2018 Icon Wine of the Year

For the first time in our 10 year history we have a winery with back-to-back wins: congratulations to Black Hills Estate Winery for raising the bar with their small-lot, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon!

In the past we have shied away from picking a small release wine to celebrate as our Icon Wine of the Year as it can be too hard for readers to track a bottle down, but we just couldn't ignore this exceptional Cabernet. The fortunate few who got their hands on it have liquid gold in their cellar, those lucky ducks!

The Wine

Black Hills Estate Winery 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
$100 - 50 cases - 14.2%
95pts

Sadly this beauty was limited to the Black Hills wine club only, and I may have never encountered a better reason to join such a club thanks to its out-of-this-world depth, rarely seen in a BC Cab. Both sensual and powerful on the nose with deep, minty dark chocolate, intense cassis liqueur, tangy cordial cherry and dusty nutmeg aromas. 

The ultra fine tannin palate is equally intense and layered with similar flavours of menthol, cocoa, cassis, kirsch and spice. The long, long finish offers additional notes of vanilla, toasted oak and sweet, blackberry acidity. Truly divine.

Previous Winners

• 2017 - Black Hills 2015 Syrah and Painted Rock 2015 Syrah
• 2016 - Cassini Cellars 2013 The Aristocrat
• 2015 - Le Vieux Pin 2012 Équinoxe Syrah
• 2014 - Painted Rock 2012 Red Icon
• 2013 - Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Cachet No. 03
• 2012 - Painted Rock Estate Winery 2011 Chardonnay
• 2011 - Fairview Cellars 2009 The Wrath
• 2010 - Stratus Vineyards 2007 Red
• 2009 - Blackwood Lane Winery 2006 Alliance

News: Winemaker Changes at Black Hills Estate Winery

From the Black Hills Estate Winery Press Release

After 10 successful years in the position as our head winemaker at Black Hills Estate Winery, Graham Pierce will transition to a new role as our consulting winemaker. In this new part-time role, Graham will continue to be involved in key strategic decisions and practices in the winery's winemaking program. These include but are not limited to: grape picking and fermentation decisions, barrel selections, blending, and stylistic directions.

The assignment of this role allows Graham the time to pursue a long-time dream to create his own brand of sparkling wine and other possible projects, while continuing to work closely with the esteemed Black Hills winery team. This includes his close relationship with the winery's winegrower Steve Carberry, who continues into his 14-year commitment as the veteran vineyard manager at Black Hills. As part of the winery's practice of "continual quality evolution", every member of the Black Hills team is committed to improving the quality of the grapes grown, the wines produced, and the hospitality provided every year.

As consulting winemaker, Graham will also work closely with Black Hills' future winemaker and the existing winery team to execute the day-to-day operations. The search for a new winemaker is now underway. We are confident we will attract a world-class candidate that will be thrilled to work directly with Graham and the rest of our winery team. It is envisioned that Graham will transition into the consulting winemaker role in early July 2018.

"We are thrilled to continue to work with Graham and have on-going access to his incredible experience, perspective, palate and passion for wine," says Glenn Fawcett, director, Black Hills Estate Winery. "At Black Hills, we value every team member and support them in pursuing their dreams. We are very excited that Graham will now have the time and freedom to pursue the side projects that are so important to him. Many of us at Black Hills will be rushing to become Graham's first customer when he makes his sparkling wine release in the future".

Graham proudly shared, "It has been an amazing 10 years working with the exceptional team at Black Hills. The dedication and talent from every team member has allowed us to craft the wine that we proudly stand behind. I look forward to working with the new winemaker and the rest of the team as we continue our continual quality evolution of our wine."

