Winemaker Pascal Madevon signs a bottle of the 2005 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin at Bayview Village on Saturday February 28. Madevon was in Ottawa on Friday where the response was "phenomenal - Pascal says they were lined 12 deep at the tasting bar," according to Ontario marketing manager Cathy Jacobs.
In Toronto, Madevon visited Summerhill and Kingsway, and was late to his final destination because they had to pick up more wine: Bayview Village had sold its entire stock of 120 cases before Madevon had even arrived. "The response has been so much better this year... I just can't believe the difference," said Madevon in between talking about the wine and the Okanagan to buyers. "I want to go and plant more vines," he added with a big grin.
[NOTE: this article also appeared in gremolata.com]
They've learned a lot at Osoyoos Larose over the last ten years - including how best to fertilize (cow manure) and irrigate (drip), and they've also tweaked the mix of grapes: both the cab franc and the cab sauv have performed better than expected in the merlot-dominated Okanagan and the percentage of those grapes has been increased.
The "Bordeaux blend" (also known as "meritage") has three main grapes - cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc - and two others used in small doses: petit verdot and malbec. The main Osoyoos Larose wine is Le Grand Vin and costs around $40 and the "second wine" is called Petales d'Osoyoos and is around $25. And they’re very good.
At the St. Andrew's Club at King and University,Canadian parent Vincor organized a tutored tasting and lunch at the beginning of February. Vincor CEO Jay Wright was there, as was the head of Group Taillan Antoine Merlaut. Winemaker Pascal Madevon led the tasting and viticulturist Alain Sutre, Bordeaux-based but heavily involved in the project, was also on hand to answer questions.
(Picture: Jay Wright left, Pascal Madevon centre, Alain Sutre at right)
Big In Japan
Most sales are within Canada and mainly in the West, and they sell much more in Quebec than Ontario. There are modest sales in the US and UK as well, and the international push continues. Jay Wright announced that they have just inked a deal with a major Japanese company to take 1,000 cases for the Japanese market, where, by the way, Osoyoos Larose sells for more than $100 a bottle.
Patience
Is a virtue with Osoyoos Larose - it took five years from the first plantings in 1998 before small quantities of the first vintage (2001) were released. Since then, volumes have grown from 3,700 six-bottle cases to over 21,000 cases. Le Grand Vin is meant to age in the Bordeaux style, so it's not really "ready" when it's first released. Also, like the best quality wines, Osoyoos Larose has complexity and changes in the glass - for the better. In some cases the nose can be "closed" initially, but then it opens up to reveal itself with a bit of swirling and aeration.
At the tasting itself I preferred the 05 to the 04, but I guessed that the 04 would be better with food. At the lunch afterwards (amazingly good lamb chops and an incredible cheese plate, among other good stuff), we were served the 05 Grand Vin and we got to compare it with the 04. Having the 04 with the food was a different experience and I thought in the end that the 04 actually worked better. It was a great example of how food pairing works: with certain higher quality wines from the Old World, you may not be knocked out just sipping it (think some pricey Burgundies here) because the fruit maybe isn’t to the fore, the acidity and/or tannins are high, and it can be quite delicate. But pair it with the right foods and it's a whole new ball game - and you're the winner.
In addition to trying a "vertical" of the Osoyoos Larose vintages from 2004 to 2007, we also had an opportunity to try the five component grapes individually from the 2008 vintage, which have not yet been blended. The three main ones were impressively fruity and full, the malbec had the most vibrant floral nose and the petit verdot was all body & tannins: easy to see why you rarely get that grape on its own.
There's a certain stylistic consistency to the Osoyoos Larose wines - not exactly New World, but not exactly Old World either. With the vertical tasting it’s clear that these wines do improve with age.The 2005 represents the first example of the “new” style, which is a little lighter and fruitier and with tamer tannins so it's more approachable early.
Sutre and Madevon - both with substantial Bordeaux experience - did not try to recreate a Bordeaux in BC, but did seek to create a long-lived, collectable wine. Given the realities of the impatient Canadian market and the impracticality of waiting five or more years to release the wines mean that since 2005, Sutre and Madevon switched to producing wines with softer tannins for more immediate accessibility. "So," says Sutre, "they won't last as long. Maybe ten years max. Ideally 5-6 years, though they should be drinkable after just two. I think it's more Canadian now." One of the key tricks they use to reduce the harsher tannins involves egg whites for "fining" the wine.
Winemaker Pascal Madevon, who announced to general applause that he will become a Canadian citizen in April, also talked about the longevity of the wines: "in ten years they will be another world - but we don't know yet because we don't have the history". Madevon added that he raids his own stash of the 2001 vintage when guests visit and that it continues to improve.
The blending process can take up to two years and starts before they even think about blending different grapes. "We taste all the time," says Sutre, who is also involved in the winemaking, " and we might decide to change the barrel if we don't like what the oak is doing." Once the different wines have been blended together, there is further integration in the bottle.
Tasting Notes
Almost exactly one year ago, I held a tasting challenge at the Fine Wine Reserve. I pitted the 2004 Chateau Gruaud Larose against the 2004 Osoyoos Larose and invited a number of writers and sommeliers to compare. In the short report, the tasting note for the Osoyoos Larose is the 04 a year younger. Over the course of the past year, the rougher aspects have smoothed out and some newer, more delicate aromas and flavours have emerged. This is exactly what you'd expect of a high quality wine and it bodes well for continued improvement of these wines over time.
Notes from the St. Andrew's Club tasting:
2004
This was a cooler year in the Okanagan. Fairly light and fruity nose with a good amount of rich red fruit. Not much in the way of secondary notes, but a lovely perfumed note and even a hint of lilac. Fresh feel on the palate. Tannins are about medium, acidity higher, and the fruit is plummy. There's a lingering finish with a smoky note and a bit of menthol. 89 points.
2005
A more muted and plummy nose with cedar notes. However it really opens up with some aeration, showing more fruit. Fresh and zesty on the palate - acidity is high and there's fresh plum fruit and other red fruit. Fruitier and riper than the 04, but quite smooth already. Some secondary notes including hints of licorice and tobacco. Vanilla and smoke on the finish. This is the first batch of the newer style and Osoyoos Larose viticulturist Alain Sutre considers this a "feminine" wine. 90 points
2006
The muted nose is not overly fruity and there are secondary notes including an unusual whiff of coconut husks, though the nose is smoothly integrated. Bigger on the palate - tannins are more evident, acidity is very high and there's lots of ripe cherry fruit. This one needs more time, but there's a promising smoothness under. It's very dry and there's a smoky note on the finish. 90 points.
2007
This is a barrel sample. Much richer New World style nose on this - dark plum and blackberry. Some woody notes. Very big and full on the palate, which has strong tannins, blackberry fruit, lovely fresh cherry and tobacco. This sample has not been "fined" yet. This one will be treated to reduce the harsher tannins, which are very much in evidence now. Therefore it will taste quite different when it's eventually bottled.
Petales d'Osoyoos 2005. $25
Ripe and fruity nose with lots of dark red cherry fruit as well as nice hints of tobacco and cedar. Smooth and rather elegant on the palate, which has some cherry and blackberry fruit. Smoke on the finish. Very accessible. 88 points.
Approximately 2,000 cases of Le Grand Vin will be released by Vintages on February 28. The Petales d'Osoyoos is at present available retail only in British Columbia, but it can be purchased on consignment (i.e., by the case of 6) in Ontario.
For more information about Osoyoos Larose including how to order some, call 1-800-265-9463 or visit the Vincor Canada website. There is no dedicated website for Osoyoos Larose at this point.
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