Tag Archives: Osoyoos

Black Cloud 2006 Pinot Noir

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There is something I love but can’t put my finger on about Okanagan Pinot Noir. Because, when you really think about it, the Okanagan can be subdivided into several fairly different and diverse micro-climates: The shortchanged-on-daylight slopes of Summerland, sunny Naramata on the other side of the valley, and dry-as-British-humour Osoyoos down South, but to name a few.

So how is it that all Okanagan Pinot Noirs appeal to me in the same general way?

After all, if terroir has anything to do with the lovely Okanagan wines I’m drinking, they must all somehow each exude their own unique properties. Yet, puzzlingly, I seem to consistently taste more complexity in Pinot Noir wines from the Okanagan than I do of most other red varietals grown in this area – namely, the Cabernets and Merlots that seem to be chiselled into the woody badasses and warm fruit bombs, respectively, that I keep coming across.

Vive la différence, I say!

Maybe I simply haven’t tried enough Pinots, or perhaps it’s just that I don’t know enough about the varietal or local viticulture practices to justify my yen for yumminess. Of course, it could just be sheer kismet that Pinot Noir grows quite well in my beautiful province; frankly, I don’t know.

What I do know, however, is that I can definitely chalk up another victory to Okanagan Pinot Noir, thanks to this bottle of Black Cloud 2006 Pinot Noir I’m enjoying tonight!

(The grapes in this bottle were grown in Okanagan Falls, another interesting part of the Okanagan Valley. Did you know there are no actual waterfalls in this eponymous region?)

Look at the beautiful legs on this puppy.

Check out the beautiful legs on this puppy.

Here’s a tasty experiment for you: Have you ever smelled or eaten Morbier cheese? It’s a semi-soft, ashy AOC (controlled origin) cheese from France that smells a bit like, well, ash, as well as salt and umami. Morbier is easily recognized by its middle stripe, like someone decided to draw across its length with pencil. Anyway, go visit your local cheesemonger, smell a hunk of Morbier and remember that scent. Now pour yourself a glass of Black Cloud Pinot Noir, sniff it, and tell me that does not at all smell similar to Morbier. Ah, I knew you were a liar.

Tasty Experiment #2: Get yourself some of the aforementioned Morbier, some fatty, moist prosciutto and dried Morello cherries. Now wrap a small wedge of Morbier and a dried cherry with a slice of prosciutto. Pair with Black Cloud Pinot, duck breast, a date or your significant other and a sexy DVD. You won’t be disappointed.

Tasting Notes

Mostly mahogany in colour with flecks of deep crimson. The mature colour makes me think that this should peak either now or quite soon. As I ended up waxing poetically above, the nose begins in a rather earthy, savoury, ashy fashion – think Morbier and Reishi mushrooms (ganoderma lucidum) – followed by aromas of ripe cherries and strawberries. A slightly spicy, tamari sauce character permeates the cherry / berry palate with silky tannins, medium body and kind of bloody (but in a good way!) finish. Try the above appetizer as a food pairing, or venture into more exotic territory by serving this with Chinese five-spice beef shank (ng heung ngau yuk). It’s a cold cut normally served at the beginning of a Chinese banquet, in the same platter as the jellyfish and roast suckling pig. $25

Note: The 2006 vintage is Black Cloud Winery’s first bottling, and I certainly hope there are many more to come. Check out the links below for more reviews!

Links

Black Cloud Winery

Bradley Cooper – winemaker for Black Cloud and Township 7

Other Reviews

Full Bodied: Vancouver Food, Wine and Cleavage

Vinifico! The Original Vancouver Wine Blog

Wine Bard: Confessions of an Oenophile

Between the Vines

Globe In Your Glass

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Last Wednesday, October 28, was Globe In Your Glass, a new world wine tasting in Pan Pacific’s tony Oceanview Suites, hosted by Vincor Canada, the Canadian offshoot of beverage conglomerate Constellation. Partial proceeds from the event benefitted Canuck Place hospice.

My enjoyable evening started by visiting the media suite, albeit a bit tardy, for the Global Values Blind Tasting Challenge, a random smattering of 15 mainstream bottles under $20, red and white. Unfortunately the answers were announced just as I was getting there – the blind tasting actually started ahead of time – so I missed the tasting portion, but reading the hints provided on the tasting sheet, I could tell anyone with wine brand knowledge or sales savvy could easily get most of the answers right without tasting anything. Karl at MyWinePal tasted and guessed an impressive 8 wines (I think; it was at least 7) correctly!

I moved on to the Sumac Ridge reception / tweetup with David Wicken, the winery’s fictional social media personality. The wines on hand were Sumac Ridge Black Sage Merlot, in my opinion always a winner, and an exemplary Black Sage-area red; Sumac Ridge Gewurztraminer, BC’s top-selling white VQA wine (and I think of the entire BC VQA category itself); and Sumac Ridge Tribute sparkling. The non-vintage, Olympic commemorative Tribute turned out to be a wonderful oysters-on-the-halfshell pairing, the tangy mignonette and briny bivalve matching the zesty, crisp flavours of the brut nicely.

