SpearHead makes wine touring easy

Photo: SpearHead winemaker Grant Stanley

An acquaintance is planning to visit some Okanagan wineries later this month.

She tells me she has been astonished at the restrictions some wineries have placed around the reservations – including non-refundable charges. She understands why a winery would want to discourage no-shows. She is disappointed that, at some wineries, the tasting fee, or at least part of it, is not returned when a guest purchases wine.

It is hardly a way for a winery to make friends. But then, I am not trying to make a living with a winery in these strange times, so what do I know?.

But let me point you to SpearHead Winery in East Kelowna as an example of a sensible guest policy to accompany the excellent wine that Grant Stanley is making there.

This is the winery’s policy:

We encourage guests to pre-book their visit.

You may use our online reservation system below or contact us directly.

Walk-ins are welcome though subject to availability, please see host upon arrival.
Maximum group size is 6 people.

Tasting fee is $10 per person, waived with a 2 bottle purchase.

Tastings are complimentary for [wine club] members.

Upon arrival, please wait for our host to assist you to your tasting location.

We ask that you sanitize your hands when you arrive and adhere to the social distancing protocols that are in place at SpearHead Winery.

If you visit SpearHead, here are notes on the current releases.

SpearHead Pinot Gris 2019 ($20 for 1,362 cases). The wine begins with aromas of pears and apples and echoes those fruits on the palate, along with a hint of anise on the finish. The texture is full and the finish lingers. 91.

SpearHead Chardonnay 2018 Clone 95 ($30 for 576 cases). This wine was fermented in barrel and then aged 10 months in French oak barrels and puncheons (40% new). This is a lovely wine with a crystal clear focus on the fruit. The oak is quite subdued, evident just as a touch of vanilla in the aroma and flavour. The lead role is taken by zesty and refreshing flavours of pineapple and apple mingled with hints of butter. 92.

SpearHead Pinot Noir Cuvée 2018 ($40 for 450 cases). This is a complex and full-flavoured wine. To begin with, six clones are blended into the cuvée: 30% Dijon 777, 28% P0merol, 18% Dijon 828, and 8% each of Dijon 115, Dijon 667 and Mt. Eden. The wine was aged for 13 months in French oak barrels (40% new). Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of ripe raspberries, cherries and blueberries. The rich palate delivers all those fruits along with plum and spice. 94.

O'Rourke's first class wines

 Photo: Dennis O'Rourke

The wine released this summer by O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars are among the most impressive Okanagan wines that I have tasted this year.

This Lake Country winery is owned by Edmonton businessman Dennis O’Rourke, who made his millions in the heavy construction business in Alberta. He has chosen to invest some of those millions into two excellent Lake Country wineries.

O’Rourke Peak Cellars opened in 2017, originally as The Chase Winery until a trademark dispute led to a name change. The companion winery, O’Rourke Family Cellars, is expected to open next year when construction is complete. The latter winery crowns the top of a 75-acre vineyard with south-facing slope and a spectacular view of Lake Okanagan.

O’Rourke’s initial viticulturalist and winemaker was Adrian Baker, a talented New Zealander. When ill-health sidelined Adrian last year, Dennis recruited Nikki Callaway and Stephanie Stanley, also top-flight winemaking talents. Nikki is the head winemaker, with particular focus on the new facility.

Stephanie (right), who is in charge of the aromatic wine program at O’Rourke’s, is a Kelowna native who graduated at the top of the class from Brock University in 2003. Fluent in German, she had developed here interest in wine as a youth while working in Germany.

“I was working in a restaurant in the Pfalz area and there were wine festivals every weekend, every other weekend,” she told me in an interview. “Working in the restaurant, I just loved the social aspect of it and just loved the whole industry. It brought people together. It was a good lifestyle. I realized there is some kind of science involved in it and that’s where I figured I could apply my science skills.”

After graduating from Brock, she returned to Kelowna to work with Howard Soon at Calona and Sandhill Wines. Beginning in 2015, she has also done several vintages at Wither Hills Winery in New Zealand.

