Fitzpatrick's bubbles and friends

Photo: Winery president Gordon Fitzpatrick

Since opening in 2017, Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards has focussed primarily on sparkling wines because its Greata Ranch vineyard south of Peachland is best suited to make that style of wine. The Fitzpatricks – Senator Ross and his son, Gordon, - acquired this property in 1994. This had once been the largest orchard in the Okanagan; and the senator’s father had bought fruit for his own packinghouse. However, it was derelict by the time the senator purchased it, with the intension of developing a vineyard and building condominiums. The residential development never materialized but 40 acres of vineyard were planted. In 2003, the Greata Ranch Reserve Winery opened.

By design and perhaps by good luck, the vineyard was planted primarily with the appropriate varietals for sparkling wine, notably Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Most of the fruit was sold to CedarCreek Estate Winery, then also owned by the senator. The winemaker at the time suggested the Greata Ranch fruit was best suited for sparkling wine. After selling CedarCreek in 2014, the Fitzpatricks refocussed Greata Ranch. The strategy is explained on the Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards website:

“Our Fitz Brut and Reserve tiers of sparkling are both made in the traditional method. What sets them apart is both bottle-aging and approach. Our sparkling wines also mirror the philosophy of the grower Champagnes of France, where the wines are made only from grapes grown on the maker's estates and from a single vintage. “Fitz Brut is our signature Cuvée, which is a French term for blend. Our first vintages were made with a combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but as of 2015, also a hint of Meunier.

“We take a vintage approach to our Brut much like the grower Champagnes of France where we adjust the blend percentages from vintage to vintage and strive to evoke a clear statement on the year, terroir and people who contributed to the wine’s development. Fitz Brut spends no less than 24 months aging on lees. “At present, we have three Fitz Reserve Sparkling Wines: a Blanc de Blancs, a Blanc de Noir and a Sparkling Rosé. The Blanc de Blancs is made with 100% estate grown Chardonnay, the Blanc de Noir is made with 100% estate grown Pinot Noir and the Sparkling Rosé is comprised of 100% estate grown Pinot Noir.” “Each is made with the same vintage-specific philosophy as the Brut where showcasing the style of the year will prevail over the Champagne region's approach to blending for uniformity. We chose to evoke the uniqueness of time and place in each vintage. Our Reserve Sparkling Wines spend no less than 36 months aging on lees.”

Recognizing that many consumers still do not think of sparkling wine as an every-day beverage, Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards also offers an extensive portfolio of still wines. Here are notes.

Fitzpatrick Fitz Brut 2018 ($34.50). The wine is 73% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir and 2% Meunier. It was aged on the lees for about 36 months. This is an elegant wine with fine, steady bubbles. In the aroma, notes of brioche mingle with Asian pear. The palate is clean and focussed, with flavours of citrus. The finish is persistent. 93.

Fitzpatrick Reserve Blanc de Blancs 2019 ($44.50). This wine, which is 100% Chardonnay, was fermented in neutral French oak and was aged on the lees “a minimum” of 36 months. That has given the wine the classic note of brioche in the aroma and on the palate, along with notes apple and citrus. The bubbles are fine and vigorous, creating a creamy impression on the palate. The finish, however, is crisp. 93.

Fitzpatrick Runabout White 2022 ($17.50 for 755 cases). This is a blend of 45% Pinot Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Gewürztraminer, 10% Ehrenfelser and 5% Riesling. The wine was aged in stainless steel for about 25 days. The value here is superb. This wine begins with floral aromatics mingled with stone fruits. That is echoed on the palate, along with notes of green apple. The finish is crisp, dry and very refreshing. 91.

Fitzpatrick Interloper Gewürztraminer 2022 ($20.50 for 385 cases). Thirty percent of the grapes were allowed to spend 12 hours on skins to extract additional flavour; the rest was whole bunch pressed. The wine had a long, slow fermentation of eight weeks, with fermentation and aging in stainless steel. The wine begins with aromas of lychee and ginger which are echoed on the palate, along with a curious hint of mushroom. 88.

Fitzpatrick The Unwinder Ehrenfelser 2022 ($20.50 for 446 cases). The wine, a blend of grapes from the estate vineyard and from the South Okanagan, had a cool 21-day fermentation. The wine begins with appealing aromatics – think of tropical flowers. There are flavours of cantaloupe and nectarine. The residual sugar is nicely balanced, giving the wine finish that seems dry but well-rounded. 91.

Fitzpatrick The Mischief Pinot Blanc 2022 ($20.50 for 500 cases). This wine began with a long, cool ferment in stainless steel. The wine was aged five months: 40% in stainless steel and 60% in neutral oak, with lees stirring. This is a complex wine, beginning with aromas of pear, melon and grapefruit. On the palate, there are flavours of Honeycrisp apple mingled with citrus wrapped around a spine of minerality. 91.

Fitzpatrick Big Leap Chardonnay 2021 ($25.50 for 455 cases). This wine is made with 50% estate fruit, 50% South Okanagan fruit. Half the wine was fermented in stainless steel; half in neutral French oak, with monthly lees stirring. Twenty percent was allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged 10 months in French oak (10% new). The wine begins with aromas of vanilla, citrus and ripe apple. On the richly textured palate, there are flavours of pear and marmalade with a delicate touch of oak. 92.

Fitzpatrick Lava Bomb Gamay 2021 ($29.50 for 266 cases). This wine is a single-block selection of fruit from a Summerland vineyard, aged in neutral French oak. The wine has aromas of cherry leading to an earthy palate with flavours of red fruits. The texture is silky. 90.

Fitzpatrick Sudden Inversion Meritage 2020 ($29.50 for 530 cases). The grapes for this wine are from the Maverick Vineyard south of Oliver. The blend is 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was aged 14 months in French oak (16% new). The aromas of cassis jump from the bottle as soon as it is opened, leading to intense aromas and flavours of cassis, blueberry and cherry. 92.