River Stone delivers the wow factor

Photo: River Stone's Ted Kane

Many good wines arrive at my door to be tasted and then shared with guests over dinner.

Occasionally, a wine will receive a spontaneous comment of appreciation. River Stone Estate Winery’s 2017 Sauvignon Blanc drew a wow from two guests! It is, indeed, one of the best white wines I have tasted this year.

The rest of the River Stone portfolio is solid as well and all the wines drew positive comments.

I included the winery in my 2017 book, Icon, for its signature Bordeaux blend, Corner Stone, a comparatively affordable wine for anyone assembling verticals of cellar-worthy wines. Here is an excerpt that provides background on the winery and owner/winemaker Ted Kane.

Ted Kane had Corner Stone in mind back in 2003, when he began planting the River Stone vineyard on Tuc El Nuit Drive, just outside Oliver. In the French tradition, he planted Bordeaux varietals—Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec—in the proportions he believed he needed for his blend.

“I knew at the beginning it was going to be a Merlot-forward, Right Bank Bordeaux style because of our cool-climate growing conditions,” Ted says. “Merlot is the most reliable ripener as opposed to Cabernet Sauvignon, which I knew would be the last to ripen.” Consequently, Merlot was the biggest block on the well-drained south-facing slopes. Subsequent experience led him to increase the planting of Cabernet Franc, another reliable ripener. He also replaced five rows of Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot in order to grow the full suite needed for a Bordeaux-type blend.

Ted says some have drawn parallels between Corner Stone and Bordeaux’s Château Cheval Blanc, although in the latter’s vineyard, Cabernet Franc takes the lead, followed by Merlot. While he does not mind the compliment inherent in that comparison, Ted says that Corner Stone is made in the New World style, closer to reds from California or Chile. “I wanted to produce wines that had concentration and weight,” he says. “I also found after a short time in France that what I didn’t want was the astringency that was still there after year six on some of the wines.”

Ted, who was born in Edmonton in 1962, began making wines from tree fruits when he was 19. Even as he began a career as a respiratory therapist, he was obsessed with wine-growing. “I built a small greenhouse by my house in Edmonton,” he says. “I bought grapevines from Eastern Canada and propagated and grew them, just so I could learn pruning and trellising and irrigation techniques.” By the late 1990s, while his wife, Lorraine, was completing a medical degree, Ted was anxious to find an Okanagan property before, in her words, “It was all gone.” Good properties were still available in 2001, when they found 3.8 hectares (9.5 acres) of raw land near Oliver, on a hill beside the Okanagan River. They moved there in 2002, planting a 3-hectare (7.5-acre) vineyard while Lorraine began a family medicine practice.

After selling grapes for several years, Ted took advantage of the superb 2009 harvest to make River Stone’s debut vintages. He was mentored in his first vintage by a consulting winemaker, New Zealand–trained Jacqueline Kemp. She remains on call when another palate is needed, but Ted is now comfortable in his ability to grow grapes and make wine.

Here are notes on the current releases.

River Stone Pinot Gris 2017 ($20.90 for 266 cases). This wine was fermented in stainless with a commercial yeast chosen to enhance the flavour. The result is a wine with aromas of pear and bananas and layers of fruit on the palate – pear, peach and apple. A well-balanced touch of residual sugar adds to the generous texture. The finish lingers. 92.

River Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($21.90 for 254 cases). Fermented in stainless steel, this is a dramatic wine. It comes on stage with herbal aromas mingled with lime, gooseberry and grapefruit. In the glass, the fruit flavours are intense, with lime mingled with passion fruit and gooseberry. Bright acidity gives the wine a tangy, refreshing and persistent finish. 93.

River Stone Malbec Rosé 2017 ($22.90 for 350 cases). The technical sheet for this wine puts the blend at 90% Malbec, 10% Pinot Gris and 5% Merlot. The math may be off but the wine – a signature rosé for River Stone – delivers at least 100%. It begins with a fine dark hue and aromas of strawberry, cherry and pomegranate. Those fruits are echoed on the rich palate. The wine has a dry finish. 91.

River Stone Merlot 2015 ($23.90 for 500 cases). This is bold, dark wine with enough stuffing to carry the 15% alcohol the 2015 vintage delivered. The wine was aged about 14 months in French barrels (33% new). It has seductive aromas of black cherry and black currant which are echoed on the palate, mingled with plum and vanilla. 92.

River Stone Stones Throw 2015 ($28.90 for 860 cases). This is a blend of 69% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 5% each Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine was made with 80% whole berries, fermented in both small stainless steel tanks and small fermentation totes, thus maximizing skin contact. The wine was aged about 14 months in French oak (33% new). It has aromas of cassis, black cherry and cedar. Full on the palate, the wine delivers complex flavours of dark fruit mingled with chocolate and vanilla. Firm tannins suggest this is a good wine for medium-term aging. 91.

ormal"> River Stone Corner Stone 2014 ($34.90 for 300 cases). The blend is 27% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot. Made in an exceptional vintage, this is the first Corner Stone when the two Cabernet varietals totalled 47% as the winemaker nudges the style close to Château Cheval Blanc. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak (33%), with the final blend made after aging. This elegant and polished wine has aromas and flavours of black cherry, black currant and sage. The fruit is sweet and mingled with spice, chocolate and coffee. 93.