Wine Vintages and Reviews
Now since we are into our 8th vintage release of our wines, we wanted to share with you tasting notes on previous vintages so you can see how they are developing. Generally speaking, our white wines are meant to be drank within two years of release, thus we are profiling just our red wines that have greater aging potential.
Select a wine below to see tasting notes from both our winemaking team and from collectors like yourself who may be cellaring a few past vintages (or simply can't get to them in your crawl-space wine cellar!). As well, our Wine Maturation Chart is also a guide for cellaring our wines. While monitoring your wines, we always suggest that if you have several bottles, try a bottle once in a while to see how it's developing according to your own palate and preferences.
Portfolio
Natalie McLean, NatDecants Newsletter
The wine needs some cellar time, but you will be amply rewarded for waiting. A stunning spectacular wine of incredible depth and length. 90/100
Natalie McLean, NatDecants Newsletter
A stunning spectacular wine of incredible depth and length. This gorgeous red combines Old World structure and new World power. 92/100
October 29, 2010Gold Medal Plates Event - Vancouver
Portfolio 07 coming into it's own now after 16 months in bottle. Paired with Joy Road Catering's Braised Oxtail topped with Applewood smoked Sweetbreads and Candy Cane Beets. Wine showed well with the richness of the pairing wonderfully accented by the slight smokiness and beet flavours.
Wendy Robinson, home sweet home
We're having a 2006 Portfolio. Just beautiful, plum, raspberry, leather and smoke. We love it! Lovely dry velvety finish. Eucalyptus.
April 22, 2011Natalie McLean, NatDecants Newsletter
Chewy dark cherries and berries with a lovely smoky weave throughout. A stunning spectacular wine of incredible depth and length. 91/100
April 2, 2011Michael Ziff, Strathcona, Vancouver
we have four vintages of Portfolio in our cellar '04, '05, '06 and '07Ęand for some reason this past friday i pulled out the '06. we had lovingly prepared a roast leg of lamb, unfortunately our '06 needed to stay in the bottle. it had shut down and felt it had gone into a reclusive stage of its aging and unwilling to show us all the lovely dark fruit and complexity we're accustomed to with LFNG wines. we even gave it over an hour in the decanter but still shy. i'm going to give our remaining bottles of '06 a couple of more years to rest, i have no doubt they will bounce back!.
April 1, 2011Yinger & Ellie Wong, Port Coquitlam, BC
Albeit the rough week, my wife found the perfect medicine. She grabbed one of my favorite BC red. 2006 LFNG Stock Portfolio from the picturesque Naramata Bench. This red has it all. This is a big, powerful mouth watering red combines the vintage Bordeaux varietals. Full of succulent fruit and ripe tannins last and last. 92 points.
May 5, 2009Laughing Stock Vineyards - Library Vertical Staff Tasting
Still a young wine, the 2006 vintage of Portfolio is fuller and rounder than older vintages. Big dark fruit and black berry, dark chocolate, it will be interesting to see how this wine continues to develop. Drink now til 2015.
Tsawassen - Bob Munroe
Poured carefully through Vinturi as significant sediment had formed. Let stand in decanter for 3 hours prior to first tasting...Very Good....nice flavours, nice tannin levels...went out for dinner and has second tasting at 5 hour mark...VERY GOOD+; had opened up more and all four of enjoyed second tasting more than first.
Compared to the Portfolio 2003 that I have drank 9 bottles of over last 4 years...the 2005 is a much better vintage!
May 5, 2009Laughing Stock Vineyards - Library Vertical Staff Tasting
Our gold medal winner in the Canadian Wine Awards, the 2005 vintage has a slightly smoky nose, deep and dark fruit with a bit of leather notes. This was the first year of including Petit Verdot and Malbec from our estate vineyard in addition to the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Still the staff favourite with great structure and backbone. Drink now til 2015.
Taylor Douglas, Vancouver, British Columbia
First bottle of Portfolio that I have had and it was amazing with a homemade beef stew. Intense nose of black-fruit, spice, eucalyptus and mint notes. The right bank style body had great structural balance of acidity and ripe/fine grained tannins. The palate mirrored the nose with layered flavour notes of black fruit, spice and herbs ending with a great length. I very much look forward to enjoying the coming vintages.
October 4, 2011Tim Herron, Thornhill, Ontario
Just opened a bottle of Portfolio, probably one of the first that I bought from Laughing Stock. We are having it with some mild sausages, some beans and potatoes on the BBQ. The wine is lovely and extremely smooth. Your wines are great as always. Tim.
