VanWineFest BC Syrah Preview

The Vancouver International Wine Festival will provide an opportunity for BC wineries to showcase one of the province’s grape stars in Syrah, this year’s Global Focus. BC Syrah has received more national and international honours than any other grape variety grown in the province. BC Syrah was named “Red Wine of the Year” in nearly every season of the Canadian Wine Awards, and Syrah has dominated the “Best Red Wine” standing at the British Columbia Wine Awards for several years.

Nearly three quarters of the 27 BC wineries that will be present in the Festival’s focal International Tasting Room produce at least one Syrah-based wine, so guests should expect the local talent to show off their premium products. A thorough review of the attending wineries’ portfolios provides a preview and a few educated guesses about what to expect.

8th Generation Vineyard: A well-priced $25 “cool climate” Syrah is produced at times from the winery’s Summerland estate vineyard. The latest (2012) release, brought home a silver medal from the Northwest Wine Summit. Perhaps guests will get lucky and encounter the winery’s 2010 Syrah Icewine, originally intended as a table wine until an unexpected freeze provided for a serendipitous sweet treat.

Backyard Vineyards: For only $22 Syrah fans can find an easy-drinking value from this Langley winery. The 2012 wine made from Osoyoos grapes – and finished by new Winemaker James Cambridge – has garnered a triplet of silver medals in North American competition. It is reportedly accompanied by an upcoming Reserve version that John Schreiner deemed elegant and worth keeping an eye out for – perhaps a Festival release is in order?

Black Hills: Best known for their legendary Nota Bene red blend, Black Hills took advantage of their ideal location on the Black Sage Bench to begin producing a Syrah in 2009. The first vintage immediately received a gold medal at the 2012 BC Wine Awards, and subsequent vintages have been snapped up and enjoyed by the winery’s many fans. The “complex, spicy, compelling” current release 2012 has been well received by the WineAlign team, and should gain more admirers at the Festival.

Cassini Cellars: Adrian Cassini’s Syrah is one of several powerful red wines produced at an enviable location directly beside Highway 97 outside Oliver. Taking advantage of Syrah’s affinity for warm conditions in the southern Okanagan has produced plenty of successful vintages at Cassini: his 2009 Syrah was named Best of Varietal at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival two years in a row! The latest release comes from the cool 2011 vintage, but don’t be surprised to see 2012 on display at the Festival.

CedarCreek: For several years varietal Syrah was a celebrated, albeit small, part of this Kelowna winery’s portfolio, thanks to a prosperous Osoyoos vineyard. However in 2010 the varietal Syrah was discontinued in favour of an approachable entry-level Shiraz-Cabernet crafted by Australian Winemaker Darryl Brooker. Since then the winery has focused strongly on Kelowna Pinot Noir as their herald. Recent pre-release announcements for long-awaited 2012 reds omitted mention of Platinum (Reserve) Syrah, which may be permanently retired, but new release 2012 Shiraz-Cabernet is likely on the docket for the Festival.

Haywire: Okanagan Crush Pad’s house brand produces a family of wines at their Summerland winery, focused primarily on lighter reds and whites from their estate “Switchback” Vineyard. Acquiring grapes from the Black Sage Bench has enabled production of a 2012 Syrah, aged in old French oak barrels to maximize fruit expression, in the OCP style. This value-driven $21 wine received an impressive silver medal at the 2014 National Wine Awards, and will likely be present at the Festival. It would make sense for Okanagan Crush Pad’s recently released 2013 “Samantha” Syrah to also join the Haywire wine. A small lot of 150 cases were produced in concert with, and as an homage to the 2013 Festival’s Sommelier of the Year, Samantha Rahn.

La Frenz: While this acclaimed winery produces legendary whites in particular from three Naramata Bench vineyards, their ten acre “Rockyfeller” Vineyard on the Golden Mile yields late-ripening red varieties that include Syrah. The winery has elected to call their wine Shiraz due to the jammy ripeness it displays, while retaining the finesse of the Northern Rhone. The 2012 vintage should be on hand at the Festival, providing an opportunity to enjoy what the winery describes as “intense layers of dark fruit…and a seamless, lengthy finish.”

Laughing Stock: Since acquiring an Osoyoos vineyard in 2007, this Naramata Bench winery has used it to great effect producing award-winning Syrah. Inspiration is said to come from Côte Rotie, resulting in the inclusion of small proportions of Viognier. A Lt. Governor’s Award for the 2010 vintage was followed by a gold medal at the National Wine Awards for 2011, and most recently platinum at the Nationals for the 2012 release. Although the upcoming 2013 isn’t anticipated until June, some of the sold out 2012 was set aside for the Festival – this will most likely to be the last opportunity to purchase!

Nk’Mip Cellars: Smack dab in the middle of Canada’s best Syrah terroir around Osoyoos, Nk’Mip has a long and fruitful history with the grape. The winery’s reserve-tier Qwam Qwmt Syrah achieves regular critical accolades (including a Decanter gold medal for the 2008), and a very reasonably-priced Syrah blend named “Talon” was initiated beginning with the 2010 vintage. Both the newly-released gold-medal 2010 Qwam Qwmt Syrah and the more youthful, easy-drinking 2012 Talon should provide plenty to chew on at the Festival.

Painted Rock: Syrah has been a part of Proprietor John Skinner’s tightly-focused portfolio since the first vintage was released in 2007. Only two years later the 2009 vintage was awarded a Lt. Governor’s Award, bringing the young winery’s tally up to four in only three years! Although Syrah is most typically found in the southern Okanagan, Painted Rock’s estate vineyard on the Skaha Bench just south of Penticton has achieved plentiful success with late-ripening reds, and is the exclusive source of all the winery’s grapes. The textbook 2012 example will be available at the Festival, where the always-enthusiastic Skinner will be on hand to enlighten guests with captivating details.

