“In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”
Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson
For those of us with our feet planted more firmly our thoughts just may be turning to wine, specifically the wines of the latest Spring Releases. In this series of features, I will endeavour to update you on the new spring releases from some of my favourite British Columbia wineries.
Here is the next winery newest release:
free form Blanc de Noir 2018
SHAPED BY NATURE
In Canada’s Okanagan, vines are planted on land formed over 9,000 years ago by retreating glaciers. A wild setting emerged, one that is home to arid deserts, snow-capped mountains, and a 120-km long chain of lakes. From this place Free Form wines are made using organic grapes. Zero intervention allows each wine to find their own path under the watchful eye of Matt Dumayne.
WINEMAKING
With time and vine maturity, GVR will become the benchmark for Okanagan sparkling. This wine was a thrill to make. Structured elegance with old world intensity. It’s an exciting beginning. Pinot Noir, was whole bunch pressed to concrete tank for natural fermentation. There was 36 months en tirage before disgorging with zero dosage, which allows this site specific traditional method wine to showcase our high elevation Garnet Valley Ranch Vineyard.
WINE PROFILE
Pale straw in colour, an exquisite mousse opens up to an explosion of ripe stone fruits open up like an oven door with freshly baked brioche. An exuberant mousse dances on the palate with a focused acidity and exquisite length making this an ideal bubble to pair with fresh oysters, caviar or just good friends.
This wine is “exclusive”, please contact the winery for details.
Free Form Collection
In our pursuit of wines of place we celebrate the inherent difference & pleasure of each vintage. Each wine is one-of-a-kind, never to be repeated. Free Form wines are made form organic grapes, native yeasts and free of additives. Discover Free Form wines, shaped by nature.
Free Form – Shaped By Nature
In a country known for long, cold winters, the Okanagan climate is unique.
In our pursuit of “wines of place”, we celebrate the inherent difference and pleasure of each vintage. Each wine is one-of-a-kind, never to be repeated.
Free Form wines are made from organic grapes, native yeast and free of additives. These wines are left to find their own course under the watchful eye of winemaker Matt Dumayne. Wines are fermented in concrete tanks or clay amphorae. Extended skin contact is used, followed by a gentle pressing and further rest before bottling (free of rough handling and commercial additives, and little to no sulfites).
The inspiration for the Free Form art was taken from the unique features of our landscape where low hills and oblong lakes were formed by glacial activity during the final retreat of the ice, more than 9,000 years ago. Thick deposits of gravel, silt and sand were left behind in the valleys which were formed over time by water and wind. In the rain shadow of two mountain chains, rests a chain of lakes, all once part of an ancient glacial lake. This rain shadow creates a hot, desert-like dry climate.
Vancouver artist Scott Sueme has captured this. The results are simplistic abstract landscapes symbolic of the Okanagan. A small fingerprint pattern signifying our low impact farming efforts is worked into each label. Each wine carries its own artwork. The Free Form wine labels are printed on a revolutionary paper made from stone, free from air and water pollution, with no trees or water used in the production process.
Signature wines in the Free Form portfolio include Vin Gris, a pale wine made 100% from Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Franc Rose, traditional method sparkling wine, a red table wines.
Okanagan Crush Pad | Browse Wines
Some of the wine in this feature are either so new they have not been added to the winery website yet, or they are “exclusive”. If you need help selecting and purchasing the wines, or have a question about how the wines are made or want to join the Okanagan Crush Pad Wine Club reach out by email to jody@nullokanagancrushpad.com
Information about free form and wine profiles courtesy of the winery. Images: MyVanCity. I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
