Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 14 Gravel Force Pinot Noir 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaWhen I tasted this wine initially after its release in the fall of 2019 it had firm fruit along with memorable clarity, and made me think of premier cru Beaune or Pommard. By 2023, the wine had let go of the bigger, firmer fruit to show something much different. Now it was demure and perfumed with autumn leaves, green leaf, flecks of cinnamon, wild strawberry, and violets. Graceful, airy, and poised from the beginning through a lingering finish, it was a floating wave of harmonious flavour as clear as Ella Fitzgerald's voice. Supported by a finely calibrated acidity, there wasn't a note of distraction. This is world class wine making. The texture is remarkable and the flavours should develop further with time. Made from 30+ year old clones 115 and 667, Gravel Force is from Blue Mountain's Block 14, and one of three single vineyard labels. It was native fermented over three weeks before moving into neutral French barrels.Tasted: 23 October 2023Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$55.00
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard & CellarsDistributors: Keystone Fine Wines Rogers & Company Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 49448UPC: 626452581173
Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 14 Gravel Force Pinot Noir 2017
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaBlue Mountain revamped its nearly thirty-year-old pinot noir program in 2017, choosing to add three single-vineyard labels that are more like individual blocks. Block 14 is labelled Gravel Force in a nod to the numerous small, round stones that are mixed into light clay over an old, dry river bed. It faces west and south, giving it a hefty dose of sun each day, adding structure and even a bit of power to the wine made from 30-year-old clones 115 and 667. The result is a more opulent, muscular style, and a more profound darker brooding fruit style à la Central Otago. The good news is a rift of minerality holds the wine together, never letting it get too far off the line. Did I mention it is only 13 percent alcohol? You can sit on this one for five years, but you can also serve it with a classic mushroom risotto or a Bejing duck dish.Tasted: 15 September 2019Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$55.00
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard & CellarsDistributors: Keystone Fine Wines Rogers & Company Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 49448UPC: 626452581173
Blue Mountain Single Vineyard Block 14 Gravel Force Pinot Noir 2017
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. Block 14's western and southerly exposure gave it more sun power than other estate sites, and coupled with the site's rocky gravels, loamy sand, and clay, provides the perfect environment for a structural pinot. 30-year-old clone 115 and 667 vines were native fermented over three weeks before moving into new - 4th fill 228L French barrels where it remained until bottling, unfined, in spring 2019. There's a gentle brooding to the darker shaded, muscular fruit. Wild raspberry, cherry, is threaded with light smoke, a hum of stony minerality, and a fine, soft texture. Tannins are as firm as a terse whisper, containing the 13-degree body deftly. Serve this medium red with a slight chill, and a wild mushroom or truffled risotto.Tasted: 08 October 2019Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$55.00
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Blue Mountain Vineyard & CellarsDistributors: Keystone Fine Wines Rogers & Company Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 49448UPC: 626452581173
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