Culmina Syrah 2018

Covert Farms Family Estate Rosé wine

A little brooding, but that's Syrah for you! I love the distinctness of this grape from the southern Okanagan. Culmina Syrah 2018 is sourced from the Arise Bench within the Golden Mile Bench. Plums lead the fruity aromas with complements of espresso, black pepper spice, cedar, and earth. The palate is dry and savoury with toasty, gritty tannins. Tasted September 2021.

Process: 16 months in French oak. 25% new.

Visit producer website

Style: Still Wine

Producer: Culmina

Country: Canada

Region: British Columbia, Okanagan Valley, Golden Mile Bench

Classification: VQA

Vintage: 2018

Colour: Red

Primary Grape: Syrah

Secondary Grape: N/A

Organic: N/A

Biodynamic: N/A

Sustainable: N/A

Vegan: N/A

Regeneratively Farmed: N/A

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PS Thanks for watching my travel log in three parts. I refuse to pay for the app option to make it into one 😂

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An entirely separate food and drink post is coming 😀

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Let’s take a poll: should hybrid grapes play a more prominent role in BC and Ontario’s VQA?

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"Our view is to be single-vineyard with a very purposeful intent in how we grow," says Bryant.

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* 2022 Chardonnay: From the same East Kelowna slopes vineyard — aged in French barrels (12% new). The acidity is persistent from start to finish and marries well with the oak. Flavours of peach, apple blossom, and wet stone, restrained and non-overt. An anti-Okanagan style.
* 2022 Black Pine Pinot Noir: Produced on a 4-acre Naramate Bench vineyard, one of the bench’s most northerly sites. 20% whole cluster, aged for 9 months in 1, 2 and 3-year-old French barriques. Incredible brightness and perfume intensity. The palate offers an integrity and structure, perfectly marrying bright red fruit flavours with acidity.
* 2022 Home Block Pinot Noir: Home Block is a 1.5-acre vineyard on the Naramata Bench, planted in 2013. 30% whole cluster and fermented in foudres, this wine highlights the stability of the growing season, growing gracefully without heat spikes. The vine age offers riper fruit flavours with fine cocoa powder-esque tannins — excellent integration with a seamless texture.

Thank you, Ben and Katie, for sharing your wines!

Six-pack shipments are available directly from the winery across Canada. https://www.1millroad.ca

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