Decanted two hours and drunk over 1h. Cassis, mocha, mushroom, black fruit, tobacco, baking spice. Paired with braised Lamb shank. Not impressed. It seems more & more the price of these larger BC reds doesn't reflect what's in the bottle.
One of the more reliable vintages of NB. A tinge of musty oak on the nose. Mid bodied. Tastes better than it smells. Hints of cherry, eucalyptus and allspice. Like many similar wines from BC, lacks the structure and finish to warrant its inflating $70 price.
I just don’t feel these are aging as gracefully as some of the earlier vintages - like the 2007 to 2009 and 2013 vintages.
I’ll continue to buy a few each vintage to keep some verticals intact as the label is still much adored, but not something I’d bother opening anymore for wine enthusiasts.
Clear dark purple in colour. Notes of cassis, licorice and black chocolate. Drank next to a 2003 and 2010, and found this bottle too young. Again nice acidity, tannins were a little rough in comparison to the other bottles. But i think that is just due to the age of wine. Put it aside to drink the next day.
This was great. Very elegant. Lovely nose complex with dark fruits/berries and a bit of anise and earthiness we could detect. Smoooth and velvety on the palate. Long lingering finish. Just as you’d expect from a superb wine! Served up with dry aged ribeyes. Sous vide then seared over charcoal. Perfect pairing for a great meal! So happy I have more of this one!
2017 BC Red Blends on Blueback (Vancouver Island): part of a blind tasting of 2017 BC Meritage blends. Darker Garnet with almost a purple core. Brandied cherries on the nose but also a bit of barnyard (brett?). Macerated black and sour cherry compote and some mocha and herbaceuos notes. Medium plus weight. A tad out of balance and odd mix of flavours. Medium finish. Poured in second of three flights. Ranked 2nd by group; 3rd by me. I would have expected better from this typically tried and true meritage.
This is very good The nose is one of the best. Kinda floral but sophisticated Deep red wonderful flavour it’s a tight exquisite wine the finish lingered nicely But this one again Paired with bolognese sauce over spaghetti
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Molto Bene Nota Bene! (Vino Loco & Lolo's Seaside Tasting Lodge): Part of an eight vintage vertical tasting. This wowed at the first sniff. Not big and juicy, not severe and oaky. It was measured with dark red and black fruit - creme de cassis and mission figs with liquorice and mint. very good complexity on the palate. There is a touch of oaky vanilla but its carried along on superfine tannins, integrated acid and alcohol, medium plus body. Longest finish of the eight Nota Benes for me. Vino Loco referred to this one as the Aristocrat Wine of the evening - "old world cues, complexity and potential. This was my top wine of the tasting and tied for second with the 2013 and only bested by the 2015.
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As a rule, I typically don’t open a Nota Bene until at least 5 years after vintage. They seem to need the time to integrate, smooth out the sharp corners. However, after KillerJones’ recent TN we had to open one. KJ nailed it, it’s deliriously good. It’s the right mix of fruit-forward meets rustic. The savoury depth beneath the dark red & blue fruits is remarkable. Great length. I don’t know if this is going to necessarily improve much 4-5 years out but our remaining stash will probably be depleted way before then. I’m looking for more!
Is it good? Deliriously so. Sip after sip after sip. The ‘17 is a marvelously complicated mix of black fruit, high quality wood spice, richly enveloping on the palate.
Tannins are fleshy & limber, abundant - but velvety, long lasting, similar to the finish here. This should grow older well into the late '20s & beyond.
An ideal vintage - very solid wine, meant for fans of large-scale reds.
Solid Purple-ruby, big legs! 2hr decant, surprisingly approachable for how young it is. Nose is sage, vanilla, blackberries, chocolate; herbal, dark n fruity. Doesn’t have any alcoholic heat imbalance that I find such a turnoff with big reds. Palate is fruit forward and reflects nose. Tannins are smooth, but goes without saying this will benefit from more time. I’ve experienced the ‘10, ‘11, and ‘14, the latter being the standout. Always a sure bet as far as BC meritage goes, too bad the prices have climbed so high for these. I might stick with Osoyoos Larose to get my BC red fix.
