Collectibles: June 2017

Starting in the esteemed Naramata Bench and working our way south, four rare Pinot Noir represent the majority of this month’s collection of top-notch BC wine. One of those Pinots brings significant pedigree with a newly awarded Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines, joined by a second Award winner in the form of a hard-to-come-by Syrah I nabbed direct from the Osoyoos tasting room. The several wines featured this month span a range of vintages and releases, with older wines being both newly released or sourced from the last few cases. Each one has a story of place and time, and a spot in the cellar for the years to come.

Laughing Stock 2015 Pinot Noir: The third year of Laughing Stock’s reanimated Pinot program ran headlong into the Okanagan’s hottest vintage on record, making for a big, bold wine in contrast to the elegant cool-climate Pinot Noir more common to the valley. The new estate vineyard the winery is cultivating on the Naramata Bench is supplemented by two nearby high-bluff properties at present, and the combination yielded 300 cases from an unusually early September 10 harvest. After 15% was fermented whole cluster in an oak tank (and rest whole berry), the wine spent 14 months in French oak, just 17% of it new and three quarters third use. Priority access for Wine Club members guaranteed me a bottle during a recent visit, as the “Small Cap” release won’t last very long. Winery Direct $38

Howling Bluff 2013 Century Block Pinot Noir: It will be a celebratory summer down the road at Howling Bluff, as Luke Smith proudly accepts his fourth Lieutenant Governor’s Award - and the third for Pinot Noir. This tiny lot of about 80 cases reserved from the estate vineyard’s Century Block went through a soft-release this spring as Luke tried to determine its fate after extensive bottle aging: lucky members of the BC Wine Appreciation Society enjoyed the wine with him during a dinner at Glowbal just last month. Upon my first taste it launched a striking aroma of orange pekoe tea before the juicy cherry palate brought a burst of fruit that grew over time. With the province’s most prestigious wine award in hand sales in the wine shop have opened up, with a price set to keep it in stock at least in the short term. Winery Direct $75

La Frenz 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir: The high heat of 2015 made for more powerful Pinot from Naramata neighbour La Frenz. Jeff & Niva Martin’s seven-acre Desperation Hill vineyard grows five clones, and the best blocks of the numbered four (91, 115, 667, and 828) were selected to comprise 400 cases of the Reserve tier in 2015. The winery clearly feels this “knockout” is a notable departure from the previous vintages, describing it as having a deeper concentration of flavours, dense palate weight, and plush mouthfeel. At this year’s Dan Berger International Wine Competition in California, the Reserve Pinot contributed to La Frenz’s domination, which included four Gold medals. The wine is also headed to the prestigious International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon this July as BC’s only entrant, and (by exclusive invitation) to the Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia come August. Winery Direct $35

Meyer 2015 McLean Creek Road Pinot Noir: At least five different Pinot Noir of different tiers are included in Meyer’s portfolio (six if you include the new varietal Rosé), so release dates are staggered, providing Club members with the workhorse home vineyard version this month. Harvested in late September, the free-run juice spent 11 months in (25% new) French oak before bottling of 600 cases last fall. The winery feels this muscular version is suitable for long-term cellaring (2017-2024), and the deeper fruit flavour profile was observed by John Schreiner at this spring’s Okanagan Falls Tasting: his 91-point review speaks of “spicy black cherry and cloves.” It sounds a little heavier than last year’s well received vintage, showing the warm, dry weather of 2015, but I’ve got patience to let the structure coalesce until at least 2020. Winery Direct $40 (and available in Norway as of July!)

Maverick 2014 Bush Vine Syrah: Showing the southern Okanagan’s continued superiority in Syrah, both of those who received Lieutenant Governor’s Awards this year came from the region. While The Hatch found favour in the Osoyoos East Bench, Bertus Albertyn’s experiments with unusual Goblet-trained (“Bush”) vines north-west of town got the nod as well. The small winery of the Albertyn family is a first-time winner for this small lot (185 cases) of whole-bunch, foot-stopped Syrah. Fermented in one large 3,400-liter vat, it then spent 18 months in older French oak before bottling last September. The meaty aromas lead into admirable intensity on the palate, where quintessential black, spicy fruit make their mark. Winery Direct $32

Stag’s Hollow 2013 Hawk’s Hollow: A pleasant surprise in my recent Wine Club shipment from Stag’s Hollow came in the form of this uncommon Cabernet-Syrah. Although officially released last summer - to a Silver medal at the 2016 National Wine Awards - Club members were treated to some of the remaining bottles (only about 100 cases were produced). The blend sees 45% each of Osoyoos Syrah and Oliver-area Cabernet Sauvignon accessorized with 10% Osoyoos Petit Verdot. Having spent 15 months in French oak (40% new), it seems destined for even further bottle age to soften the full-bodied tannins and further develop the balanced palate. Despite being only the second vintage of this wine produced since the inaugural 2012, it is destined to be the last, as other directions take priority in Winemaker Dwight Sick’s packed portfolio. Winery Direct $40

Orofino 2014 Scout Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: Having two different Similkameen Valley vineyard sources for Cabernet Sauvignon, John & Virginia Weber can release an enviable pair of wines each year. The Passion Pit Vineyard iteration was here and gone in short order late last fall, but this spring the 250 cases from Cawston’s Scout Vineyard were deemed ready for release after some aging (following bottling last September). Given the quality of the vintage I expect to relish this well-priced expression of Similkameen terroir in the years to come. While discussing Orofino’s growing vineyard sources and new Cabernet Franc focus this month, John Schreiner had nothing but praise for the Scout Sauvignon, polished and elegant after 20 months in French oak. Winery Direct $29

BCWAS Bus Tour 2015: Naramata Bench

This year’s record-breaking weather meant the recent BC Wine Appreciation Society Bus Tour ended up smack dab in the middle of harvest! Despite finding themselves in the midst of an accelerating schedule all the winery proprietors and winemakers who committed to meeting our tour group were able to follow through. We also had the rare opportunity to view the winemaking process up close and personal as we stepped over hoses and made way for forklifts. While the settings we visited were a bit more hectic than anticipated, sampling fresh, sweet grape must from tanks more than made up for the disruptions!

