Viticultural advancement, climate changes and winemaking talent by Rob Van Westen are all reflected in this Platinum-winning Right Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend of Merlot (47%), Cabernet Franc (25%), Malbec (12%), Cabernet Sauvignon (8%) and Petit Verdot. It’s the 12th vintage for his Roman 5 blend, dating to 2007, with the plantings of Petit Verdot and Malbec — and most of the … [Read more...] about Van Westen Vineyards 2020 V Red Wine, Naramata Bench $40
British Columbia
Lake Breeze Vineyards 2020 Okanagan Merlot, Naramata Bench $29.50
In 2001, the MacIntyres invested in this British Columbia wine destination that began 16 years earlier with the planting of 14 acres of vineyards — some of the earliest on the bench above Penticton. They recently acquired 2 acres of neighboring land to provide ingredients for menu items at The Patio, which would include grilled pork chops for this impressive Merlot. Black … [Read more...] about Lake Breeze Vineyards 2020 Okanagan Merlot, Naramata Bench $29.50
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Private Reserve Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley $17.99
Best Buy! The brothers received formal education in enology (Walter) and viticulture (Gordon), and they let folks know they take an Italian angle to their Pinot Gris program even though they don’t use Grigio on the label. It opens with Bosc pear, lime, honeysuckle and minerality aromas, and those follow through on the palate. There’s a swabbing of sweetness on the midpalate … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Private Reserve Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley $17.99
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Old Vines Auxerrois, Golden Mile Bench $16.99
Best Buy! This vintage delivered to this Okanagan Valley icon its 12th Platinum just for Auxerrois, a remarkably long honor roll that includes the past two vintages. A grape that thrives in Alsace, it produces a wine with subtle notes of chamomile, a freshly mowed fairway and star thistle honey. The fluid is light-bodied with more chamomile, Bosc pear, a lick of caramel and a … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Old Vines Auxerrois, Golden Mile Bench $16.99
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2022 Viognier, Okanagan Valley $23.99
Great Northwest Wine’s 2023 British Columbia Winery of the Year continues to wow West Coast critics with its Viognier program. Mark Hopley earned a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle for the 2021 vintage, and he pulled down one of the few Platinums our panel awarded to the finicky white Rhône grape in 2023. This bottling from Hester Creek’s Storied Series was harvested … [Read more...] about Hester Creek Estate Winery 2022 Viognier, Okanagan Valley $23.99