Poplar Grove begins releasing library wines

Photo: Poplar Grove's Tony Holler

Poplar Grove Estate Winery has begun to open its library of its best red wines both for tastings and for purchase. This reflects a decision a decade ago by owner Tony Holler to hold back – to quote the winery – “a significant amount of our age-worthy wines each year and release them for sale a decade later.”

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that the program is being launched in the year when Poplar Grove, along with most Okanagan wineries, has been striving to survive a year without a significant quantity of Okanagan grapes. To be sure, Poplar Grove has sourced grapes from Washington State to make what are expected to be topflight wines. But they may not be wines destined for the wine library. The wines currently being offered from Poplar Grove’s library are 120 cases each of Merlot 2014, Merlot 2020, Cabernet Franc 2014 and 2020 and Legacy 2018, the winery’s flagship Bordeaux blend. The tastings will demonstrate how age-worthy these wines are.

I included Legacy in my 2017 book, Icon: Flagship Wines from British Columbia’s Best Wineries. My notes covered nine vintages of Legacy from 2004 to 2012 which I tasted with winemaker Stefan Arnason while researching the book. All the wines, with one exception, were drinking well at the time. I recommended drinking them within 11 or 12 years of the vintage. In hindsight, that was conservative. A well-cellared BC red wine might well be kept 15 or more years.

The exception was the Legacy 2004. In that vintage, and perhaps in the vintages on either side, Poplar Grove (and other wineries) used synthetic closures to avoid the tainted natural corks that were a problem at the time. Unfortunately, synthetic closures proved unsuitable for long-term aging. In my book, I say this of the 2004 Legacy: the wine has “aged prematurely” and was “hard and dried out.” Subsequently, Poplar Grove has finished its wines either with natural corks (the quality of corks has improved dramatically) or screw caps.

Tony Holler was already a wine collector when he bought Poplar Grove in 2007. Tastings with great French producers had convinced him that serious wineries would maintain wine libraries, allowing consumers to experience properly aged wines. He delayed starting a wine library at Poplar Grove until 2014, when the winery’s production had grown large enough that some wines could be set aside. In 2021, the winery moved the growing quantity of library wines into a new warehouse with temperature and humidity controls. Now those wines age in optimal storage conditions.

The inaugural Library Collection wines are available for purchase at the winery or through intimate tastings at the winery itself. “Every fall moving forward, Library Collection wines that were deemed worthy of cellaring 10 years ago will be released, alongside the current year’s vintages,” the winery says. Here are notes on two of those wines.

Poplar Grove Merlot 2014 ($82.52). The blend is 88% Merlot, 5% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. The wine was aged 21 months in French oak. There is a hint of brick to the dark hue of the wine. It begins with aromas of cassis and dark plum, leading to flavours of cherry and dark fruits with a touch of spice on the finish. The tannins are long and polished, with a structure that should give the wine another five years before it peaks. 95.

Poplar Grove Merlot 2020 ($34.70). The blend is 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged 21 months in French oak (20% new). The wine is bold and intense, beginning with aromas of plum and blackberry leading to flavours of black cherry, blackberry and red currant with a hint of spice on the finish. The long, ripe tannins give this wine the ability to age at least to 2035. 94.

Burrowing Owl releases from the 2022 vintage

Photo: Burrowing Owl's Keller Vineyard just before the 2024 harvest

The current releases from the 30-year-old Burrowing Owl Estate Winery are all from 2022, one of the best and most abundant vintages ever in the Okanagan. One of the wines is a Merlot, a varietal with which Burrowing Owl made its reputation. The other is a Cabernet Franc, a varietal of rising importance in the Okanagan, especially after showing surprising resilience during the last two cold snaps.

“Our home vineyard in Oliver did not produce much in terms of fruit,” Stephen Neumann, the winery’s brand ambassador, says of the 2024 vintage. “We had a bit more luck with yields coming out of the 46 acres we have on the east side of Osoyoos. Surprisingly, a particular 12-acre vineyard site of ours down there (dedicated to Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) seemed not to have been affected by the frost at all.” He sent along a photo of that property, the Keller Vineyard (seen above), showing close to a normal crop on the vines just before harvest this fall. A number of vineyards close to Osoyoos Lake showed comparable resilience this fall. The apparent explanation is that, because of the long and warm autumn and early winter, the lake had not frozen over yet when the January cold snap occurred. The water still had enough warmth to moderate the cold temperatures.

“We consider ourselves lucky for this,” Stephen says. “Although some replanting will take place on our properties in the coming year, a great number of our vines did survive. As such, we have decided to hold to Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s pledge to continue crafting wines from our vineyards in BC alone.” In short, Burrowing Owl chose not source any grapes from Washington vineyards. The modest production from 2024 and the winery’s substantial inventory, especially of red wines, will sustain its presence in the market. Consumers may not even notice a dip in supply.