Our first stop on Saturday morning placed us at Serendipity Winery on the northern Naramata Bench. In her rustic tasting room, Proprietor Judy Kingston poured samples of nearly every wine she produces: “patio pounder” aromatic White Lie 2011 led into the traditional grassy 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and the serious 2012 Viognier, a match made for coconut shrimp. (Judy’s culinary background ensures food pairing opportunities are the foremost focus at Serendipity.) A 2013 Pinot Grigio was suggested as companion for spicy foods, while the cranberry and pomegranate flavours in 2014 Rosé demand turkey and vegetables. Reds on hand included the full-bodied 2012 Pinot Noir, 2010 Devil’s Advocate (70% Merlot and 30% Syrah), the youthful and bright 2010 Serenata Bordeaux blend, and even newly released, delicious 2011 Cabernet Franc and 2011 Syrah.

In the ten-acre vineyard, hand-planted by Judy herself in 2005, her daughter Katie puts a biology degree to good use with creative pest management choices. Distracting voracious cut-worms with vineyard trimmings is one way to reduce unnecessary pesticide exposure, and Katie’s most recent compost project is actually yielding tax credits – contingent on a well-written formal report to government. The winery facilities are being reorganized and well managed by Winemaker Bradley Cooper since he joined the team last year. It’s where he also produces his own line of Pinot Noir under the Black Cloud label, with Judy’s blessing. Behind the enormous wooden door, Brad poured tank samples of 2015 Sauvignon Blanc and revealed Katie’s pet project – the upcoming 2014 Sparkling Chardonnay, still resting en tirage.

With everyone stocked up on Serendipity’s finely crafted wines we trundled on down the road to Hillside Winery & Bistro, where an early lunch awaited us. As we seated ourselves in a private dining area, Bistro Manager Lisa Henderson introduced Winemaker Kathy Malone. The perfect welcome to Hillside came in the form of 2014 Muscat Ottonel, their most popular wine, sourced from estate vines planted in 1984 when Hillside was first established. The complex profile from 30-year-old vines facilitated immediate refreshment from the 32-degree sunshine outside; Kathy was sure to mention the fresh floral aromas best labelled as Baby’s Breath.

Lunch began with a creative Baby Kale Caesar Salad: those who held on to their Muscat would have found an ideal pairing, but the follow-up 2014 Gewürztraminer provided a relatively dry, balanced approach to fruit and floral character. Between courses the intense and earthy 2011 Old Vines Gamay Noir showed off more of Hillside’s original vineyard achievements. Keeping our palates entertained was rich and supple Reserve Pinot Gris 2014 with Seafood Cioppino or bright and spicy 2012 Syrah with Wild Mushroom Pappardelle Pasta. A special treat as we finished came in the form of freshly pressed Muscat juice, hand-harvested from right outside by Kathy herself while we dined – talk about 0-mile eating!

A visit to Hillside’s tasting room after lunch saw me discover the rare Port-style “Soirée”, a nicely balanced solera-style multi-grape blend that became one of my few unplanned impulse purchases. We soon made a quick jaunt up the road to Howling Bluff Estate Winery to experience Luke Smith’s ode to Pinot Noir. With no room inside the tasting room (formerly his eldest child’s bedroom), Luke held court on the terrace and passed around his most recent white wines: 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and the excellent Sauvignon-Semillon blend. Despite coming directly from lunch we hung on every word of Luke’s inspired food pairings, from Dungeness Crab in Black Bean Sauce to Jalapeño-Serrano Chili Ceviche.

Having sufficiently loosened us up Luke presented an extremely generous and awe-inspiring seven-year vertical of his award-winning Pinot Noir. Not only has Howling Bluff’s “Summa Quies” Pinot Noir brought home a bevy of medals and two Lieutenant Governor’s Awards, but it was the only variety other than Syrah to ever be named Red Wine of the Year from the Canadian Wine Awards. Starting with the first vintage, we inhaled the gorgeous aromas of 2006, Luke’s “sheer, dumb luck” success from two-year-old vines. All the way through to the current 2012 vintage we sniffed and sipped from some relatively youthful bottles, while Luke provided honest criticism of his work, when it could be found. The newest release just brought home a Silver medal from the Decanter Awards, for a wine Luke feels is “getting back to basics” and comparing favourably to 2006.

Joyously burdened with more prudent purchases, we made for Bench 1775 Winery to conclude the first day of touring. General Manager, Viticulturist, and Winemaker Valeria Tait joined us on the well-appointed deck to provide samples of several of her wines, alongside lavish platters of local cheese and charcuterie. We tried several of the table wines from Bench 1775’s extensive portfolio; quenching our thirst under the mid-afternoon sun with 2014 vintages of gooseberry and grapefruit Sauvignon Blanc, crisp “Glow” Malbec Rosé, and the lip-smacking “Chill” white blend. The “Groove” 2013 red blend was also well suited to the warm weather, an easy-drinking combination of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah served cool; followed by fine 2013 Pinot Noir and hearty 2013 Merlot.

After a late afternoon rest period at the hotel, dinner at Summerland’s Local Lounge was hosted by Stag’s Hollow Winery. The five-course meal allowed winery Proprietors Larry Gerelus & Linda Pruegger and Winemaker Dwight Sick to feature some of their most exciting and rare wines. Lobster Bisque & Seared Mini Crab Cake paired nicely with crisp 2014 Riesling – providing fresh, tart flavours to balance the rich and creamy seafood. “Orange Wine” 2013 Viognier Marsanne was served with Seared Scallop, truffled cauliflower puree, and red onion bacon jam. The upcoming 2014 Renaissance Grenache was perfect with House-cured Duck Breast, blueberry salt, and Poplar Grove blue cheese. The ambitious “Tongue and Cheek” beef braised in red wine demi-glace paired very well with 2012 Hawk’s Hollow, a wine club exclusive blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. Finally, the winery’s 2012 “Hart” fortified Merlot finished off the meal with a selection of artisan cheeses.

