Friday, March 15, 2024

Staying in business: optimism at Pentâge Winery

Photo: Paul Gardner and Julie Rennie
The past two winters undoubtedly have been the most challenging that Paul Gardner and Julie Rennie have experienced since 1996, when they bought a derelict orchard at the south edge of Penticton for a vineyard. They have been selling the products of Pentâge Winery since 2003 although the tasting room opened only in 2011, initially in the massive 500 square-metre (5,500 square foot) cave that Paul dug from the crown of hard rock commanding this winery’s million-dollar view of Skaha Lake.
Paul farms the winery’s two Skaha Bench vineyards, which total 6.5 hectares (16 acres), growing so many varieties – including even Zinfandel - that one vineyard is called the Dirty Dozen. “I would still rather make small lots of interesting wine than big tanks full of wine,” he says. The winery has been producing about 5,000 cases of wine in most years and has developed a strong following. But the last two hard winters will have an impact on the winery’s production that will test the dedication of Pentâge’s patrons. Judging from a recent winery newsletter, Paul and Julie are up to the challenge.
They write: We trust this newsletter finds you in good health. Like many of you, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.
We wanted to take a moment to provide you with an update on the recent challenges our vineyards have faced due to the severe winter weather in the past two years. Temperatures as low as -27°C were recorded in our area early this past January, serving as a reminder of Mother Nature’s firm hand and our primary role as farmers. Over the past couple of years, we have certainly felt the impact, experiencing some top loss last year, and this year we are observing some bud damage. Contrary to some media reports, we are not currently seeing as much potential damage during pruning. However, the true extent of this year’s damage remains unknown until the vines begin to grow around May or June.
Encouragingly, last year the vines were able to make headway to recovery from the cold snap in 2023. With the benefit of an early 2023 harvest and a fall fertilization program, we're keeping our fingers crossed that the vines have weathered this recent cold event. As we navigate these challenges, we want to assure you that we remain optimistic. Currently, we are in the midst of vineyard pruning, carefully tending to the vines in anticipation of the upcoming growing season, hopeful for a positive outcome.
Do we have wine? Absolutely. Thanks to our practice of bottle aging most of our wines at the winery, the potential worst-case impact of these two cold winters will not be noticeable for several years for the reds and our Rhone white blend. Unfortunately, our fruit-forward whites may experience some impact, resulting in limited quantities. Currently, some of the 2023 wines are in tanks waiting to be bottled. Despite a 50% reduction in yield in 2023, the small and highly concentrated berries have us extremely excited about this vintage.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Blue Mountain releases 2022 Gamay Noir

Photo: Blue Mountain's Matt Mavety
When Blue Mountain Vineyard & Winery released its 2022 Gamay Noir, the release was only to its wine club. Consumers of British Columbia wines should expect to see that limitation often during the next few years. Due to winter damage to the Okanagan’s vineyards, wine production in the 2023 vintage was about half the expected quantity. And the severe freeze in January this year is expected to result in even less wine being made in the 2024 vintage. The result: wineries have begun to ration their limited wine inventories. And that will continue for several years because it will take the vines several years to get back to normal production, assuming some several normal winters.
Many British Columbia wineries are expected to continue making wine if they are allowed to import grapes. There seems to be a surplus of grapes in Washington. However, Blue Mountain is highly unlikely to resort to imported grapes. The winery has earned a high reputation with its estate-grown wines and will do what is necessary to protect that reputation. Blue Mountain also should have a good inventory of wines, including sparkling wines, from previous vintages. But if you want to be assured of drinking some, now is the time to join the wine club – if you are not already a member.
The Gamay Noir is, I believe, the first Blue Mountain red to be released from the excellent (and bounteous) 2022 vintage. The varietal is generally regarded as a little brother to Pinot Noir. The book Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson and colleagues suggests the varietal is a “Burgundian refresher making wines generally but not always for early consumption.” Blue Mountain aims for more complexity, recommending its Gamay Noir can be aged for four to six years. Winemaker Matt Mavety has grown and made a wine reminiscent of a Beaujolais Cru, perhaps Morgon or Moulin-á-Vent.
This is a varietal that several dukes of Burgundy sought to banish. Duc Philippe le Hardi sought to outlaw it in 1395. The Robinson book quotes this decree, in which he calls the varietal a “very bad and disloyal” grape “from which come abundant quantities of wine. And this wine of Gaamez is of such a kind that it is very harmful to human creatures, so much so that many people who had it in the past were infested by serious diseases, as we have heard; because said wine from said plant of said nature is full of significant and horrible bitterness.” Growers were given five months to pull out their Gamay vines. There were subsequent orders to pull out the varietal in 1567, 1725 and 1731. Fortunately, none of these were obeyed fully. It is the seventh most planted red in France. Today, some of the best red wines in Burgundy are the ten Cru Beaujolais, made with well-grown Gamay Noir on very good sites. The Blue Mountain wine, as I have said, echoes Cru quality.
Here is a note on the wine.
Blue Mountain Gamay Noir 2022 ($30). The hand-harvested fruit went into open-top fermenters, macerating 18 days on the skins with daily pump-overs. The wine was fermented in barrel with natural yeast. It was then drained off the skins and aged a year in neutral oak barrels. The wine begins with aromas of cherry mingled with spice. On the palate, it is rich, even bold, with flavours of cherry and plum and with a silken finish. The ripe tannins support the age-worthiness of the wine. 92.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

