Fitzpatrick and Steller's Jay sparkling wines

 Photo: Bubbly producer Gordon Fitzpatrick

Most B.C. wineries now produce sparkling wine. Steller’s Jay was the first quality traditional method sparkling wine. Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards is one of the most recent top-flight producers.

Both make wines that rival Champagne, at slightly more affordable prices, if only because the domestic wines do not face the aggressive mark-up imposed on imported wines by the Liquor Control Board. Still, when the domestic wines are as good as these, consumers should take advantage of the bargains.

I included Steller’s Jay in my 2017 book, Icon: Flagship Wines from British Columbia’s Best Wineries. Here is an excerpt.

Steller’s Jay Brut, a Champagne-method sparkling wine, emerged from sparkling-wine trials begun in 1985 by Sumac Ridge Estate Winery founder Harry McWatters (right) and his winemaking team. That vintage was not released; it is said that Harry drank it all. He is a great lover of sparkling wine, often saying that it is what he drinks while deciding what wine to have for dinner.

The first commercially available Steller’s Jay Brut was a blend of 1987 (85 percent) and 1985 (15 percent) wines. The cuvée was 70 percent Pinot Blanc, 15 percent Chardonnay, and 15 percent Pinot Noir. The wine, which was named in honour of B.C.’s official bird, was released in July 1989 after just two years on the lees. Most subsequent vintages have benefited from three years en tirage.

The cuvée has always included Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Pinot Blanc, while not a traditional sparkling wine varietal, contributes subtle fruitiness to the wine. The proportion was reduced to about 40 percent of the cuvée as more Chardonnay and Pinot Noir became available. The wine is balanced to finish crisp and dry. A typical blend has 10 to 12 grams of residual sugar and 7 to 9 grams of acidity per litre. The wine is made in the traditional style of Champagne. The wines for the cuvée are fermented to dryness. They are blended, then bottled with a dosage of sugar and yeast, undergoing a second fermentation in heavy bottles capable of containing six or so atmospheres of pressure. The time spent aging in bottle and on the yeast lees creates the fine bubbles and toasty aromas typical of fine sparkling wine.

Over the wine’s first two decades, Steller’s Jay Brut grew in volume to about 7,000 cases a year, with a quality that has made it among the most awarded Canadian sparkling wines. As a result of its success, this former flagship of Sumac Ridge was promoted to a stand-alone brand (even if the wine is still made and sold at the Sumac Ridge winery).

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards was not in Icon because the winery had no wine on the market at the time the book was being written. Without doubt, the winery, which opened only last year, is destined to be one of B.C.’s iconic producers.

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards formerly was the Greata Ranch Vineyards Winery which the Fitzpatricks closed in 2014 after operating it for 10 years. They redeveloped the property, and renamed it, as an 8,000-case winery with underground cellars for 118,000 bottles of bubbly.

Gordon Fitzpatrick, president of FFV, says that Greata Ranch never got the attention it deserved while he and his family operated CedarCreek Estate Winery. After they sold that property in 2013, they put their minds totally to reinventing Greata Ranch.

“With our winemakers, we discussed what they thought Greata’s best suit was,” Gordon says. “They came back with no reservations to say sparkling. We have all of this Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Given the site and the acidity, that would be a natural.”

FFV makes table wines but more than half of its production is sparkling wine. On its website, the winery explains:

“Our Fitz Brut and Reserve tiers of sparkling are both made in the traditional method.” The wines spend at least 24 months aging on lees before being disgorged. “You can make sparkling wine other ways, but you really can’t shortcut the effect of time and lees exposure on a sparkling wine.”

Here are notes on five of B.C.’s leading sparkling wines.

Fitzpatrick Fitz Brut 2015 ($32.99 for 1,834 cases). This is 61% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir. The wine begins with aromas of brioche and citrus. The brioche, reflecting 24 months on the lees, is also part of the flavour palate, along with notes of apple and lemon. The fruitiness reflects the warm vintage; the 11.6% alcohol tells you that the fruit was picked early to preserve acidity. The texture is creamy but the finish is crisp. 92.

Fitzpatrick Reserve Blanc de Blancs 2014 ($42.50 for 250 cases). This is 100% Chardonnay. The wine aged on the lees a minimum of 36 months. The wine is dry. It begins with aromas of brioche, leading to flavours of crisp green apple mingled with brioche and lemon. The mousse is lively and the finish is crisp. 93.

Fitzpatrick Reserve Sparkling Rosé ($42.50 for 238 cases). This is 100% Pinot Noir. The wine presents with an appealing pink hue and, with its lively bubbles, looks quite festive. It has aromas and flavours of strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb. The texture is creamy while the finish is crisply refreshing. 92.

Steller’s Jay Mountain Jay Brut 2015 ($22.99). This is the traditional blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. It begins with aromas of apples and citrus which are echoed on the palate, mingled with notes of brioche. The lively mousse lends the wine a creamy texture and a richness; but the finish is crisp and dry. 92.

Steller’s Jay Sparkling Rosé NV ($26.99). The wine presents in the glass with a lovely rose petal hue. Once again, active bubbles make this wine festive. It has aromas of raspberry leading to flavours of pink grapefruit. The residual sugar lifts the aromas and flavours while lively acidity gives this delicious wine a crisp finish. 92.