I am a Pinot Noir lover, so when I received two bottles of Pinot Noir from the 2022 harvest by Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars to review, I eagerly anticipated opening them. The two bottles I received were the Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022 and the Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022.
Pinot Noir is a fickle grape with thin skins. The wine can range from light-bodied with tart red fruit through to fuller-bodied with darker fruit flavours. I checked the 2022 BC harvest to see how that may affect the two bottles that I would soon open. The growing season was cooler than normal in the Okanagan, much wetter than normal and much later than normal. No fire or smoke influence, but the ripening came on very late. Harvest started later which allowed the grapes to fully mature. My guess is that these wines would be medium-bodied. Let me tell you about them.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022 (BC $39.98)
Appearance: A medium-intensity, clear garnet colour.
Nose: Medium intensity, deep aromas of black fruit, black cherries, toast, and oak. I picked up a hint of vanilla aroma after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body, with a smooth, soft, thick mouthfeel. Velvety tannins and medium acidity. Black fruit flavours along with touches of vanilla, nutmeg and oak with air. Light acidity and tannins. The wine has a lighter body after decanting, less thick feeling. I picked up some floral and cedar flavours as well.
Finish: A medium-plus length, finishing with black fruit flavours, and touches of nutmeg, butteriness, pepperiness and sweet spices. Lightly drying tannins on the finish. Add a touch of vanilla to the finish after decanting.
A Pinot Noir with deep aromas and flavours of black fruits. Smooth and soft on the palate. Decanting the wine is maybe slightly better, but not necessary. This wine is sipping very well after two days of decanting.
Rating: 
– 
This has a medium-intensity, clear garnet colour. deep aromas of black fruit, black cherries, toast, and oak. It is dry, medium-plus body with a smooth, soft, thick mouthfeel. Mainly black fruit flavours, plus some sweet spices. Medium-plus length.
Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir 2022 (BC $45.98)
Appearance: A clear, medium-plus intensity garnet colour in the glass.
Nose: Light aromas of toast and black fruit. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, with a medium-plus body, and a smooth, round, thicker mouthfeel. Black fruit, light toast, nutmeg, floral, and cherry flavours. Lighter acidity and tannins. The tannins do get stronger toward the finish and you get some pepperiness on the palate. With decanting, I lost the floral component but gained some dark chocolate on the palate.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with light flavours of black fruit, nutmeg, and pepper. Soft, drying tannins. Add a touch of dark chocolate to the finish after decanting.
No major difference with decanting. The aromas in this wine are quite light and flavours deep, mainly black fruit. I am wondering if holding onto this wine for two or more years will bring out more of the aromas and widen the flavour profile. Don’t be afraid to age your BC wines at home.
Rating: – This wine has a medium-plus intensity garnet colour in the glass. Light aromas of toast and black fruit. Dry, medium-plus body with a smooth, round, thicker mouthfeel. Black fruits, plus toast, nutmeg, floral and cherries on the plate. Light acidity and tannins. Medium-plus length.
Overall, based on the weather, these two Pinot Noir wines are fuller-bodied than I expected. How long the grapes stayed on the vines, plus soil type, fermentation and ageing can all impact the final wine.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are available at Everything Wine stores. You can also purchase these wines online via the Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars website.
