Nota Bene

Nota Bene is Latin for "Take Note." That is exactly what you do after trying this wine for the first time. Not only do you take note, but you revel in amazement at how wonderful this wine is. Many wine lovers and industry peeps know about this wine but a lot of the general public does not.

It is of course called Nota Bene and is produced by Black Hills Winery in Osoyoos.  Brandon Walsh from 90210 (Jason Priestley) is part owner of the joint.
It is a big, bold bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc.

This wine has a cult-like following and is constantly sold out. The winery does not accept walk-in clientele like the majority of their counterparts in wine country and only the finest restaurants in Vancouver are worthy enough to sell it. It is not sold in BC Liquor stores. It is sold at a select few specialty wine shops. I will take this opportunity to plug Everything Wine. They have an enormous location in North Van across from Capilano Mall, one in Morgan Crossing, Surrey, and one in Victoria (and of course, they stock Nota Bene). I absolutely love this wine shop. It is huge and carries hard to find selections, they have an extensive "vintage" room where rare, expensive wines are kept and they do free tastings everyday from 2-6pm. More to come about them though in a future blog, as I digress...

The winery itself may allow you to come in (if you show up and have a sad look on your face) to let you buy their other wines that are in stock. The others aren't anything to write home about but, still good. They aren't particularly friendly people, do not offer tastings of what they still have in stock and the winery itself isn't very nice. Oh, and Nota Bene is one of the most expensive bottles you'll find in the Okanagan. THAT all being said, and at $60 a bottle, you must be wondering, "why the hell bother?" Well my friends, all I can say is "because it's that good!" It's worth the ordeal and price. Once you try it, you will be hooked.

Now, this isn't your everyday wine. If you are really trying to impress someone (a wine lover because someone who knows little about wine really won't appreciate it) or are having a really special occasion, buy a bottle. If you are out at a restaurant that sells it, expect to pay $110-$130 a bottle. Yes, this is pricy. Against it's popular Mission Hill Oculus counterpart though, there is some competition. Oculus retails slightly higher but in my opinion, Nota Bene is slightly better. Oculus is a similar style blend including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. Who am I kidding though - it's hard to pick one over the other so do yourself a favour and just buy both! If you've tried them, which is your fav?