Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Mission Hill releases 2020 Oculus

Photo: John Simes
John Simes, the legendary winemaker at Mission Hill Family Estate, retired in 2015 but his fingerprints are all over the portfolio still, perhaps most notably with Oculus, the winery’s ultra premium red blend. A native of New Zealand, he joined Mission Hill in 1992. The first 500-case vintage of Oculus was blended in 1997, one of the earliest icon wines in the Okanagan. I provided details on every vintage from 1997 to 2015 in my 2017 book, Icon: Flagship Wines from British Columbia’s Best Wineries. Here is an excerpt:
Launched in the 1997 vintage, Oculus was the first icon wine to come out of the Okanagan. The price of Oculus [$125 for the 2013] has nearly quadrupled since its debut, but that can be justified by Mission Hill’s ongoing investment in making a wine of international quality. John Simes, the now-retired winemaker, told me in 2013: “Every year we continue to learn new methods and techniques as we strive to elevate the quality of every vintage.”
Now one of the largest vineyard owners in the Okanagan, Mission Hill had just begun developing its estate vineyards when Oculus was created. The first vintage was made with grapes purchased from a Black Sage Road vineyard that was acquired the following year by Mission Hill. The Osoyoos Lake East Bench vineyards that Mission Hill began planting in 1997 were soon producing the best Bordeaux varietals in most years. Oculus was made entirely with Osoyoos grapes in 1998. Osoyoos grapes have predominated in every vintage since, except for 2005. The first four vintages of Oculus were aged in both French and American oak. The decision in 2001 to use French oak exclusively and age the wines more than 12 months in barrel took the quality of Oculus up a notch.
In 2004, Michel Rolland, the legendary Bordeaux winemaking consultant, was asked for his advice. Mission Hill had already built an underground cellar ideally suited to aging wine in barrels. The consultant recommended major upgrades to the winemaking technology. “Starting in 2005 and 2006, we effectively built a small winery inside the big winery,” John Simes said. “There was significant investment in equipment that allowed us to really elevate what we could do, as winemakers, with those premium red grapes.” The small winery was equipped with sophisticated sorting tables, allowing only the best individual grapes to go into the fermenting tanks. Michel Rolland also recommended using oak fermentation tanks able to handle the fermenting grapes gently. And he recommended using a basket press— which is gentler than a bladder press—to squeeze the liquid from the skins at the end of fermentation. This careful handling avoids extracting harsh tannins. The consultant’s impact was immediately evident in the elegance of the 2005 Oculus. He continues to consult on the blending of Oculus.
Further gains in the quality of Oculus have come from the vineyards. Aside from the five strong vintages between 2005 and 2009, vineyard practices have improved. Drip irrigation, which replaced overhead sprinklers, enables precise delivery of water to the vines. Compost now nourishes the soils. Aerial photography (with aircraft or drones) guides the detailed management of vineyard blocks. The vines, which are now mature, produce deeply flavoured grapes. In the challenging cool vintages of 2010 and 2011, the vineyards still delivered Oculus-quality grapes to the winery.
“I think the future is tremendous,” John Simes said in 2013. “We are just starting, really. Our oldest vines that go into Oculus were planted in 1997 in Osoyoos. That is like 12 or 13 harvests that have come off that vineyard. That is nothing. In terms of what we can do in the vineyard and how we turn it into wine here, there are tremendous opportunities ahead of us. We don’t even know what they are yet.”
Because of winemaker turnover at Mission Hill since John retired, I am not certain who blended Oculus 2020, which I recently tasted at the winery. Taylor Whelan, the current senior winemaker, posted a comment in July on the wine: “The 2020 Oculus is a remarkable wine; balanced, nuanced, and powerful. Showcasing the dense red and dark fruit and velvety tannins that Border Vista vineyard is known for, the 23rd vintage of this wine is among the best we have produced.” The winery benefitted that 2020 was one of the strongest vintages to date in the Okanagan.
Oculus 2020 ($185). This is a blend of 49% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine was fermented with extended maceration in French oak and concrete tanks. It was aged 19 months in French oak. The wine begins with appealing aromas of cassis, spice and dark cherry. The long and silky tannins support flavours of dark fruits with a hint of chocolate. The finish is persistent. A tour de force! 100.

