Laughing Stock Vertical at VanWineFest

This year the Vancouver International Wine Festival included very few BC-centric events, with just one outside the Festival Tasting Room. Fortunately that one event was of the highest calibre: a ten-year vertical of Laughing Stock’s flagship “Portfolio” Bordeaux-style red blend. The winery has been celebrating their tenth vintage release since the 2012 was introduced last fall, with similar Portfolio Verticals across Canada. Needless to say I was honoured and excited to have received an invitation to attend the sold out Wine Festival Vertical as media.

The tasting took place in the newly renovated boardroom of law firm Borden-Ladner-Gervais, and was moderated by local wine and food legend Sid Cross. Laughing Stock owners David & Cynthia Enns were present along with their new Wine Club & Tasting Room Manager Kendall Harris. Stunning views of the Convention Centre buildings and North Shore mountains provided an appropriate backdrop for the Enns’ impressive achievements. The “winery” started in 2001 when David imported one ton of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Washington to press in his White Rock garage. Only two years later they had moved production to the Naramata Bench and assembled the first Portfolio blend. In the dozen years since then Laughing Stock has amassed national and international acclaim, with sustainable growth at the same facility built in 2005, always focused on quality over quantity.

Based on experience from previous similar tastings in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, along with guidance from Sid, the ten samples from 2003-2012 were divided into two flights of five. The 2007, 2006, and then 2005 were actually tasted first, representing the initial years of self-sufficient production from the Enns’ own winery. The 2007 expressed very attractive maturity and complexity on the nose, with baked strawberry and blueberry flavours that still retained fresh acidity; it would ultimately prove my favourite of the flight. Both 2006 and 2005 were more savoury and leathery on the nose, seemingly more tannic than the younger 2007, with stewed fruit flavours and hints of milk chocolate and olives, respectively.

The first two vintages (2003 & 2004) were crushed at the nearby Poplar Grove winery, and made in a simpler Cabernet-Merlot style (without the Malbec and Petit Verdot that would arrive later). Only 500 cases of the inaugural vintage were produced from an 8 ton harvest, and very, very few bottles remain. There was some suggestion that both early vintages are now past their prime, but I actually quite enjoyed the fully mature 2004. The sawdust aromas and thick, sedimentary texture of the 2003 left something to be desired, but the 2004 grew on me easily. It showed a very expressive nose and many interesting secondary flavours one doesn’t often get to enjoy, finishing second for me amongst the five samples in the flight.

Vintage	Merlot	Cab Sauv	Cab Franc	Malbec	P. Verdot
2003	64%	33%	3%	0%	0%
2004	55%	35%	10%	0%	0%
2005	59%	33%	3%	4%	1%
2006	61%	16%	16%	5%	2%
2007	56%	25%	12%	6%	1%

Tasting those older wines prompted some reminiscing from Cynthia and David, who were quick to recall early challenges with which they struggled. Although the winery immediately established a superb and now iconic branding that remains unchanged, the initial bottle labelling was not without headaches. The 2003 Portfolio was accidentally printed with estimated details yet to be finalized, including an inaccurate alcohol level and (not yet decided-upon) VQA status! Cynthia explained that the printer wisely choose to pay their VQA fees rather than reprint 6000 bottles. Even two years in there was plenty to overcome: for the 2005 harvest the new winery’s crush rollers were delayed, forcing the Enns (and whomever they could cajole into helping) to personally foot stomp 43 tons of fruit!

The second flight of wines represented the younger, more recent vintages, those for which the winemaking and equipment have been “dialled in” to meet the target style. Each one could continue aging well, but all provide quite pleasant current enjoyment. By 2008 the formula was relatively well-established, with room for vintage variation of course: half Merlot, one quarter Cabernet Sauvignon, one eighth Cabernet Franc, one sixteenth Malbec, and a percent or two of Petit Verdot. David reported that he produces each variety as an independent blend – mixing the wine from different vineyard blocks – before making the final Portfolio (and the “Blind Trust” second wine). The hundreds of blending trials consume many long days of solid tasting, testing, and re-tasting.

When comparing the 2008 to the earlier 2007 I could immediately detect more oak expression on the nose, with hints of leather and cocoa, but overall more restrained. The palate was clean and juicy, with plenty of life left. This was the first year David put the Cabernet Franc into puncheons, and the year he began fine-tuning whole cluster fermentation. While 2008 was a cool season overall (in the bottom three of the ten), the following year saw an extremely hot, albeit short, growing season. The resulting rapid ripening in 2009 yielded a rich and robust Portfolio, fuller-bodied and concentrated, with Cabernet varieties making up half the blend. The candied, fruit forward aromas were widely appreciated, and I enjoyed the floral hints, with even a hint of barnyard on the finish; it eventually became my close second-favourite of the flight.

