“This series features both the BC Wine new vintages and a few favourites”
Thrilled to be featuring the French Door portfolio for #ShiptoSip 2021 aka #wineonline. As many of you will already know these wines sell out extremely quickly. French Door uses sustainable practises and their vegan wines are identified with a V on the label.
Expect some exceptional wines this year, the Merlot and Malbec will be an exciting release of small batch single varietals. An extremely small release with less than 150 cases each.
2020 Lys
A balanced blend of Viognier, Sémillon, Marsanne, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Notes of apricot, lemon and honey on the nose. Slightly fruity, with hints of peach, orange and apple.
Viognier 40% / Sauvignon Blanc 27% / Riesling 14% / Sémillon 12% / Marsanne 7%
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The heat of the 2020 vintage reveals the beautiful ripeness and concentration of the fruit. The vineyard is sustainably farmed to create the best quality of grapes. The fruit was all hand-harvested and whole-cluster-pressed at its optimal ripeness.
Production Notes
The Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Marsanne were all racked to 1 to 4 year old French oak barrels. While the Riesling and Sémillon were co-fermented in stainless steel. Malolactic was allowed to complete with minimal stirring. The wine remained on full lees without any addition of sulphites until being blended, stabilized and bottled.
2020 Rosé
A crisp, clean Provence-style Rosé made from Mourvèdre and Grenache. Delicate scents of pear, mandarin and apple. Delightfully smooth with touches of grapefruit and grenadine on the palate.
Mourvèdre 63% / Grenache 37%
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
2020 was a hot and dry vintage that produced ripe and clean fruit. All bunches were exposed to sunlight post-fruit set by removing leaves to maximize ripeness. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
This wine was hand-harvested and placed directly into the press whole bunch. A very slow pressing occurred to gain a bit of colour, but no tannins. The juice was settled overnight and racked into stainless steel for fermentation. The fermentation process was very cool and long to retain all of the delicate aromatics. After the fermentation, the wine underwent natural malolactic and was left unracked and unsulfured until being stabilized and bottled.
2020 Sauvignon Blanc
Elegant aromas of honey, butter and lemon. Finishes long with notes of vanilla, tropical fruits, and creamy tones.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
2020 was a hot and dry vintage which allowed for great acid ripeness and very bold flavours. The grapes for this wine were sourced from our estate vineyard. All bunches were exposed to sunlight post-fruit set by removing leaves to maximize ripeness. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
The Sauvignon Blanc was hand-harvested over the course of two picking dates. It was pressed whole-cluster, cold settled overnight, and racked to 100% French oak where fermentation occurred. Malolactic was allowed to complete and the barrels were stirred weekly during fermentation. The wine remained on full lees without any addition of sulphites until being stabilized and bottled.
2019 Chardonnay
Warm, delicious flavours of caramel, honey, lemon and vanilla on the nose. A balanced palate of oak and almond.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
2019 was a cooler vintage which allowed for great acid retention and very delicate flavours. The grapes for this wine were sourced from our estate vineyard. All bunches were exposed to sunlight post-fruit set by removing leaves to maximize ripeness. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand-sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
The Chardonnay was hand-harvested over the course of two picking dates. It was pressed whole cluster, cold settled overnight, and racked to 100% French oak where fermentation occurred. Malolactic was allowed to complete and barrels were stirred weekly during fermentation. It stayed in oak for just over 12 months. It remained on full lees without any racking until being stabilized and bottled.
2020 Fleur
A medium-bodied Gamay blend with aromas of coffee and chocolate. Enticing earthy and cherry tones.Gamay 70% / Saignée 30%
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The vineyards rich mineral content allowed for lighter finessed wines. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand-sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
The Gamay was hand-harvested and placed in the tank whole berry with 20% stem. It underwent a 6-day cold soak and a total of 45 days on skins before being pressed. It was then directly placed into 70% French oak and 30% stainless steel. Malolactic was allowed to complete and the barrels were stirred weekly for 4 months. It remained unracked without any addition of sulphites, until being stabilized and bottled.
2018 Héritage
Our rich yet soft Bordeaux blend is a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Intense nose of dried plums, blackcurrant and chocolate. Sweet tobacco, black cherry, and pepper on the palate, that finishes long with silky, round tannins.
Merlot 44% / Cabernet Franc 32% / Cabernet Sauvignon 22% / Malbec 1% / Petit Verdot 1%
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The vineyard receives intense morning sunlight and cool afternoons. This gives the grapes a long hang time and great concentration. 2018 was a great year that produced very elegant and ripe wines.
