Quails' Gate Estate Winery Chenin Blanc Okanagan Valley Vqa 2006
- Winery: Quail's Gate Estate Winery
- Region: Canada » British Columbia » Okanagan Valley » Okanagan Valley Vqa
- Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Winemaker's Notes:
These grapes were harvested from Quails' Gate Estate vineyards in mid October, and then fermented in three separate b...
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The Chenin Blanc vines at the Quails’ Gate vineyard in the north Okanagan are 12 to 15 years old. Tony Stewart, the winery’s president, recalls tha... Read more
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The Chenin Blanc vines at the Quails’ Gate vineyard in the north Okanagan are 12 to 15 years old. Tony Stewart, the winery’s president, recalls that his peers at the time discouraged planting the variety, contending that Chenin Blanc had a poor reputation and the wine would be hard to sell. Quails’ Gate persisted and now is the Okanagan’s major producer of this variety. In 2006 the winery made 3,300 cases.Winemaker Grant Stanley fermented the wine in three different batches. Twenty percent was fermented in two-year-old French oak barrels. The remaining 80% was divided between two stainless steel tanks. One was fermented to total dryness while the other was stopped with some residual sugar. The objective was to balance the acidity in the final wine, which is finished with an imperceptible four grams of sugar per litre.The wine jumps from the glass with aromas of honey, honeydew melon and citrus. The palate is exuberant, with flavours of green apples, melons, lime and minerals. The wine’s racy acidity gives it a crisp, zesty and lingering finish. 89 points.
Winemaker's Notes:
These grapes were harvested from Quails' Gate Estate vineyards in mid October, and then fermented in three separate batches. Twenty percent was fermented in two-year-old French barrels, providing a warm fermentation that gives palate weight and structure. The remaining 80% was fermented cold in two tanks. One was allowed to ferment completely dry, and the other was stopped with some residual sweetness to balance the bracing acidity, for which this varietal is famous. This wine may be consumed now or, with careful cellaring, it will reward you with increased complexity and depth. The Chenin Blanc offers a rush of exuberant fruit flavours, zesty lemons and limes together with complex floral notes and a hint of sweet, delicate honey. The barrel portion of the blend provides a lush palate and complex aromas. It is crisp with genuine fruit sweetness to balance the firm acidity that makes this wine absolutely perfect with oysters and shellfish. A classic pairing with this wine is Malpeque oysters with a Champagne vinegar mignonette.
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