Born in Calgary in 1982, Nikki(left) is the daughter of a physician who worked for many years in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Nikki lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years until she was 14 and had completed elementary school. At that point, her family moved to Dubai so she could complete high school.

She came back to Canada f0r a bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the University of Victoria. She had not mapped out a career path although she was interested in wine. “Dad talked me out of medicine,” she recalls. “He thought I would have more fun drinking wine.”

So she went to Beaujolais in 2004 and picked grapes for two months while checking out French wine schools. She chose the University of Bordeaux and graduated in 2007 with a Diplôme National d’Oœnologue.

The winemaking program included hands-on cellar work in French wineries. Upon graduating, she worked about five months in a French winemaking co-operative. Then she went to South Africa to do a crush there before returning to France and doing another crush at a Loire winery.

She might have stayed in France but she could not get a work visa. So she returned to Canada in 2009 where Mission Hill offered her a four-month job. “It turned out to be four years,” she says.  Among other wines, she made a Mission Hill Pinot Noir that took a major award at London wine competition.

She went to Quails’ Gate in mid-2013 and, during five vintages, established herself as a formidable maker of Pinot Noir. She moved to Laughing Stock Vineyards in 2018 and joined O’Rourke a vintage later.

The vineyards underpinning the two O’Rourke wineries are dedicated to Pinot Noir and to aromatic white varieties, including Grüner Veltliner, a white variety from Austria. The varietals were selected by Adrian Baker when the vineyards were being developed. The choices were excellent, giving Nikki and Stephanie great fruit to work with.

Here are notes on the wines.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Pinot Gris 2018 ($18). This wine begins with aromas of peach, apple and a hint of anise. Fleshy in texture, it has flavours of pear, peach, apple and citrus. 92.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Grüner Veltliner 2018 ($24). This wine begins with aromas of melon mingled with herbal notes. On the rich palate, there are flavours of orange and ripe nectarine, with a hint of herbs and pepper on the finish. 91.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Gewürztraminer 2019 ($18). This is a dry Gewürztraminer in the style of Alsace. It has aromas and flavours of orange zest mingled with herbs and spice. 90.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Fieldling 2019 Block 26 ($24). This is a co-fermented field blend of 53% Pinot Gris, 32% Riesling and 15% Gewürztraminer. The wine begins with a hint of pineapple marmalade on the nose. The flavours are intense, with notes of sage, among other herbs, mingled with citrus flavours. The finish is persistent. 91.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Riesling 2019 ($21). The wine begins with aromas of lemon and lime mingled with the classic but subtle hint of petrol. The tangy, refreshing palate displays flavours of lime, green apple and subtle petrol notes. The finish is crisp and dry. This is a very good value. 91.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Riesling 2019 Block 11 ($28). This wine is more intense than the previous Riesling. It also has flavours of lime and green apple with a note of petrol. The finish is very long. The wine is dry but there is good weight in the texture. An age-worthy Riesling. 92.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 ($22). The wine presents in the glass with what the winery calls “clear and vibrant” hues. It begins with aromas of apples, pineapples, pears and very subtle grapefruit. The palate reveals a remarkable medley of fruits. The wine is crisp and ever so refreshing. 92.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Chardonnay 2017 ($30). The wine begins with aromas of butter, citrus and oak. The oak is bold on the palate (but not excessive), framing flavours of orange marmalade. 90.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 ($21). The wine begins with aromas of raspberry and strawberry which are echoed in the flavours, along with a note of watermelon. In the glass, the rose petal hue is attractive. On the finish, the wine is crisp and refreshing. 91.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Rosé Single Block 2019 ($26). This is made with Clone 28 Pinot Noir. This is a juicy, delicious rosé with an attractive rose petal hue in the glass. It has aromas and flavours of strawberry and watermelon. 91.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Pinot Noir 2018 ($32). This is an elegant and polished wine, beginning with restrained aromas of cherry. On the silky palate, there are flavours of cherry mingled with blueberry, with a hint of spice and mocha on the finish. 91.

50th Parallel takes on Champagne

 Photo: Winemaker Matthew Fortuna

The cool climate vineyard at 50^th Parallel Estate Winery, was planted a decade ago with Champagne and Pinot Noir in mind, among other wines.

