Meyer and Mayhem: specialists but not competitors

Photo: Meyer Family winemaker Chris Carson

Wines from two wineries are reviewed together here because the wineries are related. Meyer Family Vineyards was launched in 2008 by JAK Meyer and his wife, Janice, and originally produced just Chardonnay. After a second vineyard was purchased, the winery has specialized with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Winemaker Chris Carson consistently makes some the best examples of those varietals in the Okanagan. The current releases, with one exception, are from the 2020 vintage, one of the best in the valley in some time. Mayhem Wines was opened in 2018 by JAK’s sister, Terry Meyer and her spouse, Andrew Stone, in partnership with JAK and Janice. The Mayhem portfolio has a free hand to make wines other than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The portfolios of the two wineries compliment each other. You can do an entire dinner with just these wines, starting with a sparkling wine from Meyer and ending with the fortified Gewürztraminer from Mayhem. I am also not aware of anyone else in the BC wine industry who has been original enough to make a Port-style Gewürztraminer. Both wineries share a location on McLean Creek Road, just east of Okanagan Falls. A few years ago, there was a plan to locate Mayhem on a Kaleden vineyard near the fire hall. Unfortunately for the growing coteries of Kaleden wineries, the vineyard is slightly too small to qualify for a winery under the current regulations. Here are notes on the current releases.

Meyer Micro Cuvée Chardonnay 2020 Old Main Road Vineyard ($60.97 for 200 cases). The fruit is from a Naramata Bench vineyard planted in 1996. The grapes were gently pressed with just the purest juice ferment for this wine (the hard press juice was kept separate). After a long, cool ferment, the wine went into French oak barrels (40% new) for 11 months on the lees, without stirring. This wine was made from a selection of the best barrels. The wine begins with aromas of citrus mingled buttery notes. There is a complex array of fruits on the palate: nectarine, papaya and lemon mingle with butter and vanilla. The finish lingers. This is an elegant wine. 92.

Meyer Micro Cuvée Pinot Noir 2020 McLean Creek Road Vineyard ($60.97 for 300 cases). This wine, which won a gold medal at the National Wine Awards, is also made from select barrels exclusively of the French oak in which the wine was aged. The wine begins with aromas of cherry. On the palate, spice and cherry highlight the intense and polished fruit flavours. The texture is silky and the finish is very long. 94.

Meyer McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 ($37.48 for 900 cases). This wine is made with the five clones of Pinot Noir grown in this vineyard. Fermentation is with indigenous yeast, lasting two weeks and peaking at 32◦C, a very Burgundian approach. The wine was aged 11 months in French oak barrels (25% new), finishing its malolactic fermentation naturally in the spring of 2021. The wine has ripe, rich aromas and flavours of cherry and dark fruits, with a touch of forest floor on the long finish. 92.

Meyer Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir 2021 ($24.43 for 1,350 cases). The fruit for this wine came from vineyards in South Kelowna, Naramata Bench and Kaleden. The wine, which was aged eight months in older French oak, has aromas and flavours of dark fruit, with toasted notes on the palate. The toast may reflect a bit of smoke affect; if so, it just adds complexity to a delicious wine that is great value. 90.

Mayhem Fortified Gewürztraminer 2019 ($31.40 for 500 ml; 83 cases). Lovers of white Port will be over the moon with this wine. The wine has had 23 months aging in neutral oak, achieving a fleshy texture. The aromas and flavours are intense. The aroma recalls quince preserves. The flavour is rich, with notes of quince, stone fruits and honey. A real tour de force. 93.

Mayhem Anarchy Merlot 2020 ($39.23 for 100 cases). This is a very good Merlot with rich, ripe flavours that coat the palate. The intensity of the aromas and flavour reflect the site: a westward-facing vineyard on Anarchist Mountain, high above Osoyoos. The fruit was harvested on October 19 after ripening to perfection in fine vintage. After 35 days on the skins during ferment, the wine was put into French oak (45% new); three percent Cabernet Franc was added, and the wine was aged in barrel for 17 months. It jumps from the glass with aromas of cassis, sage and dark cherry. On the palate, there are flavours of spice, blueberry, plum and chocolate. 92.