Tinhorn Creek Spring Preview

2011 was another tough and intriguing cool-climate vintage for the Okanagan Valley. One that started even later than 2010 which was one of the hardest and coolest growing seasons in 15 years. Through 2011, things were shaping up to be very much the same as 2010 with a late, Indian Summer providing just enough heat and sunshine to ripen the grapes before the onset of frost, which was devastating for the producers who gambled on a longer hang time for their crop. Except, the frost didn't come in 2011. At least, not to the degree it did in 2010 when a sudden drop in temperature in October wreaked havoc for many. The result was a longer than normal harvest with some vineyards leaving fruit hanging well into November and even into January of 2012 for a few Icewine harvests.

Previewing upcoming releases, including the much anticipated and inaugural release of the Oldfield Series Pinot Noir from the 2008 vintage, winemaker Sandra Oldfield and viticulturalist Andrew Moon paced invited media through the range of  the newly bottled 2011 white varietal wines to be released in May.

Cab Franc Block - Black Sage Bench

The backdrop for the preview tasting included visits to the winery's vineyards on the Black Sage Bench and the Golden Mile Bench where the winery is based. The tour was interspersed with the new wines and discussions about the winery's concerted effort to remain a steward of the land from which their product is sourced rather than a profiteer? Few wineries put forth the effort that Tinhorn Creek does to achieve a conscious-appeasing carbon-neutral result from the production of their wines. It's an expensive endeavor but one they seem committed to maintaining and even improving as projects like the winery's on-site composting mature.

Full reviews will be posted on http://www.iconscores.ca/ as the wines are released.

2011 Gewurztraminer - $17.99
Hard to improve on the 2010 Goo, but first impressions are they managed to do it. Lower alcohol and slightly drier than previous vintages - a welcomed change. Produced from fruit grown on the Golden Mile property, just up the hill from the winery.
Icon Score

2011 Pinot Gris - $17.99
Possibly the best Pinot Gris the winery has yet to produce. First impression was the balance of RS-to-acid-to-body seemed absolutely spot on.
Icon Score

2011 Chardonnay - $17.99
We tasted the new vintage of Chardonnay only a day after it had been bottled resulting in a bit of bottleshock. The acid levels and ripeness seem to be where they should be, but an overall impression was hard to construct.

2011 2Bench Rose - $23

Made from Cabernet Franc grapes with minimal skin contact, the 2011 version does not disappoint. In fact, it's the best one yet. Production is higher this year so you should be able to find this wine a little easier than in the past - look for it, you will not be disappointed.
Icon Score

2008 Oldfield Series Pinot Noir - $35(est)

Waiting four years before releasing a wine to the consumer is mostly unheard of in the Okanagan Valley as wineries can't afford the cost of holding back product that people are ready to purchase. Tinhorn decided to bite the bullet and hold-out for an extra year for the standard Pinot Noir and two full years for their new Oldfield Series Pinot Noir, much to the chagrin of their finance and marketing people. Alas the wait is (nearly) over and it was worth it. This reserve Pinot is just that much more refined and elegant that the varietal series Pinot Noir. The result is more depth, more character and more presence in the glass. Yum. Look for a June or July release date.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Barrel Tasting at Fairview Cellars

Fairview Cellars is located on the Golden Mile Bench just outside the town of Oliver, BC. Diehard fans of the wines produced by winemaker and proprietor Bill Eggert know that the best way to go about procuring his coveted product is to visit in-person for the full experience. Eggert is one of the most personable (and knowledgeable) characters in the BC wine industry. The quintessential farmer-turned-winemaker who understands that great wines come from great terroir and careful vineyard management. His 6 acre home vineyard has long been a bastion of ripening Cabernet Sauvignon which forms the core component of his top Meritage blends. Through new vineyard expansions (both purchases and partnerships) Fairview Cellars is beginning to expand its portfolio of wines and volume of cases produced.

On October 3rd, I had the pleasure of tasting a few of the upcoming releases and barrel sampled new additions to the Fairview Cellars line-up.

2008 Premier Series "The Bear" - $35
The latest release of Fairview Cellar's flagship Meritage blend is available now in the tasting room. Always a wine to buy and hold (or collect as many do). The 2008 vintage continues the house style of a big, bold, complex and compelling Bordeaux-inspired blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Full Review and Icon Score Coming Soon

2008 Premier Series Cabernet Sauvignon - $40
As I stated in the intro, Bill's home vineyard produces great Cabernet Sauvignon which is used in the Bear. He also bottles some as a straight 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 1/3 new, 1/3 2nd fill and 1/3 3rd fill French oak.
Full Review and Icon Score Coming Soon

2008 Madcap Red - $27
The new Madcap, Bill's Merlot-heavy Meritage blend, should be released November-ish, but has no firm date as of yet. Always the red wine of the line-up that is the most approachable in its youth. Big dark-fruit flavours and tasty, round tannins.
Icon Score

2008 Premier Series Iconoclast - $120
Starting with the 2008 vintage, Bill has selected his best barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon and treated it to 100% new French oak. Smoother, rounder and more feminine than the standard Cab. Very limited release available only in the tasting room.

