Naramata Bench Spring Tasting – Red – Part 2

Naramata Bench Spring Tasting – Red – Part 2

The Best part of the events is the fact that you can talk to the wine makers / Owners, and ask them those questions that only some people ask. I mean I’m sure lots of people will tell them that they love the wine or something along those lines, but to ask those questions on why you made the wine a certain way or what makes your Terroir so interesting is awesome. That and they probably love those questions I mean when I’m cooking at a event and someone asks about the food I prepare but how I came to choose what I did etc etc I find it the most rewarding.

Red Wines in the Okanagan (Naramata Bench also) are trying to find their feet still, Merlot is working well, Syrah is showing nicely, Cabernet Sauvignon not so much . Cabernet Franc is an interesting grape for the area, Have had a lot of nice stuff (Hester Creek Cabernet Franc Reserve is really nice). It seems to be suited for the area.

Therapy

2007 Super Ego (2 weeks in bottle)

Nose of Tobacco, hint of Coffee, taste of tobacco is overwhelming, definitely needs more time to settle and just open up at least 6months minimum before even trying again.

Laughing Stock

Blind Trust 2007 (Red)

Taste of Jolly Rancher Red is the only way I can explain it a lot of candied fruit, good tannin texture

Portfolio 2006

I had this about 3 weeks ago (see review here) and the difference those weeks makes is a lot the wine is a lot more open, less Chocolate Tannins more fruit, easier to drink also.

Nichol

Pinot Noir

Heavy Big Tannins for a Pinot Noir if you like that type of style then this is for you, fruit is there also but the tannins caught me off guard.

Cabernet Franc 2006

Light Tannins, very smooth really nice, fruit but also the Cab Franc nose/taste not overly Vegetable but has some in a good way

Syrah 2006

Aroma of Sweetness that I usually get but not the over the top AKA Cinnamon Bun with Cream Cheese Icing. Taste completely opposite of the nose, not sweet or over the top, nice Red Fruit a Sour Red Fruit that is ripe, nice balance nit acidity, not overtly complex but a nice wine.

Hillside Estate

Old Vines Gamay Noir

A good Gamay Noir, old vines if not one of the oldest Gamays in the Okanagan [Planted 1984], definitely has those characteristics of a Cru Beaujolais, good fruit, that Volcanic Soil style taste.

Merlot 2006

A really nice bottle of Merlot from the Okanagan for 18.99! (And that’s cheap for the area), this is something I will be pursuing for the Wine List at the restaurant, its easy drinking nice body, hint of residual sugar that the average wine drinker will like but also a little bit more for the other people to say Hey this ain’t bad! Thumbs Up.

Poplar Grove

So first things first I enjoy Poplar Groves wines and they do have a distinctive nose on them that I was trying to figure out what it was, It was almost Eucalyptus Like you know that strong Oil smell. So I asked the winemaker Ian Sutherland, what made all of these Poplar Grove wines taste so Terroir Distinctive, and apparently there are a lot of wild sage bushes in the area, which definitely has that Oil Characteristic of a Eucalyptus (just not as strong).

Merlot 2005

Has that Distinctive nose that Poplar Grove has which can almost give you a headache it can be so strong, Opened up a lot more then the last time I had this about 6 months ago.

The Legacy 2006

Red Fruit, Lots of Acidity need s more time and feels like it has the legs to go on for awhile