With the holiday season upon us, I was invited to the Iconic Wineries of British Columbia to check out their holiday cheer at The Kent downtown.  In addition to wines to sample and recommend for the holiday season, we were also treated to savour holiday-inspired canapés prepared by the talented Estate Chefs from CedarCreek, Liquidity and Mission Hill.  The wineries participating in this event are:

Mission Hill Family Estate
CedarCreek Estate Winery 
Martin’s Lane Winery
CheckMate Artisanal Winery
Liquidity Wines
Red Barn at Jagged Rock
Road 13 Vineyards

There were many noteworthy wines to recommend from this event.  I’ve listed the best of the best, in my opinion.  The wines have a wide range of prices with some being in the splurge category.  Purchase what works for you.

My Recommended Wines from Iconic Wineries of BC

Martin’s Lane Winery Naramata Ranch Vineyard Riesling 2022 (BC $ Member Exclusive) – A light stone fruit nose.  Dry, medium-plus body with a smooth, viscous mouthfeel.  Medium-plus acidity.  A mix of stone fruits and touches of mint and bitterness on the palate. A hint of prickle on your tongue.  Medium-plus length with a mix of bitter and tartness on the finish.

Checkmate Artisanal Winery Little Pawn Chardonnay 2021 (BC $ Member Exclusive) – it has light aromas of butterscotch and oak.  Medium-plus body with a thicker, silky smooth mouthfeel.  I enjoyed the flavours of butterscotch and bruised apples, plus touches of oak and sweet spices.  Medium-plus length.

Liquidity Wines Rosé of Pinot Noir 2023 (BC $30) – It has a pale peach colour.  A light strawberry nose.  Dry, medium-minus body, with a soft, lightly round mouthfeel.  Strawberries on the palate with light oak and red fruit flavours.  Medium-plus length.  A delicate wine.

Liquidity Wines Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 (BC $60) – A clear medium-minus garnet colour.  Lighter, bright red fruit and stony aromas.  Medium body with a smooth mouthfeel.  Medium acidity and tannins.  Red fruit, toast, floral, and oak on the palate. Medium-plus length.  A quality wine.

Liquidity Wines Dividend 2020 (BC $40) – This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak.  It has a deep, clear ruby colour.  Medium-intensity floral and berry fruit aromas.  This wine is dry with medium acidity and lighter tannins.  Quite fruity with juicy berries, capsicum and a touch of pepperiness. A crowd pleaser.

Checkmate Artisanal Winery Opening Gambit 2020 (BC $ Member Exclusive) – Made from the Merlot grape.  This wine is opaque ruby in the glass.  Medium intensity plus cassis and juicy berries aromas with more on the palate.  Dry with a smooth mouthfeel.  Medium-plus tannins that are fine-grained and sit in the background.  Balanced fruit flavours, body, tannins and acidity.  Medium-plus length.  A drying tannic finish.  Buy this wine and cellar it for 4-5 years before opening. –

Martin’s Lane Winery Naramata Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 (BC $105.99) – Medium intensity, clear garnet colour.  Light red fruit, toast and grape stem aromas with more on the palate.  It is dry, with a lean, smooth mouthfeel.  Nice juicy berry fruit flavours. 

Road 13 Vineyards John Oliver Selection 5th Element 2020 (BC $65) – a Merlot dominant Bordeaux blend with Syrah added.  It has a dull, medium-intensity garnet colour.  Light berry fruit aromas.  Dry, medium body, round, but has a firm tannic backbone.  Juicy berry fruit flavours.  Medium acidity.  This wine tastes young and fresh but should be able to age nicely over the next 4-5 years.

Mission Hill Family Estate Compendium 2019 (BC $80) – A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (44%), Merlot (30%), and Cabernet Franc (26%). It’s big brother is Oculus.  Compendium may be more approachable when younger than Oculus, but both are fantastic wines.  This vintage has a medium-plus intensity clear garnet colour.  Medium-intensity aromas of red and black fruits and a touch of capsicum.  Medium-plus body, dry, with a lightly smooth mouthfeel.  Firm, but fine tannins.  Medium acidity.  Black cherries and ripe black fruit flavours, plus a touch of sweet spices.  A firm tannic backbone.  Medium-plus length with dry berry fruit finish. –

Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus 2020 (BC $225.99) – This is BC’s first iconic red wine.  Mission Hill’s success with Oculus helped establish British Columbia as a serious player on the global wine stage, spurring more wineries in the region to experiment with premium Bordeaux and Rhône varieties. This wine was pivotal in elevating BC’s wine reputation, showing that the region could produce age-worthy, complex red wines.

This vintage of Oculus was just released the week of this event, so it is still quite young, and can easily be aged for a few years before opening.  The winery notes that this vintage should be in top condition till 2035.  It is a blend of Merlot (49%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%), Cabernet (22%), and Petit Verdot (5%). It has a medium-intensity juicy berry fruit nose.  Medium body, smooth mouthfeel.  Medium acidity and medium-plus fine-grained tannins.  Deep, intense black fruit, juicy berries and butteriness on the palate.  Medium-plus length with pepperiness on the finish. –

Where Can I Buy These Wines?

You can purchase these wines online directly from each winery:

Mission Hill Family Estate
CedarCreek Estate Winery 
Martin’s Lane Winery
CheckMate Artisanal Winery
Liquidity Wines
Red Barn at Jagged Rock
Road 13 Vineyards

Some of these wines are available at BC Liquor stores and at private stores like Artisan Wine Shop, Everything Wine, and Marquis Wine Cellars.  I recommend checking each of their websites for the particular wine you are interested in purchasing before going to the store.

Gift Boxes

Some of these wineries also assembled wine gift boxes which you can purchase. 

Mission Hill Gift Sets: https://www.missionhillwinery.com/collection/holiday-gifts

Road 13 Advent Calendar: https://www.road13vineyards.com/2024-holiday-advent-calendar/

Artisan Wine Shop (info will be available online soon): https://www.artisanwineshop.ca/

I see that BC Liquor stores have a Best of Mission Hill gift box as well.

The post Iconic Wineries of British Columbia Holiday Preview 2024 appeared first on MyWinePal.