Moon Curser mixes novelty with quality

  

Photo: Moon Curser's Chris Tolley

 This year, Moon Curser Vineyards had on a remarkable roll at wine compositions.

At the National Wine Awards, it was judged the best performing small Canadian winery and the second most awarded winery in the entire competition.

In the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, Moon Curser’s Touriga Nacional took one of the 12 platinum awards. That is the equivalent of an Award for Excellence under the previous format for these awards.

And the list goes on. None of the wines reviewed here have won less than silver; most have come away with gold medals. Clearly, the quality is consistently high and the wines are always interesting..

Here is an except from the fifth edition of John Schreiner’s Okanagan Wine Tour Guide that provides some background on this Osoyoos winery which opened in 2006.

In the crowded field of Okanagan wineries, Moon Curser Vineyards differentiates itself with innovative wines from varietals that almost no one else grows. These include Arneis, an Italian white; Tannat, a red identified with Uruguay; and Touriga Nacional, the great Portuguese red. Soon, the winery may offer a Dolcetto after planting that Italian red in 2013.

Another example of how owners Chris and Beata Tolley think outside the box was their decision in 2011 to rechristen the winery and put edgy gothic labels on the bottles. The couple – she is a former chartered accountant, he a former software engineer - decided that the winery’s original name, Twisted Tree, was bland and too similar to other winery names. With the help of marketing consultant Bernie Hadley-Beauregard (of Blasted Church and Dirty Laundry fame), they researched South Okanagan history and discovered a tale of gold smuggling.

“Moon Curser is a synonym for a smuggler,” Beata says. “The whole idea is that the wine is all about the place. We picked Osoyoos for the sunshine and the heat. We wanted something that talked about the location but we did not want to do it in the traditional way. There is a history of gold smuggling that took place here during the gold rush of the 1800s. The smugglers would curse at the moon because the border agents would catch them” in its light. The labels echo this story: Dead of Night, an excellent blend of Tannat and Syrah, features a fox and an owl with a lantern.

Moon Curser makes excellent wines with mainstream varietals but Chris cannot resist pioneering new varietals. A few years ago, a neighbour, a fruit packer of Portuguese heritage, planted a small vineyard with just over a hectare (three acres) Touriga Nacional, a notoriously late ripener. The young vines were decimated by an early freeze in 2009 but the surviving vines, harvested in November, produced a ton and a half of the ripest fruit Chris bought in 2011. Chris purchased the vineyard and replaced the ailing Touriga Nacional with mainstream varieties, but not before propagating Touriga cuttings for his own 2014 planting.

The payoff is coming in the multiple awards the winery is getting. I suspect the awards come not only because the wines are good but also because they are different. When a panel of judges has had to plough through, say, 40 Merlots, it is quite refreshing to be presented a Touriga Nacional or a Tempranillo or a Carménère. Consumers should have a similar experience.

Here are notes on current releases from Moon Curser.

Moon Curser Arneis 2018 ($22.99 for 252 cases). Arneis is an Italian white variety that has been revived from near extinction – thankfully. The wine is delicious with aromas of honeydew melon and apple, leading to flavours of apple and nectarine. The palate is refreshing with lively acidity. 92.

Moon Curser Afraid Of The Dark 2018 ($29.99 for 706 cases). This wine is 45% Roussanne, 37% Viognier and 18% Marsanne. The grapes were co-fermented. This is a luscious wine with aromas of nectarine, peach and tropical flowers. The palate echoes those flavours along with apricot and pear. The finish is crisp and fresh, with a very clean focus. This is drinking well now but has the potential to develop even more complexity with a few more years of bottle age. 92.

Moon Curser Dolcetto 2018 ($24.99 for 438 cases). This is another Italian variety. It is a fruity red for early and easy drinking, with aromas and flavours of blueberries, blackberries and cherries. 90.

Moon Curser Carménère 2017 ($39.99 for 291 cases). This is the winery’s seventh vintage of Carménère, an old Bordeaux red that is adapting very well to the South Okanagan. This wine begins with what the winery calls an “opulent nose”  - and I quite agree with that. There are aromas of cherries mingling with pepper. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry, raspberry and blackberry mingled with pepper. The texture is plush and the finish goes on and on. 92.

Moon Curser Tempranillo 2017 ($39.99 for 345 cases). This is a Rioja grape variety that Moon Curser planted in 2005. The wine begins with aromas of cherry and plum. It delivers a ton of fruit to the palate: cherry, ripe blueberry and plum with a hint of vanilla. 92.

Moon Curser Syrah 2017 ($25.99 for 1,228 cases). This wine begins aromas of plum, cedar and black pepper. On the palate, there are generous flavours of plums and figs with a touch of pepper on the finish. 90.

Moon Curser Malbec 2017 ($30.99 for 515 cases). The wine begins with aromas of blueberry and raspberry. On the palate there are flavours of blueberry, black currant, fig and a touch of pepper. 91.

Moon Curser Petit Verdot 2017 ($30.99 for 368 cases). Dark in hue, this powerhouse wine needs to be decanted and given time to reveal its complex flavours. It begins with aromas of blueberries, fig and plum. On the palate, there are flavours of fig, dark chocolate and cigar box with a spine of slate. 93.

Moon Curser Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($39.99 for 335 cases). This wine begins with aromas of black cherry, cassis and blueberry. These dark fruits are echoed on the palate where the long, ripe tannins give the wine length and elegance. Decanting is recommended. 91.

Moon Curser Tannat 2015 ($N/A for 76 cases). This robust red is seldom grown outside of Uruguay and the south of France. Moon Curser is believed to be the only producer of Tannat in the Okanagan. The wine begins with a medley of floral and spicy dark fruit aromas. On the palate, the wine is rich, almost porty, with flavours of plum and black cherry. There is a note of spice on the finish. 92.

Moon Curser Touriga Nacional 2017 ($39.99 for 337 cases). This Portuguese red is rarely grown in the Okanagan but, on the evidence of this, makes an excellent wine. It begins with aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry, echoed on the palate where the flavours mingle with white pepper and leather. 93.

Moon Curser Border Vines 2017 ($25.99 for 1,372 cases). This is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 4% Carménère and 2% Cabernet Franc. It begins with aromas of black currant and spice, leading to flavours of black currant and black cherry. The lingering finish has notes of red berries and spice. The tannins are ripe but firm and the wine should age well for up to 10 years. 91.

Moon Curser Dead of Night 2017 ($39.99 for 387 cases). This is a 50/50 blend of Tannat and Syrah – not co-fermented. It begins with aromas of black cherry, plum, raspberry and spice. On the palate, there are flavours of plum, fig and deli meats. The texture is fleshy and generous. 93.