Description
For how well-known they are on our market here in Alberta, Meyer Family Vineyards only has 23.75 hectares under vine. They have three properties throughout the Okanagan, planted to just three varieties: Pinot Noir (14.75ha), Chardonnay (7.5ha), and a little bit of Gewurztraminer (1.5ha).
Their original property, just off McLean Creek Rd in Okanagan Falls was planted in 1994. It has a predominantly steep southerly aspect with the soil comprised of alluvial and glacial deposits making up a mix of gravel and sandy loams. Their second property, which this wine also hails from, was planted just two years later in 1996 just off Old Main Road in the Naramata Bench. This vineyard is located on a terrace that has a gentle northerly aspect with the soil comprised of alluvial deposits making up a silt loam overlaying a clay loam.
As for the vinification, winemaker & viticulturist Chris Carson was trained in Central Otago NZ, California, and the holy land of Chardonnay – Montrachet. So, armed with techniques learned in all three regions, it isn’t entirely unfair to say that this wine splits the difference of all three and meshes with a distinctly Canadian identity. The grapes were gently whole cluster pressed with the juice being cold settled overnight. It was then racked off its heavy sediment into a combination of stainless-steel vessels (80%) and older neutral French oak barrels (20%) where it went through a cool fermentation using a mix of indigenous and cultured yeast. The wine was left on its fine lees for six months, and 75% of the batch underwent a natural malolactic fermentation.
Expect the typical notes of Canadian Chardonnay: lemon, lime, green apple, pears, and so on, with a light touch of pastry-esque notes from the malo. Since all the oak used during élevage was older, any oak “profile” in here is extremely subtle, and just contributes in the background to the texture more than contributing anything to the tasting notes.
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