Black Hills Estate Winery 2012 Syrah (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $36.90
Alcohol: 13%
Date Tasted: February 9th, 2015
Tasting Notes: This estate-grown Syrah opens with a generous, feminine nose of dark cherry, cola, white pepper, French vanilla cream and light floral aromas. The concentrated, dry palate is cooler and more Rhone-y, with pepper spice leading the way followed by layers of cherry, cured meats, oak and minerals. The texture is lean and a tad smoky with mannered, fine tannins and fresh, wild berry acidity. The finish is long and peppery - a fine example of Southern Okanagan Valley Syrah. Drink now-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Bartier Bros. 2011 Syrah (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26.90
Alcohol: 13.2%
Production: 320 cases
Date Tasted: February 5th, 2015
Tasting Notes: A cool, lean, savoury themed Syrah, sourced from the Black Sage Bench, with a masculine profile of blue fruit, peppercorn, mineral, cola, vanilla and light menthol aromas and flavours. A blend of 87% Syrah and 13% Cabernet Franc, this medium bodied wine has a spicy, fluid texture. Tannins are a tad lean, but, well-matched to the liquidity of the dry palate. The finish is mouth-watering with lingering spice-box and smoky tobacco notes. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Bartier Bros. 2011 Merlot (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Direct from the winery here
Cost: $26.90
Alcohol: 14.7%
Production: 350 cases
Date Tasted: February 4th, 2015
Tasting Notes: Impressively ripe and juicy for the 2011 vintage, especially for a Merlot under $30. It's expensive to ripen fruit in cooler years due to crop thinning; the practice of leaving fewer grapes on the vine to have a better chance of developing enough sugar in the berries (the measure of brix) to ferment into wine and of reaching full phenolic ripeness in the berry's seeds (counters any greenness in the tannins). The Bartier Bros. Merlot, sourced from a Black Sage Bench vineyard, managed both feats in 2011, though, not entirely on its own, as it were.
This tasty, blackberry pie-infused wine is actually a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the later of which, is mostly perceptible on the nose where floral notes are a welcomed addition to the otherwise, berry and wild herb bouquet. The palate is quite full and smooth, with medium tannins and a gentle roundness to its texture. The berry and herb theme continues through to the finish, though, its licorice, charred oak and spice that linger. Drink now-2017.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Cassini Cellars 2011 Nobilus (Golden Mile Bench) Okanagan Valley - BCAvailability: Direct from the winery hereCost: $39Alcohol: 13.7%Production: 125 casesDate Tasted: February 3rd, 2015Tasting Notes: The Cassini "Nobilus", the Southern Okanagan winery's 100% Merlot premier label, spends a full 24 months in new French oak prior to bottling and the effects (benefits) are front and centre on both the charming, dense nose and the lean, mean palate. Look for aromas of cassis, menthol, vanilla, mocha, spice and charred cedar planks followed by intense dark fruit, licorice, cocoa powder and graphite flavours.
The palate is medium-bodied supported by grippy tannins and mouth-watering acidity and finishes long with lingering iodine and spice notes making it an excellent pairing for lean, red meat dishes cooked to medium-rare (tops), like an herb-crusted rack of lamb. Ready to go now. Drink 2015-2018.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
Black Hills Estate Winery 2012 Nota Bene (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley - BC
Availability: Sold out at the winery, though, VQA and private wine shops have it in stock
Cost: $54-60
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: January 31st, 2015
Tasting Notes: Nota Bene has been a Cabernet Sauvignon-leading blend for the past 11 vintages, but, for 2012, the winery has switched back to a Merlot-driven Meritage blend, similar to the inaugural release of 1999. The latest edition sees a whopping 57% Merlot mixed with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc and despite the changes, the 2012 offers good typicity for the iconic brand suggesting the vineyard site is the most dominant influence over the finished wine and not the finite percentages of the main components.
Whether its Cab-Merlot or Merlot-Cab, you'll get your fix of dark fruit supported by a medley of savoury characters; wild sage, tobacco and dry herbs. There are also hints of licorice, mocha and plum adding complexity. Fine tannins and French oak flavouring help structure the palate where a kick of wild berry acidity keeps the finish mouth-watering. Spice lingers through to the next sip.
This is a wine more for the future than the present. It takes hours to open up today, though, with careful cellaring, in another 2 years this won't be a problem at all. Drink 2017-2022.
- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