River Stone's strategy to stay in business.

Photo: River Stone's Ted Kane
After the devastating vineyard damage of the two recent winters, some Okanagan and Similkameen wineries have begun to disclose to their wine clubs strategies for staying in business. At River Stone Estate Winery, Ted Kane – the owner, viticulturist and winemaker – expects limited production from his vineyard. He plans to make white and rosé wines in the 2024 vintage while relying on his inventory of red wines from previous vintages to keep his consumers supplied. River Stone was opened in 2011 by Ted and his wife, Lorraine, who is a doctor in the South Okanagan. The winery is on a seven-acre vineyard northeast of Oliver. It was developed by Ted primarily with Bordeaux red varietals. He has produced some outstanding wines and will continue to do so when weather patterns return to normal.
Here is what Ted wrote this week to River Stone’s customers:
Many of you are probably aware of recent media attention directed toward BC wineries and grape growers related to the widespread vineyard damage resulting from the cold weather event this January. The reality is the wine industry has taken another significant hit with the exceptional, and untimely cold weather snap occurring between January 11th and 14th. You probably have heard me say, as I firmly believe, “Mother Nature Runs the Show”. And we must adjust our practices as best we can to compensate and continue to produce the highest possible quality wines.
This extreme cold (as low as -30) in the valley followed the previous year’s cold snap, where vines had already been significantly damaged. Bud dissection in and around our area of the valley indicate significant primary and secondary bud damage: probably in the range of 60-100% bud loss depending on varietal. We really won’t know for certain until early to mid May as the vines will declare themselves and show the results. We are hoping for the best (as farmers always do) but planning for the worst. At this time we are pruning our vineyards in such a way to allow close to 100% more buds than usual while we wait for spring bud break.
Since our arrival in the valley in 2001 (initiating the planning, preparing, and planting our vineyards) we have had over 20 years of consistent vine health and production. This gives me hope that the future of our industry will be bright. Two bad years back-to-back is difficult to take and with climate change, the reality is that changes must be made from the ground up for long-term industry sustainability. Following last season’s harvest, we had decided to concentrate our wine production from the limited fruit available, on white and rosé wines, and not make reds from the vintage (as we have ample reds under development in barrel and in the cellar and library to carry us along for a while). Depending on what happens in our vineyards this season (and the vineyards of BC as a whole) will guide us in our future wine production.
At River Stone, we believe our terroir encompasses the physical characteristics of our vineyard sites, vineyard canopy management practices in harmony with Mother Nature, winemaking philosophy, and our skilled team from the vineyards and winery, to operations and tasting room. Whatever the future holds, we are confident we will navigate the challenges ahead, supported by our strong foundations.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Lakeboat is a star of Kaleden wine country

