Fort Berens releases six reserve wines

Photo: Fort Berens founders Rolf  de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek

The nine wines released this fall by Fort Berens Estate Winery include six reserves.

If memory serves, this is the largest proportion of reserves I have ever seen in a Fort Berens release. And these are wines that really merit that designation.

Fort Berens is the winery located in Lillooet, a recently approved sub-appellation that will appear on Fort Berens labels beginning with the 2019 vintage.

The number of reserve wines points to at least three conclusions. The red wines (and one white) are all from the 2016 vintage. The more 2016 reds I get to taste, the more I am impressed with the vintage. The wines usually as nicely balanced with fruit flavours that are bright and refreshing.

Secondly, the winery’s investment several years in a well-equipped winery is paying off. Danny Hattingh, the winery’s young South African winemaker, has excellent wine-making tools.

Thirdly, the vines are now well established in the estate vineyard. It is apparent that Lillooet can no longer be considered a trial region for vineyards, as was the case a decade ago when Dutch emigres Rolf  de Bruin and his wife, Heleen Pannekoek, decided to put make wine in this area when they were deterred the high cost of Okanagan land.

The 20-acre estate vineyard just outside Lillooet was planted in 2009. It produced its first crop in 2011 and is now in full production. Another 20 acres of vines are being planted this year and next, now the terroir has proven itself.

This spring, the winery planted four acres of Merlot and five acres of Cabernet Franc. In 2019, Fort Berens will plant a further two acres of Merlot along with two acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5 acres of Riesling and 1.5 acres of Grüner Veltliner. Over the next few years, an increasing number of Fort Berens wines will come from the estate vineyard.

The pioneering work of Fort Berens is now attracting other entrants to this region’s wine business.

Heleen Pannekoek, in a note with these releases, says: “There are now four additional vineyards in Lillooet, including Frugal Vineyard, Winches Spur Vineyard, Roshard Vineyard and Fraser Bench Vineyard. We are thrilled to work with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes from these vineyards.”

And the news gets better. A project at the Texas Creek Ranch near Lillooet has recently received its winery license. The winery is called Cliff and Gorge Vineyards. It plans to open its tasting room next spring.

Here are notes on the latest Fort Berens wines.

Fort Berens Chardonnay Reserve 2016 ($25.99 for 187 cases). This wine – 80% of the grapes from Lillooet, 20% from the Similkameen - was fermented in barrel with indigenous yeasts. The wine begins with buttery and toasty aromas mingled with ripe apple. On the palate, the texture is rich and delivers flavours of orange and apple mingled with oak. The wine has a long, luscious finish. 92.

Fort Berens Riesling Reserve 2017 ($22.99 for 213 cases). The wine begins with aromas of lemon and raisin. It is rich on the palate, with layers of fruit flavours – citrus and ripe nectarine. The finish is off-dry but the sugar and acid is superbly balanced. The finish is persistent. 92.

Fort Berens Cabernet Franc 2016 ($25.99 for 1,061 cases). This wine is 79% estate grown fruit, with the remainder from the Similkameen.  The wine begins with aromas of cherry and raspberry. The wine is lively on the palate and displays the classic brambleberry flavours of the varietal. 90.

Fort Berens Cabernet Franc Reserve 2016 ($31.99 for 350 cases). This wine is made with 70% estate-grown fruit, 30% from the Blind Creek Vineyard in the Similkameen.  This is a selection of the best barrels – with the wine being transferred under nitrogen to keep it away from air. It begins with aromas of cherry mingled with hints of spice and herbs. On the palate, the brambly flavours are framed by the polished texture. The finish is long. 92.

Fort Berens Pinot Noir 2016 ($25.99 for 810 cases). This wine was made with 74% estate-grown fruit; the remainder was from The Rise Vineyard in Vernon. The wine was aged nine months in French oak (30% new). It is a pretty wine with aromas of toasted oak, cherry and strawberry, echoed on the palate. The silky texture adds to the wine’s delicate charm. 90.

Fort Berens Pinot Noir Reserve 2016 ($29.99 for 131 cases). Made with fruit from the estate vineyard and The Rise in Vernon, this wine was made by placing 25% whole clusters at the bottom of the fermenter and covering them with crushed fruit. The objective was to extract more fruit aromas and flavours. The wine also was fermented with indigenous yeast and aged 12 months in French oak. The colour is deeper than the previous wine and the aromas of cherry and vanilla are more intense. The flavours are complex – cherry and ripe strawberry – with a lingering finish of sage and spice. 92.

