At a recent British Columbia VQA wine education seminar; the tasting component involved a blind tasting of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah/Shiraz from the well known ancestral homes of the varieties along with a BC wine added for comparison. After twenty five years of wine and restaurant trade experience you'd think my palate could easily identify the usual suspects. I made some mistakes; but walked away from the tasting realising that British Columbia in the last two decades has become a very interesting and emerging world wine region. A place to watch!
Here are my handwritten notes and my educated guesses; some are correct and some wrong. You'll never stop learning.
RIESLING FLIGHT
Pewsley Vale 2012 Eden Valley Riesling
$23.99
Pale yellow, lime cordial aromas,
medium-bodied, crisp acidity, lots of lime, mineral finish. GUESS| AUSTRALIA ****þ
Tantalus 2013 Riesling $22.90
Straw yellow, sweet floral and ripe apple
aromas, off-dry, elegant styling, fruit and apple flavours GUESS| BC **(*)þ
Gruen 2102 Riesling Mosel Germany $18.49
Straw green, honeyed aromas with a hint of
petrol, medium-bodied, off-dry, some lushness, ripe green apple and hint of
honey. GUESS| GERMANY ***þ
CHARDONNAY FLIGHT
Meyer Family Vineyards 2012 McLean Creek
Okanagan Falls $30
Straw green, lots of toasted (new) oak,
medium- to full-bodied, lots of charred oak vanillins and toast, some malo,
melon, pineapple, smoke, good acidity. GUESS| AUSTRALIA ****ý
Domaine de Chalet 2012 Puilly Fuisse France
$36
Straw green, restrained nose of mineral and
wet rock, medium-bodied, crisp, elegant, great length, mineral, fern, subtle
earth. GUESS| CHABLIS (lighter vintage, entry level) ****þ
Schug 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay $30.49
Straw yellow, ripe melon and banana aromas,
medium-bodied, some malo notes, lush, lots of tropical. GUESS| BCý
Stoneboat 2011 Pinot Noir Oliver BC $24.90
Brick red, dried currant and floral notes,
medium-bodied, good acidity, flavours of earth, wood smoke, and soya GUESS|
Central Otago New Zealand ****ý
Akarua 2013 Pinot Noir Central Otago New
Zealand $26.99
Cherry red, medium to full-bodied, richer
than first PN, flavours of black fruits, dried cranberry, silky textured GUESS|
BC ****ý
Jean Claude Boisset 2011 Pinot Noir
Burgundy $24.99
Cherry red, warm spice aromas,
medium-bodied, complex, pencil lead, mineral, red fruits. GUESS: FRANCE ****þ
Chapel Hill 2011 Parson’s Nose Shiraz McLaren
Vale Australia $19.99
Ruby purple (dense), aromas of menthol,
meat, and cassis, full-bodied, youthful, solid tannins, loads of ripe back
fruits, menthol, and pepper. GUESS| AUSTRALIA ****þ
Brunel de la Gardine 2011 Crozes Hermitage
Rhone Valley France $29.99
Ruby red, aromas of rustic earth (hint of
bret), medium-bodied, cherry, blackberry, herbal notes. GUESS| BC or FRANCE?
**(*)þ
Painted Rock 2011 Syrah Okanagan Valley BC
$39.99
Ruby red with ripe fruit (blackberry) and
herbal aromas. Medium to full-bodied, rich and complex, flavours of juicy
blackberries, smoke, tea, vanilla, and sage and bergamot GUESS| WASHINGTON or
AUSTRALIA ****ý
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