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Wine Recommendation
Sandhill
2006 Viognier - Small Lots, Osprey Ridge Vineyard(Okanagan Valley)
The 12-acre Osprey Vineyard on Black Sage Road is owned by Sandhill vineyard manager Robert Goltz. Here, he is dedicated to trials of densely-planted Rhone variety grapes, including Viognier, which he has expanded to a third of his entire vineyard. That is a substantial commitment to the variety, considering that the total planted in the Okanagan is just over 50 acres.
Sandhill winemaker Howard Soon made his first vintage of Goltz’s Viognier in 2004, producing only 93 cases. In 2006, he was able to make a comparatively prodigious 279 cases.
It is a memorable example of an Okanagan Viognier, starting with alluring aromas of peaches and apricots. On the palate, the texture is generously rich, with flavours of honey and apricots. The finish is dry with mineral notes and persistent fruit flavours. 89 points.
Reviewed July 25, 2007 by John Schreiner.
Other reviewed wines from Sandhill
 2005 Barbera - Small Lots, Sandhill Estate Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 3/28/2008 |
 2005 Sangiovese - Small Lots, Sandhill Estate Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 3/28/2008 |
 2005 Petit Verdot - Small Lots, Phantom Creek Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 2/22/2008 |
 2004 Sangiovese - Small Lots, Sandhill Estate Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 4/5/2007 |
 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah - Small Lots, Sandhill Estate Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 3/14/2007 |
 2004 Petit Verdot - Small Lots, Phantom Creek Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)John Schreiner 2/6/2007 |
The Wine
Winery: Sandhill |
The Reviewer
John Schreiner
John Schreiner has been covering the wines of British Columbia for the past 30 years and has written 10 books on the wines of Canada and BC. He has judged at major competitions and is currently a panel member for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence in Wine. Both as a judge and as a wine critic, he approaches each wine not to find fault, but to find excellence. That he now finds the latter more often than the former testifies to the dramatic improvement shown by BC winemaking in the past decade. |