Okanagan Pinot Noir - VinoZen Society Selection 2024
I am delighted to share my findings after tasting 35 Pinot Noirs from the Okanagan Valley, spanning the 2020 to 2022 vintages. Before diving into the reviews, let’s briefly discuss the tasting process and criteria used for evaluation.
There will be no scoring of the wines but rather honest assessments and opinions. I will be sharing with you both objectively and subjectively how I view these wines. Hopefully you find it both useful and entertaining.
Scroll Down or click HERE to the Reviews Section, but I would prefer if you take time to read through the following to understand the context.
Thoughts
As a WSET-trained taster, it became part of my thought process to approach wine evaluation critically and scientifically. This methodology allows for an objective assessment of wine quality. Here are some of the things I would consider:
Growing Conditions: Understanding the influence of the terroir of vineyard - climate, soil and other growing conditions.
Winemaking Decisions: Analyzing the impact of fermentation techniques, aging methods, and blending choices on the final product.
Tasting Evaluation: Assessing the wine based on its balance, length, intensity, and complexity. These factors help determine the overall quality of the wine.
Target Market Consideration: Reflecting on who the wine is intended for and how it meets their expectations.
This approach allows for unbiased assessment of each bottle of wine, or does it? If so, then what makes a wine score a 100 points with one critic, but 92 with another? Do the general consumer want to be told what to think score by score or they actually want to learn how to think for themselves?
How can human be completely separated from emotions, preferences and personal experiences? Some might claim they can - and may very well be true - but I do not believe I can, nor do I really want to.
You might have heard some say that wine is a very personal thing and that the most important thing is if the wine is delicious to the drinker. But what if the person tasting a very fine bottle of Amontillado Sherry has absolutely no prior exposure to wine? As a wine and spirit educator, my mission is not to help wineries sell wine, but to help elevate the appreciations of the general consumer.
BY FIRST MASTERING THE OBJECTIVES THEN BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY SUBJECTIVE.
Wine is a living thing, it is constantly evolving. The moment it touches our senses it invokes very real emotions and thus come the spectrum of preferences and attachment. So the only thing I am able to do is capture and extrapolate with my years of tasting analytically and then tell you how the wines emotionally invoke my senses.
With that in mind, what would my review look like?
The Process
To explore, I set out to review the Pinot Noir of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. I picked the wines just like any other consumer would: a mixture of prior experience with curiosity of the unknown. The tasting was done blind to make sure each bottle is given the same fair evaluation. The tasting was also done in the span of three days from July 29th to July 31st 2024, while the list is narrowed down day to day based on their assessed quality. Some were also picked out to be mixed back into the list blind and re-tasted for various of reasons to check for consistency and evolution. Those with ability to benefit from aging, elevated themselves from session to session.
I have also invited my good friend, Joanne DiGeso, DipWSET, from SommWine, as part of the first day tasting. We were both WSET trained and it was very interesting to find out that we were largely aligned on our opinions of the wines.
All opened and ready to go!
Vintage Overview
Taken from various sources, here are the vintage overview with my personal commentary
2020 Vintage:
The 2020 vintage in the Okanagan Valley was marked by a mild winter, although some higher elevation sites experienced temperatures below -20°C, causing some bud damage. Spring and summer were generally moderate, leading to an excellent growing season with lower yields but high-quality fruit. The result was wines with excellent flavor concentration, ripe tannins, and great acidity.
MY TAKE: There were only two 2020s in the line up, they both showed vibrant fruit and acidity with great concentration. I did not have good enough sample size in this particular review to determine the overall quality of the vintage.
2021 Vintage:
The 2021 vintage was challenging yet rewarding. A hot and dry summer, exacerbated by a heat dome from late June to early July, significantly affected the yield. Despite these harsh conditions, the fruit quality remained high. The heat and drought led to concentrated flavors and balanced acidity in the wines. Wildfires in the region resulted in smoke, but fortunately, it did not significantly taint the grapes. Overall, the 2021 vintage produced intensely flavored wines with remarkable character, especially noted for their balance and vibrant fruit.
MY TAKE: This vintage has proven to be the most challenging in the entire line up. Most 2021s showed marked notes of smoked meat, toasted seaweed (nori), and bonito flakes - from the heat dome and smoke taint conditions. Most wines from the line up in this vintage have these notes. Those that managed it well either added to the complexity of the wine or somehow avoided or eliminated the off-flavours all together. That being said, even the best from this vintage did not show the same longevity nor complexity as the wines from other vintages.
