2018 Pinot Noir Ashlyn
This is my first wild ferment Pinot Noir: unfined, unfiltered, gentle winemaking. I wanted this Pinot to be elegant, silky and refined; an Old-World style from a New World climate. This is food-friendly and approachable, but you can still cellar it for 5-10 years.
I find Pinot Noir sometimes takes about a year after bottling to take shape; but I know this wine so well, I’ve tasted its evolution from the vineyard to crush to barrel. Deep black cherries. Sage, plums, violets. Baking spice and sweet cherry cola with a savoury, saline component. In a year or more those floral aromatics will come through. [RRP $33.99]
2018 Pinot Noir ‘Ashlyn’ spec sheet
2018 Syrah
This is organic fruit from Oliver’s Black Sage Road. My daughter, Ashlyn helped us foot tread this vintage; foot treading gives more oxygen in the wine which gives us juicy fruit! I like to blend a splash of Viognier in my Syrah; just enough to support it and bring out the floral and apricot notes.
I experimented with new American oak barrels to get a creamy, rich sweetness and plush texture. This is a silky, refined Syrah with blackberries, blueberries and wild raspberries and a touch of eucalyptus, sage and thyme. It has a good length and structure with pink peppercorns on the finish. [RRP $33.99]
2018 Syrah ‘William Dean’ spec sheet
2019 Rosé. [SOLD OUT]
I got the opportunity to work with Malbec from Osoyoos and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do a little experimentation. This was done in a semi-carbonic style. We used 100% whole cluster grapes and started with C02 in the bottom of the tank then layered up C02 and fruit. We sealed the tank and left it alone for a few days. Once we had exactly 3% alcohol, we pressed it off to finish fermentation.
It’s got a bubble-gum, candied carbonic pop on the nose. It’s wild, with lots of spice and herbs. Raspberries. Frozen strawberries.
Unfined. Unfiltered. Funky! [RRP $22.99]
2019 FUBAR [RELEASE DATE: JULY 1 2020]
I wanted to make something light and approachable which tells a really good story. This is all about that Beaujolais influence for me; it’s a young, crisp, bright red blend. You can serve it slightly chilled and drink it on its own or it’s a perfect picnic wine.
We fermented each grape variety separately in different vessels: wooden open top fermenters, a qvevri, concrete eggs! We hand sorted the grape bins to take leaves out and we were incredibly gentle with the fruit. It took a long time, but it was worth it.
Our FUBAR is fresh and super crushable! [RRP $29.49]
2019 SNAFU [RELEASE DATE: JULY 1 2020]
I wanted to make something European; I was influenced by Presinger’s Kalkundkiesel, a super-clean biodynamic wine. I wanted a low-alcohol, white blend that worked with Okanagan fruit that you could drink without palate fatigue.
SNAFU is an aromatic, multi-textured and multi-dimensional wine; this blend is constantly evolving, it’ll make you think with each sip. I fermented the grape varieties separately on their skins, some in open top fermenters, some concrete, some stainless steel.
It’s juicy enough to have with food, smashable on the patio, with lush fruit, some salinity, and it smells gorgeous! [RRP $28.49]
2019 SNAFU Skin Ferment spec sheet
2019 Viognier [RELEASE DATE: JULY 1 2020]
I didn’t plan to make this wine, but I truly believe this is one of the best I’ve ever made.
I didn’t want a high alcohol, syrupy Viognier, this is really creamy and rich with an amazing texture. It’s an Old-World style; it’s highly aromatic with white peach, apricot and white flowers, but it’s not one dimensional, there are so many more flavours coming through: gun smoke, flintiness, honeysuckle. It’s got balance, acidity and a long finish.
From start to finish this wine is complete… From the vineyard, the rocks, the soil, the fermenter, I’m so proud of it. [RRP $23.99]
Wild Ferment Brut 2019 ‘Methode Ancestrale’
I wanted this wine to let the freshness of the fruit shine through. It’s spent a little less time on the lees than my last vintage so it’s all about the balance between the fruit and the acidity. It’s such a versatile wine; it pairs with salads, lobster, seafood, pork, chicken! It’s so food friendly. But of course, you can enjoy it on its own too, it’s very easy drinking.
This was a whole cluster pick of sustainably farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from Kaleden with a little Gamay from the Three Boys vineyard in Oliver. I wanted this to be as pristine as possible but still in the ancestral style of sparkling wine. [RRP $27.49]