Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 139

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
Our blind panels tasted 250 imported new-release wines for this issue. Our critics rated 57 as exceptional (90+) and 14 as Best Buys.
Joshua Greene reviews wines from Burgundy, Jura and Savoie; Stephanie Johnson reviews Italian wines; Tara Q. Thomas reviews
Canadian wines. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

CA N A DA :
B RI T I S H C O LU M B IA W HIT E
CHARDONNAY
122159

90 | MacIntyre Heritage
Reserve

$60

2014 Naramata Bench Astra ^ In 2016,
to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Lake
Breeze Vineyards, owners Drew and Barbara MacIntyre introduced this new label,
MacIntyre Heritage Reserve, and this chardonnay, sourced entirely from the family's
vineyard on the Naramata Bench. Threequarters fermented in barrels, the rest in
stainless steel, it balances golden apple richness and toasty lees notes with a fresh apple
crunch. The fruit is ripe, nearly sweet, but
the notes of green olives, sage and earth keep
the wine balanced and intriguing. Try it with
pork saltimbocca. § Accolade Brands, Studio
City, CA

PINOT GRIS

$28

2016 Okanagan Valley Pinot Gris ^ Its fullness falling between an Alsace gris and a
northern Italian grigio, this balances sunny
flavors of peaches and golden apples with
breezy acidity. A floral note adds to its
fresh appeal, and it finishes clean, ready for
roasted lake trout. § I.B. Imports, San Diego, CA

B RI T I S H C O LU M B IA RE D
PINOT NOIR
122096

91 | Quails' Gate

121876

90 | Painted Rock

$42

2015 Okanagan Valley Red Icon ^ Based on
merlot, with cabernet franc, malbec, petit
verdot and cabernet sauvignon blended in,
this is big, dark and peppery. Those pepper
notes skate close to jalapeño, but work in tandem with the acidity to lift the brambly fruit.
It's a very New World take on modern Bordeaux, a slick wine for a BC steak. § Kascadia
Wine Merchants, Los Gatos, CA

SYRAH

90 | Poplar Grove
$20

2016 Okanagan Valley Pinot Gris ^ As round
and smooth as a river stone, this wine's paraffin flavor and breadth hold a wealth of sweet
white-peach flavors. Orange-blossom notes
play around the edges, while a hidden acidity brings the wine to a clean close. For panroasted halibut this summer. § VinAccess Int'l,
San Rafael, CA
121924

90 | Wild Goose Vineyards

RED BLEND

121881

121880

91 | Poplar Grove

shows clearly in this pinot noir, with its
brisk, sappy sour-cherry fruit and earthy,
herbal aspects. It's as graceful as it is juicy,
yet it's no pushover: Grown on volcanic soils
around Mount Boucherie, it has a feral growl
of mineral flavor that keeps it firm and lasting. § Vinum Wine Importing and Distributing,
Seattle, WA

$23

2015 Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir ^ Winemaker Nikki Callaway's French training

$35

2014 Okanagan Valley Syrah ^ From a
long, warm growing season in southeastern
Osoyoos, this is dark and supple with black
plum fruit. Thirty percent new barrels in the
aging regimen added sultry notes of smoke
and spice, but not enough to cover up the
earthiness that gives it balance. § VinAccess
Int'l, San Rafael, CA

ON TA RIO WHITE
RIESLING
121893

93 | Cave Spring

$16

2016 Niagara Escarpment Riesling (Best
Buy) ^ This far outperforms its $16 price: It's a
powerful, elegant riesling in a Rheingau-like
mode. The ripeness of the warm, dry 2016
vintage comes across in the wine's texture,
nearly meaty with extract, but the flavors
are all about lime zest and stone. The acidity
keeps the wine feeling chiseled and lean, the
taut structure ready to take on something as
rich as roast sturgeon. § MGZ Associates, Clarence, NY
121887

93 | Hidden Bench

$37

92 | Cave Spring

$18

2015 Beamsville Bench Felseck Riesling ^
Felseck sits in a curve of the Niagara Escarpment that's particularly rich in limestone. In
2015, the wine it gave is ferociously mineral,
a tight, tangy mouthful of stony flavor catapulted forward by grapefruity acidity. Yet for
all its austerity, the wine feels rich, almost
waxy in its density, a smooth, sleek texture
to sheath its impressive musculature. If you
open it now, decant before serving; better
yet, leave it in the cellar for a few years. § Artisan Wines, Norwalk, CT
121891
2016 Beamsville Bench Estate Riesling
(Best Buy) ^ The Pennachetti family was
among the first riesling growers in the Niagara region, planting vines in 1978. This 2016
comes off some of the oldest vines, their concentrated fruit reflected in dense peach and
passion fruit flavors. Yet the wine is as dry
as stone, the nap of the mineral flavors and
the spice of alcohol lending texture and grip.
It's built for richer dishes, white meats and
cream-sauced fish, and could easily benefit
from a year or two in the cellar. § MGZ Associates, Clarence, NY
121872

92 | Flat Rock

2016 Twenty Mile Bench Nadja's Vineyard ^
Nadja's Vineyard sits at the highest point of
Flat Rock, 2.5 acres of riesling planted in 2001
on a limestone rise. This wine is whole-bunch
pressed and fermented with a mix of cultured
and ambient yeasts, producing a super-juicy
riesling bursting with lime and tropical fruit
flavors. Those flavors last, carried on brisk,
taut acidity that brings the wine to a clean,
crisp finish. As one taster remarked, "Crushable now, but with a long life ahead." §
121888

90 | Hidden Bench

$30

WINE & SPIRITS

139

2015 Beamsville Bench Riesling ^ Cool and
lean, this provides a supple wash of mineral
flavors with a lemon-lime brightness. Quiet
and firm, it would be an elegant pairing with
lake trout. § The Hirsch Collection, Berkeley
Lake, GA
121853

APRIL 2018

http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2018