Here are notes on four current releases.

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2022 ($34). The wine was made with estate-grown Chardonnay. Eighty percent of the juice was fermented and aged in barrel (85% French, 9% Acacia and 6% American) for nine months. The rest of the juice was fermented and matured in stainless steel. The bright flavours of the latter give a lift to subtly oaked flavours in the former. The wine has aromas and flavours of citrus, apple and cantaloupe. The core of sweet fruit on the palate is mingled with a hint of almond and vanilla. The finish is bright and persistent. 91.

Burrowing Owl Viognier 2022 ($40). The fruit is from the winery’s Osoyoos vineyard. Some 75% of the juice was fermented in barrel while the rest was fermented in stainless steel. The wine was aged nine months in French oak (14% new, 50% neutral and the rest one to two years old). The wine begins with aromas of quince and nectarine. The aromas are echoed on the richly textured palate, mingled with flavours of lemon and papaya. The finish persists. 92.

Burrowing Owl Merlot 2022 ($35). This is a bold and intense Merlot that is best decanted before consumption. It can be cellared for several years. The intensity reflects the extended maceration of the wine on the skins: a three-day cold soak followed by 25 days of fermentation and seven days post-fermentation before moving the wine into barrel. It was aged 14 months in barrel (77% French oak, 13% Hungarian oak and 10% American oak). Only 14% of the oak was new while 65% was neutral oak. The wine begins with aromas of dark cherry, plum and spice. The full-bodied palate delivers flavours of dark fruits mingled with spice and sage. The tannins are firm but ripe. 93.

Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2022 ($36). The winemaking again set out to make a bold and concentrated wine, beginning with a four-day cold soak followed by 30-day ferment and seven days of post-ferment maceration. The wine was aged 18 months in barrels – 80.5% French oak, 11.5% Hungarian oak and 8% American oak. Twenty-six percent of the barrels were new. The wine begins with aromas of red currants, raspberry, blackberry and spice. The full-bodied palate delivers the echo the aromas along with hints of tobacco and chocolate. 93.

Wild Goose Vineyards had a vintage in 2024

Photo: Burrowing Owl president Chris Wyse

Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery pioneered what is today the Okanagan Falls sub-appellation when the late Adolf Kruger began developing the area’s first vineyard there in 1984.

Six years later, Wild Goose was one of the first of the farmgate wineries, operating for a number of years from a modest farm house and an equally modest production facility. The wines, especially the white wines, became enormously, and deservedly, popular. The revenues enabled the winery to expand into much larger facilities with a good-sized tasting room and a dining patio.

A few years after Adolf’s death in 2016, the family, for estate and tax reasons, sold the winery to a Vancouver development company. That deal fell through when the developer did not have the money. Wild Goose resorted to a bankruptcy court action in 2021. The successful bidder was Burrowing Owl Vineyards. “We are really attracted to their whites,” Burrowing Owl president Chris Wyse told me at the time. “That is partly what attracted us, having that strong white portfolio and maybe developing it some more.” The brand complements Burrowing Owl’s portfolio, which is dominated by red wines.

The January 2024 freeze hit the Okanagan Falls vineyards. While the Wild Goose vineyards produced no significant fruit, the vines appear to have survived and should produce a harvest in 2025, assuming a normal winter. There was a 2024 vintage at Wild Goose, however. Burrowing Owl spokesman Stephen Neumann explains: “As Wild Goose Winery has often relied on purchased fruit, it was decided that we would bring in juice from Washington and Oregon to continue production of wines under the Wild Goose Winery and Calliope Wines brands, and more importantly to keep our wonderful production staff employed and busy.”

Here are notes on current and recent Wild Goose releases.

Wild Goose Frisch! 2023 ($27 for a four-pack of 250 ml cans). This is an easy-drinking carbonated sparkling wine made with 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Gewürztraminer. It is crisp and dry, lacking both in aroma and flavour. 86.

Wild Goose Riesling 2022 ($20.99). The mature (36-year-old) Riesling vines enable Wild Goose to make a full-flavoured wine with classic notes of citrus and petrol mingled hints of stone fruit on the palate. with This wine was fermented and aged six months in stainless steel. 90.

Wild Goose Riesling 2023 ($20.99). This wine was fermented and aged seven months in stainless steel. The wine begins with aromas of citrus and apple leading to flavours of lime and orchard fruits. The specifications say the wine is off-dry but I found it crisper and drier than the traditional Wild Goose style. 88.

Wild Goose Gewürztraminer 2023 ($19.99). This wine was fermented and aged six months in stainless steel. Aromas of lychee and ginger jump from the glass. The luscious palate delivers a medley of orchard fruits and a persistent finish. 91.

