Hillside's 2016 Mosaic and friends

Photo: Hillside winemaker Kathy Malone

My 2017 book, Icon: Flagship Wines from British Columbia’s Best Wineries, aimed to identify the most collectible wines then being made in British Columbia. Hillside Winery’s Mosaic, first made in the 2003 vintage, had been raised to that status after Kathy Malone took over as winemaker in 2008. Here is an except from the book:

Hillside’s Mosaic was conceived when an ambition and a need intersected in 2003. Eric von Krosigk, Hillside’s winemaker at the time, wanted to make a premium wine that blended all five of the major Bordeaux red varietals. Hillside’s management needed a wine that made a statement. “Hillside wasn’t necessarily famous for making good statements,” says Ken Lauzon, who was the winery’s general manager back then.

The first three vintages were primarily blended with grapes from the South Okanagan. Hillside only began planting its Hidden Valley Vineyard, now an important source for Merlot, in 2002 in the hills above the winery. Since 2006, however, Mosaic has been made entirely with Naramata Bench grapes. “Before I came here, I would not have thought that was wise,” says winemaker Kathy Malone. She came to Hillside in 2008 from Mission Hill, where she had worked primarily with South Okanagan fruit, not Naramata grapes. She is now one of the strongest advocates of the Naramata terroir. “I love the type of ripeness we get on the Naramata Bench,” she says. In the 2010 and 2011 vintages, Hillside lost one source of Naramata Bench Cabernet Franc. Rather than compromise on the winery’s commitment to terroir, Kathy made those two vintages with no Cabernet Franc in the blend. That varietal returned to the wine in 2012 when Hillside secured a new source.

The 2006 vintage was the first Mosaic to win a gold medal (at the Northwest Wine Challenge). While fermenting just Naramata fruit brought the first upgrade to Mosaic, subsequent advances also reflected winemaking changes. Early vintages spent only nine months aging in French and American oak barrels. By 2008, barrel-aging had been extended to 13 months. Now the wine spends at least 14 months in barrel, all in French oak, and more than a quarter of the barrels are new. While Mosaic has evolved, it has always been structured to age. Current vintages are expected to improve in the cellar for at least 10 years.

Since that was written, Kathy has also begun producing single vineyard wines, some of which – like the Howe Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – are offered primarily to Hillside’s wine club. Here are notes on three of Hillside’s current releases.

Hillside Viognier 2021 Heritage Series ($28 for 320 cases). The grapes for this wine were destemmed and given 18 hours of skin contact. Seventy per cent was fermented in French oak (27% new) and matured there for six months, with lees stirring; the other 30% had a long cool ferment in stainless steel before it was all blended. At first, there is a bready note from the lees in the aroma. That is soon overtaken by floral aromas along with notes of apricot. On the palate, there is a medley of tropical fruit flavours including guava, ripe pineapple and apricot. The finish lingers. 92.

Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Howe Vineyard ($50 for 170 cases). It is believed that the first Cabernet Sauvignon on the Naramata Bench was planted by Hillside’s original owners, just south of what is now the Howe Vineyard. This medium-bodied wine was aged 19 months in French oak (14% new), which seems to account for the polished texture. The wine has aromas of black currant and dark cherry with a hint of pepper. On the palate, dark cherry flavours mingle with blackberry and cocoa. Perhaps because the alcohol is just 11.8%, the wine is fresh and elegant. 90.

Hillside Mosaic 2016 ($60 for 462 cases). The blend is 42% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak (27% new). The extended bottle age before the wine was released allowed this Mosaic to develop very appealing aromas of cassis, cherry and mocha which is echoed on the palate. This is a polished wine drinking very well right now but with the structure to age to the end of this decade. 95.