-

A sample of some of Graham's most recent releases:

Black Hills Estate Winery 2015 Syrah
Fantastical concentration in this Black Sage Bench sourced Syrah with deep, black cherry and sensual, floral aromas on the generous nose and oak-kissed layers of black cherry, mint, pepper, tobacco and blood orange flavours on the smoky, fine tannin palate. Simply gorgeous.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2016 Viognier
Black Hills have dialed in their Viognier program delivering a focused wine with both plump, Tropical fruit and lean, refreshing citrus characters that make it a great pairing for rich, spicy soups and seafood dishes. Look for subtle notes of white flowers on the pleasant nose and fresh, tangy apricots on the palate. The finish is long with lingering clove and aniseed spice.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2016 Chardonnay
Both rich and vibrant and anchored with baby bear levels of oak (just right) on the vanilla and peach cream scented nose and on the orchard'n'citrus fruit infused palate. Layers of mineral, blossom and spice add depth throughout. Clove, pear and ever-so-slightly bitter lemon zest notes linger on the long finish.
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Black Hills Estate Winery 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Likely to be limited to the wine club only, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine may be the best reason ever to join such a club with its out-of-this-world depth of flavour, rarely seen in a BC Cab. Both sensual and powerful on the nose with deep, minty dark chocolate, pure cassis liqueur, cordial cherry and nutmeg aromas.
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- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2018 IconWines.ca

2017 Icon Wine(s) of the Year

For the first time we have a co-winner of our Icon Wine of the Year award; two excellent Syrahs with a similar story:

Black Hills Estate Winery 2015 Syrah

Painted Rock Estate Winery 2015 Syrah

The Story

Both Syrah hail from estate wineries best known for producing big, bold, Bordeaux-styled, iconic red blends (Painted Rock's Red Icon and Black Hills' Nota Bene) yet, over the past few years, it is the house Syrah that I have found made a more lasting impression and are wines I would most often recommend, not as a consolation to the sold-out blends, but as a signature of quality for the winery and as an example of the heights this peppery, Rhone Valley grape can achieve in BC.

Syrah is handled with care in the vineyard, by both wineries, where the quality of the future wine is determined. Syrah needs constant care in the vineyard as it can grow wildly if left to its own devices and can get hit hard by BC's harshest winters.

Talking to vineyard staff about growing Syrah in BC is like discussing the ailment history of a self-diagnosing hypochondriac: you'll get a laundry list of complaints about keeping the vines healthy - even in good-weather years. Mention a particularly cold season to a vineyard manager, like the frost-heavy 2008 winter, and from the horror stories you'll hear, you'll be amazed that the vines survive at all.

Red Icon and Nota Bene have earned the hype these wines receive, but there is more to their producers than these well-promoted, 'flagship' wines, and it's their Syrah you will secretly crave and collect.

The Wines

Black Hills Estate Winery 2015 Syrah - 92+pts

Fantastical concentration in this Black Sage Bench sourced Syrah with deep, black cherry and sensual, floral aromas on the generous nose and oak-kissed layers of black cherry, mint, pepper, tobacco and blood orange flavours on the smoky, fine tannin palate. Simply gorgeous.

Full Review

Painted Rock Estate Winery 2015 Syrah - 92-93pts

This youthful Syrah displays ripe cherry and plum fruit with integrated white pepper, pepperoni and floral aromas followed on the dry, grippy-tannin palate with similar flavours and added layers of blood orange, mint and vanilla.

Full Review

Previous Winners

• 2016 - Cassini Cellars 2013 The Aristocrat
• 2015 - Le Vieux Pin 2012 Équinoxe Syrah
• 2014 - Painted Rock 2012 Red Icon
• 2013 - Stag's Hollow Winery 2010 Cachet No. 03
• 2012 - Painted Rock Estate Winery 2011 Chardonnay
• 2011 - Fairview Cellars 2009 The Wrath
• 2010 - Stratus Vineyards 2007 Red
• 2009 - Blackwood Lane Winery 2006 Alliance

What's in Your Cellar, Glenn?

Photo courtesy of Black Hills Estate Winery

Glenn Fawcett
Black Hills Estate Winery
President
blackhillswinery.com

When Glenn Fawcett became the president of Black Hills Estate Winery in 2006 he began a program to upgrade the equipment and slowly expand the portfolio of wines which now includes a second label called Cellar Hand. He believes in the quality of the wines of British Columbia and this is reflected in his cellar selections which includes 11 vintages of the winery's flagship wine Nota Bene and other local blends and Syrah. His general advice on building a collection is to "Save what you love!" Good advice to follow considering you will likely end-up drinking it all as private wine sales between collectors is still illegal in BC.