2022 Vintage:
The 2022 vintage was a tale of two seasons. The first half was among the coolest on record, followed by one of the warmest summers, leading to unique growing conditions. The overall growing degree days for 2022 were among the top six warmest years. This dramatic shift resulted in wines that maintained crisp acidity despite the warm conditions. The vintage showed excellent potential with concentrated fruit flavours and balanced phenolics, making it a standout year despite the challenging start.
MY TAKE: Most of my best picks came out of this vintage with the higher level of concentrations and complexity. They also come with noticeably higher tannins which can have some negative impact on Pinot Noir but may show the vintage with best longevity - time will tell.
Now, to the ratings:
vinozen society selections 2024
Okanagan Pinot Noir
Top eight - in alphabetical order of Winery names
ESTATE CUVEE PINOT NOIR 2022
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley BC
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars
Estate Cuvee Pinot Noir 2022
ELEGANT PRETTY | PRETTY ELEGANT
Well balance, good intensity, good complexity, approachable elegant flavours. Clean and pretty. Long finish with hint of spice.
Strawberry, cranberry, blueberry, raspberry, hints of spice, green bell pepper, lavender, violet, vanilla cream, hint of root beer.
An elegantly plated display of fruity desert dish topped with vanilla cream and caramel praline.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
13.5% Alcohol
100% Malolactic Conversion
Tech Sheet
Price: $35
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This wine improved in complexity and flavour intensity over the 3 days of tasting. I was generally very impressed by their wines so I had to make sure I include their wine in the review. 2022 is not yet available directly from the winery yet at the time of writing, but they are available in some local retail shops.
PINOT NOIR 2022
Cassini Cellars
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley BC
Cassini Cellars
Pinot Noir 2022
Playful little girl in sun dress on a grass field
SWEET AND PLAYFUL
Good balance, elevated alcohol but has the flavour intensity to back it up. Good range complexity of flavour notes and intensity. Finish is elegant with some spice.
Off-dry, flavours are light but persistant. strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, red cherry, white spices, clay pots, grass, slate.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
13.8% Alcohol
Tech Sheet - Not available yet
Price: $34
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This was the sweetest Pinot Noir of the entire line up, it is tasting off-dry which was not something that is known for Pinot Noir. First tasting, I was flip-flopping but it really held its own and evolved beautifully over the next two tasting sessions. The grapes were sourced from Osoyoos (PINOT NOIR from Osoyoos?!?), which is the south-most site in this review. How they managed to still produce a light, elegant, and playful pinot noir is very impressive to me. I am tasting right now as I write this - 7 days after opening for initial tasting - it is still fantastic! I am very happy to be able to include wine from smaller producers in the review.
dehart vineyard pinot noir 2022
martin’s lane
West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley BC
Martin’s Lane
DeHart Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
趙子龍 Zhao Zhi Long loyal, honourable
POWERFUL WITH GRACE AND AGILITY
Well balanced tough the tannins is elevated, full of flavours, lots of intensity, long complex sophisticated powerful finish.
Full body, pronounced intensity, very complex flavours of strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, fine grain wood, earth, clay, sage, vanilla, baking spices, touch of grass.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
DeHart Vineyard, East Kelowna Slopes
Spontaneous Fermentation in concrete vessel
70% whole clusters, 28-day maceration
16 months in extra tight grain Austrian and French oak barrels
13% Alcohol
5.8 g/L Acidity
Tech Sheet - Not Yet Available
Price: $100
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This was specially bottled for this tasting - Thanks winemaker Shane Munn and Wine Ambassador Sophia Cipes for arranging this! Perhaps it’s because that it was just bottled, this wine started out tightly wound and relatively silent with lots of tannins, shows more earthy leathery notes that gave a sense of Chinese calligraphy’s sophistication and modesty. When needed, it really rose to the occasion during the second and third tasting as it continue to evolve. Martin’s Lane is one of my favourite wineries and I could somehow pick it out from the blinds. Call it intuition or bias that I love their wines. That being said, I will say that it is a Pinot Noir for those seeking adventure and discovery.
Simes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
MARTIN’S LANE
WEST KELOWNA, OKANAGAN VALLEY BC
Martin’s Lane
Simes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
Pegasus flying in the sky with wide spread wings
A THUS, IT TOOK FLIGHT ON THE THIRD DAY
Well balanced, sophisticated lifted complex finish, great flavour and aroma intensity that’s well integrated. Tannins still young but ripe and thick, not rough. Long juicy meaty finish.
