Amulet releases its newest handcrafted wines

Photo: Winemaker Dwight Sick

Now releasing its second offering, Amulet Wines is a project of winemaker Dwight Sick in co-operation with his friends, Dylan and Pénélope Roche. The wines are made at the Roche winery on the Naramata Bench and can be purchased through either the Roche or Amulet web sites. These are exceptional handcrafted wines. “These wines are singular and focused wines that have taken the last 15 years to conceptualize and create,” Dwight explains on his site. “Grown in some of the best vineyard sites in the Okanagan Valley, our grapes are tended by hard-working hands along with a ruthless attitude to grow quality before quantity. This approach in the vineyard enables a gentle translation in the cellar which produces honest and pure wines that are terroir-driven. Production is extremely limited and we plan to keep it that way.”

A former flight attendant who switched to winemaking in 2004, Dwight was for many years the winemaker at Stag’s Hollow Winery. A few years ago, he became the winemaker at Moraine Vineyards. He continues there as a consulting winemaker and recently took on the same role at Seven Stones Winery in the Similkameen Valley. With the Amulet project, he has paid great attention to the packaging as well as to the wines. “Our initial releases of Amulet wines have featured a medallion on the bottles which is a replica recast of the original hand-struck Gold Angel coin from the Elizabethan era,” Dwight explains. “First appearing in 1470, the coin depicts St. Michael slaying an evil dragon. These types of coins were often given to sufferers of the ‘evil’ by the monarch in ceremonies that were presided over by the clergy. The coins were pierced with holes for a string which were often then draped around the neck and were worn as Amulets of healing or protection to those in its possession.”

On the current release, the medallion is the flip side of the coin, showing the image of a merchant ship. “The inscription on the coin loosely translated reads ‘This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous,’” Dwight writes. He adds that is “perhaps a direct allusion to the new wines themselves.” Here are my notes on the wines, which indeed live up to the medallion.

Amulet White 2019 ($26.09 for 110 cases). This is a blend of Viognier with 12% Marsanne, all from Naramata Bench. The juice, from gentle whole cluster pressing, was fermented cool in French oak (20% new). The wine went through malolactic fermentation and was aged six months on the lees. The wine begins with aromas of stone fruit, spice and honey. Flavours of peach and nectarine wrap around a backbone of minerality. There is a hint of vanilla on the persistent finish. 92.

Amulet Red 2020 ($34.78 for 98 x six bottle cases). This is 50% Grenache, 48% Syrah and 2% Viognier, all from the Naramata Bench. The wine was matured on the lees for seven months in neutral French oak barrels. The result is a juicy wine with lifted floral and cherry aromas. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry, plum and spice. 91.

Amulet Syrah 2019 ($62.52 for 88 x six bottle cases). This is 96% Syrah from Oliver with 4% Viognier from the Naramata Bench. The grapes were allowed a seven-day cold soak before fermentation began with indigenous yeast. After 22 days, the free run wine was drained off and the grape skins were pressed gently. The wine was transferred to French oak barrels (50% new, 50% second use) and matured there for 20 months. In the glass, the wine is as dark as midnight. This is a Syrah with an earthy, brooding personality; and aromas and flavours of fig, prune and pepper. 93.

Clos du Soleil: Bordelaise in the Similkameen

Photo: Managing director Michael Clark

Clos du Soleil Winery is one of the leading producers in the Similkameen Valley. Opened in 2008, the winery began as a venture by four professional couples with a shared admiration of Bordeaux wines. Accordingly, the original vineyard and most of the subsequent vineyards the winery developed are dedicated primarily to Bordeaux varietals. Michael Clark, the winery’s winemaker and managing director, joined the Clos partnership in 2012, also bringing a fine Bordeaux consciousness to the production in spite of previously have been a banker and a bond dealer.

