I first wrote about the Deep Roots Winery when they won the Trophy for the Best Red Wine of the Year with their Syrah 2014. We were looking forward to finally visit the winery and sample their world-class wines. We were also able to have a brief discussion with Owner and Vineyard Manager Bryan Hardman and hear his thoughts on the 2016 vintage.
2016 Vintage
I expects the vintage to be exceptional for Deep Roots Winery due to the more even summer heat this year. The vineyard location close to the lake means that unlike some Naramata vineyards in the upper bench the grapes do not “shutdown” when temperatures spike above 35ºC. I was looking forward to a long growing season and not harvesting our reds until late October. The production of the Platinum Award Winning Syrah will actually be lower than 2015. This is because the grape production was down due to the extremely hot 2015 summer. The grapes had to be rationed between their Estate and other wineries supplied by the Deep Root’s vineyard.
Owner and Vineyard Manager Bryan Hardman
The Winemaker
Will Hardman brings passion and vision to his work crafting exceptionally delicious wines. After working with Bryan in the vineyard for a few years, Will travelled in the offseason to work crushes in New Zealand (2011) and South Africa (2012). There he had unique experiences learning about the winemaking process. Will returned home fired up about making wine of his own on the family farm. He believes in being out in the vineyard as much as possible, bringing this experience and intimate knowledge of the grapes to his winemaking practice.
Depending on the season, in his downtime Will can either be found on the golf course or (if it is Sunday) watching countless hours of football – go Vikes! Will does not have a favourite wine because, like any good parent, he loves all of his children equally.
The Wines
Deep Roots Winery Gamay 2015
Aromas of blueberry, cherry, raspberry and a slight savoury meatiness. The palate is dry, light and juicy, with crisp acidity and flavours of orange zest, red berry fruit and a hint of black olive with a long finish and good flavour concentration. An excellent Beaujolais style wine.
Deep Roots Winery Merlot 2014
A complex nose of mixed berry, pastry crust, black cherry, dried strawberry, baking spices and savoury dried herbs, showing classic old-world Bordeaux-like character. None of the “green fruit” unfortunately present is some other BC Merlots. The palate is dry, with ripe smooth tannins and intense flavours of black plum, black cherry, plum, cocoa powder, toasty wood and hints of leather and mint. Will age well for 6-10 years. This is the best 2014 BC Merlot I have tasted so far!
Deep Roots Winery Malbec 2017
Intense deep colour with a powerful nose of blackberry, blueberry, cracked black pepper, coffee bean, sweet tobacco and warm baking spices. A full-bodied and bold palate full of ripe black fruit, dried blueberries with notes of hickory and cigar leaf on a rich, long finish.
The wine won gold at 2019 National Wine Awards.
Deep Roots Parentage Red 2016
Syrah 50%, Merlot 33%, Malbec 17%
After ageing for 15 months in new and used French oak we selected 6 barrels of Syrah and 2 barrels of Malbec to be blended with 4 barrels of the Duncan Merlot. The blended wine sits in the tank for 3 months allowing the flavours and aromatics to meld together before bottling it in the Spring of 2018.
Cracked black pepper, blackberry, savoury herbs, blackberry leaf smoked meat and leather on the nose. Rich, fruit-forward, full-bodied mouthfeel with cherry jam, tobacco, light pepper and grilled meat on the palate with a long smooth finish.
The wine won double gold at 2019 All Canadian Wine Awards.
Deep Roots Syrah 2017
Vineyard Notes
Grown at the Rayner Vineyard in North Naramata. The south-west facing location has its own microclimate protected from the north wind by a bank, surrounded by granite rock to the east and Okanagan Lake to the west. This protection gives the Syrah long warm autumn nights to help reduce acids and increase sugars. This terroir allows the Syrah to ripen in a location farther north than it would typically be grown. The Syrah is cropped at just under 3 tonnes per acre. This allows the grapes to ripen more quickly resulting in increased flavour intensity.
Tasting Notes
Complex aromas of blackberry compote, black cherry and cured peppered meat. The palette is a wonderfully integrated blend of black fruit, milk chocolate and peppercorn. A truly age-worthy wine that is well balanced with a lingering warm finish.
Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards: Platinum & BC’s Wine of the Year
For the complete portfolio of the Deep Roots wines please visit the winery website.
If you are in the Naramata area you really must stop by Deep Roots Winery and buy these award-winning wines before they are sold out.