With International Chardonnay Day coming up on May 27th this year, it is time for another #chardcore wine review! This month, I feature Roche Wines located on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley, B.C.

I first met Pénélope and Dylan Roche last summer. Over the years, I had heard glowing reviews about the couples’ wines but hadn’t had the opportunity to taste any. I dropped into the tasting room and met Eliana Bray, Executive Manager of Roche Wines. She welcomed me with a fabulous tasting. Halfway through the flight, Pénélope and Dylan walked in, and it felt like one of those moments when the world connects people for a reason.

Pénélope is a sixth-generation winemaker and viticulturist, having grown up in Bordeaux, France. Dylan grew up in North Vancouver and went to France to be a bicycle mechanic in Burgundy but caught the wine bug and learned viticulture and winemaking in Beaune. The couple has been practicing traditional French winemaking for 10 years.

Roche Wines Tradition Small Lot Chardonnay 2018

• 100% Chardonnay sourced from Falcon’s View Vineyard north of Oliver, B.C.
• Fermented in 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels.
• Complete malolactic fermentation and aged for 8 months before bottling.
• Beautifully complex and balanced.
• Aromas of mandarin orange, mango, kiwi fruit, and a hint of vanilla.
• Flavours mirror the nose with added depth from hazelnut, cantaloupe melon and papaya.
• This Chardonnay rocked my world.
• GGG wine score – 92 points.

#chardcore Summary

Roche Wines Tradition Chardonnay 2018 is a pre-release currently only available for the ‘Black Book’ wine club members but will be released later in the year for everyone. It is $29.90 a bottle and worth every penny. I am so excited for this wines’ general release as it is a bottle that will age gracefully for 5 – 7 years. You can taste the care put into crafting this wine with every sip. This is absolutely a #chardcore Chardonnay and one that I suggest you keep your eyes out for when it is released. Or, join the ‘Black Book’ wine club and get it now.

You can reserve 30-minute private tastings online and their wine shop is open 11 – 5 PM everyday.

Thank you to Roche Wines for providing this beautiful bottle to sample and score for #chardcore.

Christine