I have been writing about the Monte Creek Ranch Winery for several years now. Given the success of the Winery at the recent Decanter Worlds and All Canadian Wine Championship, I was really looking forward to tasting this year’s new releases.
Vintage 2016
The Winery team provided the following comments. “Our buds burst early in 2016 with their little leaves poking out in April. We leapt into 2016 with mild temperatures in the valley, which created a more gradual ripening process. When things slowed down, the grapes were able to accumulate intense flavour without sugars skyrocketing. The result? Flavour packed wines that show elegance and moderate alcohol. Our harvest typically starts in the middle of August and extends to the end of October. That’s a whole lot of picking, sorting, pressing and fermenting!”
Vintage 2017
“Vintage 20I7 was a pretty normal year until July when the first of the wildfires broke out. Every year has its challenges. ln 2017, it was the smoke. Our brave vineyard workers donned their particulate masks day in and day out working through the difficult conditions. Meanwhile, our vines were hard at work producing beautiful fruit under smoky skies. Yes, there is a risk that smoky flavours can find their way into the wine, but here at Monte Creek, we took absolutely every effort to mitigate those effects, including but not limited to picking in the early dawn to keep the fruit cold, hand sorting every cluster of fruit and pressing lightly. It requires a lot of effort, but all that hard work results in wines that are fresh, flavourful, and exactly what you would expect from a quality British Columbia wine.”
Vintage 2018
At Monte Creek Ranch Winery situated east of Kamloops along the South Thompson River in BC’s new official Thompson Valley appellation, harvest kicked off on August 22 with their Marquette, a standard start date for their early ripening varieties. “Quality looks good,” notes winemaker Galen Barnhardt. “Thanks to the cool nights in August I’m looking forward to a vintage with lots of natural bright acidity.”
The New Releases
Monte Creek Ranch Riesling 2017
Alcohol 12.3%, RS 8.5gm/ L, pH 2.94, TA 9.5 gm/L. An elegant Trocken-style Riesling. Aromas of citrus and apple blossom. Flavours of lemon, lime, green apple and pear. A smooth mouthfeel with a hint of minerality and well-balanced acid. This wine won Silver Medals at the 2018 Okanagan Life – Best of BC Wine Awards, 2018 British Columbia Best of Varietal Awards and the 2018 Wine Align. Excellent value at $17.49.
For other excellent BC Rieslings see this post – BC Rieslings that beat the Summer Heat.
Monte Creek Ranch Reserve Chardonnay 2016
Alcohol 13.6%, RS 1.8 gm/ L, pH 3.46, TA 6.8 gm/L. The Chardonnay was fermented in oak from the Jupilles forest in France. True lemon in colour. Aromas of citrus, bread dough with a touch of vanilla. On the palate, pineapple, lemon, peach, caramel, toasted oak and a hint of honey. Nicely balanced acidity with a rich smooth mouthfeel. This is a complex Chardonnay that won a Gold Medal at the Prestigious 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards. An outstanding value at only $24.99.
Monte Creek Ranch Hands-Up White 2017
Alcohol 12.6%, RS 12.8 gm/L , pH 3.42, TA 9.8 gm/L. ($15.99) A blend of 61% Frontenac Blanc, 23% La Crescent, and 17% Frontenac Gris. Floral, honey, pear and stone fruit aromas and flavours with some citrus showing up on the palate. A medium-length finish with mouthwatering acidity. A pleasant summer sipper that pairs well with BBQ chicken.
Monte Creek Ranch Winery Rosé 2017
Alcohol 13.8 %, RS 7.1, pH 3.56, TA 8.5, 100% Marquette ($17.49). This is a wild yeast fermented Rosé. The Marquette red wine grape is a new world creation that ripens early and is well suited to cooler climates. The small berries with pink pulp provide a nice skin-to-juice ratio and a pretty colour.
A deep Day-Glo pink in colour. Aromas of strawberry, rhubarb, watermelon and caramelised sugar. The full-body rosé is off-dry on the palate.
Monte Creek Ranch Winery Hands Up Red 2016
Alcohol 13.8 %, RS 2.3, pH 3.63, TA 6.2. 82% Merlot, 8% Marquette, 8% Frontenac Noir, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99). The BlackBerry jumps out of the glass plus blueberry and chocolate aromas. On the palate, blackberries, sour cherries, leather, black pepper and smooth tannins. This easy drink red is awesome with BBQ Tri-Tip beef. Drink now!
Monte Creek Ranch Winery Pinot Noir 2016
Alcohol 13.0%, RS 1.8, pH 3.71, TA 7.5. Garnet in colour. Red cherries aroma with a hint of floral notes. A medium-bodied Pinot with flavours of cherries and strawberries. Nice round mouthfeel and smooth tannins mean it is ready to drink now.
You can visit the Monte Creek Ranch Winery website for their complete portfolio of BC wines here.
Conclusion
If you have tried any of the new Monte Creek Ranch Winery releases, I would love to hear your comments.