Covetously conventional

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/12/2023 (861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last week’s Uncorked offered off-the-beaten-track wines to pair with that festive feast of turkey and all the trimmings.

This week features seven wines — four whites and three reds, listed roughly from lightest to heaviest — that are more conventional (but no less delicious) choices for your holiday meal.

I’m out of town on a little adventure, but I’ll be back in the coming weeks with last-minute gifts for wine/drinks lovers, some sparkling wine picks for New Year’s Eve and other festive holiday events and more.

The Thomas Goss 2022 Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills, Australia — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is pale straw in colour and brings bright gooseberry, lime, green apple and herbal notes that show nicely on the nose. It’s dry, light-bodied and tart (bordering on mouth-puckering), with juicy lime, green apple, gooseberry, grapefruit and chalky notes plus a steely note before the medium-length finish. There’s less of a savoury/bell pepper component here than is often found in Chilean examples — think of it more as on par with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but with slightly less intensity. 3.5/5

The Tantalus 2022 Riesling (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $38.27, Liquor Marts and beyond) comes from an East Kelowna winery that focuses on Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — and the results speak for themselves. Pale straw in colour, there’s a lively nose of fresh red apple, lemon zest, herbal, floral and chalky notes that show beautifully. It’s light-bodied and off-dry, with vibrant fresh fruit (again, red apple and lemon), racy acidity, a hint of viscosity and a lengthy finish that balances ripeness and verve. One of Canada’s best producers, and its outstanding flagship white doesn’t disappoint. 4.5/5

The La Playa 2022 Unoaked Chardonnay (Colchagua Valley, Chile — $15.11, Liquor Marts and beyond) is a vegan, sustainable Chilean white that offers pretty floral, pear, red apple and peach notes on the nose. It’s dry and light-plus bodied, with fresh fruit salad flavours showing well alongside modest citrus notes. Despite the fact it wasn’t aged in barrels, there’s a decent bit of creaminess to the texture thanks to two months’ aging on the lees in stainless steel tanks. A good value. 3/5

A step up in quality (and price, of course) is the Villa Maria 2021 Cellar Selection Chardonnay (Hawks Bay, New Zealand — $25.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), a New Zealand Chardonnay sourced from a number of vineyards in the Hawkes Bay region. Bright yellow-gold in colour, this Chardonnay offers lovely peach, brioche, red apple, lemon curd and toasted nut notes aromatically. While medium-bodied and viscous, the bright stone fruit, citrus and apple flavours shine through, bringing moderate acidity and a mineral note that keep things linear, while the subtle oak aging adds depth and texture. Vibrant, lively and delicious. 4.5/5

On the red wine side of things, the Volcanic Hills 2020 Gamay Noir (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $24.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is made from grapes most commonly grown in France’s Beaujolais region, but here sourced from West Kelowna. Pale cherry in colour, it brings cranberry, raspberry, lacquer and plum aromas front and centre. It’s dry, light-plus bodied and juicy, with loads of red berry, plum and ripe (almost baked) cherry flavours along with bread dough and spice notes, light tannins and a modest finish. Chill for about 15 and serve with your roast turkey. 4/5

More Old World in character and style is the Louis Jadot 2020 Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France — $35.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), which brings delicate plum, violet, earth, cherry and forest floor aromas that are pretty typical for the grape and region. It’s a dry and light-plus bodied red, with subtle spice from nine months in oak barrels that works well with the ripe cherry and raspberry flavours, an underlying hint of bread dough, soft tannins and acidity and a moderate finish. Beyond turkey, try with mushroom risotto, beef Wellington, medium cheeses or cedar-plank salmon. Regularly $39.99, on sale until the end of December. 4/5

A deeper-coloured and gutsier, more New World example of the grape comes courtesy of the Shiloh Road 2020 Pinot Noir (North Coast, Calif. — $29, The Pourium), which still offers earthy notes but this time with deep red cherry, ripe plum, raspberry and red licorice aromas. On the medium-bodied palate the red and dark fruit is ripe and tasty, while the slight licorice/candy note is fun. It brings light tannins and acidity before the slightly warm, medium-length finish. 4/5

uncorked@mts.net

@bensigurdson