Not long
ago I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting with Mark Anthony Wine and Spirits,
in which the theme was entitled: Trailblazers of Osoyoos and Okanagan Valley – a
tasting presented by the 4 winemakers of Anthony von Mandl’s wineries; Taylor Whelan of Cedar Creek, Darryl Brooker
of Mission Hill Family Estate, Phil McGahan of Checkmate and Shane Munn of
Martin’s Lane Winery.
A trailblazer is a
pioneer of sorts: a risk taker and innovator who clears a path, leading into
the unknown. In the case of Anthony Von Mandl, this would be the pursuit of
exceptional and quality driven wine in the Okanagan Valley.
Anthony von Mandl
was born in Vancouver to European parents and grew up with a strong passion and
appreciation for art, food and wine.
Graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Vancouver,
he decided to pursue the endeavor of making wine in (at the time unknown) Okanagan
Valley.
Ambitious, clever,
and relentless, he along with his partners built Mission Hill Winery which is
now one of the most important and quality driven wineries in the country. When preparedness
meets opportunity, success is the only result and since then Von Mandel is also
the proprietor of Cedar Creek, Checkmate, and Martin’s Lane Winery – producing artisanal,
small batch, and high quality wines. The
4 wineries indeed make some wines that are small in terms of production, attached with premium
price tags.
A wine colleague
once said to me, “In reality, no wine should ever cost more than thirty
dollars. Anything more than that is the result
of the cost of marketing.” With all due
respect and love to my friend, I respectfully disagree. There are a thousand different interrelated
factors that go into the production and cost of a wine. Whether we can afford them is another story,
but beauty and appreciation is the eye (and wallet) of the beholder.
The Trailblazer’s focus is to make exciting, elegant wines representative
of the place they come from. Von Mandl’s
success with his other projects ( Mission Hill, Mark Anthony Group, Mike’s Hard
Lemonade…the list goes on) has allowed
him to build something truly special in the Okanagan with the wineries listed
above. In this four-part series of articles, let’s
take a closer look at each of them, as we can surely tend more focus and
appreciation to the quality and elegance of these beautiful wines from British
Columbia.
PART 1:
Martin Lane’s
Winery
Production: 3000
cases (12 btls)
Grapes: Approx. 70%
Pinot Noir 30% Riesling
(Eventually Pinot Noir will increase to 90%
and Riesling 10%)
Vines: Approx. 10 –
40 years old, producing very low, concentrated yields.
Winemaker: Shayne
Munn
Only two varieties are produced here:
Pinot Noir and Riesling, and by God, is Shayne Munn ever making them
shine. All grapes are farmed
organically, and with low to minimal interventional winemaking. There are only 4 plots, all of which are vinified
and bottled separately. Everything is
hand harvested, and even single bunches are picked at optimal conditions. This
is time consuming and back breaking work, but these wines have clear focus and
elegance for it. From the breath-taking
architecture of the winery, to the wine labels and individual cork taint testing,
everything has a purpose. The attention
paid to every minute detail from start to finish is impressive.
The winery is not
open to the public, but occasionally accepts small group tastings with advanced
booking. For now, to buy wine, you must
be a club member and wait for their release offers. Otherwise, in Quebec, these
wines are available by private Import in small amounts, or can be enjoyed at
any of the following establishments:
Naramata Ranch
Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
IP: 13713384 $100.00
Spontaneous yeast
fermentation, no filtration and 17 months on tight grained French oak, this is
their inaugural vintage.
The wine starts with lots of savoury cherry,
strawberries, wild blueberries and crunchy fresh red current. The acidity is
clean and refreshing, that carries that fruit and well integrated oak. The
tannin structure is fine and adds a bit of depth and texture that lasts right
up to the long, and concentrated finish. This wine is light and pure on the
palate, but packs a whole lots crunchy, red fruit flavour along with a mineral,
earthy streak for added complexity and definition. Joyous wine.
Simes Vineyard
Pinot Noir 2014
IP: 13713405 $100.00
This wine has a mix
of 2 Pinot Noir clones, which are picked two weeks apart and aged in French oak
for about 17 months.
The ripe cherry,
strawberry and cranberry fruit is dancing all over the palate while the acidity
plays its role in keeping the fruit fresh and delicious. Tannins here are very
fine grained, but persistent and almost slatey.
The very fresh finish, which is very plush and intense, leaves notes of
raspberries and violets. These flavours do a re-play long after the sip is
gone. Balance, purity and elegance come
to mind when you drink think this. Outstanding.
Fritzi’s Vineyard
Riesling 2014
IP: 13713376 $75.00
Spontaneous yeast
fermentation with 6 months lees aging.
Tangy. Luscious.
Bright. All these words come to mind as
the citrus and stone fruit develop on the palate. Candied lemon, lime, ripe apricot and peach
are bursting here as the vivacious acidity and mineral saline notes make its
presence. There is spice, there is mango, there is honey. Its super fresh and
incredibly refined. It has a very long, concentrated
and satisfying finish.
Simes Vineyard
Riesling 2015
IP: 13713421
$55.00
Spontaneous yeast
fermentation with 9 months lees aging.
A great example of
what Riesling can do with the right place, in the right hands. This wine is rich
in fruit, yet incredibly refreshing. It displays notes of lemon-lime, orange peel
and apricot with a saline minerality on
the back palate. The acidity is super
fresh and present, and plays a balancing act with the fruit and the slight
creamy mouth feel. Bits of petrol and
honey are interwoven that helps lead it to a very long and elegant, lip
smacking finish.
All Photos: martinlaneswinery.com
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