Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 91/100

Intersection Alluvia 2014 Unfiltered Merlot is drinking at its peak now! Dry, medium-bodied, rich, smooth and concentrated, wine grapes for this 100% Merlot were sourced from the edge of the Golden Mile in British Columbia. The Merlot is fragrant with dark fruit leather, plum compote, mocha, cigar box, savoury herbs, earthy and subtle spicy flavours smooth and velvety on the palate. Tannins are soft and rounded and the wine is still showing amazing acidity for dishes like slow-braised lamb shanks or a beef brisket. Enjoy it today. Tasted October 2025.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 91/100

Very nicely done Vasanti! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry, fruity and medium-plus-bodied Cab, warming with dark berry, black plum, cedar and baking spice flavours with a touch of anise and mint on a bright and lingering finish. Tannins are fine-grained and grippy, so if having tonight, do decant the wine one hour prior to pouring it with your favourite roast beef or turkey recipe -- don’t forget the Yorkie pudding as this Cab will nicely complement it with its bright acidity and savoury flavours (serve at 15-18C). Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the sunny, east-facing slopes of West Bench Block, Monarch Vineyard in Osoyoos, British Columbia. The east-facing slope receives an even distribution of heat from the morning and afternoon sun and slants toward the lake, mitigating some of the extreme heat for which the Osoyoos wine region is known. The wine juice was fermented in stainless tanks with pump-overs three times a day and the wine aged for 19 months in 50% new American oak and 50% neutral oak barrels. Drink or hold through 2029. Tasted October 2025.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

A fabulous vintage year for this stunning 2022 Red Meritage from Fort Beren’s Estate Winery, Lillooet, British Columbia. Deep, dark crimson in the glass, the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon (70%/19%/11%) blend is rich with aromas of dark chocolate, dark cherry, berry, plum and a subtle spiciness, smooth and velvety on the palate with a hint of smoky vanilla and a lingering chocolatey finish. A contemplative wine harmoniously balanced and with fine-grained silky tannins. This Bordeaux-style red was produced from estate grown grapes and aged for 15 months in French oak barrels. A hot, dry summer and a cooler fall with comfortably warm days and cooler nights contributes to this expressive and refined red Meritage. Fort Beren’s Winemaker and Viticulturist, Alessandro Nel, “carefully crafted the final blend once the wine was removed from barrels.” A fine vintage for ageing, drink or hold this red beauty through 2029. Tasted August 2025.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 94/100

Yuuuuuum Alert on Hester Creek Estate Winery's The Judge (2021). Love this dry, full-bodied, deep ruby and dusty Bordeaux-style red from Hester Creek Estate Winery. Although Judge 2021 is a big wine, the aromas are subtle with nuances of blue florals, sandalwood, savoury herbs, dark cherry, meaty ripe dark berry notes with just a touch of vanilla and a hint of spice. Beautifully balanced with velvety tannins and savoury replays on the palate, this vegan-friendly, grown and made in B.C. red is a blend of 46% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Youthful but elegant, Judge 2021 shows refinement with a touch of sass. You be the judge, but it's 94 pts in my books. Drink or hold to 2035. Tasted August 2025. Enjoyed with lamb chops from the grill and a summer potato and green bean salad. Grapes were fermented in the winery’s Italian Ganimede fermentation tanks prior to the wine being gently pressed off the skins and “encouraged through a malolactic fermentation.” Wine lots were blended and barreled in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels then aged 24 months in barrel.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

From Hester Creek Estate Winery's Epic Series, Garland (2022) is a top-tier Bordeaux-style red you will definitely want to be selfish with . Soon to be released in the fall of 2025 for the holidays, Garland 2022 is a graceful, sophisticated and contemplative red wine blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. Deep, dark and refined with subtle cedar and baking spice aromas layered over sweet dried tobacco leaf and ripe blackberry compote, the wine is dry, full-bodied, ultra-balanced and generous with ripe and rich dark fruit flavours, hints of dried garden herbs and a whiff of vanilla plushy and long on the palate. A wine with great aging potential, enjoy it now through 2035. The finished wine was aged 24 months in 100% French oak barriques.Tasted September 2025.