THE ADVOCATE 71
VOL. 80 PART 1 JANUARY 2022
lime, with some flinty minerality and white blossoms. The rich and almost
honeyed palate shows yellow peach, red apple, pear and some slightly
underripe pineapple. It has the piercing acidity on the finish that you
expect from Chenin that balances that bit of honey. This wine makes for a
great apéritif along with some soft cheeses, or will also pair with many
dishes, especially seafood or poultry in a richer sauce. A pork roast with
baked apples and onions is another good choice. It is available at private
wine stores including Marquis Wine Cellars, Liberty Wine Merchants and
Everything Wine.
LAKE BREEZE MERLOT 2019
BC VQA #500272 $24.00 (approx.)
This wine won a platinum award (the highest level) for Merlot at the 2021
Wine Align National Wine Awards of Canada, the only Merlot to do so. Lake
Breeze, founded in 1996, is one of the oldest wineries on the Naramata
Bench and its president and long-time winemaker, Garron Elmes, knows his
stuff. This wine has a dense and dark hue. The full nose displays black
cherry, plum, bitter chocolate and some cigar box tobacco. On the palate
are more intense dark fruit (black currant, black plum, cherry and raspberry)
with black tea, more bitter chocolate and sweet vanilla. It has a long
and satisfying finish. This Merlot will pair with many options, including
steak (to which I would add blue cheese and mushrooms), roast or grilled
chicken, pork tenderloin, Italian pastas or French cassoulet. It is available
at BC VQA wine stores and other private wine stores like Swirl Wine Store
and Everything Wine. Act fast, as it is a steal at its price and may soon sell
out.
CASA SANTOS LIMA LAB 2018
VR Lisboa, Portugal #736165 $11.99
This is the bargain basement wine in this edition’s column, another
absolute steal for the price. It won gold at the 2019 Concours Mondial Bruxelles.
Add it to your mid-week wines. The Lisboa wine region of Portugal
lies along the Atlantic close to Lisbon, primarily north and west of the city.
As with most red wines from this region, this one is a blend of Touriga
Nacional and Tinto Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain), but with additions of Syrah
and Cabernet Franc. It is apparently named for a black Lab at the winery.
The wine is very aromatic with notes of ripe black cherry and red raspberry,
with floral notes and vanilla but also a streak of black tea. The soft
and smooth palate is full of black plum and more cherry, along with black
currant and some green tobacco, leading to fine tannins that take over at the