Enrico Winery Tasting

I had a lovely Sunday, driving about 45 minutes to the Cowichan Valley for a stellar tasting at Enrico Winery with Lorin Inglis who manages this vineyard with passion and expertise. They are a boutiques style vineyard producing small batches of quality wines with varietals that suit our climate on Vancouver island.

This is a vineyard that allows you the opportunity to taste at the tasting bar, funky wine barrel tables or on the lovely outdoor deck with views of the pond and vineyards.

I had the pleasure of sampling the Ortega 2013 alongside the Tempest Ortega 2015, in a vertical tasting which can truly showcase how the seasons and amount of sun can alter a wines flavour and profile. The 2013 was soft, crisp, clean and nicely balanced with subtle hints of lime and leechie. The 2015 was rich with honey notes, lime, leechie and the added sweetness provided from the longer amount of sun on the grapes. The two shared only the hint of lime and leechie.

The bottle that followed me home is the only version of an Ortega that has been oaked in French Barrels, this is a varietal that is commonly fermented in steel tanks not in oak casks. The Contessa Ortega Reserve 2015 was aged in French Oak prior to bottling resulting in a complex wine with the base notes of the lime & leechie common in ortegas and the added flavours of walnut and vanilla with a buttery finish. This wine would pair perfectly with sushi as it could withstand the wasabi, think Ahi poke with wasabi sauce.

Although I tried all wines on offer aside from the pinot noir which managed to follow me home based solely on the quality of the other wines they are producing and Lorin’s passion for it’s quality. It is a very limited release, I will let you know how soon you should order yours once I allow it to settle and I have tasted, savoured and reviewed it.

The second wine I chose was the Long Sword Cabernet Foch 2014. This wine is full of body with pepper, blackberry. tobacco and enough tannin to dry out your mouth, followed by the right balance of acidity to make you want one more sip, followed by another. You could lie this one down for 2 years but it is ready to be consumed now and will not dissapoint.

Last is the King’s Council Reserve Vintners Blend 2013, this is a limited release blend of predominantly merlot with the assist of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Enrico Winery is one of the rare vineyards that macerates the different varietals together as well as fermenting them in the appropriate quantities resulting in a perfectly balanced and harmonious wine. It has been aged in French Oak barrels and has blackberry notes, a hint of spice with herbal notes and subtle vanilla with a very smooth lingering finish.