Photo: Kal and Nirmal Gidda of Mt. Boucherie
From time to time, some wineries talk about reducing the
number of wines they produce.
It does not seem that is much of a conversation at Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery where winemaker
Jim Faulkner and his team get to make at last 21 different wines.
In fact, there are more “SKU’s” than that because the winery
releases some of its wines in three litre boxes. That package does not qualify
for the VQA designation but these are VQA quality wines at a very good price.
The box of unoaked Chardonnay, at $38.50, works out to $9.63 a bottle.
Each year
Mt. Boucherie produces
around 25,000 cases of wine, all of it estate-grown. Kal and Nirmal Gidda, who
own the winery with their families, have 300 acres of vineyard in three
regions: West Kelowna, Okanagan Falls and the Similkameen Valley.
This gives the winemaker many options for making varietals and blends.
Six examples from the winery’s current releases show the
depth of the portfolio and the skill of the growers and the winemaker.
Here are notes on the wines.
Mt. Boucherie Riesling 2012 ($16 for 560 cases). The
wine begins with aromas of grapefruit and tangerine with just a faint whiff of
petrol (a good thing in Riesling). On
the palate, there are flavours of lemon and green apple with a touch of slate
on the finish. The balance is exquisite: the residual sugar, which lifts the
flavours, is offset by crisp acidity, give the wine a dry finish. 88.
Mt. Boucherie Sémillon 2011 ($15.50 for 112 cases).
This wine, from grapes grown near Okanagan
Falls, reminds me of a
Hunter Valley Sémillon. I think it would a worthwhile idea (especially at this
price) to set some of this wine aside for five or 10 years, allowing the
nascent complexity to develop in bottle, as it does in the Hunter. The wine
begins with aromas of lemon and lemon oil, leading to flavours of citrus,
honeydew and apple with a silky spine. The finish is dry. 90.
Mt. Boucherie Family Reserve Gamay Noir 2012 ($20
for 1,338 cases). The wine begins with aromas of cherry and vanilla. On the
palate, there are flavours of cherries and red currants with a good shake of
black pepper. This might be a candidate for decanting; as it breathes, the
texture become fleshy. 88.
Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir 2011 ($21 for 1,356 cases).
The fruit for this wine is from the Gidda family’s vineyards near Cawston. The
wine begins with aromas of cherries, leading to flavours of cherry and
strawberry with a hint of spice (the winery’s notes say fennel) on the finish.
The silky tannins add to the appeal of a very drinkable wine at bargain price
for Pinot Noir. It is a versatile wine: served chilled on a hot day, it was
quite refreshing. 88.
Mt.
Boucherie Summit Reserve Syrah 2009 ($25 for 350 cases). The wine begins
with heady aromas of black cherry, plum and vanilla. It is generous on the
palate, with meaty flavours, mingling plum, prune, liquorice and salami. There
is a touch of black pepper on the lingering finish. The wine shows all the
ripeness (alcohol of 14.5%) of a great vintage. The wine needs to be decanted
because it has begun to throw sediment, as most good reds will. 91.
Mt. Boucherie Family Reserve Zinfandel 2010 ($35 for
250 cases). The bold, rustic personality of this wine should appeal to all
Zinfandel fans. It begins with peppery aromas of raspberry and blackberry. On
the palate, there are flavours of blackberry over an earthy undertone. When
this wine is decanted – as it should be – a rich texture emerges with hints of
chocolate and liquorice on the finish. 91.
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