Man how time flies ... just under a year ago I found myself at the beautiful Mission Hill Winery in Kelowna, BC ... it's been almost a year since I toured the Okanagan, sampled the wines that BC had to offer and realized that they have some pretty spectacular views out there, that don't include major highways in the background. It was for my mother's 70th birthday and we tasted our way through 72 wineries in 12 days. So every so often I like to open a bottle of BC wine to remember the trip. What I opened tonight is the latest release from one of the icon wineries out in western Canada, Mission Hill. SLC stands for Select Lot Collection - and it derives that name from the special selection the grapes go through, from hand harvesting and sorting of 100% estate fruit, to special barrel selection and ageing for 17-and-a-half-months in small barrels; but all that means nothing if the wine is not worth drinking. I'm happy to report that it is well worth the investment of both money and the time to drink it. The nose is rich with aromas that suck you right in: black fruit, chocolate, pepper, spices, and vanilla caramel. The palate is also very appealing, but could use some time to sit in your cellar and become more in tune with the nose ... nice herbs, pepper, black fruit and berries along with hints of toastiness. Delicious to drink with meat, pasta or on its own, a four star wine now that should gain another half star by 2011.
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