14.0% abv. 45% cab sauv, 41% merlot, 14% cab franc. Dark crimson purple color. Loads of blackberry, plums, chocolate covered cherries and touch of wood on nose. Red staining of tears. Fruit forward with some mild tannins mid palate, medium length finish. My history with most BC reds is they need to be consume in first 10 years. This wine is in great spot today. Merlot dominates for me, with nice vibrancy, and Cab Franc evident. Stylistically, one of the most recognizable and consistent red wines from BC. Compared to itself, or other BC reds, this is quite good. Would buy again at LCBO price of $48 CDN.
The ripeness(not jammy) of the fruit in this wine is addictive, you would not be mistaken as a Bordeaux, however, this has a wonderful new world charm that I fully appreciate. I believe this still needs a few more years to fully developed, however after a good decant I believe this can be enjoyed today. This is full of dark sexy fruit, along with crushed stones, bitter chocolate, and sage, the palate has a good concentration of fruit and nothing much out of place, the finish a little short and spicy, yet I am sure this will polish out over time
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Lovely Nota Bene. A combination of complexity, typicity and finesse. Usual aromas of sage and red fruits, with another "je ne sais quoi" that makes me love Nota Bene. Enjoy now or cellar for 10 years
Nose shows cassis, dark berry, and cherry aromas, alongside notes of cedar and dark chocolate. Fresh berry fruit and French oak flavours shape the palate, with additional complexity coming from hints of mint and sage. Silky and elegant tannins and creamy texture result in a wine that is approachable in its youth, while its impressive richness and concentration will allow evolution and further complexity over the next 12-15 years. Ample fresh acidity frames a long fruit driven finish. Black Hills Estate Winery
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2/3/2024 - Rudolph Schmidt wrote:
Decanted two hours and drunk over 1h. Cassis, mocha, mushroom, black fruit, tobacco, baking spice. Paired with braised Lamb shank. Not impressed. It seems more & more the price of these larger BC reds doesn't reflect what's in the bottle.
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1/27/2024 - Vino Loco wrote: 90 Points
One of the more reliable vintages of NB. A tinge of musty oak on the nose. Mid bodied. Tastes better than it smells. Hints of cherry, eucalyptus and allspice. Like many similar wines from BC, lacks the structure and finish to warrant its inflating $70 price.
I just don’t feel these are aging as gracefully as some of the earlier vintages - like the 2007 to 2009 and 2013 vintages.
I’ll continue to buy a few each vintage to keep some verticals intact as the label is still much adored, but not something I’d bother opening anymore for wine enthusiasts.
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12/31/2023 - Blackwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not usually my favorite, but this is maturing nicely. No time to decant but still had big flavors of dark fruit with full mouth feel.
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12/29/2023 - rexmerlot wrote: 89 Points
Clear dark purple in colour. Notes of cassis, licorice and black chocolate. Drank next to a 2003 and 2010, and found this bottle too young. Again nice acidity, tannins were a little rough in comparison to the other bottles. But i think that is just due to the age of wine. Put it aside to drink the next day.
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11/16/2023 - Blackwood Likes this wine: 90 Points
Was nice, smooth not huge fruit flavours. Could cellar up to a few more years.
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8/4/2023 - Blackwood Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red coloring; dark fruits flavors; some tannins remaining; can cellar longer
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6/10/2023 - uzzi Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was great. Very elegant. Lovely nose complex with dark fruits/berries and a bit of anise and earthiness we could detect. Smoooth and velvety on the palate. Long lingering finish. Just as you’d expect from a superb wine! Served up with dry aged ribeyes. Sous vide then seared over charcoal. Perfect pairing for a great meal! So happy I have more of this one!
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4/29/2023 - Canoehead wrote:
2017 BC Red Blends on Blueback (Vancouver Island): part of a blind tasting of 2017 BC Meritage blends. Darker Garnet with almost a purple core. Brandied cherries on the nose but also a bit of barnyard (brett?). Macerated black and sour cherry compote and some mocha and herbaceuos notes. Medium plus weight. A tad out of balance and odd mix of flavours. Medium finish. Poured in second of three flights. Ranked 2nd by group; 3rd by me. I would have expected better from this typically tried and true meritage.
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11/26/2022 - scaredone Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is much better than 15/16, more balanced, less fruity aftertaste.