This summer’s releases from winemaker Matthew Fortuna includes an elegant sparkling wine that put me in mind of Champagne. It looks and tastes like Champagne and it is priced like a Champagne.

I have no problem with that. For some time, I have thought that the producers of British Columbia’s premium sparkling wines were leaving money on the table. Lucky consumers that we are!

For some background on 50^th Parallel, here is an except from the recent edition of Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.

The 50th Parallel winery, near Carr’s Landing north of Lake Country, is farther north than the actual 50th parallel. Operating a winery beyond the 50th is considered risky anywhere in the world since the accepted latitude range for wine production is between 30 and 50 degrees north or south. Founding owners Sheri-Lee Turner and Curtis Krouzel have accepted that risk, which is moderated by the sun-bathed southern exposure of the vineyard and the moderating lake influence.

The bright wine shop is surrounded by glass on three sides, which frames the surrounding vineyards, hillsides, and Okanagan Lake “What we wanted to give people was the experience of not only the wine,” explains Sheri-Lee, “we wanted to give people the experience of the Okanagan.” Curtis picks up on that point. “Anywhere you look, you’re surrounded by the wine and you’re surrounded by this amazing place that creates the wine.”

The winery began humbly in a Quonset hut. The timbers from that were used for an elegantly curved tasting bar in an expanded wine shop. The grand winery was built subsequently and was joined in 2018 by the Block One restaurant. The architecture accentuates the the winery’s branding: the whole building is filled with parallel lines in the form of windows, columns, and steel beams. The culinary masterpieces in the restaurants are made using local ingredients, some grown by on the property by the chef.

Curtis and Sheri-Lee respect the property’s history. An earlier vineyard produced grapes for the Jordan & Ste-Michelle Winery (originally Growers Wines) in Victoria until the pullout program in 1988 when the unwanted vines were ripped out. The land remained unused for nearly 20 years until Curtis and Sheri-Lee purchased it in 2008. They have planted a 27-hectare (67-acre) vineyard of precisely oriented rows on a long southward-facing slope. The journey is still in progress. Curtis says, “The vision that Sheri-Lee and I have had for the last 19 years - that’s coming to fruition.”

Here are notes on current releases.

50^th Parallel Gewürztraminer 2019 ($20.50). The wine begins with aromas of spice and lychee. On the palate, there is an initial hit of herbal flavours and licorice that moves on to orange and orange zest. The finish is crisp and dry. This is one of the Okanagan’s most interesting Gewürztraminers. 92.

50^th Parallel Pinot Gris 2019 ($22.50).  The wine begins with aromas of peach and pear mingled with delicate spice. This is echoed on the palate, along with a hint of wildflower honey. The finish, however, is crisp and dry. 91.

50^th Parallel Chardonnay 2018 ($39.00). The subtle use of oak leads to inviting hints of buttery oak on the nose. On the palate, the flavours of tropical fruit stand out, along with creamy flavours of vanilla and nutmeg. The finish is persistent. 92.

50^th Parallel Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 ($23.50). The wine presents with a delicate rose petal hue, leading to aromas and flavours of strawberry and watermelon. The wine is juicy on the palate and refreshing on the finish. 90.

50^th Parallel Estate Pinot Noir 2017 ($34.00). Aromas of cherry mingle with herbal notes. On the palate, there is a delicious impact of cherry and dark berries with a note of mocha and spice on the finish. The texture is silky. 92.

50^th Parallel Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine 2017 ($85.00). Made in the traditional method, this wine presents in the glass with a delicate pink/bronze hue and an active mousse. It has aromas of pink grapefruit with a hint of brioche. The palate echoes the pink grapefruit and brioche flavours, with a crisp finish. 93.

Lakeside Cellars expands Osoyoos winery cluster

Photo: Lakeside Cellars principal Ricky Dhaliwal

As wine tourism revives, consumers should note that there are enough wineries within a mile or so of downtown Osoyoos to fill up a day of visits and tasting.

The latest winery in this six-winery cluster is Lakeside Cellars, which began hosting tastings in 2019 in its wine production building while completing a wineshop on the eastern shore of Osoyoos Lake.

