710 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2022
BEAR RIVER EMBOLDENED 2020
Bear River, Nova Scotia $23.00
This is a blend of Baco Noir and Maréchal Foch with an alcohol content of
12.5 per cent. To increase intensity the winemaker did a saignée bleed of
the free run juice before fermentation. Dark purple and still young, it fills
the profile expected for Baco and Foch, with a load of black fruit on the
nose, including black currant, blackberry and blueberry, with undertones
of green tobacco. The palate is again black currant, slightly unripe plum,
cherry and some bitter chocolate and a note of green herbs, with a spicy but
soft and balanced finish. Hybrids like Baco and Foch have avid fans and avid
detractors, with wineries in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia producing
great versions. This well-made blend will appeal to the fans. Try it
with a rich lamb or beef stew, or roast chicken or again a BBQ steak.
And now back to British Columbia:
KITSCH ESTHER’S BLOCK RIESLING 2019
BC VQA Okanagan Valley #824244 $25.00 (approx.)
This wine is, in a word, vibrant. From the winery’s own vines, it has bright
lime and lemon curd, streaks of citrus and green apple on the nose, and it
bursts on the palate with a mix of green citrus and tropical fruit (lime, green
pineapple) laced with mineral on its long and slightly off-dry finish. Like
Tidal Bay wines, it is made for seafood or white fish, or to be served with a
mix of cheeses. The wine is available from the winery in person or online,
private wine outlets or in some cases Save-On-Foods. Like all the B.C. wines
reviewed here, I purchased it from the BC Wine Information Centre in Penticton,
which does online ordering and shipping.
SPEARHEAD COYOTE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2019
BC VQA Okanagan Valley #178679 $39.00 (approx.)
From famous Dijon clone 115, this wine was fermented on wild yeasts with
extensive pre- and post-fermentation skin contact and aged 13 months in
French oak. It has the best characteristics of a cool-climate Pinot: a nose of
fragrant violets and raspberries, mixed with light cherry, warm vanilla and
a waft of spice, followed on a juicy palate of raspberry, red currant, red
plum and raspberry with hints of green tobacco and ash and a lifted, long
finish. Textbook Pinot Noir. Being of a lighter nature (a great thing in my
opinion), it will go well with salmon or chicken or pork done with a creamy
sauce (think of any one of these meats in a mushroom sauce to pick up the
earthiness), or pre-dinner cheeses and charcuterie.