I have a Pinot blend and a Gamay Noir Rosé today for you from Okanagan Crush Pad; their Haywire Secrest Mountain Vineyard Gamay Rosé 2020 and Narrative 2 Pinots 2020 (a blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc grapes). Both wines are fermented in concrete. Both wines also are vegan-friendly. Let me tell you about them.
If you were planning a trip to the Okanagan to visit them, Okanagan Crush Pad’s Tasting Lounge will be closed this season undergoing exciting expansion and transformation plans. So you will need to buy these wines online or at private wine shops.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Narrative 2 Pinots 2020 (Only available at Cactus Club restaurants)
Appearance: A medium-plus intensity mix of straw and pear skin colours.
Nose: Medium-plus aromas of ripe pears, toast/dustiness, and touches of citrus and apples. Same aromas after decanting, plus a touch of peach.
Palate: Dry, fuller-bodied, round with medium acidity. The acidity softens with some time in the glass. Smooth mid-palate. Pears, ripe apple, and a touch of blossom and peach on the palate, pepperiness on the mid-palate to the finish. Steely toward the finish. No change in mouthfeel or flavours with decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with flavours of pears, pepperiness and citrus pith. As the acidity lessens with time in the glass the wine finishes almost with a bit of sweetness. Interesting.
As you are at a Cactus Club restaurant enjoying this wine with a meal, you don’t need to worry about changes in decanting, but it is interesting to know that there is no difference.
Rating: 
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A medium-plus mixture of straw and pear skin colours. Medium-plus aromas of ripe pears, toast, a touch of citrus and apples. Fuller body, round with a medium acidic prickle. Smooth on the mid-palate. Pears, ripe apple, and touches of blossom and peach. Steely toward the finish.
Haywire Secrest Mountain Vineyard Gamay Rosé 2020 (BC $23.99)
Appearance: A bright medium-plus intensity orangy-red rhubarb colour.
Nose: Light aromas of strawberries primarily, with a touch of red cherries and some toast or grape stem. No significant differences in aromas with decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body, round with an interesting texture; an almost effervescent feel to the acidity dancing on your tongue. Strawberries, red cherries, a touch of bramble stem and raspberry flavours. Medium intensity fine-grained tannins. Has a slightly off-dry taste with decanting to start but becomes dry by the mid-palate. Also, the effervescent feel is not as strong. The acidity is just a prickle in your mouth.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with red fruits and red cherries flavours, plus some bitterness (grape stem?) and light pepperiness. No change with decanting.
I prefer the undecanted version a bit more because I really enjoyed the effervescent feel of the acidity in my mouth.
Rating: A medium intensity orangy-red rhubarb colour. Light aromas of strawberries and red cherries, plus a hint of toast or grape stem. Dry, high acidity leaves an almost effervescent feel in your mouth. Medium-plus body. Strawberries and red cherry flavours, plus touches of raspberry leaf, raspberries and bitterness.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
As I noted the Narrative 2 Pinots 2020 is a blend made especially for Cactus Club restaurants. If you want a night out for dinner, or maybe lunch if you are retired, why not visit a nearby Cactus Club and order a bottle? The Haywire SMV Gamay Rosé 2020 will be available for purchase through the Okanagan Crush Pad website sometime this year.
