How’d we score? Read the latest reviews of our current releases by noted international wine critics…
Whites:
7 Blanc 2009
Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest, Winter Issue
Here’s a nicely balanced little white cocktail number from benchland bunches of Pinot Gris, Gewurtraminer and Muscat. Influences of white peach, lemon/lime, Red Delicious apple, apricot and pear, welcomed by herbal notes of celery and catnip. It’s quite tasty with flavors of Granny Smith apple, pear and pineapple.
Rating: Excellent
Jurgen Gothe, Georgia Straight, December 6, 2010
Solid silver at the B.C. Wine Awards, it’s the only white by Township to medal in this year’s competition; all the rest were reds. A subtle, off-dry blend of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Muscat, it’s the ideal foil for spicy Asian foods. Introduce food from your favourite Thai or Chinese restaurant to it before it’s all gone.
Rating: Best Domestic White Wines of the Year
Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun, November 29, 2010
7 Blanc is an aromatic blend of Naramata pinot gris, gewürztraminer and a bit of muscat. Look for an off-dry palate mixing grapefruit, honey mango and red apple notes with bits of cherries and spice. Classic style summer sipper that will pair with a variety of foods.
Rating: Top 40 Most Impressive BC Wines of the Year
Daenna Van Mulligen, “Wine Diva”, November 15, 2010
This very aromatic blend of 45% Gewurztraminer, 41% Pinot Gris and 14% Muscat Ottonel is a delicious golden-hued wine with fragrant lychee, peach and mango, honey, lime leaf, orange blossoms and sweet spices – clove, star anise and cinnamon. There is a kiss of sweetness on the palate that dries up on the finish, it is snappy and mouth-watering and very, very good.
Rating: 91 points
2009 Chardonnay
Natalie Maclean, January 3, 2012
Grapes sourced from the Oliver & Naramata vineyards. A full-bodied, balanced chardonnay with toasty oak and some marzipan notes. Food matches: rich, soft cheese, crab cakes, veal or butternut squash ravioli. Read more…
Rating: Good Value Wine Pick
Jurgen Gothe, Georgia Straight, May 26-June 2, 2011
What oak there is isn’t in your face or coating your tongue; this has a restrained style with gorgeous balance between the wood and the fruit. Get a case and taste one a month till next spring to see how it develops in the bottle. It would be a tasty experiment and double-if you get some friends to go in on it with you.
Daenna Van Mulligen, Wine Diva, May 26, 2011
Nicely balanced! Citrus and light toast, hints of pineapple and buttery aromas with vanilla caramels. The palate has a lovely creamy texture and flavours of toasted brown spices, white fruit, hone and marizipan. A chic wine with a long, bright finish.
Rating: 89 points
Tim Pawsey, North Shore News, April 18, 2011
Complex with fruit from Black Sage, Township 7 Naramata, Oliver and Cawston, 10 months in French and American oak. This wine punches well above its price, with a vanilla-citrus toned nose followed by complex layers of creamy butterscotch and tropical notes with good acidity and mouthfeel, wrapped in well managed oak. Think crab or lobster pasta dishes.
2009 Unoaked Chardonnay
Jurgen Gothe, Georgia Straight, May 26-June 2, 2011
Only 205 cases of this bracing little number were made; if the panel’s reaction is any indication, it will go quickly. Lots of fruit in the forefront, it’s fresh, lively and just right with things like pasta primavera. I can’t make up my mind if I like it better without oak than with so enjoy both.
Tim Pawsey, North Shore News, April 18, 2011
More than a pleasant sipper, this enjoys a fresh, not overtly fruity style with melon and citrus aromas, apple and background mineral notes on the palate. A great match for simply prepared seafood.
Wine Press Northwest, July 2011
Few spots in Northwest wine country lend themselves to al fresco dining as well as the Naramata Bench, and here’s a great sipper to enjoy with afternoon fare on a summer day. It’s filled with apple, pear, jasmine, lavender and citrusy tones.
2009 Viognier
Wine Diva, Daenna van Mulligen, February 23, 2011
You’ll love the fragrant and fresh aromas of this Viognier – it has muscaty aromas with apricot and peaches, tangerine peel and honey with plenty of citrus blossom notes. The palate is crisp and snappy – zesty citrus and stone fruit flavours are underscored with sweet spice that lingers across the finish. Pair this wine with spiced crab cakes or creamy pasta dishes
Rating: 90 points
Natalie Maclean, NatDecants.com, March 28, 2011
So very pretty! Beautifully balanced and bursting with fresh spring blossoms of white field flowers and lime essence. Spritely and refreshing. A breath of fresh air. Food matches: creamy pastas, fruit salsas with grilled fish or chicken, spicy Asian dishes. Read more…
Rating: 89 points
Beppi Crosariol, Globe & Mail, Feb. 24, 2011
Pale-straw in colour. Carried on a light frame, the flavours hint at melon and lemon. It’s ideal for spring salads. Available direct from the B.C. winery
Rosé:
Rosé 2009
Natalie Maclean, January 3, 2012
Strawberry aromas on the nose and dry, refreshing on the palate. Crisp and lively. A blend of chardonnay (56%), pinot noir (19%), muscat (12%), cabernet franc (7%) and merlot (5%). Food matches: grilled salmon, roasted ham, fresh strawberry and goat cheese salad or spicy Asian dishes. Read more…
Rating: Good Value Wine Pick
Julianna Hayes, Okanagan Sunday, November 6, 2011
Fresh, fruity and fun. Lots of strawberry, cranberry and spice on the nose. Bright acidity with fresh wild strawberry, spice and even a touch of herbal on the palate. A terrific choice for cheerful holiday parties. Drink now.
