I’ve been talking about white and rosé wines lately, but we should not forget about enjoying red wines over the summary. I have two Okanagan red wines from Haywire Wines to tell you about. I received their Haywire Wines Pinot Noir 2022 and Haywire Wines Naramata Bench King Family Vineyard Merlot 2022 to review. The grapes are organically grown and the wines are vegan-friendly.
I am glad to see that both these wines are under screwcap. Not all wines need to use cork stoppers. These wines have fresh flavours and I think screwcap is a better option.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Haywire Wines Pinot Noir 2022 (BC $32.99)
From the winery, “100% Pinot Noir from three vineyards provides a snapshot of this variety from all regions of the Okanagan. 50% whole cluster and 50% whole berry, naturally fermented for an average of four weeks before being basket pressed to concrete tanks and foudre for ageing.”
Appearance: A medium-intensity clear to the core, consistent garnet colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of red fruit, sweet red plums, sweet and candied cherries, toast, and a hint of nutmeg. You get a little fruitier scent after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, with a soft, smooth and round mouthfeel, but not quite mouth-filling. Quite mineral. Raspberries, brambleberries, red cherries, candied red cherries plus a touch of toast and oak on the palate. Light, fine tannins and medium acidity. Fruiter tasting after decanting, plus a touch of floral.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with brambleberries, candied cherries and light toast flavours. Pepper at the very end. Lightly drying tannins on the finish. No change to the finish after decanting.
I enjoy the balanced flavours, acidity and tannins to make a harmonious Pinot Noir. It is still quite youthful, so you may want to buy some bottles to age.
Rating: 
– 
A medium-intensity clear garnet colour in the glass. Medium-intensity aromas of red fruit, sweet red plums, sweet and candied cherries, toast, and a hint of nutmeg. This wine is dry, with a soft, smooth and round mouthfeel. Raspberries, brambleberries, red cherries, candied red cherries plus a touch of toast and oak on the palate. Light, fine tannins and medium acidity. A medium-plus length.
Haywire Wines Naramata Bench King Family Vineyard Merlot 2022 (BC $32.99)
From the winery, “Our 2022 Merlot is a single vineyard wine from 40 year old vines in Naramata…The wine has been fermented in concrete tanks with twice daily gentle punchdowns.” The King Family Vineyard’s location near Okanagan Lake creates a microclimate that is slightly cooler than the vineyards to the south, which helps to produce high-quality grapes. The vineyard’s south and west-facing slopes also provide optimal conditions for grape growth.
Appearance: Medium-plus clear to the core garnet colour with a tinge of bricking at the rim.
Nose: Very light aromas of red fruits, plums, and toast. The aromas stay the same after decanting but are a bit stronger. I did pick up a hint of either tea leaves or cocoa.
Palate: Dry, but fruity tasting. Fuller body, soft, with a roundish mouthfeel and a light acidic prickle. Bright red fruit flavours along with blackberries, raspberries, and touches of candied cherries, smokiness and savoury notes, and pepperiness. Medium tannins. After decanting, the wine is slightly lighter-bodied, the flavours and mouthfeel are the same, but you can add a hint of coffee and some minerality.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with medium-intensity drying tannins. Red cherries, raspberries, and dark fruit flavours, plus some bitterness and the acidic prickle to the end. A fruity finish. No change to the finish after decanting.
An interesting wine. It has a variety of flavours interacting plus the acidic prickle on the palate. No major changes after decanting, so enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: – This wine has a medium garnet colour. Very light aromas of red fruits, plums, and a hint of toast. A fuller-bodied wine, dry, but quite fruity on the palate. Bright red fruit flavours along with blackberries, raspberries, and touches of candied cherries, smokiness and savoury notes, oak and pepperiness. Medium tannins. Medium-plus length.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are available to purchase online from the Haywire Wines website:
- Haywire Wines Pinot Noir 2022 (the website shows 2021 vintage, but 2022 should come out soon)
- Haywire Wines Naramata Bench King Family Vineyard Merlot 2022
The Pinot Noir 2022 is available at Everything Wine stores and at select Save on Foods stores.
