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Blue Mountain Vineyards was Canada's first cult winery. Founded in 1971 on the shores of Vaseux Lake in the southern Okanagan Valley, they started out as suppliers of top quality wine grapes to British Columbia wineries. In 1991 they released their inaugural vintage of estate wines. Demand was tremendous, supply limited, and their reputation was quickly established.
The Mavety family act as stewards of this terroir, continually pushing quality forward, while producing wines that are not over-manipulated and clearly speak of this glacially carved landscape. They produce Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay, and Pinot Noir, as well as a traditional method sparkler. Their wines are consistently well crafted, easy to appreciate, and delicious.
For more on Blue Mountain Vineyards & Winery, click here. For our full list of wines, click here. To order, just reply to this email or give me a call, 437 227 6950 (cell), 416 961 2294 x 29 (office). I hope to hear from you. Stay well.
Sincerely,
Chris.
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Blue Mountain
"Gold Label" Brut Non-Vintage
$35.99 per bottle, cases of 12
Are you going to be shucking B.C. oysters around the holidays, or serving beautiful cured salmon? This Brut should be chilled and within reach! On the nose the wine is lemony and biscuity, then it mirrors this on the palate, with refreshing citrusy acidity and a fine a persistent mousse.
53% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay, and the B.C. twist - 4% Pinot Gris, makes for a lovely, round and refreshing Brut with crispness and length. Why pay twice as much for mass produced Champagne, when you can have single-vineyard bubbly?
"Clean and highly toasty, a very biscuity style of traditional method sparkling. Length and depth are impressive. Always in the top echelon of Canadian bubbly. Drink or hold mid-term."
91 points, John Szabo MS, winealign.com, May 2019
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Blue Mountain Chardonnay 2018 $36.99 per bottle, cases of 12
The fermentation process at Blue Mountain really contributes to the complexity and mouthfeel of their wines. The Chardonnay is hand-harvested and whole-cluster pressed, to extract the fine tannins found in the stems and seeds of perfectly ripened fruit. The fermentations are "native", and occur in 228 litre barrels, 500 litre barrels and 2000 litre foudres of varying ages. Then 35% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. Once completed, the wine in racked and aged in barrel, on the lees.
The natural acidity shines brightly, and the wine is effortlessly fine, giving this wine a "Premier Cru Chablis-like" feel.
"This is a really solid young Chardonnay, and excellent value. All kinds of crunch and complexity here with a lifted nose of ripe apple, butter, lemon, toast and herbs, plus wet stone. It is medium weight, very firm and juicy, with moderate alcohol and excellent focus and length. Lemon, herbal and nutty on the finish. Very impressive."
92 points, David Lawrason, winealign.com, May 2020
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Blue Mountain Pinot Gris 2019 $32.99 per bottle, cases of 12
This is one of my favourite white wines that we sell, and possibly the most perfect wine for sushi that I can think of. This wine is rich, dense and round, but the high acidity and the expression of soft, ripe citrus and stone-fruit really makes the wine refreshing.
To begin, the vines are 33 years old, which are "old vines" by most Canadian wineries' standards, and the fermentation is by native yeasts - a sign of a very healthy vineyard!
20% of the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks, 30% in foudre (large oak casks), 23% in barriques of varying ages and 27% in 500 litre oak barrels. The wine in barrels spent 5 months on the lees, the wine in tank was racked and held for blending in April 2020.
"This is more fruit driven than the Reserve, combining subtle floral aromatics with juicy Okanagan orchard fruit. It's still textural and precise, which is a defining thread across all of Blue Mountain's white wines, but it tastes like you're hopping from fruit stand to fruit stand as you drive down Highway 97. I'm thankful this isn't rushed into bottle for a spring release, but selfishly glad that we get it for at least some of the summer. Whether at the beach or on a patio, this should be one of your go-to Okanagan Pinot Gris, especially at this price."
90 points, GismondiOnWine.com, Aug 2020
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Blue Mountain "Estate Cuvée" Pinot Noir 2017 $41.99 per bottle, cases of 12
Hand harvested Pinot Noir was fermented by native yeasts for 16-20 days while being pumped over and gently pushed down to extract maximum flavour and colour compounds. Some "press juice" was added before the wine settled and went into barrels. The wine was bottled unfiltered in March 2019.
"Dark plum, black raspberry, ripe cherry is infiltrated with waves of lightly toasted oak. Cracked clove, nutmeg, suede seasons the fruit, while cedar-sanded tannins frame it. The whole is youthful and keen, well orchestrated and made, and ready for drinking now, though will hold short term in your cellar."
Treve Ring, GismondiOnWine.com, Oct 2019
"The estate is never showy like some New World pinots, but rather reserved and understated. Plums and cherries are lightly dusted in earth and oak with a modicum of spice and a soft, silky, ready-to-drink finish. A simple mushroom pizza is all you need to finish the match."
Anthony Gismondi, GismondiOnWine.com, Sept 2019
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Chris McLean
office: 416 961 2294 x 29
cell: 437 227 6950
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