Rogers & Company presents Blue Mountain’s classic Traditional Method Brut.

Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut ($30.95, LCBO #206326) is available in limited quantities at the LCBO Vintages. For folks living in Ontario, it’s available year-round by the case from Rogers & Company.

“Blue Mountain is one of BC’s real cult wineries, and in my view, one of the few that has not lost its spark and drive.” – Treve Ring, Scout Magazine, July 2015

The Mavety family has farmed grapes in the southern Okanagan Valley for almost 40 years, where they supplied the region’s pioneering wineries before founding their own. A scenic wonder (and arguably one of Canada’s most spectacular winemaking regions), the valley links a chain of glacial lakes and rivers, each surrounded by cliffs of granite. The scenery is magical and the hot, dry summers offer virtually perfect conditions for grape growing. The soils vary widely from the northern to the southern ends of the valley, but are generally comprised of well-drained glacial moraines and sedimentary erosion deposits.

The extremely dry climate eliminates the concerns that most vignerons face: rot, mildew, and rain at bud break or at harvest. This allows Blue Mountain to minimize most crop applications and employ organic and sustainable practices to produce beautiful fruit. The winery’s still a family business today, with second-generation brother-sister team Matt and Christie Mavety making the wine and running the show. Since the first vintage in 1991, Blue Mountain has focused on elegant, beautifully-textured Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. They’ve developed something of a reputation for their traditional method sparkling wines, too.

Behind the gold label, Blue Mountain Brut is one of Canada’s most elegant, consistent sparkling wines. A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a small quantity of Pinot Gris, the fruit is hand-harvested from Blue Mountain’s Okanagan estate vineyard. The bunches are gently pressed as whole clusters, and the juice was fermented in lots by varietal. This is a traditional method sparkling wine: the wine went through a second fermentation in-bottle, as in Champagne, not in a large tank, as in Prosecco and many inexpensive sparklers. Following the second fermentation, the wine rests for two years on the silky spent yeast sediment that settles on the bottom of the bottle, picking up a toasty, brioche-like aromatic profile. After the yeast is removed, the wine spends another nine months maturing in-bottle prior to release.

The Brut has a fine mousse, with lemon and toast on the nose and palate and a crisp citron finish.

“The latest Gold Label Brut stays the course blending 56/39/5 pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris, pressing the bunches whole and fermenting each variety separately before putting them all together on the lees for two years. After dégorgement they give the wine another six to nine months of bottle rest. This is a wine for wine drinkers. Fresh, nutty and suitably mineral with green apple, crisp pear and Meyer lemon that finishes dry and salty with lively acidity. Oysters are the match.” – Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi on Wine, July 2017

Lead image by Andrew Strain.

Blue Mountain Winery is represented in Ontario by Rogers & Company. If you’re new to Rogers & Company: Welcome! Wines are sold in unmixed cases of 12, 6, or 3, depending on the item. Some wines are available by the bottle at the LCBO. Delivery is easy: We can bring the wine to your door, or you can stop by our office to pick up and meet the crew and the company dog. To learn more about Blue Mountain’s wines, or to place an order: rogcowines.com

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