Tasting Notes | On the front palate and on the nose it starts with a pipe tobacco/tobacco leaf note which evolves mid-palate into a black pepper smokiness. The finish is a long and distinct caramel note.
Inspiration | Our vision with the Pinot Noir is to offer something different that doesn’t depend on oak flavours of any kind. Our belief as winemakers is that Pinot Noir potentially has so much natural complexity, so much of its own magic that oak is unnecessary and therefore a pointless and brutal addition. We want to explore the possibilities of Pinot Noir un-oaked and unadulterated.
Winemaker's Notes | We practice a very light touch with our Pinot Noir, trying to protect and preserve the primary fermentation flavours that are so distinctive. We use no oak in any form for the maturation. Everything happens in stainless steel variable capacity tanks. We practice low intervention protective winemaking with the Pinot Noir. We do a cold soak prior to the fermentation and press off immediately following the primary fermentation. MLF is done as a matter of course and we don’t filter at bottling.
Vineyard | In 2014 and 2015 we sourced our Pinot Noir from Tenacious Vineyards in Peachland. Tenacious Vineyards is one of the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in the Okanagan. It sits up above Okanagan lake on an exposed bluff of sand and gravel soils. Vine balance was great and the vineyard was very low vigour with very concentrated flavours coming through. Yields came in low at about 4-5 tons an acre and a green harvest was carried out prior to harvest in order to concentrate and consolidate the crop quality.