A couple of weeks ago I attended Swirl Wine Store's first Grand red wine blind tasting. It was a great event in store put on by Jeff and Michelle at the Yaletown location. Swirl Wines is a BC VQA store and one of my favorite wine stores in the city. All wines sold there are 100% BC grown and they have a great selection so you don't have to drive to the Okanagan.
Upon arriving I was given a scoring sheet with 18 slots so I already knew I'm getting my $35 worth. All that we were told was that the wines were red blends, tasted blind, were decanted a couple of hours before and ranged in price from $33 up to $144. I had a great tasting at a fun table and enjoyed their little tasting twist. Instead of tasting 18 wines, we were poured wines #1 & #9 again as wines #17 & #18. It was a re-introduction to compare your notes and see if you scored them the same. I won't go through all the wines and just hit my top 5.
Wines in the order I scored them:
#5 - Tinhorn Creek - 2 Bench Red - 2011 - $33.03
- 39% Cab Franc, 35% Merlot, 24% Cab Sauv, 2% Petit Verdot
A bit light and distinct with blackcurrant, some vanilla plum, and pencil shavings. Has a bit of tobacco and smokey mocha on the palate. Spent 18 months in a mix of new and old oak, great value and the cheapest of the tasting.
#4 -Road 13 - 5th Element 2011
- 57% Merlot, 21%Cab Franc, 10% Syrah, 7% Cab Sauv, 2%Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Aromas of toasted almonds, blackberry, with some floral notes.. The palate brings some cedar, and chocolate dark berries with smooth balanced tannins. Spent 16 months in french oak
#3 -Blackwood Lane - Reference - 2008- $143.48
- Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Rich and complex with with a long finish and many years left in it. On the nose there was blackcurrant, juicy dark berries, vanilla and hint of cigar ash. The palate has flavours black cherry, coffee mocha, and sweet vanilla with an afterthought of cedar, spice and everything nice. Aged in french oak and takes a methodical 5 years from harvest to release
#2 -Cassini Cellars - Godfather - 2011- $65.21
- Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah
Nice well balanced and will be long lived. With intense aromas of ripe cherry, black currant, and some dark chocolate latte. Nice long finish with tasty nuances climbing from it's depths. Spent 24 months in new french oak barrels giving nice caramel and toasty cedar notes.
#1 -Persus - Invictus - 2013 - $49.46
- 42% Cab Franc, 38% Merlot, 13% Cab Sauv, 7% Malbec
Great complexity on my highest scored wine of the night and the only one with Cab Franc as the dominate grape. It had intense aromas of black cherry chocolates, mushrooms and a bit of minerality with some pencil shavings. On the palate it is well balanced and velvety smooth; with flavours of chocolate licorice, ripe cherry, and toasted cedar. Aged in french oak 31% of it new.
So if you need an excuse for a nice bottle of wine any of these should satisfy your palate.
Other Wines tasted that night:
Osooyos Larose - Grand Vin - 2012
Serendipity - Serenata - 2010
Sandhill - Sandhill One - 2012
Bonamici - Belviaggio - 2012
Painted Rock - Red Icon - 2013
Lariana - Twelve - 2012
Church & State - Quintessential - 2011
Hillside - Mosaic - 2009
Poplar Grove - Legacy - 2011
Laughing Stock - Portfolio - 2013
Mission Hill - Quatrain - 2011
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