Church & State showcases the 2019 vintage.

Church & State winemaker Arnaud Thierry

The 2019 vintage in the Okanagan is considered to have been a cool vintage with a comparatively small crop. But judging from the current Church & States releases, it produced wines with good acidity and concentrated textures and flavours. “We farm 95 acres of low yield South Okanagan and Vancouver Island vineyards to produce 25,000 cases annually,” the winery says on one of its back labels. “Only the best hand-sorted grapes are worthy.” The winery was started by Kim Pullen, a former Vancouver Island tax lawyer. In 2017, he sold the business to Sunocean Wineries and Estate, a Vancouver company operated by a very low-profile Chinese businessman.

The primary public face of the winery is Arnaud Thierry, a Champagne-trained winemaker who joined Church & State soon after he and his wife, also a winemaker, came to the Okanagan in 2017. Arnaud has a sure touch in the cellar, as these excellent, well-priced wines indicate.

Here are notes.

Church & State Chardonnay Coyote Bowl Vineyard 2019 ($31.04 for 600 cases). This wine was aged eight months in French oak. Very lightly gold in colour, the wine begins with honeyed aromas mingle with ripe pear. That is echoed onto the palate, along with notes of butter and nectarine. The very subtle oak manifests as light vanilla on the lingering finish. 90.

Church & State Sauvignon Blanc South Vineyard 2019 ($23 for 750 cases). Fruit for this wine comes from west bench vineyards near Oliver and Osoyoos. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged six months (90% in steel, 10% in French oak). The wine begins with aromas of lime and grapefruit mingled with herbs. The aromas are echoed on the palate, along with notes of herbs and tropical fruit. The wine is seriously underpriced for the quality. 92.

Church & State Pinot Gris Coyote Bowl 2019 ($N/A for 750 cases). This wine was aged for six months in stainless steel (80%) and barrel (20%). It begins with herbal aromas. The generous palate is packed with flavours of peach, citrus and apple. 90.

Church & State Viognier Bella Vineyard 2019 ($27.60 for 500 cases). This wine was aged eight months in French oak barrels. It is a rich wine with aromas and flavours of apricot and mango. A spine of minerality gives definition to the texture. 92

Church & State Marsanne Bella Vineyard 2019 ($29.90 for 350 cases). Marsanne is a Rhône varietal not widely planted in the south Okanagan; but it makes an appealing white wine. This wine, which was aged eight months in French oak, has aromas and flavours of orange zest mingled with stone fruits and spice. 92.

Church & State Roussanne Bella Vineyard 2019 ($29.89 for 300 cases). The grapes were whole-bunch pressed and the juice was fermented in barrel for three weeks. The wine was then aged eight months in French oak. The result is a full-flavoured wine presenting in the glass with a light gold hue and aromas of almond and stone fruit. On the palate, there are flavours of apricot mingled with orange zest. 92.

Church & State Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2019 ($37.37 for 919 cases). This wine was aged 12 months in French oak (22% new). Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of cassis, cherry and blueberry, echoed on the palate. The finish has a note of cedar and spice. 90.

Church & State Cabernet Franc Foundation and Coyote Bowl Vineyards 2019 ($37.37 for 1,000 cases). This wine was aged 12 months in French oak (25% new). It begins with classic brambly aromas of blackberry mingled with cherry. The generous texture delivers flavours of dark berries with a touch of pepper. 91.

Church & State Merlot Foundation Vineyard 2019 ($37.37 for 1,000 cases). The fruit for this wine was fermented and macerated in a stainless steel tank for 20 days, followed by aging 12 months in French oak barrels (22% new). The wine begins with aromas of dark fruits (cherry, blueberry). On the palate, there are flavours of black cherry and blueberry jam. Long ripe tannins give the wine a long and appealing finish. 91.

Church & State Syrah Estate 2019 ($37.37 for 660 cases). This wine was aged 12 months in French oak. It begins with aromas of black pepper mingled with dark berries. On the palate, there are intense flavours of fig, plum and deli meats mixed with black pepper, with an earthy note on the long finish. 92.

Church & State Syrah Coyote Bowl 2019 ($64.06 for 356 cases). This is a big wine (15% alcohol) that had its torso sculpted by aging 18 months in French oak (45% new). Aromas of pepper and dark fruit pull the consumer into a dark and concentrated wine where flavours of fig, plum, dark cherry and deli meats mingle with black pepper. The finish is long, with notes of spice. 94.

Church & State Petit Verdot Coyote Bowl 2019 ($N/A) for 200 cases). This wine was aged 18 months in French oak (50% new). The wine presents with a deep, dark colour and aromas of blackberry, plum and leather. Dense and concentrated in texture, the wine has flavours of dark fruits and dark chocolate. The grippy tannins suggest a long-lived wine that should be decanted for current consumption. 93.