The warm weather in 2009 was short-lived, as 2010 brought the start of two very cool seasons in a row, and a new set of challenges. Despite a slow start and a cool September, rigorous fruit thinning allowed Cabernet Sauvignon to dominate for the first time that year. Merlot decreased to only a third, and Malbec jumped up dramatically, demonstrating the uniqueness of each vintage. At little more than four years old, the 2010 introduced the fresh character of the younger wines, with tart red fruit and licorice flavours. The 2011 was similar, although the chilliest growing season by far resulted in cooler fruit flavours and a lighter-bodied wine. Still, a certain elegance emerged from the lean, bright palate – enough to warrant a prized Lieutenant Governor’s Award for that vintage!

Vintage	Merlot	Cab Sauv	Cab Franc	Malbec	P. Verdot
2008	53%	24%	12%	9%	2%
2009	36%	27%	22%	14%	1%
2010	32%	42%	6%	18%	2%
2011	42%	32%	17%	7%	2%
2012	45%	25%	22%	7%	1%

By 2012 growing conditions had dramatically improved, as that year was the first of three excellent seasons still going strong. The celebrated tenth vintage of Portfolio saw a return to somewhat more traditional proportions, although by now David is quite flexible in response to vineyard expression. For such a significant wine, the results could not have been better: the beautiful violet colour introduced a highly aromatic nose, with well integrated oak already. The tannins are predictably young, but the purity of fruit, balance, and delicious molasses hint on the finish gave me an immediate favourite wine of the flight.

With Kendall recording data at a flip-chart, Sid proceeded to ask for audience favourites, giving each guest two voting opportunities. The overall results showed a sweet spot at several years from vintage: the most preferred wine was the 2009, with 2008 and 2006/2007 coming in second and (tied for) third. Great things are likely still to come from the newer releases, particularly the string of great vintages from 2012-2014. And Portfolio is not the only source of greatness at Laughing Stock, with a full but focused selection of other wines. The winery’s 2007-acquired Osoyoos vineyard has yielded multi-award-winning Syrah since 2008, including the most recent (and now sold out) Platinum Medal 2012 vintage. David even revealed his re-entry into Pinot Noir territory, with two acres under vine on the Naramata Bench, and two vintages in barrel already. There will be many more exciting verticals yet to come!

Collectibles: February 2015

Some highly anticipated new releases put a smile on my face this month, including the arrival of rich red wines from CedarCreek in my latest Platinum Club delivery. A couple even served to resurrect Platinum reserve wines not made since 2009 – both very good candidates for the cellar. Joining them are unexpected acquisitions and entirely brand new wines alongside reliable favourites reaping the rewards of the healthy 2012 vintage.

Van Westen “VD” 2013 Pinot Noir: Rob Van Westen has been partnering with industry veteran Tom Di Bello (of CedarCreek and Burrowing Owl, among others) for three years so far, making small proportions of their own cheeky Pinot Noir. The “VD” moniker is coupled with an annual Valentine’s Day release, allowing no end to the puns they both enjoy when marketing the wine. It’s a Pinot Noir in the complex, earthy style, with toasty notes of clove and tobacco mingling with the bright berries and rich cherry fruit. From 96 cases in the first year, to 125 from 2012, now only 51 cases were made of the 2013, which Rob strongly recommends cellaring. Winery Direct $40

Stag’s Hollow 2012 Tempranillo: Fewer than a handful of varietal Tempranillo exist in BC, but the always adventurous Dwight Sick at Stag’s Hollow is enjoying the challenge of working with what Anthony Gismondi calls “a moody grape here in BC.” Winery owners Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger have actually planted Tempranillo in their Okanagan Falls estate vineyard, from which half the blend comprising 305 cases is harvested, plus the 10% Merlot component. This fragrant, fruity, savoury wine brought home a silver medal at the National Wine Awards last year. Swirl VQA Store $33

CedarCreek 2012 Platinum “Desert Ridge” Merlot: One of the long-lost Platinum reds, not seen since the 2009 vintage. The winery’s Osoyoos vineyard is home to eleven acres of Merlot, and selected rows typically yield the reserve-tier Merlot desired for the Platinum series. However, the 2010 and 2011 vintages were deemed not quite sufficient for a Platinum designation, making this a true reserve wine, only produced when deserving of the moniker. After 20 months in French oak, 550 cases were bottled last August, and finally released this spring after a long absence. Winery Direct $40