"The Wrath" - Release date TBD - $60 (estimated)
This will be a new wine in the line-up to be released some time in 2011. The fruit for this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine comes from a Golden Mile Bench property that Eggert has been cultivating for 5 years. The "Wrath" is a nod to the "Grapes of Wrath" and the hardship it suggests in getting the new vineyard site to the point where it will produce quality fruit (or any fruit at all). It could also refer to the "The Wrath of God" due to the seemingly spiteful nature of Bill's run of bad-luck with the site (feasting dear and wrathful hail). 2009 produced the first serviceable crop from the site and the timing couldn't have been better. The combination of the hot season and the vineyard site has produced the ripest Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tasted in BC. The barrel sample reminded me of a Napa Valley Cab. I look forward to trying it again once it's ready for release. Keep an eye out for this one!

We also tasted barrel samples of Cabernet Sauvignon that will go into the 2009 Bear and Iconoclast. Wow. I'll reserve final judgment until I taste the finished product next year, but early samples suggest that 2009 may be a vintage for the ages if you are a fan of big, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon-based red blends.

To stay abreast of release dates, visit the Fairview Cellars website and get on Bill's mailing list. http://www.fairviewcellars.ca/
 - Liam Carrier

Barrel Tasting at Stag's Hollow

On October 3rd I visited winemaker Dwight Sick at his picturesque Okanagan Falls winery Stag's Hollow. The scene from the cellar door is of a beautiful hidden green valley with sloping vineyards twisting this way and that. Down the slope, below the cellar is a steep bowl in which grows one of the only Tempranillo plantings in BC. The fruit from this block, as well as the product from a Grenache plot in a vineyard near Penticton, go into blends that Dwight described as "keeping the winemaker happy" wines. I would call them two of the most unique wines soon to be released in BC (target is currently December). They can be pre-ordered here.

2008 Tempranillo Blend "Limited Edition" No. 01 - $50
A "Super-Douro", if you will, blend of 40% Tempranillo, 35% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A fine example of constructing a unique taste out of different components and techniques. Fairly butch, yet refined and fun. Only 250 half-cases available (6X750ml).

2009 Grenache Blend "Limited Edition" No. 02 - $50
A blend of 50% Grenache,  46% Syrah, 3% Viognier and 1% Marsanne is Dwight's take on the many blends on offer in the Southern Rhone. A truly special wine with layers of complex aromas and flavours that delivers Carmenere-like food pairing options. (Restaurants should be stocking up!) Only 80 half-cases available (6X750ml).

We also tasted the components to a few 2009 vintage reds still in barrel: the Syrah/Viognier, the Estate Merlot and the SHV Pinot Noir. Both the Syrah and Merlot will typify the bold fruit character and ripe tannins of the hot 2009 growing season. The Pinot is produced with the appropriate let-the-land-speak approach but I was left not knowing what it was trying to say...yet. The Pinot needs more time to find its voice. All three will be released next year. Keep a look out for release dates from the winery - especially for the Syrah!

One last preview that we tasted was the new fully-oaked Renaissance-level 2009 Chardonnay which will be replacing the estate grown "2008 SHV Chardonnay". The 2009 is positive step forward from their current Chardonnay which I found to be "a nice drink" but lacked the winemaker's signature that the 2009 will have. Look for its release next Spring.
 - Liam Carrier

Reviews coming soon:
Stag's Hollow 2008 SHV Pinot Noir
Stag's Hollow 2008 Simply Noir

Current releases available:
Stag's Hollow Winery 2007 The Heritage Block
Stag's Hollow Winery 2008 Syrah
Stag's Hollow Winery 2008 SHV Chardonnay

Blackwood Lane 2007 "En Primeur"

Visiting Blackwood Lane is always a joy. Principles Carlos Lee (operations) and Charles Herrold (wine maker) are both passionate characters and very welcoming to their Fraser Valley winery. The tasting room is nicely situated on a cherry-blossom treed hill which looks out over a beautiful piece of land in southern Langley. The partners have a number of plans for the site which will help make it more of a must-see destination for the Vancouver crowd which the winery needs to attract in order to thrive. Plans for a cave cellar and restaurant as well as new plantings on their property and the adjacent property will create the effect of a grand estate. One worthy of matching their incredible wines.

