Tasting #3 – Are the 2005s alive?

Nichol Vineyard 2005 Label Detail

Digging back to 2005, for wines from the Cowichan Valley, Saturna Island and the Okanagan.

“Roses, black tea, earth, woods”- EU

“Very dry, tannic, slightly bitter, where’s the fruit?”- JL 

#1 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Noir 2005  14.1%

Quality Rating : D+ ~ 82    Value Rating: D+ to C-
Price: $18.00

Eye
LC: Garnet/Brick, clear    BG: Bricky edge, light, cherry at center    AKG: Dirty cherry, jam coloured, yellow tint    JL: Ruby & brown    KM: Light garnet and some brick tones    EU: Red and brown highlights    MW: Medium, hint of brown on edge

Nose
LC: Strawberry and violet    BG: Dusty, bit sour    AKG: Cherry, metallic, oaky    JL: Bright strawberry, forward, cherries, straightforward, simple, attractive    KM: Cherry fruit with earthiness, somewhat mushroomlike    EU: Sharp, light cherry, volatile aroma, bruised fruit    MW: hint of heat, ripe cherry, hint of blackberry

Palate
LC: Slightly spicy, Caramel, long finish, – heat/tannin , nasty licorice    BG: Very simple, sour , touch or cherry, bitter on end, a small wine    AKG: Sharp at first, long but fairly flat taste    oaked    JL: Dry, finely tannic, hot, slightly tart, medium long    KM: Decent structure and acidity, would improve with time? Tart. Tannin comes out in the end. Much fruitier than nose would suggest    EU: Cherry, tannin, acid, bitter?    MW: Big tannins, cherry, strawberry in finish

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin

Tinhorn Creek have also been making pinot noir in the Golden Mile for a long time. Their inaugural pinot noir vintage was in 1994. They own approximately one hundred and fifty acres on both sides of the Okanagan Valley just South of Oliver. They make two pinot noirs, an entry level estate bottling and their premium Oldfield Series wine, produced from twenty year old vines.

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Pinot Noirs – Current Vintage & Availability

#2 Saturna Island Family Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2005  12%

Quality Rating : D ~ 80    Value Rating: D
Price: $18.00 – $20.00

Eye
LC: Garnet/brick    BG: Bricky edge, light/med depth    AKG: Dirty cherry    JL: Similar to #1    KM: Light garnet with some brick tones    EU: Brown    MW: medium brown edge, lighter than first wine

Nose
LC: Weird    BG: Sour cough drops    AKG: alcohol, fruit    JL: Oxidized, baked    KM: Bright fruit but oxidized    EU: Perfume, oxidized, dried cherry    MW: Barnyard, alcohol

Palate
LC: Sour, hint of vanilla ? Cherry. Medium long finish    BG: Pretty dried out, some dry strawberry fruit    AKG: Fruity but oxidized? Puff of fruit at the end    JL: Fini!    KM: On its way out!    EU: Tannins, cherry, cranberry, caramel    MW: Bright fruit behind oxidation

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin

#3 Nichol Vineyards Pinot Noir 2005  12.7%

Quality Rating : C ~ 86    Value Rating: D to D+
Price: $30.00

Nichol Vineyards Pinot Noir 2005

Eye
LC: Ruby/Garnet    BG: Cherry heart with a dry cherry rim    AKG: Garnet    JL: Garnet, bright    KM: Ruby colour, vibrant    EU: Dark red    MW: Medium to edge, red/brown on edge

Nose
LC: Closed. Dried floral note? – Violets. Sour fruit    BG: Spicy. cherry, pomegranate, wood    AKG: Field in summer, fruit, barnyard, candy    JL: Woody, cherry, oak/cedar , smoky notes    KM: Earthy, meaty with cherry    EU: Roses,  black tea, earth, woods    MW: Hint of barnyard, ripe berry

Palate
LC: Good acid, some heat, menthol, Cedar, sour cedar, medium long finish    BG: Woody, closed, compressed structure, black tea    AKG: Velvety mouth feel, climbs higher ¾ of the way along, tannic but has a graceful end feeling    JL: Medium long tannic finish in good balance, opens later to maraschino cherries, fine acidity    KM: Good structure and acidity, nice fruit but a bit tight    EU: Strawberry jello, significant tannins, long, flavour short    MW: Ripe fruit, medium acid, tons of young ripe cherry fruit, oak up front and in finish, tannins at end as well

Notes:
Closure – Composite Cork

Nichol Vineyards Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#4 Blue Grouse Vineyards Pinot Noir 2005  13.6%

Quality Rating : C- to C ~ 85    Value Rating: D to D+
Price: $30.00

Eye
LC: Deep garnet red    BG: Dried cherry    AKG: Cherry, jewel like, dark center    JL: Medium dark ruby    KM: Deep ruby    EU: Brownish red, dark garnet    MW: Medium dark throughout

Nose
LC: Strawberries – dryness/dusty, layers of spices – cinnamon    BG: Barnyard, watermelon rind, earthy, menthol    AKG: horse manure, straw, charcoal, Vick’s Vaporub, mildew    JL: Smoky cherries, strawberries/barnyard, camphor (hint)    KM: More aggressive nose, very barnyardy, touch of tobacco and menthol    EU: Light menthol, camphor, true sour cherry    MW: Hint of heat, barnyard, straw, ripe candied cherry fruit

