British Columbia Critics’ Picks – January 2015

Our monthly BC Critics’ Picks is the place to find recent recommendations from our intrepid and curious BC critics – wines that cross geographical boundaries, toe traditional style lines and may push limits – without being tied to price or distribution through BCLDB or VQA stores. All are currently available for sale in BC.

It doesn’t take long for our BC team to settle back into work after the holidays. We’ve been led by our stomachs (pairing to comfort foods), our schedules (prep for Vancouver International Wine Festival), celebration planning (Chinese New Year), and our natural instinct for great deals (Rhys’ port pick below) in this month’s selections.

Cheers ~ TR

Anthony Gismondi

With a foot still dragging in 2014 (post-holiday catch up) I’ve already got my eyes on February, and Vancouver International Wine Festival. The BC team will have lots of coverage on the festival next month, but since seminar/interview/coverage planning is well underway now (as are ticket sales), my mind is in VIWF mode.

Australia is the theme region, and Penfolds will be well represented. The Penfolds 2012 Shiraz – Mourvèdre Bin 2 is drinking well right now, particularly when poured with warming roasts.

Shiraz is in the spotlight, so we’ll be tasting dozens of examples from around the globe. One BC winery showing the grape due respect is Stag’s Hollow, and their 2011 Syrah has the freshness, black fruit flavours, florals and acidity we look for.

Of course, there’s a world of wine not represented at VIWF. Bodegas Arrocal 2009 Seleccion Ribera del Duero will transport you to Spain’s rugged landscape with its intense black fruit, leather and tobacco flavours. Pour this now with roast lamb, or cellar for a few years.

DJ Kearney

For me, right now, it’s all things Italian. Mid-winter makes me get into the kitchen and braise, stir and slow-cook deep flavours that demand lusty, earthy reds with a juicy edge – in other words, Italian reds.

Ragu first… my partner and I have ragu smack-downs which serve to fulfill our competitive spirits and the freezer. He favours a silky three-meat version simmered for (interminable) hours with milk, and I (quickly) sizzle up an all pork and calabrese sausage rendition with heavy wine deglazings and globs of bomba stirred in along the way. This time we opened the benchmark Ruffino 2011 Chianto Classico, alive with plummy fruit and a good thrust of sangiovese’s trademark acidity from this early, ripe and abundant vintage.

A Bolgheri Rosso provided stark contrast of both cépage and vintage, and the Ceralti 2012 Scirè showed impressive structure, fruit and persistence.

For a wild mushroom risotto, no other wine than the Masi 2006 Serego Alighieri Vaio Armaron would do – rich, savoury, powerful, maturing. With food and wine this good, winter can stay all year. Well not really, but another month is ok.

Rhys Pender MW

There is something special to find a wine that is big and burly but also structured and with some freshness. Seghesio is a Zin specialist with a great range of wines and while not cheap, they are excellent quality. The 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel from 90 year old vines in Alexander and Dry Creek valleys in Sonoma is everything Zinfandel should be.

A good homegrown wine that impresses every vintage is the Poplar Grove Syrah. The 2011, a very cool vintage, shows that Syrah can still be delicious even in chilly vintages. It is peppery and delicious now but should also cellar nicely.

Port houses occasionally do us the lovely favour of releasing some older vintage wines from their cellars. Not only are the wines ready to drink but they are often very reasonably priced.

There are still a few cases of the Croft 1991 Vintage Port left in BC Liquor Stores at just $80 a 750ml bottle, $40 less than the current 2011 release. Definitely worth a splurge to see what a 20+ year old wine tastes like.

Treve Ring

Though the holiday season is a fading memory for some, it hasn’t even culminated for others. Chinese New Year is February 19, and celebrations will be welcoming in the year of the Sheep.

You might not think of pairing wine with your Chinese New Year feast, but Haywire’s recently released, limited edition Lunar New Year duo should urge you to reconsider. Scoop these quickly, because only 200 cases of each were made. The Haywire 2013 Lunar New Year White is a fresh, white aromatic blend to pour alongside fragrant curries or citrus slicked noodles with prawns, while the Haywire 2012 Lunar New Year Red is a gamay-based blend that will complement caramel chicken or Peking duck.

Of course, you needn’t have a special occasion to crack a special bottle. Pentâge Winery’s 2011 Rousanne Marsanne Viognier has the weight and texture to stand up to January’s heartier foods, and enough of the fragrant Skaha Bench orchard fruit to have you dreaming of warmer times ahead. I poured with seared tuna and hazelnut endive salad.

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