Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Monthly Picks: December 2013

Stock your cellar with red blen-nds. 
Fa-la-la-la-la la la la la.
'Tis the season for great frien-nds. 
Fa-la-la-la-la la la la la. 
Drink us now our Meritage? 
Fa-la-la-la-la la la la la.
BC's Best! (So I allege.) 
Fa-la-la-la-la la la la la. 

Merry Meritage everyone and to everyone a happy new blend!



Stag's Hollow Winery 2011 Heritage Block - $25
The 2011 edition sees 56% Merlot (smoky, mixed berry fruit) and 37% Cabernet Franc (providing the lovely floral and perfumed aromas) supported by 7% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American and French oak barrels for 18 months. The resulting wine is both fruity and serious with a smooth, sultry textured mid-palate and a long, mouth-watering finish with lingering spice and blackberry flavours.
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Fort Berens Estate Winery 2011 Meritage - $28
Grapes from both the Fraser Canyon home vineyard and from the famed Sundial vineyard along the Black Sage Bench were sourced for this year's blend of 47% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Cabernet Franc which delivers warm, mixed-berry, plum, crushed violet and mineral aromas enveloped by complimentary oak and light spice notes. (nailed it!)
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River Stone Estate Winery 2010 Corner Stone - $28.50
Round, ripe and robust, this blend of 59% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc offers mixed berry fruit, spicy licorice and light mint aromas enhanced by mild oak and sweet aromatic notes on the soothing and pleasant nose.
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Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2010 Summa Quies Vineyard Sin Cera - $29
A blend of all five Bordeaux varietals and aged in French oak for 18 months, the Sin Cera is an irresistible femme fatale that jumps out of the glass with potent, yet graceful, feminine aromas of baked cherry and blackberry fruit, plum preserve, cooking spice, sweet licorice, vanilla, toasted oak and holds your attention through to the equally seductive, fine tannin and similarly flavoured palate.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2010 Oldfield Series 2Bench Red - $30
The 2010 blend consists of 41% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in French oak creating a complex and smoky textured palate endowed with blue fruit, light mineral and toasted oak flavours supported by fine tannins and well balanced acidity.
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Perseus Winery 2010 Select Lots Invictus - $33
Concentrated and dense, the Invictus, Perseus Winery's take on a Meritage blend of 56% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec, is rich in dark fruit aromas like cassis and blackberry with menthol, vanilla and pipe tobacco notes adding complexity.
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Fairview Cellars 2010 The Bear - $35
Despite its cool vintage pedigree, this blend of all 5 primary Bordeaux varietals boasts ripe blackberry, cassis and plum fruit on both the nose and palate with Fairview's signature oak program influenced notes adding depth and complexity.
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Painted Rock Estate Winery 2010 Red Icon - $55
The 2010 sees 39% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 18% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon blended to produce an aromatic nose of dark berries, violets, mint, licorice, cedar and dark chocolate aromas while the dry palate charms with intense dark fruit puree flavours supported by fine tannins, mouth-watering acidity, warm earth and toasted oak notes.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2011 Nota Bene - $55
 blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, all sourced from their famed Black Sage Bench estate vineyard which imparts an herbal quality to the wine augmenting the classic Meritage profile of black currant, blackberry, fresh tobacco leaf and dark plum aromas and flavours.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

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