Here are my next two red wines from Osoyoos’ Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery to review for you. I previously tasted their Bordertown Merlot 2020 and Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2021. I now have their Bordertown Reserve Malbec 2020 and Reserve Cabernet Franc 2019; a step up in quality. It will be interesting to see how their entry level Cabernet Franc compares to this Reserve Cabernet Franc. Let me tell you about these two wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Malbec 2020 (BC $60)
Appearance: A clear, opaque mix of garnet and ruby. A classic colour in my opinion.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of plums, some smokiness and oak, along with a touch of caraway seed that fades and then I pick up some chocolate. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry with lighter body and a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Light tannins and medium acidity. Plum, black cherry, candied black cherry, caraway seed, floral, oak, and chocolate on the palate. All the flavours work together, but the caraway seed flavour gives this wine some unique character. I don’t think I’ve ever noted caraway seed on any wine I’ve written about in the past. The wine is rounder and bumps up to medium body after decanting. I no longer detect any floral or chocolate flavours.
Finish: A medium-length finishing with light tannins to start but then get firmer with air. Lingering plums, caraway seed, and candied black cherries on the finish. There is also some tartness on the finish. No change to the finish after decanting.
An interesting wine that has that unique caraway aroma and flavour. Although it is not noted in the winery bottle notes, wines do evolve in the bottle, so you can get new aromas and flavours. That is one thing that is interesting to me about tasting wines. I think decanting makes this wine a little nicer as it is bigger and rounder on the palate.
Rating: 
with decanting. The Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Malbec 2020 shows a classic garnet-ruby colour with aromas of plums, oak, smokiness, and a touch of caraway seed that later reveals chocolate. The palate is dry with a smooth, lighter body that becomes rounder and medium-bodied with decanting. It offers flavours of plum, black cherry, candied cherry, oak, chocolate, and the distinctive note of caraway seed. It finishes medium in length with lingering plums, candied black cherries, firmer tannins, and a touch of tartness, while decanting softens the profile and removes the floral and chocolate notes.
Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc 2019 (BC $50)
Appearance: A clear, deep garnet colour in the glass.
Nose: Medium-plus aromas (very masculine) of toasty red fruits, ripe plums, and hints of black pepper, oak, tobacco, and capsicum with air. The aromas light a bit after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-minus body with a smooth, soft, light mouthfeel. Juicy red fruits, plums, and black cherries, along with hints of cocoa and pepperiness. Capsicum and black fruits detected with some swirl time. The wines gets bigger when swirled but not quite mouth filling. Mouthfeel gets thicker after swirling. I’m looking forward to re-tasting this wine after decanting. No change to the palate after decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length finishing with firm, drying tannins, ripe red fruits, black fruits and plums flavours. Some pepperiness as well. No change to the finish after decanting.
A top quality wine with great flavour, mouthfeel, and a solid tannic backbone. Delicious. No need to decant.
Rating: – Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc 2019 presents a deep garnet colour with medium-plus aromas of toasty red fruits, ripe plums, oak, tobacco, and pepper, which soften slightly after decanting. The palate is dry with a smooth, lighter mouthfeel showing juicy red fruits, plums, and black cherries, accented by cocoa, capsicum, and black fruits with swirling, gaining more weight and texture in the glass. It finishes medium-plus to long with firm, drying tannins and a mix of red and black fruit, plums, and pepperiness, showing no notable changes after decanting.
My tasting note for the Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2021: …has a deep garnet colour and aromas of dark fruits, toast, char, tobacco, and black pepper, with leather appearing after decanting. The palate is smooth and round with deep flavours of juicy black fruits, tobacco, char, and pepper, plus added red fruits and capsicum with air. It finishes medium-plus in length with red and black fruits, char, and pepper, supported by drying tannins and medium acidity. 
Granted these two wines are two vintages apart, but you can see some common aromas and flavours. Maybe the 2019 was a bit riper as the capsicum was not noticeable on the nose for the 2019 vintage. New barrels were purchased and used in 2020 and 2021 giving the char on the nose and palate.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are available for purchase through the Bordertown website:
- Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Malbec 2020
- Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc 2019
These wines may be available at your private wine shop, but you need to ask. I did not see these wines listed at BC Liquor stores, Everything Wine, Marquis Wine Cellars, or Save on Foods.
