Bordertown's new releases

Photo: Bordertown's Mohan Gill

Few Okanagan wineries have a location as easy to find as Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery: beside Highway 97 at the northern entrance to Osoyoos. This is a winery you can’t miss! Nor should you. As the current releases indicate, the wines are well-grown and well-made. Here is what the winery says about itself on its website:

For Mohan Gill and his family, the opening of Bordertown Vineyards and Estate Winery in May 2015 was the culmination of a lifetime dream. The Gills built their reputation with over 20 years of experience as growers, supplying some of the Okanagan’s best fruit to a select few wineries and winemakers. Their sun-drenched Osoyoos vineyards are the best place to grow a wide varietal of grapes and are some of the most highly regarded in British Columbia. The Gills are known for their integrity, attention to detail and impeccable farming skills. Passionate about wine, they turned their dream into a reality by building a family-owned and operated state-of-the-art winery in the heart of Osoyoos wine country. Bordertown wines use top 100% estate grown fruit for wines that highlight the very best of the varietals that flourish in the south Okanagan. Wines are produced by proprietor Mohan Gill, overseen by the expertise of accomplished consulting winemaker Daniel Bontorin, who is helping us develop the Bordertown style, which places an emphasis on fresh fruit flavours. We’re nestled in the heart of Osoyoos, a border town that has long been celebrated for rich soil and brilliant sunshine. We’re a new generation winery that strives to showcase the distinct regional characters of Osoyoos fruit. We’ve made our home in Osoyoos, a winegrowing region that provides us with the diversity to grow 14 varietals in unique growing conditions. Coupled with Osoyoos’ extended days of heat and sunshine, we think we have wine growing Nirvana.

Here are notes of six Bordertown wines currently available or about to be released.

Bordertown Pinot Gris 2021 ($19 for 580 cases). The wine begins with fruity aromas – apple, pear and citrus. The palate is refreshing, with crisp acidity and flavours of apples and citrus. 90.

Bordertown Living Desert Red 2019 ($27 for 750 cases). This is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot. The wine begins with aromas of blackberries, cherry and spice. Generous in texture, the palate delivers flavours of dark cherry, black currant and chocolate. 91.

Bordertown Malbec 2019 ($40 for 770 cases). Malbec is distinctive in its perfumed fruit aromas: blackberry, raspberry, cherry. The savoury palate delivers flavours of cherry, plum and spice. 92.

Bordertown Merlot 2019 ($25 for 1,000 cases). The wine, which was aged 12 to 18 months in French oak, begins with aromas of blueberry, cherry, raspberry and spice, all of which is echoed on the palate. Firm, ripe tannins frame the flavours. 91.

Bordertown Petit Verdot 2019 ($35 for 224 cases). Dark in colour, this wine begins with the classic aromas of the varietal – plum, blackberry and a hint of graphite. The palate is firm with long, ripe tannins. Flavours of black currant mingle with spice, tobacco and an underlying hint of sweet fruit. 91.

Bordertown Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($45 for 440 cases). Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of black currant and dark cherry. These are echoed on the palate, along with notes of leather and herbs. The texture is firm. The wine calls for cellaring. 93.