Jun. 10, 2009 - Issue #712: Hot Summer Guide 2009
Veni, Vidi, Vino
White before Labour Day
Hey it's summer, why not pick up something on the lighter side?
Golden Mile Chardonnay 2006 was not the best of the bunch. I hesitate to use the word worst, as it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't that good. This deep yellow wine with the appearance of apple juice offered a simplistic nose with only a hint of fruit. This wine's structure is awfully reliant on an oak backbone and offers little else for body. Some fruit does make its way to the palate but overall, this is an uninteresting wine.
Next, I ventured to some of the new Tinhorn Creek whites. I started with their 2008 Pinot Gris ($16.50). Blended from grapes from two vineyards, Tinhorn suggests this to be "the liveliest, most refreshing P.G." they have ever made. I can't comment on whether that's true, but I believe there is still improvement to be made on this wine. This golden yellow wine emits a refreshing but simple nose. The juice offers nice fruit at the front, particularly apple, which complements the body of the wine, leading to a pleasant finish. Though this is a nice wine, it never seems to grab one's attention. But at less than $20 a bottle, it is still a good buy for a hot day.
Next, I ventured to the tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series 2008 ($23). This is a blend of Semillion, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with hints of Viognier and Muscat. This wine shows as a watery yellowy hue but what it lacks in appearance, it offers in odors. The smell pops into one's nose, offering a crisp floral aroma with hints of citrus. The structure of this wine is well built with a good backbone as the wine oozes toward the back of the palate. It hits the taste buds with spice and good fruit, particularly of pear. The only aspect of the wine I found wanting was a lack of aftertaste, even a hint, but if you keep drinking, that shouldn't be a problem.
Lastly, I tried the 2008 La Frenz Viognier ($34), the most expensive of the wines I tried. Boy was it ever worth it. This clean, light yellow wine offered an amazingly clean nose with both floral and fruit notes. The wine fills the mouth, even after just a sip. The sugars coat the tongue offering a great basis for the wine to flow to the back of the palate. On its way there, you can experience tremendous flavours, most strongly of apricots, and a hint of sweetness. Why do they make this only in 750 ml bottles? Perhaps if they made it in IV bags, I could just plug it into my veins! V
Possibly related stories
New comments for this entry have been turned off and any existing ones are hidden. We apologize for any inconvenience.
