For me, every day is the perfect day for Chardonnay. I am impressed by the winemaking options winemakers have with this grape. There are so many combinations to choose from after the perfectly ripe grapes are harvested in the vineyard. I find it all quite magical.
This is my second post in a year-long series on Chardonnay. Every month, I will give you another concrete #chardcore suggestion to enjoy.
Haywire ‘Secrest Mountain Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2018 Okanagan Valley, B.C. VQA
- Sourced entirely from the Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver, British Columbia.
- Medium lemon yellow in the glass.
- Aromas of fresh stone fruits – nectarine and apricot with hints of lemon curd.
- On the palate, the stone fruit flavours are alive and bursting with fantastic acidity. There is a delicious creamy note that adds a sumptuous mouthfeel with just enough balance.
- Lingering finish. Excellent minerality.
- GGG wine score – 91 points.
Haywire ‘Secrest Mountain Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from a cool, high mountain site. Soils range from alluvial with gravel, sandy loam and limestone layers. In 2014, the Okanagan Crush Pad started to convert the vineyard to organic and purchased the 50-acre site in 2018. I had an incredible opportunity to visit Secrest Mountain Vineyard with OCP owner Christine Coletta this past summer. This vast vineyard site is where the Great Pyrenees dogs, Bizou and Yukon, roam, keeping watch over the area and guarding the many sheep that prune vines but don’t eat the grapes.
Matt Dumayne is the talented winemaker at OCP. I really am a fan of the wines he makes. For this Chardonnay, the grapes were whole bunch pressed into two egg-shaped concrete tanks for a long, slow ferment followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine was left on its’ lees (click HERE for my article on lees) for 10 months, creating the wine’s gorgeous texture.
#chardcore Summary
Haywire Secrest Mountain Chardonnay 2018 is one of the most balanced Chardonnays in the B.C. market today. The first time I tried this vintage, I took note immediately. Because this wine has not seen oak, it is an excellent option for those of you who might shy away from Chardonnay due to the oaky, woody, vanilla flavours. The price is $29.90, and it is worth every cent. The quality of grapes and the talented winemaking are, indeed, palpable. This is entirely a #chardcore Chardonnay and one I hope you seek out and try for yourselves.
I would love to hear if you have tried this wine and your thoughts on it. Also, if you have a Chardonnay you would like me to review, please leave a comment for me to follow up with.
Girls Go Grape 