CedarCreek releases stunning Pinot Noirs

Photo: Winemaker Taylor Whelan

One surprise in this fall’s releases from CedarCreek Estate Winery is that they include the first sparkling wine ever released by the winery. CedarCreek is 35 years old. It is astonishing that there was not a bubbly in the portfolio before this – although there almost was.

CedarCreek was previously owned by Senator Ross Fitzpatrick, who also owns Greata Ranch near Peachland. Darryl Brooker, the CedarCreek winemaker at the time, had begun laying down base wines for bubble in 2012 from Greata Ranch fruit. That might have led to a CedarCreek sparkling wine but for the Senator’s decision to sell CedarCreek in 2014 to Mission Hill’s Anthony von Mandl. Darryl was promoted to Mission Hill. While selling CedarCreek, the Senator retained Greata Ranch as well as the sparkling wines that Darryl had laid down. In 2017, Fitzpatrick Family Wines opened at Greata Ranch, specializing in sparkling wines. It was not until 2020 that Taylor Whelan, the CedarCreek winemaker who took over from Darryl, got around to adding a sparkling wine to the portfolio. The impetus may have been his access to fruit from one of the best von Mandl vineyards, Jagged Rock on Black Sage Bench. The fruit was Pinot Noir, also something of a surprise. Black Sage Bench is usually not regarded as the right terroir for that varietal. But with good viticulture, the vineyard obviously produces Pinot Noir suitable for sparkling wine.

CedarCreek’s estate vineyard in East Kelowna has superb terroir for Pinot Noir – so much so that the winery has released four this year. The quality is simply stunning. These include the Block 2 and Block 4 Pinot Noirs, another legacy of Darryl’s time at CedarCreek when he identified a lower block and a higher block in the vineyard that yielded quite different, but outstanding, wines. After von Mandl bought CedarCreek, Darryl Brooker was promoted to senior winemaker and then president at Mission Hill. Last year, he left to become CEO of a cannabis company. The practice of identifying superior blocks in the vineyard has been continued by Taylor. The current releases include a superb block-designated Riesling and a block-designated Platinum Chardonnay.

Wines designated Platinum formerly were the top of the range at CedarCreek. However, the new releases now include some wines designated Aspect, which seems to be even a step up from Platinum. That likely reflects Taylor’s work in converting CedarCreek to organic viticulture and winemaking. “This incredible, five-year long effort is finally coming to fruition and the vineyards and wines have never approached the health and quality they are showing now,” he writes in a recent note on the release. “With each passing year, we are seeing the difference organic viticulture makes – the soils are alive, the vines are stronger, and we are seeing natural allies, like Kestrels, worms, beneficial insects and songbirds returning to the vineyards.”

Here are notes on the CedarCreek releases.

CedarCreek Jagged Rock Platinum Sparkling Rosé 2020 ($35). This sparkling wine is made with Pinot Noir. The wine is crisp and fresh, with a pale hue and an active mousse. It is light and fruity, with a dry finish. 90.

CedarCreek Estate Riesling 2020 ($20.99). This wine was fermented on stainless steel with organic yeast and aged three months in stainless. It is a bright, vibrant Riesling with racy but well-balanced acidity. There are aromas and flavours of lemon and lime, with a touch of grapefruit. The finish is dry. 91.

CedarCreek Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($20.99). This was fermented with 94% in stainless steel and 6% in concrete and oak, with organic yeast, and aged three months on the lees. There are herbal notes in the aroma leading to flavours of lime and green apple. The finish is crisp and dry. 90.

CedarCreek Platinum Block 3 Riesling 2019 ($29.99). This elegant wine is reserved for CedarCreek’s wine club members. The wine was fermented 75% in stainless steel, 25% in French oak barriques, all with organic yeast. There is a whiff of petrol, leading to aromas of lime. On the palate, there are flavours of lime, lemon and nectarine. The texture is full, with bright, well-balanced acidity. 92.

CedarCreek Platinum Chardonnay Block 5 2018 ($34.99). This wine was fermented with wild yeast in foudres and barriques; and aged 12 months in oak, six months in stainless steel. Only 18 barrels were produced. The oak has not been allowed to dominate. The wine has an intriguing aroma - the winery calls it “flinty struck-match”. I also find hints of citrus. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus leading to a clean, dry finish. 91. CedarCreek Cabernet Franc 2019 ($N/A). This is 90% Cabernet Franc with 10% Merlot, aged 12 months in French oak. It begins with brambly aromas leading to flavours of plum, blackberry and black currant. Firm tannins make this a candidate for aging. 90.

CedarCreek Estate Pinot Noir 2019 ($26.99). The fruit was fermented with wild yeast in a combination of small stainless steel and concrete vessels and aged 12 months in French oak. The wine, dark in colour, begins with aromas of cherry mingled with oak. On the palate there are flavours of blackberry and raspberry with savoury forest floor notes on the finish. The wine is full-bodied and firm. 91.

CedarCreek Platinum Home Block Pinot Noir 2019 ($55). This wine was fermented with wild yeast and aged 16 months on lees in French oak. It begins with dramatic aromas of dark cherry and plum. The intense flavours on the palate include plum, dark cherry and cranberry. The wine is full-bodied. The finish is long, with a hint of anise. 93.

CedarCreek Aspect Block 2 Pinot Noir 2018 ($65). This is a wine club exclusive. The fruit is clone 115, fermented in concrete tanks with wild yeast. It was aged 14 months in French oak (18% new). This is a seductive wine, beginning with floral and strawberry aromas. On the palate, there are flavours of strawberry, cherry and plum with touches of spice. The texture is silky. 97.

CedarCreek Aspect Block 4 Pinot Noir 2018 ($65). This is also a wine club exclusive. There are three clones in this wine, 115, 667 and 777. It was fermented with wild yeast in concrete and aged 14 months in French oak (22% new). This wine has a brooding personality in contrast to the seductive prettiness of Block 2. There is more forest floor here, with savoury – and what the winery calls gamey – notes of dark fruit. The texture is rich and there is a spicy note on the finish. 95.