BCWAS Pinot Noir Blind Tasting

The BC Wine Appreciation Society recently hosted their third annual double blind varietal wine tasting, pitting nine BC bottles against one another and three international competitors. Previous years featured Syrah and Cabernet Franc, making Pinot Noir an ideal candidate this time around. Although Pinot Noir has remained the second-most-planted red grape in BC for at least fifteen years it has recently begun to garner more attention. Last year’s naming of the Mission Hill Martin’s Lane 2011 Pinot Noir as “World’s Best” at the Decanter Awards put an international spotlight on the excellent work being done here.

There exist a number of experienced and talented winemakers focussed – sometimes exclusively – on Pinot Noir in our local industry. One such person is Bradley Cooper, owner of Black Cloud, plus current Winemaker at Serendipity Winery. Brad was generous enough to join the Society for the Blind Tasting, to serve as Moderator and provide insight on Pinot Noir and the BC wine industry. Brad’s years of service at Township 7 helped build the winemaking experience that allowed him and his wife Audralee Daum to launch their own “garagiste” wine brand Black Cloud a few years ago, making small quantities of Pinot Noir-exclusive wines.

Brad reminded everyone of the renaissance Pinot Noir experienced following the release of the movie Sideways in 2004. The film effectively raised the profile of Pinot Noir in North America, providing consumers with a re-introduction to this complex and remarkably drinkable wine. While many local wineries have relatively long histories with Pinot Noir, the last decade in particular has offered up winemakers the freedom to explore their passion and hone their techniques. Along with the more well known, long-running Pinot Noir producers (e.g., Blue Mountain, Quails’ Gate), a great number of smaller wineries have existed historically or have come on stream in the last few years.

Just like past blind tastings, this year featured plenty of delicious wines along with many surprises when the popular vote results were revealed. The wines seemed to range from those in the lighter, more delicate spectrum to dark, rich, and oak-influenced: we smelled and tasted flowers and earth, raspberry, orange, cherries, strawberries and more; plus leather, mushrooms, barnyard, and toasted oak. Knowing the broad range in which Pinot Noir is grown in BC, interpretations and hypotheses were left wide open: in the Okanagan Valley alone it is planted from the desert of Osoyoos to the forested hills of Vernon.

Participants received a short ballot on which to record their top five favourites, in rank order, to analyze the popular vote using a Borda Count spreadsheet. This method of assigning points is fairly robust in dealing with truncated ballots, which is why a ranking of all twelve wines was not required. Three different scoring systems were used to ensure redundancy, and provided the Society Executive with a overview of favourites: wines were thus revealed in three groups. Latter analyses based exclusively on the twelve-point scoring system (i.e., 12 points for every first place ballot ranking, 11 points for second, etc.) enabled a complete ranking to be compiled.

The bottom four wines included two of the three international contributions to the tasting. Last year’s Cabernet Franc blind tasting found the French contribution least favoured, and surprisingly a solid last place finish was once again accorded to old world viniculture. The relatively pricey, aged 2009 vintage of Domaine Louis Jadot Santenay “Clos de Malte” from the Côte du Beaune region of Burgundy simply didn’t find favour amongst BC wine aficionados. Rounding out the bottom four, but scoring significantly higher than the Burgundy, were the Black Cloud 2011 “Altostratus”, Oregon’s Evesham Wood 2013 vintage, and the 2011 Reserve from Blue Mountain. Both the Black Cloud and Blue Mountain were derived from the cool 2011 vintage, yielding bright berry fruit with hints of leather; but perhaps just a bit too tart and lean for some.

The middle group of wines – ranked 8th to 5th – contained some well-known favourites, with significant history behind them. CedarCreek’s 2012 Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir represents a family of reserve-tier wines going back many years, and was split into block-specific wines starting in 2011. In comparison to what the winery describes as structured, chocolate and spice character in Block 4, the gold medal Block 2 yields a more delicate, floral profile thanks to surprisingly different soils in the adjacent blocks. Alongside CedarCreek we revealed the 2012 vintage from new Lake Country winery 50th Parallel. After many years at Quails’ Gate, Winemaker Grant Stanley partnered with Curtis & Sheri-Lee Krouzel to build 50th Parallel, which focuses on premium Pinot Noir and opened for business in 2013. As the young vineyards mature and Grant becomes even better acquainted with the terroir, the future of Pinot Noir at 50th Parallel should be a prosperous one.

Two notable award-winning wines and wineries followed, as Haywire and Howling Bluff garnered support in the top half of the favourites. Both wineries are the recipients of Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for their Pinot Noir, with the creamy 2011 Haywire Canyonview having received the award just last year. Summerland’s Haywire (based at Okanagan Crush Pad) is going all in with Pinot Noir, planting up to 50 acres of own-rooted vines in the nearby Garnet Valley. Across the lake on the Naramata Bench, Luke Smith’s Howling Bluff has received not only two Lt. Governor’s Awards for Pinot Noir (2006 & 2009) but received Red Wine of the Year honours from the Canadian Wine Awards (for his 2008 Pinot Noir). We received the fortunate opportunity to taste the yet-to-be-released, juicy 2012 Summa Quies vintage, the reserve tier from Luke’s premier estate vineyard.

Overall Ranking

1.  Eau Vivre 2013 ($22)

2.  Kim Crawford Rise And Shine 2012 ($35)

3.  Nk’Mip Qwam Qwmt 2012 ($30)

4.  Meyer Reimer Vineyard 2012 ($40)

5.  Howling Bluff Summa Quies 2012 ($35)

6.  Haywire Canyonview 2011 ($35)

7.  50th Parallel 2012 ($32)

8.  CedarCreek Platinum Block 2 2012 ($45)

9.  Blue Mountain Reserve 2011 ($40)

10.  Evesham Wood 2013 ($34)

11.  Black Cloud Altostratus 2011 ($35)

12.  Louis Jadot Santenay 2009 ($45)

Closely ranked in fourth and third place respectively were Meyer’s 2012 single vineyard offering from Kelowna’s Reimer Vineyard, and Nk’Mip’s Osoyoos-appellation Qwam Qwmt (Reserve) from the same superb vintage. Despite being sourced from vineyards at nearly opposite ends of the Okanagan, the wines presented similarly intense, dark palates; with the expressive toasted oak aromas from Meyer yielding to slightly more subtle perfumed red fruit from Nk’Mip. At last year’s National Wine Awards the Meyer took home a silver medal in competition, while the Nk’Mip was awarded gold.

