These are the first wines that I’ve opened since the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2022. Sometimes you need a short break from tasting wine after you taste a lot of wine. The two wines I tasted are from Singletree Winery. They started off in the Fraser Valley but have expanded out into the Naramata Bench. The two wines I tasted are their Merlot 2018 and their Harness 2017, a Bordeaux blend. The red grapes for both wines come from the Naramata Bench as the Fraser Valley climate is still too cool to grow Merlot and other Bordeaux red grape varieties to optimum ripeness consistently.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Singletree Winery Merlot 2018 (BC $26.10)
Appearance: Deep garnet, about 85% opaque in colour.
Nose: A medium-minus intensity nose with sweet aromas. You get ripe plums, candied cherries, a hint of raspberries, freshly cut cedar and banana. Same aromas plus some sweet spices with decanting.
Palate: A dry, soft, light body with a lean mouthfeel. But does get rounder and softer with air. Plum, black cherries, candied cherries, cedar and a sprinkle of cinnamon flavours. Medium intensity vibrant acidity and faint tannins. The wine tastes fuller-bodied, rounder and softer with lighter acidity after decanting. Lighter cedar and candied cherry flavours and more tannic structure.
Finish: A shorter length finishing with tart red fruit, and touches of vanilla, chocolate and oak. Dryer tannins and higher acidity on the finish with decanting.
A short decant helps open this wine up a bit. With the lighter tannins, I suggest drinking this wine sooner, rather than holding it for a few years.
Rating: 
– 
A deep garnet colour. Lighter aromas with a mix of plums, candied cherries, vanilla, and touches of raspberry and freshly cut cedar. Dry, light body with a leaner mouthfeel. The wine does get rounder with swirling. Medium acidity and light tannins. Plums, candied cherries and touches of cedar and cinnamon on the palate. Shorter length finishing with a touch of tannins, tart red fruit and chocolate.
Singletree Winery Harness 2017 (BC$30.35)
A blend of 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged for 24 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak barrels.
Appearance: A deep, 90% opaque, garnet colour.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of plum and red fruit, with touches of vanilla and oak. Lighter aromas with decanting. Besides the plums and red fruits, I now pick up a touch of capsicum, candied plums, and red apple aromas.
Palate: Dry and round with medium-plus body and flavour intensity. Medium acidity. The wine starts off smooth then stronger tannins grow to the finish. Ripe red and black fruit flavours, plus black cherries, candied red cherries, and a touch of floral and oak. Brighter acidity. The wine remains smooth and fuller-bodied with decanting. The plums, cherries, and red fruit flavours persist, but there is now no floral, and there is some bitterness that extends throughout the sip.
Finish: A medium length finishing with drying tannins. Red cherries and black fruit and dark chocolate bitterness. Firmer tannins on the finish with decanting.
I would not worry about decanting this wine for long. A short decant is all that is needed or just pour it into your glass and swirl.
Rating: Deep garnet colour. Medium-minus aromas of plums, red fruits, and touches of oak and vanilla. Dry, fuller body and mouth-filling. Smooth to start then tannins get strong to the finish. Plums, ripe and candied black cherries and black fruit flavours on the palate. A touch of oak. Medium length with red cherries, black fruits, and dark chocolate flavours.
Two uncomplicated red wines that would work well with grilled red meat. Get out your bbq.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines through the Singletree Winery website.
