Tag Archives: Okanagan

Bottle Maturation

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Sipping on a bottle of properly matured, well cared-for wine is like running into the awkward guy from algebra ten years later at your high school reunion.

He’s turned out to be – hopefully – fleshier and more toned in physique than his younger, gangly self, with a smoother timbre replacing the squawky, pitched stutter of yore. And perhaps his then-clashing talents of number-crunching and collecting 70′s vinyl have evolved into a profitable online music entrepreneurship.

Everything about him is still there, just now in far better shape. It just took several years for that potential to develop into something more.

I’ve got both an Old World and a New World example that I’m excited to share with you:

Château Faizeau Sélection Vielles Vignes AOC Montagne St-Émilion 2006

This wine was released in BC in the fall of 2009. The Montagne Saint-Émilion area is just northeast of the principal Saint-Émilion appellation, and like its namesake, showcases Merlot-based wines, which in this case come from some older vines that have been green-harvested to concentrate flavour development in select bunches that have been left on the vine. From one French website, it appears that “flying winemaker” Michel Rolland seems to have consulted on the wine. The site also notes that the vineyard is made of 12 hectares of clay-limestone and sandy soil, and 50% of the wine was aged in barrel for 18 – 24 months.

Opened on April 16, 2011, thanks to my generous friend (and graphic designer extraordinaire) Lydia. Within an opaque core of blood red lies a soft and seductive nose of black cherry, plums, blackberries, baking spices, cocoa and licorice. The rich, velvety palate is gently concentrated with red and black berry flavours, a hint of herbaceousness, and secondary notes of cinnamon, chocolate, licorice and earth, finishing with refreshing acidity that suggests further aging up to another 5 to 6 years would be fine. Lydia, Natasha and I ate this with Mediterranean cheese and spinach pies, which tasted great – I would also recommend trying this with a piece of good dark chocolate or a meat dish with mole sauce to really play up the voluptuousness of this wine.

Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc Okanagan Valley VQA 2005

Sean and I had the fortune to visit with Poplar Grove’s winemaker, Ian Sutherland, two years ago on a holiday in Naramata. There, we got to barrel sample some varietal components of his Bordeaux blend, Legacy, including some Cabernet Franc, and I’m fairly certain it was at that moment that I became a believer in Cabernet Franc’s potential to claim the title of Best Okanagan Black Grape. The barrel samples were intense, concentrated and left us with black teeth for the day – Sean was especially hooked and bought a bottle of the 2005, and we’ve been interested in Cab Francs across BC since.

I visited the winery again this past weekend on the way home from a short road trip through Penticton, and Julie, the lovely lady managing the tasting room that day, mentioned that Poplar Grove uses the help of Bordelais consultant Alain Sutre. Apparently, Sutre’s advice vis à vis Poplar Grove’s Cab Franc is that extra hangtime is allowed for the fruit such that it’s picked within the precise and short timeframe wherein sugar ripening slows down but the rate of phenolic ripeness speeds up, letting the grapes build up extra flavour complexity without the excess of natural sugars.

This funny, adorable border collie belonging to a neighbour of the winery had me working hard for my wine! I must have thrown that grapevine stick 50 times.

Opened on May 7, 2011. Deep purple-black in the glass with some garnet hues along the rim, this wine displays a heady aroma of ripe plums, prunes, blackberry, currants, tobacco, cedar and spice. In the mouth, fine sweet oak tannins combine deliciously with a medium-plus body of ripe cherry, currant, plum, leather, spice, chocolate and licorice flavours and a medium-plus finish. A rewarding wine right now but could certainly hold up for another couple years if not longer.

This still had all the concentrated black fruit flavours and tannin of the original barrel sample, except worn and woven into a much smoother cloth. We sipped happily on this without food, however I would have loved to try this with some grilled rosemary lamb chops or rib eye seared perfectly medium rare. Finishing: 18 months in French oak barrels plus an additional 12 months of bottle maturation prior to release. $35 at the winery (fairly positive it’s now sold out)

Reminiscing

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Now that fall is officially here – I know this, because I’ve been digging out my woollies and have also started wearing socks again – I thought it as good a time as any to share some of the photos from my summer wine memories, so we can all look back fondly and think, “ahhhh…. Those were the good days.”

