Tasting Note:   One of the most powerful syrah’s in Canada, this is a big, quite mineral and tannic example with excellent concentration. Fans of Cornas in the northern Rhone will approve!  The nose shows lifted black cherry/berry fruit, iodine, garrigue/sage, oak vanillin and licorice – all hallmarks of this grape. It is full bodied, dense and firm with 15.1% alcohol that warms and powers, but remarkably does not burn. The length is excellent to outstanding. Best 2030 to 2040. Tasted June 2026

Backgrounder – In 2005 Suki Sekhon purchased and began planting 75-acres on an incredibly rocky west-facing bench above Cawston, with a vision to make great red wine from Bordeaux varieties and syrah. Grapes were sold off until 2012 when production began under the eye of  Howard Soon, who had propelled syrah to stardom at Sandhill.  In 2017 the winery and tasting room opened and Howard Soon was named winemaker. As with many other Similkameen wineries the freeze of 2024 forced Vanessa to purchase grapes in Washington, and the re-planting of the home site.  The 2021 vintage was extremely hot, reducing crop size, creating the earlier harvest on record, and resulting in sporadic reports of wildfire smoke, which I did not find in this syrah (nor did the NWAC judges who awarded it gold). Vanessa syrah is 100% estate grown, small batch fermented with a small portion of viognier, then aged an average of 20 months on French and American oak barrels.  

Accolades:  Gold National Wine Awards 2026