Q - What are your favourite wines to cellar/collect?
Typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Bordeaux Style blends

Q - What are your favourite wine regions to cellar/collect?
Black Sage Road, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Russian River, Santa Lucia Highlands, Rioja, Bordeaux and Tuscany.

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
If we go on a wine tour or wine buying trip, we often buy bottles that we want to save for a special occasion to share with friends. Having a cellar allows you to save those wines for those special moments

Q - Is there a jewel of note or a favourite wine in your collection?
Tensley Syrah. (From Santa Barbara California)

Q - Any particular duds or disappointments of note?
As a general rule I have found that Merlot has not aged that well for us

Q - What inspired you to hold onto that first bottle or case beyond when it was ready to drink?
The passionate recommendation of a Winemaker, who told me it would only get better with age

Q - Was there a particular bottle or region of wine that was the impetus of starting your collection?
Sandhill Phantom Creek Syrah.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
The realization that we have a group of friends together that have not been together for a long time

Q - What have you learned about wine from starting your collection?
How much we love wine!

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
How incredibly passionate we are about Canadian Wine from a variety of producers.
Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
Do as much research as possible to determine the age ability of the wine.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

3rd Annual Vinos Wine Film Festival

This year there are $16,000 in cash prizes and wine packages to be won. A huge increase thanks to a new partnership with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The contest is open to amateurs and professionals alike who are encourage to dream big, and produce a video about your favourite BC winery or anything to do with BC wine or Wine Tourism. For inspiration check out the work of previous finalists at www.youtube.com/blackhillswinery

The deadline to submit your video is June 1, 2012 so get a move on!

 The Prizes

The Vinos “Wine Video” Awards, presented by SUN FM radio:

• First Place: $5000 in cash and wine
• Second Place: $2000 in cash and wine
• Third Place: $1000 in cash and wine

The Vinos “Wine Tourism Video” Awards, presented by Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association:

• First Place: $5000 in cash and wine
• Second Place: $2000 in cash and wine
• Third Place: $1000 in cash and wine

The “People's Choice Video Award”, presented by Wineries Refined:

• $1000 in cash and wine

Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Festival

I can speak from personal experience, Black Hills Estate Winery knows how to throw a party! As a wine tourist myself, I like to seek-out fun wine related events to attend and any affair organized by Black Hills' president Glenn Fawcett is sure to be a blast. The Celebrity Wine Festival is just such an event and affords one the luxury of taking the experience of attending to the next level - you can actually be in the event by creating a short video about your love for BC wine. Submissions are due June 1st.

Official Call for Submission note from Glenn Fawcett:
The Vino’s is the world’s first wine film festival. It has been inspired by events like the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes, or the wildly successful Big Rock Eddies beer commercial film festival. It gives wine enthusiasts the opportunity to compete for cash prizes and precious wine packages by producing a one to three minute video about their favourite BC winery or anything to do with BC wine.


You obviously like drinking B.C. wine. So why not grab your friends and a camcorder and make a 60 second video commercial about your favourite B.C. wine or winery? Have some fun, create some laughs and send something in. If you are lucky, your submission will be chosen as one of the 24 finalists and will be shown during the Vino’s party on June 11. Then you can act like a star and rub shoulders with celebrities & producers. If your video is really good (funny), you could win one of the prizes:

· First Place: $1500 cash plus 3 cases of B.C, wine
· Second Place: $750 plus 2 cases of B.C. wine
· Third Place: $250 cash plus 1 case of B.C. wine

All 24 finalists will receive 2 free tickets to the Vino’s party plus one night free hotel accommodation in Osoyoos during the festival. So spread the word to your friends who may want to do a submission as well. For further details please go to: www.osoyooscelebritywinefestival.com/vinos

March Meritage Rd4 - The Championship Match

The March Meritage championship match was played out in Mike Nierychlo's Garage in the heart of Langley, BC - recorded for prosperity (and promotion) on video tape. The Black Sage Bench conference champion, Black Hills 2008 Nota Bene went toe-to-toe with the Golden Mile Bench conference champion, Fairview Cellars 2008 The Bear. For the final, the wines were tasting side-by-side in an epic, Jake LaMotta VS Ray Robinson battle of attrition.

