Best Buy! The Gehringer family’s involvement in the historic Becker Project by Geisenheim viticulturist Helmut Becker in the 1980s led to their extended plantings of Ehrenfelser, a cross of Riesling and Silvaner developed by Becker. Here is Gehringer’s 18th Platinum with that early-ripening variety that survived the Okanagan Valley’s historic killing freeze of a year ago. The … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Ehrenfelser, Okanagan Valley $16.99
British Columbia
LA FRENZ Winery 2022 Freedom 75 Vineyard Estate Riesling 21B, Naramata Bench $21.50
Best Buy! These pioneers on British Columbia’s Naramata Bench have now earned 24 career Platinums from our panels, and a whopping nine of those have been of the unanimous variety. Remarkably, this is only the second time that the Martin family has received a Platinum for Riesling. They planted Freedom 75 across the road from their winery in 2011, and clone 21B is credited to … [Read more...] about LA FRENZ Winery 2022 Freedom 75 Vineyard Estate Riesling 21B, Naramata Bench $21.50
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Optimum Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley $25.99
Estate-grown Pinot Noir is sorted into three bottlings at Gehringer Brothers, but only the best lots make it into the Optimum tier. This is the third Platinum for Pinot Noir won by these German-trained winegrowers. It’s loaded with fruit, sweet oak and spice notes, hitting on raspberry, Montmorency cherry, burnt caramel and white pepper. Velvety tannins make flavors stream … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Optimum Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley $25.99
Lake Breeze Vineyards 2021 Okanagan Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench $33
Well into his third decade as a South African making wine on the Naramata Bench, Garron Elmes works with estate vineyards for this deliciously fruity Pinot Noir that’s emblematic of the efforts by vineyard manager Pierre Levesque. Fresh blueberries and strawberry sauce follow up the early greeting of cola and baking spice. Herbal notes akin to bay leaf and Earl Grey tea lead to … [Read more...] about Lake Breeze Vineyards 2021 Okanagan Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench $33
Stag’s Hollow Winery 2022 Tragically Vidal, Okanagan Valley $20
Best Buy! Sommelier-turned-winemaker Keira LeFranc waits until after the first frost before she harvests this cool-climate hybrid of Trebbiano and Rayon d’Or. During the 2022 “Hail Mary” vintage, that was the first week of November from Parsons Vineyard (Skaha Bench) and Stag’s Hollow Estate Vineyard (Okanagan Falls). Fanciful aromas include lychee, Bartlett pear, pineapple and … [Read more...] about Stag’s Hollow Winery 2022 Tragically Vidal, Okanagan Valley $20