Former airline pilot Richard Roskell and his wife, Ellie, opened this pocket-sized winery last year on an exceptionally attractive Naramata Bench vineyard. They grow only Syrah and Viognier. They intend to make wine only from grapes grown on the Naramata Bench, bolstering the region’s unofficial status as a sub-appellation of the Okanagan. And they never intend to make more than 1,000 cases a year.

On the strength of this intense Syrah, I predict that Marichel is on the way to cult status. The colour of dark red blood, this wine begins with sweet and complex aromas of blackberries, dark plums, black cherries and spice. On the palate, the wine is a powerhouse, with layers of fruit flavours and with a long finish that begins with sweet fruit and ripe tannins and ends with notes of liquorice and dark chocolate. The wine has so much concentrated fruit that one does not notice the robust alcohol. All tolled, this is tour de force resulting superlative grape growing. 92