Fort Berens Meritage 2016 ($25.99 for 1,302 cases). The blend is 76% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc, with 56% of the fruit from the estate vineyard and the rest from the Similkameen and the Okanagan. Some 20% of the bunches went whole into the fermenter, along with the stems. The remainder was destemmed and crushed. The technique is designed to accentuate the fruit and soften the acidity. The wine begins with aromas of blackberry and cherry, leading to flavours of  red fruit mingled subtly with toasty oak. 90.

Fort Berens Meritage Reserve 2016 ($31.99 for 350 cases). This is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The varietals were fermented separately and aged 10 months in oak, with the best lots being blended into this outstanding wine. It begins with aromas of black cherry, cassis and spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, with flavours of black cherry, cassis and plum. The texture is polished and the finish persists. 92.

Fort Berens Red Gold 2016 ($44.99 for 173 cases). The wine also produced 174 magnums of this, its flagship red wine. This is a blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. The fruit is 46% from the estate vineyard, with the remainder from the Similkameen and the Okanagan. The wine was fermented in open-top French oak barrels, then aged a year in barrel and another year in bottle before release. The result is an elegant wine with a polished texture. It begins with aromas of black cherry, blackberry and plum which are echoed in the core of sweet fruit on the palate. There is a hint of sage and licorice on the finish. 93.

Gray Monk: steady as she goes

Photo: Gray Monk Winery 

Gray Monk Estate Winery was acquired in 2017 by Andrew Peller Ltd.

Most of the current portfolio was still made under the original owners and by winemakers Roger Wong (below left) and George Heiss Jr. (below right). The latter left soon after the Heiss family sold the winery.

One would expect changes will come under Peller. Some of the growers that had supplied Gray Monk for years now are selling their grapes to other producers, likely because Peller has a number of its own vineyards.

I don’t expect that to impact negatively on the quality of Gray Monk wines. Peller manages its vineyards well.

The Gray Monk portfolio, which is lengthy, might be pruned a bit going forward. I don’t expect Peller to be quite as emotionally invested in Siegerrebe and Rotberger as the Heiss family was.

Pinot Gris will certainly retain a major presence in the portfolio, if only because Gray Monk pioneered that varietal in the Okanagan. It is now the most widely planted white in British Columbia. Gray Monk is still a leading producer.

Gray Monk once produced just white and rosé wines. Over the last decade and especially after the winery’s south Okanagan vineyard began producing, the winery’s reds have also become impressive. Peller has access to additional red varietals to support the red portfolio.

I also expect Peller will expand Gray Monk’s excellent portfolio of sparkling wines. This has become one of the hottest categories in B.C. wine.

However, the Peller hand on this portfolio seems light, at least so far. It could be a matter of not fixing what isn’t broken.

Here are notes on some of the current releases. The reserve tier is called Odyssey.

Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2016 ($16.99). The wine presents in the glass with a light blush. It begins with aromas of peach and nectarine leading to flavours of nectarine and ripe pear. The finish is dry and lingering. 90.

Gray Monk Chardonnay Unwooded 2017 ($15.99). The wine begins with aromas of citrus and apple. On the palate, there are flavours of apple and citrus. The wine is crisp and refreshing. 90.

Gray Monk Pinot Noir 2016 ($16.99). The wine presents with a light hue, signalling this is a light Pinot Noir that benefits from being slightly chilled to bring out the charm and the cherry flavours. 88.

Gray Monk Odyssey Pinot Noir 2014 ($23.49). The wine presents with a dark hue. In the glass, aromas of cherry mingle with hints of oak. It has flavours of cherry. The texture is firm. There is a touch of oak on the finish. 90.

Gray Monk Merlot 2015 ($16.99). The wine begins with aromas of black currant, black cherry and blueberry. The flavours are packed with dark fruits mingled with a hint of vanilla and cedar. 90.

Gray Monk Cabernet Merlot 2014 ($17.39). This wine begins with aromas of cherry and cassis, echoed on the palate, along with flavours of black currant, chocolate and tobacco. 90.

