SpearHead's contrasting Pinot Noirs

Photo: SpearHead's Grant Stanley in the cellar

Perhaps no grape reflects its terroir more vividly than Pinot Noir. That helps to explain the dramatically different characters of two vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs just released by winemaker Grant Stanley at SpearHead Winery in East Kelowna. Canadian-born and New Zealand-trained, Grant is among the most dedicated exponents of Pinot Noir in British Columbia. Once when he was the winemaker at Quails’ Gate (he was there for 10 years), he told me that he thinks about Pinot Noir 90% of the time. He joined SpearHead in 2017 as general manager and winemaker.

The two vineyards represented by the current releases are SpearHead’s Saddle Block Vineyard in East Kelowna and the Golden Retreat Vineyard in Summerland. The Saddle Block was the original planting by SpearHead, beginning in 2008. It gets its name from the site where the shape is reminiscent of a saddle. Here, the winery has four Dijon clones (777, 667, 115 and 828) along the Mt. Eden clone, associated with California. This is an undulating vineyard with both northern and southern exposures. The soil is glacial loam with alluvial deposits of fine silt, sand and gravel. The warmer soils aid in ripening the fruit. The soils are also well drained, which promotes the formation of smaller berries. Small berries mean more concentrated flavours.

Golden Retreat, from which SpearHead began purchasing fruit about 2013, is owned by a meticulous grower named David Kozuki. He has three Dijon clones (667, 115 and 777) along with the Pommard clone. This south-facing vineyard overlooks Okanagan Lake. The soil is sandy loam, with gravels at root depth.

For the single vineyard wines, the winemaking is similar. Each clone is hand-harvested separately. Ninety percent of the grapes are destemmed and cold-soaked for five to seven days before fermentation. The wines, which ferment spontaneously, spend a total of 16 to 21 days on the skins. The wines are then aged in French oak (25% new) for 13 months. Here are notes on the wines.

SpearHead Saddle Block Pinot Noir 2020 ($38 for 443 cases). This is a rich and full-bodied Pinot Noir with aromas of dark fruit. On the palate, there are flavours of plum, blueberry and chocolate mingled with savoury and earthy tones on the finish. 93.

SpearHead Golden Retreat Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 ($38 for 506 cases). The wine begins with aromas of dark fruit mingled with spice and toasted oak. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry and plum, with a touch of forest floor on the finish. The wine should be decanted or cellared for several more years. 91.