Making a white Pinot Noir wine in BC has become popular over the last three years. I had a chance to try Okanagan Crush Pad’s free form Vin Gris 2017. The Pinot Noir grapes come from a certified organic vineyard in Summerland. Matt Dumayne made this wine. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed to small concrete eggs, where they fermented using native yeasts then went through full malolactic fermentation. The wine was then bottled unfiltered.
My Tasting Notes
Okanagan Crush Pad free form Vin Gris 2017 (BC $26.90) – It has a medium intensity bright clear orangy copper colour. On the nose, there are citrus, grapefruit, roasted pears, and some toasty notes. The toasty notes are not from oak as the grapes were whole-cluster pressed then fermented in concrete using indigenous yeasts. The toastiness has to come from one or more of these components interacting with each other. With decanting the aromatics were lessened except for the toastiness which increased. This wine is dry with a fuller, round mouthfeel, and a small acidic prickle on your tongue. You get a thick texture plus prickle on your tongue at the same time. The wine has light stone fruit, apricot and peach, along with roasted pears, bramble leaf, citrus, toast, and a touch of salty minerality. Not overly fruity. This wine is built more on texture. It finishes with tart green fruit, bramble leaf and some pepper. With decanting the wine became smoother, more toasty and had less acidic prickle on your tongue. There was also a roasted apple flavour to the wine. I think the wine is better to drink as soon as you open it. No decanting.
Rating: 
A wine made from the Pinot Noir grape that is built more on texture with subtle stone fruit and citrus aromas and flavours.
The 2018 vintage is now available, but I have not had a chance to try it. You can purchase the 2018 vintage at the Okanagan Crush Pad website.
