Coolshanagh, “a meeting place of friends” is Skip and Judy Stothert’s perfectly-situated property on the Naramata bench overlooking Okanagan Lake. The unique, complex soil is studded with limestone and calcium carbonate. This offers some of the best exposure and soil structures for grape growing seen in the Okanagan. The Coolshanagh vineyard is among the top 15% in the world according to world-renowned terroir specialist Dr. Pedro Parra.
My first meeting with Skip Stothert was at the 2018 Garagiste North Wine Festival where I first tasted the excellent 2015 Coolshanagh Chardonnay.
Coolshanagh produces a small batch Chardonnay (~750 cases), sourced only from estate fruit, and about 75 cases of Pinot Noir. Wines that echo Burgundy were the initial inspiration, however, the ultimate Coolshanagh wine style that emerges specifically expresses and reflects the terroir of the Okanagan Valley and of the diverse soil of Coolshanagh Vineyard.
The wines are made for Coolshanagh by Okanagan Crush Pad’s winemakers, with input from Skip, who has a clear idea of the style he wants for Coolshanagh, an age-worthy wine in the style of a white Burgundy.
Sustainability
Coolshanagh Vineyard is committed to sustainable farming and is in the transition to total organic viticulture. The winery uses organic chicken manure as fertilizer which enriches the soil with nitrogen. In 2014, a nitrogen-rich red clover was introduced as a cover crop in the vineyard that will help control weed growth while providing nutrients to the soil. Metal posts are used exclusively in the vineyard and all sprays are organic. After crush, the leftover grapes remain at Okanagan Crush Pad to be turned into compost.
Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2016
As determined by Pedro Parra, each block of Chardonnay grapes is hand-picked at a different time, with the first picking taking place in mid-September and the last in early October 2016. Each section was treated differently to optimally express each unique vineyard location. For 11 months, a percentage of deeper, clay soil sections were whole-cluster pressed into new oak puncheons to ferment, with the remainder being fermented in a concrete egg.
The wine underwent minimal handling and had lees stirring and bottling without fining or filtration. The idea was to create three separate parts that were uniquely represented in the whole wine. Alone, the parts showed the different sections and together with the entire vineyard and all its nuances are brought into balance.
pH 3.67 | TA 5.5 | RS 0.2 | Alcohol 12.3%
Light straw in colour. Golden apple, lemon zest, white flowers and fresh bread aromas. A rich textured and layered mouthfeel with a limestone and granite backbone and a lively red apple and pear finish. 93 Points
The Chardonnay paired perfectly with sous-vide sockeye salmon.
Please visit the Coolshanagh website to purchase the 2016 Coolshanagh Chardonnay. The wine is also available in Vancouver and on the Island at:
- Cascadia Liquor Parksville and Nanoose Bay
- Marquis Wine Cellar
- Boom & Batten Restaurant
- The Arms Reach Bistro