Okanogan Estate & Vineyards

No, that’s not a typo in the name of the winery or the appellation. The Okanagan Valley, British Columbia’s best-known wine region, actually extends below the border into Washington State, where the spelling is different by one letter. The climate and geology are considerably different, however, combining sandy desert soils and hot, arid conditions more similar to eastern Washington than to the temperate Canadian Okanagan Valley. In short, the Okanogan is capable of fully ripening red grapes – in this case Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Winemaker Mike Buckmiller was born and raised here, and has made an unusual dream come true with his winery, the first in the U.S. Okanogan.

The wine features plummy Syrah aromatics with sweet vanilla notes from its 20 months in oak barrels. It’s a sensual pleasure in your mouth, with good harmony of body, texture and weight; after a flood of dark red fruit in the entry, the wine gains complexity from sage and other dry herbs as well as fairly ripe skin tannins to balance the firmer oak tannins. Things sweeten up on the finish, echoing the aromas quite accurately. Overall, a wine that adds up to more than sum of its parts – and at $18 costs less than you might expect.

Reviewed April 20, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.