Last night one of my favourite local bartenders at The Hooded Merganser (who will rename nameless in case he gets fired for serving me this delicious wine) offered me up something interesting as a by-the-glass pour — the now sold out 2006 Dunham and Froese Amicitia from Oliver in the Okanagan Wine Region.
I don’t know that much about Dunham & Froese, but I have met the wine maker, Kirby, at the restaurant before, but for some reason I have neglected to try anything from his winery. On first taste I was pleasantly surprised by this 86% Merlot / 14% Syrah blend. I’m not even sure why I was surprised, because after doing a bit of homework online it appears the DF has been racking up awards quite handily.
Something about this wine was delightfully backwards to me, and I hope it’s not just my own screwed up sense of taste. On the palate it seemed peppery to start and then developed into a kind of Jolly Rancher-esque finish. Mildly oaky, but not overbearing. Hmmm. I like it. I will be keeping my eye on the new vintage of this one during the upcoming Spring releases.
Here’s the description from the winery:
Amicitia is Latin for friendship and represents the harmony of this blend of 86% Merlot 14% Syrah. The grapes were sourced experienced growers along the renowned Black Sage Road and the Osoyoos area. Aged in 18 months in brand new and 2 year oak barrels. Layers of complexity frame dark red fruit components along with integrated tannins. This wine was unfined and minimally filtered and has the aging potential of 5 to 10 years. 2008 OFWS Bronze Medal Winner
For more info see Dunham & Froese online or follow them on Twitter.
Related posts:
