BC makes some excellent Syrahs receiving accolades from foreign critics, as well as from me! I have two Syrahs made by Scorched Earth Winery, their Syrah 2018 and guilty pleasure Syrah 2016 (now Reserve). They are two different Syrahs in style and intensity. They do mention on their website that their vineyard is organic and that they produce wines with minimal intervention. The wines both are full of juicy fruit flavours, so you may say that they are both guilty pleasures. And what goes well with guilty pleasures? Chocolate. Give it a try.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Scorched Earth Winery Syrah 2018 (BC $20.95)
Aged 17 months in French oak barrels, then 3 months in bottle prior to release.
Appearance: A deep, clear, translucent to the core garnet colour.
Nose: Light intensity with aromas of candied cherries, red fruits, a touch of floral and a hint of toast with air. The nose became closed with decanting, so I do not recommend decanting.
Palate: Dry, lean and soft with brighter acidity. Very light tannins. Blueberries together with a mix of vanilla cotton candy and candied red cherry flavours. Plus some blackberry in the background and touches of oak and sweet spices. The wine became off-dry, rounder and smoother with decanting. Same fruit flavours and no cotton candy flavour.
Finish: A shorter length finishing off-dry with candied red cherries and cotton candy, plus light red fruit flavours. Very light tannins. medium length with decanting and no cotton candy flavour.
Just open and enjoy this wine.
Rating: 
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Clear garnet colour, almost opaque. Light intensity aromas of candied cherries, red fruits and a touch of floral and toast. Dry and soft with a lean mouthfeel. Blueberries and candied red cherries, plums along with a touch of sweet spices and oak. Light tannins.
Scorched Earth Winery guilty pleasure 2016 (BC $39.95)
This wine is now known as their Reserve Syrah and has a different label than what is on the bottle I reviewed. This wine spent 22 months ageing in French oak and then another 20 months ageing in bottle before being released. The grapes come from the Black Sage Bench.
Appearance: An opaque dull garnet colour in the glass.
Nose: Pronounced aromas to start with a mix of smokiness, ripe raspberries, cassis, black cherries and sweet spices. The aromas do light up with some swirling. The aromas stay the same with decanting, but you can add some savoury notes.
Palate: Off-dry, silky smooth and round with a viscous mouthfeel. Light touches of tannins and acidity. The wine feels like it gets a bit sweeter on the mid-palate. Ripe fruit flavours of raspberries, black plums and blackberries, plus touches of floral, sweet spices, vanilla and oak. You almost get some prunes on the palate. The tannins become firmer with decanting and the wine is not as viscous. You get some black olives, candied cherries and nutmeg as well as the other flavours I’ve mentioned.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with juicy ripe fruit and cassis flavours. Light pepperiness and a hint of cocoa. Same length with decanting, but with a firmer tannic finish, but the pepperiness becomes more evident as black pepper.
Decanting adds more tannic structure to this wine, but you can enjoy it undecanted as well.
Rating: A seductive Syrah. Opaque garnet colour. Pronounced aromas of ripe raspberries, cassis, black cherries, sweet spices and smokiness. Decanting adds savoury aromas. Fuller body, round and silky smooth. Very light fine tannins. Ripe plums, cassis, raspberries, floral and sweet spices, with light pepperiness and cocoa on the finish.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
The Scorched Earth Winery Syrah 2018 can be purchased on the winery website for $20.95 a bottle, but if you purchase 6+ bottles of this wine, each bottle is on sale for $14.95. The Scorched Earth Winery guilty pleasure 2016 can also be purchased via their website.