Poplar Grove: Another Naramata Bench winery with land holdings further south, well respected Poplar Grove has a solid grasp on Syrah, despite perhaps more fame for their desirable Cabernet Franc and powerful Merlot. A pair of Osoyoos vineyards have yielded fruit for wines such as the varietal Syrah as well as the CSM (Cabernet-Syrah-Merlot) blend, a wine that hopefully shows up at the Festival. The 2011 Syrah was bottle-aged for 18 months before release last fall, and has already received silver medals from the BC Wine Awards and National Wine Awards.

Quails’ Gate: To celebrate the Stewart family’s success at their West Kelowna winery a series of special 25^th Anniversary wines were crafted for release in 2014. The first bottling of Syrah for Quails’ Gate is a winery-exclusive, small lot (320 case) production called “The Boswell” in honour of the family grandparents. Right out of the gate the wine was awarded one of five inaugural top-tier platinum medals at the BC Wine Awards. Collectors of premium BC wine rarities will be extremely lucky if Quails’ Gate offers this superb wine at the Festival!

Red Rooster: In 2013 Red Rooster received dual Lt. Governor’s Awards for their 2012 Reserve Viognier and 2010 Reserve Syrah. No surprise that the 2010 vintage is long gone, but the 2011 release remains available, showing off the enviable skills of humble Winemaker Karen Gillis. Grapes from two Oliver vineyards combined to yield precisely 476 cases of 2011 Reserve Syrah (there is in fact no “regular” Syrah at Red Rooster), oak-aged for 14 months. While the 2011 may be present at the Festival, the time since its release suggests a 2012 is imminent, and would be ideally suited to initial release this month.

Road 13: The fine cellar work of Winemaker J-M Bouchard has produced a bevy of Syrah-based delights from the original Golden Mile Cellars. Road 13 uses Syrah in more iterations than any BC winery, with five current named wines in the portfolio, and the inclusion of Syrah in at least three more of their red blends! Most recently the winery was awarded a platinum medal at the National Wine Awards for their 2012 Syrah Malbec, sadly long since sold out. Additional wines that remain available include the 2012 Syrah Mourvedre, and 2011 vintages of varietal Syrah, Jackpot (Reserve) Syrah, and Merlot Syrah – any of which could turn up at the Festival. The winery could easily use the opportunity to preview or release new vintages of the above wines as well.

Sage Hills: Proprietor and “Head Weed-Picker” Rick Thrussell is focused on being a winegrower, taking care to enact exacting, organic vineyard practices in Summerland. His initial 2012 & 2013 Pinot Noir achieved critical and consumer success, and the inaugural (2013) Syrah expected to be previewed at the Festival should also impress. A refreshing and fragrant off-dry Syrah Rosé is also part of the Sage Hills portfolio and may also make an appearance.

Sandhill: Veteran Winemaker Howard Soon has perfected Syrah at Sandhill after decades of experience. At the 2009 Canadian Wine Awards his Small Lots 2007 Syrah was named Canadian Red Wine of the Year (with Sandhill itself named Winery of the Year). The Small Lots Syrah hails from grower Dick Cleave’s Phantom Creek Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, and from which fewer than a dozen barrels are produced each year. The nearby Sandhill Estate Vineyard also yields a white label Syrah, aggressively priced from the 2012 vintage at only $20. At the very least, a small proportion of the 300 cases of 2012 Small Lots Syrah – a BC Wine Awards gold-medal-winner – should be available at the Festival.

See Ya Later Ranch: At the 2014 BC Wine Awards the new Platinum Medal category was introduced in concert with top wine honours in the form of a “Premier’s Award”. See Ya Later’s 2012 “Rover” Shiraz-Viognier (with a curious 1% Pinot Noir) was the first wine to be assigned this prestigious tribute. The $22 wine has been selling particularly fast as a result, but it has always come with a strongly positive reputation since the initial 2007 vintage. Winemaker Dave Carson will hopefully be one hand to pour his wine with pride.

Summerhill: From a Kelowna winery best known for world-renowned sparkling wines, there exists a surprisingly broad range of table and dessert wines across the spectrum, including multiple iterations of Syrah. Considering the winery was generous enough to pour their stunning $88 “Cipes Ariel” 1998 sparkler at last year’s Festival, there is always the remote possibility that the $108 2011 Syrah Icewine may appear. More likely is that the varietal 2010 Syrah – at a more approachable $29 – will be available, sourced from the Aulakh Family Vineyard in Osoyoos. Other possibilities include a recently-released bottle-aged, complex 2013 Syrah Rose along with an age-worthy 2012 Cabernet Syrah from the winery’s charitable Robert Bateman Collection.

TIME: Harry McWatters’ new project on the Black Sage Bench continues to grow, and in fact a brand new winery is under construction there for the 2015 harvest. Once the new hospitality centre opens later this year visitors will be able to taste the range of whites and reds available – centered on Meritage – while gazing upon the mature Sundial Vineyard, first planted over fifty years ago. To be included in the growing portfolio as of this year is TIME’s first varietal Syrah, a 2012 vintage to be introduced exclusively at the Festival.

