Blue Mountain releases premium wines from 2022

Photo: Winemaker Matt Mavety

During a recent trip to the Okanagan, I drove past the picturesque Blue Mountain vineyard in Okanagan Falls and was pleased to see a full leafy canopy on the vines. That confirmed what I was told recently by Christie Mavety, one of the winery’s owners. “All of our vineyards were impacted [by the January 2024 freeze event], with some bud damage, but fortunately, they are thriving this season,” she wrote in an email. “We expect to harvest a very small crop and will produce less than 4,500 liters this vintage.”

That is an insignificant volume of wine for this historic producer; but it is important that the vines are thriving. Blue Mountain’s vines are up to 35 years old. Well established vines are a key to the quality of the wines, especially so for the reserves and the selected vineyard block wines. Blue Mountain will not need to go back to square one with a large scale replanting program, unlike some of its peers on Black Sage Road or in the Similkameen Valley. The Blue Mountain wines should continue displaying the terroir characteristics of wines from mature vines. Unless there is another devastating freeze this coming winter, those vines should produce grapes in 2025.

The Mavety family has set the bar high for the quality of Blue Mountain wines. That was why they released no wines from the 2021 vintage. The wines had been tainted by smoke from forest fires and the family decided they were not up to Blue Mountain’s standard. Fortunately, the family has the resources to skip a vintage. They are basically skipping the 2024 vintage as well, having chosen not to make wine with imported grapes. Happily for Blue Mountain followers, the 2022 vintage was bounteous and of superb quality. The winery is just releasing its premium Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from 2022. These are almost certainly winemaker Matt Mavety’s best wines to date. In Burgundy, these special vineyard block wines would be designated as Grand Cru (and would sell for a lot more). Because of soil conditions and exposure, each of these small blocks yield distinctive wines that, especially in a top vintage like 2022, stand out for their individuality.

The winery began making small block Pinot Noir in the 2017 vintage and subsequently has added Chardonnay wines to the program. “You can see the reflection of the estate,” Matt told me when the 2017s were released. “All of these wines were grown here on the bench in Okanagan Falls. They are hopefully all an expression of the land they were grown on, not the winemaking. If our winemaking is too aggressive, the nuances we captured here would be more hidden.” In a way, the reserve wines underline the point. The wines are blends of grapes from various vineyard blocks. They are delicious and balanced wines, amalgams of the estate’s overall terroir. The small block wines are more individual in flavour and style. If you have the chance, buy several wines for comparative tastings and be amazed at the distinctive personality of each wine.

Here are notes on the 2022 release:

Blue Mountain Reserve Cuvée Chardonnay 2022 ($40). The grapes were fermented with wild yeast and the wine was aged 16 months in French oak (new to three years old). The wine begins with a lovely aroma of citrus mingled with vanilla. On the palate, it is full-bodied with flavours of lemon and apple, and with an echo of lees in the long finish. 93.

Blue Mountain Blossom Slope Block 17 Chardonnay 2022 ($50). The vines for this wine are 32 years old and grow on coarse and loamy sand in warm site with a westerly exposure. The wine, which was fermented and aged 18 months in oak, is well-named for the floral notes in the aroma. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus and ripe apple with enough acidity to give the wine a refreshing crispness on the finish. 95.

Blue Mountain Alluvium Reflection Block 32 Chardonnay 2022 ($50). The vines for this wine are 33 years old. They grow in a westerly-facing fan with a surrounding rock mass that retains heat at night. The wine, fermented and aged 18 months in French oak, is rich, almost creamy, with flavours of citrus. A delicate skein of minerality ties this complex wine together. The finish is very long. 97.

Blue Mountain Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022 ($45). The fruit for this wine is from vines 25 to 35 years old. The grapes are fermented with wild yeast with light pump-overs during the 14 to 18 days of maceration. The wine was aged on fine lees in French oak barrels. The wine begins with aromas of cherry mingled with vanilla. There are layers of fruit on the palate, including cherry and blackberry mingled with spice. The balancedtexture is generous and the finish is very long. 94.

Blue Mountain River Flow Block 23 Pinot Noir 2022 ($55). The grapes are from 30-year-old vines on sandy loam soil. The block has an eastern exposure benefiting from the cool morning sun. The fruit goes into open-top fermenters and has light pump-overs during 14 to 18 days of maceration. Fermentation, as always, is with wild yeast. The wine is aged on fine lees in French oak barrels. There is a bright and fresh character to the wine with aromas and flavours of cherry and raspberry. Fruit lingers on the long finish. 95.

Blue Mountain Wild Terrain Block 9 Pinot Noir 2022 ($55). This is so-named because the 25-year-old vines grow in a complex and varied block in the vineyard: steep wind-driven slopes to warm, flat sandy loam. The fermentation and aging regime is similar to the other wines. The wine begins with aromas of cherry and strawberry, leading to savoury fruit flavours and an appealing note of forest floor on the long finish. 95.

Blue Mountain Gravel Force Block 14 Pinot Noir 2022 ($55). The grapes for this wine are from 35-year-old vines grown on a warm site with soils mixing gravel, loam and clay. The fermentation and aging regime is similar to the other wines. This is an intense wine with aromas of cherry and spice. The palate delivers rich, savoury dark fruits and the finish is persistent. 97.