Canada
Canada
The Wine Umbrella 2020 Co-Syrah
Canadian Red
Black plum and black raspberry sit near the edge of sweetness, with pepper, super-ripe fruit aromas and flavours, a silky texture and a long, smooth delivery. The blend is ninety-one percent Syrah and nine percent Viognier. It is a juicy, weighty red. A portion of the profit supports the British Columbia chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier and its charitable work.
Quails’ Gate 2022 Dijon Clone Chardonnay
Canadian White
Honeyed peach and flint accompany a smooth, creamy texture and a clean, mineral-driven finish with stony character. Chardonnay combines Dijon clones 96, 95, 76 and 548 from selected South Kelowna vineyard blocks. The fruit is hand picked and whole-cluster pressed. Production includes French-oak barrel fermentation, fifteen months in barrel, full malolactic fermentation and some bâtonnage.
Pentâge 2018 GSM Dirty Dozen Vineyard
Canadian Red
Bright raspberry, ripe red cherry, cranberry and black cherry accompany baking spice. The medium-bodied palate has soft, silky tannins and gentle structure. Grenache accounts for forty-seven percent of the blend, with forty-three percent Mourvèdre and ten percent Syrah. Each variety spends fifteen months in oak barrels, twenty percent new, and the finished wine records 13.5 percent alcohol.
Garnet Valley Ranch 2021 Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Clear garnet-red colour appears with lush berries, delicate flowers and earthy undertones. Raspberry, dark cocoa, anise, a silky texture and soft balance are also present. Estate-grown Pinot Noir ferments in small concrete tanks with fifty percent whole clusters. Basket pressing and ageing in neutral barriques and small concrete tanks are also used. The finish is smooth and lingering, and alcohol is 12.5 percent.
Ursa Major 2022 Chapter 8: Last Days in the Desert Syrah Rosé
Canadian Rosé
Wild strawberry, dried rosemary, raspberries and cream, and hazelnut define the aroma, while salted Marcona almond, white peach, pink grapefruit and fresh feta appear on the palate. Syrah from Sagebrush Vineyard in Oliver is direct pressed and naturally fermented in neutral oak and stainless-steel barrels. The wine rests untopped on gross lees under flor for twenty-one months, then is bottled by hand without fining or filtration.
Birch Block Vineyard 2022 Blanc de Franc Pétillant Naturel
Canadian Sparkling
Cabernet Franc is made into a light-bodied sparkling wine with no skin contact. Strawberry, raspberry and citrus shape the fresh profile. Production includes hand riddling, disgorging and hand labelling. The fruit comes from Kaleden, on high benches above the western shore of Skaha Lake in British Columbia. The estate farms five acres and focuses on low-intervention, energetic wines.
Echo Bay 2016 Cabernet Franc–Malbec
Canadian Red
Cabernet Franc makes up sixty percent of the blend, joined by forty percent Malbec. The varieties were destemmed, crushed and fermented separately, then matured for eighteen months in barrel, with twenty percent new wood. After blending, the wine rested briefly before bottling and further bottle ageing. The finished red records thirteen percent alcohol, a pH of 3.77 and total acidity of 7.2.
Pamplemousse Jus 2024 Fortified
Canadian Fortified
Castel and Marquette grapes form the blend. Fortification uses a grape-based spirit from Maple Leaf Distilling, and the wine ages for one year. Gentle oxidative character accompanies dried cranberries, raisins and subtle spice. Production totalled 570 bottles. This first fortified release comes from a small independent natural winery in Summerland, British Columbia, established by a group of friends.
Moon Curser 2015 Carménère
Canadian Red
Plum, green peppercorn, ripe raspberry, fennel seed, cherry, pomegranate, vanilla and cedar shape the profile. The wine is medium-bodied, with balanced acidity, soft tannins and a juicy impression; the finish is long and silky. Carménère comes from the Home and Stubbs vineyards on the Osoyoos East Bench. Hand-picked clusters are sorted in the vineyard and destemmed. Fermentation takes place at low temperature, and maturation uses French oak barriques, about one quarter new.
