As Spring finally takes hold in BC, wine lovers can rejoice with the release of the previous year's first wines: white varietals that don't endure long maturing or oak programs prior to release. It is the first tangible evidence of a vintage's quality and of a winery's ability to have reacted to the unique challenges that every vintage north of the 49th parallel presents. A time of excitement and anxiety and of judgement and commerce.
The white wines from the cooler than average and late starting 2010 vintage can be best described as crisp and tangy with abundant natural acidity and mineral characters. Concentration and complexity is also present due to the prolonged growing season allowing longer hangtime on the vines for some varietals if the wineries didn't pick early. Time on the vine was so extreme in some cases that we should see more botrytis affected wines from the 2010 vintage.
Overall, the quality of the 2010 whites from the Okanagan Valley is strong, especially for the aromatic varietal wines where an extra acidic kick is welcomed. From recent tastings, here are some crisp, bright and most importantly, very tasty 2010 white wines to look-out for:
Desert Hills Estate Winery 2010 Gewurztraminer - $20
Bursting with classic "Goo" chracters of lychee and grapefruit with a nice acidic kick to balance the concentrated perception of sweetness from the fruit flavours.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
Fort Berens Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Gris - $18
Despite the winery's Lillooet address this wine is all Okanagan. Produced from West Kelowna grown fruit and fermented in stainless steel tanks, this Pinot Gris is fruit forward and terroir driven with excellent austere characters to balance the orchard fruit and lemon zest notes.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
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Hillside Estate Winery 2010 Muscat Ottonel - $20
A fairly dry Muscat which is a welcomed change from the many excellent sweeter examples of the varietal family. Dryness lets the subtle complexity on the palate shine.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
JoieFarm 2010 Muscat - $23
The nose pops out of the glass with tangy citrus and candied fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is both biting and delicate. Crisp and fresh, yet gentle in its release of bright, nectarine, peach and lemon flavours.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
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JoieFarm 2010 Riesling - $23
Prominent sweetness (25g/l of residual sugar) is balanced effortlessly with crisp acidity and strong minerality. The palate is fairly full-bodied for a Riesling offset by a refreshing, silky texture and a moderate, zesty finish.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
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JoieFarm 2010 Un-Oaked Chardonnay - $23
The long and sometimes difficult 2010 season has produced a lovely Chardonnay that showcases the orchard and lemon/lime flavours and crisp, natural acidity of the grape without the need of oak structure or added depth.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
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La Frenz Winery 2010 Alexandria- $20
A wonderfully delicate wine that oozes floral and citrus flavours. Sweetness is nicely balanced with the residual acidity. A great wine to pair with your sunny patio exploits this summer.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
La Frenz Winery 2010 Riesling - $20
Similar off-dry style, but the mineral character is more prominent in the 2010 Riesling than its
2009 predecessor.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
La Frenz Winery 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $22
The Semillon component of this wine has been reduced to just a splash and is hardly noticible with the 2010 release. Crisp New Zealand style without the funky cat pee aromas.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and private wine shops.
LaStella Winery 2010 Leggiero - $25
Should appeal to the ABC crowd and to wine-lovers who love Chardonnay for its inherent fruit and mineral character more so than its compatibility with oak.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and VQA stores.
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LaStella Winery 2010 Vivace - $25
Balance is spot on with good acidity and enough residual sugar to mask the alcohol and create a joyful and full-
ish texture on your palate.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and VQA stores.
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Le Vieux Pin 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $35
The 2010 vintage has proven to be a good fit for Le Vieux Pin who routinely drop fruit in their vineyards to keep tonnage low, long before the threat of bad weather forces them to. The result is added concentration and a wider spectrum of flavours... and a higher cost per bottle.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
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Moon Curser 2010 Afraid of the Dark - $22
Tasty, crisp blend of 43% Viognier, 42% Roussanne and 15% Marsanne was not oaked leaving a focused, fruit forward sipper.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
Oak Bay Estate Winery 2010 Gewurztraminer - $17
Classic Alsatian "Goo" flavours of lychee, spice and citrus fruits follow on the well-balanced, full-bodied palate with a touch of residual sugar, good acidity and a long finish with lingering peppery lemon.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here.
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Stoneboat Vineyards 2010 Chorus - $18
Production for this tasty blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Muller Thurgau, Kerner and Schoenburger is way up for 2010 which means visitors to the wineshop this summer will avoid being disappointed.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and VQA stores.
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay - $17
As the wine warms in your glass the oak and lees characters come to life, but never dominate the palate of nose. Stonefruit, green apples, lemon and austere notes round-out the flavour profile.
Where to buy: Direct from winery here and VQA stores.
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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2010 Oldfield Series 2Bench White - $23
A blend of 44% Chardonnay, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Semillon, 12% Viognier and 1% Muscat, this wine is complex and very satisfying with a rich, creamy texture and a crisp, long, balanced finish.
Where to buy: Direct from winery
here and VQA stores.
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Young and Wyse Collection 2010 Amber - $20
The first white wine to be released by Osoyoos winery Young and Wyse Collection is a blend of 47% Viognier, 38% Pinot Gris and 15% Gewurztraminer. Crisp citrus acidity balances the fullness on the palate resulting in a very tasty wine with a moderate-plus finish and excellent texture.
Where to buy: Direct from winery.
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Golden Beaver Winery has gone through a more dramatic change, re-branding the winery name to Castoro de Oro which roughly translates back to golden beaver in Italian. Logos, labels, signs and their website have all been updated with an artistic beaver-wearing-a-coat-and-top-hat-pondering-life design, moving away from the Canadiana fueled drunk-beaver-crapping-on-a-barrel cartoon. The modern design is eye-catching, interesting and potentially topical - why is a beaver wearing a felt top hat... does he not know what felt was traditionally made of?
