A meaty, plummy nose with currants and spice. It’s juicy and round on the palate with cherry, blackberry and currant fruit followed by warm spices and decent acidity.
This one of the rare single varietal Semillons produced in Ontario. Having benefited from the heat of 2010, the nose is amped up with apricot jam, cherry pith, apple juice, honey, lanolin and spice. The texture is somewhat creamy and there is very good length. This is a singular juice and a great intro to the world of the ‘Semi’.
From Rugen in the Baltic Sea comes this twist on a Golden Ale. The orchard fruit esters of pear and apple are reminiscent of Belgian counterparts. But the chalky geography lends a carbonate-heavy water profile that punches up bitterness, creating a cloud of dry herbs and sandalwood on the swallow as the dry finish disappears out from underneath. A fascinating experience, especially for devotees of Duvel.
The blend for this Okanagan white is 47% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Sémillon, 16% Viognier, 14% Chardonnay and 6% Muscat. The nose is fresh and lively with a range of tropical fruits, lime, peach, lemon, subtle herbs and spice. It’s juicy and ripe on the palate with flavours of peach cobbler, tropical notes, citrus accents and underlying herbs, all delivered with mouthwatering acidity on the finish.
Named for a Russian signal station, this radio sweetheart is an Imperial Stout by way of the freezer aisle: Strictly neapolitan. The nose is madagascar vanilla, dehydrated strawberry, and hershey syrup, but the body is milkshake thick, leaning into bitter dark chocolate and a bourbon barrel sweetness that lingers slightly longer than it would take that ice cream to melt. As novelty Russian Imperials go, this one is a winner.
From some of the oldest vinifera planted in the Okanagan Valley (in the early 1970s): upfront, vibrant red fruit, earthy and sage notes precede a juicy, pure fruit-driven and complex layered palate of mulberry, damson and red currant with mocha hints, leather and a definite mineral streak, supported by firm but well-integrated tannins through a lingering and persistent finish.
This is one of the great Amarones. Dense purple-black in colour; cedary, tobacco leaf, plum and vanilla-oak nose; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted with a savoury plum flavour and an engaging floral note. A firmly structured wine.