Photo: Nighthawk Vineyards owners Christy and Daniel Bibby with winemaker son Dakota (centre).
After a two-year pandemic interruption, public tastings by British Columbia wineries are back.
First out of the blocks was the Okanagan Falls/Skaha Lake Wineries Association with its recent Vancouver tasting.
This association represents a group of small to medium wineries, all making interesting wines. Not all the wineries based in this sub-appellation were here, either because they are not members of the association or for other reasons.
For example, Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars was absent. I was told Blue Mountain has not been a member of the association for several years, for reasons of its own. This year, the winery has cogent reason for doing almost no public tastings. Blue Mountain bottled none of its 2021 vintage, concerned that smoke taint might show through in the wines.
I am not aware that smoke taint was a significant issue with many other wineries in Okanagan Falls. However, the layout of the Blue Mountain vineyards is such that smoke from a major forest fire nearby settled on the vines long enough to leave a smoke taint on thin-skinned grapes, such as Pinot Noir. Blue Mountain decided it could not afford to risk its reputation by releasing wines of less-than-optimal quality.
None of the 2021 vintage wines from Okanagan Falls that I tasted showed any hint of smoke taint. You can buy Okanagan Falls wines with confidence that no other producer had extensive smoke exposure.
Here are highlights from the tasting, with apologies to Pentâge, Play Estate Winery and Wild Goose Vineyards. I ran out of time to get to them. However, I am working on a Pentâge blog.
I did have time to taste one product at the Wild Goose table, a carbonated sparkling wine in a 250 ml can. It is called Frisch, German for “fresh” – and an apt description of the wine. Stag’s Hollow has two wines in cans. This is an ideal format for picnics and for any place where bottles are dangerous when they fall and break.
Here are notes on the wines.
Photo: Black Market proprietors Rob Hammersley and Michelle Shewchuck
Black Market Wine Co. Estate Bacchus 2021 ($21 for 150 cases). This is an unheralded varietal that deserves to be better known. The best ones, like this one, are somewhat similar to Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has aromas and flavours of lime and lemon, with a tangy finish. 90.
Black Market Wine Co. Unsanctioned Series Pinot Blanc 2020 ($25 for 65 cases; the wine is sold out). This wine was barrel-fermented in neutral oak, giving texture to the wine but not a significant oaky taste. The wine still retains the aromas and flavours of apples. 90.
Black Market Wine Co. Omerta Rosé 2021 ($26 for 180 cases; only for wine club members): This is a Cabernet Franc rosé with good weight and a refreshing finish. It has flavours and aromas of strawberry and cherry. 91.
Black Market Wine Co. Unsanctioned Series Merlot 2019 ($39 for 120 cases). Winemaker Rob Hammersley took advantage of mature vines on his Kaleden vineyard to make a concentrated Merlot that could handle 30 months of barrel-aging. The wine has aromas and flavours of black currant and dark cherry framed with vanilla and chocolate. 93.
Photo: Blasted Church Winemaker Evan Saunders
Blasted Church Vineyards Viognier 2020 ($24 for 492 cases). Fermented in stainless steel, the wine has the rich texture and apricot aromas and flavours that make Viognier appealing. 90.
Blasted Church Vineyards Syrah 2018 ($32 for 2,979 cases). The Syrah grapes in this wine were co-fermented with five percent Viognier. The wine was aged for 18 months is a selection of oak barrels. It begins with aromas of blueberry, cherry and pepper, which is echoed on the palate. The finish is long and savoury. 90.
Blasted Church Vineyards Nectar of the Gods 2018 ($75 for 505 cases). This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon (which was barrel-fermented), 20% Petit Verdot and 15% Malbec. Winemaker Evan Saunders enlisted consultant Pascal Madevon in crafting this wine. The wine was aged 22 months in barrel (60% new). Still firm, this is a wine built for cellaring. There are aromas and flavours of dark cherry, plum, cassis, tobacco and chocolate. 92.
Photo: Bonamici Winemaker Phil Soo
Bonamici Cellars Rose 2020 ($24.90). This off-dry rosé is made with Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. It has aromas and flavours of strawberry, cherry and plum. 90.
Bonamici Cellars Cabernet Franc 2020 ($34.90). This is a classic brambly example of Cabernet Franc, with blackberry, cherry and spice aromas and flavours. 91.
Bonamici Cellars Merlot Cabernet Franc 2019 ($27.90). This is 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. The wine aged 12 months in French oak (20% new). There are aromas of black currant and cherry leading to spicy flavours of blackberry, cherry and chocolate. 91.
Bonamici Cellars Belviaggio Red 2020 (Wine club exclusive). This is blend of 50% Cabernet Franc along with Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. The wine is full-bodied with spicy aromas and savoury flavours of dark fruits. 92.
