Bordeaux blends are popular around the world. Many wineries make Bordeaux blends in BC, but few have a winemaker from Bordeaux! One such winery is French Door Estate Winery, a family-run winery founded in 2019 just south of Oliver, BC, on the Black Sage Bench. They are extremely fortunate to have Pascal Madevon as its winemaker. As I mentioned Pascal was trained in Bordeaux, then moved to BC to make wine for Osoyoos Larose, before striking out on his own. He is a low-interventionist winemaker. Use what the grapes give you. I tasted his / French Door’s héritage 2019 made with 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec. You may notice Syrah in the mix, which is a Rhone grape, but I will overlook it and overall note that this is primarily a Bordeaux blend. This is a vegan-friendly wine.
Why the name “French Door Estate Winery ”? From the winery, “Well, our family was inspired by the simplicity and quality of French architecture, cuisine and wine during our travels to Provence. We believe the Okanagan valley has a similar uniqueness about it, and we wanted to bring these parallels to life through the way our wine is made and discussed…The symbol of the “French door” is representative of our aspiration to incorporate the traditional aesthetics and values of beautiful Provence into our own backyard, with a modern twist. Our tasting room is encircled by French doors, and each one opens up into a new experience…”
My Wine Tasting Notes
French Door Estate Winery héritage 2019 (BC $52)
From the winery, “The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted before being destemmed and placed in individual tanks where a 10-day cold soak took place. Three to four daily pump-overs were done during the fermentation process which occurred at 28 degrees Celsius. The grapes were on skins for 60 to 85 days and then racked directly to 40% new French oak and 60% second and third-year French oak. The wine was left to undergo natural malolactic fermentation and was undisturbed for 14 months before being racked to tank and bottled.“
You can definitely tell that the wine went straight from tank to bottle without filtering. I saw quite a bit of sediment on the side of the bottle after I poured myself a glass to review. Some say that this gives you a true taste of the wine as filtering can take away some of the aromas or flavours, depending on the degree of filtering.
Appearance: Almost opaque to the rim garnet colour.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of black fruit, plums, black cherries, blackberries, sweet spices, and touches of cedar and chocolate. The aromas appear to be lighter with decanting. I did not notice any cedar but picked up some floral scent.
Palate: Dry, light body, and lightly round. Soft with a very silky texture. A mix of black fruit, plums, and lesser amounts of red cherries, sweet spices, floral, and oak. There is also a touch of capsicum and rich sweet bakers dark chocolate with air. The wine continues to have a light body with decanting but is a bit leaner, not quite as round. On the mid-palate, you really get the Old World oak taste coming into the finish. The tannins are also a bit more drying. I still get the same fruit flavours but lose the capsicum.
Finish: Medium length with lightly drying tannins. Black fruit along with touches of candied red fruit, cedar and chocolate. A touch of floral and pepperiness, plus plums at the very end with decanting.
Very delicious and well-made, Pascal! I prefer the undecanted version as it is a bit rounder, has stronger aromas, and a bit wider variety of flavours.
Rating: 
Near opaque garnet in colour. Medium-intensity aromas of black fruit, black cherries, and plums, plus touches of sweet spice, cedar, and chocolate. Dry, lighter body, round and soft mouthfeel. Plums, black fruit, red cherries and touches of oak, and sweet spices on the palate. Medium length with lightly drying tannins.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
You can purchase this wine online from the French Door Estate Winery website.
