On May 31st of this year I attended a private event hosted by the British Columbia Wine Appreciation Society. This is a members only group and it was a delightful evening spent with fellow lovers of the wines from Clos du Soleil.
We started with the 2020 Capella anf finshed the tasting with the 2019 Signature which was soon to be released. Listed here are the wines of the vertical tasting from vintages 2009 to 2015:
2020 Capella
Our flagship white wine, a wine of grace and elegance, is a classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
EYES
Light gold in the glass.
NOSE
Intense aromas of grapefruit, beeswax, lime zest, and meadow grasses.
MOUTH
The palate shows an array of flavours: lemon and lime and ripe grapefruit, with notes of peach and apricot and all tied together with bright, crisp citrus acidity. On the palate the wine is full and rich with a textural softness resulting from sur-lie ageing. A lovely saline minerality strings it all together, through to the very long finish.
BODY
Full
WINEMAKING NOTES
Each vineyard block was separately harvested, by hand, at peak maturity. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed, and then fermented entirely in barrel (French oak puncheons) with the majority undergoing only wild, spontaneous fermentation. One quarter of the barrels were also allowed to undergo wild malolactic fermentation. All lots were barrel aged for nine months, on the lees, with lees stirring. The final wine was created by blending together just the very best barrel lots, in order to create a wine of true complexity and elegance.
FOOD PAIRING
This is a seafood wine par-excellence, but roast chicken or herb-crusted pork would be excellent too.
The winery’s flagship white, 100% barrel fermented, barrel aged. Aromas of white peaches, hard candy, melon, pineapple, and nougat. Excellent acidity, very dry with fruit flavours and a lingering finish and good mineralogy. Citrus, white grapefruit, banana, tropical scents with some orange and Meyer lemon. The wine mellows with each sip. A favourite!
77% Sauvignon Blanc 23% Semillon
2020 Chardonnay
This Chardonnay* wine presents a beautiful pale yellow in the glass. Ripe yet with a delicacy and tension: this beautiful wine is a perfect reflection of the land where it was grown.
NOSE
The taster is greeted with bright fruit-driven aromas of apple, quince, and lemon skin, complemented by pretty floral notes.
MOUTH
On the palate the wine is full and round, dominated by ripe fruit such as lemon, pineapple, and apple, strung together by bright acidity, a crisp mineral backbone, and just a hint of vanilla-oak.
BODY
Full
WINEMAKING NOTES
The Chardonnay grapes for this wine were grown organically in Clos du Soleil’s La Côte Vineyard (in transition to certified organic status), hand-harvested in mid-September, and then immediately whole-cluster pressed. The juice was very lightly settled, and then racked to ferment in a combination of French oak puncheons (50%) and stainless steel tanks (50%). Following alcoholic fermentation half of the barrel lots were allowed to proceed with malolactic fermentation (30% of total volume) while 70% had malolactic blocked to maximize acidity and freshness. All lots were then aged on the lees for 8 months, with occasional lees stirring. The wine was gently filtered just prior to bottling.
* Vegan wine
Very impressive. Aromas of raw wood, melon, canteloupe, peaches and stone fruits. Herbaceous scents with cut orange slices, fig and dates. Light oak. Classic Chardonnay scents, very lightly oaked, subtle, excellent acidity, smoothly dense and lingering. Herbaceous and mineral driven. As it sits, even better. No butter just smooth fruit, deliciously ripe and very enjoyable. As a wine drinker just starting to explore Chardonnay I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one.
20% new, 80% neutral French oak, nine months in the barrel. Aged in French Oak, small lot, certified organic and biodynamic.
2009 Signature
Scents of black cherries, moss, olives, oak and ripe blackberries. Some dill, mandarin orange red apples and roses. Lighter than I expected with flavours of marachino cherries, prunes, medium tannins, dry.
41% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Verdot, 4% Malbec
2010 Signature
Lighter scents than present in the 2009. Aromas of olives, mature oak, purple plums and date square. Beautifully smooth with flavours of ripe blackberry, blueberries, ripe fruit. Lingering finish. Medium tannins. 2010 was a colder year.
48% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot
2011 Signature
Tasting Notes:
This ultra-premium Bordeaux blend continues in the tradition of authentic, hand-crafted wines that capture the essence of the Clos du Soleil terroir. A deep, rich purple in the glass, this wine envelops the taster in aromas of cassis, mint, blackberry, and a touch of exotic spice. The concentration and depth of the bouquet is echoed on the palate, with mouth-filling flavours of plum, cassis, blackberry and coffee. Well structured, this is a wine that may be enjoyed now in its muscular youth, but will handsomely repay those with the patience to cellar it.
Winemaking Notes:
A careful barrel selection process, beginning in early 2012 and extending over many months, allowed us to identify the most elegant and promising barrels to be earmarked for the production of our flagship wine, Signature. These barrels were blended in February 2013 to produce Signature, and then the wine was returned to barrel for further ageing, to allow for more time to develop the complex ity and elegance that are the hallmarks of this wine. Additional lees contact in barrel was used to accentuate the midpalate richness in this wine. Unfiltered to retain maximum complexity, and only lightly fined with traditional egg whites, this is an ode to the craft of traditional winemaking.
Lovely ripe scent of cherries, purple plums, ripe fruit, cranberry, dates and slight oak. Smooth, rich with very soft tannins. Mineraltiy with good acidity. Delicious and so drinkable. Another cold season. I preferred the 2010 to this 2011 vintage.
2012 Signature
Tasting Notes
Signature is Clos du Soleil’s flagship Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Produced by hand and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, the 2012 vintage is a stellar example of this iconic wine. The nose opens with aromas of cassis, blueberry and dark cherry, on a background of spice and mixed herbs. On the palate the wine is full long and elegant. Bright fruit flavours of cherry, and black and red currant flow seamlessly into a long finish with notes of tobacco and black pepper. Enjoyable in its youth, the fine tannins and beautiful balance of this wine ensure its ability to age for a decade.
Winemaking Notes
The goal in the creation of Signature is to produce a complex Bordeaux-style blend enjoyable in its youth and with potential to age. Each of the varieties for this wine were harvested separately at peak maturity, and vinified separately, with the goal of producing the best quality wine for every single lot. Fermentations typically lasted up to 3 weeks, followed by a very gentle pressing, and then barrel ageing in French oak barrels for up to 18 months. After barrel ageing, the barrels with the very best characteristics for our “Signature” profile were selected and carefully blended in order to produce this beautiful wine.
This was the first vintage by Winemaker Michael Clark. Ripe fruit, blackberries, slight oak, stone and clay scents, subtle. A bit lighter in texture than the 2011 and 2012. Medium to sharper tannins. Marvellous flavour of dates. Good acidity. Very good but not a standout. 100% French oak barrels. No Malbec.
2013 Signature
Tasting Notes
Signature is Clos du Soleil’s flagship Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, produced by hand and aged for 17 months in French oak barrels. The 2013 vintage, the product of a year of ideal growing conditions, is a standout example of this iconic wine. The taster is immediately enveloped in the dense and layered perfumes of this wine, with notes of cedar, fresh blackberry and cassis, and a hint of cracked black pepper. On the palate the wine bursts with ripe fruit flavours – blackberry, raspberry and red currant – expressed through an elegant, mouth-filling structure and soft, round tannins. Enjoyable in its youth, the fine tannins and beautiful balance of this wine will ensure its ability to age for well over a decade.
Winemaking Notes
Our winemaking philosophy is to treat our grapes gently and with respect, in order to produce a complex, ageworthy wine that showcases the very best expression of the terroir of the Similkameen Valley. Each variety and each vineyard block was harvested separately, when judged to be at optimal maturity, gently destemmed and crushed, and then fermented, following a moderate cold-soak. More than half of the lots used only spontaneous, native fermentations, to reinforce terroir expression. After a gentle pressing, the wines were barrel aged for 17 months in 100% French oak barrels. Only those barrels showing the greatest complexity, depth, and ageability were selected for our Signature blend. In order to protect the nuances and beauty of this wine, it was neither filtered nor fined. Simplicity and a light hand in the winery have allowed us to deliver a wine which speaks of the beauty of our land.
