Kettle Valley's new releases

Photo: Kettle Valley's Tim Watts and Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson and Tim Watts, the partners at Kettle Valley Winery in Naramata, are about to begin their 28^th vintage.

It is a remarkable run, considering that the winery is a second career for both. Previously, Bob was a chartered accountant and Tim was a geologist. As it happens, they are taking their feet off the pedal, just a little.

This year, the partners and their assistant winemaker, Haley Fisher, expect to process about 120 to 130 tons of grapes. At the peak of production earlier this decade, the winery handled 220 tons. (A rough rule of thumb is that each ton of fruit yields about 50 cases of wine.)

“It was just too much work,” Bob told me in an interview in August. “I turn 69 next month and Tim is 62. It is physical work. By slowing it down a little bit and dropping the volume, it has made it easier for us. We both still enjoy it but it has made it more fun.”

The volume may be down but, judging from the five wines just released, the quality remains high.

Two of the wines are from the winery’s Great Northern Vineyard near Keremeos in the Similkameen Valley. Acquired in 2008, it has 12 acres under vine. This vineyard was one of the reasons for the lift in Kettle Valley’s overall production.

The current releases allow for a comparison of Syrah wine from this terroir against one from a Naramata vineyard. The clay soils of the Naramata Bench, where Kettle Valley grows much of its fruit, appear to produce wines with more depth than the river gravel soils in the Similkameen.

One of the varietals grown in Great Northern – but not included in this release – is Zinfandel. After dipping a toe in with a one-acre test planting, Kettle Valley added at least two more. Zinfandel is a difficult varietal to grow because of its tendency to ripen unevenly, even within the same bunch. “We have a handle on both the growing and the winemaking,” Bob says.  

Look for the wine in a future release.

Here are notes on the current releases.

Kettle Valley Pinot Gris 2018 ($24). This is Kettle Valley’s best-selling wine. It is notable for is rosé colour and its depth of flavour, the result of allowing the juice to remain on the skins for up to three days before pressing. A portion is fermented in stainless steel and a portion is fermented on neutral French oak barrels. The wine has aromas and flavours of raspberry and pink grapefruit, with a lingering dry finish. 91.

Kettle Valley Old Main Red 2015 ($38 for 390 cases). This is Kettle Valley’s flagship red, made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot touched up with a total of five percent Petit Verdot and Malbec, all grown on the Naramata Bench. Reflecting the vintage, the wine is bold and ripe, with aromas of cassis and black cherry and with flavours of black currant, plum and black cherry. The ripe tannins give the wine a generous and persistent finish. 93.

Kettle Valley Stern Vineyard Syrah 2016 ($38 for 50 cases). This wine, which as aged 21 months in French oak, is quite exceptional. Plump and rich on the palate, it begins with aromas of sweet dark fruit leading to flavours of black cherry, plum and fig  mingled with black pepper. 93-95.

Great Northern Viognier 2018 ($22 for 466 cases). A portion of this wine was barrel-fermented in older French oak; a portion was fermented in stainless steel. Good acidity gives this wine bright fruit flavours, including stone fruits and apple, with fresh floral aromas. 91..

Great Northern Syrah 2015 ($24 for 318 cases). There is five per cent of Viognier in this wine, giving some floral lift to the aromas. The wine was aged 22 months in in French oak. It is a bit leaner than the Stern Vineyard Syrah but it also has power, with flavours of fig, spice and white pepper. 90.