The first time I tasted a sparkling wine from Summerhill Pyramid Winery it was about eight years ago following a week of judging wines in the Okanagan Valley for the now defunct Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards. It was the Cipes Arial 1998 and it blew me away. Never had I tasted an aged vintage sparkling wine like that from a Canadian wine producer.
It was simply gorgeous; complex, delicate, with warm baked bread, yeast, and soft citrus notes that stood as a powerful statement that Canadian sparkling wines had arrived. I was lucky to try that same wine this past spring at the winery with Ezra Cipes during a visit to the Okanagan and was even more impressed after eight years of aging.
Summerhill is synonymous with sparkling wines, it is a huge part of its identity, right up there with its organic approach to growing grapes and the estate’s pyramid, where all the wines made at the estate spend at least 30 days to age.
Located for more than 25 years in the Lakeshore district in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley, Summerhill is Canada’s largest certified organic winery, B.C.’s first Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard, and Canada’s foremost producer of sparkling wine.
Winemaker Eric von Krosigk oversees the portfolio of B.C. VQA wines that have earned the winery the title of “Canadian Wine Producer of the Year” from the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England.
The winery, owned by the Cipes family, is also home to the Sunset Organic Bistro, a 200-seat restaurant with a panoramic view of Okanagan Lake, serving food grown and raised by local organic producers, including Summerhill’s own on-site permaculture-style vegetable garden.
With Summerhill’s strong and deep sparkling wine program, it’s no surprise that the winery has introduced three new sparkling wines just in time for the holiday season.
The wines debuted at a preview tasting at Vancouver’s Hawksworth Restaurant with an intimate group of B.C.’s industry leaders. Each wine was tasted alongside benchmark wines from Champagne, the Loire Valley and California.
Led by wine educator and journalist DJ Kearney (above with Ezra Cipes), a spirited discussion took place regarding the past, present and future of sparkling wine in British Columbia, with Summerhill acknowledged to be an industry leader and champion of change.
Said Kearney: “We have limestone in sneaky ways, in a dissolved form that beautifully showcases our specific terroir, allowing B.C. to compete with the other great sparkling wine regions of the world.”
Sparkling wines account for 7% of the world wine market, which represents a 40% increase from just a few years ago. Summerhill, with eight different bubbles currently available, is not a follower, but has to be considered a Canadian leader and trend setter.
The three wines showcased included:
- Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Blanc 2010, made from 100% organic Chardonnay grapes from a select block of exceptional Okanagan Valley terroir.
- Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Franc, what the winery calls, a Canadian first, produced in very limited quantities from 100% organic Cabernet Franc. The 2011 vintage produced a low sugar but high acid crop that was perfectly suited to sparkling wine production.
- Cipes Traditional Cuvee 1996, which was handmade from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grown organically at Summerhill. Von Krosigk suggested it was a “wine to muse over.” Nearly two decades in bottle, it was described as a full, rich style that over-delivers for its price ($85).
I was not at the tasting in B.C. but I did have a chance to taste two of sparkling wines now released. Here are my reviews:
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Blanc de Blanc 2010 ($35, 92 points) — Produced in the traditional Champagne method, from 100% Chardonnay grapes from Osoyoos, there is extended en tirage aging for four years, and disgorged in small batches. It has a lovely nose of apple, pear, lemon chiffon and toasty/brioche notes with subtle lime undertones. It is crisp and bright on the palate with a soft mousse that delivers lemon, apple and minerals to go with toasty accents delivered on a beam of racy acidity through the vigorous finish.
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Blanc de Franc 2011 ($35, 89 points) — According to Summerhill, a Canadian first, produced in very limited quantities from 100% organic Cabernet Franc. The 2011 vintage produced a low sugar but high acid crop that was perfectly suited to sparkling wine production. It has a gorgeous, unique nose of raspberries, cranberries, herbs and rosemary that’s lively and fresh. It’s quite delicious on the palate with a melange of savoury, earthy red fruits and herbs with good length through a vibrant and lively finish.
These wines are so delicious and I am so glad you got to try them. People in BC are loving the new lineup of bubbles. I don’t think they will last too long!