Dirty Laundry Vineyard introduces the 2023 BC White vintage. The winery is renowned for:
- Unique Name and History: The vineyard gets its name from a laundry run by Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush era in Summerland. This intriguing backstory adds character and interest to the vineyard.
- Scenic Location: Situated in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, the Dirty Laundry Vineyard boasts stunning views of the surrounding landscape, including picturesque vineyards and Okanagan Lake. Its location makes it an attractive destination for visitors seeking excellent wine and a memorable experience.
- Award-Winning Wines: Dirty Laundry Vineyard is known for producing high-quality wines that have received numerous awards and accolades. Whether it’s their refreshing whites, robust reds, or delightful rosés, the vineyard offers a diverse selection to cater to various tastes.
- Innovative Offerings: The vineyard frequently introduces innovative wine blends and styles, showcasing the creativity and expertise of its winemakers. This commitment to experimentation keeps patrons excited and coming back for more.
- Visitor Experience: Beyond wine tasting, Dirty Laundry Vineyard offers a range of experiences for visitors, including pizza on the patio, wine club events and dinners. This focus on providing a memorable and immersive experience sets it apart from other regional vineyards.
Before we go to the new wines, here are the winemaker’s brief notes on the 2023 season and harvest.
2023 Harvest
“Coming off a bad winter, the crop was significantly short, which made for an early start to harvest because grapes ripened quicker than expected. Fruit came in very concentrated, ripe and of exceptional quality. With the lower yields, we finished harvest quickly and were able to enjoy Thanksgiving weekend at home with our families.”
Mason Spink, Winemaker
Dirty Laundry Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($21.99)
100% Summerland Sauvignon Blanc picked in late October. Fruit was from two vineyards, so we fermented them separately with different yeasts to give blending options. The fruit was destemmed, crushed and soaked on skins for 2 hours under C02 in the press before gently pressing off skins into stainless tanks.
Lees stirring in the stainless tanks was performed daily during fermentation to build complexity and body. Fermentation temperatures were kept low to preserve the delicate aromatics.
Alcohol 12%, pH 3.37, TA 5.3, RS 1.9
A very pale lemon colour. Vibrant aromas of tropical fruit and citrus. The mouthfeel is fresh and fruity for the medium-bodied wine. Perfectly balanced acidity with flavours of pineapple, lemon, lime, mandarin orange, passion fruit and a touch of grapefruit. 90 Points.
Dirty Laundry Woo Woo Gewürztraminer 2023 (2022vintage is $19.99)
Half of the fruit is soaked on skins in cold temperatures and pressed off into stainless steel, undergoing spontaneous fermentation. The other half of the fruit was crushed, destemmed and pressed directly into the tank where it cold settled. Racked, then inoculated in cold fermentation to preserve varietal characteristics and aromas and carefully blended by the winemakers while keeping some residual sugar in the bottle to brighten the Gewürztraminer fruit.
The lychee, peach and fragrant blossoms will seduce you. The Off-dry Gewürztraminer has a rich mouthfeel, spicy with ginger, honey, lychee and lime flavours, a light mineral backbone and a touch of sweetness on the finish. It has excellent intensity and a balance of flavours. 90 points
Dirty Laundry Pinot Gris 2023 ($21.99)
“100% Pinot Gris from estate vineyards in Summerland. The Pinot Gris gets very dark in colour during the ripening phase of the growing season, so to retain the crispness and have minimal colour, we press the juice off the skins right away & cold settle everything in 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, Winemaker
Alcohol 12% / pH 3.27 / TA 6.95 / RS 4.95
Aromas of green apple, tropical fruit and citrus. Flavours of pineapple, golden apple, Anjou pear, nectarine and honeydew melon. A crisp, off-dry Pinot Gris with a light creamy texture. 90 Points
Dirty Laundry Chardonnay 2023
The grapes for the chardonnay were sourced from four different vineyards in Summerland and fermented in stainless steel.
12.5% Alcohol. A lovely nose of tropical fruit and citrus. Flavours of pineapple, stone fruit, and melon with a refreshing oily finish. The dry chardonnay has a lean mouthfeel. 91 points
To order these outstanding BC wines, visit the Dirty Laundry Vineyard site.
Here are the links to the tasting notes for previous vintages – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017 and 2016.