From Paris to Penticton
Looking dapper in a dark suit and a black shirt - “I never wear white because of all the red wine I pour” - Osoyoos-Larose winemaker Pascal Madevon was in Toronto this spring on an eastern Canada tour to promote the newest release of Osoyoos-Larose, the 2004. Madevon had a full slate of engagements, from bottle signings at Summerhill, to lunchtime talks to restaurant staff, to a winemaker’s dinner in the evening, but he's always ready to talk about his wine.
Osoyoos-Larose is not the only age-worthy red being made in Canada, but it does have the most interesting backstory and, probably, the most money behind it too. Canada's Vincor and France's Group Taillan formed a partnership in the late 90s with the goal of producing a high quality Bordeaux-style blend in the Okanagan Valley. They settled on a 60-acre property near Osoyoos, B.C., about 60 km south of Pentiction near the U.S. border, and began planting vines in 1999. Madevon came to see the 2001 harvest (the first: it takes three years for vines to produce a viable crop) and liked what he saw. He joined as winemaker in summer 2002. With a dozen years of experience in the vineyards of Bordeaux after gaining his Oenology degree, Madevon hit the Okanagan ground running.
Group Taillan is a major wine conglomerate and one of its top properties is Chateau Gruaud-Larose. One of fifteen "second growth" chateaux, as established in the Classification of 1855, Gruaud-Larose has a long history of producing very fine age-worthy wines. London's Berry Brothers & Rudd wine shop is currently offering 1990 Gruaud Larose for just over $300 a bottle, for example. Drafting in the expertise of highly respected Bordeaux viticulturist Alain Sutre - who selected the vine clones and designed the layout of the vineyard - the Franco-Canadian corporate joint venture spared no expense in setting up Osoyoos-Larose. Alain Sutre custom designed the fermenation tanks, which were made in France and shipped over - along with all the vine cuttings, all the barrels and pretty much everything else too, like the Italian-made "Francesca" pumps used in the "pumping over" process that keeps the juice in contact with the skins during the initial fermentation process. Vincor claims "[t]he winery employs some of the most advanced technology in the world."
Even within the Okanagan Valley, Osoyoos is special: a small "pocket" around it is technically a desert. The 200mm of rain that falls on Osoyoos is less than half the total for Kelowna (410mm) just 125 km north. Osoyoos is also routinely the hottest spot in Canada during the summer months. Vines shut down from stress above 32 degrees, but with desert-cool nights dipping as low as the high single digits, the mornings are perfect and the vines profit from the sun, which shines pretty much every day in July and August.Madevon practically lives in the vineyard at harvest time, and he says that B.C. leaves even less margin for error than Bordeaux. “In France, you have about a one-week window to pick merlot, in B.C., it’s two days – that’s the time it takes to switch from under-ripe to over-ripe.” He also says that what happens in the vineyard is the most important because “winemaking is a process that’s very predictable and reliable”.
Merlot - the most widely planted varietal in the Okanagan - remains by far the biggest component in Osoyoos-Larose, averaging around 66%. The rest of the blend is about 25% cab sauv and small amounts of cab franc, petit verdot and malbec. There’s more cabernet sauvignon and franc on the way “because we’ve found them to be fantastic,” says Madevon.
Wine drinkers in Canada have responded well to the blend, and Osoyoos-Larose definitely has a following - made easier by the (relatively) low price for an age-worthy wine. “We know people are collecting Osoyoos-Larose and we want to keep the price reasonable,” says Madevon.
Petales d’Osoyoos
No self-respecting Bordeaux house is without a ‘second wine’ and Osoyoos-Larose, with its chateau-sized ambitions, has introduced Petales d'Osoyoos. This is a wine made from juice that Madevon considers not as high-standard as it could be, but still good. In the case of some of the better know Bordeaux houses, the second wine can cost up to $100...
The first wine (Osoyoos-Larose Le Grand Vin) is mostly free-run juice and some press - i.e., when they have to start squeezing the skin/pulp mash to get more juice to flow - whereas Petales is all press. Madevon says Petales is "very easy drinking, fruity and generally lighter. It’s currently available in BC only and it all sold out last year." The first Petales vintage was 2004. Currently available is the 2005. 2006 and 2007 will be released "soon."
Petales is not exactly cheap ($25), so it must meet rigorous quality standards too. “If the wines are not up to standard," says Madevon, "we sell it in bulk” (i.e., no-name to other producers).
Osoyoos-Larose: Some Numbers
Sales:Western Canada: 40%
Quebec: 30%
Ontario: 12%
US: 6%
Asia: 5%
UK: 3%
Of particular note, Osoyoos-Larose makes it onto the Top Ten list for “red wines over $20” in Western Canada. The winery produces 20,000 cases per year now and is aiming for 28,000 by 2010 (and there’ll be more cab franc in the blend). Osoyoos-Larose barrel aging is done in 60% new oak, 40% older barrels, and the percentages are reversed for the Petales.
Madevon's views of the vintages:
- 2001 is still going strong
- 2002 is not really ready yet
- 2004 is good now, but needs more time
- 2005 and 2006 have softer tannins - OK now, but will last 15-20 years
My Tasting Notes
Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2004. $39.95
Lots of rich red fruit on the nose. As it’s relatively youthful for an age-able wine, both acidity and tannin levels are still high. There’s a good amount of dark red fruit on the palate and some spicy and even minty notes. Very dry, good finish. But really not ready yet – I’d lay it down for at least two more years (disclosure: I’ve got a case in my wine locker at the Fine Wine Reserve – I believe in this wine!) 89 points.
Lots of rich red fruit on the nose. As it’s relatively youthful for an age-able wine, both acidity and tannin levels are still high. There’s a good amount of dark red fruit on the palate and some spicy and even minty notes. Very dry, good finish. But really not ready yet – I’d lay it down for at least two more years (disclosure: I’ve got a case in my wine locker at the Fine Wine Reserve – I believe in this wine!) 89 points.
Above note from March 15 Vintages Release. Read about my taste challenge of the end of January to see how it stacked up against its Bordeaux parent (which costs 50% more…).
Petales d’Osoyoos 2005. $25 (BC only)
Initially muted nose opens up to reveal very dark red fruit – black cherry, blackberry, not much secondary but a hint of cedar chips and maybe mushroom. Acidity and tannins both high, but reasonably balanced, and that line of Okanagan red fruit, though fainter, is definitely there, with more berries and some cherry. Woody notes and a bit more mushroom show up, and then there’s a nice, clean plummy finish that lingers. 87/88
Initially muted nose opens up to reveal very dark red fruit – black cherry, blackberry, not much secondary but a hint of cedar chips and maybe mushroom. Acidity and tannins both high, but reasonably balanced, and that line of Okanagan red fruit, though fainter, is definitely there, with more berries and some cherry. Woody notes and a bit more mushroom show up, and then there’s a nice, clean plummy finish that lingers. 87/88
