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The 2024 vintage should have been a milestone of sorts for Shane Munn, marking 10 years as winemaker and general manager at Martin's Lane.
The Kelowna-based winery focuses exclusively on riesling and pinot noir, from a range of single vineyards located in the northern half of the Okanagan. The winemaking approach is marked by near-maniacal attention to detail and a clear vision for each wine.
The Okanagan's climatic turmoil hasn't made things easy, however. 2020 felt like a watershed vintage, producing Martin's Lane's best wines to date. More than a great vintage, it felt like Munn then had the know-how to take the wines to another level, something few other Okanagan wineries matched.
The following years have brought a different type of experience, from the impact of wildfires to extreme cold events. The latter meant Munn had to look abroad for fruit in 2024, settling his gaze on the Willamette Valley. He spent weeks travelling to Oregon, carefully overseeing the growing season and picking decisions, before the fruit came up to the winery. It's hard to imagine Munn relinquishing any control of the winemaking, given his obsession with every detail.
It was a natural fit for pinot noir. He thinks the Willamette is doing the best job with the variety so far outside of Burgundy. And tasting through his 2024 releases, it's hard to disagree. From a range of single vineyards, these wouldn't feel out of place alongside many of the Willamette's top producers, led by the exceptional 2024 Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir.
It was less obvious for riesling, given the scant acreage. But Munn took the opportunity to showcase a different expression of the variety, working with botrytis (noble rot), which is otherwise rare in the Okanagan's dry climate. We also tasted the latest 2025 releases, contrasting the Willamette with the Okanagan.
Talking with Munn, it sounds like Martin's Lane will continue to selectively bottle wines from Oregon. Given recent Okanagan vintages, it is a sensible plan to have contingencies in place. But beyond hedging, wine enthusiasts should savour the chance to try wines from some of the Okanagan's top vineyards alongside their Willamette counterparts.
Here are our reviews for the latest releases from the winery:
