Painted Rock Estate Skaha Bench Merlot

Garnet red in colour. Elegance and freshness on the bouquet bursting with black fruits of bramble berry and blackberry as well as savoury notes of liquorice, eucalyptus and sage. The palate follows through with well integrated toasty, talc like tannins, cherries, currants and earth as well as fresh vibrant acidity on the finish.

Painted Rock began with John and Trish Skinner’s belief that the Okanagan Valley had enormous, largely unrealized, potential. While the area was long known for producing some of the world’s finest fruit, it was the wines produced from the 1980’s “Vinifera Program” (where vineyards were paid to remove high producing, inferior hybrids and plant vivifera) that convinced the Skinner’s that the Okanagan would one day be an internationally recognized wine region. John knew that if they wanted to be involved, and make an impact, they had to move quickly. The goal was simple: find the best property and apply the most aggressive mandate for quality. Their extensive search took nearly three years and ended when they found “The Black Hawk”, a spectacular 60 acre bench on Skaha Lake in Penticton. In 2004 they purchased what was once “the largest apricot orchard in the British Commonwealth”. The orchard had been felled in the 1980’s and had lain fallow since. Detailed analysis of the property occurred for the next year while the site was prepared and the property was planted in 2005. Envisioned as a family-run estate winery, the assumption was that this could be some of the finest “terroir” in the world and it was their job to deliver on its promise. From expertise to equipment to mandate the commitment was and remains uncompromising. According to John Skinner, “If Painted Rock is going to compete with the best in the world we must have confidence in our terroir and allow it to express its uniqueness. That's why we are 100% Estate.