Winemaker Notes
’09 PINOT GRIS
•Our driest white, and our take on a combination French & Italian style Gris/Grigio. This wine is a blend of Okanagan, Cowichan, and our beaufort Estate grown Pinot Gris; fermented with 3 different yeasts, and partial sur-lie. It is complex, aromatic, and very versatile for food pairing -- a natural to be served with fresh seafood, pastas, white meats, vegetarian dishes, and many cheeses.
’09 ORTEGA
•100% Vancouver Island grown Ortega -- including our first beaufort Estate-grown Ortega! Contains some Bacchus, which gives this wine a nice spicy finish. Dry, crisp, and aromatic, we believe that this will be our best Ortega to date. Should pair beautifully with fish, shellfish, white meats, various vegetarian dishes, and sharp cheeses.
’09 WILD CHILD
•100% Vancouver Island grown Madeleine Sylvaner with some beaufort Estate-grown Siegerrebe! Started as a "wild ferment", hence the name. Subtle French oaking + malolactic fermentation produce soft buttery mouthfeel, with rich flavours, yet still dry. We are really proud of this wine and look forward to 'cutting-it-loose'!
’09 PANACEA
•100% Vancouver Island, and similar to our (All Canadian) Gold Medal award-winning blend of: Madeleine Sylvaner, Schönburger, and Pinot Gris. Have also added some of our 1st beaufort Estate grown Ortega and Siegerrebe! This off-dry wine can be enjoyed all on its own, but great with spicy foods, fresh seafood, pastas with white sauce, white meats and soft, French-style cheeses.
’08 G’WURTZ
•Our most popular white wine, and Silver Medalist at the '09 NorthWest Wine Summit! A combination of Okanagan and Vancouver Island grapes went into making this well-balanced, dry finish Gewürztraminer wine. The long finish leaves you with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. This wine pairs beautifully with light-bodied fish, shellfish, white meats, any type of spicy food and Swiss-style cheeses. Contains minimal sulphites: enjoy young! Note that we will not be releasing a '09 beaufort "G'wurtz" in 2010.
RED WINES
’08 CHIMERA, VQA
•This is an elegant, Bordeaux-style blend of Okanagan grown Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. It has a subtle smoky aroma, with disitinct Merlot fruitiness -- making this wine a natural to be served with grilled meats or poultry, and hearty pastas. Also delicious with cedar plank salmon or tuna, cheese (parmesan, gouda) and spicy vegetarian dishes, like lentils.
’08 SYRAH-MERLOT, VQA
•Big & bold, 'New-World' blend of Syrah (75%) and Merlot (25%), from grapes grown in Oliver, BC. Perfect with lamb, beef, bison, venison, hearty pastas, and earthy vegetarian dishes.
’08 FOREPLAY, VQA
•100% Vancovuer island grown Marechal Foch, combined with some Okanagan grown Syrah and Merlot -- to add body and complexity. This wine is a prelude to our own Estate grown Foch, which will be released in 2011. This is an easy drinking wine, and will pair with a vast number of dishes -- or all on its own, with some good friends!
DESSERT WINES
’07-’09 BLACK - SOLERA
This fortified wine is our first blend of 3 vintages, known as the "Solera" method. Some of this wine has been aged in American oak barrels for at least 16 months. It is crafted from beaufort Estate & West Coast blackberries + Comox Valley black currants. The intense berry flavours are complemented by soft hints of vanilla and toasted oak. Enjoy with rich desserts, mature & blue cheeses, and high cocoa chocolate.
’08 CASSIS
We are not only excited to have crafted a 100% Comox Valley-grown, black currant fortified wine, but are proud to have received a Gold Medal at the Northwest Wine Summit for this wine! This wine has intense cassis flavours and aromas, is well balanced and beautifully mellowed by months of oak barrel aging. Try it drizzled over sweet desserts or braised meats/poultry. Perfect on its own; in champagne; or in your own mixed-drink creation.
