This vintage marks the second year of certified organic wines from Sperling Vineyards. It is always exciting to open the new vintage from Canada’s leading biodynamic and natural winemaker, Ann Sperling.
2018 Growing Season
2018 was an interesting growing season, starting with record warm May and June, literary “setting” us up for a big year. The perfect weather during set meant that even though we’d pruned to a specific cluster count, every flower became a healthy berry so clusters were heavier.
Every month that followed was cooler than normal so vines worked efficiently during the summer since no days were excessively hot. It’s important to remember that vines evolved in the Mediterranean so moderate weather is ideal particularly for our pinot varieties and Riesling.
Fall continued cool so ripening slowed. This is what we love about our site: sugars accumulate slowly while the acidity and fresh flavours are retained. The best part is that the resulting wines have more body — we use the term “putting on weight”.
These early releases are showing all of the traits we love in seasons like this – a depth of flavour, just enough intensity and length on the palate.
Ann Sperling
Sparkling Wines
Sperling Vineyards Organic Speritz 2018 ($22)
Winemaking and Viticulture
Speritz – made from a heritage “Moscato” planting that has been on the farm for four generations. The grapes are gently vinified to produce a naturally lower alcohol wine. The style is aromatic and spritzy, light and refreshing to reflect the wines that Ann’s great-grandparents would have enjoyed daily in their native Piedmont.
Technical Data – Alcohol 7.9%, pH 3.03, RS 42 g/L TA 7.5 g/L
Tasting Notes
A light and lively sparkler with a natural fizz. Frothy mousse, perfumed roses, tropical fruit, pink grapefruit, candied lemon zest, mandarin orange and white peach.
Sit back, relax with this perfect patio sipping wine and enjoy the additional benefits of low alcohol. 90 Points.
Sperling Vineyards Speritz Pet Nat 2018 ($30)
Pét-Nat is short for pétillant naturel, which is simply French for “naturally sparkling” – and that’s essentially what it is! This lightly fizzy wine has gained a bit of buzz lately with growing popularity in the natural/organic movement and in more rudimentary methods of winemaking, but people have been sipping on it for ages.<1>
Tasting Notes
A hip sparkling speritz. Floral aromas of rose petal and lemon blossom with mineral undertones. Unfiltered, so slightly opaque with effervescence. Very pale straw core. On the palate, medium acid, light body flavours of lime, minerality and floral notes. Drink now. Serve well chilled. A refreshing hot day sipper! 8.3 % Alcohol. 88 Points.
For food pairings try with a charcuterie plate.
Orange Wine
Sperling Vineyards Natural Amber Pinot Gris 2017
11.0% Alcohol, Total Acidity ~6 g/L, Residual Sugar < 1g/L.
These grapes were hand harvested, fermented in small lots – 40% whole clusters and the remainder of the vat filled with stemmed & crushed grapes. Wild yeast and malolactic fermented this wine to complete dryness in 4 weeks. The wine was pressed and settled and after ageing was bottled with its lees. Nothing was added or taken away.
What strikes you first is the cloudy dark orange colour. Imagine Earl Grey Tea on Ice! On the nose hints of bergamot, peach pit, apricot and apple skins and orange zest. Medium bodied with a wonderfully textured mouthfeel. Citrus and orchard fruit on the dry and concentrated palate. Fresh acidity carries the grapefruit tinged finish. 92 Points
Rosé
Sperling Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé 2018 ($20.00)
Hand harvested healthy fruit and soaked for 2-3 hours to gently extract just the right amount of colour to give the wine its vibrancy. The juice is fermented in stainless steel with non-aromatic yeast to dryness. No Malolactic fermentation.
Alcohol: 13.0%. The rosé has a lovely dark salmon hue. The subtle aromas of fresh strawberries and crabapples greet you when you open this wine. The dry juicy Rosé is packed with black cherries, cranberries and raspberries. This vibrant wine has notes of wet stone with bright acidity and minerality. 92 Points
Red Wines
Sperling Vineyards Market Red 2017
Winemaking and Viticulture
Made from earlier (7-10 days) harvested Foch from old vines and fermented wild (both AF & ML) with 40% whole clusters. Blended with judicious amounts of Pinot, is partially tank aged and partially neutral barrel-aged for 5-6 months then bottled to capture the floral, herbal, juicy freshness.
Tasting Notes
Black Cherry explode from the glass with herbal notes. Flavours of cherry, blackberries and plum. This is an uncomplicated easy-drinking red that also makes an excellent Sangria Wine. BBQ steak makes a perfect food pairing. 11.6% Alcohol. 89 Points.
White Wine
Sperling Vineyards Old Vines Pinots 2017
A blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from 35-year-old vines.
Delicate aroma of tropical fruit. Flavours of ripe apple, Anjou pear, kiwi and pineapple. Wine has a nice depth. 91 Points
Sperling Vineyards Old Vine Riesling 2018
I could not complete the article without noting that one of my favourite Rieslings was awarded GOLD and 95 points by Decanter World Wine Awards! This is one of only two BC wines awarded 95 points at this competition. You can find the tasting notes for the 2014 Vintage here.
To order these excellent BC Wines please visit the Sperling Vineyards website.
For the details on earlier Sperling Vineyard Releases please click on the following links 2018 and 2017
References – 1. What is Pét-Nat (Pétillant Naturel)?