Unless the web site has not been updated, it appears that the tastings have continued this summer in wine cellar. That would make sense, given the requirement to provide social distancing for guests. There is a lot of room in the cellar, and good air circulation. Judging from the four samples I tasted recently, the wines here are solid.

For background on the winery, here is an excerpt from the Okanagan Wine Tour Guide, which arrived in bookstores this summer at $25. The book profiles 240 wineries,

Harbans and Harkesh Dhaliwal and their son, Ricky, were considering building their winery near Oliver until they were able to purchase the Haynes Homestead in Osoyoos. Judge J. C. Haynes, the first customs agent and a major rancher in the South Okanagan, had built an elegant 10-room house here for his family in 1882.

The home, which commanded a view of Osoyoos Lake, was lived in almost until the Dhaliwals bought it along with a 5.6-hectare (14-acre) orchard where Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc vines replaced fruit trees. While the house lacked heritage designation, the original plan was to use it as the Lakeside Cellars tasting room. Closer inspection showed this was not practical. Because of the high water table under the house, a sump pump struggled to keep the basement dry and free of mould. The house was demolished after historical artifacts were transferred to the Osoyoos Museum. Timbers from the home also have been used in the new wine shop.

The Dhaliwals are veteran orchardists and cherry growers in both the Okanagan and Creston, where Ricky was born in 1990. He developed an interest in grapes after the family, in 2009, began converting some of its South Okanagan orchards. After finishing high school, he began taking Okanagan College courses in viticulture and travelling to wine regions in Europe.

When a decision to develop a winery was made in 2015, Ricky turned to consulting winemaker Jason Parkes to make the wines. Jason’s objective with most of his clients is to teach them to become their own winemakers. Lakeside’s first vintage was sold in bulk to help finance the ambitious 9,000-square-foot production building at the far end of the vineyard. Now producing 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year, the winery has capacity to grow as Ricky’s other vineyards mature.

“The end goal is to be growing my own fruit,” says Ricky. In addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, Lakeside now also grows Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Malbec. In 2019, Ricky planted just under a hectare (under 2½ acres) of Cinsault in the estate vineyard, having been inspired by the Cinsault rosé wines he tasted during a recent trip to Provence in France.

Here are notes on three whites and a rosé.

Lakeside Cellars Pinot Gris 2019 ($21 for 450 cases). This wine is crisp and refreshing, with aromas and flavours of peaches, pears and apples. 91.

Lakeside Cellars Portage White 2019 ($22 for 499 cases). This is a blend of 71% Chardonnay, 29% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is a veritable bowl of fruit, with aromas and flavours of peach and nectarine along with notes of lime. 91.

Lakeside Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($25 for 352 cases). The fruit for this wine comes from 22-year-old vines. That may account for the polished texture of the wine. It begins with aromas of lime and grapefruit. On the palate, flavours of lime and lemon mingle with subtle herbs and minerals. 90.

Lakeside Cellars Rosé 2019 ($23 for 448 cases). This is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc. Limited skin contact has yielded a delicate pink hue. It has aromas of strawberries and cherries which are echoed on the palate. This is a refreshing, juicy rosé. 90.

Laughing Stock hangs in with a natural wine

Photo: Winemaker Dave Carson

Laughing Stock Vineyards began using a clay amphora to make white wine in 2012, when David and Cynthia Enns still operated the winery.

They sold it to Arterra Wines Canada in 2017 and moved on 18 months later to their new project, 1 Mile Winery at Naramata.

To my surprise, Arterra has continued to make the amphora wine. Arterra is a big national wine producer, with excellent labels in its stable (Jackson Triggs, SunRock, Black Sage, See Ya Later Ranch, Inniskillin, Nk’Mip Cellars, Steller’s Jay, Sumac Ridge). There is nothing as edgy as an amphora wine in any of those portfolios.

In its technical note, Laughing Stock says: “Originally used in ancient Greek & Roman days, this approach embodies the desire to make wines more naturally with wild ferments and minimal intervention.”