Very complex lifted flavours, pronounced flavour intensity, strawberry jam, cranberry, raspberry, mixed berry jam, plum, white pepper, earth, animal, leathery, clay, sage, mint, potpourri, rose petals, tomato leaf, green bell pepper, hint of vanilla and baking spices, slate, minerality.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
Simes Vineyard, South Kelowna Slopes
Spontaneous Fermentation in concrete vessel
70% whole clusters, 28-day maceration
16 months in extra tight grain Austrian and French oak barrels
13% Alcohol
6.0 g/L Acidity
Tech Sheet - Not Yet Available
Price: $100
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This was specially bottled for this tasting - Thanks winemaker Shane Munn and Wine Ambassador Sophia Cipes for arranging this! Simes has been my recent favourite from Martin’s Lane. It is their coolest site and some of their earlier vintages sometimes shows relatively thin and green. However, Martin’s Lane’s Simes Pinot Noir really took off in my humble opinion in the last 3 years or so. One first day of tasting, it already showed a level of sophistication unlike any other. Joanne and I both agreed that this was a wine for the aficionados - or in our word - a nerdy wine. This wine triggered a very special feeling for me. It’s an excitement for exploration and discovery plus our studious side is filled with desire to find out exactly how this wine could taste the way it does. In the next 2 tasting sessions, this just kept soaring.
zenith
naramata ranch pinot Noir 2020
Martin’s Lane
West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley BC
Martin’s Lane
Naramata Ranch Zenith Pinot Noir 2020
phoenix rising
COMPLEX POWERFUL LIFTED
Well balanced, powerful, assertive, tannins still young but firm and velvety, good complexity, some lifted green refreshing notes more on the palate. Sophisticated, complex, powerful, lifted. Very long finish.
Full body, pronounced elegant intensity, flavours of strawberry, blueberry, mixed berries, grass, herb, sage, animal, clay, leather, earth.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir Clone 667
Single Block Zenith, Naramata Bench
12.5% Alcohol
5.8 g/L Acidity
Spontaneous fermentation. Concrete. 50% whole clusters. 32 day maceration.
17 months, extra tight grain Austrian and French oak barrels
Tech Sheet
Price: $125
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: From a single block within the warmest site in Martin’s Lane’s whole portfolio, rose this amazing expression of the site. Beautifully low alcohol with great structure and balance. During the first tasting, it somehow ended up in the same 6-bottle flight as the Martin’s Lane’s Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir 2022 and I could pick out similarities between the two in the flavour profile. I had to make a choice which to include in the top 8. Zenith showed more finesse, intensity, and complexity. This is the 3rd wine from Martin’s Lane in my top 8, and rightfully so.
Pinot Noir Old Block
McLean Creek Vineyard 2022
Meyer Famaily Vineyards
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley BC
Meyer Family
Pinot Noir Old Block 2022
Elegant lady in 50s speakeasy - very Audrey Hepburn
ELEGANTLY SOPHISTICALLY SEXY
Well balance, great intensity, great complexity, delicious lingering elegant finish.
Sophisticated elegant fruit notes, strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, black tea, earth, clay, sage, animal, leather, vanilla, herbs, spices, rose petals, hint of green grassy character.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
13.5% Alcohol
6.4 g/L Acidity
40% New French Oak Barrels for 11 months
Tech Sheet
Price: $36
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This is a very interesting finding as I personally have a mixed relationship with wine scores, however, when tasting blind, this wine stood out as outstanding from the start for both Joanne and I. It was a pleasant surprise that this wine was also highly rated from Decanter and Wine Align. While I personally will not score wines, I do understand its validity and impact on the market.
WAITING FOR YOU PINOT NOIR 2020
O’Rouke Family Estate
Lake Country, Okanagan Valley BC
O’Rouke Family Estate
Waiting For You Pinot Noir 2020
Bride holding a blossoming bouquet
BRIGHT AND JOYEOUS ANTICIPATION
Well balanced, great intensity, lots of fruity elements, youthful maybe, good complexity, more prominent fruit, long juicy finish.
Flavours of blueberry, strawberry, cranberry, red cherry, fruity, hint of smoke, spice, mint, grass, coffee, sage.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
13.3% Alcohol
5.1 g/L Acidity
2.95 g/L Sugar
Tech Sheet
Price: $95
Commentary: Thanks to the team at O’Rouke Family Estate for allowing me to taste this beautiful wine! It is not available to the public yet so I am deeply honoured. This wine evolved really well over the 3 days’ of tasting. It was quite interesting when I went through my notes from the first blind tasting session, I wrote: “Seems to be waiting for something?” Because at first, it showed a wide ranging notes of fruits and florals, but there was not much of secondary or tertiary notes. My intuition told me that it felt like it is wanting to become something more and it really did! Thanks to Wine Club Coordinator Jennifer Hill for arranging this. Shout out to winemaker Nikki Callaway for a job well done!