Gray Monk Odyssey Merlot 2014 ($20.89). The wine begins with aromas of cassis and black cherry. The texture and the fruit flavours are concentrated, with layers of dark  fruit mingled with vanilla, blackberry, blueberry and spice. 91.

Gray Monk Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($26.09). This begins with aromas of cherry, cassis and mint. The wine is generous on the palate with flavours of black cherry, blueberry mingled with vanilla and tobacco. 92.

Gray Monk Odyssey Meritage 2014 ($30.49). This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In the glass, it opens with aromas of toasted oak mingled with dark fruit. On the palate, the flavours are rich and complex – black cherry, blackberry and cassis. On the finish, dark fruits mingle with dark chocolate and coffee. The flavours linger and linger. 93.

Gray Monk Odyssey III ($17.39 for 500 ml). This is a fine port-style fortified red with aromas and flavours of black cherry, figs and spice. The finish lingers. 91.

Gray Monk Odyssey White Brut 2015 ($23.99). This sparkling wine is a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. The wine is clean and fresh, with aromas of citrus, apple and brioche and with a fruity palate. The finish is crisp. The overall impression is elegance. 91.

Laughing Stock Portfolio and friends

Photo: Laughing Stock's David Enns

This fall, Laughing Stock Vineyards three wines. Two are superb and one left me confounded.

First, the two I found superb. Portfolio is the winery’s iconic red. I am fortunate to have a few 10-year verticals in my cellar. The wine no longer is easy to get, unless you join the wine club. The individual on whose orders I was piggybacking let his membership lapse this year, sadly for me.

The superb white is a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. It will also be hard to get because only 317 cases were produced.

The wine that I have trouble with is a Syrah that was fermented in a clay amphora. I have no doubt this wine will sell out, if it is not already sold out, to those consumers who like “natural” wines. Every wine has its champion.

Let me quote the winery’s notes on how winemaker David Enns made this wine.

“This small cap release is a tribute to how wine was made in ancient times,” the note begins. “Using a hands-off winemaking approach, this is our fifth year of working with two 500 litre terracotta clay Amphorae. The result is a wine that challenges you to define it to a specific region or style.

“The 2017 Amphora Syrah project is in its second year with a blend of 91% Syrah and 9% Viognier. At harvest, we placed whole berry Syrah grapes in our two Amphorae and left them fully untouched for eight months. After 10 days, the natural wild ferment began at a low temperature and slowly progressed for five weeks. The hands-off approach resulted in slower extraction from the grape skins, while the tannin worked as a natural antioxidant.”

In previous vintages, David made Viognier Roussanne wine in the Amphorae. He switched to Syrah in 2016 and again in 2017 and extended the time in clay from five months to eight months. At that point, the wine is pressed off with a basket press and bottled.

My palate prefers conventionally-made Syrah. However, this bottle will create a sensation and likely controversy at your dinner table.

Laughing Stock was acquired in 2017 by Arterra Wines, the national producer owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. To the best of my knowledge, none of the other Arterra wineries in the Okanagan produce anything quite this edgy.

Here are notes on the wines.

Laughing Stock Chardonnay 2017 ($28.99 for 312 cases). This was fermented in oak barrels (15% new) but the oak is subtle and well integrated. The wine begins with aromas citrus and brioche leading to flavours of apple and pear. The wine is fresh and elegant with a lingering finish. 92.

Laughing Stock Portfolio 2016 ($49.99 for 3,300 cases). This is a blend of 51% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine announces itself with powerful aromas of black cherry, plum, spice and vanilla. On the palate, layers of dark fruit fill the mouth. The long, ripe tannins give the wine a polished texture, with ability to age 10 or more years. 94.

Laughing Stock Amphora Syrah 2017 ($49.99 for 100 cases). First, here is the winery’s description: “This beautiful deep blue-violet coloured wine has vibrant aromas of anise and ripe mixed berries. The palate is silky with raspberries baking spices, and warm mocha.” I thought the wine also had aromas and flavours of chocolate, plum and fig with a hint of licorice on the finish as well as an earthy note. On re-tasting the opened wine over several days, I found that intense sweet fruit flavours also developed. Clearly, the wine needs to be decanted. I won’t even try to score this wine. I did not like it on first opening but I did like it by the fifth day.

