Nichol Vineyards Syrah 2006

Naramata Bench, Okanagan
$30-36
www.nicholvineyard.com

That’s not a typo above on the vintage, nor have I pulled something from my cellar for today’s drink.  While you’ll be seeing 07s and 08s of most local reds currently on the shelves, Nichol owner/operator Ross Hackworth believes in giving his wines an extra year to age, allowing the flavours to mature and the complexities to deepen.  Smart man.  One sip of this Syrah – a variety Nichol first planted in the Okanagan – and it’s obvious the wait was time well spent.

Having the oldest Syrah vines in Canada is one thing.  Knowing how to treat them is entirely another.  And Hackworth, harkening back to Syrah’s Rhone roots, lets the wine lead the way.  At first whiff, deep dark fruit and dusty clay earth.  The first sip is more of the same – bold, ripe cherry, juicy blackcurrant and spicy raspberry, savoury meat and ample black pepper.  Unfiltered, deep and layered, smooth yet structured – with a lengthy herbal finish.  Ready to drink now – but I’ll be keeping an extra bottle in my cellar.

Enjoy with roasted lamb or beef, or like me, with aged hard cheeses and sea salted dark chocolate.

Rating:  (click here to see what our wine ratings mean)