This weekend saw the release of the 2007 vintage for Black Hills' big hitting Nota Bene. This wine has been a "must have" for many since it's first release - which I believe was in 1999. To me, if the are such creatures as "cult wines" for BC, this has to be one of them. It sells out basically as soon as it becomes available. It was reported last year that the 2006 vintage of 3300 cases sold out in 47 minutes.
I don't know the past weekend's time frame but I do see that this year's production is also sold out already.
We didn't buy any this year - despite being poised to do. The reason? The price this year was $53 and, frankly, I don't know if it's worth it when your only choice is to buy it by the case. We might have split a case with others, but there wasn't much interest once that price was made public. As one buddy put it, "I think some of the Okanagan producers are just getting a little too cocky." He figured that, for 50 bones, he could buy some "rockin' Spanish wines."
I've seen that the new syndicate owners have publicly said that they feel that Nota Bene was being sold at a "discount" in comparison to its peers. What I didn't see was what they consider Nota Bene's peers to be. There aren't many Okanagan producers hitting the half century mark - but I can think of a number of wines with which I'd gladly fill my wine glass for half that price - whether or not they're from BC.
Despite our take, they obviously still have that "cult" factor going for them since they sold out again and so quickly.
Nostalgically though, I remember we had just finished dropping into the Burrowing Owl Winery just down the road and we shortly thereafter drove by this quonset hut that had a winery sign on it. We dropped in and immediately thought that we'd stumbled onto something. The winery was brand new and we were buying some of their first wine. We've bought some of every vintage since then. I think I'll come to miss not having at least a couple bottles of the 2007 around.
There are still the older vintages that will make the list however.
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In case you want to pick up a bottle or two, Marquis Wines (in Vancouver) is selling the 2007 Nota Bene by the bottle and as of this afternoon still had a very limited supply left.
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