Photo: Kaleden Hotel Recently, I heard a rumour that Kaleden’s iconic landmark, the skeleton of the old Kaleden Hotel, might need to be demolished in the interest of public safety. I hope that is not so. Just last year, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen was reported to have engaged engineers to prepare plans for structural upgrades.
The old building, along with Linden Gardens, long have attracted visitors to this sleepy village just 15 minutes south of Penticton. The village has come to life in recent years with five wineries now operating amid the vineyards. When I went to search the history of the hotel, Copilot, the artificial intelligence tool now added to Microsoft, churned out a brief history:
“In 1911, the Kaleden Hotel was constructed with four stories of hand-mixed concrete. The visionary behind this endeavor was Jim Ritchie, an enthusiastic entrepreneur. He saw Kaleden as a potential service center for the mines along the forty-ninth parallel. Both the hotel and the store across the street reflected this concept.
“The hotel boasted modern amenities for its time, including electric light, running water, private sleeping porches, and exclusive dining rooms. It even had its own power plant, powered by a water-driven generator. Despite its impressive features, the Kaleden Hotel faced financial challenges. It failed to become financially profitable, although its service quality compared favorably with other valley buildings.
“The outbreak of World War I (1914–1918) may have contributed to the hotel’s closure. Additionally, improved roads and faster transportation diminished the need for a stopover point in the small community. Over the years, the hotel served various purposes, including housing the Kaleden Irrigation District office and providing change rooms for young swimmers during summers.
“The hotel’s shell endured, a testament to its once-grand presence. However, it remained closed for an extended period. In the late 1930s, the hotel was sold and stripped of a significant portion of its construction materials and furnishings. While the hotel’s physical structure has changed over time, its legacy lives on, echoing the stories of travelers, residents, and the vibrant community that once thrived within its walls.”
One of those five wineries is Lakeboat Vineyard & Winery, which opened in 2022. It is owned by Tara Mathison (above), a former Calgary lawyer who got involved in Kaleden when she decided in 2016 to buy and restore a heritage house. It happened that the house was beside the failing Topshelf Winery. Tara bought it in 2017 and has since restored both the winery and neglected vineyard.
As her winemaker, she engaged Mireille Sauvé (above), a former sommelier who also makes wines under her own label, The Wine Umbrella. Small batch wines, they generate funds to help an organization called Les Dames d’Escoffier which supports and educates women in the wine business. Both wine labels are sold at Lakeboat’s elegant tasting room in Kaleden.
Perhaps the village of Kaleden might ask Tara if she has any ideas for renovating the old hotel. Here are notes on current wines;
Lakeboat Pinot Gris 2022 ($21.95). This is a bright, refreshing take on the Okanagan’s most widely planted varietal. It begins with aromas of citrus and peach, leading to flavours of peach and apple. Good acidity gives the wine a crisp and vibrant finish. 91.
Lakeboat Chardonnay 2021 ($26.95). The wine is lightly oaked, giving the wine a creamy texture with a note of vanilla in the aroma. On the palate, it delivers flavours of apple, pineapple and apricot. The finish lingers. 91.
Lakeboat Rosé 2022 ($18.95). Slightly off-dry, this Pinot Noir rosé presents with an appealing hue. It has aromas and flavours of strawberry. 88.
Lakeboat Pinot Noir 2021 ($29.95). This wine has aromas and flavours of strawberry and raspberry. Light-bodied on first pouring, it develops with breathing to display notes of dark cherry with a hint of forest floor on the finish. 90.
The Wine Umbrella Chardonnay 2022 ($33.45). This wine was fermented in American oak barrels. The wine has aromas and flavours of pineapple mingled with apple and citrus. The oak adds a subtle spice supporting the fruit-driven flavours. The finish persists. 92.
The Wine Umbrella Co-Syrah 2020 ($39.95). This Syrah wine is so named because the fruit was co-fermented with Viognier. The wine was aged a year in French oak barrels. It is a delicious wine, beginning with aromas of dark fruits that lead to flavours of plum and fig. A touch of black pepper wraps up the wine, whose flavours linger on the palate. 92.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Da Silva's Chenin Blanc and friends

