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JoieFarm Spec Sheets  |
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We made A Noble Blend in the spirit of
Edelzwicker or Gentil , the traditional Germanic-varietal
blend of the Alsace region of France. The literal translation
of Edelzwicker is “a noble blend” – Noble, also happens
to be Heidi's family name. Our original intent in choosing to
produce this proprietary blend was our knowledge that many of
the oldest plantings in this valley were Germanic varietals
which have proven to be extremely successful in this climate.
Much of the 2008 A Noble Blend originates from older plantings
and these mature vines tend to be naturally lower in yield and
produce more complex and intensely flavoured grapes. Blending
allows us to utilize the different characteristics of each variety
(or of the same variety from different sites) in order to help
us achieve natural balance as well as adding greater complexity
to the wine. The 2008 Noble Blend is a blend of Gewürztraminer,
Pinot Blanc, Kerner, Pinot Gris and Ehrenfelser.
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Our inspiration for the Un-Oaked Chardonnay
is derived more from our love of the un-oaked Burgundian Chardonnays
of the lesser known region of Macon than it is from the more
famous wines of Chablis. While we are influenced by both of
these regions, we feel the riper style of Macon to be more relevant
to the Okanagan Valley. While we still prize the mineral character
typical of Chardonnay from Okanagan Falls, we are also intrigued
with the riper, richer profile of Chardonnay from Osoyoos and
the Naramata Bench. Our goal with this wine was to create a
Chardonnay that had interest and weight through the use of extended
lees contact, despite the absence of the prolonged, slow oxidation
of a barrel.
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We make Rosé because we love drinking
it and we believe it to be the most versatile wine to pair with
food. We make our Rosé primarily from premium Pinot Noir
and Gamay. These Burgundian siblings compliment each other beautifully.
Pinot Noir gives our Rosé strawberry and Montmorency
cherry flavours and a lovely light body. Gamay contributes black
cherry and spice and adds a little more texture and weight to
the mid-palate. This year, we added a small amount of their
Champagne cousin Pinot Meunier for a little more natural acidity.
A 10% addition of Pinot Gris brings a third dimension to this
wine in terms of texture and citrus complexity. We prefer a
slightly off-dry style to give better mouth feel and greater
definition to the fruit flavours. We believe in using the best
possible grapes rather than those that were not good enough
for the red wine, as is done in many cases the world over. We
believe in pressing the wine off of the skins rather than bleeding
it off of the red wine so that we are able to extract maximum
flavour and complexity. We prefer standard fermentation rather
than carbonic maceration because we derive cleaner flavours
and greater individual character in the wine.
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Much like rosé, Riesling with its mouthwatering acidity,
a touch of sweetness and moderate alcohol levels, is the ultimate
example of balance in wine and is therefore extremely flexible
when it comes to pairing with a wide range of foods.
The balance between sugar and acid also allows Riesling to
support delicious aromas and flavours of citrus and tropical
fruit, flowers and spice. The greatest examples we know
of originate in Germany and it was Germans who brought the
first Riesling to the Okanagan Valley. We practiced
vinifying Riesling on its own for two years before we were
proud (and confident) enough to release this one, since we
have such strong feelings about how great riesling should
taste. Making Riesling for winemakers truly is an exercise
in achieving a “delicate balance”.
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Muscat holds a fond place in our travel memories to the northwest
of Italy. There are many different types of Muscat but we
particularily prize the Muscat Blanc á Petit Grains,
also knowns as Muscat Cannelli and its very close cousin Moscato
Giallo, of which we have planted two acres at our home vineyard
which will come online for the 2009 vintage. Muscat is an
intensely aromatic varietal, both floral and fruity. While
most other grape varieties seem to be at their best mimicking
a broad spectrum of diverse flavours the true charm of Muscat
is that it tastes as though you are actually enjoying the
grapes themselves. That is why we call our Muscat “The Pure
Grape”.
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Our Reserve Chardonnay
is sourced in its entirety from our best vineyard sites in
Okanagan Falls. We prize these vineyards for the minerality
that they impart to the wine, an unusual quality not supported
by any other soil type in the Okanagan or Similkameen Valleys.
This characteristic, accentuated by the toasted hazelnut quality
of premium French oak barrels, enables us to create an indigenous
expression of Chardonnay inspired by the finest wines of the
Côte de Beaune.
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PTG stands for “Passetoutgrain”, a classic, but little known
wine of Burgundy that combines the elegant Pinot Noir of the
Côte d'Or with the rich, spicy Gamay of Beaujolais. Both
of these varieties excel in the climate of the Okanagan and
Similkameen valleys. We utilize our best fruit from this vintage,
aged for 16 months in a combination of new and 1 year old premium,
French oak to create a wine of both richness and finesse.
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Our dedication to exploring the potential of aromatic white varietals in the Okanagan Valley is shared by our friend Barbara Philip, Canada's first female WSET Master of Wine and one of only 270 people, worldwide, to pass the rigorous exam in the past 50 years. Barbara's MW dissertation was entitled “Examining Pinot Blanc as a Potential Signature Wine in the Okanagan Valley” .
To Barbara Philip, MW, we dedicate this wine, the result of a select parcel of our best Pinot Blanc which underwent a native ferment in mature French oak, batonage sûr lie for 10 months and was bottled without fining or filtration.
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