Check out more videos from Mike Nierychlo at http://www.mikenierychlo.com/

Cult favourite Nota Bene was able to use its reach advantage (mailing list, of course) early on in the match over the smaller, underdog The Bear, while offering ease of drink at only 3 yeas of age. Both wines battled hard with their excellent expression of terroir, dark fruit and savoury character for round after round. But in the end, it was The Bear's longevity that squeaked out the victory and brought home the title of 2011 March Meritage champion.

Congratulations to Bill Eggert and Fairview Cellars!

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

March Meritage Rd3 - Final Four Results

The March Meritage semi-finals took place on Saturday, April 2nd with the winner of the Black Sage Bench Conference, Black Hills 2008 Nota Bene, taking on the Wild Card Conference champion, Mission Hill 2007 Compendium, and the survivor of the Golden Mile Bench Conference, Fairview Cellars 2008 The Bear, versus the Naramata Bench Conference winner, La Frenz 2007 Grand Total Reserve.

The final will take place on Sunday, April 3rd in Langley at the famed Mike Nierychlo Garage and will be recorded (somewhat) Live!

Complete Box Scores

W - (1) FC '08 The Bear: Points: 91-93. Cost: $35
L - (2) LF '07 Grand Total: Points 92-93. Cost $40
Game notes: In what some believed was the true final of March Meritage, the bracket alignment saw The Bear from Golden Mile Bench took on the Grand Total Reserve from Naramata Bench in the hottest contested battle yet seen in the competition. The silky smooth texture and complexity of the Grand Total took on the exquisite expression of terroir from The Bear. The result was a close, back and forth war of superior red wines. In the end The Bear outlasted the Grand Total with its ageability and fierce, man-eating bite.

W - (1) BH '08 Nota Bene: Points: 91. Cost: $53
L - (1) MH '07 Compendium: Points: 91+. Cost: $45
Game notes: The two highest priced remaining wines faced off in the second semi-final of the final four. The elegant and age worthy Compendium took an early lead in the match until the Nota Bene rebounded with an excellent use of its field blend and layers of complexity attacks. The infamy of the Nota Bene's blend proved too popular for the refined upstart Compendium (only in its second vintage) and the Black Hills Meritage punched its ticket to the championship match.

10 Years of Nota Bene

Quick pop quiz! Name a top-end BC wine that has been made continuously for 10 years... yep, there are but a handful. Mission Hill's Oculus, Blue Mountain's Pinot Noir and Black Hills' Nota Bene are the only reds that come to mind. Why? For one, the premium wine industry in BC is still very young. Sure, we've been making wine in BC for decades, but premium, cellar-worthy wines have only been produced in the Province since the mid 90's.

Arguably, of those few, no other wine has had more effect on the collectability of BC wines over the past decade than Nota Bene. Thus forever altering why we add BC wines to our cellars. Gone are the days when we added BC wines to our cellars simply to see how they would perform with extra time in the bottle. Now, a growing percentage of the wine-buying population, add these elite, Iconic wines to their cellars for equal parts status and drinking enjoyment. So, how do they fare over time?

I had the opportunity to attend a recent 10-year vertical tasting of Nota Bene at Black Hills Estate Winery - a virtual time-capsule of Okanagan Valley vintages from 1999 to 2008. Except for the first year, the wine has changed the percentage of its components only minimally from vintage to vintage reflecting the medley of varietals planted in the estate vineyard. This "field blend" approach has its challenges, but certainly allows the terroir show through and reflects vintage variation.

The tasting was hosted by winery president Glenn Fawcett who clearly understands the power of the Nota Bene brand and has changed very little around its production since taking over the firm in 2006, except to fund upgrades in winery equipment. These improvements on the winery floor and in the cellar will effect quality more than character and will mean the Nota Bene of tomorrow should out-live the Nota Bene of the past - depending on the vintage conditions.