Photo: Twylla and Richard Da Silva (photo credit Luke Whittall)
The 1988 pull-out of vines in the Okanagan was designed primarily to remove hybrid varietals such as Chelois, Maréchal Foch and Okanagan Riesling. But on one occasion, vinifera Chenin Blanc grapes also were pulled out. I wrote about the plight of Chenin Blanc in the Okanagan in my 1998 book, Chardonnay and Friends. The book, now out of print, had essays on 40 varietals being made into wine in the Okanagan. At the time, just four producers were making Chenin Blanc.
I wrote: “An ancient white variety important in the Loire, Chenin Blanc only has a precarious foothold in British Columbia. It got a reputation as a tender variety when a government test plot, based on vines imported from Washington State, was devastated by the deepfreeze winter of 1978-79. Former Oliver grower Terry Wells championed the variety, even after being denied crop insurance. His four- and one-half acres of Chenin Blanc were pulled out during the 1988 eradication of grape varieties, generally hybrids, no longer wanted by wineries. This unfortunate example of a good vinifera being pulled out occurred because no winery was prepared to contract his grapes at that time.”
Here is how the essay began: “Quite unfairly, this variety does not command much respect. ‘Chenin Blanc typically internationally is a cheap grape,’ says Mission Hill’s winemaker John Simes, who gets a small quantity of the grapes from Okanagan vineyards and imports additional tonnages from California and generally puts the variety into proprietary blends. ‘You can make wonderful, wonderful wine with the grape but you can grow ten to twelve ton to the acre in the Central Valley of California or in South Africa.’ As a result, many varietal Chenin Blancs on the market are simple jug wines. ‘Nothing wrong with it. Drink it as a Tuesday-night-with- sausages wine, which is all that it is intended to be. How can you make a $10 or $12 wine when there is that sort of wine sitting there? We’re not planting any Chenin Blanc.’ Now Mission Hill’s retired winemaker, John was speaking at a time when premium wines in British Columbia were selling at astonishing low prices.
Since then, just a handful of producers have embraced Chenin Blanc, if only in modest volume. In the 2022 crop year, some 119 tons of this varietal was produced, a mere quarter of one per cent of the total grape crop that year. The leading producers include Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Road 13 Vineyards and, more recently, Da Silva Vineyards & Winery. Richard Da Silva has a small block in winery’s Hidden Hollow Vineyard in Penticton – small enough that the grapes for the 2023 Chenin Blanc were hand-harvested by the members of the winery’s wine club. Just 245 cases were made. In the more bounteous 2022 vintage, Da Silva released 344 cases of Chenin Blanc.
It remains to be seen how much damage the January freeze did to his Chenin Blanc. Judging from what other producers are saying, there might be few viable fruiting buds to yield grapes in 2024; but the vines will have survived, giving hope for vintages in 2025 and beyond. Any one attending the Vancouver International Wine Festival at the end of February should stop by the Da Silva table. Richard and his partner, Twylla, will be pouring the 2023 Chenin Blanc, along with the three other wines reviewed here. These are my notes:
Da Silva Chenin Blanc 2023 ($35.99 for 245 cases). The fruit was fermented and matured in stainless steel. The wine was structurally tight on release but opened up with breathing. This is a vibrant wine with aromas and flavours of lemon, lime and green apple. I recommend cellaring this wine for several years. 91.
Da Silva Chardonnay 2022 ($33.99 for 286 cases). This wine was made with fruit from two Penticton-area vineyards. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged six weeks on the lees in new French oak. The wine begins with aromas of vanilla and spice. It is crisp, with flavours of apple and pear. 91.
Da Silva Pinot Noir 2021 ($44.99 for 350 cases). The fruit is from two Penticton area vineyards. The wine was fermented in open-top fermenters and aged 24 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels. The wine appeals with aromas and flavours of bright fruit, notably cherry and cranberry. 91.
Da Silva Merlot 2020 ($37.99 for 227 cases). The fruit for this wine is from two Penticton area vineyards. The grapes were fermented in open-top fermenters and the wine was aged 20 months in barrel (50% French, 50% American). It is a medium t0 full-bodied wine, with aromas and flavours of dark cherry, black currant and plum, mingled with hints of spice on the finish. 92.

