SpearHead's single vineyard Pinots

Photo: Winemaker Grant Stanley

Grant Stanley, the winemaker and general manager at SpearHead Winery in East Kelowna, once told me that he thinks about Pinot Noir “80% of the time.”

It certainly looks like he has put that into action since joining SpearHead in 2018. So far this spring, SpearHead has released nine wines made with Pinot Noir. That included a White Pinot Noir, a Pinot Noir rosé and seven red Pinot Noirs.

A note from the winery says:

“All Pinot grapes designated to red wine production are treated equally; hand harvested, separated into small batches either by clone or by vineyard; about 10% whole bunch cluster; cold soaked for six days; then fermented slowly by indigenous yeast.

“Approximately 21 days later, the skins are pressed and the wine is moved into French oak barrels (25% new) where it will integrate over the winter months. Come spring, the Pinot barrels will go through malolactic fermentation. Total time in barrel is 13 months. When the wine is bottled, it is done without the use of a filter in order to maintain maximum flavour and colour intensity.”

The current release consists of three single vineyard Pinot Noirs. In my view, these are among the best Pinots so far from SpearHead since the winery opened in 2010.

Here are my notes.

SpearHead Coyote Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 ($35 for 250 cases). The fruit is from a West Kelowna vineyard planted in 2009 with clone 115. This is the most robust of the trio, in part reflecting the clone and in part due to 16 to 21 days on the skins. There are aromas and flavours of cherry and plum mingled with toasty oak and savoury spice. 92.

SpearHead Saddle Block Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 ($35 for 450 cases). This complex wine is made with estate-grown fruit. There are four clones here: 115, 777, 828 and 667. Each clone was hand-harvested separately, spent 16 to 21 days on skins and fermented with indigenous yeast. It was aged in French oak barrels (25% new) for 13 months. The wine begins with aromas of cherry and strawberry mingled with spice and notes of forest floor. The wine is generous on the palate with appealing dark fruit flavours and a lingering finish. The texture is silky.  94.

SpearHead Golden Retreat Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 ($35 for 440 cases). The grapes – clones 667, Pommard, 115 and 777 – are from a vineyard in Summerland. The berries spent 16 to 21 days on the skins, fermented with wild yeast. The wine was aged in French oak (25% new) for 13 months. This is the prettiest wine of the trio, silken in texture, with aromas and flavours of cherry, plum, raspberry and spice. 92.