Reimer Family Vineyard

South East Kelowna

THE TERROIR

The fruit for this wine is sourced from the Reimer Estate Vineyard, which is planted in 100% Pinot Noir located in South East Kelowna, British Columbia. The vineyard has a moderately steep northwesterly aspect with the soil comprised of alluvial and windblown deposits making up a silt loam overlaying a gravel loam .The vineyard is planted with a mix of French Pommard and Dijon clones.

THE VINTAGE

2011 was another challenging vintage for the Okanagan as it was in 2010, a cool wet spring with unsettled cooler weather until mid-August. We did however have a moderately warm somewhat calm spell of weather through flowering which gave us an excellent fruit set which led to fuller bunches; though after considerable fruit thinning we harvested 1.75 tonne/acre of Pinot Noir from the “Reimer Vineyard”. From the start of veraison in mid-August till the end of September the weather was fine with daytime temperatures in the mid to high twenties, higher night-time temperatures in September also led to lower acid levels in 2011. Like 2010, the wonderful conditions in September gave us slower ripening producing broader varietal Pinot Noir flavours. Unlike 2010 though, we had a turn of bad weather for most of October, with stormy cold fronts and some rain. This had us a little nervous due to possible disease pressure from botrytis and having to harvest earlier than expected. With good fortune on our side we hand harvested on the 26th and 27th of October with the fruit in excellent condition with what little botrytis infection there was being cut out at harvest.

Harvest fruit parameters, 24 brix, TA 8.5 g/L, pH of 3.41

Parameters at bottling, Alc% 13.5, TA 7.1 g/L, pH 3.79

WINEMAKING

At the winery the fruit was gently de-stemmed with 15% left whole cluster. It was then gravity fed into small open top fermenters and allowed to cold soak. After cold soaking, a mix of indigenous and cultured yeast was employed to carry out a long fermentation peaking at 300C, gentle hand plunging of the must was done throughout. After a post-maceration period and a gentle pressing the wine was transferred to 100% French oak barrels (33% new) where it remained for 10 months. A natural malo-lactic fermentation occurred in late spring.

We hope you enjoy this expression of the Reimer Vineyard terroir.

219 CASES PRODUCED