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards: Recent years have seen Sandra Oldfield’s Golden Mile winery struggle to obtain sufficient quantities of premium Syrah in cooler vintages: 2010 provided for only 210 cases, and the recently-released 2011 yielded only 150 cases, which sold out quickly to the winery’s Crush Club. Extensive bottle aging defines the Oldfield Series wines, so quantities for sale won’t increase until the 2012 is released much later this year. As a result, don’t expect to see any Syrah at the Tinhorn Creek table this year; enjoy the marvellous Merlot and Cabernet Franc instead!

Collectibles: January 2015

The new year brings ever more new wine, with increasing release of the 2012 vintage, now more than two years in the past. Even 2013 reds are starting to appear, having enjoyed a solid twelve months in their respective tanks and barrels. Some brand new Pinot Noirs came home with me alongside a few new vintages for cherished verticals, both young and old.

Foxtrot 2012 Pinot Noir: This wine obviously sees a more complex barrel program than most – it was only just bottled in September, two years after harvest. Widely acknowledged as one of BC’s superlative Pinot Noirs, the wine is produced in small proportions (500 cases) from a 3.5 acre Naramata Bench vineyard. Fortunately John Schreiner shared the good news last year of an expansion to the self-rooted vineyard. The wine is being released at the winery in February, and seems to have shown up in selected stores in advance. Firefly Fine Wines & Ales $69

Nichol 2012 Pinot Noir: More Naramata Pinot, this time from one of the original wineries on the Bench. Nichol reports their vineyard (also own-rooted) was planted between 1989-1991, bringing at least some of the vines up past 25-years-old by now. The Pinot Noir comes from a mere six rows of vines, yielding about 400 cases that spent 13 months in neutral French oak. The winery describes it as the “fleshiest” Pinot they have released in some time, providing “more immediate pleasure than previous vintages,” but still good until 2020. Firefly Fine Wines & Ales $34

SpierHead 2013 Pinot Noir Cuvée: I don’t often get to know a wine even before bottling, but this one crossed my lips in September during a winery visit as part of the BCWAS Bus Tour. Proprietor Bill Knutson generously offered our group tank samples the day before bottling, to great satisfaction. Originally imagined as a producer of Bordeaux varieties, the five-year-old winery has rapidly become known for finely crafted Pinot Noir. I was quite excited to learn of this flagship wine’s public release, but the miniscule 100 cases produced are few and far between – get it now! Sutton Place Wine Merchant $41

Nichol 2012 Cabernet Franc: All the Nichol reds are typically released together, from the same vintage, at the same time, and retail distribution is fairly well established. (That being said I haven’t spotted the Syrah just yet, as most stores are still selling the 2011.) The Cabernet Franc is a 414 case lot, having spent 12 months in neutral French oak before bottling last March. The excellent 2012 vintage has produced a particularly ripe wine in the eyes of the winery, with great aging potential until 2022. Firefly Fine Wines & Ales $34

Osoyoos Larose 2010 Le Grand Vin: Everyone knows one of the original “icon reds” from BC, produced in a relatively consistent age-worthy style since 2001. The 2010 is the last vintage fully under the supervision of long-serving winemaker Pascal Madevon. Pascal left to join Don Triggs’ Culmina in early 2013, shortly after this vintage was bottled (following 18-20 months in French oak). Challenging conditions in 2010 are said to have been managed well, yielding a wine John Schreiner described as bright, firm, and generously textured (thanks to a blend centered on 67% Merlot). With the 2010 added to my six-year vertical, the 2004 is now available for consumption! Swirl VQA Store $50

Nk’Mip 2012 Mer’r’iym: The Osoyoos Indian Band’s well known winery added a super premium red blend to their portfolio as of the 2008 vintage, leading to the demise of their solid Qwam Qwmt (Reserve) Meritage. However, the Mer’r’iym Meritage has garnered plenty of praise of its own, coming from a winemaking team long experienced with big reds. The 2011 vintage was actually skipped over, making this the fourth release, and the first to cut Cabernet Sauvignon below one quarter of the blend: Merlot leads for 2012 with 59%, with 12% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc. The wine was released at the winery back in May 2013, but some of the approximately 450 cases produced only showed up in stores recently. BC Liquor Stores $50

Culmina 2012 Hypothesis: Only the second release from a powerhouse winery that leapt out of the gate two years ago with a 2011 that Anthony Gismondi called “the best first release I can remember from a local winery.” The 2012, from a superior vintage, should be even better – John Schreiner deemed it a solid 92+ points. Tasting the 2011 and 2012 side by side would be quite revealing, considering the major change in proportions: the formerly leading Cabernet Franc is now only 19%, with Merlot taking charge at 57% – while Cabernet Sauvignon remains the same at 24%. The wine has been available for a few months, but the new vintage is only now starting to replace the 2011 on store shelves. Swirl VQA Store $50

Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc Vertical

A recent invitation to my Swirl Wine Store colleagues saw us thoroughly enjoying a vertical tasting of Laughing Stock’s Blind Trust Red. Six bottles and plenty of food left us sufficiently sated, and negating any need for a second vertical I had prepared, of Tinhorn Creek’s Cabernet Franc. Not wanting to down the bottles merely for the sake of imbibing, I retained them for a future tasting, which came about in short order just last weekend. A few other local examples and even an Ontario wine joined the tasting, but the focus was on evaluating and enjoying Winemaker Sandra Oldfield’s pride and joy.

Although Tinhorn Creek’s President/CEO Sandra Oldfield actually passed on the winemaking reins to newcomer Andrew Windsor last year, she was fully in charge of producing the particular wines I was presenting. Sampling from a vertical of one wine from one winery, under supervision of the same winemaker each year, is a superb examination of vintage variation and the effects of bottle aging. The four years from 2009-2012 were a tumultuous range of vintages, ranging from the short but hot 2009 season to the second-coolest season on record only two years later. Fortunately 2012 marked the beginning of an exciting three-year trend towards more ideal conditions. With some historical awareness in mind we delved in to our enviable task.

