Here are two red wines for you from BC’s Township 7 Vineyards & Winery. The first wine is their Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 while their other is the Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2021, also has Cabernet Sauvignon, but is Merlot dominant. Both wines are vegan-friendly.
Difference Between Provenance and Benchmark Series Wines
Township 7’s Provenance Series focuses on showcasing classic, varietally correct wines sourced from their estate vineyards in the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys, offering a sense of place and consistency vintage to vintage. These wines are approachable, food-friendly, and crafted to reflect the region’s terroir. The Benchmark Series represents the winery’s pinnacle of craftsmanship of small-lot, premium wines made with meticulous attention to detail, often using select barrels and extended aging to highlight complexity, structure, and age-worthiness. The Benchmark wines are ideal for collectors or those seeking a more expressive and layered wine experience.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (BC $33.97)
Winemaker’s notes, “This vintage is crafted with 59% Cabernet Sauvignon from Blue Terrace Vineyard in Oliver, 36% from Raju Vineyard in Osoyoos, and 5% Merlot from Blue Terrace for added softness and balance. The Raju Vineyard, situated near the U.S. border and Lake Osoyoos, benefits from a slightly tempered climate, producing textured, balanced wines with rich tannins. Blue Terrace contributes a lush fruit profile, creating harmony with the structured tannins from Osoyoos. A 21-day maceration with varied cap management techniques enhanced fruit and tannin extraction, while gentle pressing and malolactic fermentation in French and American oak barrels softened the mouthfeel.” This wine has 5% Merlot blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Appearance: A medium intensity dull garnet colour with colour consistent from rim to the core. Teardrops visible on the sides of the glass after swirling.
Nose: It has medium intensity understated aromas of smoke/toast, red fruits and black fruits. Maybe add some berry fruit aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, lighter body with a lean, light mouthfeel. Toast, tart black fruit flavours and some pepperiness. A touch of oak as well. The wine is smoother and rounder after decanting. Deeper black fruit flavours and a touch of leather on the palate.
Finish: A medium-plus length, finishing with toast, red and black fruit flavours, plus touches of pepperiness and bitterness. The wine finishes with more acidity than tannins. Stronger tannins on the finish to balance out the acidity. Less tart red and black fruit flavours.
An elegant wine that benefits from decanting, giving you a smoother, rounder mouthfeel.
Rating: 
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with decanting. The Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 shows a medium intensity dull garnet hue with understated aromas of toast, red and black fruits. On the palate, this lighter-bodied wine is dry with a lean mouthfeel, offering tart black fruit, toast, and pepperiness, which becomes smoother and more rounded with decanting. The finish is medium-plus in length, balancing acidity with firmer tannins after decanting, showcasing deeper black fruit flavours and a touch of leather.
Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2021 (BC $44.97)
A blend of 53.5% Merlot, 35.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10.8% Cabernet Franc. Winemaker’s notes, “We began with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the rocky soils of our Blue Terrace Vineyard in Oliver, added Merlot from the Front Yard Vineyard in Naramata, and rounded it out with Cabernet Franc from Raju Vineyard in Osoyoos, creating a true blend of diverse terroirs. A 10- to 21-day fermentation with punched cap management ensured balanced fruit extraction. After 12 months of aging, we crafted the final blend, which returned to the barrel for an additional 12 months to develop depth and complexity further. The wine is aged in 94% French and 6% American oak barriques (22% new) and puncheons, adding nuanced layers to this Reserve.”
Appearance: This wine has a medium-plus intensity, dull garnet colour.
Nose: Light aromas of leather, black plums, black fruit, oak and toast. No change to the aromas, but possibly add a whiff of pine needles.
Palate: Dry with medium body and a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity and tannins. Black fruits, black plums, plus hints of pine needle, char and red cherries toward the finish. Medium intensity, dusty tannins. Light oak. No change to fruit flavours, body, acidity or tannins after decanting.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with firmer drying tannins and light intensity black fruit flavours. Smooth mouthfeel to the finish. No change after decanting.
A wine where all components are in harmony. No big changes with decanting, so open and enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: The Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2021 offers a soft, medium-bodied expression with a dull garnet hue. Light aromas of leather, black fruit, and a touch of pine needles lead to a dry, smooth palate showing black plums, subtle oak, and hints of char and red cherries toward the finish. Decanting maintains the wine’s structure, with medium-intensity, dusty tannins and a smooth, medium-plus length finish.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
These wines are available for purchase online through the Township 7 website:
These wines are available in limited quantities at select Everything Wine stores:
