Okanagan Hills Estate is the Reserve line of wines from Back Door Winery. I have their Reserve Chardonnay 2020 and Reserve Pinot Gris 2020 to taste and provide you with my tasting notes. Their Reserve lineup comes with a different label from their more quirky labels with the crow’s wing on it. I like the Reserve label as it reminds you of blocks of vineyards and the lines that each row makes.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Okanagan Hills Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2020 (BC $37.99)
A lightly oaked Chardonnay.
Appearance: Bright, medium intensity mix of lemon and straw colours.
Nose: Light aromas of lemon, lemony rice pudding, and vanilla. The aromas become a bit stronger with decanting. Now mainly fresh stone fruit aromas along with touches of apple, vanilla and oak. The lemon component is lessened.
Palate: Dry, thick, round and smooth with lower acidity. Buttery mouthfeel. Ripe lemon and pears, plus a touch of oak and toast. Butterscotch flavour mid-palate to the finish. The wine has a lighter mouthfeel with decanting and softer fruit flavours. The butterscotch component is more prominent, plus there is now a touch of apple and apple blossom alongside the ripe lemon and pear flavours.
Finish: A shorter length finishing with lemon rind, limoncello flavours, plus toast and touches of sweet species and pepperiness. Pears and lemon rind on the finish with decanting along with a touch of toast. No limoncello.
I like both the decanted and undecanted versions of this wine. Both are subtle in aroma and flavour. The undecanted version has more interesting aromas, plus the limoncello flavour on the finish that I appreciate.
Rating: 
A bright, medium intensity mix of lemon and straw colours. Light aromas of lemon, lemony rice pudding and vanilla (no decanting) and fresh stone fruits (with decanting). Dry, round with a thick and smooth mouthfeel. Lemon, ripe pears, and light oak flavours. Buttery texture.
Okanagan Hills Estate Reserve Pinot Gris 2020 (BC $37.99)
Appearance: A deeper clear Bosc pear skin colour.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aroma of ripe stone fruit. With some swirling, you start to get juicy tropical fruit aromas as well. The aromas become lighter with decanting, mostly ripe stone fruits.
Palate: Off-dry, fuller body, thicker, very smooth mouthfeel. Lower acidity. Ripe stone fruits, in particular pears. A touch of peach mid-palate and a hint of grape skin tannins. With swirling, I also detected a hint of pineapple and orange flavours. The thickness, roundness and texture persist with decanting. The flavours are mainly ripe stone fruits, but there is also now a touch of floral. Hints of orange and pineapple.
Finish: Medium length, finishing with bright acidity. Peach, and touches of grape skin tannin and pepperiness. Mainly peach and floral flavours with decanting, and bright acidity.
No need to decant. Just open and enjoy.
Rating: 
– A deeper Bosc pear skin colour. Lighter ripe stone fruit aromas. Off-dry, round and smooth with a thicker mouthfeel. Lower acidity. Ripe stone fruit and pears followed by a touch of pineapple with air.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines through the Back Door Winery website:
