By Rick VanSickle
Like many wineries in B.C. following a catastrophic winter freeze in early 2024, River Stone Estate Winery was left with zero Okanagan fruit.
Also in this Canadian Wine Report: A whole bunch of Thomas Bachelder Chardonnays and Gamays released at Vintages stores on Saturday.
The bulk of B.C. wineries chose to reach out to grape growers in Washington and Oregon, while a few looked eastward to Ontario. “Like many in our region,” said River Stone owner and winemaker Ted Kane (below), “we experienced long-term damage to our estate vineyards and, for the first time in our winery’s, had no viable crop to harvest.”
Their search for something to put in the bottle to keep their business alive winery led them to south of the border, “to our industry neighbours in Washington State,” said Kane.
The first of those wines, all fresh white wines from 2024, consist of a Chenin Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a white blend. Kane said that they were looking for fruit whose “terroir, vineyard practices, and consistency in quality mirrors our own” from estates vineyards in Oliver in the Okanagan Valley.
Kane was “deeply involved” at every step, working closely with the growers, and ensuring that every bin arrived to our crush pad in pristine condition. “The collaboration with our Washington partners was seamless — a testament to the spirit of community and shared craft that unites grape growers on both sides of the border.”
Every winery in B.C. is handling the information on the bottle that differentiates the origin of the grapes in myriad ways. For the River Stone Washington series, called Good Neighbours, a watermark of a windswept pine is layered under the winery’s classis River Stone icon, “symbolizing the unity of this cross-border partnership,” said Kane. “The wines carry the name ‘Good Neighbours’ as a tribute to the generosity and camaraderie of our southern neighbours during a difficult season.”
The limited release is only available through the tasting room, wine club and select private liquor stores in B.C.
The Washington harvest in 2024 got off to a cool wet start but by June conditions returning to its normal self with balmy, scorching hot days, but balanced by cool nights. All things considered, winemakers are excited about the quality of the fruit for both red and white wine grapes they harvested this year.
My overall impression of the Washington wines, as I have tasted a few vintages of River Stone’s Okanagan production in the past, is that consumers will find them a bit more concentrated, rounded and sharing the style of fruit-forward flavours reminiscent of the estate’s Okanagan white wines. The average daily highs in peak summer months are in the 27 C to 34 C range while average highs reach 28 C in July and August in the Okanagan Valley with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 C and even reach 38 C on a few days.
Note: Wines in Niagara previously tasted a few Rieslings that were sourced in Niagara and made in the Okanagan Valley. You can read that story here.
Here are four River Stone white wines from the 2024 vintage made from Washington grapes.
River Stone Good Neighbours Chenin Blanc 2024 ($26, 91 points) — The grapes for this wine were grown from the Wahluke Slope AVA just outside of the town of Mattawa, known for its consistent heat and growing conditions. The vineyard is situated on lightly sloping, south-facing aspect, nestled alongside a large curve in the Columbia River. Deep, windswept sand of volcanic origin make up the well-drained soils. Proximity to the Columbia River helps minimize the risk of frost. Precipitation is minimal, and natural winds allow for consistently smaller sized berries with concentrated fruit flavours helping to produce expressive fruit forward wines. This highly aromatic on the nose with ripe summer peach, apple, guava, mango and a melange of juicy citrus. It’s clean and concentrated on the palate an array of tropical fruits, yellow apples and lemon tart with a creamy texture and a rounded finish.
River Stone Good Neighbours Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($25, 89 points) — The grapes for this wine were grown in a vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in the larger Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State. Grapes were grown on wind swept, south facing slopes, approximately 800 feet above the Columbia River. Like the South Okanagan Valley, daytime heat was plentiful with cooler nights allowing for optimal ripening with the retention of vital natural acidity. This is made in a rich, generous style that teems with grapefruit, passionfruit, melon, poached pear and some tropical fruits on the nose. All those bold, ripe flavours are joined by subtle grassy/herbal accents on vibrant finish.
River Stone Good Neighbours Unoaked Chardonnay 2024 ($25, 89 points) — This the first Chardonnay made at Riverstone, even if it is sourced from Washington. It was vinified in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of fruit. It has generous nose of peach, mango, baked pear and yellow apples. There’s a flinty edge on the palate with a basket of tropical fruits, quince, lemon tart on a clean, crisp finish.
River Stone Good Neighbours Splash 2024 ($24, 88 points) — The grapes for this wine were grown from two AVAs in Washington State. The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were sourced from a single vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in the larger Columbia Valley AVA on south-facing slopes 800 feet above the Columbia River. The Chenin Blanc was sourced from Wahluke Slope AVA just outside of the town of Mattawa, known for its consistent heat and growing conditions. Nose is fruit forward with a melange of peaches, pears, apricots and tropical fruits. It’s all of that with a kiss of honey on the palate on a lively finish. Summer sipper for everyday enjoyment.
Bachelder wines galore at the June 7 Vintages release
Saturday’s release of Niagara wines at LCBO Vintages stores is dominated by Bachelder Wines Chardonnays and Gamays from the 2022 vintage. This is a good chance for consumers to enjoy a comparative tasting of both these varieties Thomas Bachelder champions.
Bachelder Ivy and Warren Saunders Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 ($45, 92 points) — Thomas Bachelder calls this 2022 organic Saunders vineyard “a special Saunders with a pleasurable richness underpinning a flinty tension.” It has a lovely, open knit nose ripe pear, yellow apple, apricot, lanolin, lemon citrus, spice and flint. It shows a concentration of stone fruits on the palate with pine nuts, flint, and a touch of cream and spice on a fresh, long finish. Can cellar to 2028.
Bachelder Werner-York Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 ($40, 94 points) — This is a new single vineyard for the Bachelder lineup. It’s a vineyard owned by Marty and Rachael Werner located on York Road on the St. David’s Bench with the property’s roots going all the way back to James Secord as part of a 400-acre parcel purchased in 1780. A good portion of the grapes are devoted to the Werners’ sparkling program. “This is the kind of terroir discovery that our ‘mapping Niagara, one vineyard at a time’ project is all about,” said Thomas Bachelder. This is so lovely with a pristine, suave and elegant nose that sneaks up on you with its intriguing subtleties of pure saline, wet stones, fresh pear, lemon, white peach and fully integrated spice notes. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with dense stone fruits, lemon, chiseled salinity, river rock, subtle creamy notes and spice with an elevated and long, finessed finish. I will be watching as this progresses and the nose catches up to the palate … what a beauty in waiting. Give it some time and grab a few bottle … this could be the bargain of the release.
Bachelder Kirby Vineyard Gamay Noir 2022 ($30, 92 points) — The Kirby Vineyard sits on a beautiful parcel of land in the Four-Mile Creek sub-appellation and is owned by Scott and Maria Kirby, who also bottle their own wines under their Kirby Estates Winery label. This is Bachelder’s first year working with their fruit. The grapes are 43% whole cluster pressed. There is a lovely floral note on the nose followed by ripe raspberries, cherries, cranberries, subtle minty herbs, pepper, and spice. It shows more intensity on the palate with savoury red berries, a touch of plum and darker berries with light tannins, juicy acidity, and a vibrant finish. Might want to give this a bit of time to open up on the nose. Can cellar to 2027.
Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Vineyard Gamay Noir 2022 ($32, 94 points) — On to the Twenty Mile Bench, from a vineyard with pedigree and a favourite of Bachelder for all the varieties he makes. “This wine, vinified with 32% whole grape clusters, is the more closed, and the more structured of all our Gamay Noir Crus,” says Thomas Bachedler. “We find the use of 33% whole cluster speaks a little more clearly to us about its gravelly, iron-tinged magnesium oxide soil origins, and since the taste of the land is what we are all about, we are so happy to work with Wismer-Foxcroft — not least for the contrast it underlines between the Twenty Mile Bench VQA (Vineland side), and the beautiful, more lush propositions coming out of the Niagara-on-the-Lake terroir parcels.” For my palate, this is the top of the class of this year’s release, with everything I like about more serious Gamays happening in this wine. It’s a perfectly balanced, elegant Gamay with an enticing nose of soft red berries, blueberries, plums, cherries jubilee, gravelly/flinty notes, minty herbs, just a tinge of earthy/savoury accents and integrated spices. On the palate, you could confuse this for a bolder style Pinot Noir with its rich and juicy red berry fruit, anise, plummy goodness, rhubarb, bramble notes, touch of anise and iron-y minerality, toasty spice notes and long, vibrant finish. Very fine Gamay which can be cellared until 2030
Niagara wines also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Domaine Queylus Tradition Cabernet Franc 2021 ($34)
• Lakeview Grand Reserve Red 2017 ($25)
• Featherstone Rosé 2024 ($17)
• Hidden Bench Locust Lane Rosé 2024 ($25)
• Organized Crime Rosé 2024 ($20)
• Peninsula Ridge Beach Vineyard Cabernet Rosé 2024 ($17)
• The Foreign Affair Amarosé 2024 ($20)
• Black Bank Hill Runway Chardonnay 2023 ($30)
• Charles Baker B-Side Riesling 2023
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