Monday, February 19, 2024

CheckMate begins releasing its 2021 Chardonnays

Photo: Winemaker Spencer Kelly
Winemaker Spencer Kelly had not yet joined CheckMate Artisanal Winery in the summer of 2021 when the grapes for these wines were developing on the vines. “But I got to experience the heat dome,” he says, referring to the record high temperatures in the Okanagan that summer. A native of Penticton then working in California, Spencer was vacationing in the Okanagan that summer. He joined CheckMate in the summer of 2022.
Now, he is presiding over the seven Chardonnays made by CheckMate in the 2021 vintage. The wines are quite remarkable, considering how challenging it must have been to grow quality fruit that summer. CheckMate’s vintage was saved by the very capable viticulture practised by the winery. As well, there were periods in the summer when high layers of smoke over the valley tempered the impact of the blistering sun. Finally, Chardonnay is a varietal that seems to handle the heat well. These seven wines are close to flawless (one is flawless in my judgement). There are no excessive alcohols. The acid levels are correct. The flavours are ripe but not overly so. And the structure of the wines will support aging them in bottle for at least five more years.
Consumers would expect nothing less. These are the most expensive Chardonnays in the Okanagan. But if you can afford it, treat yourself to a bottle or three. Or book a tasting this summer at the elegant CheckMate winery on the Golden Mile Bench. Here are my notes.
CheckMate Attack Chardonnay 2021 ($115 for two foudres). The fruit for this wine is drawn from four different vineyards in the south Okanagan with differing exposures. Fermentation was in one large oak cask, followed by 16 months aging in two French oak foudres (one new). A foudre is the equivalent in volume to eight barrels. The wine has significantly less oak exposure in these large vessels, resulting in a restrained, disciplined wine. It has aromas and flavours of stone fruits. 92.
CheckMate Fool’s Mate Chardonnay 2021 ($95 for 24 barrels, 1 foudre, 2 concrete eggs). Each concrete egg has 700 litres volume, the equivalent of three barrels. The fruit for this wine is drawn from five South Okanagan vineyards and is a blend of seven clones. Fifty-four percent of the wine was aged in French oak barriques (68% new); 25% in a foudre and 21% in a concrete egg. This is richly textured wine with aromas of citrus and flavours of stone fruits. The finish is persistent. 94.
CheckMate Capture Chardonnay 2021 ($95 for 17 barrels). The fruit for this wine is from the Border Vista Vineyard on the Osoyoos East Bench – the winery’s most sunbathed site. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak (47% new). This is an expressive wine with complex aromas of citrus. The palate delivers flavours of citrus, stone fruits and an intriguing hint of sea salt. 93.
CheckMate Queen’s Advantage Chardonnay 2021 ($95 for 17 barrels). The fruit for this wine is from what is now called the Combret Vineyard on the Golden Mile near the winery. The vines are believed to have been planted in 1973. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak (53% new). A charming and elegant wine, it begins with aromas of peach, melon and ginger. The rich flavours mingle exotic citrus fruits with a hint of wet stone on the long finish. 96.
CheckMate Knight’s Challenge Chardonnay 2021 ($95 for 11 barrels). The fruit – Dijon clones 76 and 95 - for this wine is from the Sunset Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. Two-thirds of the wine was fermented with wild yeast. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak (64% new). The wine displays with a distinct golden hue in the glass and delivers aromas of butterscotch and peach. On the palate, there are flavours of apple, vanilla and spice with a long finish. 95.
CheckMate Queen Taken Chardonnay 2021 ($125 for 27 barrels). The fruit for this wine is from the legendary Dekleva Vineyard at the winery. This was where John Simes, the new retired Mission Hill winemaker, found the Chardonnay in the 1992 vintage to produce a medal winner for a London competition in 1994. That wine put both Mission Hill and the Okanagan on the map. The grapes are an unidentified clone now just called the Dekleva clone. The wine was fermented 50% with wild yeast and was aged 16 months in French oak (58% new). The wine begins with complex aromas of Asian pear, ginger and vanilla with flavours of stone fruits. The long savoury finish has a hint of sagebrush. The texture is firm, suggesting exceptional ageability. 98.
CheckMate Little Pawn Chardonnay 2021 ($110 for 31 barrels). The fruit for this distinguished wine is from the Jagged Rock Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, which routinely seems to produce 100-point wines. There are two clones: Dijon 76 and Dekleva. The latter was reproduced with cuttings from the Dekleva vineyard. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak (61% new). It begins with aromas of lime and hints of tropical fruits, which are echoed on the palate, along with notes of lemon and hazelnut. The balance is seamless, producing an elegant and flawless wine. 100.