August 10, 2023, was the Grand Opening of the High Note Estate Winery, a new Mediterranean-inspired property located on the Naramata Bench. The winery is surrounded by a small three-acre picturesque vineyard, planted predominantly to Pinot Grigio. The winery will present a taste of the Mediterranean through wines influenced by the vibrant seaside villages of Italy. The wines are made under the direction of well-regarded consulting winemaker Pascal Madevon. I received two bottles of wine from the winery to review. I received their High Note Soubrette Pinot Grigio 2022 and their Continuo Rosado 2022 to taste and they did not disappoint. Let me tell you about them.
My Wine Tasting Notes
High Note Estate Winery Soubrette Pinot Grigio 2022 (BC $25)
The winery describes this wine as “sourced from Singletree and Border Vineyards, this was fermented to dryness and aged in stainless steel.” There are 385 cases of this wine produced.
What is “soubrette“? According to Wikipedia, “A soubrette is a female minor stock character in opera and theatre, often a pert lady’s maid or any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term originated from Provençal via French and means “conceited” or “coy”…In theatre, a soubrette is a comedy character who is vain and girlish, mischievous, lighthearted, coquettish and gossipy, often a chambermaid or confidante of the ingénue…”
Appearance: A clear bright medium-intensity lemon green colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of ripe tropical fruit, pears and some citrus pith. With decanting you get toast and honey aromas to add to the tropical fruit, pears and citrus pith.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body, with a smooth, round, thicker mouthfeel. Light acidic prickle in your mouth. Citrus, pears, pith and stony minerality. Bitterness toward the finish. Some peach and grape stem with swirling. Add medium-intensity toastiness with decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus finish with citrus pith, bitterness and puckering dryness. Some toastiness plus a touch of pepperiness with decanting.
A refreshing Pinot Grigio. No need to decant unless you enjoy some toastiness on the nose and the palate.
Rating: 
– 
Without decanting, this is a wine with nice ripe tropical fruit, pears and some citrus pith. Dry with a thicker, round smooth mouthfeel. Citrus and pears, with touches of minerality and some grape stem bitterness. Medium-plus length.
High Note Estate Winery Continuo Rosado 2022 (BC $25)
The winery describes this rosé wine as ” Predominantly Pinot Noir, with a splash of Teroldego, the fruit was direct-pressed and aged in stainless steel.” There are 212 cases of this wine produced. And a “Continuo” according to the winery is, “…a song’s undercurrent, a constant, rhythmic base that elevates a melody. That’s how we view our Rosado. It is the soundtrack to elevate any occasion..”
Appearance: A medium intensity, clear bright wild rose orange colour.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas mixing green fruit, herbal, red fruits, and strawberries. Quite nice. Same aromas after decanting, plus rhubarb.
Palate: Dryish, smooth, round and thick mouthfeel, but lighter-bodied. A delicious paradox. Lower acidity and light tannins. Red fruits and strawberries on the palate, with a touch of grape stem bitterness and green fruit with air. Same mouthfeel and flavours, plus rhubarb.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing smooth along with raspberries, tart red fruit flavours and some grape stem bitterness. I also picked up a hint of red cherries and watermelon and green fruit with air. The flavours were not as bitter and tart after decanting; softer flavours.
A wine with a light feel. I like the green fruit edge to the red fruit for complexity. Decanting helps.
Rating: – A Rosé wine that has a nice mix of red fruits with a green edge on the nose. Dryish with a smooth mouthfeel; lower acidity and tannins. Mainly red fruits, with a touch of green fruit and grape stem bitterness. Medium-plus length.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines through the High Note Estate Winery website.
