Camelot's 2019s are expressive wines

 Photo: Camelot owner Robert Young with wine director Julian Samoisette (right).

Tucked away in East Kelowna, Camelot Vineyards Estate Winery has kept a low profile since opening in 2009.

In recent years, the wines made by Julian Samoisette, Camelot’s wine director, deserve a second look – or perhaps a first if this label still is not on your radar screen.

The four samples sent recently were accompanied by Julian’s excellent narrative on the wines and the vintage. I am reproducing most of it here.

“A bumper crop of Gewürztraminer [in 2019] allowed me to skew our White Knight blend a little more heavily towards that varietal than I have in the past,” Julian began. “After the cool finish to 2018, and the resulting low alcohol of that vintage, we really let this past year’s Gewürztraminer hang on the vine to get all the sun it could. I really wanted to fatten up this blend and achieve some real mouthfeel, along with the beautiful perfume that always comes along with Gewurztraminer. For a few different reasons, the Riesling addition is very slight compared to previous years. I expect it'll still please a crowd, but it is definitely a welcome deviation. from previous vintages.”

The 2019 Riesling is the first release of this varietal in five years.

“The wet weather last September led to some loss due to rot, but the fruit we did get was of great quality, so I wasn't deterred in showcasing it in the bottle,” Julian wrote. “As much as I do enjoy bone-dry Riesling, a touch of residual sugar goes a long way in offsetting the high acid and helps make the varietal a little more user-friendly, so that's the style I pursued with this wine. The early response to it has been positive, which is great to hear because I really believe people's perception and appreciation of Riesling is improving with exposure. They definitely have their options [among the wineries] in Southeast Kelowna. We're all too happy to add to the bench's great reputation for the grape.”

There is so much Pinot Gris in the market that it is hard to make one distinctive enough for consumers to remember it, Julian believes.

“After three or four vintages of experimentation, I believe I've found the Pinot Gris profile I've been searching for,” Julian writes. “I've been aiming for a more expressive aromatic profile for our Pinot Gris, and with the help of a yeast I've been using the last few years, I think I've finally got it. We also reduced the cold soak time from 20 hours to 14, which obviously resulted in a much lighter, almost straw-colored hue in the bottle. Despite the higher alcohol compared to 2018, I find the 2019 Pinot Gris actually lighter in flavor, which I think works better than previous years. hence the constant tinkering with the process in the cellar. Hopefully this can be the one that sticks out!”

The final wine in the current release is a wine that Camelot chooses to call Ruthless Rosé, in honour of Robert Young's mother Ruth,  now 87.

“For the third season in a row, we've used some of our Pinot Noir to make our Ruthless Rosé,” Julian writes.

“While I loved the bright pink hue of our previous two rosés, I wanted to see a lighter color in the bottle this time around. Maybe not the pale orange of Provence, but definitely scaled back a touch. Along with reducing the maceration time, I decided to add a little Gewurztraminer to the final product as well. I'd done the same but with  Riesling the previous two years to add acidity.  I found the Gewürztraminer added a bit of perfume and weight to the finished wine. Just like the other new releases, I've tried to make the new vintage different enough to be interesting, but similar enough to be recognizable to our long-time customers.”

He ended his narrative with a reference to an upcoming red wine release.

“We currently have 2019 Pinot Noir in the barrel and are hoping for an early October release,” Julian wrote. “We're pretty excited because it's been a couple years since we've made a full-blooded Pinot Noir. I know our customers are definitely thirsty for one so we're very much looking forward to having it available in the fall.”

Here are my notes on the wines.

Camelot White Knight 2019 ($17.90).  Spicy on the nose, this is a fruity blend predominantly made with Gewürztraminer. On the palate, there are flavours of lychee, Mandarin orange and ripe peach, with a lingering finish. 91.

Camelot Estate Riesling 2019 ($21.90). Somewhat retained on the nose, this Riesling needs more bottle age to reveal its potential. Not a bad thing – Riesling is like that. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus and apple. The balance is spot on – just enough residual sugar to flesh out the texture while leaving a bright finish. 90.

Camelot Pinot Gris 2019 ($19.90). This wine is a bowl full of tropical fruit, including banana, guava and stone fruits. The texture is fleshy and the finish just goes on and on. This is a very good Pinot Gris indeed. 92.

Camelot Ruthless Rosé 2019 ($19.90). The wine presents with a delicate pink hue. It has aromas of strawberry and watermelon. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry and watermelon, with a rich texture and a dry, lingering finish. 91.