Tinhorn Creek’s Cabernet Franc is consistently produced from the winery’s Diamondback Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench opposite their Golden Mile headquarters south of Oliver. The southwest-facing 100-acre property is planted primarily to red varieties that enjoy the additional 2-3 hours of daylight obtained versus the Golden Mile home vineyard. The Cabernet Franc vines found there are now two decades old, and the wine has been a staple of Tinhorn’s portfolio since the very early days. Each of the four vintages under examination experienced identical winemaking practices, with Sandra having dialled in the style over the years: full malolactic fermentation followed by 12 months aging in 2-3 year-old American and French oak barrels.

Vintage	2009	2010	2011	2012
Osoyoos GDD	1,627	1,429	1,384	1,545
Harvest	Oct 3-9	Oct 21-27	Oct 29	Oct 10-30
Brix	25.0	24.0	22.4	23.5
Bottling	May 2011	Apr 2012	Apr 2013	May 2014
Alcohol	14.8%	13.9%	13.6%	14.0%
Sugar	< 2.0 g/L	< 2.0 g/L	< 2.0 g/L	< 2.0 g/L
Acidity	6.00 g/L	6.00 g/L	5.55 g/L	6.00 g/L
pH	3.09	3.71	3.79	3.69
Cases	5,172	N/A	1,798	4,782

I double decanted each wine back into bottle and we began by tasting the 2009. The cool spring shortened the growing season that year, but the 1,627 Growing Degree Days measured in Osoyoos reveal a very warm summer and fall. The impressive ripeness led to an early harvest, which came in fortunately just before the surprise frost on October 12. High Brix led to high alcohol, as the yeast feasted on the sugar before fermentation to a nearly bone dry level. We immediately detected that boozy character on the nose and palate, whereupon a spicy chocolate character kicked in after leather hints. The flavour profile and long, fruity finish made it a good match for Oyama Chorizo, but overall it was considered a bit too brash.

The 2010 wine proved to be the star of the tasting in retrospect, with a very drinkable, elegant and smooth medium body. The flavour profile was awash in raspberry, black cherry, and hints of prune after two and half years in bottle. The lower alcohol was apparent, although ironically Brix at harvest was still the second-highest of the four wines despite what many consider to be a cool vintage. The October harvest likely took advantage of the late heat-wave that year, eeking out a bit more ripeness after the low temperatures experienced in September. Perhaps not coincidentally, 2010 was also the first vintage released of the new reserve-tier Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc, which took first place in the BC Wine Appreciation Society’s Cabernet Franc Blind Tasting this past February.

Another substantial pivot came about from the 2011 vintage. This very cool year (second only to 1999) resulted in the Tinhorn team delaying harvest until the end of October. Some brutal vineyard practices undoubtedly ensued that year (at least amongst the wise) to thin the crop enough for a useful harvest – a two thirds drop in production from typical levels attests to that fact. Quite telling is that nearly as much (Cabernet Franc) Rose as varietal Cabernet Franc was made at Tinhorn Creek that year! In tasting this third wine it presented more subtly on  both the nose and palate, with some meaty character and smooth cranberry and strawberry flavours. However, comments suggested it was a little too sharp, with the acidity insufficiently balanced by fruit.

Tasting the newly released 2012 gave us plenty of optimism, with fresh, bright fruit apparent immediately. The young wine was already smoothing out, while exhibiting a fuller, more pleasing texture than the previous vintage. Earthy character, spicy flavours, and some milk chocolate hints kept the palate interesting: the group consensus being that another couple of years in bottle should yield a 2010 competitor. The wine has already been awarded a silver medal at WineAlign’s National Wine Awards, and named Judges Choice at the subsequent World Wine Awards of Canada. It stands to reason that a 2012 Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc (expected in the coming year, with no 2011 vintage having been released) should be a further step up in quality, building on the initial success achieved in 2010. I look forward to enjoying many more excellent and intriguing wines from Tinhorn’s talented team!

Celebrating the holidays with BCWAS

The members of the BC Wine Appreciation Society rang in the holiday season recently with a party at The Blackbird, where the upstairs private room has become a favourite location for social events and tastings. My wife and I joined the celebration to catch up with our fellow members and enjoy numerous rarities and well-aged wines from the Society’s cellar. Given the many celebratory holiday periods across cultures that coincide in December, everyone was full of festive cheer and ready to taste the range of exciting wines on offer.

To provide for an effervescent welcome guests were served Gray Monk’s 2010 Odyssey Rose Brut upon arrival. This local stalwart is a traditional method blend of Gamay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir, providing a soft fruity mousse and juicy acidity to balance fourteen grams of residual sugar. The well-balanced palate finished slightly off-dry, with a blend of fresh berry and earthy flavours just as expected. An ideal wine to warm up our palates with a bite or two of The Blackbird’s Goat Cheese-Stuffed Artichokes. I would expect this wine – a superb value at only $20 – to find a place on everyone’s holiday favourites list.

