Mother’s Day is this weekend. Have you bought your mom a bottle of BC sparkling wine yet? Here are two bottles that she should enjoy from Okanagan Crush Pad. The Free Form Blanc de Noir 2018 is made from organic Pinot Noir grapes and zero dosage (no added sugar before the bottle is sealed for sale), and the Narrative XC Sparkling 2019 is made from Pinot Blanc grapes. XC, Roman Numeral for 90, means the wine spends at least 90 days in their special Charmat tanks. Both wines are vegan friendly.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Free Form Blanc de Noir 2018 (BC $44.90. A wine club exclusive.)
Organic Pinot Noir grapes from their Garnet Valley Ranch vineyard. Whole bunch pressed to a concrete tank for natural fermentation. In January 2018 the bottles were filled for a second fermentation and aged sur lie. After 36 months the wines were disgorged and finished with no dosage.
Appearance: A medium gold colour with lots of frothy bubbles upon pouring.
Nose: Clean with a complex, developing nose. Aromas of pears, bruised apples, and touches of honey, dried apricots, stones, almonds, and lees.
Palate: Slightly off-dry, medium-plus body and flavour intensity. Bright acidity. Tiny creamy and biting bubbles. Flavours of pears, cut apples, apple skins, brioche, and almonds. Big mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing dry. Bruised apples and some tart apples, toast and some bitterness.
Rating: 
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Narrative XC Sparkling 2019 (BC $24.99)
Made from Pinot Blanc grapes, using the Charmat method for the second fermentation.
Appearance: Clear medium salmon with a fine mousse when poured that persists.
Nose: Lighter aromas of raspberries and red fruit, plus flint that burns off with some air.
Palate: Dryish, with medium-plus acidity, body and flavour intensity. A very creamy bubble that almost lasted to the finish. A very nice, soft mouthfeel. Bright acidity with crunchy red berries, red fruits, raspberries and strawberries, plus red cherry flavours. Refreshing.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing a touch off-dry with red fruits, red cherries, and a touch of bitterness.
Rating:
Pairing with Cheese
I tried this wine with an Italian cheese I purchased at BOSA Foods, Montegrappa Stagionato. It is an aged cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto region of Italy. Its texture is a cross between cheddar and parmesan and has some crystals (salt?) within. It has a nice nutty flavour and made a very nice complementary pairing with both wines. The texture and flavours of the cheese go nicely with the acidity in both wines.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these wines from the Okanagan Crush Pad website.
Everything Wine and select Save On Foods carries the Narrative XC Sparkling as well.