Wild Goose Pinot Gris 2023 ($22.99). The majority of the fruit for this wine came from a vineyard in Kaleden. Sixteen percent of the juice was fermented and aged in barrel for four months to add complexity when blended to the stainless-steel fermented portion. The wine begins with aromas of pear and apple. On the palate, those fruits mingle with notes of nectarine. 90.

Wild Goose Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($21.99). This wine was fermented and aged seven months in stainless steel. The wine begins with herbal aromas leading to flavours of green apple and lime. 88.

Wild Goose Pinot Noir 2021 ($29.99). The grapes were fermented tank and then aged 10 months in French oak barrels (36% new). This is a bright and cheerful wine, beginning with aromas of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. The silky palate’s flavours echoed the aromas along with spice on the finish. 90.

Wild Goose Pinot Noir 2022 ($29.99). This wine, which was aged nine months in French oak, is another bright and fresh Pinot Noir but with more concentration and depth. Aromas and flavours of cherry and strawberry are mingled with fruit cake, a hint of oak and a note of forest floor. The finish is long. 91.

Wild Goose Late Harvest Gewürztraminer 2021 ($23.99 for 375 ml). This is the winery’s second vintage of a dessert wine made by leaving the grapes on the wine late into the harvest. The grapes were picked very ripe and fermented in stainless steel with fermentation stopped at 10% alcohol. The wine is beautifully balanced. Spicy in aroma, it delivers flavours of poached pears and peaches with a lingering sweetness on the finish. Pair this with some good blue cheese, like Cambozola. 90.

French Door will have wines in its tasting room

Photo: Jason Shull

Any Okanagan winery with Pascal Madevon as consulting winemaker is assured of having excellent wines in its portfolio. French Door Estate Winery is one of Pascal’s clients. Trained at Bordeaux’s top wine school, Pascal came to the Okanagan to make the wines for the Osoyoos Larose Winery, beginning with the 2001 vintage. He hung out his shingle as a consultant after ten vintages at Osoyoos Larose.

Jason and Audra Shull retained Pascal when they developed French Door, their estate winery which they established in 2019 on Black Sage Road, just south of Oliver. They had purchased an existing winery with a seven-acre vineyard, extensively renovating it to develop one of the most attractive tastings rooms on Black Sage. “It is a lovely project,” Pascal told me at the time.

On the website, Jason and Audra explained why they called the winery French Door. “Our family was inspired by the simplicity and quality of French architecture, cuisine and wine during our travels to Provence. We believe the Okanagan valley has a similar uniqueness about it, and we wanted to bring these parallels to life through the way our wine is made and discussed. The symbol of the “French door” is representative of our aspiration to incorporate the traditional aesthetics and values of beautiful Provence into our own backyard, with a modern twist. Our tasting room is encircled by French doors, and each one opens up into a new experience. Whether the doors lead you into our breathtaking barrel room, or onto our one-of-a-kind patio that overlooks the Okanagan valley, you are welcomed by an unspeakable aura that has been created by using the best features of Provence and the Okanagan combined, and this can only be found at French Door Estate Winery.”

The severe cold in January 2024 was especially damaging to the vineyards on Black Sage Road. The estate vineyard at French Door produced almost no fruit this fall. Several acres will need to be replanted next spring. However, Jason was fortunate that he had contracted a 10-acre Osoyoos vineyard which produced both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. As it happened, a number of Osoyoos area vineyards were able to produce modest harvests in 2024 because, at the time of the January freeze, Osoyoos Lake had not frozen over yet. The open water moderated the cold, with the result that most vineyards in the area survived and often yielded crops. “We got lucky,” Jason says. “We will produce enough wine to open our wine shop.

Here are two of the reds the winery may have when you next visit French Door.

French Door Merlot 2022 ($78 for 140 cases). This wine ranks among the Okanagan’s best Merlots, with price that telegraphs the winery’s ambition. Aged 16 months in French oak, the wine is richly concentrated. It begins with aromas of plum, cherry and chocolate. The palate delivers flavours of dark cherry, plum, cassis mingled with black olives and spice. The finish is persistent. 94.

French Door Héritage 2021 ($54). This is a blend of 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 6% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak. The wine begins with aromas of cherries and strawberries mingled with hints of spice and chocolate. The palate delivers dark red fruits, chocolate and spice. The finish lingers. 94.

Painted Rock Winery had a 2024 harvest

Photo: Lauren Skinner Buksevics

In a normal vintage, Painted Rock Estate Winery’s Skaha Bluff vineyard yields up to 120 tons of grapes. Because of the devastating January freeze, 2024 was not a normal year. Painted Rock picked just 10 tons of grapes – mostly Chardonnay and some red varietals processed for rosé.

