Black Market The Syndicate 2021

An elegant, well-balanced wine with aromas and flavours of black currant, plum, dark chocolate, cedar and tobacco. Firm tannins with a hint of acidity, and a long finish. Smooth and rich in texture and approachable now, this wine will blossom with another 5 years in the bottle.

As food and wine always go hand-in-hand at our house, The Syndicate is always destined to be a food wine. We achieved a balanced wine with enough acidity and tannins to enjoy with a variety of foods, especially with grilled or roasted red meats.

Enjoy through 2035!

This wine was grown in sun-drenched vineyards in Kaleden, Oliver and Osoyoos, and harvested between October 21st and November 1st.

Step into the Old World through the New World’s front door. This medium-bodied blend is classically structured, but brimming with vibrant Okanagan fruit. An elegant combination of Merlot (51%), Cabernet Sauvignon (18%), Petit Verdot (18%), and Cabernet Franc (13%).

Each varietal was fermented separately in small 1-ton fermenters and aged for 30 months in French oak barrels, of which 40% were new.

Inspired artisan wines, hand-crafted in the Heart of Wine Country.

Situated on a bench overlooking Skaha Lake in picturesque Kaleden, BC, Garagistes Rob Hammersley and Michelle Shewchuk are crafting distinctive small-lot wines. In addition to Conviction Ridge Vineyard, their organically farmed estate property, the other vineyards from which they source their grapes are responsibly and sustainably farmed by growers who care as much about quality as they do.

Fueled by passion | Driven by perfection | Unconstrained by Tradition.

For many years while still living in Calgary, Rob and Michelle would travel to the Okanagan in search of the small boutique wines that weren’t available in the Alberta market. Inevitably, they would fill their car with cases and cases of amazing wines…and “smuggle” them back across the border to share with family and friends ("smuggled' since Canada's archaic alcohol laws make it technically illegal to carry wine across provincial boundaries!). They became known as the Wine Black Marketeers, so when they set up their own winery, choosing the name was easy!

Today they are crafting beautiful small batch wines that reflect some of the best varieties of the Okanagan as well as some suprising rarer grapes that make for a distinctive portfolio!

Rob Hammersley – Owner | Winemaker

• The Day Job:  I’m a winegrower, tending to our small vineyard in the picturesque town of Kaleden in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and hand-crafting distinctive small-batch wines.
• The “Old” Job: A former senior corporate finance and strategy professional in the power and utilities industry. 
• The Facts: Viticulture and Enology Certificates from Washington State University. WSET Level 3 certified. Cycling and hockey enthusiast. Hockey and ringette coach.
   

Michelle Shewchuk – Owner

• The Day Job: Flies the friendly skies as a flight attendant with an international airline.
• The “Side” Job: Co-conspirator of Black Market Wine Co. Voice of reason, sounding board and fresh palate.
• The Facts: WSET Level 2 certified. Mother of 3 (4, if you include Rob). I run…a lot.