The technique involves putting whole berries of Viognier and Roussanne into the three 500 litre clay amphorae that the winery owns. Each amphora is closed, left to ferment with wild yeast and then left in contact with the skins, for a total of 98 days. Nothing is added to the wine except a bit of sulphur. The wine is not fined or filtered before being bottled.

Natural wines have been having a moment in recent years. Several books have been written on the style. There is, I believe, an annual conference in Britain attended by aficionados of natural wine.

I have never attended it, nor do I plan to. The hair-shirt style of natural wines does not do it for me. I respect the honest intent with which they are made; and I get that there are lots of consumers with palates different than mine. Certainly enough to snap up all 100 cases of the Laughing Stock wine at the cellar door. Perhaps Arterra just decided to let Dave Carson, the winemaker in charge of the Laughing Stock cellar, continue to have as much fun as David Enns had.

Here are notes on the current releases, as well as on two wines from a previous release.

Laughing Stock Pinot Gris 2018 ($19.99). The rich texture of this wine reflects the complex winemaking, with 37% fermented in neutral French barrels, 3% in stainless steel and 27% in concrete eggs. The wine was aged sur lie for six months with weekly stirring. The wine has aromas and flavours of ripe pear and ripe apple. The finish lingers. 91.

Laughing Stock Amphora VR 2018 ($28.99). This is a blend of Viognier and Roussanne. It was aged 96 days on the skins in a 500 litre clay amphora – the way the Greeks and the Romans once made wines. This wine presents with a light gold hue and aromas of stone fruit. The flavours are quite complex, mingling apricot, orange and exotic tea flavours. The finish is bone dry. I would pair this wine with a deli platter of Italian meats. 89.

Laughing Stock Pinot Gris 2019 ($19.99 for 1,300 cases). Some 37% of this wine was fermented in neutral oak; 36% in stainless steel and 27% in concrete eggs. It begins with aromas of citrus, nectarine and peach. On the palate, the texture is rich (reflecting the impact of the concrete eggs). The fruit flavours are as exuberant as the aromas. 91.

Laughing Stock Amphora VR 2019 ($28.99 for 100 cases). This is Laughing Stock’s natural wine. Viognier (86%) and Roussanne (14%) are fermented in 500 litre terracotta amphorae. Whole berries go into the amphorae, are covered and left for 98 days. In the glass, the wine has an apricot hue, with a light haze. The aromas are quite complex – orange peel, stone fruit and tea. This is reflected on the palate, along with dried black tea and tannins. For my palate, this is a wine version of prosciutto, which would be my pairing. 88-90.

Laughing Stock Viognier 2019 ($24.99 for 460 cases). Forty percent of this was fermented in neutral oak; 36% in concrete eggs and 24% in stainless steel. The wine begins with floral aromatics and aromas of apricot and apple. It is rich on the palate, with flavours of apricot, ripe peach and ripe pineapple, with a spine of minerality. The 14.9% alcohol gives the wine some warmth on the finish. 90.

Laughing Stock Pinot Noir 2018 ($34.99 for 420 cases). The bold aromas of cherries mingle with notes of earth and leather. The flavours pick up from there, adding notes of spice and dark fruits. The texture is firm. There is also a hint of vanilla – the wine was aged 12 months in French oak barrels. 90.

Laughing Stock Portfolio 2017 ($49.99 for 2,708 cases). The blend is 48% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 20 months in French oak barrels (48% new). The wine begins with appealing aromas of cassis and vanilla. On the palate, there are flavours of black cherry, blueberry and blackberry and spice. The long ripe tannins give the wine a generous texture. 93.

Blue Mountain releases 2018 Pinot Noirs

Photo: Blue Mountain's Matt Mavety

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars has been a leading producer of Pinot Noir in the Okanagan since 1991.

For many years, the winery produced just an estate Pinot Noir. In time, as the vines and the winemaking matured, a Reserve Pinot Noir joined the portfolio. Beginning with the 2017 vintage, the winery also released three single vineyard block Pinot Noirs along with the other two.

The winery is about to release all five of its Pinot Noirs from the 2018 vintage. Those  who were very impressed with the 2017 single vineyard block wines will be completely swept away by the exceptional 2018s.