With only two wines remaining we finally discovered the group’s favourite BC bottle of the tasting, in the form of Eau Vivre’s 2013, the only contender from the Similkameen Valley. A close second was New Zealand’s Kim Crawford Small Parcels “Rise and Shine” 2012, bringing more rich, dark complexity from the southern hemisphere. In 2012 and 2013 Eau Vivre won consecutive Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for their 2009 and 2010 Pinot Noir. The newest 2013 vintage provided impressive, complex aromas of spiced cherries, with hints of earthy mushrooms. The rich palate provided more cherries, cinnamon, and cloves, with a touch of marmalade on toast: the wine appeared in the Top Five ranking on 32 of 48 ballots. Those with a little bit left in their glasses were lucky indeed; revisiting the wines now exposed proved an engaging conclusion to a very thought-provoking evening!

January Wine Dinner: Winter Whites

It’s been too long since our last wine club dinner, so last weekend an augmented group of eight brought together our best homemade culinary creations with a great many bottles of BC wine once again! Normally we hold these dinners with six people – three couples – who each contribute one course and a wine pairing. However, there was so much good cheer (and miraculously easy scheduling) going around we brought some other friends on board as well. It didn’t hurt that our hosts have a wonderfully large table that can seat eight, or even ten in a pinch.

With our hosts putting together the entree course, and my wife and I devoted to dessert already, there was little opposition to a duo of starter courses from the other two couples. Our appetizer chefs actually coordinated with one another to avoid duplication, but we reminded them that this wine club requires no advance planning – and it’s always worked out wonderfully in fact. Case in point: without anyone planning it or notifying others, we all brought white wines this time, once again yielding an unintentional theme.

The first course was soon revealed to be an attractive spinach salad, accessorized with red onion, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and a homemade balsamic dressing. To pair with it was Howling Bluff’s superb 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon, with sufficient – balanced – acidity to stand up to the onions and tart dressing. The wine’s fresh floral nose still reminds one of summer even in winter months, and tropical flavours like star fruit kept us intrigued while pear and hints of cedar and mineral also showed up on the finish.

We continued to sip the Sauv-Sém and catch up while Round Two was put together with earnest in the kitchen. The intoxicating aromas of butter and herbs got us all wondering, while we were tasked with choosing which of two wines to enjoy next. Burrowing Owl’s 2011 Pinot Gris was deemed the best pairing for the extremely rich Ricotta Gnudi with which we were soon gleefully presented. A brown-butter sage sauce and crumbled fresh Romano made these little hybrid dumplings shine. The full-bodied, creamy Pinot Gris was an excellent match, with flavours of apples and pears, and a tart finish that cut through the buttery food pairing.

Despite the surprisingly filling gnudi, there was plenty of food and wine to come, particularly the Indian-inspired feast our hosts had assembled. Butter Chicken and Butter Tempeh were accompanied by authentic Aloo Gobi, Quinoa-Wild Rice Pilaf, fresh Chickpea Salad, and Naan Bread. It was dangerously tempting to load up on everything, even three courses in, especially the rich, flavourful, vegetarian-friendly butter tempeh.

Such a bounty of food called for plenty of wine, and our hosts had acquired two bottles each of Dirty Laundry’s “Say Yes” 2012 Pinot Gris, and Thornhaven’s 2012 Gewürztraminer – more than enough to go around! The beautifully-bottled Say Yes was actually the sweeter of the two wines, with slight floral aromas, tropical pineapple flavours, and a full-bodied texture thanks to fairly high sugar. The Thornhaven really shone alongside the spicy food, with textbook floral, sweet lychee aromas, and superb balance. Thornhaven is legendary for their Gewürztraminer, winning top medals and Best of Class awards every year, such as the Gold last fall at the BC Wine Awards (along with another Gold for the winery’s 2011 Syrah).

We all had to hold off on serving too many second helpings, as a rich closing course was on the way. My wife and I had prepared dessert in advance, needing only to pop it in the oven when the time was right. While awaiting tell-tale baking aromas, we all sipped from Team Gnudi’s second bottle, a charming Riesling from La Frenz they had obtained at the winery during a visit last summer. With a fresh citrus nose and no earthy/petrol aromas as of yet it made for a superb palate cleanser. Lots of lemon-lime and mandarin orange flavours were accompanied by a tart finish balanced with just enough residual sugar.

After a great deal of eying, checking, and even some poking, dessert was finally out of the oven and ready to serve. It was quite a process to ensure our individual Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes were sufficiently cooked to come out of their ramekins neatly, yet retaining that ethereal moistness necessary for full enjoyment. A dusting of powdered sugar, some fresh whipped cream, and a few drops of homemade cherry coulis rounded out the plating with pride, before we cracked open a bottle of Nk’Mip 2012 Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine.

Although long a successful wine for this Nk’Mip, the 2012 vintage of their Icewine has recently been burning up the airwaves thanks to a 100-point review from John Schreiner. A striking 93-points from Anthony Gismondi and inclusion in his semi-annual list of the Top 10 Wines of British Columbia haven’t hurt matters either. In fact, Gismondi’s review suggested serving this elegant gem with chocolate, so the Lava Cakes seemed an ideal pairing for such a striking wine. Even with rich cocoa aromas filling the room the intense, vibrant nose of the wine stood out, with a basket of tropical guava and lychee aromas jumping forth. The tart acidity deftly cut through the cake, showing extremely pure honeyed mandarin flavours that lasted for ages. I’m definitely looking forward to adding another bottle to my cellar for a bit of aging, if I can keep my hands off of it!

To finish off the evening in style I broke out a rotund little bottle of Saxon Winery’s VIP Port-style fortified Pinot Noir. I picked up a couple bottles last fall during the BC Wine Appreciation Society Bus Tour, which was based in Saxon’s home community of Summerland. Two years in barrel and fortification with Foch Brandy have yielded a surprisingly spicy wine that everyone enjoyed. In particular, the lower sugar than expected and some meaty hints beyond the cinnamon and nutmeg flavours provoked plenty of commentary; the smile-inducing “grapey” finish was just icing on the cake.

