Photo: cluster of Pinot Noir grapes
Is Pinot Noir emerging at British Columbia’s signature wine?
An increasing number of wineries and consumers would say yes.
It is a longstanding debate whether a signature wine is even
possible in a region like British Columbia, which grows well over 100 grape
varietals for wine.
Previously, I was not convinced there would ever by a
signature wine, given how complicated the terroir of the Okanagan is – never
mind the other appellations. It is a terroir that allows producers to grow world-class
Riesling, superb Syrah, distinctive Merlot, complex Meritage blends and
ever-popular Pinot Gris.
But it is hard to ignore that Pinot Noir succeeds in most BC
terroirs, even in the vineyards of Oliver and Osoyoos. Those vineyards are
generally too hot for Pinot Noir but good viticulturists seem to have even that
under control.
Brent Gushowaty, the man behind the BCPinotNoir.com website,
estimates that there are now about 150 wineries in BC making Pinot Noir. In a
bit of an understatement, JAK Meyer, one of the owners of Meyer Vineyards,
remarked recently: “We are starting to see more wineries focussing on Pinot
Noir.”
No kidding! That seems enough for a signature variety to me.
Those producers are getting the word out. In June, a group
of Cowichan Valley wineries came together at Averill Creek Vineyards for the
first Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir Festival. The quality of the wines was high.
On August 19, the third annual BC Pinot Noir Celebration
takes place at Linden Gardens in Kaleden. This year, 48 wineries applied to
take part. The adjudicators chose the 32 they considered the best.
Making those choices would have been daunting. I estimate
that I have tasted a minimum of 50 different BC Pinot Noirs since Christmas,
when we enjoyed a Foxtrot 2014 Pinot Noir with our dinner.
Foxtrot, of course, is a legendary Pinot Noir producer. The
first vintage was 2004. In a very short time, the wines had acquired almost a
cult following, joining Blue Mountain Vineyards and Quails’ Gate Estate Winery
as early leaders in B.C. Pinot Noir.
Because Foxtrot encompasses the recent history of the rise
of BC Pinot Noir, here is an excerpt from my recent book, Icon: Flagship Wines from British Columbia’s Best Wineries.
Foxtrot Vineyards’ proprietor Torsten Allander was apprehensive
when a friend he was dining with in 2015 produced a 1999 Kettle Valley Pinot
Noir made with Foxtrot Vineyards grapes. He expected a wine that old would be
over the hill. “They cracked it and it was
fantastic,” recounts Torsten’s son, Gustav. “It was not past its peak.” This
confirms the age-worthiness of the legendary Burgundy-style wines that the
Allander family, including Kicki, Torsten’s wife, began producing in 2004 from
this Naramata Bench property.
The 1.4-hectare
(3.5-acre) vineyard was planted in 1994 and 1995 by Don and Carol Munro,
academics from Vancouver who had retired to the Okanagan. They chose just Clone
115 Pinot Noir, one of the best all-around clones. The vineyard got its name
when a bear ambled among the vines in a manner that recalled the foxtrot.
“The entire
vineyard is own-rooted,” Gustav said in 2015. “I think that is good. The vines
are now 20 years old. We have not seen any struggle.” The Allander family,
which bought the vineyard in 2002, has since doubled its size by planting an
adjacent property. Most of the vines are cuttings from the original Clone 115
plants, and all are self-rooted.
New to viticulture, Torsten, who is a retired pulp and paper
engineer, sold the grapes for several years. In the 2004 vintage, he started a
winemaking trial at the nearby Lake Breeze winery. He wanted to determine
whether a world-class Pinot Noir could be produced on the Naramata Bench if one
applied the resources (including premium French oak and a state-of-the-art
press) to his fruit. When the answer was yes, Torsten built his own cellar in
2008 on the Foxtrot property. Gustav, who was studying engineering in Sweden
when his parents bought the vineyard, returned home to become the winemaker. He
was mentored by his wife, Nadine, a New Zealand–trained winemaker.
Foxtrot Pinot Noir
quickly became the most coveted and collectible of Okanagan Pinot Noirs. The
wine invariably has richly seductive fruit and a sultry texture with refreshing
acidity. “I want to make a wine that you are going to be able to lay down and
let it evolve over time,” Gustav says. “You can drink the wine now, but I
prefer that people hold on to it for a bit.”
The wine is aged
18 to 20 months in barrel, two to four months longer than most Okanagan Pinot
Noirs. “We are exclusively using François Frères
barrels,” Gustav says. “We have worked with them since day one. It is one of
the cooperages of choice for top Pinot Noir producers around the world.” Until
2012, the wine was aged entirely in new barrels. Gustav now ages 40 percent of
each vintage in second-fill barrels, moderating the oak to better reveal the
fruit flavours.
Foxtrot is tightly
focused. Intending to cap production at 3,000 cases a year, the winery makes
vineyard-designated Pinot Noir from the Foxtrot vineyard. Waltz Pinot Noir is
made from purchased grapes or from the fruit of young vines. The portfolio is
rounded out with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir rosé.
Needless to say, Foxtrot will be
one of the wineries participating in the Pinot Noir festival.
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