As for food pairing, the wine’s robust flavours call for game meats.

Blasted Church updates its labels – again

Photo: Blasted Church winemaker Evan Saunders

For the third time since Chris and Evelyn Campbell bought the winery in 2002, Blasted Church Vineyards has revised its labels.

The winery, which is near Okanagan Falls, originally was called Prpich Hills, after the surname of the founder. The Campbells retained the Vancouver label guru, Bernie Hadley-Beauregard, to come up with a new name.

He suggested Blasted Church. The inspiration was an Okanagan Falls church (still in use) which had been moved in 1929 from Fairview, the abandoned mining town near Oliver. The movers set off some dynamite in the church to facilitate taking it apart for the move.

Beauregard and his team at Brandever Design retold the story on the winery’s labels, with a series of lively caricatures. The labels were an instant hit with consumers, propelling Blasted Church to success.

In 2010, the winery decided to refresh its labels. The new generation of labels still were story-telling caricatures but the art was bolder and more sophisticated.

The third generation Blasted Church labels are more painterly. They seem inspired by Baroque and Renaissance painters, with some Vancouver scenery for good measure. For example, the Sauvignon Blanc is a female nude that the 16^th Italian artist might have posed on Wreck Beach, which is in the background.  

The new labels spotlight the wines of Evan Saunders, who took over in mid-2017 as the senior winemaker at Blasted Church. He has begun to tweak the style of the wines – notably whites which are lower in alcohol and fresher in flavour. He has also begun to push the envelop, notably with small lot reds fermented and bottled in clay.

Born in Manitoba in 1984, Evan took a microbiology degree at the University of Victoria, originally to prepare for medicine until an interest in wine took over. In 2011, he went to Brock University for a diploma in grape and wine technology. He returned immediately to the Okanagan and spent three years at Osoyoos Larose before moving to Blasted Church in 2014 as assistant winemaker.

“The first wine I started drinking consistently at University of Victoria was Hatfield’s Fuse,” Evan says, referring to a popular Blasted Church white blend. “I walked into a wine store. The colours [on the label] were bright and it caught my eye. It is a funny coincidence that I ended up here.”

The larger volume wines at Blasted Church remain consistent in style, compared with previous years and previous winemakers. Evan suggests this is largely because the vineyard sources have been relatively constant. The winery’s grapes come from a 40-acre estate vineyard on the east side of Skaha Lake. The winery also contracts grapes from about 60 acres, mostly in Oliver and Osoyoos.

“I probably tend toward a fresher style,” Evan says of his winemaking. “I do a little earlier picks to get a really vibrant acidity. A little fresher, a little less residual sugar, on the whites especially.”

With the red varietals, he likes longer hang time, long maceration time and more intense pump overs and cap management. “I am just focussing on the vineyards, to try to bring out everything that I can.”

“And I have done a lot of work on the barrel program, trying to match coopers and forests and grain and toasting to specific vineyard blocks, learning what works together the best,” he adds. In 2015, he began fermenting some small lot wines in barrels.

The small lot wines he ferments in clay eggs are the edgiest (and most expensive) wines now released by Blasted Church. The winery underlined the uniqueness of its 2016 Sacrosanct Cabernet Franc by bottling 120 bottles in clay bottles produced by the Italian manufacture of the amphora. It is almost sold out at $125 a bottle. Some 35 cases also was bottled conventionally.

Here are notes on some current Blasted Church releases.

Blasted Church Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($24 for 660 cases). This wine, which has six percent Sémillon in the blend, includes a 20% barrel-fermented portion. The wine begins with dramatic aromas of lime, grapefruit and herbs. The bracing acidity focusses the refreshing tropical fruit flavours. 91.

Blasted Church Unorthodox Chardonnay 2017 ($19 for 500 cases). This unoaked Chardonnay is made from the aromatic Musqué Clone. The wine begins with tropical and spicy fruit aromas leading to flavours of melon and apple on a crisp and dry palate. 90.

Blasted Church Gewürztraminer 2017 ($18 for 700 cases). Dry and food-friendly, this wine has classic aromas of rose petal and lychee. The moderate alcohol (12.9%) gives the wine a lightness and elegance on the palate, with flavours of melon and orange. 90.