Bordertown 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Canadian Red
Dark red in colour, with black fruit, blackcurrant, dark cherry, herbs, spice, stewed plum, mint, pepper and leather. The texture is firm, with fresh acidity and well-managed tannins. Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon comes from an east-facing Osoyoos vineyard with gravel, light-coloured sand and heavy soil. Fermentation lasts twenty-four days. Natural malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak, and maturation lasts twelve to eighteen months in French oak.
Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2022 Century Block Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Kirsch, blackcurrant and raspberry appear with leather, forest floor and pepper. Pinot Noir clones 667 and 777 grow beside the wine shop in the riverbed of the now-dry Three Mile Creek. The block’s name refers to the hundred different species that once grew there. Maturation lasts eighteen months in French oak barrels. Production totalled 250 cases, and the wine can be cellared for up to ten years.
Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2022 Three Mile Creek Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Tobacco, ripe cherry, pepper and clove appear with mulled berries, blackcurrant and baking spices. Pinot Noir clones 667 and 777 come from the Three Mile Creek vineyard, whose oldest vines grow only five metres from the Century Block. Maturation lasts eighteen months in French oak barrels. Production totalled 305 cases. The vineyard has received two Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence and a Red Wine of the Year from the Canadian Wine Awards.
Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2021 Three Mile Creek Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Sour cherry and raspberry form a tart, cool red-fruit profile with savoury and earthy notes. The vines include Pinot Noir clones 115, 667 and 777 and were twenty-two years old when reviewed. Fruit receives a two-day cold soak. After three weeks, the wine is pressed into French oak barrels and aged there for eighteen months. Further acidic fruit appears on the finish.
Sage Hayward 2023 Estate Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Fruit comes from Falcon Ridge and Raven Hill vineyards on Saturna Island. The site lies in the Southern Gulf Islands, where a cool maritime climate meets dense sand and mudstone over clay with ancient marine sediment. The wine is rich and medium-bodied, with a lingering spicy finish. Pinot Noir is hand-picked from estate vines, and the first plantings on the property date to nineteen ninety-five.
La Frenz 2021 Aster Brut
Canadian Sparkling
Chardonnay makes up two thirds of the blend, with Pinot Noir accounting for one third. Toast and autolytic notes sit with singed citrus fruit. The wine has low dosage, balance and a long finish. It is made by the traditional method in the Okanagan Valley. This white sparkling wine is produced from estate-grown fruit in British Columbia.
Therianthropy 2024 Endless Rosé
Canadian Rosé
Merlot accounts for fifty-four percent of the blend, with thirty-seven percent Pinot Gris and nine percent Muscat. The Merlot receives nine days of carbonic maceration, while Pinot Gris and Muscat are co-fermented whole-cluster for two weeks. After seven months in stainless steel, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Production totals ninety-five cases, and alcohol is 12.2 percent.
Emandare Vineyard 2023 Wolff Vineyard Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Red cherry, cranberry, wild rose, mushroom, subtle apple and dusty minerality shape the profile. The palate has a clean texture. Pinot Noir comes from thirty-five-year-old vines and is fermented and aged in neutral French oak. Bottling takes place without fining or filtration. Cellar work follows a minimal-intervention approach. The old-vine site is in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Emandare Vineyard 2022 Blanc de Blancs Traditional Method
Canadian Sparkling
Green apple, citrus and brioche accompany a crisp palate. Chardonnay forms the base, with a small amount of Gewürztraminer used to enhance the aroma. The sparkling wine is made by the traditional method and spends sixteen months on its lees before disgorgement. The Chardonnay comes from thirty-five-year-old vines. Tiny, creamy bubbles accompany pear and floral notes. Production totals sixty cases.
Fairview Cellars 2016 The Bear Reserve Meritage Golden Mile Bench
Canadian Red
Red and black berries, currant, tobacco, bell pepper, herbs and anise define the profile. Integrated tannins, medium acidity and a long, clean, balanced finish are present. The blend combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, with Cabernet Sauvignon making up at least half. The wine comes from Golden Mile Bench in British Columbia.
Fairview Cellars 2016 The Bear
Canadian Red
Clear deep ruby colour has garnet tinges. Savoury dark plum, dark cherry, cigar box and thyme appear in an intense aromatic profile. The full-bodied palate combines rich dark fruit with tobacco, leather and a hint of cinnamon. Silky tannins and composed acidity accompany a lengthy finish. This red comes from Oliver in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.
