WTN: Canada Day wines

[Jenise]

2010 Blue Mountain Chardonnay Striped Label Reserve Okanagan Valley
Odd experience, drinking this. Has the weight, intensity and structure of serious wine, but is missing the apple-pear-lemon flavors typical of serious chardonnay. Instead, it's pure lemon-lime--the flavor of Yellow Tail. Does not compute!

2004 Black Hills Estate Nota Bene Okanagan Valley VQA Red Bordeaux Blend
Garnet color, fully mature, tires quickly in the glass. My first of three bottles, and looks like I missed the boat. Bill, why didn't you warn me!

Odd showing from that Nota Bene - should be hitting stride now.

May have to convene au jardin and do a mini vertical to see if that is typical. I opened a 2002 awhile ago and it was OK.

[Jenise]

Odd showing from that Nota Bene - should be hitting stride now.

May have to convene au jardin and do a mini vertical to see if that is typical. I opened a 2002 awhile ago and it was OK.

You did open one of your 04's in the garden three or so years ago--a match off, as it were, to a Randy Dunn-produced cabernet with WA grapes for Long Shadows that I brought. Didn't seem anywhere near peak, as I recall. But sadly, reviewers on Cellar Tracker are pretty unanimous (and that's unusual, there are usually a few who understand mature wine and many who don't) about this one having peaked in the last two years. Mine was right in line with the curve you'd draw based on other reviews.

Drat!

I think the bunch I have left will take me through wine lunches until December!

[Jenise]

Mind you, Bill, it was drinkable. But it's very mature compared to Washington reds from the same vintage, and it doesn't hold up well in the glass. A pretty short arc for ten years. Had any of the vintages since then? I'll go check CellarTracker reports. This bottle was the first we've opened from our stash.

[Jenise]

Bill, took a look at recent notes on the 05 and 06. Re the 05, a year plus ago a reviewer, who was also one of the reviewers of the 04, said "This is still hanging in there, tannin's have melted away and there is still a decent amount of fruit, Everything is very soft and round with some deep savory notes. This paired very well with an smoked cheddar from Ilchester available at Costco and another strong cheddar." We better check on that vintage. And of the 06's, "DREDWARDO" (remember Dr. Ed? I'm sure this is him) said exactly one year ago that it "was hitting on all bases". Sounds good, but might be peaking earlier than expected.

How about a 4-5 vintage garden vertical? See what they are doing?

Hmm, sad to hear this. I guess young wines and early days will often lead to this...

Hmm, sad to hear this. I guess young wines and early days will often lead to this...

Want to attend the vertical, John (when are you in town?)