The first wild fermentation. Darker in Colour than the previous wines tasted so far. Deep, ripe fruit scents with a hint of dusty rose powder, dill, plums, pleasant earthiness, minerality. Delicious ripe fruit but lighter than I expected. Over the top good! Superior to the 2010, my previous favourite, so smooth with the lightest of tannins. Rich. Superb!
2014 Signature
Tasting Notes
Signature is our flagship blend of red Bordeaux varietals, produced by hand, and aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. The 2014 vintage, the product of a year of ideal growing conditions, is a classic example of this iconic wine. The taster is enveloped in the dense aromatic profile of ripe red berries, forest undergrowth, and hints of both cedar and mint. On the palate the wine is the epitome of elegance with integrated flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, and black pepper notes. Displaying a voluminous structure built of fine tannins and fresh acidity, it ends with a very long finish. Enjoyable in its youth, the beautiful balance and structure of this wine will ensure its ability to age for well over a decade.
Winemaking Notes
Our winemaking philosophy is to treat our grapes gently and with respect in order to produce a complex, ageworthy wine that showcases the very best expression of the terroir of the Similkameen Valley. Each variety and each vineyard block was harvested separately when judged to be at optimal maturity. It was then gently destemmed, crushed, and fermented following a moderate cold-soak. More than half of the lots used only native fermentations to reinforce terroir expression. After a gentle pressing, the wines were barrel aged for 17 months in 100% French oak barrels. Only those barrels showing the greatest complexity, depth, and ageability were selected for our Signature blend. In order to protect the nuances and beauty of this wine, it was neither filtered nor fined. Simplicity and a light hand in the winery have allowed us to deliver a wine which speaks of the beauty of our land.
Black licorice, dates, raising, plums, raisin cookie, spice, pepper. So good, rich and smooth with ripe fruit tastes. Medium tannins, lots of acidity, so drinkable. Very, ripe fruit finish. Smooth. Not finding all the descriptors I’m searching for so just saying delicious. Flavours to raisin pie, yum. So good. Richer than the 2013. Scents of barnyard. Very, very good, really liked this one.
2015 Signature
Tasting Notes
Signature is our flagship blend of red Bordeaux varieties, produced by hand, and aged for 15 months in French oak barrels. The 2015 vintage, the product of a long, hot growing season producing ripe fruit character, is a lush example of this iconic wine. The taster is enveloped in a dense aromatic profile of cassis, raspberry and
blackberry, with hints of violet. On the palate the wine is layered with flavours of sun-ripened cherries, raspberry, cassis, mint and blackberry, with complex notes of graphite, sagebrush and pepper. Structure is provided by the soft but full tannins, and a stony mineral quality to the long finish. Enjoyable in its youth, the balance and structure of this wine will ensure its ability to age for many years.
Winemaking Notes
Our winemaking philosophy is to treat our grapes gently and with respect, in order to produce complex, age worthy wines that showcase the very best expression of the Similkameen Valley terroir. Each vineyard block was harvested separately, by hand, when judged to be at optimal maturity. The grapes were then gently destemmed, crushed, and fermented following a moderate cold-soak. The majority of the lots were fermented using only native wild yeasts to reinforce terroir expression. After a gentle pressing the wines were aged for 15 months in 100% French oak barrels. Only the barrels showing the greatest complexity, depth and elegance were selected for our Signature blend. Simplicity and a light hand in the winery have allowed us to deliver a wine which speaks of the beauty of our land.
Aromas of black cherries, some blackberry, dates, nougat, vanilla and tobacco. Very fruity and ripe. Smooth mouth feel. Rich, lingering, very good with a finish of blackberries. Light tannins, good acidity. A bit lighter.