Pinot Noir 2022
Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard
Stag’s Hollow
Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley BC
Stag’s Hollow
Shuttleworth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
blossoming greenhouse garden with a central water feature
ELEGANT FRESH BIRHGT PRETTY
Well balanced, great intensity and complexity, finish is long and prevail fruity and juicy.
Bright strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, red cherries, white peppers, rose petal, violet, green bell pepper, clay, sage, animal, and hint of vanilla cream.
Technicals
100% Pinot Noir
13.7% Alcohol
5.6 g/L Acidity
1.4 g/L Sugar
12 months in 17% new French Oak Barrels
Tech Sheet
Price: $32
WINERY WEBSITE
Commentary: This is yet another pleasant surprise. Wines like this hits a spot for us wine lovers/critics because of its amazing value! It’s structurally sound and very beautifully balanced with lots of bright fruits notes and delicious finish. Thanks to Erica McIntosh for arranging this!
Honourable mentions - IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
50TH PARALLEL
15TH Anniversary Edition Pinot Noir 2022 $65
Arrowleaf Cellars
Archive Pinot Noir 2021 $42.10
Thanks to the team for arranging for me to taste it. I personally was quite impressed with your other vintages of Archive. I understand the challenges of 2021. This wine was very close!
Kennan and Zoe
Juno Block Whole Berry Pinot Noir 2022 $40.99
Very interesting wine made by the winemaker of Sage Hills - also another winery with great Pinot Noir I did not get to include in this tasting. It is worth a shout out!
Martin’s Lane
Fritzi’s Vineyard 2021 $150
Naramata Ranch 2022 $100
Transcendence, Simes Vineyard 2021* $125
All wines from Martin’s Lane share the same philosophy: Raw, Rugged, Radical. Their wines are at a different spectrum and it can be somewhat unapproachable at first but they are some of the most special Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted.
*I could not include Transcendence 2021 into the tasting due to the timing. I do want to say job well done, Shane!
Meyer Family
Old Block Pinot Noir 2021 $35.96
Micro Cuvee Pinot Noir 2021 $45.75
”B” Field Blend Pinot Noir 2022* $31.39
Old Block 2021 and Micro Cuvee showed similar complexity, but the unfortunate heat dome and smoke taint conditions, it could not completely harmonize the characters. Still a delicioius wine.
*I could not include “B” Field Blend 2022 into the tasting due to timing. It has a clean, bright and elegant profile. I couldn’t evaluate it the same way as the other wines, but it is definitely delicious!
O’ROUKE FAMILY ESTATE
BATCH 4°C Pinot Noir 2021 $100
Pinot Noir 2021 $75
Overall, well managed complex wines given the 2021 conditions. First tasting of Batch 4°C Pinot Noir did not disappoint.
Quail’s Gate
Pinot Noir 2022 $34.99
This wine was very close to the Stag’s Hollow Shuttleworth Creek Pinot, it was another one of those very approachable and quality Pinot Noir with an amazing price tag!
Conclusion
How do we describe a wine? We can definitely talk about the wines strictly on the technique side. We can talk about how long the maceration period is, what kind of fermentation vessel is used, celebrate natural wine movement that’s somehow independent from the wine’s intrinsic quality, and go into discussing the intricate details from start to finish.
Where is it from
How was it grown
How it was made.
Alcohol content
Residual Sugar
pH levels
The List Goes On
While it is definitely important to talk about the hard work invested by countless dedicated souls. It is a very difficult industry to be in. We have to realize that a lot of it is in the hands of those uncontrollable factors that is nature - a perspective much less considered by the general public. So, in a very ruthless perspective that is consumer reality - the end justifies the means - Wine has to be delicious. This is why I am much happier shouting out delicious wines that come from unassuming places and have a much higher standard and expectations for wines that have sufficient capital injection.
How do we describe a wine? If it is strictly how it makes us feel the moment it touches our senses. Do most of us drink the scores? Do we think, 95, 97, 100 as we swirl the wines or do we set our assumptions aside and let the wines do what they do best?
When we taste a truly amazing wine, we would want to spread the word that truly emotional response with genuine excitement. In that regard, we do not tell other “This wine is 98 points! Its amazing!” It is almost as if we quote scores is because we don’t have other things to say about it.
Thanks to the advancements of AI, I am finally able to start convey my thoughts effectively through the image generation. It’s been something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is what makes me better!
Kai Chang, DipWSET
VinoZen Academy
Aug 5th 2024