Photo: Noble Ridge winemaker Benoit Gauthier (Courtesy Noble Ridge)
Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery has just released several wines whose sales throughout November will generate revenue, at 50 cents a bottle, for a noble cause.
The cause is the South Okanagan Women in Need Society, or SOWINS. The winery writes: “SOWINS provides shelter, safety and support by helping individuals recognize, understand, and overcome the impacts of abuse and violence. Last year they provided 1,341 counselling sessions and took 2,050 crises calls. Please visit their website at sowins.com.”
The wines in my sample pack included a Chardonnay, a rosé and a Meritage, all affordably priced and are offered through the winery’s direct to consumer channels (wine shop, online and wine club).
“We have created three tiers of our estate driven table wines; the Noble Series, the Reserve Series and our top tier King’s Ransom wines,” the winery writes. “Our Noble Series of wines provides that breadth of choice (we currently have nine Noble tier wines available), quality (two of the wines come from the Okanagan Falls Sub GI and all come from grapes grown in BC) and affordability (all range from $19.99 to $29.99). These are wines that are great for your everyday table, for gift giving and for holiday hosting. And these wines pair beautifully with many dishes found throughout the fall and winter, whether it is for a weekday meal, a family celebration or a big occasion like Christmas dinner.”
Winemaker Benoit Gauthier adds: “The majority of our winemaking practices ae similar across all tiers, the subtle differences being expressed in the vineyards and maturing time. This assure quality wines that are accessible to everyone. No two wines are alike each start with the end in mind and an expression of the fingerprint of where the grapes were grown.”
Here are notes on the three wines.
Noble Ridge Stony Knoll Chardonnay 2022 ($25.99 for 770 cases). The winemaking here was all about expressing the fruit. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. The wine has aromas of apple and pear, which is echoed on the palate. The minerality gives the wine good texture. 91.
($24.99 for 460 cases). This delicately pink rosé is made with Merlot grapes that were given just two hours of skin contact. It has aromas of apple and rhubarb leading to flavours of strawberry and watermelon. The finish is crisp and refreshing. 90.
($26.99 for 1,475 cases). This wine is a blend of 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. The grapes were given a three-day cold soak, fermented warm and aged 12 months in barrel (75% French, 25% American – and 20% new). The wine has the graceful balance of the 2020 vintage. It has aromas of black currant, dark cherry and plum. These are echoed on the palate, along with notes of chocolate and cedar. The finish lingers. 91.
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