Photo: Crescent Hill proprietor Teresa Murray
Crescent Hill Winery Glennallyn Private Reserve Gewürztraminer 2020 ($N/A). This wine is made with fruit from some of the oldest Gewürztraminer vines in the Okanagan. Dry on the finish, this spicy wine is packed with flavour, with lychee and citrus dominant. 90.
Crescent Hill Winery Island Girl 2020 ($19.99). This is a blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. There are aromas and flavours of mango and pineapple, leading to a long finish. 90.
Liquidity Winery Estate Chardonnay 2020 ($30 for 900 cases). This wine was fermented in barrel (only 14% were new) and aged in barrel on the lees for 10 months. It begins with aromas of peach, pear and apples. Those fruits are echoed on the palate, along with buttery flavours delicately framed with oak. 91.
Liquidity Winery Rosé 2121 ($30 for 530 cases). Made with Pinot Noir, this rosé is fashionably pale, with delicate aromas of raspberry and refreshing flavours of raspberry and strawberry. 90.
Liquidity Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve 2019 ($60 for 187 cases; wine club exclusive). The wine, made with fruit from the Black Sage Bench, was aged 16 months in oak. The wine begins with spicy aromas, along with blackberry notes. On the palate, there are flavours of black cherry and blackberry. The texture is rich, yet firm. 93.
Liquidity Winery Dividend 2019 ($40 for 1,100 cases). Made with fruit from Okanagan Falls, this is a blend of 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Complex and full-bodied, this wine has aromas and flavours of dark cherry, black currant, blueberry and dark chocolate. 93.
Photo: Mayhem principals Andrew Stone and Terry Meyer
Mayhem Wines Anarchy Small Lot Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($23.48 for 113 cases). This is a crisp, tangy wine with aromas and flavours of lime, passion fruit and mango. 92.
Mayhem Wines Rosé 2021 ($20.87 for 220 cases). This wine is made with Merlot; the juice was fermented slowly over six weeks to preserve the fruitiness. The wine has aromas of cherry and flavours of strawberry. Racy acidity leads to a crisp, dry finish. 90.
Mayhem Wines Cabernet Merlot 2020 ($N/A for 755 cases). The blend is 89% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, aged 11 months in French oak. The aromas just jump from the glass, with notes of cassis, dark cherry and blueberry. That is echoed on the rich and satisfying palate, where the fruit mingles with spice, plum and chocolate. 91.
Photo: Meyer Family Vineyards's JAK Meyer
Meyer Family Vineyards Gewürztraminer 2021 ($17.48 for 166 cases). The winery already has a limited of six bottles per customer because the vintage was small. This is one of the best values in dry Gewürztraminer from the South Okanagan. The fermentation was long and cool in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels. The result is a spicy wine with good aromatics. 90.
Meyer Family Vineyards McLean Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 ($32.26 for 500 cases). This wine had a long, cool ferment in stainless steel and was then transferred to French oak barrels (22% new) for 11 months on the lees without stirring, This a beautifully balanced wine, with citrus, apple and notes of butter. 92.
Nighthawk Vineyards Winemaker’s Reserve Gewürztraminer 2020 ($21.90 for 120 cases). This wine was fermented completely dry, barrel-aged in French oak, with 40% going through malolactic. The spice and lychee aromas and flavours are dramatic. 92.
Nighthawk Vineyards Pinot Noir 2020 ($29.90). This wine was aged eight months in French oak, developing a silky texture. There are aromas and flavours of cherry. 90.
Nighthawk Vineyards Merlot 2019 ($32.90). This wine was aged 18 months in French oak. It has aromas and flavours of cassis, cherry and blackberry. The finish lingers. 91.
Nighthawk Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2018 ($34.90). There is a terrific medley of dark fruits on the palate, including blackberry, dark cherry and black currant. 91.
Photo: Noble Ridge winemaker Benoit Gauthier
Noble Ridge Vineyard Reserve Pinot Grigio 2021 ($20.99). This is a delicious wine, with notes of citrus and pear on both the nose and the palate. 91.
Noble Ridge Vineyard Stony Knoll Chardonnay 2020 ($24.99 for 408 cases). This is a lovely, fruit-forward Chardonnay, the result for fermenting 94% of the juice slowly in stainless steel. The remaining portion was barrel-aged in one-year-old barrels. The wine has aromas and flavours of apple, citrus and stone fruit mingled with a delicate buttery note. 92.
Noble Ridge Vineyard Reserve Meritage 2018 ($39.99 for 839 cases). This is 72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was aged 15 months in French (85%) and American (15%) oak barrels, of which 25% were new. It has aromas of cassis leading to flavours of plum and dark cherry. 92.
No comments:
Post a Comment