WTN: Black Hills Nota Bene vertical

Our friends hosted a vertical tasting Black Hills Estate’s Nota Bene last night. Finding this wine is difficult in Alberta, as it often sells out within a couple of days of release.

I’ll get to the stars momentarily, but first we had a blind tasting of three reds. We were asked to identify the grape and the country.

2005 Four Graces Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Unmistakable Pinot Noir on the nose and palate. Well made. I guessed the variety right off the nose, and quickly zeroed in on Oregon. I would have added Willamette Valley – not because I could sense it from the wine, but because it’s the Oregon region most available in our market.

2002 Reif Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Ontario, Canada)

I was two for two on this one. Decent example of what Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon can be. Cherries and spices on the palate.

2005 K1 Shiraz by Geoff Hardy (McLaren Vale, Australia)

I picked up the grape and country immediately, but I think I’m losing my taste for Aussie Shiraz. Nothing wrong with this wine, but it wasn’t to my liking.

Now to the main attraction. According to the winery, Nota Bene can age 5-7 years. By that standard, some of the bottles we opened were still babies, but with some time in the glass they did nicely.

My wife and I spent a week in the Okanagan this past September and visited more than 25 wineries. Many of the reds we tried were excessively oaked. While they’re not necessarily bad, I wouldn’t hold them up as examples of good Canadian wines. Not so the Nota Bene. It shows the potential of B.C. as a wine region of international standards.


2002, 14.5% abv
Cabernet Sauvignon 48%/Merlot 37%/Cabernet Franc 15%

Easily my WOTN. Dark fruit and a little spice on the nose. Just elegant in the mouth, with currants standing out. This was the best balanced of the four, and was a pleasure. I left most of my glass to enjoy after the others were empty. Though I have little experience with different vintages of Nota Bene, I’d say the ’02 is drinking wonderfully now.

2003, 14.5% abv
CS 46%/M 34%/CF 20%

This was a shade darker than the others; almost purple. It was also much more intense on the nose and palate. At first, the ’03 wasn’t showing much, but it’s development over the night made it the most interesting to me. On the palate it developed a black forest cake-like note, with currants and black cherries. This would benefit with more time in the bottle.

2004, 14.6%
CS 46%/M 36%/CF 18%

The ’04 showed the most Cab Franc characteristic. It had a vegetal note, slightly bitter towards the back of the tongue. This lightened up after about an hour, revealing some nice red currant tartness on the palate and cedar on the nose. However, shortly after the wine started to fade out.

2005, 14.6%
CS 43%/M 37%/CF 20%

My runner up to WOTN. No question this is still young, but it evolved well in the glass. Red fruits, cedar and tobacco on the nose. Supple and smooth in the mouth, with flavours of red currant, black cherries and some dark spices. Hold ‘em for a few years yet.

Nice to see Nota Bene notes. They are one of the BC producers I watch and collect.

I did not buy the first vintage, 1999 as it didn't pass my personal 'worthiness' test, but I have every vintage since and find that they need about 6 or 7 years of age to start showing their stuff.

I tased the 2002 earlier this month and found it still needed time, but s you noted, shows promise.

PS - just checked my notes and find that the 2000 drinks well now.

Yeah, the '02 still has the stuffing to last awhile.

Bill, have you tried their Alibi Sem/Sauv blend or the Sequentia dessert wine? They're impossible to find here and I don't want to order them from the winery without knowing more.

Alibi is a nice white Bordeaux clone that benefits from a year or two in bottle.

The dessert version isn't my fave.

This is one of my favourite BC reds which I too have been buying since the 2000 vintage having "discovered" the '99 when on our annual trip to Vancouver Island.

There was a green bell pepper quality that I attributed to young grapes, not enough heat or too much cab franc but it dissipated as the bottle was open. I have found less and less of this with succeeding vintages even without significant variation in the % of varietals vis-a-vis cab franc.

This is really a wine which benefits from "rough" decanting and time. Another one of those where the last glass is the best and you want more.

Mike, you are absolutely right about it being difficult to get here in AB. Ed at Devines seems to get a few bottles from time to time but not much. If you miss the release from the winery, you are likely out of luck.

Even more so the case with their Alibi which I quite enjoy but at its price, lots of good competition. I do not have Bill's patience or self-control so mine are usually consumed too soon after release.

I am not a big fan of "stickies" so have not had their Sequentia. I recollect from Wine Access that they released a Carmenere last year and I think I heard/read elsewhere that they have also recently produced a chardonnay. Have not seen either on the shelves of a store or restaurant wine list.

I have few bottles left of the early vintages. I bought a Library Release consisting of 2 x 1999, 2000 and 2002 a few years pack so maybe I will crack open one of the '99's and see what it is like ... mind you I would rather be sitting in the great room at the Long Beach Lodge resort or the Pointe at the Wick in Tofino where I first had it rather than here in Edmonton as my fingers finally thaw after shovelling the drive way in this cold spell......

Hi Bob, I didn't know you were from Edmonchuk. I'm sure we've met at deVine's. That's where I picked up my bottles of '05 Nota Bene, though I'm on the winery's mailing list now.

My friend called the winery and was told the Carmenere was distributed only to restaurants. Though Ed said he tried some when he visited in the summer.

Have you tried Le Vieux Pin? Their first vintage was out this past summer. My God, their wines are good (and pricey)!

Have you tried Le Vieux Pin? Their first vintage was out this past summer. My God, their wines are good (and pricey)!

I'll second that!

[Jenise]

Nice to see Nota Bene notes. They are one of the BC producers I watch and collect.

I did not buy the first vintage, 1999 as it didn't pass my personal 'worthiness' test, but I have every vintage since and find that they need about 6 or 7 years of age to start showing their stuff.

I tased the 2002 earlier this month and found it still needed time, but s you noted, shows promise.

PS - just checked my notes and find that the 2000 drinks well now.

Bill, the Nota Bene (best BC red I've had, period) that Broocie brought to the Bordeaux offline before last, about a year ago, wasn't that the 99? It drank beautifully, and considering the passive storage it was probably showing at about where a properly stored bottle would at nine,ten years out. I loved that wine.

Mike--great notes.

Thanks Jenise.

Have you tried Le Vieux Pin? Their first vintage was out this past summer. My God, their wines are good (and pricey)!

I'll second that!

Bill, is that in reference to the wines being good, or pricey? Or both?

The Apogee is one of the best Canadian reds I've tasted. I'd even go out on a limb here and say the nose reminded me of a Pomerol. But $65 is steep for a B.C. wine.

Bill, is that in reference to the wines being good, or pricey? Or both?

Both! Nervy opening prices, but damn, the wines are good!