We all left sufficiently stuffed and feeling very learned about several new wines; I was particularly pleased to share the Icewine and Port-style with everyone. Thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of everyone involved I’m sure we’ll do it again soon!

July Wine Club: Going Away Party

Last weekend was a huge milestone in our little wine club, as it represented the last meeting of the original three couples, at least for a while. Sadly, one of our founding families – new baby and doctoral degree in hand – is moving to Kentucky for the next phase of their lives. Naturally they will return for visits, as will we visit them, and plenty of delicious wine will be had at those times, but a big shift has certainly taken place. To make the most of our last hurrah we enjoyed an extended afternoon-to-evening event with some exciting bonus wines, and plenty of luxurious foods to match.

We gathered together mid-afternoon to catch up after a couple of busy summer weeks, with some tasty treats and a trio of BC Pinot Noirs to blind taste. I had recently received a bottle of the brand new first harvest of Spierhead 2010 Pinot Noir as a sample, and decided to see how it would compare against a couple of industry stalwarts from Church & State and Howling Bluff. Considering the pedigree of the two competitors it was hoped to be a very revealing blind tasting: the Howling Bluff bottle comes with a Lt. Governor’s Award from 2011, and Church & State has done great things in the past with the Hollenbach Family Vineyard grapes used for their Pinot Noir. With everyone – including myself – blind to what we were tasting the final judgment found all three wines to be likeable, with the famous Howling Bluff Summa Quies bottle coming out on top. A delicate, silky texture combined with light earthiness, bright berries, and subtle mushroom flavours had us all in agreement it was a fabulous Pinot Noir. The Church & State wine – descended from a Canadian Wine Awards gold-medal winning 2007 vintage – was also juicy with an earthy nose, but the short finish left a bit to be desired for some. The youthful Spierhead wine was particularly impressive considering the respectable entry level $18 price point – an intentional approach taken by the winery while they work to identify the most successful blocks/clones within the vineyard. A sharp nose of chocolate and berries led to a sweet raspberry finish that reminded some drinkers of Lambic beer; a promising start with a challenging grape for this ambitious Kelowna winery.

Sufficiently loosened up we soon began preparations for dinner, with everyone having brought their respective ingredients for preparation in our kitchen. The appetizer team, our soon-to-be Kentuckians, was grilling and blending away behind closed doors before revealing a mouth-watering salad: crisp arugula provided the bed for grilled figs and fresh Burrata cheese drizzled with homemade strawberry vinaigrette and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt. As a showpiece cheese, Burrata is not only richly delicious, but also quite pricey – we were honoured to each receive an entire piece! To pair with this bright summer offering was the well-known effervescent aperitif from LaStella – Moscato D’Osoyoos. Having just visited the winery the month previously it came as little surprise – and much glee – to the rest of us to see a bottle of this fine wine on the table. A better pairing with the salad would be hard to come by, for the wine displayed an ideal ratio of sweetness to acidity, and the nose of grapefruit and pineapple kept the fresh focus of the dish intact. The peach flavours and clean finish of linen and flowers were well loved as we longed for more from the rapidly emptied 500ml bottle.

As the last vestiges of Burrata were savoured my wife slipped into the kitchen and started to put together our entree course. With me serving as sous-chef she was enjoying taking the lead, having selected our dish out of Dreena Burton’s “Eat, Drink, and be Vegan” cookbook. The vibrant flavours of Sesame Lime Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Snow Peas would be sure to benefit from a pairing with tart local Riesling. The food selection led me to seek out the quintessential BC Riesling – winner of Best of Varietal at the 2012 Okanagan Spring Wine Festival – that of pioneering white wine veteran Wild Goose. Although Wild Goose produces a bevy of vineyard specific whites, including sought-after “God’s Mountain” and “Stoney Slope” Riesling, it was the “regular” classic 2011 Riesling that would grace our table. Not to be one who serves “only” one bottle of dinner wine I was fortunate enough to have received a sample bottle of Riesling from Spierhead along with the aforementioned Pinot Noir; it seemed the ideal opportunity to open it up.

With a few substitutions having been made given seasonally availability and affordability, the Soba Noodles came together wonderfully. Cremini mushrooms and snap peas had no trouble filling the gaps, and sautéed sesame-garlic-marinated tempeh strips helped add protein and additional variety. Both wines would prove to be excellent pairings, starting with the grapefruit and apple aromas of the Wild Goose. A dry palette with generous citrus flavours and a lovely round mouthfeel had us all loving it, so much so that the bottle was soon empty and our glasses looking for more. The Spierhead iteration (only their second vintage) showed subdued lime aromas alongside lychee and a hint of diesel. There was suggestion it may have been a bit too dry (and the 12g/L of sugar is lower than Wild Goose’s 19g/L), but the lime flavours emerged and were particularly well received when paired with the food.

Sipping on the remaining Riesling we watched with curiosity as the dessert team slipped something secretive into the oven. Our patience was soon rewarded with individual peach pies and another bottle of LaStella Moscato; our visit to LaStella had certainly inspired some of us! Each “pie” was an entire halved peach stuffed with creamed lemon honey, wrapped in homemade pastry dough and baked on site – an ingenious idea we all applauded. Served alongside creamy vanilla ice cream, peach jam, and some fresh raspberries, it elicited quite the chorus of delight when our mouths weren’t full! Naturally the peach flavours and excellent balance of the Moscato paired perfectly, and the clean effervescence refreshed our palates while concluding another amazing meal.

After dinner we spent some time cleaning up and reminiscing about the many great culinary experiences and exciting and interesting BC wines we have shared over the past couple of years. We had no trouble planning which wonderful wines we’ll toast with at our next meeting, with a few special magnums in the cellar biding their time until then. It being such a significant occasion worthy of one final bottle, we ended the evening with some delicious cheeses from Benton Brothers and a prized bottle of Mission Hill 2005 Oculus. The heady aromas of chocolate, coffee, and rich, dark fruits had us all swooning as we admired the Christmas cake flavours. It being the first bottle of Oculus I’ve personally opened I was impressed with the many layers and polished character – just the right wine to send off two equally impressive characters and their adorable babe. Bon Voyage!