Black Hills Estate Winery President Glenn Fawcett

The wines were poured from standard 750ml bottles for the vertical tasting. However, a later event afforded the opportunity to taste a few of the vintages in double-magnum format (3L bottles). Notes on the double-magnums when applicable.

1999
1600 cases. 64% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc.
Dark brick colour, with warm, candied-fruit and prune aromas. Very earthy, almost pinot-like in character with forest floor, stewed-fruit flavours. A bit tired and past its prime. Drink now.

Double-Magnum: Much more lively. More prominent red fruits on the nose. Has peaked and is drinking beautifully now. Drink 2010-2012.

2000
1800 cases. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot.
First vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon was king. Medium garnet core, brick rim. Stewed tomato aromas dominate the hint of dark fruit notes left. Mostly lightened, savoury notes remain. A bit tired and past its prime. Drink now.

Double-Magnum: As with the 1999, the large format bottle has allowed the wine to age more slowly and the "old wine" characters are charming rather than a burden. Has peaked and is drinking beautifully now. Drink 2010-2012.

2001
2200 cases. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc.
Medium garnet core, watery rim - very clear. Nice smoke, earth and herbaceous characters above the remnants of dark fruits. Savoury on the palate. Balance remains intact. Has peaked and is on the way down so enjoy soon. Drink 2010-2011.

Double-Magnum: Still fresh with more aging potential. More fruit than the 750ml bottling. Drink 2010-2013.

2002
2200 cases. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc.
Dark garnet. Herbs and oak aromas with some prune notes. Fresher and more vibrant on the nose and palate than the older vintages. Candied fruit and licorice flavours. Big and bold - a classic Nota Bene. Peaking now/soon. Drink 2010-2012.

2003
2400 cases. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.
Dark garnet core, dark brick rim. Hefty. Super-hot vintage (major forest fire year). Less funky earth notes than the 2001/02. Fruit much more prominent with nice tartness on the palate. Oak and cedar aromas and flavours. Drink 2010-2013.

Double-Magnum: Has yet to peak. Fresh and vibrant. Drink 2012-2015.

2004
2800 cases. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc.
The 2004 was the stand-out for me at the tasting. Pinot Noir in appearance only with a crystal clear, light-garnet colour. Elegant nose of red fruits, licorice, chocolate and minerality. Crisp and vibrant on the palate. Drinking beautifully now and will likely peak in another year. Drink 2011-2014.

2005
2900 cases. 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.
Dark garnet-ruby core. Big, aromatic nose. Dark jammy fruits and mint aromas. Bold vintage. Far from peaking. Drink 2011-2015.

2006
3300 cases. 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc.
Dark ruby colour. Fresh plum, mint, sweet dark fruit aromas with some prune notes. Very focussed and sharp - a classic Nota Bene. Far from peaking. Drink 2012-2016.

2007
3900 cases. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc.
Balanced vintage with a good growing season and decent ripeness. Dark ruby colour. Dark fruits with fig and some nice spice characters. Very youthful still. Should peak between 2013-2014. Drink 2011-2016.

Double-Magnum: Tasted fresh, juicy and vibrant like it had just been released. Drink 2014+.

2008

4300 cases. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc.
Intense aromas of cassis, dark fruit, licorice, oak spice, French vanilla, forest floor and cigar box. Equally big flavours of cherry cola, blackberry liqueur, blueberries, espresso beans, wet cigar and toasted oak follow suit on the richly-textured and full-bodied palate. Drink 2010-2014.

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Double-Magnum: (Tasted at the BC VQA trade show) Tasted like it was right out of the barrel. Fresh and vibrant. Large format bottles of the 2008 will increase the lifespan of this release, however, I would still recommend enjoying this vintage sooner than the 2005-07's. Drink 2013-2016.

2009
3300 cases produced. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc.
Not yet released and only recently bottled, the 2009 vintage was poured as a barrel sample to preview the upcoming release (est. June 2011). Having tasted many 2009 barrel samples lately I am very excited about this vintage and the Nota Bene is no exception. Production is down due to crop damage in the spring of 2009, but a hot summer and dry Fall has produced big fruit flavours and ripe tannins (ripest in years).
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010 IconWines.ca