Blasted Church Has Found Its Feet

The Okanagan Falls winery, known for its sometimes irreverent labels, began switching in 2004, one of the earliest of the larger Okanagan wineries to do so. Now, there is an accelerating trend among other wineries to screw cap closures as it has become clear that there is little consumer resistance.

"We got none," says Evelyn Campbell, who, with husband Chris, have owned the winery since 2002. "Only one patron has come into the wine shop in three years and said no."

The winery has begun releasing excellent quality whites from 2005 and fine reds from 2004, all under screw cap, and all the better for it. The quality which the closures are preserving reflects at least two other factors: back-to-back good vintages; and a settled winemaker regime at Blasted Church after several turbulent years.

The winery opened in 2000 as Prpich Hills and changed its name when the Campbells bought it from founder Dan Prpich. The first winemaker at Blasted Church was Frank Supernak. He died in an accident at another winery just days after completing the 2002 crush at Blasted Church. Those wines were finished by volunteer winemakers from other Okanagan producers.

The winemaker for the 2003 vintage was a young South African but he had to return home when the Canadian government refused to give him resident status. The 2004 vintage was done by Marcus Ansems, a talented Australian with an affinity for making Syrah. It is not surprising that Blasted Church's 2004 Syrah, just released, is one of the tastiest in the Okanagan.

When Ansems suddenly moved on to another winery in June 2005, the Campbells were exhuming their winemaker résumés again when they discovered that Kelly Moss, in a career change, was leaving Calona Vineyards. They moved to snap up Moss and then bolstered the cellar team with Wayne Shorrock, formerly an assistant winemaker at Tinhorn Creek. This is the team that did the 2005 vintage and should be on hand for 2006 and future vintages. Blasted Church now has a steady, consistent direction in its cellar, the importance of which cannot be underestimated.

Born in Midland, Ontario, in 1973, Moss, who has a university science degree, joined Calona in 1999 after taking Okanagan University College's winery assistant program. Under the tutelage of Calona's senior winemaker, Howard Soon, Moss rose to the post of associate winemaker. Many of Calona's award-winning Artist Series Reserve wines reflected her hand.

Perhaps because she is shy and soft-spoken, Moss did not have (nor did she seek it) a high profile among consumers. That is likely to change somewhat at Blasted Church, if only because winemakers are more visible in smaller wineries.

She is also a strong supporter of screw cap closures, although she acknowledges that top quality corks also do a good job of preserving a wine's quality. But she has no time for synthetic corks, even though several major Okanagan wineries use them. "Using synthetic corks is like going back to Betamax," Moss says.

The 2005 vintage was superb, especially for quality white wines. Yields were reduced naturally by rain during the spring flowering. The average Okanagan yields were at least 20% below what was expected. However, the weather was good for the reason of the seasons, enabling the vines to delivere concentrated flavours and good natural balance. Excellent fruit arrived at the wineries.

In the cellar, Moss did much to build on the quality of the fruit. One of her favourites from the 2005 whites is Pinot Gris, touched up one per cent of Ehrenfelser in the blend. Blending tests in the winery showed that this was an essential grace note in bringing out all the flavours and aromas. "Two percent was too much," she says.

The lushly tropical 2005 Chardonnay Musqué (a uniquely spicy Chardonnay clone grown at Blasted Church) was the result of selective picking. While walking  the Blasted Church vineyard during late summer in 2005, Moss noticed that some blocks of this grape were more advanced than others. Those blocks she judged best were picked for this wine; the other blocks went into other blends.

She gave the 2005 Pinot Blanc, fermented entirely in stainless steel,  added complexity by aging it on the lees. The winery's 2005 Hatfield's Fuse aromatic white is a carefully assembled blend of Pinot Gris, Ehrenfelser, Riesling and Optima. "It all works so nicely together," Moss says.  "The Optima adds honey and green melon."

Moss believes that the  excellent 2004 reds, which she finished and shepherded into bottles, also benefit from screw cap closures.  "The reds under screw cap explode with fruit," she maintains.

Blasted Church is tweaking its vineyard varieties. The Pinot Gris acreage is gradually increasing. Sauvignon Blanc has replaced Perle of Csaba (an aromatic grape ripening so early that it attracts voracious birds to the vineyard). Some Pinot Blanc has been replaced with Pinot Noir and with Syrah.

As well, a neighbour has converted an orchard to four acres of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. Moss believes that grape-growing bluffs along the eastern side of Skaha Lake have the potential to produce wines distinctive to the terroir.

Among the winery's current releases:

• Sauvignon Blanc 2005 ($18.99 - 200 cases).  The wine is fresh and tangy. A lively acidity lifts the flavours of citrus and gooseberry. There also is a flinty backbone of minerality that adds to the crisp finish.

• Pinot Gris 2005 ($18.99 - 876 cases). Aromas of peaches and pears, leading to flavours of citrus and ripe pears. The texture is fleshy, yet the finish is crisp, with lingering fruit flavours.

• Chardonnay Musqué 2005 ($17.99 - 673 cases). A bouquet of tropical aromas explodes from the glass. On the palate, the wine is plum and rich, with sweet, ripe flavours of papaya and with a dry but very lingering fruit-driven finish. A very expressive wine.

• Pinot Blanc 2005 ($15.99 - 486 cases). Rich and textured, this wine begins with a slightly nutty (cashew) aroma of lees. The flavours recall poached pears and ripe pineapples.

• Hatfield's Fuse 2005 ($15.99 - 1,880 cases). This aromatic four-grape blend shows considerable complexity, with a full texture, flavours of citrus and peaches and a steely Riesling backbone that gives the wine versatility with food as well as on its own.

• Chardonnay Revered Series 2004 ($25.99 - 305 cases). This barrel-fermented Chardonnay is the first entry in a new reserve tier at Blasted Church. A polished wine, it beings with a powerful toasty, buttery aroma. On the palate, the wine is rich, with notes of citrus and butterscotch. The finish lingers for a very long time.

• Merlot 2004 ($24.99 - 600 cases). Dark in colour, this wine begins with aromas of vanilla, toast, plums and black pepper. On the palate, there are flavours of blackberries, dark cherries and chocolate. Ripe tannins contribute to a polished finish.

• Syrah 2004 ($25.99 - 300 cases). The wines begins with an enveloping aroma pepper, smoke and delicatessen meats. On the palate, there is generous, sweet fruit, with flavours of spiced plums and cherries. The screw cap closure preserves the wine's wonderful vibrant freshness.

John Schreiner's latest book is John Schreiner's Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.