We circulated amongst the comfortable couches and creative seating arrangements in the multi-function lounge space, while a stellar selection of warm winter comfort foods were served. At three tasting stations ten wines were served to engaged oenophiles – aged reds from the Society cellar and some newly acquired whites to keep matters in balance. Among those offering a fresh perspective was the 2013 Siegerrebe from Pender Island’s Sea Star Vineyards. While Siegerrebe makes up only 1% of the white grape acreage in BC, the fifty-two acres under vine are spread far and wide (in fact the aforementioned Gray Monk releases over 1,000 cases each year to serve as an off-dry aperitif). Sea Star’s take was true to form for this descendent of Gewurztraminer; intensely perfumed with floral aromatics it yielded a bounty of soft fruit flavours well suited to Coconut-crusted Prawns with Green Curry Sauce. Sold out at the winery – along with the entire portfolio – the wine recently captured a gold medal for Sea Star from the Northwest Wine Summit.

Other fresh, crisp whites included Terravista’s gold-medal-winning 2013 Fandango, a unique blend of Albariño and Verdejo from the Naramata Bench. Because this blend of two Spanish grapes was unprecedented in Canada it took the winery years to get it approved for VQA status! For many guests it was the first introduction to this rarity, showing a clean and complex nose of stone fruit and melon. On the palate pears and melon mixed with tart peach to provide for a mouth-watering finish alongside Mini Dungeness Crab Cakes with Tomato Remoulade.

The tasting bar also featured a couple more traditional varietals from older vintages. For Riesling lovers there was Mission Hill’s 2010 Martin’s Lane exclusive, a very tasty, classic reflection of the grape grown to great success in West Kelowna. The small lot Martin’s Lane project focuses solely on Riesling and Pinot Noir (with the occasional Viognier), and the 2010 release of 400 cases marked only the second vintage. The sweet and spicy flavours of Vegetarian Spring Rolls undoubtedly worked well with the wine, or perhaps the tangy tomatoes topping Margherita Pizza. Chardonnay aficionados were invited to sample Quinta Ferreira’s 2011, from their Oliver vineyard planted in 1999. Like the Riesling, the Chardonnay provided another relatable expression, with mature toasty popcorn and apple pie characteristics from malolactic barrel fermentation and aging.

Five reds covering the colour spectrum provided plenty of winter warmth and a peek into the past, including a very special first vintage from Painted Rock! Anyone who snagged a Crustade with Duck Confit & Quince Jam would have appreciated a sip of La Frenz 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir. In 2012 this Naramata Bench wine received a double-gold medal at the All Canadian Wine Championships, ensuring a place in the BCWAS cellar precisely for an opportunity such as this. After a couple years aging, the wine presented as four years young if anything, with cranberries and strawberries on the nose and smooth vanilla cherries and strawberry flavours.

Forest Mushrooms on Grilled Polenta with Fresh Basil was another potential pairing for the Pinot Noir, but Sandhill’s 2008 Small Lots Sangiovese offered an opportunity as well. Herbaceous aromas yielded to a smooth, lighter-bodied palate with toasty, spicy fruit flavours and a juicy finish from Black Sage Bench fruit. Only 475 cases were released back in 2011 by Winemaker Howard Soon, providing us with a valuable look at Canada’s only varietal (VQA) Sangiovese.

For something to drink with a slice of Italian Salami & English Ham Pizza one could have sipped on a glass of See Ya Later Ranch’s 2008 “Rover” a ripe Syrah co-fermented with 3.5% Viognier. Four years removed from the current platinum-medal 2012 vintage, this Rover received a gold medal from the Canadian Wine Awards in 2010. After a few years in the cellar it offered an easy-drinking palate of earthy cherries paired with nicely perfumed aromas, encouraged by the small Viognier component no doubt.

To round out the selection of reds there were a couple of hoped for heavy-hitters on offer, definitely the kind of wines calling out for one of the Mini Yorkshire Puddings in circulation. From the sadly defunct (but in good hands) Herder Winery in Keremeos we were very lucky to sample the 2008 Josephine, a blend of 81% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Cellar time had knit together a savoury profile of olives and dates, with a long juicy finish to provide some closing thoughts.

As good as the Josephine tasted, the star of the evening for many was the delightful 2007 Merlot from Painted Rock – the winery’s first vintage. Approximately 750 cases were released in 2009, being named Best of Varietal at the 2010 Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, and going on to bring home a gold medal at the BC Wine Awards that fall. Painted Rock’s Proprietor John Skinner often remarks that his Merlot behaves as a bit of dark horse, needing generous time in bottle to come about. After five and a half years following 18-months in new French oak at the winery we got the chance to savour a very well-aged BC wine. Even still, a bit of tannin remained noticeable on the bright palate, showing off broad flavours of everything from juicy cranberries to some prune character with a hint of olives. The long, smooth finish certainly kept the wine in my mind, and that of many other guests given the extensive mentions it received.

We finished the tasting with another bonus from the BCWAS Fall Bus Tour: after opening a few whites acquired on the tour during October’s Harvest Party, this festive celebration provided the perfect opportunity to savour Arrowleaf’s Late Harvest Vidal. Although the wine was available to taste from the beginning of the event, I waited patiently to close out the evening with it. By then all the delicious food had been snapped up, but I’m sure a few creative pairings could have been assembled by adventurous guests. With my palate all to itself the Vidal burst with rich honey and tropical fruit; layers of papaya, guava, and pineapple were all nicely balanced by tangy acidity. It was a good thing the Society picked up several bottles during the Bus Tour, because the nicely valued wine ($25) is already sold out, despite 300 cases produced. Hopefully a few lucky folks will find a bottle in their stocking this year!

