New year, new wines! I am starting the year off with current releases from a winery that opened just last year. High Note Estate Winery is located in Naramata, BC and it was the third winery to open under the umbrella of Montalvino Wineries Inc. Although they have now secured a permanent winemaker, Caroline Schaller, the following wines were made by Consulting Winemaker, Pascal Madevon. Each of these wines is named after a musical term and they also come complete with a musical pairing.
2022 Patter Brut $30.00
Patter: “A comic song in opera and operetta that is characterized by a moderately fast to very fast tempo with a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns that each have a syllable of text to be sung by the singer.” (OnMusic Dictionary)
This sparkling wine is made using the cuvée clos, or tank method. It is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Merlot sourced from estate vineyards in the South Okanagan.
Aromas of white, spring blossoms, apricot, gala apple, pear, yellow grapefruit pith, biscuit and crushed gravel. This is a dry sparkling wine with a pleasant, foamy mousse and medium+ acidity. The palate offers notes of peach, lemon, granny smith apple, strawberry, rhubarb and saline with a medium finish.
Musical Pairing: “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini.
2021 Verismo Syrah $35.00
Versimo: “A term meaning “realism”, applied to Romantic works, especially operas, of the late 19th century that have to do with unpleasant realities of life.” (OnMusic Dictionary)
The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Rattlesnake Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench and the wine was aged in French oak barriques.
On the nose there are soft notes of vanilla mingling with black cherry, followed by blackberry, bramble, black plum and liquorice pastels. This is a dry, full bodied wine with high acidity and medium, well-integrated tannins. The palate starts off with sweet, concentrated flavours of cherry pie filling and vanilla, followed by blackberries, bramble, baked wild blueberries, black liquorice, black pepper, sea salt, black plum and milk chocolate with a medium+ finish. This wine benefits from decanting.
Musical Pairing: Cavalleria rusticate by Mascagni, one of the first verismo operas.
2021 Cadenza Red Blend $40.00
Cadenza: “An ornamental passage performed near the close of a composition, usually improvised, and usually performed by a soloist.” (OnMusic Dictionary)
This wine was aged in French oak barriques and crafted from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards on the Black Sage Bench and in the Similkameen.
After six hours in the decanter there are aromas of dried cherry, espresso, blackcurrant, dried fig, black plum, fennel, sweet spice and oregano. This is a dry, full bodied wine with medium+ acidity and fine, grainy, medium+ tannins. The palate begins with sweet and juicy cherry notes, followed by black plum, espresso, blackcurrant, a green herbaceous note over the mid-palate, toast, thyme, oregano and salty black liquorice with a medium+ finish.
Musical Pairing: “I Want to Talk About You” by John Coltrane featuring a stunning, improvised cadenza.
2022 Capriccio Riesling $28.00
Capriccio: “A fanciful and irregular species of composition somewhat like a fantasia. Often capriccios are composed for the piano.” (OnMusic Dictionary)
With grapes sourced from the Sunflower Vineyard in Oliver, this Riesling was aged in both concrete and stainless steel eggs.
Aromas of yellow grapefruit rind, peach pits and straw. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with high acidity. The palate offers notes of lime, peach and chalky minerality with a medium- finish. This wine definitely asks for food and it paired well with a teriyaki salmon bowl.
Musical Pairing: “Capriccio burlesco” by Sir William Walton with its lively, swirling strings.
The High Note Verismo Syrah was terrific with Rack of Lamb
Ooooh, I can imagine! This would be absolutely delicious! The Syrah and the sparkling wine were my favourites!