Recent Acquisitions: March 2012

In addition to a mixed case of BC’s best from the Playhouse Wine Festival in early March, I’ve also added a few additional exciting BC wines to my collection over the past few weeks. Some of these wines are brand new releases, while a few others were pleasant surprises I never expected to find, or end-of-vintage bottles I couldn’t pass up.

Church & State 2009 Chardonnay: The newer 2010 Chardonnay from Church & State has now supplanted this older vintage, which is no longer listed on the winery’s website. I picked up this bottle from Swirl Yaletown, to complete my small collection of 2009 Chardonnay. The grapes come from two Black Sage vineyards – Gravelbourg, and the winery’s own Coyote Bowl – and were aged in French oak, one third of it new. The 722 cases of this well-pedigreed Chardonnay are most likely nearly gone now, so time will tell if it lives up to the Best of Category award the previous vintage received at the 2010 All Canadian Wine Championships. A respectable silver medal from the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards is nothing to frown at, and certainly helped to prompt my purchase.

Blackwood Lane 2009 Pinot Noir: I’d read a couple of glowing reviews for this wine over the past year, but having not had the chance to visit the Langley winery since then I had given up on acquiring a bottle. Last spring Icon Wines called this wine “the quintessential BC Pinot Noir” (given its strong sense of BC terroir), and John Schreiner called it dramatic, silken, and delicate. To my surprise I recently stumbled upon a small cache in the Steamworks Liquor Store, and quickly snapped up a bottle for the cellar.

Hester Creek 2009 Reserve Cabernet Franc: Although I fully intended on acquiring this wine all along, how could I dawdle upon learning it was awarded Best of Show at the recent Taste BC put on by Liberty Wines? Last year’s 2008 vintage was awarded a gold medal at the Canadian Wine Awards, so I have high hopes for the 2009 given the excellent harvest that year. The winery has taken to indicating the specific block from which the grapes were harvested in 2009, an informative practice slowly catching on as BC vineyards mature along with the knowledge of each site’s specific intricacies and strengths.

Poplar Grove 2008 Syrah: Much ado was made about this wine last year when it received the only gold medal awarded to a Canadian wine at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Having not seen this wine in any stores, or even on the winery’s own online store I put in a call only to learn it was already sold out – most having gone to the Poplar Grove Wine Club (frustrating, but fair enough). You could imagine my surprise when I spotted several bottles on the shelf at Kitsilano Wine Cellar while leisurely perusing! I later learned the store shouldn’t have received that case, but I’m certainly glad they did!

Howling Bluff 2009 Summa Quies Sin Cera: Having heard that proprietor Luke Smith has already removed his remaining Bordeaux varieties to make room for more Pinot Noir I thought it wise to get a bottle of one of the last vintages of his Bordeaux blend to see the light of day. The 2009 is a much more approachable wine than the extremely tannic 2008, but in Luke’s opinion a great Bordeaux blend is a rarity in the Okanagan, especially as far north as Naramata – the 2009 is the exception, not the norm. There is a 2010 version in barrel, and 2011 may follow, but from now on Howling Bluff is pretty much Pinot Noir exclusive.

Cassini 2009 Maximus: Another Bordeaux blend from the successful 2009 vintage comes via Cassini Cellars near Osoyoos. I’ve picked up a bottle of this blend each year since the 2007 vintage, which won gold at the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards. The 2008 and 2009 have both received silver from the same competition. Despite not yet being mentioned on the winery’s own website, the 2009 Maximus is in stores and has already been quite well reviewed. John Schreiner suggests this big, ripe, high-alcohol wine could be laid down until at least 2015, and Icon Wines concurs given the youthful, vibrant, and raw characteristics. Time will tell if the $5 increase in price is fully justified for what Daenna Van Mulligen calls a luscious fruit bowl of a wine.

Gray Monk 2009 Odyssey Meritage & 2009 Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon: Late last year this long-lived winery released their very first Meritage, plus a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon under the reserve “Odyssey” tier. Being located north of Kelowna the winery wisely sourced grapes from the hotter southern Okanagan to maximize ripeness in these reds. Both wines received bronze medals at the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards, and when John Schreiner previewed the wines in early Fall he was quite impressed. Later consideration by critic Anthony Gismondi was more middling, particularly about the “austere” Meritage; although he felt the Cabernet Sauvignon was “a good effort” that should improve in bottle. When I tried them in person at the Playhouse Wine Festival I found them sweeter than expected, with plenty of tannin. I’m looking forward to seeing how they will age under screwcap.

BCWAS: Howling Bluff Vertical Tasting

The BC Wine Appreciation Society hosted another sold-out event last month when Luke Smith, the owner of Howling Bluff Estate Winery joined us to lead two vertical tastings of his red wines. Luke is an outspoken advocate for the potential of the Naramata Bench to produce world-class wines, if only winery owners and winemakers would focus on the strengths he feels are being neglected throughout the Okanagan Valley: focused, targeted plantings of limited grape varieties that are climate appropriate. Howling Bluff has garnered an enviable series of major awards since their first vintage in 2006, and Luke is certain that by focusing on one varietal in particular – Pinot Noir – he can achieve continued critical success on a national and international stage.

While introducing himself and his winery Luke suggested that late ripening red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon (and the Bordeaux-style blends they rely upon) will never be truly suited to much of the Okanagan climate. When Howling Bluff’s vineyards were first being planned, Luke – then a big Bordeaux collector – followed the trend by planting the typical Bordeaux varietals, but it was his Pinot Noir that soon impressed him and critics alike: his first three vintages (respectively) won the Lt. Governor’s Award, the Okanagan Wine Festival People’s Choice Award, and the Canadian Wine Awards Red Wine of the Year (the first Pinot Noir to ever win). While demand for his Pinot soared, his Bordeaux blend Sin Cera – a very decent wine in itself – simply couldn’t follow suit, leading to substantial soul-searching and an eventual about-face for the winery. Despite widespread consumer expectations of “big reds” (leading to what may be inappropriate plantings of Cabernet and the like – that sell nonetheless), Luke told the assembled guests that he is currently ripping out or grafting all his other red vines over to Pinot Noir. He will retain his Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc plantings, however.

