Be Seduced by Mt. Boucherie’s Pinot Noir and Syrah 2018

I have two very seductive red wines for you from Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery in West Kelowna.  The two grape varieties could not be more different; a Pinot Noir and a Syrah.  The Pinot Noir grapes comes from the Similkameen Valley, while the Syrah grapes come from Osoyoos, Black Sage Bench, and South Cawston.  At the start of August 2018 the temperatures cooled and allowed our BC grapes to slowly ripen to full maturity and have produced some excellent wines.  The wines are both over 14% alcohol but you do not feel heat from the alcohol.  All components of both wines are nicely integrated.  Thank you to Mt. Boucherie for sending me these wines to review.

My Tasting Notes

Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir 2018 (BC $24.99) – This wine is a medium-plus garnet, about 70% solid, but overall translucent to the core.  It has a medium intensity nose that are quite enticing with sweet spices, smoky and tasty raspberries and red cherries, sweet red fruit and a touch of oak.  No differences in aromas with decanting. The wine is slightly off-dry, medium plus body, round and very smooth.  You get a mix of tart and sweet red fruits, raspberries, and sweet spices.  Light oak and fine tannins that get a bit stronger toward the finish.  I also picked up a hint of salty minerality and chocolate.  This wine feels lighter, softer and less tart with decanting.  It has a longer finish with smoky, toasty red fruits, a touch of floral and some pepperiness. Decanting is not needed, but won’t harm this wine either.

Rating: A bigger Pinot Noir from BC.  It has nice smoky red fruits and sweet spices on the nose and palate.  Fruit, oak, and acidity are nicely balanced. Very smooth with fine tannins.

Mt. Boucherie Syrah 2018 (BC $27.99) – Opaque ruby to the rim!  This wine has a very interesting nose; light intensity aromas the meld black fruit, meat, chocolate, nutmeg and ripe raspberries.  With decanting the aromas become even lighter.  I prefer the first opened wine aromas.  This wine is off-dry with lower acidity and tannins.  It is very smooth.  Round but not mouthfilling.  There is wonderful minerality that floats atop the black fruit flavours on your palate.  You also get some black cherries, and touches of floral, vanilla and oak. With decanting I also picked up some cocoa and the tannins became a bit chalky toward the finish.  It has a medium-plus length finishing with light pepperiness, a touch of sweet red fruit and sweet spices, and a fine tannic finish.  A seductive Syrah.  I recommend not decanting this wine in order to keep the nice aromatics.

Rating: – A seductive Syrah. Black fruits, meat, chocolate and spices aromas are intermingled.  Black fruit dances with minerality on your palate.  Very smooth and round with soft fine tannins.

Garnet vs Ruby Colours

In case you were wondering the difference between garnet and ruby colours for wines, these two wines are good examples.

Where Can I Buy These Wines?

You can purchase these delicious wines online via the Mt. Boucherie website. The Pinot Noir is available through Everything Wine and Swirl Wine Shop. These wines may also be available at other private wine shops.  You need to ask.