Palate
LC: Long finish, – front of mouth – sour cherry/strawberry. Quite well balanced, bitter tannin    BG: Menthol, barnyard, chocolate ending, closed but toasty oak    AKG: Velvety mouthfeel at first, very tannin, woody , dries out the tongue, young, walnut    JL: Minty berry, firm tannins, good balance, medium long, very little fruit – simple    KM: Leathery, fuller bodied (respectively), chewy    EU: Bright cherry compote, long cherry, lots of tannin drying quickly    MW: Restrained flavours, cherry , strawberry fruit, shorter finish

Notes:
Closure – Composite Cork

Blue Grouse Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#5 Nk’Mip Cellars Pinot Noir QQ 2005  13.5%

Quality Rating: C- to C ~ 85    Value Rating: D+
Price: $30.00

Eye
LC: Garnet, less red    BG: Medium/light depth, garnet rim    AKG: Garnet, rich    JL: Dark garnet    KM: Deep ruby with tiny bit of cloudiness, unfiltered?    EU: Dark red/brown
MW: Medium dark to edge, hint of brown

Nose
LC: Smoke, caramel, some meatiness, strawberry – dusty    BG: Seashore, Cherries, charcoal    AKG: Caramel, beach    JL: Coffee, herbal, rosemary, sage, no fruit!    KM: Christmas spice (allspice,cloves) a touch of “poopy-ness” (as they say) that fades quickly    EU: Barnyard, metallic, seashore at low tide    MW: Caramel, baked slightly strawberry, fruit behind oak

Palate
LC: Sweet fruit – up front meat    BG: Herbal tang, rosemary    AKG: Peppery, herbal, mouthwatering    JL: Very dry,tannic, slightly bitter, where’s the fruit?   KM: Toffee, nutty, spicy    EU: Barnyard, cherry dried in the finish, tannins, sage, rosemary, dusty oregano    MW: Closed, tannins in finish

Notes:
Closure – cork

Nk’Mip Cellars was North America’s first winery owned by Aboriginal people. It began in 2000 as a joint venture with a company called Vincor that became Constellation Brands and is now known as Arterra.

The grapes for all of Nk’Mip’s wines come from their own vineyards. There are about 20 acres of vineyards that surround the winery in Osoyoos but most of their grapes come from select blocks that are a part of a carefully managed 40 acres inside the large 130- hectare (320 acre) Inkameep vineyard just North of Oliver on the Eastern side of the valley. The Inkameep vineyard was first planted here by the band in 1968, making it one of the first vinifera vineyards in the South Okanagan. The vineyards are on a remarkably large, fairly flat sweep of land at an elevation of about 350 Meters that faces West.

The winemaking at Nk’Mip has been remarkably consistent, not surprising since Randy Picton has been the only winemaker since the winery opened in 2002. Randy was recruited from Cedar Creek where he worked under the tutelage of Tom DiBello. The two vintages created before opening were under the hand of Bruce Nicholson, then the winemaker at nearby Jackson-Triggs.

Nk’Mip Pinot Noirs – Current Vintage & Availability

#6 Foxtrot Vineyards Pinot Noir 2005 13.7%

Quality Rating: C- to C ~ 85    Value Rating: D+
Price: $50.00 – $65.00

Eye    LC: Garnet – deep tones    BG: Garnet rim, light depth    AKG: Garnet    JL: Medium garnet    KM: Garnet, brighter    EU:    MW: Medium throughout no brown

Nose
LC: Caramel/Soapy    BG: Floral, soap, toffee    AKG: Dolce de Leche, salty, popcorn, melted butter    JL: Dirty, earthy, menthol, no fruit, soap flakes    KM: Vanilla, buttery, not much fruit    EU: Strawberry jam, patchouli, geranium    MW: Bright cherry fruit, strawberry

Palate
LC: Sweeter fruit. Fruit med/short, tannin finish    BG: Cardboardy fruit, baked, hot    AKG: Salty, very short, bath water, tannin on end    JL: Cherries, bitter, long, soft tannins, strange    KM: Soapy    EU: Strawberry, cherry, bruised fruit, tannins long and slightly bitter    MW: Tight, strawberry with tannins on the finish

Notes:
Closure – cork

Foxtrot Pinot Noirs – Current Vintage & Availability

#7 Sonoma Cutrer Pinot Noir 2005  14.9%

Quality Rating : C+ ~ 88    Value Rating: D+
Price: $40.00

Eye
LC: Deep/dark ruby red    BG: Dark heart, garnet rim    AKG: very rich, pigment rich, cherry    JL: Very dark ruby    KM: Very deep ruby, a touch of cloudy, unfiltered? Very saturated colour    EU: Dark red, intense colour    MW: Very dark to edge

Nose
LC: Red licorice   BG: Red berries, smells like syrah    AKG: Earthy, black licorice    JL: Vanilla/chocolate, hint of eucalyptus    KM: Black licorice, anise    EU: Caramel, rich, dried plums, dried cranberry    MW: Strawberry, eucalyptus, smoky

Palate
LC: Hot. Sweet cherry/heat. Pruny, concentrated    BG: Black licorice, black tea, luscious overall    AKG: Berries, prune, raspberry, licorice at the end    JL: Huge cherry/minty soft tannins, full body, well balanced, pruny and overripe, anise notes, very long    KM: Dried fruit, prune, licorice    EU: Caramel, rich prune plums, cherry cooked, port    MW: Black twizzlers, sweet, intense fruit, legs

Tasting held February 15, 2011