what a beautiful province!

British Columbia, and more specifically the Lower Mainland, is home to some beautiful - and unknown - wineries.

Case in point: Domaine de Chaberton & Township 7. Both wonderful examples of BC product, excellent value for the money, and just great places to go for a visit. Doubt me? Try Township 7's yearly Easter Egg hunt or the bistro @ Domaine de C. You will have the time of your life, while enjoying world-class wine, and yet only 90 minutes (or less depending on traffic) from downtown Vancouver. The wife and I took a day-trip out here & almost a year later, we're still reminicing!

WINE A

clear visual

• pale straw centre
• watery rim
• moderate legs indicating moderate alcohol of 11.5%+ (actual was 12.5%)

clean nose; moderately intense nose of

• grassy notes, almost New Zealand like
• clean barnyard
• soft orchard fruit
• slight stone fruit on the end with peach & nectarine

clean palate; 0 dryness, moderate++acid, 0 tannin, moderate+ intense favlors of

• rich stonefruit starts the palate
• some orchard fruit coming through mid-palate again... mostly pear (Bosc)
• floral. hard to identify, but seeming like small prarie wildflowers
• crisp acids

moderate+ body, moderate alcohol (although I must say it is quite hot for 12.5%), good structure

This wine has pretty good structure, with (IMHO) alot of things working for it; crispy and clean acids, lots of fruit flavors but not overpowering, interesting layers. But. But for some reason it just doesn't feel complete to me yet... perhaps that's because I just served this wine @ the end of spring on a day that didn't see over 20C. Serve this again on a hot summer day, 33C, on a patio, and I'm sure there would be a different review!

2008 7-Blanc blend by Township 7

grown in the Okanagan, blended & casked in Langley (BC)

WINE B

clean visual

• ultra pale centre
• so pale you can't tell where the centre ends and the rim begins
• moderate+ legs indicating alcohol 13% (possible a touch more) (actual was 13.4%)

clean nose; moderate notes

• clean grassy notes
• rich stonefruit (late summer peaches when they burst with flavor)
• strong lychee with a touch of pink grapefruit

clean palate; 0 dryness, moderate+ acids, 0 tannin, moderate+ flavors of

• crisp exotic fruit acids predominate
• then lychee & stonefruit come in mid-palate to soften
• floral notes are felt throughout
• end palate is still exotic fruit with pineapple, lychee and some lime zest

moderate+ body, moderate+ alcohol (still hot), good structure

With all of these exotic flavors, I'm honestly not sure where I would place it in a meal - or - what I would serve with it. The acid structure makes it a kicka$$ granite and serve it as a palate cleanser to bridge. Serve it with something dairy based & this could even be a wonderful desert wine because it isn't too sweet.

2008 Bacchus by Domaine de Chaberton, Langley, BC