Church and State Wines on Vancouver Island

We ventured over to Church and State wines for a late lunch and a wine tasting in Brentwood, BC. I recommend this for a tasting and brunch or lunch; if you want to get a spot on the lovely outside deck then make reservations.

I began this tasting with the locally grown and harvested 2016 Pinot Gris. On the nose it has lime zest and lovely floral notes. In the mouth it is moderate acidity and tastes of lime and tart cherry candy with a crisp finish. This is a great wine for the deck on a hot Spring day. It would make a great base for a white wine sangria.

2015 Lost Inhibitions White is a blend of five varietals, Viognier, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc grown in the warmer Okanagan region. Many may think that this would be a sweet wine but it is nicely balanced with moderate acidity and a crisp finish. On the nose it is apricot, lime zest and floral with just a hint of bret. In the mouth it is  a full bodied flavours of  citrus, floral and just a hint of spice. This wine can definitely stand up to spicy food dishes.

2015 Trebella is a blend of  Roussanne (62%), Marsanne (28%), Viognier (10%) grown in the Okanagan region. This wine has a fascinating nose with many layers that will awaken your senses, it has vegetal, floral, mushroom and vanilla aromas. In the mouth it is creamy, floral, nutty, yeasty with a bit of honey and a lingering finish. This wine would be fun to pair in creative ways like with a crab risotto.

2014 CB Chardonnay from the Okanagan on the nose is butterscotch, vanilla, lemon zest and wet slate. In the mouth it is full bodied with a wonderful lingering finish and acidity that makes your mouth water. The nose is reflected in the tasting, with vanilla, spice, lemon, butterscotch and rich minerality. I look forward to having this with a cheese platter.

2014 Pinot Noir from Skaha Bluffs, BC on the nose is cassis, black currant, vanilla and pepper. In the mouth it has perfect acidity with lovely black currant, blackberry, peppery spice and cigar. This is a wine you could drink at a leisurely pace on its own or pair it with fresh West Coast wild salmon.

2014 Meritage from Black Sage Bench is a blend of predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc with an addition of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit verdot and Malbec. On the nose it is stewed dark fruit, pepper, spice and a hint of vanilla. In the glass it is a nicely balanced body with pepper, light fruit, olive, fresh herbs and a lingering finish of milk chocolate. This wine would be best decanted and left to breathe. This wine would pair nicely with grilled meats and fresh green garden vegetables.

2014 Malbec from the Okanagan and my top pick from this tasting. On the nose it is boysenberry jam, rhubarb pie, herbs and cassis. In the mouth this wine explodes and fills every corner of your mouth with a great balance of tannins, acidity and flavours of pepper, spice, dark cherry, boysenberry, herbs and a hint of cigar on the lingering finish. Buy a bottle to drink on it’s own and a second to pair with roasted baby potatoes done with rosemary and pepper and your favourite grilled meat with cajun spices.

2014 Syrah from the Okanagan on the nose is blackberry, blueberry and of course pepper. in the glass it is higher acidity with flavours of black liquorice, dark fruits and pepper that tickles the throat. I would pair this with a fresh pasta and a home made marinara sauce.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog and would love to hear from you if you have tried any of these wines and would like to share your review of them. If this review helped you to find your perfect wine please leave me a comment.