Narrative is a collection of wines by Okanagan Crush Pad that tells the story of what is most exciting about the Okanagan Valley: geological & climatic diversity. The two red wines I received to review are the Narrative Cabernet Franc 2018 and Narrative Non-Fiction 2018, the latter a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Both are fermented and aged 10 months in concrete. No oak. Both wines are also vegan-friendly and eco-certified. Using concrete and no oak is not that common yet for BC red wines. There is only the fruit to come through; no seasoning from oak barrels. Let me tell you about these two wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Narrative Cabernet Franc 2018 (BC $29.99, 2017 vintage price)
Appearance: A lighter, very clear ruby colour, about 25% opaque.
Nose: A medium intensity nose showing red fruit, leather, red cherries, and iodine. The iodine and leather aromas lighten a bit with air. The aromas are about the same; the leather aroma is a bit light and I picked up a hint of capsicum on the nose.
Palate: Off-dry, fuller-bodied, smooth and soft. Not quite mouth-filling. Lean. Precise flavours. Floral, red fruit, and leather on the palate, along with lesser amounts of red cherries and a touch of candied cherries. Very light, fine tannins. More acid-driven. This wine tastes drier with decanting. Still smooth and soft with a lean mouthfeel. Red cherries, sweet red fruit and a touch of leather.
Finish: Medium length finishing with red fruit and leather, and a touch of bitterness at the back of the tongue, and light tannins. No bitterness with decanting. You get the tart red fruits and stronger grape skin tannins.
A finesse wine. Definitely decant this wine for the most pleasure.
Rating: 
with decanting. A very light, translucent ruby colour. Medium intensity aromas of red fruit, red cherries and touches of leather and iodine with decanting. Fuller body, round and soft, but still has a lean mouthfeel. More red fruits and tart cherries with decanting, and less floral and leather. Medium length finishing with tart red fruit and stronger grape skin tannins.
Narrative Non-Fiction 2018 (BC $27.99, 2017 vintage price)
Appearance: A deep, dull mix of garnet and ruby colours in the glass. About 80% opaque.
Nose: Medium intensity aromas with a mix of ripe red fruits, acetone, and red cherries. Dark fruit aromas come with swirling. Same aromas with decanting, except the acetone is toned down.
Palate: This wine is slightly off-dry (listed as 0.2 residual sugar, but has a sweet taste), lightly round with soft light tannins. Pronounced flavours of juicy sweet red fruits, prominent acetone, and a touch of floral. You can add darker fruit flavours with air. The flavours of this wine remind me of Lambrusco. Tell me if it reminds you of that as well. The wine is rounder and smoother with decanting; plush. The acetone flavour is lessened. You get nice juicy red and black fruit flavours. A touch of floral.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with candied red cherries, some bitterness and acetone, then some tart fruit flavours at the very end. Juicy black berries and lighter acetone on the finish with decanting. No bitterness.
A geeky wine that tells a story, but I think giving it some decanting time helps open it up so that you can enjoy the story.
Rating: 
with decanting. Dull, but translucent to the core mix of garnet and ruby colours. Medium intensity aromas of ripe red and black fruits, and some acetone. Fuller body, smooth and plush mouthfeel. Red and black fruits and juicy berries with a component of acetone that reminds of me a Lambruco wine. Juicy berries light tannins, and Lambrusco acetone on the finish.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
These two wines should be available soon on the Okanagan Crush Pad website. The 2017 vintages of these two wines are currently listed. The wines may be available at private wine shops, but you will need to ask.
