This wine was produced by the 2013 Vancouver International Wine Festival’s Sommelier of the Year winner, Samanatha Rahn as part of the Okanagan Crush Pad Winery’s wine campus program.  Held in conjunction with the BC Hospitality Foundation, sale proceeds fund a scholarship to support students who take high level wine education certifications.

What a delicious treat it is.  Cloudy and an opaque ruby red, this wine is unfined and unfiltered.  It has medium plus intense aromas of sour cherry, savoury game and salami with black pepper, pine needle and field berry.  The intense herbal note grew while we enjoyed the bottle.

The palate is dry with average acidity and velvety tannins with medium alcohol.  Flavours are concentrated and show pomegranate, field berry, more sour and Byng cherry, garrigue, black olive and pepper with a high toned minerality.  Savoury salami and saddle round it out with a medium plus finish.

It’s beautifully balanced and seriously layered – WSET Very Good.  According to Samantha, the brand may well be continued.  Keep your eyes peeled in BC wine stores.

Picture credit: Mike Woods Photography