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Column: A small winery with big wins

C. C. Jentsch Cellars, a small family estate in the South Okanagan, has a brief history as a winery but have won an amazing list of international and local awards for their wines.
Jentsch wines
Many wine lovers are fond of C.C. Jentsch wines more than Halloween Candy!

C. C. Jentsch Cellars, a small family estate in the South Okanagan, has a brief history as a winery but have won an amazing list of international and local awards for their wines.  Although the family started off in 1929 as tree fruit growers, it wasn’t until 2000 that Chris and Betty Jentsch planted their first vineyard along the Golden Mile south of Oliver.

Their first harvests were sold to local wineries. But very soon, in 2012, Chris was producing her own wine with winemaker Amber Pratt guiding the early vintages. Nowadays, Paula Cooper is head of the winemaking team.

Their recent medal winning has been amazing. The 2016 C.C Jentsch Syrah ($31.90) has won Gold at this years’ International Wine and Spirit Competition, the 2019 Wine Press Northwest, the 2019 Wine Align National Awards of Canada, 2019 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards, the 2019 Decanter Asia Wine Awards, as well as the 2019 Okanagan Wine Festival Best Syrah. And all of this recognition after only a few years!

Tasting this Syrah is a real pleasure and you instantly see why it’s been judged so well. Made from 100 per cent Syrah from their Golden Mile Bench and Black Sage Bench vineyards the grapes ripen slowly and the wine is aged for 16 months in French and American oak.

What you get is an earthy and juicy red that is rich and complex. Its nose reveals leather and savoury scents with ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit, and sprinklings of black pepper and exotic star anise. Smooth, balanced, and with a lengthy finish to confirm that this is indeed a first class B.C. red!

Enjoy with a tasty fall onion soup topped with a toasted baguette crouton and melted Swiss Raclette on top. Or grilled beef with a dollop of blueberry compote and sautéed wild BC chanterelles.

Another tasty C.C. Jentsch wine is the 2018 Small Lot Series Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($35.90). Grown on their Summerland Vineyard, it’s fermented in new and neutral French oak barrels to add complexity with malolactic fermentation to add creamy textures.

A delicious bouquet of vanilla, tropical fruit, toasted coconut, and bakery spices with flavours of ripe tree fruit, a squeeze of lemon and mango, and toffee linger on your palate. The balanced acidity will keep the lush personality from being overbearing.

This complex Chardonnay would go with a splendid variety foods including a grilled lobster, seared tuna or roast chicken.

Because of its small tasting room, the wine shop remains closed to visitors but Chris and Betty Jentsch (sounds like Yench) will continue to take phone and online orders. www.ccjentschcellars.com

The C.C. Jentsch Barrel Select Chardonnay is available at Save-On VQA store in Ironwood and the Syrah at Everything Wine Vancouver. Enjoy these treats!