Towards the end of the evening the traditional prize raffle yielded a one-year BCWAS membership, plus bottles of Bartier Brothers “The Cowboy” and Church & State’s delicious but sadly discontinued Pinot Noir. Executive members were also happy to share early details of some of the very exciting 2015 events set to mark the Society’s tenth anniversary, starting with a vertical tasting of Mission Hill Oculus in January. As we parted ways amid well wishes for the holidays and new year it was great to see that everyone had enjoyed the excellent food and wine, and I would hope some even found a few new favourites along the way.

Collectibles: November 2014

The autumn red wine releases have continued at full pace, marked by newly released vintages of some consistent gems. Some don’t last for long on store shelves (even at the winery), so I had to act fast. A few special releases provided some pleasant surprise recently as well, proving irresistible for a collector like me!

Orofino 2012 Scout Vineyard Syrah: Like last month’s Pinot Noir purchase, I may end up with a bottle or two in a future Collector’s Club shipment, but given the sample I enjoyed recently, that would be most welcome. The beautiful, vibrant violet colour yields a perfumed vanilla nose and juicy black cherry flavours; mouth-watering minerality and sweet, ripe fruit from a great vintage. Given the vineyard size and previous releases I would guess about 250 cases only. Swirl VQA Store $29

Okanagan Crush Pad 2013 Samantha Syrah: The fourth release in OCP’s “Wine Campus” Series, in which they invite the Vancouver International Wine Festival’s Sommelier of the Year to craft a small lot wine for charity. Samantha Rahn from Whistler’s Araxi received the honour in 2013, and decided on Syrah that fall, with grapes from Oliver’s Cerquiera Vineyard. The wine was just released this month – only 150 cases spread across selected stores and restaurants. Brewery Creek Liquor Store $31

Burrowing Owl 2012 Cabernet Franc: After a late summer bottling run at Burrowing Owl, a few new red wines were released this fall. I hunted down the Malbec locally last month, but sought the renowned Cabernet Franc directly from the winery given its popularity. The Franc is often a high point in the winery’s portfolio, consistently garnering prominent awards, including a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the 2010 vintage. A few accolades for the 2012 (an excellent vintage in BC) have already cropped up from the critics at WineAlign, praising the wine’s flavours and varietal focus. Winery Direct $33

Burrowing Owl 2011 Meritage: Because Burrowing Owl ships wine in quantities as low as two bottles, I was able to obtain the Meritage and aforementioned Cabernet Franc with ease. We can’t all buy case lots every time, and I appreciate the opportunity to add another vintage to my Meritage vertical, now with a full six bottles (2006-2011). The wine is a blend of nearly equal thirds Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with 2% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot. The varieties were aged independently in oak for a year before blending, then another nine months in barrel, followed by a year in bottle before release. Winery Direct $45

Clos du Soleil 2010 Estate Reserve: After picking up the premier “Signature” red blend last month, I couldn’t turn down an opportunity for Clos du Soleil’s top tier reserve wine. In 2009 Winemaker Ann Sperling first bottled four barrels (100 cases) of what was then called “Eclipse” Winemaker’s Reserve. Now, 50 cases of what is now labelled simply Estate Reserve have been released, a miniscule quantity by any standard. Naturally the top shelf price has kept sales at a slow pace, but it still won’t last long in the tiny handful of stores lucky enough for an allocation. Swirl VQA Store $60

Church & State 2012 Coyote Bowl Malbec: Last year the first varietal Malbec (from 2011) was released by Church & State, with Proprietor Kim Pullen describing it as the best wine they had ever made. After being named Best of Category at the All Canadian Wine Championships, the initial release price of $35 was bumped up to $75 in short order, but the 150 cases produced still sold out readily. With 275 cases now released from an even better vintage, I leapt on the opportunity when the winery brought a mere two cases to a tasting at Swirl in Yaletown. Swirl VQA Store $35

Poplar Grove 2011 Cabernet Franc: Poplar Grove prides themselves on having the means to bottle age their wines before release, so the 2011 reds are only now coming on the market (and only some of them at that). Amongst the new releases is the highly desirable Cabernet Franc, which sold out so quickly it’s already gone from the winery website! A relatively small production of 450 cases came out of the cool 2011 vintage. Anthony Gismondi describes it as “the most fragrant yet” with years of improvement ahead as well. Fortunately the wine can be found in a some well-stocked private stores. Firefly Fine Wines & Ales $44

Poplar Grove 2011 CSM: The traditional French blend called GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) is turned on its head with this cheeky and completely different re-imagining featuring Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon-Syrah-Merlot. The proprietary blend is made in very small quantities (250 cases) so it never shows up for sale outside the winery. Fortunately I have a friend in Penticton generous enough to nab me a bottle! Precise proportions of each variety in the blend are not typically made public, but one assumes the winemaking team selected the best ratio for the vintage. Winery Direct $35

Poplar Grove 2011 Syrah: A third new red release from the same vintage is Poplar Grove’s Syrah, which occasionally flies under the radar given the winery’s prevalent Merlot and sought-after Cabernet Franc. John Schreiner’s recent review of the Poplar Grove/Monster Vineyards portfolio remarked upon the bold, spicy, fruity profile found in this recent release, strongly consistent with past vintages. A pair of silver medals from this year’s National Wine Awards and BC Wine Awards adorn this wine already. Like the Cabernet Franc, only 450 cases were produced, but fortunately it does often make its way into stores. Winery Direct $35

BCWAS: Church & State Winery Dinner

A change of pace for the BC Wine Appreciation Society took place this month upon the occasion of a winery dinner celebrating Church & State Wines. The annual spring winemaker’s dinner has been a tradition for many years, and typically serves as the only dinner outside of the fall Bus Tour. However, with the assistance of additional member volunteers the Society was enthused to host nearly four dozen guests at the renowned Kitsilano Daily Kitchen for six creative courses of culinary delight. Church & State Marketing Manager John Pullen and Vancouver Sales Representative Jason Fung joined the dinner to take in the perfect pairings assembled by Chef Brian Fowke and his talented team.

