WTN: Wines I love

[Jenise]

I chose the following three wines to take to my brother's for dinner last night, each fits into this month's theme in it's own way.

2020 La Frenz Aster Brut Okanagan Valley Champagne Blend
Picked up at the winery last June. They were down to their last few cases and therefor not pouring this at the tasting bar, and buying was limited to one-per-customer. On faith, as this is my favorite BC winery, I grabbed one. My faith couldn't have been better rewarded: this is possibly the most convincing non-champagne champagne I've ever had. Captivatingly dry with laser-like focus and fine, pin-prick bubbles. A stunner. Adding this to CT just now, I'm distressed to realize they haven't made another bubbly since the '21.

2024 Arnot-Roberts Rosé California Rosé Blend
The best California syrah I've ever had came from Arnot-Roberts, and I've bought into a few vintages since. This rose, strangely enough, is mostly touriga nacional. Tastes of strawberry jam, butter, red rose petals and white pepper. This had less tension and freshness than the bottle enjoyed last August for which I'd mark it down a few points, but still lovely.

2018 Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
The first Bordeaux I ever tasted was a Brane-Cantenac. I was 20 and my new 28 year old boyfriend had a case in a hall closet, purchased on the advice of a knowledgable friend. It was love at first taste (the wine, not the boyfriend) and was key to my pursuit of Bordeaux thereafter. Not long ago I purchased a pair of 18's out of sentimentality. Expecting this to be closed, I uncorked and left this open the night before, though a quick first taste was quite palatable. Classic modern Bordeaux (not international, but easy drinking): lightly spicy perfumed nose with pencil shavings, black currant and tobacco on the palate. I wasn't as impressed as I hoped to be, but it was nonetheless just fine for a steak dinner.

[David M. Bueker]

La Frenz victimized by the fires and the frosts?

I don’t buy the Arnot-Robert Rosé anymore, but my dad did, so I kept getting to taste it for several years. Lovely stuff.

As Bordeaux vintages go, 2018 is not a favorite for me. 2016 and 2019 are though if you happen to run across either.

La Frenz was certainly affected by both fire (2021) and frost (2024). I didn’t try any 2021 reds, so don’t know if they released any smoke tainted wine. But the vast majority if not all 2024 wines were made from grapes from outside BC (mainly WA I think). The 2023 frost affected yields significantly too.

[Jenise]

David, the Brane-Cantenac is the only '18 Bordeaux I bought, and I only bought two bottles so no big loss. It's in fact a vintage I avoided in most of the places I buy wine from.

John, yes to all that, but I want to make it clear that this bubble had zero smoke taint.

[Jenise]

La Frenz was certainly affected by both fire (2021) and frost (2024). I didn’t try any 2021 reds, so don’t know if they released any smoke tainted wine. But the vast majority if not all 2024 wines were made from grapes from outside BC (mainly WA I think). The 2023 frost affected yields significantly too.

John, I left the bottle at my brother's and when I went to deal with my inventory next morning, I realized I had never entered this so just assumed, since I bought it in June of '25, that my bottle was the last vintage recorded, '21, and reported it as same. I just discovered that I'd taken a photo of the bottle and guess what, it was a '20, not a '21. I changed my description above but since '21 was a fire year, I thought I should point out my error.

I’ll forgive you this time!

I think I tried the 2021 Aster at the winery last year, and I didn’t get any smoke taint. But I thought it was good rather than great. But it was just a quick taste.

[Jenise]

I'll bet the '20 was better. I've shared enough wine with you to know how impressed you'd have been with this one.