Here are the crème de la crème of my Summer 2010 – Okanagan snapshots:

The lovely, expansive grounds at Cedarcreek's beautiful winery on Lakeshore Drive, Kelowna. Check out the spectacular waterfront wedding altar (open for bookings)! (Not that I'm hinting at anything...)

The sublime entree in a meal of epic proportions at Mission Hill Winery, enjoyed September 7th, 2010, complete with wine pairings (SLC Merlot; Compendium). Sezmu (Kelowna-bred, BC red wine-fed) beef tenderloin expertly topped with a dark chocolate melting wafer *drool*, accompanied by earthy Chanterelle sprinkles, tender cannelloni (whether lamb or veal; I can't remember), roasted beets and a herby schmear of sauce. Chocotenderloinissimo.

Pinot Noir grapes growing on Mission Hill's Lakeshore vineyard on the east side of Lake Okanagan. It's true what they say - wine grapes are so much more flavourful and delicious than table grapes! (Don't worry; there'll still be wine for all - I didn't eat THAT many!)

While in Kelowna, I stayed at this very nice hotel called The Cove Lakeside Resort. My suite was larger than my Vancouver apartment, and everything was so comfortable! Pure bliss.

Cheers!

See Ya Later, Momo My Pal

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This post is dedicated to Momo, my family’s beloved dog that passed away this evening.

Friendly, playful and always eager to show her affection, it was a joy to have her as part of my family for the last 13 years.

Momo, you were a great friend. I will always miss you.

MOMO 1997 - 2010

In tribute to Momo and special pets everywhere, my wine for this post is the dog-themed See Ya Later Ranch “Jimmy My Pal” 2008 white blend.

Known as Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards (old label here) until the early to mid 2000s, See Ya Later Ranch was once the home of a Major Hugh Fraser, one of the first people to settle in Okanagan Falls – a town that, quite misleadingly, has no actual waterfalls.

Fraser was a great lover of dogs, even going so far as to build his own dog cemetery on the ranch (which still exists). This Vincor-owned winery, headed by winemaker Dave Carson, whom I have had the great pleasure to meet and work with, has since adopted Fraser’s life story as the See Ya Later brand’s driving force.

If you ever have the chance to visit Okanagan wine country, I highly encourage a drive up to See Ya Later Ranch. Nestled atop a huge hill at the end of a steep and windy road – it’s a good 15-minute drive uphill from Highway 97 – the tenacious wine lover is rewarded with breathtaking scenery of the Okanagan Valley as well as one of the area’s loveliest-looking tasting rooms with a view.

Weather forecast: 80% likelihood of further T-shirt precipitation. 50% chance of raspberry. (Sean at See Ya Later's winery gate - photo by me)

Pet accessories abound in the winery shop, which also accepts donations to the SPCA in lieu of added tasting fees – another clever extension of Fraser’s goodwill toward man’s best friend. Speaking of which, partial proceeds of “Jimmy My Pal” benefit the SPCA, so you can feel comfortable that your enjoyment is going toward a good claws cause.

Gucci helped me write this post for Momo.

Tasting Notes

Opened February 8, 2010. Composed of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Gris and 30% Semillon. Soft, sandy white in colour with peachy tones. White blossoms, stones, white-fleshed fruits and citrus form a subtle and feminine bouquet. A soft, juicy palate of peaches, pear, apple and other round fruits reveals itself in a supple, almost oily way. The only food pairing I could think of when I did open this bottle was Hong Kong-style fruit salad, which is basically a simple fruit salad that may also contain boiled eggs and/or shrimp, and mayonnaise. It still seems like the ideal pairing – I’d eat it. $16