Painted Rock's fine 2020 reds

Photo: Painted Rock's John Skinner

The notes for these wines include a comment on every vintage made by Painted Rock Estate Winery since the first in 2007. Arguably, the 2020 vintage is the best yet, prompting generous scores for the wines. “Our winemaker, Gabriel Reis, and winemaking consultant Alain Sutre both described the vintage as fantastic,” the winery writes. That was due “to the smaller berry size and particularly low yields, leading to ripe, beautifully balanced wines.”

The winery’s total production in 2020 was 4,950 cases compared to 4,560 in 2019, 5,370 in 2018, 5,590 in 2017 and 7,400 in 2016, which was the winery’s biggest harvest to date. The winery describes the 2020 vintage this way: “It started out not unusually with slightly delayed budbreak due to a cool spring, followed by a mild and wet June leading to exponential growth in the vineyard and a lush canopy. Temperatures and rainfall evened out to averages in July and we were seeing great fruit development. Harvest arrived on time and started [September 28] with those beautiful golden clusters of Chardonnay.”

There are not yet comments on either the 2021 or 2022 vintages. The 2021 vintage was good for wineries not affected by smoke; Painted Rock likely was safe. It may be early to comment on 2022 – but some winemakers have begun to report that the long, long autumn delivered very good quality fruit. That should be the case with Painted Rock. Proprietor John Skinner chose an excellent vineyard site. As the winery recounts: “It took four years of searching and detailed analysis for John to find the vineyard that would one day be the estate vineyard. The remarkable 56-acre west-facing bench is surrounded by an amphitheatre of rock and overlooks Skaha Lake. It was once home to the largest apricot orchard in the British Commonwealth. Now, 27 acres are covered with 55,000 plants sourced and propagated from a Bordeaux nursery. The bench is composed of layers of glacial silt, clay, sand and volcanic deposits with underlying gravels.” Here are notes on the current releases.

Painted Rock Chardonnay 2021 ($44.99 and sold out). The specifications no longer are on the website. However, the rich, buttery aromas and flavours suggest the wine was fermented and aged in good French oak – which still does not overwhelm the lovely fruit. There are layers of flavour – peach, apricot, ripe apple. The finish persists. 92.

Painted Rock Rosé 2021 ($32.99 and sold out). This is a blend of 45% Merlot, 22% Malbec, 18% Petit Verdot, 14% Syrah and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is made primarily by the saignée method. The dark rose petal hue is spot on: the wine in the glass looks appealing. The aromas are rich with notes of strawberry. The flavours are savoury with notes of strawberry and red currant. Fresh acidity assures that this wine will age better than most rosé wines. 91.

Painted Rock Cabernet Franc 2020 ($54.99 for 315 cases). This wine was on the skins for 25 days and then barrel-aged 18 months in French oak (30% new). Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of spice and chocolate, leading to flavours of plum, cherry, blackberry, spice and leather. The texture is concentrated, with ripe, grippy tannins on the finish. Decant this wine. 92.

Painted Rock Malbec 2020 ($59.99 for 315 cases). The fruit was aged 18 months in French oak (30% new). Dark in colour, the wine begins with the allusive fruit and floral aromas of the variety – cherry, blackberry mingled with mocha. The flavours are delicious: think of Black Forest cake! 93.

Painted Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($59.99 and sold out). This wine fermented 25 days on the skins and then was aged 18 months in French oak (30% new). Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of cassis, blueberries and herbs which is echoed on the palate. Long ripe tannins give the wine a polished, elegant finish that lingers. 93.

Painted Rock Merlot 2020 ($49.99). The grapes are from four individual blocks in the vineyard. They were harvested individually, cold-soaked on the skins for four days and then fermented in tank on the skins for another 21 days. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak (30% new). The wine begins with aromas of cherry, blueberry and chocolate, leading to flavours of black currant, cherry and spice. The finish persists. 93.

Painted Rock Syrah 2020 ($49.99). This is a powerful wine and a textbook Okanagan Syrah with classic black and white pepper notes. The wine was aged 18 months in oak (30% new). The new oak was 80% French, 20% American. The remaining oak was second-fill French. The aromas jump from the glass: plum, dark fruits, pepper. The luscious palate delivers flavours of blackberry, plum and black cherry. The finish is persistent. 94.

Painted Rock Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($49.99 for 245 cases). This is a blend of 76% Syrah and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were fermented and aged separately in French oak (30% new), to be blended just before bottling. This is another powerful red, with the aromas of dark fruits and pepper and the rich dark fruit flavours defined by the Syrah. The Cabernet Sauvignon contributes fresh fruit and bright acidity to this harmonious blend. 93.

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