Blasted Church Viognier 2017 ($22 for 500 cases). This wine includes the first harvest from the Viognier block planted several years ago on the estate. The wine has aromas and flavours of stone fruit. There are also hints of pineapple and quince on the finish, along with a spine of tannin to give discipline to the structure. 91.

Blasted Church Small Blessings Sémillon 2017 ($35 for 48 cases). The Sémillon in 2017 was so good that two barrels were set aside for this small lot wine. It is rich on the palate, with flavours of mango, guava and orange peel. 91.

Blasted Church Cabernet Franc 2016 ($31 for 491 cases). This wine – only the second Cabernet Franc varietal released by the winery – begins with classic brambly aromas (raspberry, strawberry and sage). On the palate, there are flavours of blackberries and spice which persist on the long finish. 92.

Blasted Church Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($32 for 487 cases). This is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. The wine begins with aromas of cassis and sage, followed by notes of chocolate. On the palate, there are flavours of black cherry and blackberry with a hint of peppers. The tannins are long and ripe. 92.

Blasted Church Cross of Bear 2015 ($40 for 200 cases). This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged 22 months in new French oak barrels. The rich flavours have soaked up the toasty oak very well. There is spice and cassis on the nose, leading to flavours of blackberry, plum and black currant. The ripe tannins support a long and generous finish. 93.

Blasted Church Nothing Sacred 2015 ($45 for 202 cases). The blend is 40% Merlot, 38% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. This is a bold wine, with aromas and flavours of black cherry, plum, chocolate and coffee. This wine also aged 22 months in barrel, about two-thirds new. 95.

Blasted Church Holy Moly 2015 ($40 for 225 cases). This is 100% Petit Verdot. Dark in colour, the wine begins with floral fruit aromas supported by leather. On the dense palate, there and flavours of fig and plum and dark chocolate. 94.

Blasted Church Sacrosanct 2016 ($125 for clay-bottled wine, $65 for glass bottles). This is a Cabernet Franc fermented with wild yeast in an amphora, where it remained nine months on the skins before the wine was pressed off the skins. The wine is quite fruity – think black currant jam – with a voluptuous texture. 94.

Blasted Church Small Blessings Be Fruitful 2017 ($65 for 36 cases). This wine (fermented in a clay egg with wild yeast) is a blend of 42% Teroldego, 42% Lagrein and 16% Syrah. The former two varietals are Italian grapes from a Similkameen vineyard. The wine has aromas and flavours of tar, dark fruits and chocolate with an earthy finish. The wine is so unusual that I can’t begin to score it. Suffice it to say, it will create a sensation at someone’s dinner party, especially if paired with game.

Culmina by the numbers

Photo: Culmina winery

Several years ago, Culmina Family Estate Winery began releasing small lot wines in what it calls a number series.

These are the special wines that keep both winemakers and wine club members excited: winemakers because they get to craft pet projects; wine club members because they get to taste something rare and unusual.

In this fall’s release, the special wine is called No. 005 Süsser Riesling 2017. Those who know some German will understand that this will be a slightly sweet wine, such as you might find from a top German estate.

The trick to make sweet Riesling wines is the balance – enough acidity to keep the wine fresh and vibrant on the palate. Sweet wines lacking acid are flabby and boring. This wine is not.

No. 005 is made with clone 21B Riesling grown on the high-altitude vineyard that the winery calls Margaret’s Bench. The altitude preserves the intense flavours of the varietal, along with the acidity. The grapes for this wine were picked on October 17, 2017, indicating they had lots of hang time. Fermentation was entirely in stainless steel.

The wine was 48.3 grams of residual sugar. What stops the wine from seeming too sweet is that the acidity is 8.43 grams per liter. The wine might even have done with a few more grams of acid.

The combination of acidity and sugar will enable the wine to age as gloriously as well-made Riesling will. The winery says the aging potential is eight to 10 years.

Here are notes on No. 005 and its companions in the current Culmina release.

Culmina Decora Riesling 2017 ($21). The wine begins with aromas of citrus. On the palate, there are citrus and stone fruit flavours with a fine spine of minerality. The finish is crisp and dry. The fruit flavours linger. 90.

Culmina No. 005 Süsser Riesling 2017 ($26). This wine is modelled on the great off-dry German Rieslings. It begins with aromas of citrus and peach. The residual sugar lifts both the aroma and the luscious fruit flavours. The bright acidity and the minerality balance the sweet notes. The finish lingers. 92.

