Nichol Vineyard Farm Winery

CSPC#26674 Where has this wine been?!? We know that the other 2000 red wines from the Okanagan are long gone. However, our practice is to bottle age wines as long as the 'bottom line' allows, and the 2000 Syrah was no exception! Watch for its dark Byng cherry colour and an earthy nose that is a panapoly of aromas—brandied cherries, smoky salmon, roast beef, and a hint of sourdough—this is quite the feast. The flavours follow with hints of Saskatoon berries. It has a wonderful long finish where bitter chocolate and a note of black licorice linger. And its crisp acidity ensures that Syrah 2000 will be typical both of Naramata Bench and the French Hermitage—5 years from the vintage date and this wine will be unstoppable. A spectacular wine for aging, if you can quell your anticipation. 375 cases produced. Ontario residents can look forward to the last 5 cases of this wine being available via the Vintages Classics Catalogue, September 2005.
GOLD MEDAL WINNER, Northwest Wine Summit, April 2004

CSPC#62554 What a colour! Syrah 2001 is dark ruby plum in hue, like the red of a brocade tapestry. A wine still in its youth, the Syrah 2001 has a nose hinting of roasted meat and this follows through on the palate, along with yummy flavours of black cherries and licorice. Syrah 2001 is a BIG wine with lots of those tannins that allow a wine to last a long time! For those who like their Big Reds to knock them over the head, this is it! However, given time, these tannins will be soft and mellow. A simple dinner of steak, lamb, or venison with oven roasted potato slices will nicely complement Syrah 2001. 13.6% alcohol.

CSPC#510958 A tantalizing ruby colour, unusually dark for a pinot. Very rich aromas—sniff and be rewarded with plums, black cherries, raspberries in the background, and a hint of vanilla. If you are still upright after this heady nosing experience, you will taste the ripeness of damson plums and westcoast blackberries. When left open to breathe awhile, this wine leaves a lingering licorice flavour. Pinot Noir 2001 is smooth yet weighty in the mouth, with a long tasty finish. Savour this wine, we only made 5 barrels. It is simply superb! 122 cases produced, 14% alcohol.

CSPC#572073 The Cabernet Franc 2002 is a great rich one, with a tantalizing velvety ruby colour. Take a nose-dive and find aromas of black currants, licorice, dried fruit compote, and a leafiness that replicates the smell of sun-dried Cabernet franc leaves. Taste, and you may get hit with a big, fat, round sensation—this wine is full in the mouth with the licorice flavour evident. Prominent tannins and good acid give this wine a long, yummy finish! For those with patience, this is a wine that will cellar well for a few years. 13% alcohol.

CSPC#572073 (1.5 Litre) The Cabernet Franc 2002 is a great rich one, with a tantalizing velvety ruby colour. Take a nose-dive and find aromas of black currants, licorice, dried fruit compote, and a leafiness that replicates the smell of sun-dried Cabernet franc leaves. Taste, and you may get hit with a big, fat, round sensation—this wine is full in the mouth with the licorice flavour evident. Prominent tannins and good acid give this wine a long, yummy finish! For those with patience, this is a wine that will cellar well for a few years. 13% alcohol.

CSPC#510958 Let's see if Burgundy is up to this one! Very dark ruby in colour, this Pinot noir has a luscious heavy aroma of very ripe plums and cherries. There is also a hint of roast meat on the nose—as if being planted next to the Syrah had an influence! Flavours of plums predominate in this rich Pinot noir. Its soft mature tannins give it richness and sweetness simultaneously, and a long delicious finish. 130 cases produced. 14.3% alcohol.

CSPC#031344 You've heard of the Big Fat Greek Wedding—this is the Big Fat Pinot Gris! 2003 has been called the summer from Hell due to non-stop heat and the Okanagan fires, but it made possible this small production of very intense Pinot Gris. Due to this heat, the berries were more concentrated, thus creating a brilliant, eye-catching salmon colour. It has rich and mouth-watering aromas of sweet tree-ripened peaches and apricots, followed by the same tangy fruit flavours. This wine clocks in at 15 degrees alcohol, and is very successful as an aperitif wine. Serve with salmon paté, tiger shrimp skewers or any other combination of seafood. Best to hold until year-end, then drink as a young wine. 143 cases produced, 15% alcohol.

CSPC#051680 Capriccio is Nichol Vineyard's answer to a summer white wine. And although it isn't even white, Capriccio will probably captivate those who usually stay away from red wines! Medium ruby in colour and predominant aromas of plums, cherries, and raspberries, Capriccio is deliciously silky smooth in texture, amazingly for such a young wine.

The name, Capriccio draws on the winemaker's profession as an orchestral musician before he turned to fulltime 'winegrowing'. The musical term means 'a quick piece of music', or music where the composer is guided more by fancy than rule, which is what happened here. In Burgundy, there is a style of wine known as passe toutes grains, meaning to 'blend all the grapes', the grapes being Pinot noir and Gamay. The rule there is a minimum of 50% Pinot noir. Our version was made from 76% Pinot noir and 24% Gamay, from grapes grown at the Three Sisters Vineyard on the Penticton side of Naramata Bench. The grapes were fermented separately, then blended and aged in barrels for 3 months, just to smooth out the wine.

The result is a fresh, fruity wine that can be consumed in its youth, with no qualms! Capriccio should be a crowd-pleaser on the patio this summer. Serve just slightly chilled at about 12-13 degrees centigrade, about the temperature one would serve a chardonnay. Works well with pasta, cheese & grapes, seafood, and lots of what gets put on the summer barbecue!