Michael, who was born in Cambridge, Ontario, in 1972, describes wine as “my number one passion literally before I could drink wine. When I was a kid, I was fascinated with wine. Champagne is for Breakfast – I read that book when I was probably 10 years old. I don’t know other children who loved to read wine books.” The reference is the delightful introduction to wine by the late George Bain, a columnist for The Globe & Mail. It was published in 1972 and still is available on Amazon. Initially, Michael set out on a career in theoretical physics with bachelor’s degree from Queens University and then a master’s degree from the University of British Columbia. Then he switched to finance with a master of business administration from UBC, where he also founded a campus wine tasting society. “Then I worked in finance in Canada and in the U.S. and Switzerland, for about 15 years.” That included eight years with two Swiss banks where, while holding senior positions, he committed to winemaking by taking winemaking and viticulture courses there in 2010. He then gained experience by doing crushes at wineries in Switzerland and in Bordeaux.

In 2011, he enrolled in the rigorous winemaking program from the University of California at Davis. While still in Europe, he began researching British Columbia winemaking opportunities before making Clos Du Soleil his choice. Consulting winemaker Ann Sperling had made the first five vintages before handing over to Michael. He is a very capable winemaker, so detailed-oriented that he has sometimes described himself as a worrier. With wines like this, there is nothing to worry about. Here are my notes.

Clos du Soleil Winemaker’s Series Pinot Blanc 2020 ($20.90 for 463 cases). The fruit, from the winery’s Middle Bench Vineyard, was fermented entirely in stainless steel. This is a textbook expression of the varietal – crisp, fresh and focussed with aromas and flavours of apple, pear and citrus. 91.

Clos du Soleil Winemaker’s Series Chardonnay 2020 ($24.90 for 352 cases). The fruit for this wine comes from the winery’s La Côte Vineyard. Fermentation was 50% in stainless steel, 50% in oak puncheons. Only 30% of the barrels were allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, thus preserving the acidity and the refreshing brightness of the wine. It begins with aromas of apple, pear and quince, echoed on the palate. The wine has good weight with a backbone of minerality. 91.

Clos du Soleil Fumé Blanc 2020 ($20.90 for 700 cases). This is 74% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Sémillon. The fruit, all from the Dhaliwal Brothers Vineyard near Oliver, was lightly crushed and left on the skins for three hours to extract more flavour. The varietals were fermented separately in stainless steel and French oak puncheons. The wine was aged on the lees for four months before being blended. Aromas and flavours of lime and grapefruit mingle with herbal notes. The finish is persistent. 91.

Clos du Soleil Rosé 2020 ($22.90 for 658 cases). This is a rare and interesting example of a Malbec rosé, with fruit from the La Côte Vineyard. The wine is fashionably pale, with flavours and aromas of rhubarb, strawberry and cherries. It is crisply dry with a refreshing lift from the tangy acidity. 91.

Clos du Soleil Signature 2018 ($47.90 for 473 cases). This is 42% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine was fermented on concrete tanks with indigenous yeast. It was then aged 16 months French oak barrels, with the best barrels selected for what is the winery’s flagship red. It spent another year in bottle before release. The wine begins with appealing aromas of cassis, blackberry and blueberry. There is rich and complex fruit expression the palate, with flavours echoing the aroma and mingled with black cherry and mint. Long, ripe tannins give the wine a polished elegance. 94.

Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve Red 2017 ($53 for 95 cases). This wine was fermented in concrete with wild yeast; each variety was vinified separately, matured 18 months in French oak and then blended. The wine begins with aromas that mingle herbs and spice with black currant, cherry and cigar box. On the palate, there are flavours of black currant, blackberry, plum, spice and dark chocolate. This is a sophisticated and complex wine with the structure to age. For current consumption, decanting is recommended. 95.

CheckMate produces another 100-point Chardonnay

Photo: Winemaker and general manager Philip McGahan

For the third vintage in a row, I have awarded 100 points to Little Pawn Chardonnay from CheckMate Artisanal Winery. The consistency is a compliment to the skills of Philip McGahan, the winemaker and general manager at CheckMate.

