Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaPlanted 2006, from the Summerland home block. Alberto pushes for this organic pinot gris to just be called Switchback, because this singular, savoury PG is very much unlike any other. It is all about place. Lovely perfumed pear, subtle toasted stone, smoked nut, earthy fine lees, reflective of the silty, gravelly soils. So much concentration here, with ample texture and a distinct desert sage and mineral salt note. From 2018 onwards, this had the white label. As always, this wine improves with time in the bottle, and will reward in your cellar.Tasted: 21 September 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$29.90
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Haywire by Okanagan Crush PadDistributors: Winery Direct Grape: Pinot Gris/Pinot GrigioCSPC: 629444UPC: 00626990161783
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe wine cognoscenti love to diss pinot gris, and often it's with good reason, but not all gris is the same, as evidenced by this jewel of an effort by Okanagan Crush Pad. The home vineyard is certified organic fruit that, in a word, is alive. It is wild fermented and aged in concrete tanks for ten months, where it interacts with its gross lees, forming creamy textures. The colour is Alsace gold, and the intensity is too, but in the end, it is all Okanagan sagebrush and honey with a super fresh finish — a quality gris that has the structure to be on the dinner table.Tasted: 30 May 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$29.90
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Haywire by Okanagan Crush PadDistributors: Winery Direct Grape: Pinot Gris/Pinot GrigioCSPC: 629444UPC: 00626990161783
Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Okanagan Crush Pad’s certified organic Switchback Vineyard, this was wild fermented and aged in concrete tanks for 10 months on its gross lees. There’s a golden hue to the fruit here, alongside honeycomb and a bready note from the lees. It’s more evolved than you’d typically expect for a young Okanagan pinot gris, but that seems true to the winemaking approach. It’s confidently understated and more about texture than a fruit salad. Medium-full bodied, it’s dry and well balanced with crisp acidity that drives the finish. Don't overchill, and give this some time to develop in the glass.Tasted: 30 May 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$29.90
750ml
winery direct
Producer: Haywire by Okanagan Crush PadDistributors: Winery Direct Grape: Pinot Gris/Pinot GrigioCSPC: 629444UPC: 00626990161783