August 21, 2011John & Ro's House Warming - Naramata Bench
First time trying a magnum format of this wine. Great softness and fruit still on this vintage, still solid structure and plenty of time left to age. Especially for magnums.
May 5, 2009Laughing Stock Vineyards - Library Vertical Staff Tasting
A more feminine vintage from a cooler growing year, we are liking the 2004 with a bit of age on it. Eucalyptus and mint nose and still great acidity and balance, it will still age beautifully. Drink now til 2015.
Andrew Schultz, Red Mountain, WA
I just had your Portfolio 2003 at a friend's house this evening. Although this was one of the first years David had started making wine... the quality of the grapes and how they were processed really shows through. The potential in this wine for great quality is enormous. Personally, the three most important aspects that stand out to me in your wine are; the exceptional strength and balance in the tannins, the acidity (Bordeaux style), and the color is exceptional. Keep up the great work.
Thanksgiving, 2010Bob Munroe, Tsawassen
Lois and I thoroughly enjoyed Friday's 2003 Portfolio... once through the vinturi and about 4 hours in the decanter... nice tannin levels and great flavours... mmm, mmm, good!
May 5, 2009Laughing Stock Vineyards - Library Vertical Staff Tasting
Our inaugural release of just 500 cases of Portfolio was in 2003, a very hot year in the Okanagan which we refer to as “the year of the fires'. Our vineyard was unscathed from smoke and hit huge ripeness. Even after 7 years, there is still a ton of fruit, glossette raisins, molasses and licorice notes. Even with the higher alcohol levels, the fruit has not diminished yet, but has become more reduced with time. Drink now til 2012.
November 12, 2008John McEwen, Vancouver BC
Very nice tobacco, leather and cedar notes. Soft and round, has mellowed out nicely with good balance and long finish. Almost plumy after the leather taste. Probably at its peak right now and will start to lose fruit from here. (And by the way, threw a ton of crud. ) editors note: gotta love unfiltered reds!) GREAT!
Blind Trust Red
Laughing Stock Vineyards
A bit of age has made this more refined with a subdued nose, deep strawberry and ripe cherry fruits. Round on the palate with a backbone of acidity to match great with our steaks. Darn proud that this wine is served by the glass at all Fairmont hotels in BC.
Laughing Stock Vineyards – David's Birthday Dinner
Pretty nose of dark cherry and leather. Velvet dark cherry chocolate and roses. Just coming into its own and will age beautifully for a while yet. Drink now til 2016.
Laughing Stock Vineyards - Just because
Elegant, silky with tons of dense black berry fruit still. Wow. Pallet is consistent throughout from its fresh nose to its lingering finish. Backbone still there with acid profile. Easily can still age another 5 years. Was also still fantastic on Day 2.
July 15, 2010Laughing Stock Vineyards - Summer Staff BBQ
According to Jonas, our accredited sommelier and assistant winemaker, the Blind Trust is developing fabulously. A peppery, intense flavour profile with black fruits and a long finish.
May 9, 2010Laughing Stock - Mother's Day
Dark cherry with smooth tannins. The dark cherry fruit is still very prevalent in this Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc blend. A bit of age has added some dried fruit, plum and leather notes. As it opened, the acidity pushed forward with a slight bitter finish. Ageing well and Drink now til 2012.
Cabernet Franc
Laughing Stock Vineyards – David's Birthday Dinner
If you still have some of this small cap release of just 100 cases, be assured it is still age-worthy. Stunning nose with dense blackberry reduction, mint and eucalyptus. Clean and still fresh with solid acid, which gives it backbone to lay down for a few more years. We prefer this wine now with a bit of age as it is softening and acid levels have diminished since release, but dark fruit tones still shine through. Drink now til 2014.
Pinot Noir
Laughing Stock Vineyards - Summer Staff BBQ
This wine has developed nicely with a smokey nose, silky textured palate. The unfiltered approach has meant great mouthfeel for this wine. Flavours of dried cranberry and red currant. Still showing well, particularly with a bit of a chill to offset this summer heat!
Rare Hot Day of Summer, 2010Carl Orband, Lakewood, Washington
It came straight from our wine cellar, so it was nicely cool and refreshing on a hot summer evening. Not big like a California and not too light, but just right for warm weather drinking.
Laughing Stock Vineyards – David's Birthday Dinner
Not sure if you have any left in your own cellar as there were only 75 cases produced. Toasty nose with dried cranberry and hint of caramel. Fruit forward with notes of strawberry jam and white pepper. Nice mouthfeel and good acid profile and so will work well with food. We were surprised how well this wine is aging and retaining fruit characters. Drink now til 2012.