Reds:
2008 Merlot
Natalie Maclean, January 3, 2012
Grapes were sourced from the Oliver, Okanagan Falls & Naramata vineyards. Juicy and loaded with fleshy blackberries, smooth and full-bodied. Toasty oak on the finish. Food matches: robust meat dishes or intense dark chocolate. Read more…
Rating: Good Value Wine Pick
Daenna Van Mulligen, Wine Diva, October 25, 2011
Wonderful rich dark plummy aromas with mocha, toffee, chocolate and spice cake notes. The palate is plush and smooth echoing the spice cake, chocolate and supple dark fruit of the nose. It’s full but slightly hot in the mouth and the finish lingers nicely.
Rating: 90 points
Beppi Crosariol, Globe & Mail, August 19, 2011
Velvety, full-bodied and intense with dark fruit and a hint of coffee, it’s in fact a blend of 88-per-cent merlot with some cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
2008 Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Beppi Crosariol, Globe & Mail, November 13, 2010
This blend is full-bodied, slightly dusty in texture and deliciously earthy, with hints of tobacco and cedar rising up through blackcurrant, cherry and toffee. It could almost be European. Try with roast beef.
Rating: 90 points
Shelley Boettcher, Calgary Herald, September 18, 2010
If you love big elegant reds that know they are in charge, this wine is for you. It is just that – a full bodied, sexy wine that’s loaded with cherry, cocoa and vanilla flavours. If you come across a bottle snap it up. Fewer than 600 cases are made. Its property on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley is a must if you’re visiting the region. Drink now with beef, venison or bison dishes, or hard cheeses. Open for half hour or so before serving or decant. Or cellar for up to five years or maybe even longer.
Vines Magazine, February-March 2011
Township 7’s red blend is a robust and flavourful red that tempers its peppery and savoury flavours with an elegant and integrated texture. This is solid and enjoyable now, but will develop more complexity with two or three years of aging.
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Natalie Maclean, January 3, 2012
Savoury, meaty and full-bodied with a smooth, seductive texture. Aromas of black cherry, bergamot herbs and some lovely leather notes on the finish. This is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) with 15% Cabernet Franc. Food matches: grilled filet mignon with portobello mushrooms or rosemary encrusted lamb. Read more…
Rating: Good Value Wine Pick
Daenna Van Mulligen, December 13, 2011
Township 7 shows consistency and quality in their wines. Wines, which offer generous fruit but also structure and complexity. Wonderfully fragrant – chocolate, mint leaf and cassis, hints of plum and dried herbs, spicebox and the scent of wild strawberries on the tail end. On the palate there is a slight chewiness from fine tannins, some nice focus with balanced acidity that lifts flavours of dark fruit, tobacco, brown spices and toasted oak. 15% Cabernet Franc blended in, 26 months aged in French and American oak barrels. Read more…
Rating: 90 points
2007 Reserve 7
Daenna Van Mulligen, April 6, 2011
This impressive red Meritage blends Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and together they present affluent aromas of sweet black currents, raspberry, vanilla and fresh rainforest floor. The palate is juicy – plums, cherries and mocha lead the charge followed by sweet spices and licorice. Lovely concentration and balance with a long, smooth finish. Delish!
Rating: 91 points
Natalie Maclean, March 28, 2011
Dark and brooding with black cherry, mocha and anise on the nose. Simmering and sensual. This wine could age at least five years more. Terrific for dinner parties. Food matches: grilled beef, roasted lamb, full-flavoured cheeses. Read more…
Rating: Good Value Wine Pick
Julianna Hayes, Okanagan Newspaper Group, Feb 20, 2011
Big berry aromas of black cherry, cassis, plum with vanilla, anise, chocolate and spice. Lovely mouthfeel with rich black fruit flavours, mocha and pepper, long, luscious finish with slightly chewy tannins. Made from 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 40 percent merlot, five percent cabernet franc. Cellaring potential: Drink now with protein – red meat, sharp cheeses, or cellar 2-5 years.
2009 Syrah
Neal McLennan, Western Living Magazine, January 10, 2012
This Canadian wine borrows a French process to score a perfect balance between new world freshness and old world technique. Cassoulet was born to go with a hearty Rhone red, and BC’s Township 7 does one of the best interpretations of a French Cote-Rotie with their Syrah. The secret is to co-ferment it with a small amount (8%) of the white grape viognier, which gives lovely aromatics on the nose and lightens the palate just a tad to soften the leathery and cooked meat notes from the Syrah. It’s a wine that’s both elegant and muscular (and under $30—bonus.)
Rating: Wine Pick of the Week
