While the spring got off to a slow start, the sun and warmth of the summer and early fall ripened this late-ripening grape. So, it’s more fragrant and fruitier with softer tannins than the past few vintages. Generous blackcurrant, red plum, dusty sage, black olive and lingering leather on the finish. A friend of steak.
Made from 25-year-old vines, this Syrah is still a tad closed but features plum, raspberry and cranberry flavours which encapsulate black pepper, cocoa, incense, oregano and vanilla notes. Very good length, fine acid and approachable.
Vibrant red and blue fruit on the nose followed by a cassis- and cherry-toned palate with easy tannins and a solid finish. Pair with pasta or braised meats.
This Niagara Syrah is deep ruby in colour with a savoury, red-berry, herbal nose; it’s medium-bodied and dry with a herb-tinged raspberry flavour. There’s a touch of sweetness in mid-palate but it’s nicely balanced.
BC Syrah is exiting. Most of the Syrah in the province is grown in the southern Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, but the grapes for this wine are from a site in Kelowna adjacent to Lake Okanagan whose moderating effect protects the vines from winter damage. The wine shows red and black berry fruit, white pepper, meaty, with an elegant texture, tight core and lovely freshness on the finish. The vineyard was only planted in 2010 and the winery is still playing with the wine’s oak regime. Cutting back a little on the oak’s prominence would make this wine even more fresh and compelling.
Dense purple-ruby colour; smoky, herby, blackberry and blueberry nose; smoky blackberry and blueberry flavour with tones of sage and bitter chocolate backed by lively acidity. Northern Rhône style.
To ensure that the Merlot was fully ripe in the cool 2013 vintage, Kacaba left the grapes to hang until mid-October. The result is a rather fullish red with plum, dark cherry, toast, chocolate, spice and green olive qualities. Cuban ropa vieja or a skirt steak with chimichurri would be stellar pairings.