Culmina Dilemma Chardonnay 2016 ($34). Here is a Chardonnay to give Burgundy a run, beginning with complex aromas of fruit and oak. The wine has rich weight on the palate with flavours of citrus and apple mingled with lightly toasted oak. Bright acidity gives the wine a refreshing finish. The structure will support aging this wine for several more years. 92.

Culmina R&D Red Blend 2016 ($23). This is a blend of  five Bordeaux varietals (percentages unavailable). It has aromas and flavours of black currant, black cherry and vanilla. As the wine opens up, there are also flavours of plum and chocolate. The long ripe tannins give the wine a mouth-filling texture. Terrific value. 91.

JoieFarm's wines get a lift from the kitchen

Photo: JoieFarm's Heidi Noble

Heidi Noble, the proprietor at JoieFarm Winery, says her winemaking was re-invigorated this fall by here experience this summer, working with the winery’s two in-house chefs.

JoieFarm took its food service up a notch or more when Heidi, a trained chef herself, took her turn in the kitchen with chefs Brian Skinner and Lina Cascheto. The service was called Le Comptoir at Joie Picnique, a step beyond the excellent wood-fired pizzas the winery has had for several years.

For Heidi, the experience illuminated how her wines could be paired with various menus. And she encourages consumers to recreate Old World recipes and pair them with her European-inspired wines.

The JoieFarm wines, in fact, have always been food friendly wines, with just the right structure and acidity to flatter whatever is on the plate. This is especially so with the exceptional “En Famille” reserve tier.

Here are notes on current releases. All are from the 2016 vintage, one of the best in the last two decades.

JoieFarm “En Famille” Reserve Riesling 2016 ($27.90 for 381 cases). This wine could also be called “Old Vines) because the grapes are from the 1978 planting at what is now St. Hubertus Vineyards. The richness of old vines is immediately apparent on the nose, where notes of petrol mingle with lemon. On the palate, there are flavours of lemon, lime and ginger framed with honeyed notes. The residual sugar is 17 grams but is nicely balanced with acidity. The mouth-filling flavours persist on the very long finish. 92.

JoieFarm “En Famille” Reserve Chardonnay 2016 ($35 for 279 cases). This wine is made entirely with Chardonnay Musqué, a spicy clone. The wine presents in the glass with a light gold hue. The barrel-fermented wine was aged 10 months in oak, with regular lees stirring. The texture fills the mouth. It has aromas of melon, peach, with an herbal note that Heidi – who is a chef – calls drawn butter. The flavours are complex – baked apple, buttery but also briny. 92.

JoieFarm “En Famille” Reserve Gewürztraminer 2016 ($27.90 for 404 cases). The wine begins with aromas of rose petal spice and lychee. On the palate, the wine has a rich, oily texture and flavours of ripe apple and quince. On the finish, there is a hint of ginger and very slight alcoholic warmth, as you might experience with a top notch Alsace Gewürztraminer. 91.

JoieFarm Gamay 2016 ($19.50 for 615 cases). Dark in hue, the wine begins with aromas of black cherry and a hint of toast (the wine was aged 10 months in oak – some new barriques, first-fill puncheons and a large neutral oak cask). On the palate, the cherry and blackberry flavours are savoury. Silky tannins lead to a fresh, juicy finish. 91.

JoieFarm PTG 2016 ($25.90 for 714 cases). This is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Gamay Noir, a blend inspired by Burgundy.  The wine was aged 10 months in a combination of new and neutral oak. The wine begins with aromas of cherry and spice. That carries through to the flavours, along with plum. The wine has savoury, earthy notes on the finish. 91.

JoieFarm Pinot Noir 2016 ($26 for 670 cases). Rich in colour, the wine begins with aromas of cherry and tar. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry and raspberry, with savoury notes mingling oak and fruit on the finish. 90.

JoieFarm “En Famille” Reserve Pinot Noir 2016 ($40 for 474 cases). Dark in colour, with intense aromas where cherry mingles with vanilla and chocolate, this is a powerful Pinot Noir. It has flavours of raspberry and cherry with hints of chocolate and coffee. The complexity of this age-worthy wine starts with the use of four clones. The wine was aged eight months on oak (40% new, 60% neutral). 93.