Black Hills Estate Winery
We were proud to feature Black Hills Estate Winery in July 2019.
Black Hills Estate Winery was established in 1996 and is an ultra-premium winery located on the acclaimed Black Sage Bench. The site on which our vineyard sits has been recognized as one of the most exceptional in Canada.
Black Hills Winery proudly presents wines that have been carefully hand-crafted from vineyard to bottle. Their terroir-centric Rhone and Bordeaux varietal wines are given meticulous attention through each step of the process from barrel aging to blending and bottling. The winemaking team is deliberate in their selection of the best blocks for their premier wines, constantly monitoring and tasting throughout the aging process.
Read more about Black Hills and the wines included in this month’s packages on our Blog.
Tasting Notes
ALIAS, 2017
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Chasselas (24%), Riesling (18%), Muscat (17%), Gewurztraminer (15%), Pinot Blanc (12%), Pinot Gris (9%), Schonburger (5%)
Vineyard: Select Naramata Vineyards
Alcohol: 11.5%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 1,138
Appearance: White gold in colour.
Nose: A complex nose of lychee, rose petal, grapefruit and lime.
Palate: Medium-bodied, just off-dry, a cornucopia of spicy orange, melon, apple and lychee flavours.
Quality: Very Good+. Harmonious and fun to drink. Enjoy now.
Critic Rating: 88.5 points – Tony Aspler
Food Pairing: Avocado and prawn risotto, swiss cheese fondue, pan-seared foie gras with a spice citrus purée, pad Thai with a green papaya salad, and roasted mushroom and brie soup.
PINOT NOIR, 2017
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Select Naramata Vineyards
Alcohol: 13%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 692
Appearance: Bright ruby colour.
Nose: A nose of Morello cherries and pipe tobacco with oak spice and vanilla notes.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, succulent sour cherry and raspberry flavours; beautifully balanced with well-integrated oak and fresh acidity giving the wine a long finish.
Quality: Outstanding. Can be opened now but will reward two years in the cellar.
Critic Rating: 90 points – Tony Aspler
Food Pairing: Beef bourguignon, seared Ahi tuna salad with Asian vinaigrette, herb-crusted pork loin, bacon and brie stuffed mushrooms, and raspberries dipped in milk chocolate.
ROUSSANNE, 2016
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Roussanne
Vineyard: Tuc el Nuit Vineyard in Oliver, BC
Alcohol: 12.9%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 800
Appearance: Bright, very pale straw in colour.
Nose: Minerally, floral and Asian pear on the nose.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, dry, lemon and pear flavours with an intriguing touch of bitterness on the finish for added interest. Lovely mouth-feel and texture with a firm finish.
Quality: Very Good+. Drink now until 2021.
Critic Rating: 88 points – Tony Aspler
Awards:
Food Pairing: Skillet chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce, lemongrass and coconut mussels with basmati rice, spicy oven roasted chickpeas, lobster salad with citrus vinaigrette, and cream cheese empanadas with shrimp or red peppers.
CELLAR HAND PUNCH DOWN RED, 2016
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Merlot (67%), Cabernet Sauvignon (17%), Carménère (10%), Syrah (6%)
Vineyard: Sharp Rock Vineyard and Double Black Vineyard in Oliver, BC
Alcohol: 13.2%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 2,600
Appearance: Deep purple-ruby in colour.
Nose: Spicy, slightly earthy nose of black cherry.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, dry, plum and cherry flavours with a cedary note and lively acidity. Ripe tannins.
Quality: Very Good+. Drink now or hold 1 – 2 years.
Critic Rating: 88 points – Tony Aspler
Awards:
Food Pairing: Shepherd’s pie, pan-seared duck breast with blueberry sauce, roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic, grilled radicchio with a balsamic reduction, roasted red peppers stuffed with kale and rice, and pulled pork sliders with apple coleslaw.
VIOGNIER, 2017
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Viognier
Vineyard: Saddle Ridge Vineyard in Oliver, BC
Alcohol: 12.7%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 2,500
Appearance: Bright, pale straw colour.
Nose: Delightful minerally, floral, white peach nose.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, grapey flavour with pink grapefruit acidity. Great balance, lovely mouth-feel and generous mid-palate fruit that lingers on the palate.
Quality: Outstanding. Drink now through 2020.
Critic Rating: 90 points – Tony Aspler
Awards:
Food Pairing: Lamb tagine with chickpeas and apricots, coconut shrimp with sweet chili dipping sauce, sun-roasted carrot and chicken salad, poached salmon with pink peppercorn tartar sauce, and roasted quail with honey, cumin and orange zest.
SYRAH, 2016
Black Hills Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley Buy this wineTasting notes written by Tony Aspler.
Geographical Indication: VQA Okanagan Valley, BC
Varietal: Syrah
Vineyard: Sharp Rock Vineyard and Double Black Vineyard in Oliver, BC
Alcohol: 13.9%
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 3,800
Appearance: Dense purple-ruby in colour.
Nose: Spicy, floral, blackberry bouquet with a peppery, herbal note and a suggestion of oak.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, dry, juicy blackberry and black plum flavours with a black licorice note and lively acidity.
Quality: Outstanding. Give it 2 or 3 years for the elements to come into balance and this will be a stunning wine. For the impatient it’s drinking well now and the mouth-feel will captivate you.
Critic Rating: 89-91 points (dependent upon aging) – Tony Aspler
Awards:
Food Pairing: Venison meatballs with red wine plum sauce, ribeye roast with roasted chestnuts and brussels sprouts, smoked sausage jambalaya, sage and cumin pork tenderloin, and roasted tomato and eggplant curry.