Blue Mountain's elegant sparkling wines

The International Wine & Food Society has just sent its members an excellent booklet: Sparkling Wines of the World by Essi Avellan, Finland’s first Master of Wine. The Canadian section in this 102-page monograph is a mere two paragraphs. She singles out just five producers to recommend: Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia; Huff Estates in Prince Edward County; Tawse Winery and Henry of Pelham Winery in Ontario’s Niagara region; and Township 7 in British Columbia.

I agree with those, having personally tasted exceptional sparkling wines from both Benjamin Bridge and Township 7. But there is also a glaring omission in Ms. Avellan’s recommendation: Blue Mountain Vineyards. This Okanagan winery has produced consistently fine sparkling wines since 1991. The wines have been especially impressive since Blue Mountain began releasing its “recently disgorged” wines about 10 years ago. These well-aged sparkling wines are world class. I am not surprised that Ms. Avellan missed Blue Mountain. I doubt that Blue Mountain sends its wine to the big London wine competitions where Masters of Wine judge and taste. Blue Mountain has never chased awards, confident in the quality of its wines. And the winery has a legion of fans.

The winery began holding back some of its traditionally-made sparkling wines for relatively long aging on the lees about 2011. This is a common practice in Champagne and among top sparkling producers around the world. The object is to make wines that are more complex in flavour. To see the difference, taste a bottle of Prosecco side by side any of the wines reviewed here. Prosecco is the Italian sparking wine that has become massively popular in this market in the past decade, with good reason: the wines are appealing fresh and lively and are amazingly cheap for the quality. Most have been fermented in stainless steel and seldom spend much time on the lees.

Blue Mountain’s R.D. wines may spend as long as eight years on the lees in bottles before being disgorged. Prolonged lees aging allows the wines to develop complex flavours and creamy textures that are the hallmark of top bubblies. The R.D. wines necessarily are more expensive, reflecting the additional years these wines are aged. The reward for tying up capital for five years to eight years is remarkably sophisticated wine. Having said that, Blue Mountain’s prices are quite reasonable compared with competing sparkling wines. Here are notes on what Ms. Avellan missed:

Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut ($28). This wine, made with grapes from the 2022 vintage, spent two to three years on the lees before being disgorged and bottled, The wine begins with a display of fine bubbles and toasty notes in the aroma. On the palate there are flavours of lemon. The finish is crisp. 90.

Blue Mountain Blanc de Blancs 2016 R.D. ($44). This wine spent 7 ½ years on the lees before being disgorged and a further 12 months in bottle before release. This is sophisticated sparkling wine with an active mousse that creates the sensation of a creamy palate even though the wine is dry. There are lovely notes of brioche in the aroma and on the palate. 93.

Blue Mountain Brut Rosé 2022 R.D. ($35). This is one of the winery’s most popular wines. It is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. An almost imperceptible amount of residual sugar gives the wine a little more body. In the glass, it has a golden hue and fine, persistent bubbles. The flavour has hints of strawberry. 93.

Blue Mountain Reserve Brut 2016 R. D. ($44). This is 55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir. The wine spent seven years on the lees before being disgorged and then aged on year in bottle before release. The wine has fine bubbles. It has aromas and flavours of apples and strawberries mingled with toasty characters. A very elegant wine. 95.

Township 7 releases three of its 2024 wines

Photo: Winemaker Mary McDermott

The recent releases from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery consisted of three wines made with American grapes and one from the splendid 2022 Okanagan vintage. Winemaker Mary McDermott also included an encouraging note about the 2025 vintage after her account of earlier vintages. “In past years, particularly 2021 and 2023,” she writes, “I noted those vintages were among the most challenging we’d faced. It turns out I spoke too soon. We entered the 2024 season with optimism following a mild fall and winter. Unfortunately, that hope was quickly dashed by a devastating cold snap in mid-January.”

She recounted the vine-killing temperatures of that cold snap. They went from 0◦C on January 10 to -14◦C the next day and then to -23◦C on January 12 before “bottoming out” at -27◦C on January 13. “The result was catastrophic vine death and severe crop loss,” she writes. “Early bud tests revealed no signs of life, and we braced for the worst – preparing to replant everything.” It turned out not quite so grim in the spring. “To our relief, many vines produced cane growth and leaves,” she writes.Township 7 has an estate vineyard on the Naramata Bench and another near Oliver. Most of the Naramata vines survived, unlike those in Oliver, where the damage was so bad that entire blocks of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon had to be removed. Those were replanted in 2025. “By harvest’s end, the vineyards looked healthy, offering cautious optimism for the future.”

Like many other Okanagan wineries, Township 7 had to source fruit from Washington State in order to make table wines in 2024. However, there was a surprising rebound in the Okanagan in 2025. “This year marked our second-largest harvest ever, bringing in 232 short tons of fruit,” Mary writes. “We increased our intake of white and sparkling wine grapes to balance the lighter vintages of the past two years. We also welcomed exciting new varieties – Roussanne, Auxerrois and Rotberger – which will enhance future blends and our rosé program.” While we wait Township 7’s 2025 wines, here are notes on the recent releases.

Township 7 Interlude Select Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($33.97.) The fruit for this wine was from Bacchus Vineyard in Washington State. The wine was fermented in French oak barrels and aged there for six months, with gentle stirring to accentuate the texture. The wine is crisp, clean and refreshing with aromas and flavours of lemon and lime. 90.

Township 7 Interlude Select Chardonnay 2024 ($36.97). The fruit for this wine was sourced from two vineyards – one in Sonoma’s Russian River and the other in Washington State. The wine was fermented in French oak barrels (12% new). Eighty per cent was fermented with wild yeast. The wine was on the lees about 12 months, with weekly batonnage to build texture. The wine has aromas of apple mingled with vanilla leading to generous flavours of apple and gentle notes of oak. 90.

Township 7 Interlude Series Pinot Noir 2024 ($43.97). The fruit for this wine was sourced in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. The wine was fermented in stainless-steel and then aged 12 month in 500-litre French oak puncheons. This is a delicious wine, beginning with aromas of cherry and raspberry. There is spicy, bright fruit on the palate and the finish is silky. 91.

Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Merlot 2022 ($29.97). This is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, with fruit from vineyards near Osoyoos and on the Naramata Bench. The wine was aged 18 months in American and French oak. Made from a great Okanagan vintage, the wine begins with aromas of dark fruits mingled with cassis and chocolate. The palate is rich with flavours that echo the aromas. Long, ripe tannins give the wine a long finish. 93.