Winemaker’s CUT is a boutique winery south of Oliver, BC owned by Michal and Martina Mosny. They undertake sustainable farming, hand harvest their grapes, adhere to zero pesticides, low sulphur use, and let the wines develop naturally to express the characteristics indicative of their Deadman Lake Vineyard. Michal and Martina are originally from Slovakia and have set their roots here in the Okanagan.
This is their second release, and third vintage, of the Winemaker’s CUT collection. I think their European background shows in the style of these wines, in particular, the Syrah, which is darker fruit, and more restrained than other BC Syrahs.
My Tasting Notes
Winemaker’s Cut Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($25+) – This wine is both barrel and stainless steel fermented (20-80%). The resulting wine is pale, bright straw colour in the glass. Medium-plus intensity refreshing, bracing aromas of citrus, lime, lime peel, orange, green fruits and floral, along with apricot in the background. These aromas did not all come out at the same time. With a little air and swirling, you do pick up on all of them. With more extended decanting, the wine has more of a peach aroma. The wine is dry, roundish, with medium-plus acidity, body and flavour intensity. I first picked up a salty minerality to this wine but it lessened over time but is still detectable. Again upon first opening, the wine has small biting acidity on your tongue, but this lessens with decanting. Green fruit flavours mainly, together with apricot, peach, grapefruit and lime. I also picked up a steeliness to this wine. The acidity and minerality in the wine works harmoniously with the fruit flavours. It has a medium plus length, finishing with mouth-watering acidity, tart green fruit, pepper and then lime, grapefruit rind and peach. A finesse Sauvignon Blanc.
Exciting citrus aromas and flavours in the glass, it would be nice with a ceviche or other fresh fish dish here on the BC coast.
Winemaker’s Cut Syrah 2016 ($32) – This wine was aged in a mix of Slovakian, French, and American barrels for 10 months. The wine is deep garnet with a ruby tinge; almost opaque. It has a lighter intensity nose that starts off with candied red cherries, but that burns off quite quickly. You also get a touch of smoke, cedar, oak and vanilla, bramble and plum. With decanting you get more black fruit aromas and a floral hint. The wine is dry, semi-round but still silky as it has lower acidity. Fine tannins to start but they get firmer toward the finish. Restrained raspberries, red cherries, bramble and red fruit to start, with black fruit after decanting. Medium length with black pepper puckering red fruit flavours. Again with decanting the black fruit flavours become more prominent.
– An atypical BC Syrah; more European in style with a restrained mix of red and black fruits. With decanting the black fruit aromas and flavours become more prominent.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines through their website. I have also seen their wines on the Everything Wine website. I received these two bottles from Michal and Martina.
If you are curious about the first vintage of Winemaker’s CUT wines, you can read my review here.