Road 13 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon: Originally released at the winery last spring, the 92 cases produced sold out in two weeks after Proprietor Mick Luckhurst declared it their best Cabernet ever. The winery hasn’t produced a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon since the 2007 “farewell” vintage, but times change and the winery is no longer as focused on blends as they were several years ago. The 2012 came from 1.3 acres on the Osoyoos East Bench, plus about one hundred kilograms of grapes (6% of the total) from the Similkameen Valley’s renowned Blind Creek Vineyard. Amazingly a few bottles found their way to Vancouver, and flew under the radar for the past ten months! Burrard Liquor Store $34

Nk’Mip 2012 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon: The Osoyoos vineyards that produce Nk’Mip’s Cabernet Sauvignon are legendary, yielding grapes sold to many other wineries as well. After pushing through challenging conditions in 2011 the winery, and wine, seems back to form with the receipt of a gold medal from the National Wine Awards, where praise was given for the “very fruity, crowd-pleasing style.” Although 2011 garnered a silver medal, there was criticism for heavy oak treatment overwhelming the delicate fruit that year. The grapes in 2012 appear to have been ripe enough to accommodate 18 months in 90% French oak: with 14.8% alcohol there is still nearly 6 g/L of residual sugar. Swirl VQA Store $33

Lariana 2012 TWELVE: One of only two wines produced by this young and focused Osoyoos winery. After replacing an existing orchard in 2007 proprietors Dan & Carol Scott released a 2012 Viognier that garnered stellar praise from John Schreiner. The 2013 Viognier is now available, and with it this exciting red blend called simply TWELVE, presumably an homage to the winery’s first vintage. Consulting Winemaker Senka Tennant (founder of Black Hills and Terravista) crafted the blend from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Carménère, harvested from Lariana’s five-acre lakefront vineyard abutting the US border. The 480 cases produced are actually disseminating broadly, including to many VQA stores. Winery Direct $45

CedarCreek 2012 Platinum “Desert Ridge” Meritage: Like the aforementioned Merlot, the Platinum Meritage has been absent from the winery’s portfolio since the acclaimed 2009. With the even better 2012 vintage finally yielding fruit the winery felt was appropriate for the Platinum tier, the newest release of 525 cases will be snapped up by collectors. This complex wine is a blend of 54% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. For a taste of the baby brother try the new $25 Meritage (thoughtfully crafted from the same five varieties) that complements the existing $20 Merlot Cabernet. Winery Direct $45

Van Westen 2011 “V”: Rob Van Westen has been producing his age-worthy “Voluptuous” red blend (typically two thirds Merlot and one third Cabernet Franc) for several years, but added a more complex Bordeaux-style blend in 2009. It is appropriately given the Roman numeral “V” to signify the five varieties included, consisting of 49% Merlot, 24% Malbec, 21% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot in 2011. Like Rob’s other reds, it is very age-worthy, and previous releases have been suggested to benefit from up to several years in the cellar. Focusing on Merlot and Malbec in the cool 2011 vintage should hopefully continue the trend of praise he has received from critics such as Anthony Gismondi, who determined the 2010 to be “really impressive for the vintage.” Winery Direct $35

BCWAS Upper Bench Tasting

The most recent BC Wine Appreciation Society tasting was particularly delicious, because it featured both wine and cheese from Upper Bench Winery & Creamery. This young Penticton venture is the product of Gavin and Shana Miller, experienced veterans of the Okanagan wine industry. It was opened just four years ago, but Upper Bench has quickly become a popular stop at the south end of the Naramata Bench due to the Millers’ collective expertise.

John Schreiner details the Millers’ early years in the Okanagan in his Okanagan Wine Tour Guide (5th Edition). Gavin hails from Britain, and Shana from Nova Scotia: the couple met in Penticton in 1995 and then settled down there in 1997. Drawn to wine, Gavin gained experience throughout the valley and ended up making wine at both Poplar Grove and Painted Rock (at one point concurrently). At the same time, Shana was honing her craft making cheese at Poplar Grove. After the 2010 vintage the Millers took over a property being sold in the Holman Lang bankruptcy proceedings. They spent significant time and effort revamping the buildings and mature seven-acre vineyard to realize their dream.

The Upper Bench estate vineyard in Penticton includes three white varieties: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay. We began with a taste of the 2012 Pinot Blanc, noting a slightly herbaceous quality reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of citrus and green pear led into a refreshing, crisp palate that revealed richer stone fruit and tropical notes as it warmed. Gavin originally produced a varietal Pinot Gris from nearby contracted vineyards, but the variety has now been cut from his portfolio. Without guaranteed estate fruit, and given his own preference for Blanc over the ubiquitous Gris, Gavin elected to bid adieu for the time being.

We next got an opportunity to enjoy the marvellous 2013 Chardonnay, making a strong case for the joy of cheese pairing. As we admired the soft orchard fruit aromas in the Chardonnay, Shana showed off a special batch of her “Gold” semi-soft, washed rind cheese – washed with the very same wine in our glasses! Gavin let half the Chardonnay ferment and age sur lie in new French oak for three months, yielding a superbly well-integrated profile. The rich texture in the Chardonnay matched the creamy cheese, with both providing fruity, apple flavours and a long, aromatic finish.

The reds started with 2012 Zweigelt, from a relatively rare grape in BC – representing less than 1% of red varieties in acreage. In fact, Gavin recently grafted over a majority of his legacy Zweigelt to Cabernet Sauvignon, leaving him with less than one acre in total. The wine has a bit of a cult following however, and he plans on continuing to produce about 100 cases per year. The 2012 spent 18 months in neutral oak, and displayed a complex nose of raspberry, leather, and toasty earth. The red berry character continued into the bright palate, making for a great pairing with dark chocolate. (Revisiting the wine later revealed surprisingly expressive cocoa aromas in fact.)

Pinot Noir from the same excellent 2012 vintage was next, showing off a fresh and clean nose of cranberry and young leather. The juicy fruit-forward palate revealed more of the same cranberries and strawberries, with a hint of earth. A relatively small amount of this wine was produced (331 cases), and few bottles remain after some excellent press recently, including a 90-point score and very positive write-up in the Globe & Mail by Beppi Crosariol.

The brand new 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon followed, fresh from 20 months in 40% new French oak. The jump into a darker fruit palate from the Pinot Noir was readily apparent, with mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, and currants yielding to licorice and more currants in a smooth palate. The soft tannins and long finish make the wine very drinkable already, explaining why it wasn’t relegated to last in the tasting. Because the Cabernet is cropped low, there will never be a large quantity produced: the 2012 saw only 188 cases, at 3.1 tons per acre (with 2013 & 2014 at just two tons per acre).

An exciting group of Merlot was awaiting us to conclude the reds: Gavin is a major fan of Merlot, and feels it doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves in BC. The 2011 vintage was his first, blending the estate fruit with that of the neighbouring Margaretta Vineyard; it spent 18 months in barrel before release in 2013. After some time in bottle it was ready to show off perfumed blueberries and leather, with dusty tannins and a long, tart finish that evolved into caramel notes.

For 2012 the Estate Merlot was bottled separately in 154 cases after 20 months in French oak. A second batch of 440 cases was produced from the neighbouring Drunken Dog and Four Shadows vineyards. The blended 2012, compared to the 2011, displayed noticeably darker fruit elements on the nose, to be expected from a much warmer and more prosperous vintage. The acidity was better balanced, the body fuller, and the tannins more prevalent in a wine showing generally richer character throughout. The 2012 Estate Merlot was similarly rich, and particularly smooth-bodied: earth and touches of caramelized sugar joined the ripe fruit on the palate, to yield an enthusiastically easy-drinking wine.

A fourth and final sample of Merlot came to us straight from barrels of 2013 estate vineyard fruit, not quite having completed the 18 months minimum aging Gavin favours. Naturally, the barrel influence was still quite strong, but surprisingly ripe fruit emerged on the nose, almost Port-like in character. The texture was smooth, albeit more noticeably tannic when comparing against the 2012 Estate. It was easy to savour flavours of chocolate and jammy toast however, providing a great deal of optimism for what will end up in bottle from yet another very good vintage.

With the gamut of rich reds still being swirled, and mouth-watering Brie and Blue cheeses still on hand, guests received a final wine in the form of chilled 2013 Riesling. The delicate tropical palate would prove ideal for concluding the tasting on a refreshing note. The honeyed nose revealed very slight petrol hints, with fresh citrus and pineapple dominating. A mere 8.3 grams of residual sugar made for supremely nice balance with the moderate acidity, finishing crisp and relatively dry.

With Upper Bench just getting started, there is plenty to look forward to from Gavin and Shana. They recently acquired a Naramata vineyard containing Cabernet Franc – a key red missing from their Penticton acreage. About 300 cases of a new 2013 Merlot-Cabernet Franc blend will soon be released under the title of “Yard Wine”. The name is an homage to wine they used to make for themselves from their own home’s backyard vineyard. As the Estate Vineyard recently reached twenty years of age, we can expect even greater complexity and evolution, plus more specialization amongst Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. And thanks to Shana, there will always be plenty of delicious cheese with which to pair it all!

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.