For those of you with an interest in fine wines and great blends of the traditional Bordeaux varietals, don’t miss the opportunity to obtain a bottle of one of the Okanagan’s great wines – Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin.
Not only can you purchase a bottle of the 2005 vintage at LCBO Vintages as of its release date, February 28, 2009, you can make an advance purchase in Ottawa on February 27, meet the winemaker, Pascal Madevon, and perhaps have him autograph your bottle! As a gift to yourself, for a special future event, or for that special winelover, this is a rare opportunity to purchase an outstanding BC wine.
All this is happening at Ottawa’s flagship LCBO shop, at Rideau and King Edward, between 1-3 p.m. on Friday, February 27.
Last October, we had the opportunity to meet with Pascal Madevon at the winery, as the grapes were making their way from the vineyards to the winemaking facility near Oliver. With rain forecast in the coming days, Pascal and his team were working day and night to ensure the harvest was completed in time. Said he, “The grapes have to be perfect.”
Pascal is a friendly and charming Frenchman, whose classical studies in mathematics took a unique turn when he decided he wanted his career to include outdoor work. When he met with his university counselor and expressed an interest in the wine industry, the fellow questioned his decision – “Pascal, are you sure you want to drive a tractor the rest of your life?” Undaunted, Pascal moved to Bordeaux, living there, studying, and working in the wine industry for 15 years.
He first came to the Okanagan in 2001, bringing his young family with him in 2002. “When I saw the grapes and this location, I knew I could make great wine.” While this most southerly area of the Okanagan reminded him of Bordeaux, he felt that the steady temperatures in the summer favored the flavors in the grapes, while the warm September weather favored soft tannins. As he carefully monitored the arrival of the grapes, he commented that he spends 80% of his time in the vineyard. “Once the grapes arrive at the winery, I worry less – you have many more variables in the vineyard. Once the winemaking begins, I can control this process.”
Pascal described what he sees as the critical factors in the creation of outstanding wines:
– the terroir is primary; and he feels that the southern Okanagan offers an outstanding terroir
– the age of the vineyards has an influence on the wine. The Osoyoos Larose vineyards were planted in 1999, so we can expect the wine to evolve with each vintage
– climate is an important factor. He says that certain parcels always produce the best grapes. For instance, his best parcels of Merlot are located lower on the hills so that they get early shade, while the Cabernet Sauvignon is planted higher to obtain the longest exposure to the heat of the sun.
– the viticulturalist acting on the vineyard is the final factor; for instance deciding how much and when to prune leaves or thin fruit.
Each year, Pascal applies a similar “recipe” in the production of Osoyoos Larose, including similar proportions of the five varietals and specific yeasts. But each wine is unique, a reflection of the factors he described. While he has shared vintages of Osoyoos Larose with his colleagues in Bordeaux, Pascal insists that he has no desire to duplicate Bordeaux wines. “You have to focus on terroir, reveal the terroir. We want to make a great wine that is uniquely Okanagan.”
Osoyoos Larose was created as a result of the unique partnership established in 1998 between Vincor Canada and Groupe Taillon of Bordeaux. Their goal was to create great wines of stature, based on the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, which express the unique character and terroir of BC’s southern Okanagan valley. Each vintage is selectively allocated to markets around the world, as the wine is sought after by collectors and connoisseurs.
The wine’s name reflects its origins: the vineyards are located on the gently sloping dry hills above Lake Osoyoos, a few kilometers from the Washington State border; Larose is the name of one of Groupe Taillon’s prestigious estate wineries, Chateau Gruaud-Larose. The wine is more in the “right-bank” style of Bordeaux, with the primary varietal being Merlot (67%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (4%) and Malbec (2%). Sixteen months in a combination of new and one-year-old French barrels were followed by six months of bottle-aging. Acclaimed by critics, it is a wine meant to be enjoyed with a great meal, an elegant wine which can age for many years.
Don’t miss this opportunity to begin your collection of Osoyoos Larose. It will be available in Ottawa the afternoon of Friday, February 27, at Rideau and King Edward (LCBO # 626325, $44.95).
If you’d like a unique opportunity to participate in a component and vertical tasting of Osoyoos Larose, consider a trip to the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, taking place March 23-29, 2009. Read my blogs for more information about the Playhouse Winefest.