Hillside is optimist about Naramata vineyards bouncing back

Photo: Hillside winemaker Kathy Malone

The latest releases from Hillside Winery & Bistro also included a positive report on this Naramata Bench winery’s vineyards in light of the hard January freeze in the Okanagan. “Great news,” wrote Kathy Malone, Hillside’s winemaker. “Since our last shipment [in May], we have observed an incredible amount of new growth in our vineyards here at Hillside and, indeed, down most of the Naramata Bench.” She continued: “While bud dissections predicted very little top growth, most varieties are developing somewhat full canopies, and those that are not, are pushing vigorously from the roots. We are hopeful that this growing season will be kind to the vines and that by 2026 the Naramata Bench will be close to full production again. In the meantime, along with our Naramata Bench colleagues, we still have lots of wine to offer.”

The current releases include a creative blend from 2023 and two properly-aged reds from earlier vintages. Note that the Merlot is available only to Hillside’s wine club.

Hillside Chef’s Whites 2023 ($35). This wine is a collaboration between Hillside winemaker Kathy Malone and Hillside chef Evan Robertson who blended 17% Chardonnay and 45% Sauvignon Blanc from a young vineyard on the Naramata Bench. The grapes were pressed and co-fermented, with fermentation in a terracotta vessel and in neutral French oak. The wine spent three months on the lees (to add texture) and was finished by adding 38% Sémillon to the blend. It is a complex white, with aromas of pear and apple leading to flavours of apple and citrus. 91.

Hillside Heritage Pinot Noir 2021 ($36 for 180 cases). This is dark and somewhat brooding wine. The fruit is from a vineyard below Munson Mountain. The grapes were given a nine-day cold soak, leading to a total 16 days on the skins at fermentation. That accounts for the intensity of colour, aroma and flavour. The wine was also aged 10 months in French oak (13% new). There are aromas and flavours of dark cherry with a hint of raspberry and blackberry peaking through. There is a classic note of earthiness and forest floor on the finish. 92.

Hillside Gjoa’s Vineyard Merlot 2019 ($50 for 175 cases). This vineyard, planted in 1999, is named after The Gjoa, the ship in which explorer Roald Amundsen found the Northwest Passage in 1906. This may be the most romantic vineyard name on the Naramata Bench. The vineyard is one of Hillside’s premier sites and this is always one of the winery’s best Merlots. This dark and full-flavoured wine was aged 19 months in French oak (29% new). It begins with aromas of black cherry, blueberry, cassis and vanilla. The flavours are intense, including notes of black currant, blueberry, cherry and plum. The finish is persistent. 94.