Of equal importance is the vineyard. There is something quite special about the Jagged Rock Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench that produces these grapes. “Jagged Rock Vineyard, surrounded by steep rocky cliffs at 1,400 feet elevation, is a remarkable spot,” agrees a spokesman for Sebastian Farms, the holding company that manages the vineyard for Mission Hill and associated wineries. “The sparse, sun-kissed soils and heat radiating off the cliffs provides an ideal viticultural environment. Our Jagged Rock vineyard in the Southern Okanagan is tucked in against steep cliffs where cool desert nights, incredible sunlight, and a variety of unique soils provide an excellent home for our wines.” The soils are deep, stone free and were formed from glacial deposits. The spare nature of the soils helps produce balanced fruit. Winemaker Philip oversees the viticulture, making sure the Chardonnay vines are farmed to suit his requirements. In addition to Chardonnay, other varieties also do well at Jagged Rock. These include Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Those wines are produced by Mission Hill. CheckMate has a very focused portfolio: just Chardonnay and Merlot.

Some of the wines reviewed here are about to be released while four of the Chardonnays are scheduled for release next April, as indicated. I was fortunate to get a pre-release tasting with the winemaker. Here are my notes.

CheckMate Queen Taken Chardonnay 2018 ($125 for nine barrels). The fruit is what the winery calls the Dekleva Clone, named for the original grower who planted vines in 1975 on the Golden Mile vineyard now owned by CheckMate. That was an era when few bothered about identifying clones with accuracy, if at all. John Simes, the long-time Mission Hill winemaker (now retired), came across the vineyard in 1992 and produced an award-winning Chardonnay. In 2014, after CheckMate bought the vineyard, John replanted much of it with additional Dekleva cuttings. This complex wine justifies that faith in the Dekleva Clone. The wine, fermented with indigenous yeast, delivers a rich and savoury with notes of guava, apple, mandarin orange mingled with minerality. 94.

CheckMate Capture Chardonnay 2018 ($95 for eight barrels). The fruit, all Dijon Clone 76, is from Border Vista Vineyard in Osoyoos. Fermentation was with indigenous yeast. The aromas are appealing, with floral notes giving way to apple and citrus. The wine is rich on the palate with flavours of mandarin orange mingled with butter and stone fruit. The finish is very long. 93. .

CheckMate Knight’s Challenge Chardonnay 2018 ($95). The grapes, clones 76 and 95, are from a Black Sage Bench vineyard. This is a Chardonnay with considerable intensity, starting with buttery aromas and going on to flavours of mandarin orange and apricot. The finish is quite persistent. 98. April 2022 release.

CheckMate Queen’s Advantage Chardonnay 2018 ($95 for seven barrels). The clones here are unknown because Joe Fatur, the original developer of the vineyard, planted this Golden Mile vineyard in the 1970s. Like Queen’s Taken, this wine is rich on the palate, with flavours of guava and mandarin wrapped around a spine of minerality. Sixty percent was fermented with indigenous yeast. 93.

CheckMate Attack Chardonnay 2018 ($115 for seven barrels). This wine was fermented and aged in 1,600-litre foudres. It is one of CheckMate’s brightest, fruit-forward Chardonnays, intense on the palate with flavours of peach and citrus. The finish has great length. 97. April 2022 release.

CheckMate Fool’s Mate Chardonnay 2018 ($95 for 19 barrels). This wine combines fruit from five vineyards in the South Okanagan. It was fermented and aged in a combination of cooperage: nine barrels, one foudre and one concrete egg. Tight in structure, the wine begins with floral aromas leading to flavours of citrus, apple, mango and herbs. There is a note of sea salt on the long finish. 94. April 2022 release.

CheckMate Little Pawn Chardonnay 2018 ($110 for 12 barrels). To my palate, this has emerged as the finest Chardonnay in the CheckMate portfolio: simply polished perfection. It is floral in aroma with notes of citrus, peach and papaya intense on the palate. The finish does not want to quit. 100. April 2022 release.

CheckMate Opening Gambit Merlot 2017 ($95). The grapes are from the Osoyoos East Bench, fermented entirely with wild yeast with extended skin contact. The wine was aged 21 months in new French oak. It begins with aromas of cassis and blackberry. On the palate, there are concentrated flavours of black cherry mingled with herbal and spice notes. The tannins are polished, with a firmness that will support cellaring. 98.

