Tasting Note – This is one of the few B.C. syrahs to make it to retail shelves in Ontario, with a few bottles still scattered through Vintages stores across the province at the time of publication. Co-fermented with viognier, it has a lovely, lifted, quite savoury nose with blackcurrant fruit, hot stone, dried moss/rosemary and some flint. It is medium-full bodied, quite open knit, and a bit hot at 14.7%. – loose, and sweet-edged with drying, starchy tannin. Excellent length. There is a certain approachability now, and ticks most of the expectations of B. C. syrah, but I would age it another couple of years. Last tasted June 2026.

Backgrounder – Clos du Soleil has been an enduring success story in the south Similkameen under the direction of Michael Clark, situated on west facing upper bench that handily ripens red grapes like cabernet, merlot and yes syrah. From a single estate vineyard, the syrah grapes here were hand harvested, the grapes for this gently de-stemmed, lightly crushed, and then fermented in concrete. Destemmed viognier grapes (3%) were co-fermented with the syrah for about three weeks, prior to basket pressing.  The wine was then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (15% new). 

Accolades: Gold National Wine Awards 2026