Photo: Winemaker Lynzee Schatz (courtesy of Evolve Winery)
The spirit of the late Harry McWatters may have been lurking in the ether at this summer’s opening of Evolve Sparking House, a Penticton winery dedicated to making bubbly wine.
In his day, no one in the Okanagan was more passionate about sparkling wine than Harry. At Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, one of his former wineries, trials with sparkling wine began in 1985 and led to the release four years later of Steller’s Jay, long one of the most successful traditional method bubblies in B.C. (It is now made by Arterra Wines Canada.) “It is what I drink when I am deciding what to drink for dinner,” Harry quipped on numerous occasions.
Four years before he died in 2019, Harry had launched the Time Winery in downtown Penticton. The winery went into receivership after Harry’s death, to be purchased by Ron and Shelley Mayert. Time has been rebranded as Chronos, while the Evolve brand, created by Harry, has remained in the portfolio and now graces the separate Evolve winery on Lower Bench Road.
The sparkling wine house opened with three award-winning sparkling wines made by, or finished by, Lynzee Schatz, the Okanagan-born winemaker who joined Time in late 2019. She took over from Harry’s winemaking team, Nadine Kinvig and Graham Pierce, who would have laid down the foundation for two of these wines.
Lynzee trained as a winemaker in Australia and spent five years with Chandon, a French-owned sparkling wine producer in the Yarra Valley there. “Sparkling wine has been my passion since I entered the wine industry over 20 years ago,” she is quoted in a recent publicity release from Evolve.
Photo: Tasting room at Evolve Sparkling House.
Here are notes on the current Evolve and Chronos wines.
Evolve Brut Premiere 2020 ($39.99 for 1,000 cases). This is a blend of 67% Chardonnay and 33% Pinot Noir. The wine was three years en tirage. In the glass, the attack is crisp and fresh, with aromas and flavours of brioche and citrus. 91.
Evolve Brut Rosé 2018 ($49.99 for 500 cases). This is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 9% Pinot Blanc and 1% Syrah. The wine was en tirage for five years. This delicious wine presents with a delicate rose petal hue and an active mousse. There are aromas and flavours of wild strawberry. The finish is crisp and refreshing.
Evolve Brut Nature 2018 ($49.99 for 500 cases). The blend is 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Blanc. The wine was en tirage for five years. Light gold in hue, the wine presents with an active mousse. It has aromas and flavours of brioche mingled with notes of baked apple and citrus. 92.
Evolve Rosé 2023 ($29.99 for 280 cases). This is made with Syrah from an Osoyoos vineyard. In the glass, it is salmon pink, with aromas and flavours of strawberry. The finish is crisp and dry. 88.
b>Evolve Momento 2021 ($24.99 for 1,300 cases). This cheerful red is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. Each varietal was aged separately for 18 months. The wine is ruby in colour and has a juicy texture. It has aromas and flavours of cherry, blackberry and plum. 90.
Evolve Pinot Noir 2022 ($49.99 for 200 cases). This is made with Naramata fruit fermented in stainless steel and aged 12 months in French oak (20% new). Aromas of spice and cherry are echoed on the silky palate. 88.
Evolve Grenache 2022 (Wine club only; 475 cases). This rare (for the Okanagan) varietal was aged 15 months in French oak (none new). The wine presents in the glass with a brilliant ruby hue, with aromas of cherry and red licorice that are echoed on the palate. 91.
Chronos Malbec 2020 ($N/A for 163 cases). The wine presents with aromas of cassis and blueberry. Full-bodied, it has flavours of dark fruits mingled with spice and cedar. 91.
Chronos Malbec 2022 ($N/A 163 cases; wine club only). Bold and rich, the wine presents with aromas of spice and dark fruits leading to concentrated flavours of blueberry and blackberry with a hint of licorice. 93.
Chronos Fourth Dimension 2021 ($44.99 for 350 cases). This is a blend of 65% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Each varietal was fermented separately before blending. The wine was aged 18 months in American and French oak (20% new). Aromas of black cherry, pepper and tobacco lead to flavours of raspberry and cherry mingled with spice. 92
Chronos Ouroboros 2020 (25 cases; wine club only). This is a blend of 56% Merlot and 44% Syrah, co-fermented in French oak barrels. It is a dark, dense and brooding wine with aromas of blackberry and plum. Those are echoed on the palate, mingled with spice and dark fruits. 92.
Chronos Cabernet Franc 2021 ($39.99 for 1,140 cases). This wine was made with fruit from Osoyoos vineyards. It was fermented in open-top tanks with gentle daily pump-overs. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak barrels (20% new). The wine is bold and ripe, reflecting a hot vintage. It has aromas and flavours of blackberry, raspberry, plum, dark cherry with a long finish. 92.
Chronos Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($34.99 for 1,140 cases). The dark colour and the rich texture of this wine reflect the long ferment and daily pump-overs. The wine was aged 18 months in American and French oak (20% new). It begins with aromas of cassis, spice and dark fruits. These are echoed on the palate, mingled with flavours of plum, black olive and chocolate. 92.
Chronos Petit Verdot 2021 (Wine club only for 135 cases). Made with fruit from an Osoyoos vineyard, the wine was fermented in open-top fermented with daily pump-overs. It was then aged 18 months in American and French oak barrels. Dark in colour, this is a concentrated wine with aromas of blackberry and dark cherry. On the palate, there are flavours of dark cherry, plum, and black olives, with minerality on the lingering finish. 93.
