I remember when dstgolf recommend that producer to me long time ago. The two previous time i had the wine, find it excellent, among top red wines of BC.
Last night, a friend opened a bottle of the 2014 amd it was glorious! This Bordeaux blend, made in BC, has a dark red, super nice clean nose of blackberries, concentrated black cherries, spices, integrated oak, and alight black plum and tobacco. In mouth, nice structure, buried in fruits, but with lot of tanin, elegance. Long, with dark currants, blackberries, warm earth, light sweet exotic oak wood, and black chocolate. Classic style. Clearly the best vintage i had to date. What a nice wine. Tn: 92.
2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
Last edited by Nicklasss on Fri Oct 21, 2022 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: 2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
I'm dinning with that same friend tomorrow, and he should open a very low production wine from BC, called Dead Zone, from Forbidden Fruit Winery. First time i try a wine from that producer with him a few months ago, i have been impressed with the 15 % alcohol tannat wine, that was amazing.
Tomorrow, it should be a Cabernet/Tannat, bottle 150 of...300! Can't wait!
Tomorrow, it should be a Cabernet/Tannat, bottle 150 of...300! Can't wait!
Re: 2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
Nic,
Note Bene was a house favourite for years first discovering it while skiing in Whistler at a restaurant where the sommelier highly recommended the wine. It didn't disappoint and we were able to find it at another restaurant a couple of nights later. In the Whistler liquor store it was going for $19!!!! and I brought a couple of bottles home back in 2000. This quickly became Canada's first cult wine selling for a song. At the time trying to get some through the LCBO was a joke...they quoted me a price of $75!! I called the winery and talked to the owner who sent 2 cases for $19/bottle. I subsequent years I bought cases for partners, friends and our medical staff parties pushing up to 30 cases in one year. Like everything with time prices rise and your taste changes. The wine now is $69.99 and still cheap by comparison to where the industry has ballooned but I think the last vintage we had was 2010. Production has increased under new ownership and I should look at trying this again to see what they are doing now ITNOS.
If you look at the pictures the 2000 made it to BWE 2005 Bordeaux where we dined out at le Jardin d' Ausone with the group!! A few younger looking faces in the crowd back then.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BK9sNNqrcaT5zcwM7
Note Bene was a house favourite for years first discovering it while skiing in Whistler at a restaurant where the sommelier highly recommended the wine. It didn't disappoint and we were able to find it at another restaurant a couple of nights later. In the Whistler liquor store it was going for $19!!!! and I brought a couple of bottles home back in 2000. This quickly became Canada's first cult wine selling for a song. At the time trying to get some through the LCBO was a joke...they quoted me a price of $75!! I called the winery and talked to the owner who sent 2 cases for $19/bottle. I subsequent years I bought cases for partners, friends and our medical staff parties pushing up to 30 cases in one year. Like everything with time prices rise and your taste changes. The wine now is $69.99 and still cheap by comparison to where the industry has ballooned but I think the last vintage we had was 2010. Production has increased under new ownership and I should look at trying this again to see what they are doing now ITNOS.
If you look at the pictures the 2000 made it to BWE 2005 Bordeaux where we dined out at le Jardin d' Ausone with the group!! A few younger looking faces in the crowd back then.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BK9sNNqrcaT5zcwM7
Danny
Re: 2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
Nice to see Nota Bene was mentioned. I have one bottle of 2017 in cellar waiting to be opened. I saw a couple of it at a shop and wonder if I back fill more or opt for newer vintage of 2019.
Re: 2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
Frederico,
What I found having very vintage from 99-2010 was they showed some improvement in the first five years or so but 10 years out they were starting to fade hence we drank them up as house wine pretty quickly over a few years. They didn't fall off the map but they certainly were not going to be 20+ year stars. I'd suggest enjoying in that 3-10 year window to not be disappointed. They certainly didn't develop the complexities that we attribute to fine Bordeaux or Burgundy more typical of most new world wines.
Certainly a very nice wine in the past but my experience is with the old ownership and winemaker so I'll have to pick one up if I can find it to see how they're doing now.
What I found having very vintage from 99-2010 was they showed some improvement in the first five years or so but 10 years out they were starting to fade hence we drank them up as house wine pretty quickly over a few years. They didn't fall off the map but they certainly were not going to be 20+ year stars. I'd suggest enjoying in that 3-10 year window to not be disappointed. They certainly didn't develop the complexities that we attribute to fine Bordeaux or Burgundy more typical of most new world wines.
Certainly a very nice wine in the past but my experience is with the old ownership and winemaker so I'll have to pick one up if I can find it to see how they're doing now.
Danny
Re: 2014 Blackhill Nota Bene
Thank you Danny for your insights. Yes, I planned to drink it within a 10 year window from release.
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