Black Hills' Nota Bene & Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir

Black Hills Estate Winery
Chateau des Charmes

sometimes, I taste a beer or wine that changes the way I think about it's rivals. I ask myself, "why haven't I been drinking THIS all along?" Black Hills' Nota Bene is one such wine. unfortunately, the answer to my previous question, in the case of wine, usually comes down to cost. but, in this case it comes down to availability. the limited release of Black Hills' Nota Bene, mixed with it's exceptional quality and reputation, have ensured that this wine sells out every vintage. I'm lucky that the wine nerdiness of my friends Deanne and Bruce equates the beer nerdiness of Big Love and I. so deep is their love of good wine, they were motivated to drive to Oliver, BC purely on the rumour that the folks at Black Hills were to release a few more cases of their 2006 Nota Bene. the rumour was truth, and they picked up their maximum allotment of 2 bottles (1 /person). through family wine trading, they have acquired Nota Bene vintages from 2005-2007. back to this wine shortly.

along with being lovers of wine, Deanne and Bruce are lovers of good food. Bruce has been a chef in many high end kitchens around western Canada and on his day off from plating up hundreds of meals, he spent the day prepping last night's offerings. the first course consisted of slices of perfectly pan-seared duck beast, with an apple and fennel slaw and raspberry gastrique. needless to say, it was delicious. I brought over a bottle of Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir, which I thought would go well with the duck. we served this Niagara Gamay slightly chilled for a change. this light-bodied wine poured much more purple and deeper than I was expecting. the aroma was very sweet - I smelled cherries and a little pineapple. the taste backed up those fruits along with something a bit spicier. I thought of incense or sort of a cinnamon taste. Bruce tasted anise. it definitely finished much more heaty than it's 13% ABV would suggest, however, it complimented the duck very well. the second course of our meal was a beefsteak tomato, fresh basil, and bocconcini salad that provided a refreshing break in between the meat courses and the wines.

onto this reviewers source of motivation. last night we opened a bottle of 2006 Black Hills Nota Bene to go with our main course of slow mesquite smoked prime ribs, crispy goat cheese potatoes au gratin, and local crisp asparagus - a suitably rich, indulgent meal for such a big red wine. as you can see from the pictures, the prime ribs were absolutely drool inducing - falling off the bone and candied with a rich, homemade BBQ sauce. the wine was decanted for about two hours and when it was poured it was a deep plum colour. the nose was jammy with notes of blackberries. the beautiful medium-bodied Bordeaux-style blend (Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Cab Franc grapes) blanketed my tongue with deep fruits initially and then hints of asparagus or some earthy vegetable. it was as smooth a wine as I have had. settling into this wine, tastes of smokey tobacco, some leather, and plum came through. the more we drank, the more these tastes married into one. this Nota Bene was obviously a wine highlight for my burgeoning palate and definitely worth taking note.

B Chateau des Carmes 2004 Gamay Noir
A+ Black Hills Estate 2006 Nota Bene