Vanessa Vineyard Right Bank 2014

Jon Steeves rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

This is a gorgeous right bank Bordeaux style rich and robust, full-bodied red. Stewed berries, dark chocolate, leather, wet stone, with savoury. Balanced, medium plus acidity, medium plus fruit, dusty tannins, medium plus alcohol. The 2014 is a gorgeous vintage. Pairs well with roast beef, chicken, is approachable and offers good value. Tasted 2014 vintage in May 2019. 93 points

Deborah Podurgiel WSET IV Candidate rated this wine as 94/100 with the following review:

Vanessa Vineyard’s Right Bank 2014 is one smoooooth Bordeaux-style red. Right Bank Bordeaux is typically Merlot-dominant as is this one with 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. This in itself does not make it a spectacular wine. What does are the type of clones used in the making of this wine, ‘Cinderella’ growing conditions, precise vineyard management and, not in the least, a master-winemaker, who lovingly crafted the wine with precision, and with a little element called luck, is what makes Right Bank 2014 a spectacular Bordeaux-style red.

This vintage saw 1,666 growing degree days in the Similkameen Cawston area which is well above the 10-year average of 1,261 growing degree-days. Harvest came two weeks early with hot days and cool nights providing a Brix level of 30. And yes, the wine is 14.9% abv. As a result, the wine is warming, but not at the sacrifice of texture or flavour. The cuvée for this wine is almost entirely free-run juice with a small amount of pressed juice added back to balance tannins and to provide more backbone. The wine was fermented and barrel-aged for 26 months in new American and French oak barrels that were not quite a dark toast.

Right Bank is deep garnet in the glass with smoky blackberry, dark plum and dark chocolate aromas at first waft. On the palate, the wine is a medium-plus weight, elegant and smooth with mouth-coating black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, smoky with a lingering soft-spice finish. Tannins are velvety and there is a refreshing acidity on this well-balanced and structured wine. Did I mention it was soooo smooth? Vanessa Vineyards suggests a pairing of an Entrecôte Bordelaise, which would be perfect Bordeaux fare for Right Bank (2014). It would also make a great gift wine or bring one down for Thanksgiving if going stateside to share what beautiful BC wines have to offer. Only 1090 cases were made.