Wine Guy: Spring wine drops
The Wine Guy offers up three new releases that recently swirled through his wineglass
It’s official, the calendar has formally turned the page to spring.
Anecdotally the signs were there: crocuses have been sprouting, blossoms are burgeoning on the trees. But most telling for me? New wines have begun being released by local wineries.
Spring is always new wine season, and from here on in you can expect to see a multitude of new vintages and new wines altogether. This means whites and rosés from the 2020 harvest, along with 2019 reds and white wines that have been squired away in the cellar.
Here are a trio of new releases that recently swirled through my wineglass, with more in weeks to come!
Langley and Penticton-based Township 7 recently released a few new bottles, including their latest vintage of the fan-favourite 7 Blanc. This unabashedly aromatic white is predominantly Gewürztraminer blended with Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Muscat. It’s part of the winery’s Provenance Series aimed to “… showcase our beginnings, origins and authenticity,” and in the glass it’s all fruit cocktail, peach, and floral aromas. Lively and off-dry overall — yet with a smooth disposition — this white wine is tailor-made for the return of safe al fresco meals, whether served with a picnic or take-out Thai.
The 2019 vintage was cooler overall in British Columbia after a relatively hot spring, and while many 2019 whites have come and gone it’s great to see a number of others emerge from their slumber in oak barrels to see the light of shelves. Black Hills just released their latest Chardonnay, which is hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, and only sees French oak. Pouring a bright, light golden in the glass, the oak is nicely integrated — with aromas of caramel melding with citrus and green apple. There’s good balance, and overall this is a bright, fruity, and mellow Chardonnay.
Sandhill 2020 Rosé, British Columbia ($19.99, #583351)
This is the first 2020 B.C. wine to hit my glass. In contrast to 2019, last year saw a cooler start to the growing season followed by sunny and moderate weather during late summer and early fall. This led to less quantity of grapes overall, but the prime ripening conditions meant great potential quality, with many local winemakers quite optimistic for the vintage. Sandhill’s newest rosé continues the fun, approachable style of their pink wine from past years. A blend of Gamay and Merlot (in 65/35 proportion), it brings nuances of red berry and melon in a robust, suave style overall.