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Strategies for BC's 2024 vintage

Photo: The vineyard at Blasted Church Vineyards
It is interesting to read how different wineries in the Okanagan are approaching the 2024 vintage, given the almost total lack of local grapes, due to January’s killer freeze.
In July, the provincial regulators decreed that the land-based wineries could import grapes or juice this fall and make wine that can be sold over the next three years as if VQA wine. In short, the wine would not attract the brutal markup that is levied on wines made with non-BC grapes. That markup exemption applies just for the 2024 vintage. It is there to help wineries get through a year without BC grapes. Had it not been allowed, there would have been extensive layoffs of winemakers and other staff. Wineries would have started to run out of wine next year, costing lost shelf space, closed tasting rooms and a collapse of wine tourism.
The government would also have been foolish to keep imported grapes out of the valley when Washington State has a big surplus of quality wine grapes. The growers there have varietals similar to what had been planted in the Okanagan and the Similkameen. With those grapes, BC wineries should produce a 2024 vintage comparable to what was being made in the past from BC grapes. Some wineries have jumped at the opportunity to use imported grapes; others have decided not to. Let me quote two recent emails, one from Blasted Church Vineyards which is importing Washington grapes; and one from Howling Bluff Winery, which is not. I can understand and respect the reasons behind either approach.
Blasted Church Vineyards Starts 2024 Harvest – outside of BC!
Prosser, WA, USA: (September 3, 2024) British Columbia’s Blasted Church Vineyards is kicking off September with the 2024 grape harvest, accessing quality grapes from Washington State.
In an inaugural collaboration with Prosser’s Andrews Family Vineyards, located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Blasted Church will be able to produce the quality wines they have been known for since 2002. Blasted Church winemaker Evan Saunders (pictured) made the 6.5 hour drive to Prosser, Washington to work with the Andrews family regarding picking and harvest decisions. The varieties will include Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Pinot Gris, and then later Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for the white wines and rosé will be mechanically harvested at night, sorted and pressed, and then the temperature controlled grape juice will be shipped to Okanagan Falls for vinification by the Blasted Church winemaking team. Red wine grapes will be hand harvested and shipped to BC as whole clusters for the team to process in the Blasted Church cellar.
Blasted Church winery, and many neighbouring BC wineries, find themselves in the same situation where they need to purchase Washington fruit due to the deep freeze that damaged the 2024 crop. Saunders has visited Prosser six times in planning, and when making his regular visits to Prosser he has seen several of his industry peers. Saunders notes that it has been excellent working with third generation farmer Jeff Andrews, and he is happy that the grapes are from certified sustainable vineyards. “It is a peculiar feeling to look out the window in Okanagan Falls at this time of year and see no grapes,” he notes. “But it will be magical for me and my team to start from juice,” he says. Saunders has gone through the stress of the paperwork required to bring the juice and grapes in from the US, so it is appreciated to have one easy step.
Lovers of Blasted Church wines can rest assured that delicious, quality wines will continue to be made, and in the meantime the team has ample inventory of current releases to be enjoyed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opposite approach to the grape shortage this vintage has been taken by Luke Smith (pictured), the founder of Howling Bluff Estate Winery on the Naramata Bench. Here is what he wrote to his wine club.
August 25, 2024 It has been 20 years since we started Howling Bluff. I have learned that I can say with certainty that I can not predict anything at all about farming and the wine industry.
In February we were told that the vineyards in the valley were dead and that our industry would be in recovery for 4-5 years. The caveat on that pronouncement was that if your vineyard was not dead, your harvest would be wiped out. Jen and I sat down this spring and discussed our future and that of Howling Bluff. While I was ready to “do something, anything” to start to fix the results of the winter, Jen suggested I wait a bit and see what the season brings. Here I am now at 6 AM typing this as I look out the window at the Century Block Pinot Noir. What I see is a very healthy canopy of vines. The Three Mile Creek block of Pinot Noir, looks much the same. Our Sauvignon Blanc looks normal and we estimate we may have 1,000 kilograms of fruit there, 1/5th of normal but fruit when none was expected. The Merlot looks the worst; however a majority of plants are doing their best to prepare for next year. The Semillon, in sympathy with the Merlot, is not as good as it has been in the past; however, a majority of the vines are growing.
At this time there is no doubt that our industry has suffered a major loss of vines and the crop will be 10% of normal, at best. However once again the Naramata Bench appears to have suffered the least. What will we do, and what will we not do. We will prepare the vineyard for a harvest next year, and we will not buy grapes or juice from US growers. What this decision means, it means we will have enough wine to be open next year. However, we will close our wine club to new members shortly, so that we can be sure to have enough wine to keep the wine shop open next year. Simply put we will stay a true BC winery and we will survive.

