Bordertown shows off the 2020 and 2022 vintages

Photo: Bordertown's Mohan Gill

To repeat myself: the 2020 vintage produced some of the best red wines ever from the Okanagan and the 2022 vintage is proving to be impressive as well. Proof of this is in the wines from Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery. Many have yet to be released, judging from the vintages on the winery website. But don’t shy away from the winery’s earlier vintages, which are currently available. Those are also solid wines. Bordertown, operated by Mohan Gill, is right beside the highway at the northern entrance to Osoyoos. The tasting room is a can’t-miss building.

With a brother, Mohan is one of the larger growers near Osoyoos, with about 100 acres of vineyard. They began growing grapes in 2005 when they began converting orchards to vineyards in the sun-baked south Okanagan. The winery opened in 2015 with a consulting winemaker in the cellar. The portfolio is extensive because there are at least 15 varietals in the vineyards, including Grüner Veltliner, the Austrian white varietal. It is grown by just a handful of producers; perhaps less after the hard freeze of the 2022-23 winter. That devastated a Lake Country planting. Hopefully, Mohan’s vines came through the winter. The winery’s 2022 Grüner Veltliner is the best one yet from Bordertown.

Here are notes on all the wines.

Bordertown Pinot Gris 2022 ($20). The fruit for this wine came from three different vineyards, which makes for complexity. It was fermented in stainless steel. The wine begins with aromas of banana and pineapple. On the palate, the wine is crisp and tangy, with flavours of citrus. The finish is refreshing and persistent. 90.

Bordertown Grüner Veltliner 2022 ($NA). This superb Austrian white varietal is rare in the Okanagan, which is a pity. The wine begins with aromas of herbs and pineapple. On the palate, there are layers and layers of fruit: ripe pineapple, apricot and citrus. The texture begins with notes of honey but the lingering finish is dry with a hint of white pepper. 92.

Bordertown Rosé 2022 ($23). This delicious wine was made from Cabernet Franc grapes. The attractive hue is too dark for the winery’s claim this is a Provençal style … but it is just right for those of us who believe a rosé need not look anaemic. Aromas of strawberry and watermelon jump from the glass and are echoed in the mouth-filling flavours. Again, the finish lingers. 90.

Bordertown Merlot 2020 ($25). This wine begins with aromas of black currant and blackberry mingled with toasty oak. On the palate, there are lively flavours of cherry mingled with blueberry. Long ripe tannins give the wine an elegant and satisfying finish. 91.

Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2020 ($25). This is a dark and full-bodied red, with aromas and flavours of blackberry, dark cherry and spice. 91.

Bordertown Living Desert Red 2020 ($30). The blend is 51% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. The wine was aged in French oak. It is a delicious red, with aromas and flavours of dark fruit mingled with chocolate. 91.

Bordertown Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($45). This is a bold Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas and flavours of cassis, blackberry and dark cherry. The texture is well-balanced and the finish is long. 92.

Bordertown Syrah 2020 ($35). This full-bodied wine, which was aged in American oak, begins with aromas of pepper and dark fruits. The palate delivers deli meat flavours mingled with plum, fig and dark cherry. 93.

Bordertown Petit Verdot 2020 ($35). This is a dark-hued, muscular red with aromas of dark cherry, black currant, tobacco and slate. On the concentrated palate, there are flavours of blackberry, dark cherry and chocolate. 92.

Bordertown Cabernet Franc Reserve 2020 ($50). This is a richly satisfying wine, beginning with brambly aromas. The palate delivers black cherry, blackberry and spice, leading to a lingering finish. 93.

Bordertown Malbec Reserve 2020 ($60). The dark colour sets the consumer up to expect a concentrated wine. This does not disappoint. The wine begins with aromas of blackberry and plum. There is a medley of intense dark red fruits on the palate, dark cherry, blackberry and plum. The finish is so long that one needs a stopwatch. Decant this wine for early consumption or cellar it at least five years. 93.