Geoff Moss, an Okanagan-based Master of Wine, selected and organized the tasting of top examples of chardonnay from around the world to see how Quails' Gate's wines compared.Handout
Quails’ Gate winery hosted 14 Canadian wine professionals to a blind tasting in June to see how its chardonnays stack up with top producers from around the world. Tastings like these are rare, it isn’t often that so many celebrated and unique bottles are opened at the same time. I welcomed the opportunity to join the discussion around the table.
Three chardonnays from the Kelowna, B.C., estate winery were sampled alongside ones from leading producers from Burgundy and Napa Valley. Impressive properties from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Ontario and South Africa were also represented.
“A tasting like this allows us to see our wines in the context of what’s being offered around the world,” said Tony Stewart, proprietor of Quails’ Gate Winery, who added the winemaking team would use the opportunity to reflect on what refinements might be considered.
It’s a courageous move by a winery to invite the wine trade to evaluate your efforts alongside the likes of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Domaine Ramonet and William Fevre to name a few of the representatives from Burgundy’s Chablis and Côte de Beaune. But it’s also a terrific focus group for a winery that’s keen to see how they rate, against serious competition, on a global scale.
The lineup was assembled by Okanagan-based Master of Wine Geoff Moss based on reputation and pedigree. The selection was a who’s-who of well-recognized wineries, not a case of seeking out duds to help score easy points.
The tasters, which included journalists, sommeliers and consultants from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal, were asked to grade each wine based on the 100-point scoring system and share comments on each sample.Handout
Moss kept the identity and origin of the wines anonymous from the assembled tasters and divided the 18 selections into three groups. Six represented cool-climate expressions, another six were warm-climate expressions and the final six featured chardonnays with different winemaking styles. A Quails’ Gate wine was included in each flight: the 2019 Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay, the 2020 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay and the 2021 Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay, which has yet to be released.
The tasters, which included journalists, sommeliers and consultants from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal, were asked to grade each wine based on the 100-point scoring system and share comments on each sample. A roundtable discussion followed each set of six wines, focusing on which style or expression individual judges liked best. The styles in the glass ranged from racy and lean to full-bodied and flavourful, which meant there was plenty to debate. The tasting was first and foremost a showcase of chardonnay’s adaptability, given its ability to produce desirable and distinctive wines in vineyards around the world.
Quails’ Gate winemaker Jeff Del Nin and associates Rowan Stewart and Kailee Frasch were seated at the head table to contribute their thoughts.
Moss kept the identity and origin of the wines anonymous from the assembled tasters and divided the 18 selections into three groups. Six represented cool-climate expressions, another six were warm-climate expressions and the final six featured chardonnays with different winemaking styles.Handout
The top scoring wines of the day were Domaine Ramonet 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc from Burgundy (94.4 points), Kumeu River 2021 Maté's Vineyard from New Zealand (93.5 points) and Penfolds 2019 Yattarna Bin 144 from Australia (93.4 points). The three local wines landed in the Top 10, with the high ranking for Quails’ Gate 2019 Rosemary’s Block (92.9 points), which landed it in sixth place overall.
“What you are seeing here is similar to what we would be doing internally,” Del Nin said. “We are going to have to sit and digest … but it’s nice to see that the Okanagan is right in there with some of the best wines in the world.”
It will be interesting to see how this feedback will be reflected in the chardonnays produced from the 2023 vintage and beyond. Will there be decisions to add freshness by picking earlier or reducing time in oak barrels? A move to build more complexity in the finished wine? Time will tell.
Another point of consideration came to light when the identity of the wines was revealed – pricing. The total retail cost of the 18 bottles presented was estimated at $4,616, making $256 the average cost per bottle. There wasn’t much of a quality gap between the chardonnays we tasted, but the prices suggest otherwise.
Without the name recognition or pedigree other participating wineries, Quails’ Gate’s entries had the lowest retail prices of the featured wines. The volumes of these exclusive chardonnays are low while demand from collectors and others remains high. In recent vintages, Burgundy has faced reduced crops owing to frost, which has caused already exorbitant prices to climb even higher. The winery’s reserve chardonnay sells for $49 while the limited-edition Rosemary’s Block, usually a production of 350 cases each vintage, sells at the winery for $60. From a value for money perspective, Quails’ Gate’s chardonnay program is particularly impressive.
This week’s recommended wines include the Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay, which is part of the Aug. 5 online release with some bottles turning up at select Vintages outlets. There are also two other noteworthy new release chardonnays, which weren’t featured in the Kelowna tasting, to consider.
The top scoring wines of the day were Domaine Ramonet 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc from Burgundy (94.4 points), Kumeu River 2021 Maté's Vineyard from New Zealand (93.5 points) and Penfolds 2019 Yattarna Bin 144 from Australia (93.4 points). The three local wines landed in the Top 10.Handout
Catena High Mountain Vines Chardonnay 2021 (Argentina), $22.95
Made in a consistently enjoyable style, Catena’s chardonnay comes from the family’s vineyards in the Uco Valley. The appealing character comes from the mix of orchard fruit flavours with oak spice and cedar notes. A medium-bodied white wine, this is ready to drink now, with or without a meal. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in British Columbia and Alberta, $29.99 in Saskatchewan, $20.99 in Manitoba, $21.55 in Quebec, $24.99 in Nova Scotia.
Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2020 (Canada), $48.95
First released in 1993, the Stewart Family Reserve is made in a rich and rewarding style. The 2020 vintage features a core of ripe fruit (tropical, pear and citrus) that is rounded out by nutty, spicy and honey notes. The flavourful style features a creamy texture and a lingering finish that made it stand out from the wines poured alongside in the warm-climate flight. It’s appealing now, with nice potential to develop with bottle age. Drink now to 2030. Available at the above price in Ontario, direct lcbo.com, $49, direct quailsgate.com, $49.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.
Stags’ Leap Winery Chardonnay 2020 (United States), $44.95
This Napa Valley chardonnay conveys an appealing ripe and refreshing character. The concentrated fruit flavour is balanced by juicy acidity and integrated oak spice that contribute to a firm and focused structure. It’s an impressive white wine. Drink now to 2028. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta.
Christopher Waters