Echo Bay 2017 Cabernet Franc
Canadian Red
The fruit was destemmed and crushed before fermentation in an open-top tank. The wine then spent eighteen months in barrel, half of it new, and was bottled with thirty parts per million of sulphur. Production totalled 120 cases, and alcohol is 13.5 percent. Cabernet Franc comes from a southwest-facing vineyard above Skaha Lake, just north of Okanagan Falls.
Meyer Family Vineyards 2023 McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Bing cherry, black raspberry, beetroot, pepper and toasted oak form the profile. The fruit is gently destemmed by gravity into open-top fermenters with twenty-five percent whole clusters. A cold soak precedes a two-week indigenous-yeast fermentation with gentle hand plunging. After fermentation and a post-maceration period, the wine moves to French oak, twenty percent new, for eleven months. It is unfined and coarsely filtered, with ripe fruit and a lasting finish.
50th Parallel Estate 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé Magnum 1.5 L
Canadian Rosé
This dry rosé is made from Pinot Noir grown specifically for the style. The Lake Country estate covers sixty-one acres across thirteen vineyard blocks near Lake Okanagan, with Pinot Noir central to its production. The wine comes from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, was bottled in 1.5-litre format and received a silver medal at the All Canadian Wine Championships.
Kutatás 2023 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir Vancouver Island
Canadian Red
Stewed black cherry, cola, raspberry, liquorice, herbal and savoury notes shape this Pinot Noir. Clone 114 fruit comes from Patricia Bay in North Saanich on Vancouver Island. The dry-farmed vines grow in clay soil. Whole bunches ferment spontaneously and remain on skins for six weeks. Ageing takes place in two- to four-year-old French oak barrels, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Averill Creek 2024 Okeanós Pinot Noir & Gewürztraminer Co-Ferment
Canadian Rosé
White flowers, Nashi pear and apple skin meet delicate salinity, fresh acidity and a rich, creamy texture. Whole-bunch Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer are soaked in Salish Sea water, then drained, pressed and wild-fermented in older French oak. Nothing is added or removed. The fruit comes from Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, and the finished wine contains twelve percent alcohol.
Stag’s Hollow 2022 Renaissance Merlot
Canadian Red
Plump red cherry and plum appear with candied violet, cedar and cocoa nibs. The palate is polished and glycerious, with fresh acidity. The blend is ninety-four point nine percent Merlot, five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and zero point one percent Cabernet Franc. Its fruit comes from the gravel soils of a southwest-facing vineyard in Okanagan Falls, where small clusters and berries naturally limit yields.
Echo Bay 2022 Synoptic Red Blend
Canadian Red
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carménère and Petit Verdot make up the red blend. The grapes are organically grown and ferment with wild yeast. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered after sixteen months in French oak, fifteen percent new. Its fruit comes from Okanagan Falls in British Columbia, and the finished wine contains fourteen percent alcohol.
Burrowing Owl 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
Canadian Red
An intense nose presents ripe cassis and blueberry with graphite, iron, dried oregano, dried black olive and floral violet. The palate is dry and full-bodied, with firm ripe tannins and high acidity. Blackberry, paprika, espresso, mint and dark chocolate are also present. Deep ruby colour and a structured profile accompany these fruit and savoury elements.
Lariana Cellars 2022 Twenty Two Okanagan Valley Red
Canadian Red
Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for sixty-four percent of the blend, with Syrah and Carménère each at eighteen percent. Cabernet and Carménère are estate grown, while Syrah comes from Red Brick Vineyard. Fruit is destemmed and hand sorted before crushing. Maturation lasts sixteen months in oak. Blackcurrant, dark fruit, baker's chocolate and vanilla are present. The tannins are pleasant and approachable.
Echo Bay 2022 Petit Verdot Carménère
Canadian Red
Petit Verdot and Carménère each account for half of the blend. Wild-yeast fermentation is used, maturation lasts eighteen months in neutral French oak, and the wine is bottled without fining or filtration. The fruit comes from a five-acre southwest-facing slope in Okanagan Falls. The property has served as a gathering place for the family and its friends for more than five generations.