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A trio of B.C. wineries and their wines in review: Singletree, Serendipity and Blue Grouse

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The pace of growth in British Columbia’s wine regions is simply staggering with new wineries in new regions popping up at an alarming rate.

With the Okanagan Valley becoming extremely expensive to buy vineyards, new regions are beckoning and the call is being answered by more and more investors.

Not being on the ground in B.C., I watch the growth, for the most part, from afar with one or two trips to B.C. every year to see it first-hand. It’s impressive, not only the growth, but the quality from region to region.

I recently tasted through some select wines from three B.C. wineries that I had not tried previously.

Here’s what I liked.

Serendipity Winery

Serendipity-Viognier-2013Serendipity-Merlot-2011Serendipity-Rose-2014Serendipity-SauvBlanc-2014Nestled in the heart of the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley, Serendipity Winery is owned by Judy Kingston and assisted by second-in-command Katie O’Kell and winemaker Bradley Cooper.

The winery currently produces a mix of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone-style red and white wines. The winery offers four white wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio and a proprietary blend named White Lie. The winery’s rosé is composed of blended estate grapes and made in the traditional saignée method. The winery also produces red wines that include: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, a Bordeaux-style blend named Serenata and two other red blends: Devil’s Advocate and Red Handed. Private Reserve wines are offered only in the best vintages and from exceptional estate fruit. A traditional method sparkling wine is also in development.

Here’s what I tasted recently and liked:

Serendipity Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($20, 90 points) — A nose of grapefruit, lime, hay, herbs and subtle grassy accents. It’s crisp and soulful on the palate, a really nice style of SB from the Naramata Bench, with bright citrus, integrated herbs, kiwi and grapefruit with wonderful vibrancy through the length of the wine.

Serendipity Viognier 2013 ($20, 88 points) — Expressive on the nose with guava, melon, tangerine and apricot in a fresh style. The palate reveals tropical fruit, citrus and orange notes kept lively with freshening acidity.

Serendipity Pinot Noir 2012 ($25, 90 points) — Aromas of savoury black cherry, cranberry, lightly spiced, with a touch of cassis and earth. The fruit turns darker on the palate with a smoky-spicy note, plush tannins and good finesse through the finish.

Serendipity Estate Merlot 2011 ($40, 91 points) — A bold and concentrated Merlot from relatively newer estate vines. The nose shows rich black cherry, crushed currants, lavish spice notes and cocoa. It’s full-bodied on the palate with cassis, anise, red fruits, barrel oak accents, ripe tannins and balancing acidity. It has age already but will continue to evolve for a few more years.

Serendipity Rose 2014 ($20, 87 points) — Loaded with cherry and raspberry aromas with touches of rhubarb and strawberry fruit. The palate shows a wide-range of ripe red fruits in a dry, refreshing style.

Blue Grouse

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As one of Vancouver Island’s oldest estate vineyards and a long time family-owned winery, Blue Grouse produces authentic Cowichan Valley wines, which express their place of origin.

The winery produces a dozen cool climate varieties including Ortega, Siegerrebe, Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Black Muscat, a Blue Grouse exclusive.

Here’s what I tasted recently and liked:

portfolio-bgeBlue Grouse Paula 2012 ($28, 90 points) — This interesting sparkling wine is made in the traditional method with untraditional sparkling grapes: Muller-Thurgau, Ortega, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc (the only non-estate fruit, sourced from Oliver, used in the blend). The nose shows brioche, pear, sweet citrus, biscuit and green apple. It has a vigorous mousse on the palate with energetic bursts of green apple, fresh pear, floral notes and lemon-lime on the finish.

Blue Grouse Quill White 2013 ($17, 87 points) —The blend is Ortega, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muller-Thurgau. The nose displays lemon, lime, grapefruit and green apple with just a hint of lychee. It’s fresh and lively on the palate with added peach and citrus flavours.

portfolio-quillBlue Grouse Bacchus 2014 ($20, 88 points) — Bacchus is a cross between Silvaner and Riesling and then crossed further with Muller-Thurgau on 20-year-old, own-rooted vines. It has lovely aromatics of grapefruit, lime, peach, pear and minerals. It’s citrusy and bright on the palate with touches of quince and peach to go with laser-sharp acidity.

Blue Grouse Quill Red 2013 ($19, 88 points) — Marechal Foch is the dominant grape in this blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing support roles. The nose shows rich dark cherry, blackberry, currants and barrel spices. On the palate, notes of cherry, cassis, anise and baking spices are lifted by fairly energetic acidity through the finish.

Singletree Winery

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Singletree Winery is a small, family-operated vineyard located in Mt. Lehman, in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. With extensive farming experience, the family has developed a strong work ethic, sense of responsibility, and appreciation for agriculture that they hope is expressed in their Singletree wines.

Singletree-2014SauvBlancThe warm summers and mild winters of the Fraser Valley climate make it an ideal growing region.

The goal at Singletree Winery is to show the world what the Fraser Valley is capable of. It is their intention to offer up the aromatic, crisp, and juicy flavours that their B.C. terroir brings. The focused portfolio of wines, crafted by second generation family member Andrew Etsell, are made in Summerland under the guidance of winemaker Matt Dumayne (Okanagan Crush Pad).

Singletree currently offers four white wines with grapes sourced from their Fraser Valley vineyard: a single varietal Siegerrebe, a single varietal Pinot Gris, a single varietal Sauvignon Blanc, and a Farmhand White, which is a Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris bend. The winery also offers a Pinot Noir from Okanagan grapes as their red wine. More blends and varietals will be introduced as the vines continue to mature. The winery has plans to release a meritage blend, as well as a sparkling wine, and when their Grüner Veltliner grapes come into maturity, they will add to their white lineup.

Here’s what I tasted recently and liked:

Singletree Siegerrebe 2014 ($19, 88 points) — Pronounced see-geh-RAY-buh, which means “victory” in German, is a white grape that grows very well in cooler climates. It has a perfumed and highly aromatic nose of grapefruit, lychee, pear and fresh peach. The palate shows lychee nut, citrus and peach with lovely texture and verve through the finish.

Singletree-2013Siegerrebe-e1417582824212Singletree Farm White 2014 ($17, 87 points) — A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris from the estate vineyard with about 75% of the wine barrel fermented. The nose shows ripe pear, tangerine, hints of vanilla and citrus. There is a spicy edge on the palate but the fruit shines through with tangerine, apricot and citrus balanced by fairly good acidity.

Singletree Pinot Noir 2014 ($22, 89 points) — The nose shows bright cherry, cassis, raspberry, underbrush and savoury spices. It’s silky smooth on the palate with integrated red fruits, spice and earthy notes that are all balanced by racy acidity.