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8/7/2022 - Dover drunk Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is very good
The nose is one of the best. Kinda floral but sophisticated
Deep red wonderful flavour it’s a tight exquisite wine the finish lingered nicely
But this one again
Paired with bolognese sauce over spaghetti
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6/30/2022 - breitzes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid. Pop n pour as it was a bit into the night. Nicely structured and surely can cellar for many more years.
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4/26/2022 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
Molto Bene Nota Bene! (Vino Loco & Lolo's Seaside Tasting Lodge): Part of an eight vintage vertical tasting. This wowed at the first sniff. Not big and juicy, not severe and oaky. It was measured with dark red and black fruit - creme de cassis and mission figs with liquorice and mint. very good complexity on the palate. There is a touch of oaky vanilla but its carried along on superfine tannins, integrated acid and alcohol, medium plus body. Longest finish of the eight Nota Benes for me. Vino Loco referred to this one as the Aristocrat Wine of the evening - "old world cues, complexity and potential. This was my top wine of the tasting and tied for second with the 2013 and only bested by the 2015.
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4/14/2021 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
As a rule, I typically don’t open a Nota Bene until at least 5 years after vintage. They seem to need the time to integrate, smooth out the sharp corners. However, after KillerJones’ recent TN we had to open one. KJ nailed it, it’s deliriously good. It’s the right mix of fruit-forward meets rustic. The savoury depth beneath the dark red & blue fruits is remarkable. Great length. I don’t know if this is going to necessarily improve much 4-5 years out but our remaining stash will probably be depleted way before then. I’m looking for more!
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4/9/2021 - KillerJones Likes this wine: 93 Points
Is it good? Deliriously so. Sip after sip after sip. The ‘17 is a marvelously complicated mix of black fruit, high quality wood spice, richly enveloping on the palate.
Tannins are fleshy & limber, abundant - but velvety, long lasting, similar to the finish here. This should grow older well into the late '20s & beyond.
An ideal vintage - very solid wine, meant for fans of large-scale reds.
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12/19/2020 - gordy240 wrote: 91 Points
Solid Purple-ruby, big legs! 2hr decant, surprisingly approachable for how young it is. Nose is sage, vanilla, blackberries, chocolate; herbal, dark n fruity. Doesn’t have any alcoholic heat imbalance that I find such a turnoff with big reds. Palate is fruit forward and reflects nose. Tannins are smooth, but goes without saying this will benefit from more time. I’ve experienced the ‘10, ‘11, and ‘14, the latter being the standout. Always a sure bet as far as BC meritage goes, too bad the prices have climbed so high for these. I might stick with Osoyoos Larose to get my BC red fix.
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10/6/2020 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.0% abv. 45% cab sauv, 41% merlot, 14% cab franc. Dark crimson purple color. Loads of blackberry, plums, chocolate covered cherries and touch of wood on nose. Red staining of tears. Fruit forward with some mild tannins mid palate, medium length finish. My history with most BC reds is they need to be consume in first 10 years. This wine is in great spot today. Merlot dominates for me, with nice vibrancy, and Cab Franc evident. Stylistically, one of the most recognizable and consistent red wines from BC. Compared to itself, or other BC reds, this is quite good. Would buy again at LCBO price of $48 CDN.
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7/19/2020 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
The ripeness(not jammy) of the fruit in this wine is addictive, you would not be mistaken as a Bordeaux, however, this has a wonderful new world charm that I fully appreciate. I believe this still needs a few more years to fully developed, however after a good decant I believe this can be enjoyed today. This is full of dark sexy fruit, along with crushed stones, bitter chocolate, and sage, the palate has a good concentration of fruit and nothing much out of place, the finish a little short and spicy, yet I am sure this will polish out over time
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1/24/2020 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely Nota Bene. A combination of complexity, typicity and finesse. Usual aromas of sage and red fruits, with another "je ne sais quoi" that makes me love Nota Bene. Enjoy now or cellar for 10 years
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6/15/2019 - Ken Ball Likes this wine:
Nose shows cassis, dark berry, and cherry aromas, alongside notes of cedar and dark chocolate. Fresh berry fruit and French oak flavours shape the palate, with additional complexity coming from hints of mint and sage. Silky and elegant tannins and creamy texture result in a wine that is approachable in its youth, while its impressive richness and concentration will allow evolution and further complexity over the next 12-15 years. Ample fresh acidity frames a long fruit driven finish. Black Hills Estate Winery
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