Vanessa wines - from a vineyard carved from stone

Photo: Master Winemaker Howard Soon

The motto which Vanessa Vineyards displays on its wines is inspired by its Similkameen property: “Carved from stone, fuelled by sun, a vineyard like no other.” The 75-acre vineyard, planted in 2006, was carved from a rugged sunbathed property on a west-facing bench near the south end of the Similkameen Valley. The property is so rugged that the planting crew kept breaking equipment when preparing the soil. The vines, on the other hand, were able to put down roots in soil that almost resembled pure rocks. The fruit produces big, bold wines: the three reds reviewed here all have more than 15% alcohol.

“Vanessa grapes are the best grapes I’ve worked with,” says veteran winemaker Howard Soon, who helped develop the vineyard and has made wine from this fruit for more than a decade. Suki Sekhon, Vanessa’s owner, initially sold the grapes primarily to Andrew Peller Ltd. for Howard Soon’s award-winning Sandhill Wines. The Sekhon family began producing vintages for Vanessa in 2012, with Howard as the winemaker. After he retired from Sandhill, he was named Vanessa’s master winemaker in 2017. The winery describes him, aptly, as a living legend. He was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2019. In 2021, he received the Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award, a major Canadian wine industry recognition for his extensive contributions to the industry.

He has produced an astonishing list of award-winning wines at Vanessa, which reproduces the list on its website. As well, the website has a long list of wine stores which stock Vanessa’s vines. “Since Howard joined our Vineyard, we have been able to produce some of the most profound reds with precise flavour profiles that reflect our unique vineyard,” the winery says. On its website, the winery proclaims: “Our vision is simple. We want to become one of the premier red sites in Canada, producing the best red wines from the renowned Similkameen Valley.” You must admire a winery that sets such a high bar for itself – and seems to be living up to it.

Here are notes on four current releases.

Vanessa V Series 2021 ($N/A for 325 cases). This wine is meant to be the first in a series of wine that are “something special.” It is a blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Riesling. A delicious white wine, it begins with floral aromas mingled with apple and pear notes. Fresh and lively on the palate, it delivers flavours of peach and pear. 92.

Vanessa Meritage 2016 ($44.99 for 700 cases). The blend is 48% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. Each varietal was barrel-aged for eight months and then, after blending, was aged a further 12 months in American and French oak (40% new). It begins with aromas of dark fruits and cassis. Rich and intense, the wine delivers flavours of dark cherry, plum, fig and dark chocolate. 93.

Vanessa Right Bank 2017 ($44.99 for 715 cases). The blend is 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc. Similar to the Meritage, the varietals were barrel-aged separately for eight months, blended and then aged a further 12 months in American and French oak. The wine is rich and bold, beginning with aromas of dark cherry and black currant mingled with vanilla and oak. On the palate, the wine delivers flavours of dark cherry and plum, with spice on the long finish. 93.

Vanessa Syrah 2017 ($N/A for 766 cases). There is 10% Viognier in this blend. The wine was aged 20 months in barrel (60% American oak, 40% French). The wine begins with aromas of dark fruit mingled with black pepper. On the palate, the dark fruit flavours mingle with hints of deli meats, black licorice and spice. 91.