Mt. Boucherie's The Boss and friends

Photo: Winemaker Jeff Hundertmark

Two of the wines reviewed here bear the brand name “Mandaray” – relatively new for Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. There is also a new super-premium red called The Boss. Jeff Hundertmark, Mt. Boucherie’s director of winemaking, provided the explanation for these additions to the portfolio.

“I wanted to share a little story about the partnership we have developed with Save-On-Foods,” Jeff writes. “As we all know, they are leaders in promoting BC VQA Wines to British Columbians, so when they approached Mt Boucherie to be part of a special collaboration creating a white blend and a red blend for sale in all the Save-On-Foods stores across the province, we jumped at the chance! A couple of very successful vintages under our belts and last year they asked if we would like to expand the relationship by creating a Rosé for the brand that we jointly market as “Mandaray”.

Jeff continues: “They also asked if we would be interested in working together on an ultra-premium wine for their Reserve cabinet in select stores. With this in mind, our team at Boucherie spent a couple of months tasting through all of our barrels from the exceptional 2020 vintage to sequester away for a blending session with the Wine Directors at Save-On-Foods, Steve Moriarty, Amanda Carnegie and Ray Pighin. “I had a vision of what I wanted this wine to be, stylistically and varietally, but our joint palates came together to create, The Boss. This is an unapologetically masculine wine featuring all the weight and grip of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), the focus of Malbec (20%), the velvety smooth of Merlot (20%) and the spicy meat of Syrah (20%). Just 5 barrels were selected for the blend and only 100 cases were made. I am confident if you decant this wine for a little while, you will appreciate the care and commitment that went into creating this bottle. It was definitely designed for patience, to hold onto for 10 years from now, but I think decanting, and the right protein accompaniment is key to enjoyment now.”

Mt. Boucherie operates from an architecturally spectacular winery and restaurant that opened a few years ago on its existing site in West Kelowna. One of the advantages that the winemaker has is that Mt. Boucherie gets its fruit from its own well-managed vineyards and from growers throughout the Okanagan and from the Similkameen Valley. Here are notes on those wines and other current releases from Mt. Boucherie.

Mt. Boucherie Riesling 2022 ($24.99). The fruit for this wine comes from a 1991 Riesling planting in the winery’s Lazy River vineyard south of Cawston in the Similkameen Valley. The maturity of the vines shows in the intensity of the wine. It begins with aromas of lemon, lime and petrol. The palate delivers flavours that echo the aromas, mingled with hints of stone fruits. The finish is persistent. 92.

Mt. Boucherie Reserve Chardonnay 2022 ($N/A). This wine, from fruit picked in October, was aged 13 months in French oak (50% new). That time line suggests the wine was bottled in late November or early December. My sample was still in bottle shock, with the aromas and flavours not yet expressing themselves. I recommend cellaring this until mid-2024 to allow the latent rich fruit to express itself. It is unfair to score the wine at this stage.

Mt. Boucherie Mandaray Rosé 2022 ($18.99). This wine is 95% Pinot Gris, 5% Pinot Noir. It was aged entirely in stainless steel. The wine has aromas of pink grapefruit leading to flavours of mandarin orange, cherry and spice. The golden pink hue presents well in the glass. 89.

Mt. Boucherie Mandaray Red 2021 ($19.99). This is a blend of 39% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 13% Syrah, 11% Zinfandel and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged 14 months in a combination of French, American and Hungarian oak (15% new). The wine has aromas and flavours of dark fruits and spice mingled with chocolate. The body is full with long, firm tannins. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Blaufränkisch 2022 ($27.99). This may be the only winery in B.C. still growing this varietal, which was planted in its Lazy River Vineyard in 1993.The varietal is more common in Austria. This Canadian example is a tart red, with aromas of raspberry and cranberry, leading to flavours of red plum, sour cherries and cranberry. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir 2022 ($24.99). Made with fruit from the Similkameen Valley, this pretty wine appeals for its good value. It was aged six months in French oak (15% new), just long enough to polish the silky texture without diminishing the aromas and flavours of cherry and raspberry. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Reserve Pinot Noir 2020 ($44.99). This wine is made with fruit from a Naramata Bench vineyard. The wine was aged 15 months in French and Hungarian oak (30% new). This is muscular Pinot Noir with aromas of spice and black cherry that lead to flavours of dark fruits mingled with a touch of oak. 92.

Mt. Boucherie Merlot 2021 ($24.99). The fruit for this wine is from vineyards on the Golden Mile, Okanagan Falls and the Similkameen. The wine was aged 14 months in French oak (15% months new). The wine begins with aromas of black currant and dark cherry, echoed in the flavours, along with clove, dark chocolate and event a hint of licorice. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Contessa 2020 ($88.88). This is 44% Merlot, 38% Syrah and 18% Malbec, with fruit from Okanagan Falls and Similkameen Vineyards. The wine was aged 18 months in French, American and Hungarian oak (30% new). The wine is a selection from the finest barrels in the vintage. The wine is bold, with rich aromas and flavours of cassis, dark fruits including fig, and dark chocolate. The finish is very long. 94.

Mt. Boucherie Summit 2020 ($50.99 for 300 cases). This is a blend of 55% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 4% Syrah. The varietals were fermented separately for 14 months, mostly in French oak, both new and seasoned. When the selection was made for the blend, the wine was aged a further 12 months in neutral oak. All that time in oak has polished the long, ripe tannins and added notes of spice to the wine. It is a full-bodied wine with aromas and flavours of black cherry and black currant. There is a hint of chocolate on the persistent finish. The wine benefits from being decanted. 93.

Mt. Boucherie The Boss 2020 ($99.99 for 100 cases). The wine gets it name from its bold structure and flavour. It is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% each of Malbec, Merlot and Syrah. The wine, a five-barrel blend, was aged 30 months French oak, except for the Syrah, which was aged in American oak. Some 40% of the oak was new. The wine does strut, with aromas and flavours of spice, dark fruits, dark chocolate. Decant the wine if you must drink it now, but it is built to age for a decade or two. 95.