Knowing that the 2011 Sin Cera – currently in barrel – will be the last red blend from Howling Bluff, ensured that attendees at the tasting appreciated the four-year vertical that Luke had brought with him. Alongside the 2006-2009 Sin Cera was the star of Howling Bluff, the Summa Quies Vineyard Pinot Noir, of which we had five vintages from 2006-2010 before us. After his passionate and convincing introduction Luke got around to discussing the wines we were to taste, starting with their origin in his small estate vineyard on Three Mile Road just above Okanagan Lake. The vineyard slopes down towards the lake, ensuring that air continues moving across the grape vines, but making it treacherous to farm at times when the tractor tips precariously!

Fortunately physical safety is paramount at Howling Bluff, but financial concerns have shown Luke why Pinot Noir is called the “heartbreak grape”: he pointed out that because Pinot Noir over-crops “like crazy” the labour costs to properly crop the vines can be prohibitive! Yields of several tons per acre can be common, but won’t produce concentrated, high-quality wine, so most of the fruit has to be cut down early in the season. Watching potential income rotting away on the ground can be a very hard thing to do when you are a new winery owner trying to make a living! Fortunately Luke’s hard choices have paid off over time as his wine has gathered a strong following.

We were fortunate that he was able to share some of the few remaining bottles of his initial vintages with us at the tasting. Howling Bluff’s first vintage in 2006 yielded only 120 cases of Pinot Noir, all produced from brand new oak as the winery had no used barrels yet! Winning a Lt. Governor’s Award – the most prestigious prize in BC wines – was a huge coup, and few wineries have replicated such a feat in their first year (Painted Rock having done so twice for the 2007 vintage!). After five years aging the wine was very smooth, with sufficient acidity to suggest it could continue to age in bottle. The 2006 Sin Cera was equally smooth, and we were surprised to hear that it was in fact 100% Merlot rather than the blend most had assumed. A few guests bemoaned the upcoming demise of the Merlot vines at Howling Bluff if this delicious wine demonstrates what they can yield, however Luke was unfazed in his plans!

The following year was “monstrously hot” as Luke put it, resulting in the first major – and painful – crop thinning required on the Pinot Noir. The 2007 – a People’s Choice Award Winner – was a favourite at our table, with the smooth texture of the 2006 replicated but just a touch less acidity to ensure excellent balance. As more of the Bordeaux varieties came online in 2007 the Sin Cera became the blend Luke had imagined; we noticed it taking on more tannin and acid but it was still smooth and quite well liked by many in the room.

The 2008 wines were sources of much drama, in particular because of the amazing results from the Pinot Noir at the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards. Looking back Luke recollected that upon tasting random samples from the bottling line he was devastated at what he thought was a very unimpressive wine! Fortunately many wines can turn around in bottle, as Wine Access declared it to be “a joy in the glass…that wowed and beguiled the judges” in declaring it the first Pinot Noir to win the CWA Red Wine of the Year. I found it to have a smoky nose and pure clean fruit flavours, with higher acidity than 2007 (comparisons coming naturally as we progressed through the vintages). With 2008 being a cooler vintage, the 2008 Sin Cera demonstrated significant tannin, even after the time it has spent in bottle. Luke had no qualms calling this wine a “tannin bomb” that needs many more years in the cellar, and/or a big steak to accompany it.

Fortunately nature cooperated in the summer of 2009, but not before an intense freeze that winter killed and stunted reams of vines throughout the region, leaving Howling Bluff with only one quarter the crop size expected by harvest. The Sin Cera ended up a very different wine after the warm summer, significantly smoother and approachable, despite having been just released recently. The Pinot Noir vines – damaged as they were – continued to produce award-winning fruit, as Luke took home his second Lt. Governor’s Award for the 2009 vintage. So little wine remained on the market by the time he received the award he had to buy it back from local stores to build up his own cellar! In the glasses on our table the Pinot Noir was noticeably lighter in colour than other vintages (including the 2010 that followed it), yet very fruit forward on the nose with elegant qualities that many guests appreciated.

For 2009 Howling Bluff also went through a major label change, switching the “critter” labels featuring a stylized howling dog for clean and concise text on cream-coloured paper that is much more restaurant-friendly. Apparently industry buyers had provided feedback that customers were shying away from the bottle out of concern it might be a low-end wine judging by its “kooky” label! The new labels also feature vineyard designations to reflect the Estate Summa Quies vineyard as alternative Pinot Noirs from surrounding vineyards begin appearing in Howling Bluff’s portfolio.

By 2010 the grafting program was in full swing at Howling Bluff, and an additional 20% more new Pinot Noir vines were yielding fruit measuring up to Luke’s high standards. We were treated to an advance tasting of the 2010 Summa Quies Pinot Noir and were quite pleased at its approachability given its youth. Fruity and quite juicy on the nose, it is smoother than one would expect, and Luke delighted in pointing out how drinkable he and his family and friends have found it to be over the past few months. Fortunately despite the Smith family’s efforts about 300 cases are still available and should soon be for sale via the winery and select private and VQA wine stores.

As the tasting wound down Luke informed us that he is aiming for 2000 cases each year for the whole winery, including his white Semillon/Sauvignon blend and two or more Pinot Noirs, based on the five different clones he has planted and planned. If fans are lucky we may even see a little bit of Port-style wine as well! And finally, as more Pinot Noir vines mature he is also pondering a Reserve Pinot Noir above and beyond the regular Estate wine – an entirely free run wine from select vineyard blocks aged in 100% new oak: the Lieutenant Governor should be prepared!

Wine Wednesday Warm-up!

There is a tradition on Twitter of celebrating Wine Wednesday by discussing what you’re drinking that evening, or posting other interesting wine information. Last week we celebrated Wine Wednesday in style by attending the ChefmeetsGrape wine and food event at the Vancouver Convention Centre. But first, I warmed myself up with the Naramata Bench Simply Red Fall wine release at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Simply Red has always been a media/trade-only tasting event in which all the Naramata Bench wineries show off their latest red wine releases. This year however, for those of us civilians the event was paired with a public version in the evening, following the afternoon trade tasting. I purchased tickets and arranged to attend with some friends for an evening of purple tongues and gray teeth!

