Bob and I went camping for a few days in the hinterlands of BC, and enjoyed these while away.
2016 Sandhill Syrah Sandhill Estate Vineyard Okanagan Valley VQA
At $18-20C probably the best value syrah in the province. Medium bodied and stylishly gamey with bacon and violets, traditional syrah fruit with fennel and the weeist bit of road tar on the finish. Balanced and refreshing. Very good.
2017 CedarCreek Estate Winery Chardonnay Okanagan Valley VQA
A little too much toast for my preferences but otherwise a very pleasant $17 chardonnay with good varietal character and minerality. Good.
2016 JoieFarm Gamay Okanagan Valley VQA
Nicely captures the essence of Beaujolais Villages in a way few new world gamays seem to do. Raspberry and strawberry fruit with a pleasant herbaceousness reminiscent of thyme and geranium leaf. Very good.
2018 Mission Hill Pinot Gris Reserve Okanagan Valley VQA
Purchased the others elsewhere, then a few days later this one at a closet-sized BC Liquor in the tiny town of Hope where, despite my aversion to Mission Hill's mega-winery size, this particular bottle was the only thing in the store that had any hope of being above plonk. The hunch paid off: classy expression of the grape that puts a lot of distance between the cheap bar wine versions and these few worthy of fine dining without laying on the oak. Creamy pear and lemon curd notes with perfectly balanced acidity and minerality. So good that we picked up a few more on our way home. Excellent.
