Township 7 releases four wines from 2020

Photo: Winemaker Mary McDermott

The 2020 vintage in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys is now widely acknowledged as producing some of the best quality wines ever from the region. There is more confirmation in four recent releases from Township 7 Vineyards and Winery and in the commentary by winemaker Mary McDermott.

She describes 2020 as “a year that brought just about everything mother nature could throw at us, although on balance [it] turned out quite well.” She continues: “Cool, wet weather in the spring delayed bud burst and heavy rains during flowering led to a poor fruit set. This became a defining feature of the vintage, with eventual yields down 20-30% from average.” That tells consumers to move quickly when 2020 wines are released because they will be short supply.

“July and August saw hot, dry weather, allowing ripening to catch up from the delayed start,” Mary writes. “Smoke generated from western United States wildfires drifted north to our region, at one point giving us almost 5 days of uninterrupted heavy smoke cover. Not only was this a scare for potential smoke taint, but a possible loss in photosynthetic capacity of the vines. Luckily, blue skies reappeared and led to a warm, dry autumn.” She continues: “Veraison during this period was drawn out and seemed to be the longest we can recall in many years. This ultimately culminated in a very good balance between Brix and acids for the harvest.” The first frost occurred in cooler areas on October 16, followed by a significant snowfall on October 23. Vineyards with close proximity to Okanagan Lake were not affected by these events. However, most of the harvest was complete by this time.

“The year had average growing degree days of about 1,600,” Mary writes. There were very few summer heat spikes. “The majority of days were in the high 20’s or low 30’s, perfect for even ripening vinifera grapes.” Her conclusion: “Overall, the grapes from this harvest were really nicely balanced, with good acidity and slightly lower sugar levels, making for wines with excellent balance, finesse and ageability.”

Here are notes on four of her 2020 wines.

Township 7 Provenance Series Chardonnay 2020 ($25.97 for 328 cases). Half of this wine was fermented in neutral French oak barrels and then allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. The other half was fermented in stainless steel and did not go through malo. That made for the best of both worlds: a wine where buttery notes mingled with the bright apple notes from the stainless steel portion. A delicious and complex wine. 91.

Township 7 Provenance Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($33.97 for 1,000 cases). This wine is made with fruit from the winery’s Blue Terrace Vineyard at Oliver, as well as from a grower, Raju Vineyard in Osoyoos. A 21-day maceration has given the wine rich fruit and ripe tannins. Aromas of blueberry and black currant are echoed on the palate. 91.

Township 7 Provenance Series Merlot 2020 ($29.97 for 830 cases). The fruit for this wine is from the Blue Terrace Vineyard near Oliver and the grower-owned Front Yard Vineyard on the Naramata Bench. The wine had extended maceration to extract the rich fruit flavours. The wine was aged 18 months in French and American oak. The wine begins with aromas of dark cherry, plum and spice. The juicy palate delivers flavours of plum, cherry and chocolate. 92.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Pinot Noir 2020 ($41.97 for 400 cases). The grapes for this wine are from the Remuda Vineyard near Okanagan Falls. There was 48 hours of cold soak on the skins before fermentation, followed with two to three weeks of maceration. The wine was aged 12 months in French oak barrels, most of which were neutral. The masculine intensity of this wine may take some by surprise. It begins with aromas of dark cherry and blackberry, with earthy notes on the palate. This is a Pinot Noir, even if slightly over-extracted, that struts its power. 91.