B.C. wine for the week of Dec. 15, a bottle to cellar and calendar items

Anthony Gismondi: Imported wine could be on its last legs in B.C.

The H2 Christmas Day Brunch is back, and Santa is sticking around to meet the kids in the lobby.

The festive spread features traditional signatures such as a classic brined and roasted Fraser Valley turkey infused with fresh herbs and signature stuffing and a plethora of dishes including charcuterie and cheeses; seafood, assorted dim sum; and a carved-to-order roasted rib-eye and Salmon Wellington. Dessert is a lavish table of house made pastries and cakes; and more.

The H2 Christmas Day Brunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $125 per adult; $55 per child aged 5-12 (taxes and gratuity not included). Free for children under five. Reservations can be made at opentable.ca/r/h2-kitchen-and-bar-vancouver.

Many Vancouver International Wine Festival patrons will be saddened to hear that Margaret Duckhorn, the co-founder of The Duckhorn Portfolio, and a leader in the Napa Valley community, has died at 83.

Duckhorn pioneered modern Napa Valley winemaking and played a crucial role in making Merlot one of North America’s most popular varietal wines. Margaret and her husband Dan made many trips to Vancouver and were consummate ambassadors for Napa Valley.

Described as gracious, collaborative and charitable; Margaret Duckhorn was a trailblazer for women in California wine and a force in the California wine industry. She will be missed.

B.C. wine of the week

BH Brut Chardonnay — Pinot Noir N/V, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

$55 | 92/100

UPC: 058976052899

Winemaker Ross Wise gets it, and his BH Brut is a home run of mammoth proportions for a first release. Tight, mineral, citrus, lemon curd draws a long bead across your palate, while underneath, a savoury Okanagan floral honeysuckle affair supports the top. Fresh croissant wafts from the glass and ends in a super new citrus bath of acidity and a perfectly crafted little mousse that might be the best I’ve seen in B.C. A wine for sparkling freaks that reaches as close to the big C as it gets. Drink now with fresh oysters or cellar for seven to 10 years. Amazing. The mix is 59/41 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, and it gets 40 months on the lees, the way it should be.

Wine for the cellar 

Michel Guignier Morgon Canon 2020, Beaujolais Villages, Beaujolais, France 

$39.99 I 92/100

UPC: 3760216570014

To be clear, I like Beaujolais for what it is. I don’t need it to be a Burgundy, but if that was the goal of the winemaker or, more likely, the taster, it could be released as something other than a Beaujolais. On the other hand, an excellent Beaujolais cru can be a big wine, a rich wine, or like Burgundy, but it is still a Gamay. Case in point Michel Guignier Morgon Canon. The colour is deep, almost black in the middle. It has all the signs of a big wine, black colour, black fruit, spice, and even some smoky, meaty notes, but in the end, it’s a cru Beaujolais because the structure is far too silky and soft to be anything else. Then there is the minerality that sticks to Beaujolais wines like a second skin. The best of all is it is only 13 per cent. Stock up and drink through 2027.

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Source: vancouversun.com

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