This post marks the end of my trip to the Okanagan this summer. But stay tuned starting in January I am going to be continuing my journey as I also visited Oregon and have a lot to say.
Nk’Mip is located in the southernmost part of the Okanagan Valley. It’s located 8km from the US border. It’s the hottest part of the valley, so it goes without saying that this winery doesn’t have any issues ripening their fruit.
I had an opportunity to taste through wines this summer with the assistant winemaker Justin Hall. Justin is also a member of the Nk’Mip band, and the winery is set up on a reserve.
2015 Rosé – $17.84 – **** – Candied raspberry and strawberry on the nose and on the palate. This is quite dry, but there is just a hint of sweetness on the finish. This wine is dangerously easy to gulp.
2015 Dreamcatcher – $17.49 – ****+ – This was a whole lot of wow in a bottle. This is a blend of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc… but honestly there is no way you will be able to guess what’s in the bottle. Mango, Orange, Peaches and a nice creaminess on the mid palate. The fruit is very ripe but there is nice acidity to balance this out. This is a perfect patio sipper, and to be honest this is not something I would want to pair with food.
2013 Merlot – ****+ – Pencil shaving on the nose layered over Strawberry, Blackberry, and Currant. This is nice and round in the mouth with a note of vanilla over all the perfectly ripe fruit flavours. I would say that the fruit is walking a tightrope between being perfectly ripe and being jammy. It’s like there is a foot rooted in old world and the other in new world in terms of style.
2013 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon – ****+ – $30.49 – Vanilla and black currant with hints of pencil shaving are on the nose. This is a very dark wine on the palate with black currant, blackberry, and blueberry with a bit of smoke tossed in there. This is approachable right now, but it is definitely built to spend some time in a cellar if you want to let it age 10-15 years.
2013 Mer’r’iym – ****½ – $50.99 – This is a bordeaux blend made up of 76% Merlot/12% Cabernet Sauvignon/5% Cabernet Franc/7% Malbec. There is so much going on in the bottle of this flagship blend from Nk’Mip. There are notes of vanilla, cocoa and smoke. The fruit in this bottle is raspberry, cherry, strawberry and black currant. The tannin is firm and grippy, this wine will need a few years in a cellar to help it relax. It is definitely crafted to age for 10-15 years.
