We lovingly decant wines from the West Coast to Western Samoa and beyond, and then give you a highly opinionated, pocket-sized review.

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Chronos Syrah 2020

Their words

Simple and economical: “Our Syrah was fermented in three separate open-top tanks with daily punch-downs. It was then pressed and put into a combination of French and American oak.”

Suggested perfect pairings

You know what’s one of the greatest things in the world, despite what the British Heart Foundation, WebMD, and your constantly concerned-about-everything spouse will argue? That would be glorious, glorious cheese. Even when it’s bad it’s good, as anyone who’s ever grilled two Kraft Singles slices between heavily buttered Wonderbread will confirm. And when it’s good—velvety Spanish mahón, double-smoked Canadian cheddar, pungent roquefort, or nutty fontina—it’s great enough that you don’t care about fat content and salt, or how it’s affecting everything from your cholesterol to your riotously out-of-control gout.

Sometimes you have to live before you shuffle off to heaven—which is hopefully made of Swiss appenzeller.

Beautifully bold and earthy, Chronos Syrah 2020 holds its own against whatever gloriously decadent cheese you throw down on the charcuterie board, including gooey and fruity burrata and granular Po River Valle grana padano. Just how muscular is this Okanagan heavyweight, which has been limited to 90 cases? Add spicy chorizo de León or a slice of exotic Italian sanguinaccio to the party and the star attraction never leaves centre stage.

Duly noted

In a best-possible world, you’re not only hitting the road to make the most of a summer that’s been pretty spectacular, but are headed to one of the province’s most idyllic locales: the Okanagan Valley. If that’s the case, you’ve got a golden opportunity to load up on Chronos Syrah at the source. This past spring, OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar opened in Penticton, focussing on farm-to-table meats and premium seasonal ingredients. Conveniently part of OROLO, at 361 Martin Street in a former old-school movie theatre, is the new Chronos tasting room.

As noted, Chronos Syrah 2020 is all about making a statement, with winemaker Lynzee Schatz having overseen an offering that explodes with deep black cherry, crushed sage, and house-made red plum jam. While fantastically forward, this is a wine that’s also nuanced, the dusty finish marked by lingering blueberry shrub and freshly cracked pepper. All of which is to say, once you’ve polished off your six different varieties of cheese—including that prized Tanto Latte wheel of toma—throw a couple of dry-aged Okanagan ribeyes on the barbecue, preferably two inches thick or more. Add smashed new potatoes with Russian garlic aioli, and asparagus with a preserved lemon vinaigrette and, despite some stiff competition, Chronos Syrah 2020 will still be taking the final bow.