Aasha Wines makes impressive Naramata Bench debut

Photo: Winemaker Pascal Madevon (courtesy Aasha Wines)

The newest and smallest winery on the Naramata Bench, Aasha Wines Ltd. will be introduced to consumers at the Okanagan Wine Festival in early May.

Gaurav Puri and Tracy Rook, the proprietors, do not have a tasting room at the winery. In part, that is because the winery produces less than 1,000 cases a year; and because they split their time between Naramata and Toronto. Gaurav is a busy emergency room doctor and Tracy, his wife, is a nurse. “We decided to participate [in the festival] for the first time,” Gaurav says. “We will have an opportunity to showcase some of our wines and also have face to face conversations with people about what we are doing.” The winery is based on a 2.8-acre vineyard on Naramata Road that was planted in 2007 with three varietals: Viognier, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit purchases have allowed the winery to extend its portfolio to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

“I actually started on this journey seven years or so ago,” says Gaurav, who was born in 1981 and is the son of immigrants from India. “I started off [in this wine venture] as a silent partner. There were three of us. We considered buying a piece of land for a winery, initially in Prince Edward County, in Ontario. The search ended up in the Okanagan Valley. When this property came up for sale in 2014, it was what we were looking for. We didn’t want a big piece of land. We did not want to mass produce wines. We want to focus on making quality wines.” Shortly after the vineyard purchase, the partnership fell apart. “I was the last person standing,” Gaurav says. “Tracy and I had to start from scratch. We did not have a license. We did not have a winemaker.” Rather than walking away from the venture, they retained Pascal Madevon, one of the Okanagan’s leading consulting winemakers. The Aasha wines, starting with the 2016 vintage, were made under Pascal’s supervision at Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland which has nurtured a number of start-up wineries until they had their own licences and facilities.

“I didn’t really get into wine until I started my residency, probably 13 years ago,” says Gaurav, who heads the emergency medicine department at a Toronto hospital. “I just kind of got the bug after trying wines abroad with one of my friends; and coming back and bringing that passion. I realized it was just this constant area where you could never learn everything, but where there was always something you could learn. That is why I started down the journey in the first place.” That does not mean he is planning to change careers at this time. “I love my work,” Gaurav says. “Being an emergency physician is not really a job to me. It’s my way of life. It is what I do. I’ll do that as long as I have that feeling about the work.”

Aasha was licensed last year after a small winery was built at the vineyard. This enabled the winery to begin releasing its wines for sale direct to consumers. The licensing delay turned out to be a blessing: the 2016 reds with which Aasha debuted are drinking very well now. “The name, Aasha, comes from the Hindi word for hope, aspiration, and prospect,” the winery explains on its website. “It was also the name of Gaurav’s grandmother. Aasha Wines, appropriately, is very much a labor of love. A small vineyard, small winery, and small tight-knit team, making wines in a style we love to drink. Pure, honest, and reflective of our terroir.”

Here are notes on the wines.

Aasha Blindsided Viognier 2016 ($32). This barrel-fermented Viognier ticks all the boxes for a premium Viognier: great texture supporting honeyed fruit. It begins with aromas of apricot and mango. The palate echoes those fruit, along with peach and vanilla. The finish lingers and lingers. 93.

Aasha Crosswinds Syrah 2016 ($39). This wine benefited from extended maceration and aging 15 months in French oak barrels (40% new). It begins with the fingerprint of South Okanagan Syrah – pepper on the nose and the palate mingled with blueberry, plum and fig. On the finish, the wine manages to be both earthy and savoury. 92.

Aasha Little Monster Syrah Rosé 2017 ($23). “Aging Rosé can be a mistake,” the winery acknowledges. “It can also be revelatory. We like to think this is an example of the latter.” Even at five years, the fruit is still fresh. The wine was aged five months in stainless steel. There are aromas and flavours of strawberry and mango with a mouth filling texture and a long finish. 90.

Aasha Little Monster Syrah Rosé 2019 ($23). Like its sister rosé, this was made with the saignée method and aged five months in stainless steel. In the glass, the slightly golden hue is appealing. Spicy on the nose, the wine delivers flavours of ripe papaya mingled with marmalade. The flavours, fresh and spicy, linger pleasantly on the palate. 91.

Aasha Curious Glance Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($43). The fruit for this wine was allowed extended maceration. After fermentation, the wine was aged 15 months in French oak (60% new). The wine begins with aromas of cassis, black cherry leading to layers of fruit (plum, black cherry, black currant) on the palate. Velvety tannins contribute to the elegance of this appealing wine. 93.