Monday, September 2, 2024

Blue Mountain chooses not to import grapes this fall

Photo: Blue Mountain vineyard near Okanagan Falls
Followers of Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars hardly need a reminder to stock up on the current releases while they are available. Like other Okanagan producers, Blue Mountain suffered major vineyard damage during last January’s freeze. “All of our vineyards were impacted, with some bud damage, but fortunately, they are thriving this season,” writes Christie Mavety, a member of the family that owns Blue Mountain. “We expect to harvest a very small crop and will produce less than 4,500 liters this vintage.”
Unlike many of its peers, Blue Mountain will not bring in grapes from Washington or Oregon. “We have no plans to bring in any additional fruit, so our supply [of wine] will be limited,” Christie adds. “Our focus will be on supporting our local BC market and extending our sales over the next few years to navigate this period. Our priority is to ensure that our loyal supporters are looked after first.”
I am not surprised that the Mavety family is not importing grapes. In the winery’s entire history, its wines have been made with grapes from the Okanagan Falls estate that they have managed since 1972. Blue Mountain has won a strong reputation for top quality wines with unimpeachable authenticity. It would have been unwise to tamper with that.
When Blue Mountain’s production returns to normal in a few years, its loyal customers will still be there – and appreciative of the winery’s uncompromising standards. That is not to dump on the producers who have chosen to import grapes this vintage. They will also produce good wine. But importing fruit was never going to be an option for Blue Mountain. The current releases – three 2023 whites and a 2022 Pinot Noir – are delicious wines and well worth stocking up on.
Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc 2023 ($25.90). This wine was made with fruit from 38-year-old vines. Some 34% was fermented and aged in stainless steel; the remainder was fermented in a variety of older oak foudres and barrels. The oak contributed to texture but was not allowed to suppress the fruit. The wine has aromas and flavours of apple, pear and apricot, with a generous mouthfeel and a clean finish. 91.
Blue Mountain Pinot Gris 2023 ($25.90). The fruit for this wine came from 37-year-old vines. Fermentation with natural yeast was 75% in oak casks and 25% in stainless steel, with six months aging in that cooperage. This is a wine with citrus aromas, delivering flavours of peach and nectarine, once again with a generous mouthfeel and a long finish. 92.
Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($25.90). The fruit for this wine is from 16 and 17-year-old vines. The wine was fermented with natural yeast in 40% stainless steel and 60% oak cooperage, with five months of aging in those vessels. The wine begins with aromas of lime, peach and herbs and delivers flavours of grapefruit and stone fruits, with a long finish. The style is Sancerre rather than New Zealand. 92.
Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022 ($34.90). The fruit for this wine is four clones (114, 115, 667 and 777) from vines that were 15 and 16 years old. The wine was fermented with native yeast in open-top stainless steel and oak tanks, with 14 to 18 days macerating on the skins. The finished wine was aged in French oak barrels. The wine presents with lots of colour and with aromas and flavours of cherry, plum and spice. The finish has classic notes of forest floor. The texture is generous, supporting a long finish. This is one of the Okanagan’s best affordable Pinot Noirs. 93.