Blue Mountain plays it safe

Photo: Blue Mountain's Matt and Christie Mavety (Chris Stenberg photo)

Earlier this year, Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars announced that it would not open its tasting room this summer to safeguard the staff from any exposure to the corona virus.

My first reaction was to think: Déja Vu all over again. This winery famously had a policy of visits by appointment only for roughly its first 20 years. For the last decade or so, Christie Mavety and her brother, Matt (the winemaker) have opened the wine shop every summer.

However, their decision this summer makes sense to me. I have yet to visit any Okanagan wineries myself this year. As a senior, I am reluctant to take any unnecessary risks. Therefor, I should not expect others to take risks in this challenging summer.

Not that I have to take risks.  Blue Mountain (and some other wineries) voluntarily send their new releases for review. I have a good grasp at what many producers are doing and I have been able to conclude that, based on the white and rosé wines, the 2019 vintage is a strong one.

Wineries this year made it easy for their consumers to buy the wines. Virtually every winery offered free shipping and discounts from mid-March through to the end of June. Some extended free shipping into August. When the figures are available later this year, they will show that the sales volumes were excellent.

For Blue Mountain customers who go the Okanagan, the winery offers a curbside service, loading wines into the car. There also are online sales, so far with free shipping.

Here are notes on the current releases.

Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2019 ($25). The wine has aromas and flavours of apples and stone fruit crisply wrapped around notes of minerality. A portion was fermented in neutral oak and aged five months on lees. The wine is dry, with a generous texture on the palate. 91.

Blue Mountain Pinot Gris 2019 ($25). Eighty percent of this wine was fermented in a variety of neutral oak barrels and aged on the lees for five months. The remaining 20% was fermented and aged in stainless steel. The aroma mingles pear and citrus with lively flavours of stone fruit and apples. The finish lingers. This is an elegant and complex Pinot Gris. 92.

Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($25).  Nine-two per cent of this wine was fermented in a variety of neutral French oak vessels with the rest fermented in stainless steel.  Most was aged five months on the lees to the benefit of the wine’s texture. The style is reminiscent of Sancerre. There are aromas and flavours of herbs, lime and grass. The finish is crisp and refreshing. 92.

Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut 2016 ($28). A traditional method sparkling wine, this is a blend of 53% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay and 4% Pinot Gris. The wine was aged on the lees for 24 months and has had close to 10 months bottle age prior to release. There are aromas and flavours of brioche, apple and pear. The active mousse gives a creamy texture on the palate. However, the finish dry. 92.