Dirty Laundry Vineyard is one of our favourite Okanagan wineries. We have visited the winery and tasted their wines regularly since moving to Kelowna in 2015. You can read about our first visit here.
Dirty Laundry Vineyard is known for the year-to-year consistency and quality of the wines produced by Mason Spink and the winemaking team.
Here is some background on the winemaker before proceeding to the tasting notes for the new releases.
The Winemaker
Mason Spink was born in Victoria BC. He started working at See Ya Later Ranch in 2006. Mason completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Oenology and Viticulture with honours at the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario before moving back to BC. Mason joined Dirty Laundry Vineyard as their winemaker in 2013.
The Wines
Dirty Laundry Sauvignon Blanc 2019
100% Sauvignon Blanc from the estate Summerland vineyards. Picked from two different vineyards; one displays grassy notes and the other rounder tropical notes. The separate pickings were fermented separately and then blended together. Aged in stainless steel only.
Alcohol 12.5%, pH 3.23, TA 5.9 gm/L, RS 0 gm/ L
Don’t over chill, let the fruit shine through. Aromas of tropical fruit and citrus. The mouthfeel is crisp, fresh and fruity. Well-balanced acidity with flavours of nectarine, green apples, Key lime and passionfruit. 90 Points.
Paired perfectly with Orange Salmon, broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes.
Dirty Laundry Reserve Chardonnay 2019
100% Chardonnay from Summerland. Partial malolactic fermentation softens any sharp edges while still retaining a firm backbone of acidity. 60% spends 8 month in new French Oak, 40% in stainless steel which helps to retain fruitiness.
Alcohol 12.8%, pH 3.2, TA 7.35 gm/L, RS 1.21 gm/ L
A bone dry chardonnay that is lightly oaked. Aromas of ripe apples and citrus. Flavours of green and red apples, Meyer Lemon, caramel with lively acidity and a soft mineral backbone. Easy drinking alone or to complement seafood or pasta dishes. 90 Points.
Dirty Laundry Pinot Gris 2019
100% Pinot Gris sourced from several of our Estate Vineyards in Summerland, BC. The Pinot Gris gets very dark during the ripening phase of our growing season, so to retain the crispness and have minimal colour, we press the juice off the skins right away and cold settle it all in the tank for a few days before initiating fermentation. Usually showing notes of pear and grapefruit, we keep the fermentation temperatures relatively low to bring out interesting fruity esters and retain acidity. This is a well-rounded representation of the most planted varietal in the Okanagan.
Mason Spink
Alcohol 13%, pH 3.33, TA 6 gm/L, RS 2.87 gm/ L
Soft delicate aromas of apples and pears with a hint of tropical fruit. Flavours of pineapple, apples, pear and honeydew melon and a touch of honey on the finish. A crisp lively Pinot Gris with a medium body creamy texture. Excellent as a standalone drink or served with seared or grilled fish and oven-roasted chicken. 91 Points
Dirty Laundry Hush Rosé 2020
The challenge of making DLV Hush Rosé
It’s our biggest-selling wine, and it’s also the hardest and most time-consuming to make. We do double the work for half the yield on this wine. After we do two press cycles a day per type of grape, we let the Pinot Gris grapes soak for 24 hours to pull some delicate colour from the skins. Our production times slow way down, but this wine is worth the time investment for sure.
We ferment the juices at relatively cool temperatures, preserving aromatics, and then we rack off into stainless steel, where the wine settles until we blend. Blending is key to our Rosé, and definitely is the highlight of cellar work after each Christmas. This year’s vintage reflects the cooler growing season of 2020.
Mason Spink, Winemaker
Alcohol 12.8 %, pH 3.57 , TA 5.1 , RS 6.5
For the 2020 vintage, the Hush Rosé is comprised of several varieties, mainly Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Aromas of red delicious apple, lemon, lime and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, ripe red peach, watermelon, strawberry and red grapefruit flavours and a hint of sweetness on the finish. 91 Points
Dirty Laundry Pinot Noir 2019 ($28.99)
This Pinot Noir vintage had minimal cap management to gently extract tannin, colour, and flavour from the delicate Summerland fruit. The cap was turned with forced air rather than doing punch downs. The juice was pressed off skins after 2 weeks of initial fermentation. The Pinot Noir aged for 13 months in French Oak, 25% new oak.
13.5% Alcohol , pH 3.65 ,TA 5.62 , RS 2.19
An easy drinking and fruit-forward pinot noir. Medium garnet in colour. Aromas of red cherries, raspberries and a hint of cedar. On the palate, black cherries, ripe raspberries, pomegranate juice with a hint of herbs and smooth tannins lead to a mouthwatering finish.
The wine paired perfectly with sauteed chicken and rice. 89 Points.
Dirty Laundry Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
90% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Similkameen and Okanagan Valley, 10% Merlot from the Okanagan Valley. Grapes are picked at optimum ripeness levels and fermented separately to feature the unique attributes of each grape. The wine spent 12 months in neutral oak with 75% French and 25% American oak.
Alcohol 14 %, pH 3.74 , TA 5.7, RS 2.09
A beautiful deep ruby red colour. Aromas of raspberry, cherry and chocolate. On the palate black plum, blackberries, cherries and leather and a hint of dark chocolate and pepper. Smooth tannins give way to a luscious long finish. 91 Points
Pairs well with BBQ NY strip steak, burgers and game meat.
Silver Medal Winner at 2021 All Canadian Wine Championship.
To order these outstanding BC wines go to the Dirty Laundry Vineyard site.
For the latest vintage see – Dirty Laundry Vineyard releases 2021 Vintage