Noble Ridge wins sparkling wine of the year

Photo: Winemaker Benoit Gauthier (photo courtesy Noble Ridge

At the recent All Canadian Wine Championships, the flagship sparkling wine from Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery was named Sparkling Wine of the Year -- for the second time. The One, as the wine is called, was the sparkling wine of the year at the 2017 competition as well.

“We see it as a wonderful milestone not only for Noble Ridge, but also for Okanagan Falls and the continued momentum behind BC traditional-method sparkling wine,” writes Jennifer Tocher, the winery’s new publicist. The Okanagan Falls viticultural area is indeed well-established as a premium sparkling wine region. Blue Mountain Winery, which does not enter competitions, has been making traditional method sparkling wine since the early 1990s. The winery’s basic sparkling wine is excellent value and its late-disgorged bubblies are exceptional.

Noble Ridge, which opened in 2005, is owned by Jim and Leslie D’Andrea, former Calgarians who once looked at properties in France before concluding it made more sense to develop a vineyard near Okanagan Falls. The D’Andreas planned to make sparkling wine as soon as they purchased the property in 2001. That was why they planted Pinot Noir on a north-facing slope. “I just love Champagne,” Jim told me once. The winery began making The One in the 2010 vintage. The wine has won numerous awards over the years, including a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2015. The wine has always been a blend of estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, just like many Champagnes.

The current winemaker at Noble Ridge is Benoit Gauthier (Canadian-born), who is also the winery’s chief operating officer. “Traditional-method sparkling wine is one of the most demanding styles to produce,” he is quoted in a winery news release. It requires “years of patience, precision, and an unwavering commitment to quality.”

I was once a member of the judging panel at the All Canadians as well as the panel for the Lieutenant-Governor’s competition. I had a hand in adjudicating both of the awards and I know how rigorous the competitions are. This spring, I tasted a number of Noble Ridge’s recent releases, including the 2019 The One. Here is my review of that wine. Try finding a Champagne this elegant for this price.

Noble Ridge The One 2019 ($34.99 for 450 cases). This is 77% Chardonnay and 23% Pinot Noir. This is a traditional method sparkling wine with fine, active bubbles and a classic but restrained brioche aroma. On the palate, there are flavours of apple and citrus mingled with a hint of brioche. 93.