Township 7 releasing iconic Infinity Red

Photo: Winemaker Mary McDermott

About five years ago, Mary McDermott, the winemaker at Township 7 Vineyards & Winery since 2014, took on the challenge of making “the best wine possible.” That wine arrives with the August 8 release of a $100 red blend, Infinity Red 2017. This is not a one-off wine. Infinity Red 2018, not yet released, is in bottle. The two subsequent vintages are progressing from barrel to bottle. There has been no compromise is making these wines, except for the production volume, which is just two barrels in each vintage. “The economics are not significant to the company,” says Mike Raffan, the general manager of Township 7. “It is about passion and pride.” The wine will be sold in packs of three or packs of six.

Mary has been making exceptional wines at Township 7 since the winery recruited her from Ontario. There is no doubt in my mind that she has raised the bar once again with Infinity Red. It is an icon wine that holds its own against other icons from the Okanagan as well as against top imported wines in the same price range. The release of Infinity Red also formalizes the wine tiers at Township 7. Infinity and a sparkling wine called Sirius stand at the top of winery’s several tiers. Just below are the wines in the Benchmark Series. “That was our top tier until now,” Mike says. “We are benchmarking high quality.” The top tier wines are available primarily in the winery wineshops and to the wine club. The most widely available tier is Township 7’s Provenance Series.

Standing on one side is Township 7’s sparkling wine portfolio, emerging as a brand of its own – Seven Stars. “Mary is very passionate about sparkling wine,” Mike says. “Until two years ago, we had just one. We are in our 20th year. Now we have five sparkling wines, all traditional method. Our original wine is now called Polaris. Then we have Equinox, which is rosé; Vega, which is Viognier; Rigel, which is Riesling. And this year, we have released Sirius 2015.” Township 7 has even created a second wine club dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines. “There might be another one in Canada but we can’t find it,” Mike says. The Sirius, which was en tirage for five years, has been positioned in the winery’s Infinite Reserve tier in part to underline that the grapes – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – are grown in Township 7’s Langley vineyard. “We have a wine that I believe is outstanding among BC sparkling wines and it is from the Fraser Valley,” Mike says.

It can be expected that the Infinity Reserve tier will pull up the quality of all Township 7 wines, which already are some of best in British Columbia. It is an impact understood by any winery that sets out to produce an icon. “Everything is elevated,” Mary says. “We are doing things in a different way and paying more attention. Every little decision that we make, we are constantly improving our wine … and learning new things and trying new things.”

She and Ryan McKibbon (left), her assistant winemaker, certainly go the extra mile when making Infinity. They start with the best grapes available from Township 7’s Blue Terrace Vineyard or from the winery’s top growers. “I started using this winemaking technique in 2015,” Mary says. “You will remember the big [5,000-litre] oak casks in the winery. That is what they were brought in for. We use a specific technique to make this wine. We do not make a lot of it. Previous vintages were trials and those went into Black Dog, which previously was our top end wine. When we started that, we were working closely with growers to get specific blocks that were good. We reduced yields. We did specific treatments in the vineyards.” Mary continues: “We use the least intervention possible with this process. We dump the grapes in whole bunch. We destem them and put them into the oak casks. We use gravity for pressing. We don’t put this wine in the press. When the primary fermentation is done, it goes into the barrel through gravity. We let it go through malolactic fermentation and it stays in that barrel for two years. We use only French oak, new and one year old, and coopers we feel are going to compliment the wine. Each step is so deliberate when we are making this. It is really hands on. It takes a lot of time to make this wine.”

The 2017 and 2018 Infinity Red wines are blends of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2019, Syrah was added to the blend. “We are not using anything specific,” Mary says. “Each year it is going to be different. That is why we are not so focussed on what the grape varieties are going to be in it. We are just choosing the best that we can.”

Here are notes on the wines.

Township 7 Provenance Series Pinot Gris 2020 ($20.97 for 148 cases). This is a delicious wine with aromas and flavours of peach and pear. This was fermented primarily in stainless steel, along with a portion fermented in neutral French oak to add texture to the bright fruit. The wine is dry with a lingering finish of sweet fruit. 91.

Township 7 Provenance Series Rosé 2020 ($24.97 for 688 cases). This is a blend of 38% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Four hours of skin contact yielded a delicate pink hue. The Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon juice was fermented separately while the other three were co-fermented. All fermentations were cool to preserve fruitiness. The wine has aromas and flavours of strawberry, raspberry and watermelon. The finish is crisp and refreshing. 90.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Chardonnay Reserve 2019 ($28.97 for 326 cases). This is a superb barrel-fermented Chardonnay that delivers rich aromas and flavours of peach, apricot and mandarin orange mingled with butter and vanilla. The finish is persistent. 92.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Pinot Noir 2019 ($36.99 for 668 cases). The grapes for this wine are grown in the Remuda Vineyard in Okanagan Falls. There are two clones: 115 and 667. The wine, which was aged 12 months in French oak, begins with aromas of cherry and pomegranate. The silken texture delivers more cherry flavours, with a savoury and spicy finish. 91.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Cabernet Franc 2018 ($27.97 for 670 cases). This wine benefits from decanting that opens the brambly aromas of blackberry, raspberry and spice. Medium-bodied with long ripe tannins, the wine delivers flavours of cherry, black currant and chocolate. 91.

Township 7 Infinity Red 2017 ($100 for 50 cases). This wine was aged in French oak for two years (one new barrel, one older barrel). It begins with aromas of cassis, cherry and blueberry, leading to flavours of cherry, black currant, chocolate and spice. The texture is notable for the polished tannins which promises that the wine can be cellared for at least 15 years, but can be enjoyed now with decanting. 96.

Township 7 Infinity Red 2018. This wine has not yet been released. It has the same svelte, polished texture of the previous vintage but still is youthful. It has flavours of cherry, plum and tobacco. When it is ready for release, it will have a similar score to the 2017.