Soooo.....I need to start off with an apology. This review should have been posted a while back, but I saved it in an odd location. Better late than never😁.
At the start of my second day at District Wine Village, I wanted to experience a tasting at Road 13, mainly because I wanted to get more Chenin Blanc from them. My District Wine Village appointments for tastings allowed me enough time, or so I thought, to finish tasting my way through the remaining wineries at District Wine Village. So here is my winery review of Road 13 Vineyards.
But before we get to my tasting experience, let's take a closer look at how Road 13 VIneyards came to be.
Road 13 Vineyards has a fascinating history that dates back to the early 1970s—established initially as Golden Mile Cellars. A name they gave up due to the area being referred to as Golden Mile. A name that in 2015 became the identity and title of this region as a sub-geographical indication within the Okanagan Valley Geographical Indication. The winery underwent a significant transformation in 2003 when it was rebranded as Road 13—the new name inspired by the adjacent highway, which has become synonymous with its identity.
Over the years, Road 13 Winery has carved a reputation for producing exceptional wines, focusing on signature varietals like Chenin Blanc, Syrah, and Merlot. With a commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and a vine-to-wine philosophy, the winery has garnered acclaim among wine nerds, enthusiasts, and connoisseurs.
Today, Road 13 Winery is a must-visit destination for wine lovers, offering a memorable tasting experience set against the picturesque backdrop of the Okanagan Valley and surrounded by their historic vineyards. Its rich history and dedication to producing outstanding wines make it a top choice for those seeking a taste of BC's finest vintages.
Today, my wine host for this Road 13 experience is Mitch. Now, I do feel a bit bad for Mitch. I have years of experience working in hospitality and have taken many wine courses. And I'm outgoing and love to ask questions when tasting wine. I feel bad for Mitch because this is his first day working the tasting room at Road 13 Winery, and we were his second guest. The pacing was languid and relaxed, and I wasn't sure if this was part of the experience I had booked or because of how new Mitch was - it didn't matter either way, as it was enjoyable all around. I did notice that Mitch was learning the wines as we went along and regurgitating the information to me as we progressed. For his first day, he held up very well. I do applaud his retention of the data. And he wasn't rattled by my questions and inquisitive manner. I also highly commend him for including his trainer to assist him tableside. As I said, I'm a chatty, curious individual. Some of my questions involved material he didn't have an opportunity to digest and assimilate yet. Mitch wisely included Roberta, his trainer, to support him where his knowledge had gaps.
I'd say that Mitch did a great job on his first day as I left very happy, and he was able to sell me on joining their wine club. Bravo, Mitch, bravo. During my tasting, I did get up to go to the washroom and on my way back, I noticed a set of stairs leading down somewhere. When I asked Mitch about this, he provided me with the answer and then secured approval for me to go and explore this area - The Road 13 library cellar!! I'll get to that later.
As I stated earlier, the tasting I had booked included a lovely charcuterie board. Check out this selection: mushroom truffle salami, elk salami, and coppa. The cheeses consist of smoked Gouda, Ale cheddar cheese (this wasn't gluten-free and was a genuine oversight and quickly resolved with an additional cheese), and Italian pepper cheese—a garlic hummus with truffle, cranberry relish, and blueberry spice jam. Gluten-free crackers, roasted pistachios, and olives garnished the platter. It is an excellent selection, perfect for two people, and expertly chosen to complement the wines we will be tasting.
Now, on to the wines…
2021 "Chip Off The Old Block" Chenin Blanc: The vines that produced this lovely wine are among the oldest in North America. These vines are also visible from the tasting room and pointed out by Mitch. Bright acidity with flavours of melon and crisp apples. It was very fresh and refreshing. This differs from the rich and complex characters I'm used to. However, this winery shows the most significant variation in Chenin. Instead of rich and luscious, this was crisp and fresh. One of the noble grape varieties that is my favourite is always beautifully crafted in various styles at this winery. Some of this came home with me. I have a hard time saying no to a well-crafted Chenin.
2020 Jackpot Chardonnay: The juice for this spent eight months in oak. It was left on its lees (another term for the "dead" yeast cells) to provide the buttery, silky, smooth character. I'm not a fan of malolactic fermentation, which is the buttery quality, but with this, it is not super pronounced. On the nose, I found a tart green apple essence. In the mouth, it felt like or instead gave the impression of honey. But its acidity had an excellent palate-cleansing effect that was very refreshing. I immediately got the vibes of pairing this with a charcuterie, which is outside the norm. The wife showed affection to this, so some came home with us.
2021 Rose: By this wine, Mitch came in with some very technical information. 1.3 residual sugar. Honestly, the numbers on this meant nothing to me, as my awareness is not that granular when it comes to residual sugar. However, kudos to Mitch for providing this information. I respect him for trying to read and provide for his guests like this. This rose is comprised of Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir. Three hours of skin contact was allowed to extract enough colour to give it a lovely rosy pink hue. It was then allowed to ferment and mature for eight months in steel tanks. This wine is so very approachable. Beautiful flavours of cherry, apple, and key lime, all highlighted by some intriguing floral notes - fresh cherry blossom.
