Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Reserve Cuvée is a blend of three estate vineyards with an average age of 33 years. It is also a mix of clones 113, 114, 115 and 667, that in 2017 were picked between September 20-27. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed, and lightly crushed into open-top tanks. The ferment lasts 16-20 days with infrequent light pump-overs and what they term cautious pigeage at the peak of the wild yeast ferments. The settled wine goes into new to four-year-old wood. The aromas are ripe but tempered by earthy, smoky, leather notes, with a spicy Worcestershire sauce edge. Much drier than the competition, in a good way, mixing earthy red cherries with a touch of balsamic light tannins and south Okanagan savoury garrigue. An awkward teenager for now, this should age effortlessly through 2023. A perfect foil to grilled salmon with a sweet onion reduction.Tasted: 15 September 2019Tasted by: Prices: BC 45.00 winery direct; private wine shops
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard & CellarsDistributors: Keystone Fine Wines Rogers & Company Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 49440UPC: 626452551176
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe 2017 vintage launched Blue Mountain's new Pinot Noir program, consisting of two vineyard blends, and three single vineyard wines. It's an exciting move for the pinot specialists, one of BC's first and foremost iconic / cult family owned wineries. This Reserve Cuvée takes fruit from their three key pinot vineyards, vines averaging 33 years, and clones 113, 114, 115, and 667. The destemmed fruit was native fermented with gentle pigeage over 3 weeks, and then into 228L French barrels (new to 4th year) until it was bottled unfiltered, in March 2019. Structural and well built, with dusky black cherry, thorny wild blackberries, uncut tobacco, saddle leather, and ample toasted cloves and nutmeg. Tannins are firm and cedar-scented, a bit too strident at this stage, but will integrate better into the fruit with a year or two in the cellar. This is certainly built for the future.Tasted: 07 October 2019Tasted by: Prices: BC 45.00 winery direct; private wine shops
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard & CellarsDistributors: Keystone Fine Wines Rogers & Company Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 49440UPC: 626452551176