British Columbia Critics’ Picks April 2016

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. All are currently available for sale in BC.

Here’s a tidy six pack that excited Rhys and I this month. It’s obvious we’re both enjoying the heat wave warming the west, with this line up of crisp whites, brisk fizz and juicy reds. From our backyard to Burgundy and a skip to Friuli, this is what is on our tables this month.

Cheers ~ TR

Rhys Pender MW

As warm spring days increase in both frequency and temperature, so too does the need for intense and crisp white wines. Riesling, fresh chardonnay, muscadet, picpoul and the like are all finding a spot in the fridge ready for those warm evenings.

My first choice is a well-known BC wine that routinely delivers top quality. The new release of the Tantalus Old Vines Riesling is the 2013 and it is a very good one. Not just intense and packed with refreshing acidity, it is also a very complex wine. I would drink some now but also stick six bottles away for cellaring to see how it develops over the next decade or so.

A wine I can never seem to get enough of is good white Burgundy. It is not easy to find and rarely inexpensive but usually worth a splurge to get something absolutely delicious. And the David Moret 2012 Cromin from Meursault was just that – elegant, complex, refreshing and seamless.

We get to taste a lot of different styles of BC merlot from the light, juicy and simple to the big blockbuster extracted style, all of which can be successful. Often the best style though seems to be where some elegance is maintained, often at the expense of big ripeness. I was impressed recently by the Bartier Brothers 2013 Merlot from their Cerqueira Vineyard. It has plenty of generous ripeness but maintains elegance and complexity at the same time. Delicious.

Treve Ring

This month was all about revisiting old favourites. Some were new releases of past charmers, some were new wines from trusted vintners and others looking at choice grapes through a new producer’s lens.

Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées l’Ancien Beaujolais 2013 is the former, the first time I’ve tasted the 2013, and certainly won’t be the last. L’Ancien, from gamay vines 50-80 years old, is savoury and lithe. Wild herbs, rasped stone, juicy wild raspberry and thorns are lifted with bright and lifted cherry and textured with mineral salts. Graceful, with a bamboo firm frame of tannins. I loved this with truffle salted frites and lardon decked endive. #GoGamayGo.

I’ve tracked Jay Drysdale’s sparkling career since pre-Bella Wines inception; he’s as much of a fizz-fan as I am. So I was delighted to taste his new pét-nat, the Bella Gamay Methode Ancestrale 2015. Six barrels from organic Beaumont Vineyard sat under his cherry trees and waited for a full wild ferment to do its thing (ferment finished in the winery to 11.2 percent alcohol). Zero additives, this was hand bottled and tagged; there is no label on the bottle itself, but a singular paper catalogue tag affixed by string to the cage. Wild, salted earth and stone, funky rhubarb and juicy, just crushed wild strawberries, this is subtle with a spark of intensity.

Always learning. Who knew there were 17 different types of malvasia in Italy? Ronco del Gelso 2014 Vigna della Permuta Malvasia Isonzo is malvasia istriana, grown on the gravelly soils of the Isonzo plains, near the sea. Opening with light perfumed pear and rose blossoms, this compact white shines lemon oil, gooseberry and hay along a linear, oily palate. Great snappy acidity, lingering with sea salt spiciness on the finish. A terrific partner to simple grilled white fish or moules, this will be one I revisit oft this summer.

For those of you in Vancouver, don’t miss the Great New Zealand Wine Tiki Tour which will be held on May 5th at the Terminal City Club. WineAlign members save with access code NZWA2016.

WineAlign in BC

In addition to our monthly Critics’ Picks report, we also publish the popular shortlist 20 Under $20, as well as the Rhys Pender’s BC Wine Report, a look at all things in the BC Wine Industry. Treve Ring pens a wandering wine column in Treve’s Travels, capturing her thoughts and tastes from the road. Lastly, Anthony Gismondi closes out the month with his Final Blend column – an expert insight into wine culture and trends, honed by more than 25 years experience as an influential critic.

Editors Note: You can find complete critic reviews by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names, bottle images or links. Paid subscribers to WineAlign see all critics reviews immediately. Non-paid members wait 60 days to see new reviews. Premium membership has its privileges; like first access to great wines!