 I tasted these wines with a friend who has great affection for Pinot Noir and deep knowledge about the varietal. He shared my excitement for the single vineyard block wines. He wondered why Blue Mountain, since it has been growing Pinot Noir for more than 30 years, had waited until last year to release what would be Grand Cru wines if the Okanagan were Burgundy.

Last year, Blue Mountain winemaker Matt Mavety told me that the decision to bottle single vineyard block wines in the 2017 vintage was the culmination of at least a decade of experience with the Blue Mountain vineyard. 

“As our understanding of the vineyards and the wines we are making from specific blocks emerged, we had three blocks we could isolate as three unique personalities,” Matt says.  “We definitely have differences in the soils here. One of the blocks in particular is different, based on the soil. But quite often, we find the topography is what is giving us a significant difference in the sites.”

Wine from these blocks was already part of the estate and reserve blends. In order not to strip quality from those, only small bottlings – about 1,800 bottles each – have been released as single block wines. When the wines are lined up side by side, the differences are evident.

“Our customer may have a preference one way or another, but we are not ranking them,” Matt says. “There is an order in which they are poured but not necessarily an order of one, two and three.”

Each block has been named in an attempt to telegraph the personalities of the wines. Block 9, a vineyard block just under a hectare in size with undulating terrain and multiple exposures, is now Wild Terrain. Block 14 is Gravel Force because the soil is a mix of gravel and clay. Block 23’s name, River Flow, is suggested by the sandy soils.

The winemaking is similar for all of these wines. The grapes are harvested by hand, de-stemmed and lightly crushed into open-top fermenting tanks. Fermentations are done with wild yeast. The maceration period is 14 to 18 days with light pump-overs and cautious punch-downs of the cap.

At the end of fermentation, the wine is drained to tank and the remaining pomace is gently pressed. The wine settles for three to seven days and is then decanted into French oak. Portions of the reserve Pinot and the three single vineyard block wines age in barrels ranging from new to four years old. The wines age on their fine lees, which contributes a richness to the texture.

All the wines were bottled in March 2020 and have had six or so months in bottle before release.

Treating the grapes the same way allows the terroir to shine through. The difference between the estate Pinot Noir and the reserve appears to reflect blending of wines from the best barrels. The personalities of the single vineyard block wines clearly reflects the terroir of those specific sites.

Here are notes on the wines.

Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018 ($35). Made with four clones of 12-year-old vines, this is a bright Pinot Noir, with aromas and flavours of cherries and baking spice. The texture is silky. 90.

Blue Mountain Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018 ($45). This wine, which is significantly richer on the palate, is made with four clones of fruit from vines that range in age from 21 years to 34 years. It begins with aromas of cherries, blueberries and dark fruits. The wine is savoury with flavours of cherry and plum and a hint of earthiness on the lingering finish. 93.

Blue Mountain Gravel Force Block 14 Pinot Noir 2018 ($55). Made with two clones (115, 667) from 31-year-old vines, this is a wine with power. The winery calls it “brooding.” It is rich and full of dark fruit flavours and has what Burgundians would call forest floor on the finish. 95.

Blue Mountain River Flow Block 23 Pinot Noir 2018 ($55). This is made from clones 113 and 144; the vines are 26 years old and grow in sandy loam. The wine begins with voluptuous aromas of cherry and spice leading to seductive flavours of cherry and ripe raspberry. 95.

Blue Mountain Wild Terrain Block 9 Pinot Noir 2018 ($55). The vines here, clones 115 and 667, are 21 years old. The block’s topography is described as variable and extreme. The texture is firmer than its partners. The spice notes that mingle with dark fruits on the nose and palate recall hints of orange peel. It is a surprising untamed but pleasing character. 94.

Camelot's 2019s are expressive wines

 Photo: Camelot owner Robert Young with wine director Julian Samoisette (right).

Tucked away in East Kelowna, Camelot Vineyards Estate Winery has kept a low profile since opening in 2009.

In recent years, the wines made by Julian Samoisette, Camelot’s wine director, deserve a second look – or perhaps a first if this label still is not on your radar screen.

