Desert Hills 2005 Syrah

In our continued exploration of the food and wines of BC, we recently ventured out of our comfort zone and tried a wine that wasn’t from the Naramata Bench – the 2005 Syrah Select from Desert Hills (www.deserthills.ca/index.php) in Oliver, BC.

I had purchased a selection of meats and cheeses for a late lazy dinner. I knew I wanted to start off with bubbles, and selected the Steller’s Jay Brut from Sumac Ridge (www.sumacridge.com/default.asp), an excellent choice. Crisp, clean, a little fruity yet dry, and…bubbly. (Which was, after all, what I was after). I also wanted a red wine. I was considering the Poplar Grove Merlot (www.poplargrove.ca) because it is one I know we like, but was a little shocked at the price. Although it is quite tasty, at $44.00 it is overpriced. There are many small producer merlots from California that are similar in style and much less expensive (at least for me, as I can purchase them there). Some examples: Moon Mountain Vineyard (www.moonmountainvineyard.com) or T-Vine Cellars (www.tvinecellars.com/). But what, then, to buy? What I needed was a wine that would stand up to the cheeses and locally made salami I had purchased. The clerk at the wine store suggested two BC Syrahs at different price points, both of which were unfamiliar to me. I chose the Desert Hills Syrah Select (2005); he said that the staff at the store think it the best Syrah made in BC.

I can see why. It was big, but not overpowering. There is definite pepper, one of the things I love about syrah. But there is also a lush richness imparted by skillful use of oak. The vanilla was apparent in the nose and the taste. Chris described it as jammy, but I wouldn’t use that term myself, mostly because it calls to mind the big California Zinfandels, and this wine is not like that. But it does taste of rich deep fruit, without being overextracted or too high in alcohol (14%). We really enjoyed this wine, and think it a better value (it retails for about $42) than the Poplar Grove Merlot, at least for now. (The wine market is a market, and prices reflect demand.) Oh, and it did work very well with the salami.

(To be truthful, this is not the first time we’ve had wines from somewhere else in the Okanagan. A little while back we had the pleasure of attending a winemaker’s dinner with Mike Bartier of Golden Mile Cellars, also in Oliver. And of course, the Petales D’Osoyoos which I’ve written about before. But that’s about it.)