Black Hills Estate Winery 2003 Nota Bene

Having moved to beautiful Vancouver, BC a year and a half ago, I was excited to start tasting what BC had to offer. On this particular Fri. night I ordered Black Hills Estate Winery's, 2003 Nota Bene to go with the tapas I was having. I had never heard of this wine and had no idea what to expect. With the first sniff I was blown away by the aroma of plums, black cherries and just a hint of earthy tobacco. It is dry, round and oh so smooth on entry with supple tannins. Spicy, peppery, vanilla, tobacco leaf and licorice flavors, balanced with a long plush finish. I was hooked from that moment on. This Bordeaux style wine is made of 46/34/20 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and has a cult like following. I can see why. Good luck in finding any. BC was sold out by the time I discovered this little jewel. I purchased the last 20 bottles from my favorite little wine store in Banff, AB last November. Another couple of years and this wine should really bloom with fruit tones.