A Mediterranean rosé for a hot summer day and an alpine Pinot Grigio that gives you faith!
The 2014 vintage in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley was a unique growing season in which the weather was rather Mediterranean. A challenge to many, to La Stella’s winemaker Severine Pinte it was much like the southern France she knows very well. The nights were warmer and the days hotter. Alcohol levels were up overall, and in a region that is so well known for delivering wines with bracing acidity, winemakers faced the unlikely situation that attaining high acidity was a major issue. If you didn’t pick early, there might have been a need to manipulate the acidity. The team at La Stella, a winery that is always on its game, picked early.
A rosé made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, with the Merlot and Cab Franc made using the press method and the Sangiovese using the Saignee method (by bleeding the grapes) to attain a more concentrated Sangiovese. The wine has a touch of residual sugar, making it off-dry’ish. There is a lovely, round softness to it, and a sense of sweetness but you come out of it clean on the finish. It might be cool to go for the bone dry wine, but this is a treat with that touch of sugar, that much like a great Alsacian Riesling, will surprise and delight. Enjoy it one its own on a hot summer day or use that RS to your advantage and pair it with a dish with a touch of spice.
My Vivino Rating: 3.5 stars
The 2014 Vivace Pinot Grigio is a wine restores my faith in this grape. Made from the most planted grape variety in the Okanagan Valley, the La Stella winemaking team have made this in the Grigio fashion of alpine northern Italy, growing it at cooler sites, harvesting earlier, allowing zero skin contact, and keeping the working environment cooler. This is not a style that is seen in this part of the world where Grigio can be maligned. There’s an old world grace in the subdued Bartlett pears that lead on the nose and the subtle spice on the finish, an encompassing yet delicate mouthfeel, and exquisite balance that makes this wine a stunner.
My Vivino Rating: 4 stars