Our vineyard site has long produced fine bubbly - hearkening back to the Pioneer Vineyard days with the Dulik family, with some of the original clonal selections chosen for their makeup to produce great sparkling wine.
We are immensely proud to carry on this tradition and in doing so help further the evolution of quality, traditional method sparklings from the Okanagan Valley.
A brilliant golden-green hue in colour, and showcasing a fine bead and mousse in the glass, this 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine opens with classic notes of toasted brioche, lemon zest, hazelnut, and a sea breeze freshness. The aromatics are wrapped together by more fruity aromas of baked apple strudel and white jasmine flower.
On the palate, the wine is long and mineral-driven, with citrus zest, tart honeysuckle and Granny Smith apple. There are classic toasty notes of pastry and peach cobbler, speaking to time spent on lees. An intriguing slightly salty buttered popcorn character lingers, making this wine ever so moreish.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Fruit for our sparkling Chardonnay release is sourced from a single block of our 2013 plantings. The grapes were picked early in our 2022 harvest window to allow for low alcohol and elevated acidity. Upon pressing, the pristine juice was fermented in old puncheons with a champagne specific yeast culture. The base wine then spent 7 months on fermentation lees in older puncheons before being racked to bottle for secondary fermentation en tirage. After 22 months on lees, the wine was disgorged in February 2025 with a small amount of dosage wine, to bring out a toasty and creamy character, built from our still 2022 Chardonnay.
TECHNICAL INFO
100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12.9%
Residual Sweetness: 5.71g/L
pH: 3.53
Total Acidity: 7.8 g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
The 2022 growing season produced some exceptional quality grapes and resulting wines. The winter of 21/22 was harsh, with many vines exhibiting primary bud damage following a cold snap of -26.5 around Christmas. Above average rainfall in May charged the soil with water and gave the vines everything they needed to hit the ground running after a long winter and late bud break. The rain continued into June meaning no irrigation was needed for the vines till much later than average and allowed the cover crop to flourish.
Summer was relatively mild though some hot spells in late July and early August helped push the season along. September and October were perfect for developing flavours in the grapes while not having too much sugar produced. This resulted in beautifully balanced wines with moderate alcohol.
