Rollingdale Winery is a small farm gate winery located in Lakeview Heights, in West Kelowna. The winery is100% family-owned and operated by Steve and Kirsty Dale. Their focus is on producing fine wines using only premium grapes made from the most conscientiously cultivated vines. Steve and Kirsty have a long history in organic agriculture and Rollingdale was certified as an organic producer in 2007.
The Estate vineyard covers around eight acres and is divided between Maréchal Foch and Pinot Gris, with a few rows of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay.
We visited the winery just before Halloween. The Wine Shop Manager, Giles Chevrier, really made us feel at home as he provided the background on the wines that we tasted.
The Wines
Rollingdale Organic Estate Pinot Gris 2016
Technical Information: Acid 5.3, pH 3,6, Residual Sugar 11.3, Alcohol % 14.8
The vines for this wine were planted in 1999, which makes for a very ripe and rich estate Pinot Gris. Aromas of liquorice, pear and anise. On the palate, the flavours are all pear. The mouthfeel is well-balanced and complete. It comes across as just off-dry with a pleasantly long finish. As Giles says “This is no wimpy white wine!”
Rollingdale 8 Barrel Merlot 2014
Technical Information: Acid 6.6, pH 4.09, Residual Sugar 0.70, Alcohol % 14.9
Rollingdale haven’t released another 8 Barrels since the original from the 2006 vintage. This one deserves the label just as much. One extremely smooth big BC Merlot from 26 months on French oak. Grapes from Black Sage Bench bursting with blackberries, leather, cassis, blueberry, and sage. On the palate, black cherry, chocolate, smooth tannins. Great drinking now or cellaring.
Rollingdale Organic Estate Merlot 2015
Technical Information: Residual Sugar 2.1, Alcohol % 14.6
“2015 was one hot vintage. Our usual red berry-style fence-line Merlot came out decidedly blackberry this time around. It just so happened that we had some excellent French barriques ready to age it in. We decided to bottle it just over a year old, as insanely ripe vintages don’t need as long to soften up. Bottling early captures and compounds the youthful fruit-forward character of this deep dark vino. Built to last, you can cellar for the next 10 years, or decant it sooner. Either way, it’s bound to impress. Not your cookie cutter Merlot.”
This extraordinarily hot vintage shifted the estate Merlot from the usual red berry dominance to pure blackberry, in addition to vanilla, road tar, warm cedar, and dusty rose. This wine is full-bodied and dark, with firm tannins, and balanced acidity.”
Steve Dale – Proprietor & Winemaker
Halla Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017
The first Pinot Noir since 2009. Grown in the Halla vineyard in Kaleden, from where the 2006 Cabernet Franc was sourced. Enjoy now or cellar for a few years, but the ripe red fruit showing in this wine is delicious already.
This Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied wine and a very clean version with no barnyard aroma. It has a nice structure from the natural acidity and the European oak but is subtle enough that it lets the bright fruit shine through. A refreshing red wine. Drinks well on its own and will be versatile with all but spicy food.
For the complete portfolio of Rollingdale BC Wines please visit the winery website.