The Simply Red event was held in the heritage courtrooms at the Art Gallery, two small rooms that were actual courtrooms when the building was the Vancouver Courthouse. Hard to believe this seemingly small space was a courtroom compared to the giant galleries we see on TV these days, but they were perfect for a wine tasting! There were quite a few wineries present, many of which I am very fond of, having visited in person last Spring: Nichol, Kettle Valley, Therapy, Van Westen, Lake Breeze, Black Widow, Howling Bluff, Laughing Stock, Hillside, Poplar Grove, D’Angelo, Red Rooster, La Frenz, Township 7, and Elephant Island Orchard Wines. I even stayed at Black Widow in their lovely Bed and Breakfast and was looking forward to saying hello to Dick Lancaster, the owner, but alas he was not present that evening (hard to make the trip to Vancouver for every event no doubt).

The highlights of my evening at Simply Red were tasting Laughing Stock’s small but finely crafted line-up, including their delicious Blind Trust Red, the majestic Portfolio, and the heavenly Syrah – their first vintage, and long since sold out (I never even saw any in stores). Also very enjoyable was sampling Howling Bluff’s exquisite Pinot Noir and chatting extensively with owner and winemaker Luke Smith. I had just met Luke’s son Daniel earlier this month at a tasting at Taylorwood – he regaled me of his attempts to reassure his father their choice of a risky wild yeast ferment would yield dividends. It appears to have worked like a charm, as Luke informed us his Pinot Noir has been awarded a Gold Medal at the Canadian Wine Awards, a huge coup! Alas, it is now sold out at the winery, but I managed to pick up a bottle at Taylorwood, and as of Sunday they had ten bottles left; if you can find it buy some because it is simply fantastic.

Other notable treats I can recall – the evening seems to get hazy near the end for some reason – include the powerful reds of Van Westen, following in the footsteps of a reputation built on well crafted whites. Both the Merlot/Cab Franc “Voluptuous” (two vintages) and the all-Merlot “Vivre la Vie” were present and impressive in their attention to detail and power. Anthony Gismondi declares the young Vivre la Vie “a brute” with strong potential to improve and I would have to agree; I hope to lay down a bottle if I can find any in stores (only 100 cases produced)! For much less “brutish” flavours we travelled to Kettle Valley’s table for a sample of their rare and desirable fortified Malbec called “Starboard”. At $24 per 375ml bottle this is a slow-sipping wine but still a bargain compared to ice-wine! The flavour is very enjoyable and the use of Malbec (and Petit Verdot) such a treat – it will make a great stocking-stuffer; check private stores such as Liberty Wines.

A few more samples, and then a late dinner and bar visit made sure my body was well aware of its limitations the next morning. I was certain to do a better job of tasting and gracefully spitting at ChefmeetsGrape, which I’ll cover in tomorrow’s post. Until then, happy Wine Wednesday!

Stag's Hollow Tasting

As mentioned Friday, I also attended a tasting at Taylorwood Wines on Thursday, hosted by the winemaker of Stag’s Hollow, Dwight Sick. Dwight brought a number of Stag’s Hollow’s new releases, including their new aromatic white blend “Con-Fusion”, which was quite pleasant, and hopefully has a prosperous future ahead of it; I just hope there is enough warm weather still remaining for the 2009 vintage to be consumed “on the patio” as Stag’s Hollow puts it! Stag’s Hollow has had some great success with their whites recently, having won a gold medal at the 2009 Canadian Wine Awards for their (2008) Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend (in good company with Road 13’s Viognier Roussanne Marsanne). They also released a delightful Syrah Rosé this year, which did not last long given its status as “Best Rose” during the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Fortunately we got to try some earlier this summer and it was a favourite; if only I could still find it somewhere!


New releases of 2008 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were also present, as well as the 2007 Merlot, and the new release of Stag’s Hollow’s Cabernet Merlot blend “The Heritage Block” (previously known as “Heritage Block 1”). The 2006 vintage of Heritage Block 1 can still be found in some BC Liquor Stores, but has been supplanted by the 2007 release in wine stores such as Taylorwood. Both versions are tasty, and in my opinion a pretty good value at the $25 price point for a Bordeaux-style blend suitable for mid-term aging (the winery recommends now to 2014 for the 2007 release).

Dwight also brought some of Stag’s Hollow’s reserve tier Merlot, called “Renaissance”, which was very enjoyable. The 2007 vintage was well reviewed by prominent wine critic Anthony Gismondi, who complimented its “solid core of fruit” and promise of further improvement over the next few years. It’s reasonably priced at $30, and the 2008 is about to be released at the end of September, which Dwight mentioned is even better – a wine that could “make vegetarians want to eat meat”! I’m not sure about switching teams, but I’ll definitely be getting some to hold in my 2008 collection.

I picked up three bottles at Taylorwood during my visit Thursday, to help flesh out my collection and pick them up while they lasted in stores. Having just heard via Twitter that 8th Generation was sold out of their very well reviewed 2009 Riesling I made sure to grab one of the few remaining bottles on the shelf for consumption later this fall. I also noticed the shelf stock of Twisted Tree’s Bordeaux blend “Six Vines” was getting very low, despite the 916 cases released. Having earlier decided to replace my bottle of (excellent) Twisted Tree Tempranillo in the 2008 collection with the Six Vines (which has better aging potential) I decided not to wait any longer for this unique award-winning blend (Gold at the 2010 All Canadian Wine Championships); the uniqueness comes from the inclusion of Carmenere, which is typically absent from North American Meritage-style blends. Lastly, I noticed just one case of Howling Bluff Pinot Noir near the register, and decided the time was ripe to pick up a bottle of this historic wine: following a Lt. Governor’s Award for the 2006 vintage, the 2007 vintage received first place at the Okanagan Wine Festival (and sold out in two days). I’ve never before seen Howling Bluff in a VQA, or any non-private wine store, so I knew the price couldn’t be beat. Now that the 2008 vintage has been released I figured it was about time for me to try it out (or at least I will in 2013 when my 2008 collection matures). Although it “only” received 87 points from Gismondi, he was careful to point out its potential to improve in bottle, so let’s hope three years does the trick.