I received the following six wines from Tinhorn Creek:
Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris 2022 (Golden Mile, Okanagan Valley)
Straw colour; lightly toasty, spicy, peach pit nose; medium-bodied, peachy-lemony flavour rounded with oak. A well-balanced wine. Drink now or through 2024. (90)
Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay 2022
Straw colour with a green tint; toasty, apple bouquet with oak spice; full-bodied, richly extracted baked apple, caramel and tangerine flavours; well-integrated oak, lovely mouth feel. Drink now or through 2025. (92)
Tinhorn Creek Gewurztraminer 2022
Bright, straw colour; lychee, cardamom and grapefruit bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, rose-water, Turkish Delight flavour; beautifully balanced, long on the palate with a caressing mouth feel. Drinking well now but will develop its lovely bouquet with another year in bottle. (92)
Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc 2021
Deep purple-ruby in colour; cedary, lightly smoky, vanilla, cassis and plum bouquet; medium-bodied, firmly structured, cherry and plum flavours with ripe tannins. Can be consumed with pleasure now but will reward holding for 1–2 years. (90–92)
Tinhorn Creek Merlot 2021
Deep ruby-purple in colour; cedary nose of black plum with a mocha note; medium to full-bodied, richly extracted flavours of plum and black cherry, firmly structured with ripe tannins and balancing acidity. Drink now and through 2025. (89)
Tinhorn Creek The Creek 2021
Merlot 45%, Cabernet Sauvignon 37%, Cabernet Franc 14%, Syrah 2% and 1% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Deep purple-ruby in colour; cedary, blackcurrant, blackberry nose with oak spice; rich and velvety mouth feel, savoury, firmly structured black fruit flavours with well-integrated oak carried on lively acidity. Can be opened now but will develop with 1–2 years in your cellar. (89–91)
Saturday, November 11th: Deborah and I were invited by our friend Stephen Pauwels to attend the Hamilton chapter of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin dinner at the Hamilton Golf Club. Rosie was also invited to the sleepover at his house near Paris, Ont. Rosie was familiar with the Pauwelses’ Great Dane, Willa, and despite the size difference they get on remarkably well.
Willa!
Steve opened a bottle of Bérêche & Fils Champagne Brut Réserve to start off the evening.
At the golf club, before dinner, they offered Labouré-Gontard Crémant de Bourgogne Brut and Cellier des Dames Mercurey 2020.
A truly wonderful evening.