In the main tasting room, I had the chance to try a bunch of wines whose labels I knew far better than its contents. The highlights?

Chef Roger Planiden’s Food Pairings

Dare I say it was the busiest booth of the evening? Vincor’s Great Estates of the Okanagan Executive Chef Roger Planiden prepared some wonderful food pairings to match with Vincor’s top BC VQA selections, my favourite two being:

  1. Pacific scallop and sunchoke velouté, with Nk’Mip Chardonnay ($16): Buttery, creamy goodness – the Chardonnay fruit and acidity still shined through.
  2. Goat cheese terrine wrapped in prosciutto on a crostini, with See Ya Later Ranch Pinot 3 ($20; a blend of Pinot Gris, Blanc and Noir): Melon and fresh fruit flavours provided beautiful contrast to the cool gameyness of the goat cheese and cured ham.

Lots of Varietal Character and Terroir

Tasting Globe In Your Glass’ offerings side by side, it soon became evident to me that the different geographies and climates behind these wines provided each with lots of unique flavour nuances that one might not perhaps glean from drinking something individually, or by exploring the wines of just one country. Some of the wines that stood out most for me are below.

I encourage you to check out a new world-themed wine tasting if you get the chance – it’s a great learning opportunity!

Inniskillin Discovery Series Chenin Blanc 2007 (BC VQA)

Clean, honeyed fruit with typical straw / hay Chenin flavours. $17

Jackson-Triggs Proprietor’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (BC VQA)

Tropical guava and passionfruit flavours shot out of my glass. This was an affordable treat that I’ll be remembering for the next sunny day. $15

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (New Zealand)

Grassy, mineral tones and yes, aromas of pee. $22

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (New Zealand)

Crisp citrus, blatant asparagus and green beans and bracing acidity. $16

Nk’Mip Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir (BC VQA)

I’ve never met an Nk’Mip Qwam Qwmt wine I didn’t like. This one just screams classic new world Pinot with its silky texture and earthy, sensual bouquet. $30

Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2005 (BC VQA)

Worth laying down for several years or more, this gem is more of an old world-styled Bordeaux blend with lots of oak, fruit and tannin and plenty of terroir, and it never fails to please. I love it for its value ($45), and even more so because its second wine, Pétales d’Osoyoos ($25), is almost just as good and incredibly drinkable, yet half the price.

Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Napa Valley, California)

I tasted subtle but pervasive licorice flavours in this chewy red, and would love to know if anyone else who’s tasted this also detected the same thing, and can tell me where it comes from. $40

NK’MIP 2007 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay

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NK'MIP 2007 QwAM QwMT Chardonnay

Nk’Mip (pronounced IN-ka-meep) is one of my favourite wineries in the Okanagan.

Nestled on a hill just above the jewel of a lake surrounding the beautiful, scorchingly hot town of Osoyoos, it not only produces a vast quantity of delicious, award-winning wines, but also has one of the best winery tours.

For a paltry $5, one can embark on a one-hour guided tour of the entire winery facilities to learn loads about the local terroir, and taste at least four or five different Nk’Mip wines.

On my trip there this past July, I learnt that Nk’Mip Cellars (headed by winemaker Randy Picton) is owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band, which numbers about 400-450 very successful people: The winery, along with the adjacent Desert Cultural Centre, Spirit Ridge resort & villas, RV park and additional vineyards (all Osoyoos Band-owned), brings in more than $40 million a year. Now that’s good business!

There are two tiers of Nk’Mip wines: The regular line-up, and the top-tier Qwam Qwmt label, Qwam Qwmt being the Osoyoos’ indigenous word for “achieving excellence.”

Tonight’s Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay is excellent indeed – there’s definitely no false advertising to be found on this bottle!

Tasting Notes

Brilliant yellow gold in colour. Peanut brittle, kettle corn, vanilla and crisp pear aromas make for a mouth-watering bouquet. A bit on the alcoholic side at 13.5% a.b.v. (is it from the sizzling desert weather?), this is best enjoyed well chilled. Savour the yummy apple, pear, pie crust and butter sauce flavours over the generous palate and medium finish. $25

Food Pairing

Having returned home from Granville Island with salt pork and fresh Pacific scallops today, and looking for an excuse to use up my remaining Okanagan-grown Coronation grapes, I found this sauteed grapes in red wine sauce recipe online and decided to make the following first course:

Fresh Pacific scallops and salt pork with Coronation grapes and shallots in a red wine and cinnamon espresso reduction

Pan-seared fresh Pacific scallops and salt pork with Coronation grapes and shallots in a red wine and cinnamon espresso reduction

You may think it’s heresy to drink premium white wine alongside food cooked with red plonk (in tonight’s case, Castillo de Monséran 2006 Garnacha Cariñena), but let me tell you that the sweetness of the juicy scallops and grapes, combined with butter-sautéed shallots and the fatty cured goodness that is salt pork, were an enlightened match with the Chardonnay. Rules, schmools!

I did use the Chardonnay, however, in my main course of white bean soup with fresh sage, fresh Chanterelle mushrooms and more of that delicious salt pork from Oyama Sausage Co.

I’d post an image, but the soup was devoured all too soon for a photograph.