CheckMate Black Rook Merlot 2017 ($95). The fruit for this wine is from the Black Sage Bench, fermented with wild yeast and given extended skin contact. The wine was aged 21 months in new French oak. Brambly aromas of black cherry and blackberry bound from the glass. The palate is lush and inviting, with flavours of black cherry, chocolate and licorice. The finish is persistent, with notes of sage and spicy oak. 96.

TIME refreshes its branding and begins expansion

Photo: TIME owners Ron and Shelley Mayert (Chris Stenberg photo).

The new owners of Penticton’s TIME Winery have begun a significant expansion as well as rebranding. Last year, TIME, which was founded by the late Harry McWatters, was acquired by Ron and Shelley Mayert, a Fraser Valley business couple. Ron, a co-founder of Petcurean Pet Nutrition, was born in Summerland. The opportunity to buy the winery returned him to his Okanagan roots. The rebranding of TIME begins by changing the name to TIME Family of Wines and offering three distinct tiers of wine. Evolve Cellars continues as the value brand, with refreshed labels and two new wines – a white blend called Spontaneity and a red blend called Momento. The wines at the heart of the TIME portfolio now are released under the Chronos label. Chronos is the name of a Greek god associated with time, among many other things. There currently are six wines under the Chronos label. The most colorfully named wine is a red blend called Ouroboros. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines Ouroboros as “a circular symbol that depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail and that is used especially to represent the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth.” The McWatters Collection tier has been retained for the ultra-premium wines, representing the legacy of Harry McWatters.

Christa-Lee McWatters, the general manager at TIME, says the winery retained the Dossier Creative, a highly regarded Vancouver design house, to do the rebranding and label redesign. The 15,000-square-foot winery occupies a building that once served as a four-screen movie theatre in downtown Penticton. The Mayerts plan a major expansion of the facility that will include a roof-top patio, two private meeting and dining rooms, an epicurean restaurant, a second-floor tasting room with an expanded market area adjacent to the ground-floor tasting bar.

TIME will also open a satellite wine shop in the new District Wine Village beside Highway 97 north of Oliver. There, the winery joins 15 other producers with tasting rooms and wine shops. Christa-Lee also indicated that the winery is also looking for vineyard property. Currently, TIME operates as a commercial winery, relying on purchases grapes at a time when there is a shortage of grapes in the Okanagan.

Here are notes on three new releases from TIME.

Evolve Spontaneity 2020 ($21.99 for 275 cases). This is a blend of 50% Pinot Gris, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Ortega. The wine begins with aromas of lime and peach. On the palate, there are flavours of peach, apricot and apple, with bright acidity give the wine a fresh, tangy lift on the finish. It is a delicious wine. 90.

Chronos Rosé 2020 ($24.99 for 450 cases). This is 100% Syrah. Limiting skin contact to five hours has produced an appealing rose petal hue. The wine begins with jammy and fruity aromas, leading to flavours of strawberry and watermelon with a hint of red licorice and a dry finish. 91.

McWatters Collection White Meritage 2020 ($29.99 for 440 cases). This is a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Sémillon, with half of the Sémillon fermented in oak barrels. The wine begins with citrus aromas mingled with herbal notes. On the palate, the wine delivers flavours of herbs, guava and tangerine. The texture is lush but the finish is dry and persistent. 92.

Corcelettes winery is on a roll

Photo: Jesce and Charlie Baessler

It is first vintage in 2011, Corcelettes Estate Winery made just 200 cases. Charlie and Jesce Baessler, who run the Similkameen-based winery, have come a long way since. Corcelettes is now producing 5,500 cases a year and is continuing to expand. In several recent wine competitions, Corcelettes has been judged of the 10 best small wineries in Canada. For background on the winery, here is an except from The Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.

