What a magical Sunday! 30°C and sunny with a perfect view of the vineyard and Skaha Lake. Tasting wine with a passionate BC winemaker, Rob Hammersley at Black Market Wine Co.
Here is what you can expect for the 2017 BC red wine and 2018 BC white wine vintage releases.
The Wines
Black Market Unsanctioned Series Sémillon 2018
The wine is 100% barrel fermented and barrel aged. The single most dominant theme of the 2018 vintage was acid, so the Sémillon is super crisp and fresh. About a third of the Sémillon went through malolactic fermentation to soften the wine.
A floral aroma of ripe apple, pear, citrus and honey. Flavours of fresh peach, apple, and lemon. The wine is a little leaner than in 2017 but still has a creaminess to the texture resulting from the barrel ageing and lees stirring. The wine has bright crisp acid levels. 11,0% Alcohol. Only 135 cases were produced. 91 Points
Black Market Collusion 2018
75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sémillon. 12.5% Alcohol, TA 7.4g/L RS 2.5 g/L
The Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from a South Naramata vineyard, the Sémillon from a vineyard between Oliver and Osoyoos. The Sauvignon Blanc was a little riper this year but the style is similar to 2017. A portion of the Sauvignon Blanc was fermented and aged in neutral white barrels. The rest of the Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in stainless steel. The Sémillon was barreled fermented and aged in neutral oak for 5 months.
The vibrant dry white blend has perfect acid levels with citrus blossom on the nose. On the palate honeydew melon, gooseberry and grapefruit, minerality with a light to medium body and a hint of oak and a finely textured mouthfeel. A very elegant white wine. Great to drink alone or paired with seafood. Only 175 cases were produced. 92 Points
Black Market Secret Society 2018
This is Black Market’s fifth Secret Society vintage of their highest volume white wine. Over 300 cases were produced. Only stainless steel fermentation for this fruit forward wine.
The blend is not disclosed on the label but is rumoured that for 2018 the blend contains Gewürztraminer, Bacchus, Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc. An aromatic white, the wine is crisp and dry and food friendly.
Secret Society has a floral aroma of rose petals, lychee, citrus and a hint of butterscotch. Dry on the palate with a viscous mouthfeel, grapefruit, citrus and kiwi flavours are all balanced together with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness. The wine has a broad appeal and sells very well. 90 Points
Black Market Omertà Rose´2018
Rob tends to only make Rose´every second year. This is a special wine as it will be the first released with grapes from the Conviction Ridge Vineyard and is Merlot base.
Some winemakers would make their Rose´ from young Merlot vines. Not Rob, this Rose´ comes from 30-year-old Merlot vines resulting in a truly all year wine, not just a “summer sipper”!
This well-balanced dry style rosé with a light salmon hue that misleads at first sight. It is paler in colour than the previous Pinot Noir Rose´ but this is a BIG rose´ with great depth. The pressed juice was only left on skins for two hours. With the light colour, you are expecting a trendy light sipping wine but no this rose´ has balance and bite from the old low yielding Merlot vines which saw little irrigation last year. Over 14% alcohol and 110 cases produced.
Fresh strawberries, watermelon, and orange characteristics while finishing off with a vibrant strawberry orange cream finish. There is a subtle bitterness that ends the drinking experience like a cymbal crash at the end of a Beethoven symphony.
The wine pairs well with Asian food, spicy rice dishes, shellfish, pasta, and salad dishes.
This was my favourite wine from this tasting. 91 Points.
Black Market Syrah 2017
This was the fourth Black Market vintage of Syrah. The 2017 Syrah was co-fermented with 6% Viognier. The grapes were sourced from Osoyoos. After a slow and warm fermentation, the wine underwent another 10 days of maceration to extract more phenolic compounds. The wine spent 15 months in French Oak Puncheons and American oak barrels. In the future, more Puncheons will be purchased so all the Syrah can be fermented this way. 12.9% Alcohol.
2017 was a cooler vintage and this Syrah is medium-bodied with smooth tannins and a hint of acidity. This is a very elegant Northern Rhône style wine. Aromas of violets and red cherry are followed on the palate by savoury notes of black cherry, black olive, vanilla and cinnamon. The wine lingers with white pepper on the long finish. Drinkable now but will definitely improve with age. 115 cases plus 12 cases of magnums produced. 92 Points.
If you are looking for a cracker to pair with this elegant Syrah look no further than Gone Crackers Blue Cheese & Cracked Pepper. The crackers have a mild blue cheese taste and the pepper in both the wine and the saltines go together.
To purchase these exceptional wines please visit the Black Market Wine Co. website.
Bacchus from Conviction Ridge Vineyard
Rob has been experimenting with the Bacchus from the Conviction Ridge Vineyard by picking fruit at several ripeness levels. So far he prefers the earlier ripening grapes that have a more vibrant fruit flavour. He sold a large percentage of his 2018 crop but is blending Bacchus into the Secret Society wine. He also picked some Bacchus early that will be used to produce sparkling wine by the Charmat method.
Wine Tasting Shop
The approval process has taken longer than expected probably due to the number of Cannabis applications the BC Liquor & Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has to review.
Rob crushed over 30 Tons of grapes last year and produced over 1800 cases for the 2018 vintage.
This is our fourth article on Black Market Wines. You can find the tasting notes for earlier releases here – 2018, 2017 and 2016.