WEEKEND WINE PICKS

Tantalus Maija Pinot Noir 2022, Okanagan Valley $30.45 I 90/100 UPC:

626990106203 Fruit for this Pinot Noir came off the youngest estate blocks of Dijon plantings at Tantalus, along with some off-site but neighbouring fruit. It is native fermented and drained into seasoned and 10 per cent new French oak barriques for 11 months. This wine has an amazing, upbeat, clean, juicy Pinot fruit character aided and abetted by world-class textures. Rich, spicy cherry notes with a perfect barrel toast and more crushed raspberries on the mid-palate with an earthy, sweet, soft, round, persistent finish with a dusting of minerality.

Poplar Grove Pinot Noir 2022, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley $34.99 I 90/100 UPC:

696852044202 The first ever Poplar Grove Pinot Noir is the 2022, due to be released in June. The Holler family purchased the site at the southern end of the Naramata bench and planted several French clones. The wine has a slippery, silky texture immediately indicating it is Pinot. The entry is smooth and earthy with a rush of dark red plum fruit dusted with baking spices reminiscent of New Zealand, combining the fruity Marlborough style with a touch of richer Central Otago output. Ready to drink.

Little Engine Elevation Pinot Noir 2023, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley $38 I 89/100

UPC:

626990285229 This was completed in stainless steel from fermentation to aging. It was picked on Oct. 4 and bottled roughly six months later, released in ready-to-drink mode. The nose is a contrasting mix of ripe black cherries and what the French say is an earthy barnyard note. Round and rich with a touch of cola and candied plums, it finishes with a slurry of fine-grained tannin. This is New World in a good way, and, as mentioned, it is one to drink now. Think cedar-planked salmon.

Spearhead Pinot Noir Braided Hill Vineyard 2022, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley $39 I 89/100

UPC: 696852062978

A new label at Spearhead, this East Kelowna Pinot is fruit-forward and presents soft, silky round textures with a hint of upfront sweetness. Fresh raspberries, plums and red cherries follow, with some classic earthy mushrooms in the finish. Ready and fun to drink, the winery suggests you serve it with Manchego cheese or mushroom risotto.

Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Micro Cuvée Mclean Creek Vineyards 2022, Okanagan Falls $58.35 I 91/100 UPC:

808755010677 Micro Cuvée is a barrel selection from the Mclean Creek Vineyard that opens with a slightly reduced barnyard, earthy nose streaked with black cherries, blueberries and brown spices. Autumnal forest, dried florals and cherry leather rule the middle palate and finish, which is long and silky. It is a mix of clones: Pommard 91 and Dijon 114, 115 and 667 planted over sloping sand and gravel soils. Winemaker Chris Carson starts the fermentation in stainless steel before moving into 50 per cent new French oak, which remains for 11 months.