Painted Rock at least had a harvest when many other producers had to import grapes. Credit goes to proprietor John Skinner for choosing a good site in the early 2000’s after a four-year search for a vineyard. The site’s exceptional air flow and its exposure to the moderating influence of Skaha Lake gives the vineyard resilience in hard winters. Painted Rock had an almost normal harvest in 2023 when the less devastating December 2022 freeze reduced the overall production of Okanagan vineyards to about a third of normal. Credit is also due to Alain Sutre, the Bordeaux consultant who has worked with Painted Rock since 2005 (and who has recently announced he is retiring gradually). He had the vineyard adopt methods which drove the vine roots deep, giving them more protection from the cold.

“In December, 2022, when we had that first freeze event, Alain said the roots are so deep that the plants do not even know it is cold out,” recounts Lauren Skinner Buksevics, the winery’s marketing manager and John Skinner’s daughter. “It worked for that cold snap; not quite as well for the next cold snap.” She continues: “We are doing everything we can to ensure production for next year. By harvesting early for rosé, we are giving the plants longer time to shut down. We are not trying to hang fruit into late November. Everything has been off the vine since the end of September. This plants now have a good long time to shut down for winter.”

Painted Rock has 25 acres under vine. All the plants are alive, with the exception of parts of the Syrah blocks, where 2,200 vines will be replanted next year. Syrah is notoriously tender but most producers persist with it because, in a good year, Okanagan Syrah produces some of the best reds in the valley. Painted Rock has a stellar reputation for its Syrah. In addition to Chardonnay and Syrah, Painted Rock’s vineyard has all the major Bordeaux red varietals. At least two clones of each varietal are grown to afford more blending options to winemaker Gabriel Reis.

“It is a funny story about how he got those clones in the first place,” Lauren said during a recent presentation to a North Vancouver wine club. “The Bordelaise are not fond of handing out their best clones. When he was doing his planting strategy, viticulturists told John which were the best options for clones. He went to a broker in Bordeaux and said he needed all of these. The guy said, sure, no problem. But I can’t get you that clone but I can get one that is almost as good. My dad said he was not doing ‘almost as good’. He said he wanted exactly what he as ordering. He was told he could not because the nurseries give them initially to first growth producers … and it goes down in the hierarchy. And Canada is way down on the hierarchy. So dad, who is a very stubborn man, asked for the name of the nursery contacts. His course of action was to go and bribe them.” That worked one time only. Painted Rock can no longer get those vines from French nurseries. John Skinner solved that issue by having vines propagated in the Okanagan from the premium clones already established in his vineyard.

Painted Rock wines are made exclusively with estate-grown grapes, which is why the winery is not importing any grapes this year. “We are 100% estate,” Lauren says. “We never co-mingle anything. We never buy fruit. Even in these years, we are not going to buy fruit; we are not going to do anything in Washington or Oregon. I respect the wineries that need to do that for viability. We are lucky that our plants are alive. But I said at the beginning that my dad is uncompromising when it comes to making a decision and sticking to it. He spent four years looking for the property. I don’t think he could find grapes elsewhere to make what he is passionate about.”

“My intention in the last couple of years was to stall the release of our reds,” Lauren continued. “You have 2021 reds in front of you. They are still young wines that are built to age. We are just releasing the 2021 Red Icon now. That is intentional. That is a good thing when I am looking down the barrel of not having a 2024 vintage. That I have some held back gives me some wiggle room to make sure we are always serving our long-standing customers, and not running out of anything too quickly.”

Here are notes on four Painted Rock wines that she poured for the wine club tasting.

Painted Rock Chardonnay 2023 ($44.99). This attractive Chardonnay has aromas and flavours of citrus, apples and stone fruits with a well-integrated hint of spicy oak on the finish. 92.

Painted Rock Cabernet Franc 2021 ($54.99). The winery has a three-acre block of this varietal. The fruit was picked mid-November, 2021, a hangtime allowing full flavour development. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine begins with aromas of herbs, spice and dark cherry. On the palate, there are the classic brambly flavours of this varietal. The tannins still have a bit of grip. This wine will age superbly. 92.

Painted Rock Syrah 2021 ($49.99). The summer of 2021 was unusually hot, leading to very ripe fruit and a wine in this case that has 15.6% alcohol. Once again, the concentrated flavours and rich texture along with good acidity balance this wine. The wine was aged 18 months in oak (80% French, 20% American) of which 30% was new. The wine begins with aromas of violets, cherries and white pepper. The palate delivers a medley of dark fruit flavours, including fig, plum and cherry with a hint of pepper and spice. 93.

Painted Rock Red Icon 2021 ($79.99). The blend is 41% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak (30% new). The wine begins with a cornucopia of aromas: cherry, blueberry, cassis, hint of chocolate and spice. The concentrated texture delivers flavours of dark fruits. There is a persistent and polished finish. 96.