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93POINTS
17¼/20
Foxtrot Pinot Noir The Waltz Vineyard 2017
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHats off to winemaker Gustav Allander. The Waltz 2017 Pinot Noir, based mostly on grapes from Foxtrot's own Evelina's Block, and from the Raisin D'Etre Vineyard, which lies almost directly below Evelina, finally matches the hype that surrounds this winery. Planted in 2012, Evelina's Block is grown on own-rooted cuttings from Foxtrot's original Estate vineyard. The vineyard is a mix of sandy loam with veins of sand and gravel that run down the slope marking streams of yesteryear. Raisin D'Etre is planted to clone 828 over chalky clay that no doubt contributes to the glossy textures that characterize the finish of this delicious pinot. Even better, it has escaped the smoke of the wildfires that blanketed the region up to veraison. The smoke had a silver lining, namely adding an extra three weeks of hangtime in the vineyard, moving the final ripening to a cooler time of year: Foxtrot, macerates for some three days before a cultured yeast ferment. Post ferment, the juice is transferred into a combination of new (30 percent) and used French oak barrels respecting each vineyard for 20 months. In the end, a small amount of pinot noir from another Okanagan vineyard was used to polish the blend. It is delicious. Round ripe pure and focused, it has a linear centre enveloped in a mouth-filling explosion of black cherries and crushed raspberries with a hint of wet mud and spice. It is so well balanced it will live well beyond its best date, which might be in the 2027-2030 range.Tasted: 29 March 2020Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $44.00 | 750ml | winery online/direct |
Grape: Pinot NoirCSPC: 762674UPC: 626990141358
