Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Clean and vibrant, our 2020 Old Vine Brut expresses aromas of toasty biscuit, dry apple and citrus zest. The lively mousse greets the palate with delicate lemon zest, light almond and a clean minerality. The flavours linger on the finish, mingling with a mildly creamy brioche note. Pair this wine with sundried tomato tapenade or smoked oyster quesadillas.
Vineyard Notes
From a winemaking perspective 2020 was an exceptional vintage in the South Okanagan. Early spring started
out colder than average but by mid-to-late June, temperatures were at or above average. Following a summer that began a little later than usual, September was very warm resulting in our vineyards seeing a smaller than average crop with smaller grape bunches. The vines benefited from a dry September, with a smaller berry size contributing to concentrated flavours. The warm weather in late September and early October enabled the grapes to reach ideal phenolic ripeness, with our white varietals all handpicked and fermenting in tank by the first week of October. Following a warm start to fall, the weather turned and we saw a rare snowfall and a freezing event in the valley on October 23rd. Fortunately, the majority of our red grapes were harvested by this time. From a temperature perspective, the 2020 vintage was the 5th warmest in growing degree days in the last 2 decades. Overall, the 2020 season delivered exceptional quality grapes of a smaller berry size with abundant ripe fruit and beautifully enhanced flavour profiles. It is a year where the quality will be talked about for years to come, producing wines that are cellar worthy.
Winemaker Notes
The Pinot Blanc for this year’s offering was hand harvested from our 1968 plantings in Block 4 on our Golden
Mile Bench estate property. In traditional Brut fashion, the grapes were hand sorted and whole cluster pressed to retain the fresh primary characteristics of the fruit. The juice was then cold settled and racked
before undergoing a cool fermentation at 13°C for 28 days. Following the traditional method, our 2020 Brut
was re-fermented in the bottle, spending a total of 24 months en tirage. Over these two years, the wine ages
on its lees to provide the doughy mouthweight for which Méthod Champenoise sparkling wines are renowned. The Old Vine Brut was disgorged on March 28th of 2023.
Other Notes
94 points ~ Deborah Podurgiel, 93 Points ~ Julian Park, 92 Points ~ Decanter World Wine Awards, Silver Medal ~ Decanter World Wine Awards