Phantom Creek Estates 2019 Kobau Vineyard Cuvee

Phantom Creek Cuvee

Allison Markin - Mar 19, 2023 / 4:00 am | Story: 416859

Photo: Contributed

Wine: 2019 Kobau Vineyard Cuvee

Winery: Phantom Creek Estates, Oliver

Why drink it? Predominantly Cabernet Franc, Merlot provides some of its own nuances and there is just a touch of Syrah in this blend, all from the Kobau Vineyard on Golden Mile Bench. All three conspire together in their own ways, with coffee bean and dark chocolate from the Merlot on the nose alongside earthy herbs and ripe Damson plums from the Cab Franc. A chocolate-espresso combination emerges on the palate, with blackberries, blueberries, and balanced cedar and oak notes. This a rich and robust red that finishes with a nice backbone of tannins lifted by some acidity.

Pair with: Indulge in a gourmet Wagyu beef burger or meatballs, or a roasted eggplant ‘burger’ topped with grilled mushrooms and sweet peppers. Start with a selection of savoury bruschettas, finish with a dark chocolate ganache-filled cupcake.

Price: $80

Music pairing: Oh Caroline, The 1975

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About the Author

As a kid, Shelley Boettcher often found herself in the back seat of a pick-up, exploring the back roads of the Okanagan Valley with her parents. They’d occasionally leave her and her brother in the car while they stopped at mysterious addresses to buy wine. They would emerge, clearly happy, as they stuck a box or a few bottles in the vehicle. Then they would continue on their journey.

But it wasn’t until a trip to Spain in 2000 that Shelley herself fell in love with wine. She came home from the holiday and promptly told her editor she wanted to become a wine writer.

And she did.

An award-winning food and wine writer and editor, Shelley holds her master’s degree in journalism and her advanced WSET certification, as well as her level 2 International Sommelier Guild certification. A wine columnist for the Calgary Herald, she spent a decade as CBC Radio’s national syndicated wine columnist and she has written three books about wine, including two that were Canadian bestsellers. Her byline has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including the New York Times, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail and Postmedia newspapers across Canada.

Shelley has travelled throughout many of the world’s wine regions and countries, including Niagara, Oregon, Washington, California, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Australia, Germany, Argentina and the Republic of Georgia. A few years ago, she even tracked down and visited a winery in Denmark.

Shelley has also served as a professional wine judge regionally and internationally, including the Okanagan Wine Festivals, Vinitaly and the Chianti Classico Consortium. For more than a decade, she has been a restaurant wine list judge for the Vancouver International Wine Festival, too. She still teases her parents for sparking her love for wine, especially BC wine.

And her favourite? Whatever she's drinking at the moment.

You can follow Shelley on Instagram @shelleyboettcher or Twitter at @shelley_wine.

If you have a BC wine you’d like to suggest, email Shelley at [email protected] with the name of the wine and a short note about why you enjoyed it.