Blue Grouse Estate Winery from Vancouver Island has changed hands a few times. The latest owners are the second and third-generation Jackson family (California) members Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson, Chris Jackson, Hailey Jackson-Hartford Murray, and MacLean Hartford. The family sees tremendous potential in Cowichan’s cool-climate maritime winegrowing region and plans to embolden the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. I have a bottle of their latest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines to review for you. Let’s see how their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tastes and bookmark it to compare with future vintages.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Blue Grouse Estate Winery Chardonnay 2024 (BC $32.99)
Appearance: Clear, bright, pale lemon in colour.
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of toast, lemons, stone fruits, and apples. Medium intensity aromas after decanting. Same aromas.
Palate: Dry, lighter body with a lean, light mouthfeel. High acidity provides a touch of acidic prickle on the tongue that fades quickly. Bright, tart citrus and stone fruit flavours, plus apple. Light grape stem bitterness on the mid palate to the finish. Light toast and a touch of cinnamon. Medium body after decanting. No acidic prickle.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length, finishing with tart citrus, crisp apple, and grape stem flavours. No change to the finish after decanting.
A lean Chardonnay with bright acidity and citrus flavours. No need to decant. Decanting only makes the aromas and body a little bigger.
Rating: 
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The Blue Grouse Estate Winery Chardonnay 2024 shows a bright pale lemon colour with aromas of toast, lemon, stone fruit, and apple that become slightly more expressive with air. The palate is dry and lighter-bodied with a lean profile and high acidity, offering bright tart citrus, stone fruit, crisp apple, light toast, and a touch of cinnamon, alongside subtle grape stem bitterness through the mid-palate and finish. It finishes medium-plus to long with lingering citrus, apple, and grape stem notes, while decanting softens the acidity.
Blue Grouse Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2023 (BC $39.99)
Appearance: A medium intensity, clear, translucent to the core garnet colour.
Nose: Medium intensity, pretty aromas of floral, candied cherries, cinnamon, and plums. Same aromas after decanting, plus black fruits.
Palate: This wine is dry, lighter bodied, with a smooth, soft, medium mouthfeel. Medium tannins and acidity. Candied cherries, red fruit, black cherries, plums, and raspberries flavours, plus touches of oak, nutmeg, and floral. Some funkiness on the palate as well. Medium body after decanting. Add black fruit flavours. The funk disappears.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing with light drying tannins, oak, candied cherries, black cherries, and plums, plus funk (bandaid). Stronger tannins on the finish and no funk after decanting.
I prefer the decanted version as the funk goes away, plus you get the addition of black fruit aromas and flavours. A tasty wine.
Rating: – The Blue Grouse Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2023 shows a translucent garnet colour with pretty aromas of floral notes, candied cherries, cinnamon, and plum, with darker fruit tones emerging after decanting. The palate is dry and lighter-bodied with a smooth, soft texture, offering candied cherry, red fruit, black cherry, plum, and raspberry flavours accented by oak, nutmeg, and light floral notes, while air adds black fruit and removes the funky edge. It finishes medium-plus in length with drying tannins, oak, candied cherry, black cherry, and plum, with firmer tannins after decanting.
These two wines paired nicely with jalapeño Havarti cheese. ?
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase both wines online at the Blue Grouse Estate Winery website:
Both wines are available for purchase at Everything Wine stores. The Chardonnay is available at BC Liquor stores.