Production Notes
The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted before being de-stemmed and placed in a tank with no crushing. A ten-day cold soak took place, and three to four daily pump-overs were done during the fermentation which occurred at 28 degrees. Grapes were on skins for 50-65 days, then racked directly to 40% new French oak, 10% 2nd and 3rd year oak and 50% neutral oak. It was left undisturbed to undergo natural malolactic fermentation for 24 months before being racked to tank to be stabilized and bottled.
2019 Malbec
A full-body wine with complex flavours of tobacco, chocolate and quince. Finishes long with peppery notes and velvet-like tannins.
The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested and hand-sorted from our estate vineyard before spending 14 months in French oak barrels.
Only 120 cases of the 2019 Malbec were produced.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
2019 was a cooler vintage which allowed for great acid retention and very delicate flavours. The grapes for this wine were sourced from our estate vineyard. All bunches were exposed to sunlight post-fruit set by removing leaves to maximize ripeness. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand-sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted before being de-stemmed and placed into our new French oak vat, where a ten-day cold soak occurred. Three daily pump-overs were done during the fermentation which transpired at 28 degrees. The grapes remained on skins for 65 days. The wine was racked directly to 40% new French oak and 60% 2nd to 3rd year oak. It was left to undergo natural malolactic fermentation and was undisturbed for 14 months before being racked to tank to be bottled while remaining unfiltered.
2019 Merlot
Beautifully balanced with unique aromas of leather, dried dates and raspberries. Notes of blackberry, plum, vanilla and pepper on the palate.
The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested and hand-sorted from our estate vineyard before spending 14 months in French oak barrels.
This wine speaks volumes to the quality of our terroir and the skill of our winemaker. Only 140 cases of the 2019 Merlot were produced.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
2019 was a cooler vintage which allowed for great acid retention and very delicate flavours. The grapes for this wine were sourced from our estate vineyard. All bunches were exposed to sunlight post-fruit set by removing leaves to maximize ripeness. A green harvest was done just before véraison to lower crop levels and leave only the best clusters to reach maturity. At picking, we hand-sort the fruit in the field to ensure the highest quality. We hold ourselves to a high standard on our vineyard to farm responsibly and sustainably.
Production Notes
The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted before being de-stemmed and placed into our new French oak vat, where a ten-day cold soak took place. Four daily pump-overs were done during the fermentation, which occurred at 28 degrees. The grapes remained on skins for 80 days. The wine was racked directly to 60% new French oak and 40% 2nd and 3rd year oak. It was left to undergo natural malolactic fermentation and was undisturbed for 14 months before being racked to tank and bottled while remaining unfiltered.
French Door Wine Club
Become a member of our 2021 Wine Club today, and enjoy exclusive access to the many unique privileges of the French Door Winery Wine Club!
If you have any questions about our Wine Club membership, please contact us at: wineclub@nullfrenchdoorwinery.com
French Door Estate Winery
French Door Estate Winery is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard. Founded in 2019, we are located on the beautiful Black Sage Bench, South of the town of Oliver.
This winery was established with a passion for quality wine. Our 10-acre property is planted with 100% vinifera vines on beautiful, expressive soils that have resulted in rich, lush, and character driven wines.
The goal of our winery is to create honest, low-intervention wine, from sustainably grown grapes, in a classic old-world French style. We believe it takes the best kind of grapes (no systemics, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) to make the highest quality of wine, and to ensure that every bottle is a true expression of us, and our commitment to excellence.
Why the name “French Door Estate Winery ” you may ask? Well, our family was inspired by the simplicity and quality of French architecture, cuisine and wine during our travels to Provence.
We believe the Okanagan valley has a similar uniqueness about it, and we wanted to bring these parallels to life through the way our wine is made and discussed. Starting with our winemaker, Pascal Madevon, who integrates his French heritage into all of his wine creations. Our rosé in particular resembles the elegance of Provence style rosé; dry and richly textured, with a soft pink hue. All of our wine is made using french oak barrels, and produced on our estate in a building that replicates a French farmhouse.
The symbol of the “French door” is representative of our aspiration to incorporate the traditional aesthetics and values of beautiful Provence into our own backyard, with a modern twist. Our tasting room is encircled by French doors, and each one opens up into a new experience. Whether the doors lead you into our breathtaking barrel room, or onto our one-of-a-kind patio that overlooks the Okanagan valley, you are welcomed by an unspeakable aura that has been created by using the best features of Provence and the Okanagan combined, and this can only be found at French Door Estate Winery.
Information and images courtesy of the winery.
