New BC winery has the TIME

Harry McWatters, the founder of BC winery giant Sumac Ridge, is back in the game in a big way with Time Estate Winery.

They have rolled out their first three wines, each of which I had a chance to taste this afternoon.

Here is a nice article about the new winery:

http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2013/06/07/british-columbia-wine-leader-unveils-plans-for-new-project/


2012 Time Estate White Meritage

79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Semillon, I found this blend to be pear-heavy on the nose, fading to hints of apricot and mango on the palate (I can ALWAYS taste the mango on any wine, as I don't like mango at all....that doesn't usually affect my enjoyment of the wine though, unless it's overpowering and this was not). An enjoyable sipping wine that should improve with a little more time in the bottle.

Retails for $25.

Rating: 5.5/10

2011 Time Estates Chardonnay

Bold and buttery, just the way I like Chardonnay. It has a sophistication that belies it's young age, developed in oak with notes of tropical fruit.

I bought a bottle of this which I enjoyed with my dinner tonight. It paired very well with:
Chicken Cutlets with a chunky nectarine salsa
Steamed asparagus with beurre blanc sauce
Orzo with parmesan and basil

The tasting notes on this wine suggest it would age very well until 2016. I can attest it is pretty darn good right now, and would likely only improve with patient aging.

At $27.99 you can certainly find cheaper Chardonnays, but I doubt you'll find a better one at that price point. It is comparable to Chardonnays that I have enjoyed around the $45 price point.

Rating: 7.5/10

2010 Time Estates Red Meritage

60% Merlot
25% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Cabernet Franc

I put my nose into the glass of this wine and smelled what I imagine Heaven would smell like. I am not sure I can recall a wine with a more pleasant, chocolaty bouquet, with some notes of black cherry to boot.

On the palate, the wine had excellent depth and was very smooth. It's fine to drink today, but the tasting notes suggest aging it as long as 2020. I'm going to have to pick up one of these to put away, I'm very curious what this will taste like in a decade. At $29.99, if it ages as I suspect it might, it will be a steal.

Rating: 7/10

All in all, a damn fine debut from this new winery located in Oliver. Check these out when they come to a VQA store near you.

Winery website:

http://www.timewinery.com/