When you take over an existing business, it takes some time to understand what went into past operations. You determine what works, what doesn’t and how you want to move forward with your ideas. Last may Peter and Jane Ellmann purchased the winery from Michael Betts and Linda Pimley and have been tirelessly putting their dream together.
The wines are starting to see more
clarity and focus to the fruit. I like where this winery is
heading and look forward to seeing what the future holds.
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Muse Winery – Ortega 2008 |
$17 |
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Popular on the island for its early ripening
abilities, this estate grown Ortega delivers a clean, straightforward summer
sipper. Chill it right down to
tighten up soft acidity and enjoy with friends over some local ceviche. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
11/14 |
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Palate |
17/27 |
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Overall
|
4/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
85/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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Muse Winery – Pinot Gris 2008 |
$19 |
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2008 was a very difficult year to grow grapes
on the island and if they hadn’t dropped over half their fruit, these grapes
would not have ripened. Very impressive nose, delivering wonderful
complexity. The palate does not
carry the same intensity, but is balanced and the natural acidity will carry
this wine for a couple years. If
you must have food with this wine, I would recommend playing on that acid and
work with foods like local sole in a lemon dill beurre blanc, or steamed
mussels in a lemon grass, herb, and wine broth. (using the pinot gris of course) |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
12/14 |
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Palate |
19/27 |
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Overall
|
5/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
89/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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Muse Winery – Viognier 2008 |
$22 |
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These grapes are coming just south of the
Golden Mile in Oliver. The pure
flavours of apricot and ripe tropical fruits are complimented by a little
mineral and even a slight soapiness.
The palate starts of strong with the same flavours and tapers to a
soft finish. I would like to see
a little more weight to the palate, but this wine is well done. Avoid spicy or foods with sugar as it
will thin out the impression even more.
Mild cheeses or simple savoury dishes like mustard coated chicken or
grilled bread with tapenade. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
12/14 |
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Palate |
20/27 |
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Overall
|
4/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
89/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2008 Fume Blanc - Muse |
$19 |
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Taking their American roots to heart, they
are one of the very few making a fume blanc in BC. This lightly oaked sauvignon blanc has soft citrus fruit
balanced by a little perfume, leafiness, and vanilla. The flavours start off strong and taper
towards the finish leaving you wanting a little more on the back end. I like its clean structure and funky
flavour combination. This is
Oliver fruit from the Okanagan and I’m glad to see this grape in their
portfolio. Share with tapenade
and crackers. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
10/14 |
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Palate |
18/27 |
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Overall
|
5/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
86/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2006 Gewurztraminer – Chalet Estate |
$15 |
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The fruit is dropping out of this wine, but
leaving you with some diesel and mineral notes that compliment the cooked
tropical flavours. I have paid
good money to experience aged German and Alsatian wines in a restaurant and
this is no different. Still
balanced and food friendly, just not fresh and lively. I’m happy and sad its almost
gone. Must be paired with
bratwurst and sourkrought. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
9/14 |
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Palate |
18/27 |
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Overall
|
4/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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|
Total |
84/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2006 Pinot Noir – Chalet Estate |
$23 |
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Soft
cherry notes squeak through the oak and offer up some cola and even mint
flavours. The palate plays the
same tune as the wood tends to dominate. I like the finish as it offers up some spice. Play with foods that offer up some
natural acidity to help lift the fruit like pomme frites with a lemon aioli
or balsamic glazed grilled chicken breast. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
9/14 |
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Palate |
18/27 |
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Overall
|
4/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
84/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2005 Cab Sauv – Chalet Estate |
$26 |
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Starting to show some age in the color and on
the palate, but nice complexity on the nose. Plum jam and raspberry and current flavours mingle with
some leather and black olive tones.
I like the way the fruit holds the oak on the palate, but the finish
is a little bitter. Still 2 or 3
years of fruit left. Might try
this will grilled flank steak and chimi churri sauce to see if it lifts the
fruit. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
10/14 |
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Palate |
19/27 |
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Overall
|
5/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
87/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2006 Cab/Merlot – Chalet Estates |
$26 |
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I like the way this wine tangos. The plum, mineral, bread crust,
cedar, tomato leaf, and smoke are choreographed well together. The fruit is all upfront on the
palate and tapers to a long finish where it shows a little stemminess. This is fruit from Oliver and
Osoyoos. This wine calls for a good old fashioned grilled rib eye steak
brushed with Spanish olive oil and seasoned with fresh cracked pepper and
flaked salt. Avoid BBQ sauce as
it will make this wine taste thin and metallic from the sugar. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
11/14 |
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Palate |
20/27 |
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Overall
|
5/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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Total |
89/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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2006 Reserve Merlot – Muse Winery |
$30 |
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Ripe blackberry and blueberry dominate the
nose of this intensely dark merlot.
There is a little mineral and toffee notes to round out the
fruit. The palate is driven with
upfront fruit flavours with fine even tannins and good acidity tapering to a
nice long finish. The power of this wine open up some pairing opportunities
as it can handle small amounts of spice or sugar to tame the big fruit. How about some smoked ribs and a warm
grainy mustard potatoe salad. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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Nose |
12/14 |
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Palate |
21/27 |
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Overall
|
4/6 |
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Add |
+50 |
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|
Total |
90/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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|
2007 Marachel Foch – Muse Winery |
$23 |
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This grape is still earning its stripes
because it can have some funky flavours when not ripened properly. But when its done well, you will be
hard pressed to tell it apart from its big brothers like shiraz and
merlot. This wine has candy like
fruit that bright and in your face.
Complimented by a little smoke and leafiness. Foch doesn’t hold oak the same way
cabernet and merlot do, and the oak on this one feels separate from the
fruit. Estate grown and lots of
promise on the island. Try with
earthy foods to ground all that fruit.
Wild mushroom risotto with braised short ribs should do the trick. |
Score |
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Visual |
3/3 |
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|
Nose |
12/14 |
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Palate |
20/27 |
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Overall
|
5/6 |
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|
Add |
+50 |
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|
Total |
90/100 |
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No winemaker has the intention of making bad wine. Therefore 50 points are awarded to
the wine for all winemaking efforts. |
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