As tablemates introduced one another and friends reconnected we received a glass of Cuvée Blanc 2013, Church & State’s aromatic white blend. This combination of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and a bit of Chardonnay Musqué provided a fresh and fruity welcome as Chef Fowke described his culinary philosophy. Based on his regular market and farm visits the restaurant presents a new menu every day, ensuring they use only the freshest, most seasonal produce, meats, and fish from sustainable local producers. Local Albacore tuna was the inspired pairing for the bright Cuvée Blanc, served Poke-style with tamari, sesame, Bird’s Eye chillies, citrus, and fermented fish sauce. The dish exuded freshness in perfect parallel with the citrus flavours and long, peachy finish on the wine, providing a marvellous primer on Chef Fowke’s gift for complementary creations.

With our palates superbly roused by both wine and food we soon detected the intoxicating aromas of our next course. As easily identifiable glasses of Chardonnay were served the unmistakable aroma of truffle emerged from the kitchen. In varietally-corrected Riedel stemware we received Coyote Bowl Chardonnay 2012, one of two vineyard-specific oaked Chardonnay from Church & State’s Black Sage Bench location (the other being from the nearby Gravelbourg vineyard). Soon there appeared wide bowls of mouth-watering soup – Roasted Cream of Winter Cauliflower – accentuated with butter-poached Bell Harbour lobster, wild Rainbow Trout caviar, and shaved truffle! The Chardonnay provided for yet another superb pairing, in what was to become a happy pattern, with a toasty nose awash in caramel apple aromas. The creamy soup encouraged a citrus character from the wine, in which a full texture and very well balanced acidity brought great acclaim from the Chardonnay connoisseurs in our midst. It’s debatable whether a drop of soup, morsel of lobster, or bead of caviar remained!

For our third course we received direct evidence of Chef Fowke’s local focus, as the expected Quadra Island shellfish stew was foregone due to recent stormy conditions hampering fishery operations. His preferred provider was unable to obtain sufficient qualities and quantities, necessitating an immediate and intense consideration of alternate options given the selected wine pairing. Church & State’s Trebella White was on the menu, a 2013 Rhone-inspired blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, with a touch of Viognier. This highly distinctive wine was ultimately paired with Chef Fowke’s choice of Rare-seared Yarrow Meadows Duck Risotto, including Northern Spy apple, roasted garlic, and caramelized lemon. The Trebella’s rich and elegant aromas of citrus flowers with stone and tropical fruit had no trouble keeping up, and the intense flavours and supremely well-rounded, integrated palate demonstrated why the wine was recently named Best White Blend at the WineAlign World Wine Awards of Canada.

Three courses in it was hard to believe we had only reached the halfway mark, having enjoyed so much already! But Church & State’s legendary southern Okanagan reds had yet to make an appearance, so we braced ourselves for more pleasures of the palate. Jumping right into the midst we received the 2009 Quintessential, the winery’s icon red blend, developing nicely after some time in bottle (with many more promising years ahead). The complex blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec was matched to Pan-roasted Peace Country Bavette of Elk, served atop creamy corn polenta, bordelaise sauce, and sautéed woodland mushrooms.

In last year’s SIP Wines annual “Icon Red Tasting”, the 2009 Quintessential was named runner-up, while just recently the 2011 vintage came out on top in the blind tasting’s seventh iteration. This comes on the heels of it being awarded the Canadian Red Trophy (and Gold Medal) from the International Wine Challenge in the UK. The first vintage of Quintessential was created in 2005, but the wine has been racking up an impressive array of accolades in a few short years. Our opportunity to sample this gem was a cherished one, providing aromas of toasty dark cherry and mocha before the intense dark fruit flavours and a smooth texture complemented by the rare Elk. Without food the tannins became more evident, showing the relative youth of this wine (the current vintage in stores) – the winery in fact believes several more years of bottle development can be expected.

In 2011 Church & State was proud to celebrate their 2009 Coyote Bowl Syrah having been named Canada’s Best Red Wine at the Canadian Wine Awards. As its predecessor was being feted across the country, the 2011 vintage was just being harvested from the same outstanding vineyard. That wine, released earlier this year, has now gone on to win a Gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards, as well as being named Best in Class at the 2014 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition. As Church & State doesn’t typically produce any dedicated dessert-style wines the 2011 Syrah was tapped to provide for our final sips, with Extra Dark Chocolate & Preserved Okanagan Cherry Crêpes. Accessorized by Chantilly cream, Bourbon vanilla, and Maple sugar, the crêpes and chocolate ganache were enchanting on their own, but rose to another level with the Syrah. The wine’s intense black pepper aromas opened up to an all-encompassing cherry extravaganza alongside the preserved cherries, and demonstrating the complete success of a dry table wine for dessert!

With rich aromas and flavours of cherry and chocolate still circulating we received generous plates of local artisan cheeses to enjoy as the meal concluded. Any remaining wine available was soon disbursed as guests traded opinions on their favourite dish – a challenge for many no doubt! There were well-deserved acknowledgments and applause for Chef Fowke’s talented staff, and to those who helped organize the event for the benefit of our members. Special thanks to Church & State’s John Pullen and Jason Fung, and to the hardworking BCWAS Executive members for bringing this spectacular dinner to fruition!

