fermentation. The wine rested a minimum of 3 years on lees prior to disgorgement, with 10 g/L. Creamy red and brisk green apple, crystalline lemon, grapefruit pith, stony toast, and a kiss of vanilla pod perfumes the lingering finish.

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91/100

Yalumba
Samuel's Collection Bush Vine Grenache 2018

Barossa Valley, South Australia

I make no secret of my devotion to the garnacha/grenache grape. From rustic southern French blends, to potent and statuesque Châteauneuf-du-Pape, gutsy Vacqueyras, chewy Gigondas, or the very best of homeland Spain's Priorat or Cariñena regions. I adore the combination of heady floral scents, raspberry and white pepper flavours and silken texture that great grenache wines can achieve, and its ability to transmit vineyard site. Grenache's mellow fruit dovetails brilliantly with all grilled meats, some bold fish, cheese but like this dynamic Barossa Valley is complete enough to savour on its own. It's also one of those affordable wines that you can stash away for years (I opened a 2006 not long ago and it was a kirsch-y, earthy delight) and revel in grenache's metamorphic journey from bold primary fruit to tertiary complexity.

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GEOFFREY

89/100

Château Dereszla
Tokaji Furmint 2018

Tokaj, Hungary

A blend of 87 percent furmint and 13 percent muskotaly (also known as muscat ottonel), this is dry and unoaked with nice definition to the fruit and added complexity from time on lees. It's not as racy as furmint can be, perhaps due to the addition of the muskotaly, but it's still crisp, with the heightened aromatics adding to its broad appeal. A steal at this price, and it has just landed at BC Liquor Stores.

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REAL WINE

WHAT IS
REAL WINE?

Nichol Vineyard
Pinot Gris 2019

Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

One of two pinot gris Nichol produces each year. The oval labelled one, the classic, is the one that has been an iconic gris over the years for Canada, thanks in part to its characteristic light peach/orange hue. Thirty-six hours on skins lend the tint and texture. Finely structured, this precise, 11-degree alcohol white carries a significant impact, through apricot fuzz, grapefruit pith, bergamot, and granitic grip, along with some fine tannic tension thanks to the skin contact. Acidity is bright, streaming this to a lingering, saline finish. This vintage is especially shining, making this smashable wine a joy.

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COMMUNITY

WILD SALMON CELEBRATION
CHEFS' TABLE SOCIETY OF BC

A celebration of BC Wild Salmon at 10 different restaurants across the province beginning on August 21st.

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