2019 Signature
Tasting Notes
Signature is our flagship blend of red Bordeaux varieties, produced by hand, and aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. The 2019 vintage is the product of a warm growing season followed by a cooler autumn ripening, leading to a very classically styled vintage of this iconic wine. The taster is enveloped in heady aromas of fresh raspberries and blackberries, and herbal notes of sagebrush and mint, buoyed up by delicate floral notes of rose and violet. On the palate the wine is layered with flavours of black cherry, raspberry, cassis, mint and blackberry, with complex notes of graphite and iron. The structure is full, with polished but mouth-filling tannins and a long lingering finish. Enjoyable in its youth, the balance and structure of this wine
will ensure its ability to age for many years.
Winemaking Notes
Our winemaking philosophy is to treat our grapes gently and with respect, in order to produce complex, age worthy wines that showcase the very best expression of the Similkameen Valley terroir. Each vineyard block was harvested separately, by hand, when judged to be at optimal maturity. The grapes were then gently destemmed, crushed, and fermented in concrete tanks following a moderate cold-soak. The wines were fermented using only native wild yeasts to reinforce terroir expression. After a gentle pressing the wines were aged for 16 months in 100% French oak barrels. Only the barrels showing the greatest complexity, depth and elegance were selected for our Signature blend. Simplicity and a light hand in the winery have allowed us to deliver a wine which speaks of the beauty of our land.
Lovely light scents of rhubarb, hard candy and Italian plums. Nice hint of mineraltiy. Very pleasant with great acidity. Light and new with good potential. Very light tannins. Ripe fruit but subtle. A bit lighter in colour. Another favourite.
Michael Clark, Winemaker
Michael’s philosophy is to treat the grapes gently and with respect in order to produce complex, age worthy wines that showcase the very best expression of the Similkameen Valley terroir. Michael was originally trained in Theoretical Physics. He also spent 14 years as a successful investment manager in Canada, the US and Europe. It was during his years living in Europe that Michael decided to turn his life-long obsession with wine into his day job.
British Columbia Wine Appreciation Society
Established in 2005, British Columbia Wine Appreciation Society is a not-for-profit organization showcasing the wines of British Columbia through monthly tasting events. Our events range from informal walk-around tastings to formal tastings with the winemakers and/or winery principals. Attendees enjoy tasting, learning and discussing wine in a relaxed atmosphere.
Our Purpose
In support of enhancing the knowledge and interest in the wines of British Columbia, the purpose of our Society is:
to encourage our members to develop an appreciation and increase knowledge of the wines of British Columbia through regular wine tasting events;
to facilitate a link between our members and the BC wine industry;
to facilitate interaction between our members with other wine organizations;
to provide opportunities for the social interaction of like-minded wine lovers;
to act as a forum for discussion about the wines of BC and wine education generally;
and to promote the wines of British Columbia.
Why BCWAS?
The marked improvement in the BC Wine Industry during the last two decades has brought international recognition and a large number of quality awards to our local wine producers. We are proud of these achievements and we want to create a venue where BC Wines can be showcased and celebrated.
What do we do?
BCWAS, as we affectionately call it, has many events throughout the year, usually about four weeks apart. They range from sit-down tastings with wine educators, reps, or winery owners, to walk-abouts, dinners, and barbeques. Each September, we put on a winery bus tour in BC wine country.
Membership: $40/year
The Membership annual fee is only $40 and is non-transferable. The fee helps to cover Society expenses such as insurance and wine cellar storage costs. Members always receive priority notification of events and pay lower ticket prices than the general public.
The membership year runs from April 1 to March 31 annually, and is not pro-rated.
However, members who join between January 1 and March 31 will enjoy full membership privileges for the upcoming year (15 months).
Wine notes courtesy of the winery, please note not all wine notes were available at time of publication but may be added later if available. The Rosé was not tasted but was given to one lucky wine lover as a door prize. Images: MyVanCity. Tickets purchased: two tickets $80.00/per person.
