Tinhorn Creek Oldfields Collection Merlot 2002 Sunday, Mar 11 2007
Tasting Notes and Canada and Variety and Red and merlot et al
I used to think Canada was a cool climate kind of place. The Okanagan Valley has a warm end near Osoyoos and a cooler end past Kelowna. The warm end can produce good Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot. Interesting to note that this wine also contains 13% Cab Franc and 1% Syrah. This wine was from a winery that has vineyards in several parts of the warm end. The colour has a medium red hue and the aromas are rather tempting plum and a little spice with a hint of cherry. The palate is very rich and the ripe plum flavours are in balance with a soft level of oak that adds a touch of caramel spice at the back of the palate. The winery was one of the first in North America to switch to screwcaps and if you want to hear me babbling on to the winemaker, Sandy Oldfield click here
Tasted : Mar07
Alcohol : 14.2%
Price : $28
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2007 - 2010
Source : Cellar Door
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A friend brought this back for the Pinot Cup. I knew it was present but did not recognize it in the assembled 14.
Most will know that I brought the odd bottle back from Canada to try here alongside some good benchmarks, this was one of them. Served masked it positively oozed peachy fruit with sweet oak and a touch of vanilla. The palate was rich and very nice. The colour was a bit developed for a 2004 so I suspect either the cork has had an influence or it really is just moving along quickly. Very pleasant but alongside some great bench marks it was not as good as first impressions. But, if you visit Canada and see the name I would be confident to suggest you try their wines.
It is well known that I love Gamay and Pinot Noir so when we found a restaurant called Le Beaujolais in Banff it seemed like an obvious place to eat at. The owner, Albert Moser is a true professional restauranteur of great skills. The meal was one of the highlights of our trip to Canada. We have experienced top 3 star restaurants in France and would rate the quality of the food as being up there. I saw the La Roche Beaujolais from 1999 on the list and couldn’t resist. It was one of the best red wines I have ever had, possibly at its peak.
This was the end of our touring across Canadian wine country and it was an absolute highlight. My conclusion about the Okanagan wines is that they range from over cropped and tannic to very very good. We found great examples of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Shiraz, Gamay, Pinot Noir and even……. Cabernet Sauvignon. When they get crop levels right eg under 3 tonnes an acre plus have a well run vineyard the results are very good. Amazing how neat, trimmed, leaf plucked vines look nicer too. I am now off to investigate Central Coast California.
Dark colour and a brooding nose of cherry and plum. The palate is rich with obvious although not over the top oak that gives it a chocolate edge. The chocolate blends in really well with the plum notes. It has the best texture we have seen on any BC PN. A lovely wine that I suspect I am marking a little hard.
This is the best Pinot Gris we saw along the Okanagan Valley.
This wine is tight, lean and I believe, in the mold of the greats from Alsace. It has citrus and lime aromas that tantalize without being strong. We tasted this at Fairview cellars. A huge pickup came in and a guy came in with a box of wine, spoke to Bill, the owner and was about to be introduced to me when he said “David and Wendy Lloyd”. Matt used to work at Dromana Estate near us. He has moved here and seems very happy. The wine had some sugar but the acid was in super balance so having the luxury of the winemaker present I asked, 12g/l of sugar and acid. Once again the lime flavours had great length.
The wine is very bright with a hint of gold. The nose has citrus and mellon as the dominant aromas but it moves into the peach area as well. On the palate it is delicious. Forget all the descriptors, it is very drinkable to the end of the bottle. Long palate and a great example of New World Chardonnay at its best. Yes it is creamy, rich and has great length.
I am breaking my own rule with this wine, but it was very good. It too breaks the rules, it cropped at 4.5tonnes per acre yet got 15% and rich Cassis flavours without any sign of the reviled green pepper flavours. It is very dark and the nose just oozes cassis. Is it too ripe? Nearly but the tannins are supple and the fruit is generous. The flavours are very long with no nasty distractions. The proprietor met me at the Toasted Oak wine bar/restaurant and along with some friends kidnapped us to his winery. The aim was to challenge my beliefs about all cabernet being a waste of vineyard space. The quality of this wine forced me to eat humble pie.
After the experience of the Chardonnay my expectations had been lowered. The key factor seems to be that this is the lowest of their range and the price reflects it.
I bet few of you have heard of this place. But it makes a lot of noise in Canada and my challenge to you is to tell me the links with it, Wolf Blass and New Zealand. A bottle of my 2004 Chardonnay to the first response that I think gets it right. They have three levels of wine, Estate, Reserve and Five Vineyards.
This wine was our first for Canada. We have managed to obtain their Family Reserve Gamay and Pinot Noir before but not their Chardonnay. This wine would not look out of place in a line up of good Chardonnays from Margaret River. The cool climate led me to expect citrus melon style Chardonnay but this has plenty of Peach and nut flavours. The oak is under-stated and is in great balance with the fruit. It has power and subtle edges that suggest quality. No wonder Australian Chardonnay producers find it hard to break into Canada.
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