Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAmulet is the latest wine project from winemaker Dwight Sick, something that he's been visualizing for the past 15 years. The Amulet wines are made at Naramata's Roche Wines, and the portfolio, currently one white and one red, focus exclusively on Rhone varieties. An amulet is a piece that will ward off bad spirits, and bring good luck to those who possess it. This inaugural Red is a blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre, from vineyards in Penticton and Osoyoos. After destemming, the whole berry grapes had some grenache stems added back into the mix for a native ferment and pigeage over 3 weeks. The wine then moved into French oak (20% new) for 7 months when the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is a brooding, spiced, full bodied red, swirling with cloves, cinnamon, and an overdose of cracked peppercorns. Kirsch, brambles, anise, thorny blackberry fills in the gaps. Tannins are furry and abundant. Certainly tastes like the ripe, full GSM that it is, and would be a great warming winter pairing for roast lamb.Tasted: 09 October 2019Tasted by: Prices:
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA 25-day fermentation and maceration including a five-day cold soak sets this fresh red blend up for seven months of ageing in French oak barrels (20% new, 80% neutral) on fine lees. The attack is juicy and fresh with bright acidity pushing up against a salty, peppery palate of black raspberries, sagebrush and licorice. The style is uber natural and will have appeal to those who like the naked form. Lamb would be an excellent match and would certainly smooth out some of the angular notes. It needs time to settle down and show its real stuff, but is already intriguing at this point. The mix is 46% grenache (Kiln House Vineyard, Penticton), 28% syrah (Amalia Vineyard, West Bench Osoyoos) and 26% mouvèdre (West Bench Osoyoos).Tasted: 12 September 2019Tasted by: Prices:
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