Laughing Stock Blind Trust Vertical

A recent evaluation of my wine collection revealed a growing vertical of Laughing Stock’s Blind Trust Red. Without any firm plans for what to do with this bounty I held on to the bottles and the collection grew. By the time the 2012 vintage was released this summer I was in possession of six uninterrupted years of this mysterious and variable wine – so named because the contents of the blend are kept hidden. With half a case at my disposal and a valuable educational opportunity at hand I invited several colleagues from Swirl Wine Store to join me in sampling some of Naramata’s finest.

Laughing Stock’s Blind Trust Red is similar to a traditional second wine in one sense, using the wine not selected for the more iconic “Portfolio”. The winery is clear in stating that “the barrels for Portfolio and Blind Trust are treated exactly the same for the first 15 months.” There are simply often leftover proportions once Portfolio’s taste profile and balance has been finalized. These remaining barrels are put together into a new and unique wine from which one is asked to trust the judgment of winemaker David Enns. However, in recent years the wine has taken on a bit more character of its own, by including grapes such as Syrah, not part of the Bordeaux-style Portfolio blend. Blind Trust can often be more approachable in the present than Portfolio, but it ages just as marvellously in the eyes of the winery (see this Maturation Chart), as we were about to find out.

The first vintage of Blind Trust Red was produced from the 2005 harvest, two years after the first (2003) Portfolio, now in its tenth vintage (2012). Our vertical began with the 2007, generally considered to be a very good vintage in the Okanagan. A nice whiff of vanilla was my first impression upon opening the bottle, which I double decanted along with the other five before everyone arrived. Delving into the wine with the group produced assessments of aromatic blackberry and blueberry, plus mild hints of bell pepper as well. A delightfully smooth texture revealed warm, rich flavours mirroring the nose, with accents of black licorice; an early favourite already! A few guesses ultimately led to the actual content, revealed by peeling back the foil on the neck: 50% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 22% Cabernet Franc.

From 2008 the aromatic introduction was that of black olives; it was deemed immediately more savoury on the nose, reminding many of a winter stew. Still, underneath those meaty notes some chocolate and raspberries crept through; with no peppers evident in what was deemed an improvement. The palate was slightly more acidic than the 2007, from a cooler vintage, but also seemingly sweeter with the same luxurious, well-aged character. The Merlot component was revealed to have increased substantially to 78% that year, with 13% Malbec as a pleasant surprise, and only 9% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our third bottle came from the legendary 2009 vintage, a spectacularly hot summer, despite the cool spring’s late bud-break and an early October frost, which combined to shorten the season by four weeks. Aromas of dried fruit and chocolate presented themselves immediately, with a savoury sausage undercurrent. The summer heat was apparent on the hot, nearly over-ripe palate however, which put some tasters off for being too brash and boozy. That year saw 70% Merlot joined by 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Malbec. Not a favourite thus far, prompting recollections of the more pleasant first two wines, and providing some consternation about the outcome of many other BC wines from the same vintage still awaiting my attention.

The following year, 2010 saw another relatively cool vintage similar to 2008, with harvest only getting started in mid-October (after a cool, wet September), and dragging out into November. The nose on this wine showed off spice-rack aromas and earthy character with leather hints. The palate was awash in cranberries and sour cherry, perceived as the most tart wine of the evening, and pushing 15% alcohol as well. One has to wonder how much of the overall profile was influenced by the inclusion of 6% Syrah for the first time, which we discovered alongside 62% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Malbec. A low of 1,675 cases of Portfolio were produced in 2010, and the Blind Trust followed suit, with a mere 765 cases (versus more than one thousand in every other vintage, and as many as 1,620 in 2009).

The feared 2011 vintage was next up, from the coolest season since Laughing Stock was founded, and roughly considered a poor year overall. The surprise of the night was at hand though, in a youthful, fruit forward wine that had us all raving! Aromas of mulling spices led into a delightfully lighter-bodied, lower-alcohol (13.6%) palate, smoothly textured and soft, with very nicely balanced acidity and a fresh, grapey finish. The complex blend of five varieties brought Merlot down to 47%, while Malbec jumped up to 31%, followed by 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Syrah. The 2011 vintage saw Laughing Stock’s elegant Portfolio awarded a prestigious Lt. Governor’s Award; combined with observations from this Blind Trust, we are reminded that every vintage has something to offer that may surprise!

The 2012 Blind Trust was only released this past summer – I received two bottles in my June Preferred Share Wine Club shipment. After a few ups and downs in the years beforehand, 2012 proved to be a very solid growing season, long and warm, with no major problems during harvest. Opening the bottle provided for a waft of cedar, followed by blackberry and black currant aromas after aeration, with pleasant floral hints around the edges. The palate provided for our first noticeable tannin, with bright but balanced acidity and well-rounded fruit character that’s drinking quite well given its youth. It turned out that Malbec was again a major contributor, at 32% following Merlot’s lead of 49%, with 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc rounding out the blend.

Six half-empty bottles provided fodder for several reassessments as we nibbled on the delicious food on offer: guests had provided a range of cheese and dips, pâté, home-made mushroom and beef empanadas, and even wild-harvested venison sausage! The favourites were soon obvious without discussion, as the 2008 and then 2007 bottles emptied out, followed soon thereafter by the 2011. The young but promising 2012 found itself in fourth place, while the overall assessment put 2009 and 2010 at the bottom in the formal ranking, leaving us all quite enlightened. Drinking each bottle independently over the years could have drawn out the pleasure, but would never compare to sharing them all with good friends and food in such an entertaining event.