Mt. Boucherie's new releases

 Photo: Winemaker Jeff Hundertmark

The current releases from Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery reflect the handiwork of Jeff Hundertmark, the winemaker here for several years.

“The 2018 vintage was my first full vintage here, so it is near and dear to my heart,” he writes in a note accompanying the wines.  “2019 was a great vintage for us: lower sugars, lower alcohol but still with amazing phenolic ripeness. This vintage is one to keep a close eye on across the region, I think.”

He adds: “I am really excited for you to try the 2017 Summit. Even though the harvest happened a month or so prior to my arrival at Mt Boucherie, I painstakingly tasted through a lot of barrels (tough work!) to come up with the perfect blend, in my estimation.”

For more background on the winery, here is an except from the new Okanagan Wine Tour Guide, which was released in April. The pandemic prevented book launch events. The 510-page book, selling for $25, is now in bookstores.

The dramatic new winery, tasting room, and restaurant that is Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery show that it has emerged with new ownership and new direction after a tumultuous recent past of family feuding.

When the winery opened in 2001, it was operated by three brothers: Sarwan, Nirmal, and Kaldep Gidda. Their father, Mehtab, brought his family to the Okanagan from India in 1958. The family began growing grapes in 1975, eventually owning significant vineyards in both the Okanagan and the Similkameen Valleys. Sarwan, the eldest brother, withdrew from the partnership in 2008 to establish his own family winery, Volcanic Hills. Several years later, an acrimonious split between the other brothers ultimately landed Mt. Boucherie in bankruptcy in 2014.

The winery attracted interest from several groups when the receiver put it on the market in 2015. The successful bidder, a group headed by Vancouver businessman Sonny Huang, took over Mt. Boucherie on March 30, 2016. Born in China, Sonny is a long-time resident of British Columbia and a self-made entrepreneur who started with a pizza shop and now is a real-estate developer as well an importer/exporter of produce and wine.

Sonny has breathed fresh life into Mt. Boucherie; its future has never been brighter. The winery’s 120 hectares (300 acres) of vineyards throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys have been rejuvenated; a quarter has been replanted, with better varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon replacing such unfortunate original choices as Dornfelder. The new winery has a capacity to produce 55,000 cases a year, double a previous high. The facilities include a 15,000-square-foot wine experience centre. It is located at the highest point on the property with a dramatic view of Okanagan Lake.

Winemaking was taken over in 2018 by Saskatoon-born Jeff Hundertmark. He started out in the hospitality industry, eventually becoming a sommelier; he was once the sommelier at the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa. He then spent almost 20 years operating restaurants. “I feel in love with the whole aspect of wine,” he says. “I decided in my 40s to go back to school and learn to be a winemaker. I was tired of wearing suits and ties.” He worked with several Ontario wineries including Marynissen, Stoney Ridge, and Mike Weir Winery before he moved to the Okanagan in 2017, working initially at Rust Wine Co., which shares ownership with Mt. Boucherie.

Here are notes on the wines.

Mt. Boucherie Pinot Gris 2019 ($19.99). This wine was partially fermented on the skins in stainless steel. The wine displays an appealing blush hue, and aromas of citrus and apples which are echoed on the palate. The wine has good weight and a clean, dry finish. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Riesling 2019 ($17.99). This wine was finished off-dry and with soft acidity. The wine has aromas and flavours of peach and citrus. The style lends itself to an aperitif wine. 87.

Mt. Boucherie Rosé 2019 ($21). This wine is a co-fermented field blend of Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. It begins with an appealing rose petal hue, leading to aromas and flavours of watermelon, strawberry and apple. On the palate, the wine is juicy and refreshing. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir 2018 ($24.99). With fruit from the Similkameen, this is a spicy, medium-bodied wine with aromas and flavours of cherry, chocolate and forest floor. A core of sweet fruit mingled with oak lingers on the palate. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Syrah 2018 ($27.09). The wine has aromas of white pepper and plum. On the palate, there are flavours of plum, fig, smoked meat and pepper. The fruit brightness has been maintained because the wine was matured only in older oak. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Summit 2017 ($60). The flagship red at this winery, it is a blend of 43% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah and 2% Malbec. The individual varietals were aged 13 months in French oak. After the blend was assembled, it was aged a further 11 months in barrel. Dark in colour, the wine begins with powerful aromas of black currant, black cherry and blackberry. It is full on the palate with flavcours of dark fruits and a hint of pepper on the finish. 93.