Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars

In his 2004 book, North American Pinot Noir, John Winthrop Haeger included just one Canadian winery among the full-length profiles: Blue Mountain. While the winery is not the largest producer of Pinot Noir in British Columbia, it has won for itself a storied reputation for quality since winemaking started here in 1991.

The winery is run by Ian and Jane Mavety and their son, Matt, a New Zealand-trained winemaker. Blue Mountain is based on a meticulously farmed 65-acre vineyard, about a third of which is planted to five Dijon clones of Pinot Noir. The sustainable farming methods employed here include bio-dynamic practises; this is perhaps the only British Columbia vineyard that is giving bio-dynamic farming a serious assessment.

The Blue Mountain wines are among the most coveted in British Columbia, allocated carefully to leading restaurants and to the winery’s client list. The tasting room is open strictly by appointment. Casual drop-ins are not often admitted – but at least they get to view perhaps the most beautiful vineyard in the Okanagan.

The winery has two levels of Pinot Noir: the reserve is called Striped Label and the regular is Cream Label. The Cream Label style leans toward delicacy and finesse, although many Blue Mountain regulars found the 2004 vintage too light. With the 2005, Blue Mountain is back on track of delicate complexity. The wine, dark ruby in hue, has a touch of toast on the floral nose. The flavour is somewhere between strawberry and cherry, with the classically sensual texture of the variety, finishing with a lingering note of spice. 88 points.

Reviewed May 17, 2007 by John Schreiner.