Mt. Boucherie and Rust show off 2025s

Photo: Mt. Boucherie Winemaker Jeff Hundertmark

The latest releases from sister wineries Mount Boucherie and Rust Wine Company confirm that both are recovering well from the vineyard damage in the 2024 vintage. “The harvest of 2025 was a bit of a shocker for us,” writes Jeff Hundertmark, the general manager and director of winemaking at West Kelowna’s Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. “Mother Nature promised a little present for us and surprised us with a bounty.”

The quality of the 2025 wines from both wineries is excellent, as are so many wines from the 2025 vintage in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. “We are proud to farm estate vineyards that are some of the oldest in both the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys,” the winery says. In the technical notes for its signature red blend, Solus, Rust Wine Company observes that its vineyard “is home to some of the oldest vines in the Okanagan.” That includes a Gewürztraminer planted in 1973 and a Zinfandel planted in 2002.

Unfortunately for Rust, the January 2024 freeze devastated the winery’s Zinfandel, an important varietal in the Solus blend. It is 34% of the just released 2021 Solus. I expect there is a 2022 Solus and perhaps a 2023 aging in Rust’s cellar.

When the label continues, the blend will change dramatically. Rust Winemaker Ryan de Witte has begun to make major changes in the vineyard and in the portfolio, adding Pinot Noir and soon Sangiovese, Mondeuse and Barbera. “Planting Sangiovese was a way of future proofing the vineyard to warmer summer temperatures as well as being hardier than the Zinfandel it is replacing,” Ryan told me last fall. “It is mostly intended as a blending component for Solus, our halo wine but, if the vintage is good and the crops are equally generous, then we will bottle a varietal Sangiovese.”

Here are notes on current releases both wineries. Rust, which is on the Golden Mile south of Oliver, takes its name from the steel cladding on the winery, which is intentionally allowed to rust. The labels on the bottles mirror the rust as well.

Mt. Boucherie Pinot Gris 2025 ($27.99). The fruit is from the Similkameen Valley. It was allowed a long, cool ferment in stainless steel. A touch of skin contact gave the wine a delicate blush. There are aromas of peach and apricot. On the palate, the wine is crisp with a medley of orchard fruit flavours leading to a dry finish. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($29.99). There is Naramata Bench fruit in this wine. After fermentation, the wine was aged four months in French Oak puncheons (none new). While the aroma is restrained, the wine delivers generous fruit flavours, mingling citrus and passionfruit. The alcohol is a moderate 12.5%. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Rosé 2025 ($27.99). This wine is made with a field blend of Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. The grapes were allowed a six-hour skin soak and then were fermented in stainless steel with wild yeast. The wine has an appealing pink hue. It has aromas and flavours of watermelon, raspberry and strawberry, with a crisp, dry finish. 90.

Mt. Boucherie Reserve Chardonnay 2025 ($34.99). This is a blend of fruit from the Similkameen Valley and from Okanagan Falls. After fermentation, the wine was aged six moths in French oak (30% new). Flavours and aromas of apple, peach and pineapple mingle with a delicate touch of oak spice. 91.

Mt. Boucherie Blaufränkisch 2025 ($27.99). This is a full-bodied, fruity wine that was aged four months in neutral Hungarian and French oak. It delivers aromas and flavours of spice, blueberries and cherries. 89.

Mt. Boucherie Reserve Meritage 2024 ($34.99) The fruit is from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington State. The blend is 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec and 29% Merlot. After picking, the fruit was shipped quickly to be crushed at the winery in West Kelowna. After fermentation, the wine was aged 14 months in French oak (20% new). The wine is rich on the palate with robust flavours of dark cherries, plum and black currant. 92.

Rust White Crush 2025 ($25). The fruit in this wine from both the Similkameen and Okanagan Valleys. The blend here is 30% Muscat, 26% Riesling, 24% Gewürztraminer and 20% Pinot Gris. The aroma and the palate deliver the spicy notes one would expect from this blend while Riesling and Pinot Gris contribute structure and underlying notes of citrus. The finish dry and persistent.

Rust Cabernet Franc Rosé 2025 ($30). The Cabernet Franc fruit is from the winery’s Golden Mile Bench vineyard. The wine presents with a commanding red plum hue and a rich mixture of red fruits on the nose and palate. Delicious! 91.

Rust Gamay 2025 ($30). The fruit is from the winery’s Lazy River Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley. The wine, which was aged six months in neutral oak, presents with a brilliant ruby hue. There are aromas and flavours of bing cherry with a touch of pepper to define the crisp, crunchy finish. 90

Rust Pinot Noir 2024 ($40). The fruit is from the Finnigan Hill Vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, described by Rust wiemaker Ryan de Witte as “the landmark region for Pinot Noir in North America.” There are four clones here: Pommard, 667, 777 and 115 (all of which grow in the Okanagan as well). After fermenting with wild yeast, the wine was aged 14 months in neutral French oak. There are aromas of cherry here, mingled with forest floor notes that carry through to the flavour. The silky texture supports a long finish. 92

Rust Solus 2021 ($88). This unusual blend is 36% Merlot, 34% Zinfandel, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Gewürztraminer, with all the fruit from the Golden Mile Bench. The Gewürztraminer was used to start the ferment. Each of the other varietals were added as they were harvested to the rolling co-fermentation, The wine was aged 18 months in French and American oak (50% new). The wine is rich, with aromas and flavours of oak and dark fruits – fig, plum mingled with spice and blueberry pie. 94.