Naramata Bench Producers Open Top Labels

In all, 13 wineries will be in Vancouver this Tuesday evening when the Naramata Bench Winery Association launches its second annual "Best of the Bench" spring release from 6 to 9 p.m. at Villa Amato in Vancouver.

This is no regular stand-up, walk-around tasting with a bit of bread and cheese. Local restaurant stars such as Lumiere, Rain City Grill, Le Gavroche, C Restaurant and Memphis Blues Barbeque House have been invited to pair up with individual wineries to prepare mini-appetizers tailored to match the wines being poured.

Villa Amato is a private venue on False Creek at 88 East First Ave., with a kitchen and banquet area that will allow the wineries and their restaurant partners to create a memorable experience.

As at last year's sold-out event, you will experience the best of the bench as wineries spotlight their pre-eminent red and white spring releases, many of which never leave the winery or at best are sold only in restaurants.

The entire Naramata region, which sits high above the east side of Lake Okanagan just north of Penticton, has become the Okanagan's first significant sub-region that boasts a selection of restaurants, boutique wineries, accommodations and plenty of other diversions for the epicurious traveller.

As prominent as the Naramata Bench has become, there is still plenty of work to be done. Few wines deliver full value for their considerable price tags, but it is better to reach for the stars than settle for mediocrity.

One need only sip the likes of the Lang Viognier, La Frenz Semillon, Lake Breeze Ehrenfelser or the Nichol Syrah to sense the potential of Naramata's terroir.

Today, we look at six Naramata Bench labels worth tasting that are available from select private wine shops or direct from the wineries. For more information, visit www.naramatabench.com and check each winery's website for exact sales information.

Joie Year One - Chardonnay 2004 is the product of Vancouver transplants Heidi and Michael Noble who, when they aren't busy operating Joie, their Naramata Bench farmhouse cooking school, are now making wine.

Of the three inaugural releases, the chardonnay most appeals to my palate. Look for mineral, lime rind, red apple aromas mixed with floral undertones. It is round and soft with an oily entry and noticeable sweetness. Ripe apple, lime rind, grapefruit and spicy mineral flavours round out the finish. A solid start, if a bit bitter or rind-y in the finish.

The movie Sideways celebrates some blockbuster and expensive Santa Barbara pinot noir, but there is something to be said for the light, correct, easy-sipping Lang Vineyards Pinot Noir 2003. Hints of forest floor, barnyard, cedar, resin and cherry aromas mix with a round, dry, easy palate of smoky, rhubarb, sour cherry and rootsy, orange peel flavours. Good pinot flavours and balance, if not a lot of fruit. Good value.

Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2003 is the inaugural release from yet another new Naramata venture owned by David and Cynthia Enns. Portfolio is a 64/33/3 blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, aged 18 months in 40 per cent new French oak.

It has a huge cherry jam, spicy, cardamom nose with earthy, tobacco leafy, black olive aromas. On the palate it is rich, round, fat and hot with peppery, spicy, chocolate pudding, cooked cherry, tobacco leaf and cranberry juice flavours. There's serious intensity and plenty of alcohol in the finish. It needs two to four years to settle down, but it's a promising first release. As the vine and the winemaker age, it should no doubt lead to wines with more finesse.

A lot of syrah offers up the meaty, spicy, peppery notes and that's what you experience when sniffing the Nichol Vineyard Syrah 2001. It's both dry and round with a peppery, meaty, licorice, black cherry flavour and slightly elevated levels of acidity in the finish. It will benefit from another two to three years of cellar aging, or 30 to 60 minutes of air (decanting) before drinking.

The Poplar Grove Reserve Merlot - Cabernet Franc 2001 is an 80/20 blend of merlot and cabernet franc with a peppery, spicy, licorice root nose streaked with earthy, clove, mocha and light blackberry notes. Look for moderate tannins with black pepper, chocolate, licorice and vanilla flavours. Good intensity if a bit hot and chunky, but fine with grilled meats.

Red Rooster Merlot Grand Reserve 2003 is another new release you can try at the Best of the Bench tasting. Here, the aromas are cooked cherries, vanilla, earthy, plum jam with barnyard and smoky leather notes. The flavour mixes stewed plum, chocolate and vanilla with peppery, earthy flavours. Warm and tannic, it too should improve in the bottle, but it lacks clean fruit characters to age with style.

Weekend Wine Tasting - Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

Wine Joie Year One - Chardonnay 2004

Price  $18.90

UPC   n/a

Score 86/100

Remarks    Ripe apple, lime rind, floral, grapefruit, mineral, spicy flavours.

Wine Lang Vineyards Pinot Noir 2003

Price  $13.90

UPC   626990020790

Score 86/100

Remarks    Smoky, rhubarb, sour cherry, rootsy, orange peel flavours.

Wine Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2003

Price  $35.00

UPC   n/a

Score 86/100

Remarks    Warm peppery, chocolate pudding, cooked cherry and cranberry juice flavours.

Wine Nichol Vineyard Syrah 2001

Price  $25.00

UPC   n/a

Score 87/100

Remarks    Meaty tobacco, peppery, licorice, black cherry flavours.

Wine Poplar Grove Reserve Merlot - Cabernet Franc 2001

Price  $34.90

UPC   n/a

Score 88/100

Remarks    Black pepper, chocolate, licorice and spicy fruit flavours.

Wine Red Rooster Merlot Grand Reserve 2003

Price  $29.90

UPC   681246003163

Score 86/100

Remarks    Stewed plum, chocolate, vanilla, peppery flavours.