Harvest 2015 Finishes: Early & Exceptional

An exceptional vintage on a number of levels, earlier this month we completed our BC wine harvest with our remaining reds: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir all in! Similar to other local wineries, we finished on a record early date, for us, it was Oct. 9th — three weeks ahead of normal.

The long hot growing season started early with one of the warmest and driest springs in the Okanagan. Not surprisingly, this led to an unprecedented start and finish to our grape harvest. Though it’s too soon to call, many experts are saying this could be the vintage of the century.

Of particular note for our reds, our winemaker Mary McDermott is crafting our first ever Pinot Noir varietal with grapes from an organic and biodynamic Kelowna vineyard.

Coined “the heartbreak grape” Pinot Noir can be challenging to grow and vinify. Its thin skin makes the grape susceptible to pests, rot and disease. It’s also extremely sensitive to fluctuations in temperature, soil and site. The difficulties in cultivating Pinot Noir continue through harvest and into the cellar; the grapes must be handled delicately so as not to prematurely break the skins and oxidize the juice. Colour extraction is often a problem as well.

Mary has a long successful history of crafting premium Pinot Noir in Niagara when she was a winemaker for Trius and Thirty Bench wineries, so we’re confident she will find Okanagan Pinots a breeze in comparison!

We’ve sourced this first T7 vintage from one of the longest growers in the Okanagan, Sperling Vineyards, whose pioneering site was first planted in grapes back in 1925. The Pinot Noir however was planted by the family much more recently in 2008. They grow several classic Pinot Noir Dijon clones including the popular 828 clone, which is known for producing straight, upright shoots, naturally low yields with small berries, and a more dense colour pigmentation.

We’re excited to follow the Pinot’s progression in the coming months. Stay tuned to 2017… more details to come as we near the first release.

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