Recently, we visited the winery to get a taste of the upcoming 2007 vintage releases which included a barrel tasting of the 2007 The Referènce, the 2007 Alliànce, and the 2007 Merlot which is the first of this vintage to be bottled. Below are some of our notes for this upcoming vintage which we had the pleasure to taste "En Primeur":

2007 Merlot
Big, fruity nose of dark cherries, oak, milk chocolate, maple syrup and a hint of slate with a splash of Cabernet Franc funk. Palate is full of intense flavours of fruits and oak with good tannins and acidity which will integrate more fully with another year of aging. 90-92pts
Full Review

2007 Alliànce
Concentrated berries including blueberry and blackberry on the nose with pencil shavings, cement, and slate tones.  As you search the nose you may also find a little bit of perfumed floral or violet trying to escape.  The palate is toasted with beautifully integrated berry fruit and oak with a touch of milk chocolate. The tannins are high, with medium+ acid making this a very age worthy wine. The pencil shavings and minerality continue through the palate and into a lengthy finish. This has Charles written all over it.  Superb. 94+pts  

2007 The Referènce
Old world meets new world and make love (producing "Nold" babies, perhaps?). An elegant wine with perfectly integrated tannins. The nose and palate change in the glass revealing layer upon layer of flavours and aromas. This vintage is extremely concentrated and showcases beautiful BC fruit.  The nose expresses cedar, cassis, caramel, and rose with less of the oakiness found in the Alliance, and a touch of Charles' signature pencil shavings.  These flavours proceed onto the palate with some light toast.  The finish is extremely long.  Charles has painted a masterpiece with the 2007 Reference.  95-97pts

The new vintage is an impressive next step in the ever evolving career of wine maker Charles Herrold. The 2007 vintage seems to have had longevity and elegance in mind which, for collectors, should be very exciting. For the rest of us, we'll have to be a little patient and lay wines like the 2007 Merlot and 2007 Alliànce down for a year or two before enjoying them. The 2007 The Referènce would also benefit from more time in the bottle but will drink beautifully upon release.

The winery has not yet announced a release date for all three wines. In the meantime, they have limited quantities of their excellent 2006 Merlot still available as well as the two flagship Bordeaux blends.
 - Liam Carrier and Hugh Carter

Barrel Tasting at Blackwood Lane Winery

August 24th, 2009

Any modest chef will tell you that the best ingredients make the best dishes. Of course, as any layman knows, the best ingredients are only one part of the equation; you also need someone in charge who is a master at their craft. Such is the formula for Blackwood Lane Winery. (www.blackwoodlanewinery.com/)

Winemaker Charles Herrold sources the best grapes in the Okanagan from vineyards he and his partners either own or have secured on long-term lease. He employs the consulting services of renowned Viticulturist Sam Baptiste and uses the newest technology at their modest winery in the Fraser Valley. Herrold, over his 19 years of experience (and of experimentation), has refined his process to produce exceptional wines.

Herrold’s winemaking philosophy could be summed up as “pure”. He uses no additives for extra tannins or flavour but rather experiments with different oak barrels to add complexity to the final blend. He uses a “free-flow” method to extract juice for his icon wine, The Reference, which is to say that the best juice is allowed to flow from the crush prior to the final violent press. This helps impart a smoothness to the wine that allows the drinker to examine and appreciate the multitude of flavours and tannins. Simply amazing.

Blackwood Lane Winery is the brainchild of Herrold and business partner Carlos Lee. They have recently opened a tasting room (open 11-6, Wed-Sun) at their Langley facility where the wines are produced and aged. For a $10 tasting fee (which includes a take-home Riedel glass) you can try:

2008 Chenin Blanc ($24) - Sommelier Series
- Beautifully balanced acidity and mineral finish.
2008 Vicuna Blanco ($19) – Gold Label Series
- A mostly Alsatian blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer.
2005 Chardonnay ($19) – Gold Label Series
- An oak-lovers treat. Butter bomb with perfect acidity to balance the flavours.
2005 Vicuna Roja ($24) – Gold Label Series
- Unique and very successful mélange of 42% Pinot Noir with the balance a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
2006 Alliance ($59) – Sommelier Series
- Powerhouse Bordeaux blend. 58.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 12.5% Cabernet Franc.

Look for full reviews of these wines over the next few weeks on our sister site: http://www.iconscores.blogspot.com/.

We also tasted the 2006 Reference ($89) which is Blackwood Lane’s signature and a true Canadian Icon Wine. To say this wine is a powerhouse of flavour is an understatement - it’s an entire power station of flavour. Yet, it is also full of refinement and complexity. This is a wine to watch and will surely be a cornerstone of the Icon Wines portfolio.

We were fortunate to be invited into the cellar for a barrel tasting:

The 2007 Alliance was tasted in its final blend and barrel: four-year smoked American Oak. This wine had all of the complexity of the current release.

The 2007 Reference is currently aging in four large barrels made of French Oak sourced from different forests. We tasted each barrel separately, and found that each barrel imparts a unique tannin and flavour. The 2007 may be the winery’s best vintage yet.

We also tried a new port-style wine which is nearly ready. This is a Merlot-based, brandy-fortified treat that should command a $90+ price. Keep your eyes out for its release sometime in 2010. - LC