Spring sips to give your taste buds a little zip

This week’s Uncorked features six new/new-to-me drinks to help usher in spring. I’m across the pond in London right now, so enjoy these seasonal sips as I scour the pubs for the perfect pint of ale…

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As a seasonal drinker, I tend to lay off the sours, pilsners and goses over the winter in favour of heartier brews. The Sookram’s Brewing Co. Feel the Rhythm Pineapple Passionfruit Gose (Winnipeg — $4.79/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts) is a great way to usher in the warmer months.

Pale gold in appearance and clear, there’s a lovely tropical fruit note that comes through aromatically, along with saline, citrus rind and modest malty notes. It’s light-bodied and dry, with the pineapple and passionfruit purée driving the flavours here, with secondary oat, malt, lemon zest and salty notes, as well as hints of gooseberry.

The acidity is racy and the alcohol a modest five per cent, all of which makes for a mouth-puckering good time. 4/5

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The Road 13 2024 Honest John’s White Wine (New Zealand/B.C. — $21.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is a wine from the troublesome 2024 vintage in B.C. that saw producers source fruit from beyond the province — in this case, from way across the Pacific Ocean in New Zealand.

Info on what grapes are in this pale straw-coloured white blend couldn’t be found; a guess would be Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, as aromatically there are loads of ripe peach, gooseberry, grapefruit and pear notes, along with grassy, lemon-lime components.

It’s light-plus-bodied and mainly dry, with the tart citrus and grassy notes showing well with the riper, fleshier stone fruit flavours; it finishes with zippy acidity and, at 13 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. Extremely fresh, and with very good depth of fruit. 4/5

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The Mascota Vineyards 2023 La Mascota Chardonnay (Mendoza, Argentina — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) has been in our market for a while, but is just now transitioning from the 2022 to 2023 vintage. The newer vintage is pale gold in appearance and brings ripe red apple and peach, along with hints of pineapple, pear and vanilla.

It’s a medium-bodied, dry white, with a lovely viscous texture that delivers fresh red apple and peach flavours along with with caramel, baking spice, fleshy pear and lemon candy notes, a touch of vanilla (likely from around nine months in barrels) and, at 13.5 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish.

Balances ripeness and richness as good or better than most Chardonnays from California in this price range (in case you’re missing your favourite Chard from south of the border). 3.5/5

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Bright purple in appearance, the Trentham Estate 2022 River Retreat Merlot (Murray Darling, Australia — $16.99, Jones & Co. Wine Merchants) delivers big plum, white pepper, blueberry and violet notes aromatically, with secondary cocoa and cherry components.

It’s plush and ripe (but not sweet) and medium-plus bodied, with jammy blueberry and plum flavours alongside herbal and white pepper notes. The juicy fruit is bolstered by light acidity, while the modest tannin and 13.5 per cent alcohol offers some length on the finish; any oak component is minimal, although the wine was “aged with select French oak before blending and bottling.”

It’s drinking nicely — and if you’re missing California reds right now, this might be the Merlot for you. 3.5/5

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Inky purple in appearance, the Alto Las Rocas 2023 Tempranillo Syrah (Castillo La Mancha, Spain — $16.99, De Nardi Wines) brings big blackberry, raspberry and anise notes on the nose, along with cherry, vanilla and baking spices.

It’s dense, full-bodied and chewy, with blackberry, raspberry jam, cocoa and plum notes along with light tannins and acidity before a medium-length, slightly warm 13.5 per cent alcohol.

A very good value and an ideal candidate for those looking for a barbecue/backyard red. 3.5/5

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More Tempranillo: the Bodegas Portia 2024 Roble (Ribera del Duero, Spain — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is made from said grape, like most reds from Spain’s Rioja region, but in this case the style is more fruit-forward than Rioja’s rustic reds.

Inky purple in appearance, it brings brambly blackberry and wild raspberry notes, along with tart cherry, violet and white pepper components. It’s medium-plus-bodied and dry, with loads of red and black berry flavours and hints of cocoa and red licorice. Tannins are soft and dusty, acidity is moderate, and the 14.5 per cent finish brings some warmth on the lingering finish.

With just three months in oak barrels, the focus here is on the fruit. 4/5

winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson