B.C. Whites Launch Excellent Vintage

Vintage variation is a fact of life, especially in marginal northern climates such as the Okanagan Valley.

When I think about the last two decades in the Okanagan I am hard pressed to come up with a list of six or seven fine vintages and when it comes to outstanding years I could reduce that list by half again.

For the record, an outstanding vintage is normally frost-free in the spring. It gets underway a week or two early and the crucial flowering period (when the grapes are set on the vine) takes place under warm, dry and gentle wind conditions.

Add to that just enough rainfall to keep the vines from expiring in mid-summer followed by a prolonged spell of dry, warm days and cool nights right through to harvest and you have an outstanding vintage.

In B.C. many of the above noted conditions turned 2002 into an above average year and one you should be looking for on wine bottles.

At Inniskillin Okanagan winemaker Sandor Mayer reported, "an early spring bloom, combined with a warm summer and fall yielded an early harvest." Mayer's only caveat is "because of the high sugar and low acidity (in the grapes at harvest) choosing the right picking date was extremely important to ensure an ideal flavour profile."

At Mission Hill, winemaker John Simes was ecstatic with growing season. "It wasn't the kind of heat we saw in 1998. It was dry, even, manageable heat that gave us days that put sugar in the bank. It was especially helpful during the key-ripening season from mid-August to the end of September."

"The heat, courtesy of El Niño, stayed with us until the early part of October, which is atypical for the Okanagan. It was the longest sustained warm period that I've seen since coming to Canada 10 years ago."

"As a result of higher than average ripeness, we can expect our white wines to have rich, tropical aromas and flavours on the nose and palate. Our red wines will be bigger, darker in colour, more full-bodied and with higher alcohol levels than we're accustomed to seeing in the Okanagan Valley."

Translation, buy your 2002 early and often. If you haven't noticed we have been previewing a number of 2002 whites prior to their release in the market. Today's picks feature a trio of labels from Tinhorn Creek and Quails' Gate. Most are already in government and VQA wine shops; all should be available by the end of the month unless otherwise noted. Here are my notes.

The Quails' Gate Chasselas -- Pinot Blanc Limited Release 2002 has a bright, fresh, citrus rind nose that follows through on the palate. It's a bit on the lean/tart side with some mid-palate softness but there's no apparent cloying sugar and just a touch of bitter, citrus rind in the finish. Summer sipping is the answer here; fresh oysters or clams would be perfect match too.

Tinhorn winemaker Sandra Oldfield has reputation for her merlot production but she's no slouch with pinot gris. The Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris 2002 mixes mineral, green apple and honey notes with a nice twist of pie crust in the background. Similar flavours mark the aftertaste of this balanced, ready-to-drink, affordable gris.

The Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay 2002 is a mix of juice fermented in wood and stainless steel giving it creamy textures and bright fruit. Pear and butter mark the nose along with more of that bread dough /pie crust nose. A streak of citrus keeps it lively and the creamy textures in the finish will have wide appeal. Love the price.

Tinhorn Creek Gewürztraminer 2002 is one of many fine gewürztraminers to come out of the Okanagan in 2002. The nose is classic "gewürz" offering ripe lychee fruit and rose petals. The entry is soft and round followed by some mid-palate sweetness and spice in the finish. Lightly spiced Asian or Indian food would be a fine match or chill it down and sip on the patio.

Perhaps notch above is the Quails' Gate Gewürztraminer Limited Release 2002. Look for the same lychee fruit and rose petals on the nose with an exotic dusting of cinnamon. This too is an off-dry version but with a nice streak of citrus through the finish. Proprietor Andrea Stewart recommends pairing it with free range turkey; I would like to see it on the wine list at every Chinese restaurant in the city.

This week's finale is a first ever release of Quails' Gate Riesling Family Reserve 2002. The style is ripe and juicy with heaps of citrus floral fruit. There's good intensity of flavour especially at the front end. What it lacks in complexity it more than makes up for in ripe peachy, floral, citrus flavours. A nice step up for Quails' Gate and B.C. riesling.

WEEKEND WINE TASTING:

Tinhorn Creek Estate Winery and Quails' Gate Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Wine: Quails' Gate Chasselas - Pinot Blanc Limited Release 2002
Price: $14.99
UPC: 77856102307
Score: 13.5/20
Comments: Bright fresh citrus rind flavours.

Wine: Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris 2002
Price: $14.95
UPC: 624802981024
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Mineral green apple and honey.

Wine: Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay 2002
Price: $14.95
UPC: 624802981017
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Pear and butter flavours in a creamy citrus finish.

Wine: Tinhorn Creek Gewürztraminer 2002
Price: $14.95
UPC: 624802981031
Score: 15/20
Comments: Ripe lychee fruit flavours.

Wine: Quails' Gate Gewürztraminer 2002
Price: $14.99
UPC: 77856102406
Score: 16/20
Comments: Rose petals and cinnamon spice.

Wine: Quails' Gate Riesling Family Reserve 2001
Price $22.95
UPC: UPC *
Score: Score 16/20
Comments: Big, juicy, citrus, floral fruit.
Ran with fact box "Weekend Wine Tasting", which has been appended to the end of the story.