As my followers may know, Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars is one of my favourite B.C. wineries.
They have been owned by the Mavety family since 1971, they stick to a few grape varietals that they produce very well and most importantly, they have consistently produced good wines without raising prices to an exorbitant level.
Most of their wines are still in the $25 to $40 range, which is quite reasonable for a small-production, high-quality wine.
During the last few years, they have produced a reserve and some single block/vineyard offerings of their Pinot Noir wines. This year, Blue Mountain has added single block/vineyard offerings of their Chardonnay wines. These wines allow you to see how terroir can affect the taste of the wine. It is so amazing to see wines of the same vintage with the same grape varietal taste differently just because of the type of soil or the location where the grapes are grown.
Blue Mountain produces four different reserve Pinot Noirs. Their Wild Terrain – Block 9 Pinot Noir uses grapes grown in the most extreme and varied topography of their vineyards: on steep slopes exposed to the wind and sun-drenched, flatter plains with loamy sand soils.
Their Gravel Force – Block 14 Pinot Noir uses grapes that are exposed to the westerly and southern sun, creating the warmest place to grow grapes. The soil is a combination of rocky gravel, loamy sand and more clay than other Blue Mountain vineyards.
Their Block 23 – River Flow uses grapes grown on high ground with sandy loam soil. This vineyard has northern and east exposure, which exposes the vines to the cool morning sun.
Finally, the Blue Mountain Reserve Cuvee Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from the three vineyards noted above. Each wine is an excellent Pinot Noir wine but my personal favourites are the Gravel Force – Block 14 and the Reserve Cuvee.
I found the single-block wines more distinctive but I enjoyed the overall balance of the Reserve Cuvee. All of their Pinot Noirs have some minerality on the nose and the aftertaste. Each of the single vineyard/block wines is priced at $54.90 and the Reserve Cuvee is priced at $44.90. For my full review of these wines, watch here.
Starting with the 2022 vintage, Blue Mountain has produced two single block/vineyard offerings of Chardonnay.
Blue Mountain Chardonnays are lighter in style than heavily oaked Chardonnays. Their Blossom Slope – Block 17 Chardonnay is produced from grapes from a warm site with coarse and loamy sand.
Their Alluvium Reflection – Block 32 Chardonnay uses grapes that are grown on a westerly facing vineyard which catches the later morning and afternoon sun. The vineyard is surrounded by rock mass, which helps retain heat at night. The soil has mineral deposits and is mainly gravel. They also produce a Reserve Cuvee Chardonnay using grapes from their finest Chardonnay-producing vineyards.
My favorite of these wines is the Alluvium Reflection – Block 32 Chardonnay which I found to be the most complex of the three wines. For balance, I would go with the Reserve Cuvee, which is a great example of fruity and creamy Chardonnay. Each of the single vineyard/block wines is priced at $49.90 while the Reserve Cuvee is priced at $39.90. For my full review of these wines, watch here.
If you have the means, I would purchase all of their reserve/block Pinot Noirs or Chardonnays and tasting them together with a group of friends. Discover how the wines each have their own personality. These wines can be purchased directly from the Blue Mountain Winery and Cellars website.
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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