The name of this winery reflects the Swiss roots of the Baessler family. Before they moved to a Manitoba grain farm in 1978, Urs and Barbara Baessler had a family farm near Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland called Domaine de Corcelettes. The name followed when they moved to a Similkameen Valley garlic farm in 2007 and planted vines in 2010. “The goal always was to have some grapes,” Urs says. The vineyard propelled their son, Charlie, into winemaking. Born in 1985, he took a job in the vineyard and cellar at Herder Winery and Vineyards after earning a science degree at the University of Lethbridge in 2007. Late the following year, he moved to the Burrowing Owl winery, where he became a vineyard manager and learned winemaking under the tutelage of Bertus Albertyn, then Burrowing Owl’s winemaker. In 2013, the Baesslers opened their own winery on their 1-hectare (2½-acre) vineyard near Cawston, which grew just three white varieties.

Even with purchased grapes, the original Corcelettes could not support two families. Charlie and Jesce, his Nunavut-born wife, also worked at other Similkameen wineries, while Urs became a long-distance truck driver. Then Herder Winery, where Charlie had his start, came on the market in 2013 (the result of a divorce). The vineyard was larger and planted primarily with red varieties, and the winery was well equipped. Friends of the Baessler family, Brandon businessman Gordon Peters and his wife, Diane, partnered with the Baesslers to take over Herder early in 2015. Urs and Barbara sold the Cawston vineyard to move to a property adjacent to Herder, now rebranded as Corcelettes with a vineyard expanded 27 acres. The Corcelettes portfolio now supports the two Baessler families with five white wines and ten reds. Jesce says that Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah are the “three cheerleaders” in the uniquely sunbathed vineyard. The vines grow in mineral-rich soils bordered by a steep south-facing rocky hillside. Located halfway up the hill, the winery and the tasting room command a dramatic panorama over the Similkameen Valley.

Here are notes on current releases.

Corcelettes Chardonnay 2019 Micro Lot Series ($35 for 195 cases). This barrel-fermented Chardonnay spent six months in French oak (20% new). The mandarin and peach aromas and flavours mingle with notes of vanilla and butter in this bold, fruit-forward Chardonnay. 91.

Corcelettes Oracle 2020 ($19.90 for 760 cases). This fashionably pale rosé is 81% Pinot Noir, 19% Syrah. There are aromas and flavours of strawberry and papaya. 90.

Corcelettes Pinot Noir 2020 ($26 for 560 cases). This youthfully exuberant wine has aromas and flavours of plum and black cherry. The wine has the classic silky tannins of a well-made Pinot Noir. 91.

Corcelettes Merlot 2018 ($28.90 for 795 cases). With fruit from 16-year-old vines, this wine has great concentration of flavour. The grapes were on the skins for 30 days during ferment. The wine was aged 18 months in oak (92% French, 8% American). The wine begins with aromas of black cherry and black currant. The palate delivers flavours of fig, black cherry, cassis and spice. 91.

Corcelettes Syrah 2018 ($28 for 540 cases). The wine begins with aromas of pepper and cooking spices mingled with fig. Plump in texture, the wine delivers flavours of fig and black cherry mingled with chocolate and black pepper. 92. Corcelettes Syrah 2019 ($28 for 680 cases). This is a bold and meaty Syrah with classic notes of pepper in the aroma and on the finish. On the palate, deli meat flavours mingle with dark cherry and fig. 92.

Corcelettes Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($46.90 for 175 cases). This is an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, beginning with aromas of cassis and blueberry. Full on the palate and with long ripe tannins, it delivers delicious sweet fruit flavours – black currant mingled with cherry and blueberry. The finish is very long. 93.

Corcelettes Talus 2018 ($49.90 for 320 cases). The flagship red blend, this is 35% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. This wine was crafted with great care, beginning with selecting grapes from the best rows and handling them as small lots. Some lots had as much as 65 days of extended maceration to extract flavour and texture. Aromas of black cherry and blueberry mingle with spice. On the concentrated palate, there are flavours of dark fruits, dark chocolate and spice. 92+.

Corcelettes Talus 2019 ($49.90 for 355 cases). The blend is 45% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine takes its name from the “Talus slides” on the steep walls of the mountains bordering the Similkameen Valley. The soils of the estate vineyards here are a mix of earth and broken stone. The soils and the sun exposure make for very full-flavoured grapes. This is a rich wine with aromas and flavours of dark cherry, black currant, fig, spice and mocha. 93.