The four samples sent recently were accompanied by Julian’s excellent narrative on the wines and the vintage. I am reproducing most of it here.

“A bumper crop of Gewürztraminer [in 2019] allowed me to skew our White Knight blend a little more heavily towards that varietal than I have in the past,” Julian began. “After the cool finish to 2018, and the resulting low alcohol of that vintage, we really let this past year’s Gewürztraminer hang on the vine to get all the sun it could. I really wanted to fatten up this blend and achieve some real mouthfeel, along with the beautiful perfume that always comes along with Gewurztraminer. For a few different reasons, the Riesling addition is very slight compared to previous years. I expect it'll still please a crowd, but it is definitely a welcome deviation. from previous vintages.”

The 2019 Riesling is the first release of this varietal in five years.

“The wet weather last September led to some loss due to rot, but the fruit we did get was of great quality, so I wasn't deterred in showcasing it in the bottle,” Julian wrote. “As much as I do enjoy bone-dry Riesling, a touch of residual sugar goes a long way in offsetting the high acid and helps make the varietal a little more user-friendly, so that's the style I pursued with this wine. The early response to it has been positive, which is great to hear because I really believe people's perception and appreciation of Riesling is improving with exposure. They definitely have their options [among the wineries] in Southeast Kelowna. We're all too happy to add to the bench's great reputation for the grape.”

There is so much Pinot Gris in the market that it is hard to make one distinctive enough for consumers to remember it, Julian believes.

“After three or four vintages of experimentation, I believe I've found the Pinot Gris profile I've been searching for,” Julian writes. “I've been aiming for a more expressive aromatic profile for our Pinot Gris, and with the help of a yeast I've been using the last few years, I think I've finally got it. We also reduced the cold soak time from 20 hours to 14, which obviously resulted in a much lighter, almost straw-colored hue in the bottle. Despite the higher alcohol compared to 2018, I find the 2019 Pinot Gris actually lighter in flavor, which I think works better than previous years. hence the constant tinkering with the process in the cellar. Hopefully this can be the one that sticks out!”

The final wine in the current release is a wine that Camelot chooses to call Ruthless Rosé, in honour of Robert Young's mother Ruth,  now 87.

“For the third season in a row, we've used some of our Pinot Noir to make our Ruthless Rosé,” Julian writes.

“While I loved the bright pink hue of our previous two rosés, I wanted to see a lighter color in the bottle this time around. Maybe not the pale orange of Provence, but definitely scaled back a touch. Along with reducing the maceration time, I decided to add a little Gewurztraminer to the final product as well. I'd done the same but with  Riesling the previous two years to add acidity.  I found the Gewürztraminer added a bit of perfume and weight to the finished wine. Just like the other new releases, I've tried to make the new vintage different enough to be interesting, but similar enough to be recognizable to our long-time customers.”

He ended his narrative with a reference to an upcoming red wine release.

“We currently have 2019 Pinot Noir in the barrel and are hoping for an early October release,” Julian wrote. “We're pretty excited because it's been a couple years since we've made a full-blooded Pinot Noir. I know our customers are definitely thirsty for one so we're very much looking forward to having it available in the fall.”

Here are my notes on the wines.

Camelot White Knight 2019 ($17.90).  Spicy on the nose, this is a fruity blend predominantly made with Gewürztraminer. On the palate, there are flavours of lychee, Mandarin orange and ripe peach, with a lingering finish. 91.

Camelot Estate Riesling 2019 ($21.90). Somewhat retained on the nose, this Riesling needs more bottle age to reveal its potential. Not a bad thing – Riesling is like that. On the palate, there are flavours of citrus and apple. The balance is spot on – just enough residual sugar to flesh out the texture while leaving a bright finish. 90.

Camelot Pinot Gris 2019 ($19.90). This wine is a bowl full of tropical fruit, including banana, guava and stone fruits. The texture is fleshy and the finish just goes on and on. This is a very good Pinot Gris indeed. 92.

Camelot Ruthless Rosé 2019 ($19.90). The wine presents with a delicate pink hue. It has aromas of strawberry and watermelon. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry and watermelon, with a rich texture and a dry, lingering finish. 91.