2019 GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre): Before my love affair with Canadian wines took hold, my favourite region was Australia. They are very well known for their GSMs. So it was a delightful surprise to see a Canadian GSM (now, this doesn't mean that there are no other GSMs produced in Canada, but this was my first introduction to a Canadian version). From the tasting room, it is effortless to see the vines that contribute to this lovely blend with the aid of a wine host to point them out. Some of these vines are across the lake in the Black Sage Bench, where they get incredible afternoon and early evening sun, contributing to better ripening and more fruit-forward notes. And some on the Golden Mile (visible from the tasting room), where the afternoon shade, with its cooling, gives a more herbaceous character to the blend. Lovely acidity makes this a wine that can be laid down and cellared for a few years. I picked up a bit of anise/licorice on the nose and the palate. It had a dry, "dusty" quality with cocoa and green pepper flavours. This style, to me, was very old-world. It was delicious; however, it was very narrowly bumped out of my purchasing selection by some others that I didn't get to taste from their top-tier John Oliver label.
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon: First, Mitch told me this wine is moving to their John Oliver Tier. This wine is beautifully bold. A kind of boldness that deserves to take center stage. The supporting cast showcases a balanced model for this full-bodied wine. My notes when tasting this wine were hilarious. A chorus of black - blackberry, black cherry, black pepper. I got some soft, subtle cocoa on the outskirts. It is lovely in its current youth and shows excellent cellaring potential. Unfortunately, I've got quite a few cab sauvs in my cellar and was hesitant to add more now. That has nothing to do with its quality, just the space I have to store it.
2019 Jackpot 5th Element: An Okanagan red blend. I've noticed that adding Syrah to the traditional Bordeaux blend has been a go-to. Does it take away from the overall enjoyment? I'd say no, as the winemaker's careful crafting incorporates it exceptionally well. This blend consists of Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon (listed in order of highest to lowest quantity). This wine is powerful. You genuinely understand the care and attention to detail this received. Selected explicitly from their vineyards for maximum quality, harvested and sorted by hand, aged in French and American Oak, and still had to meet a certain quality after barrel aging to be considered for final blending into this delicious wine. Tasting this, I had two powerful thoughts. 1) This is a wine that has beautiful aging potential. 2) You need a beautifully grilled piece of meat for such a powerful wine.
2020 John Oliver Malbec: These grapes are sourced from their vineyards in Osoyoos, where the sun brings perfect ripeness. I was surprised to see that this had a more purple colouring. The only time I've seen this is in a wine course. I was mesmerized. Upon tasting it, the tannins, acidity, and body were all sitting in the medium range - tannins I found a bit softer than other Malbecs I've enjoyed. On the nose, it was very fruit-forward…to the point that I was drooling! And be prepared for an extended finish. This is a newer offering at Road 13 and one that I look forward to seeing in future vintages. I am curious to see how this could age, so yes, this also came home with me.
Now, I had not forgotten about the Library cellar, and once our tasting was complete, I just had to explore. My wife will probably describe my glee as a kid in a candy store as I eagerly went to investigate. This area was not your typical dusty, dark cellar depicted in the movies. This space is a modern, clean concrete room. The air was very cool and not as humid as I'd expected. A rectangular area built of concrete with walls lined with wooden shelves. A large dark wooden table with matching chairs for eight sits in the center. There is also a high rectangular tasting table near the back. But the stars of this exploration are the walls lined with wines. Upon closer look, I was floored by the Road 13 history I was surrounded by. Bottles of Chenin Blanc from 2010, 2011, 2017. Chardonnay from 2012, Pinot Noir from 2011, and Malbec from 2013. I felt so humbled and in awe to be surrounded by Road 13's history. The one bottle that caught my attention made me shake my head when I saw that it was the most expensive bottle down there - I guess I do have expensive tastes. These wines are not readily available to the public unless you are a wine club member. This is their special tasting area for wine club members. And I've got to say that this setting immerses you in more than just wine but history.
At the time of this being published, this tasting experience has been changed to The John Oliver Experience. I'd highly recommend it—beautiful views of the vineyard, lovely charcuterie board, and delicious wines from Road 13. One thing I've always loved about Road 13 is its beautiful artistry with Chenin Blanc. This was how they first endeared themselves to me. Their wines are lovely, and their surroundings allow you to be fully immersed in their Vine-to-wine philosophy. I enjoyed my tasting and the wine so much that Mitch got me to sign up for their wine club. Again, well done, Mitch. Next time you're down in the Oliver area, include Road 13 in your excursions….just be careful not to drive past the turnoff for it. It's easy to miss, and I speak from experience.
Cheers 🥂
-BC Wine Nerd
Website: Road 13 Vineyards
Instagram: @road13vineyards
Address: 799 Ponderosa Rd.
Phone #: 250-498-8330
Tasting Experience Fee: $65.00/guest
Comments