Anthony Gismondi & Treve Ring tasting notes & reviews

93 points – Micro Cuvée Pinot Noir 2016

“The Micro-Cuvée is meant to be the best of the Meyer pinots every year, although it appears the Old Block is pushing for similar status. All 150 cases are grown at McLean Creek Road and the MC is winemaker Chris Carson and his personal selection of the best barrels, what he likes to call the, “most harmonious blend.” They picked the pinot at 24 to 25.5 brix and it’s 75/25 mix of clone 91 and 115. The oak is a mix of one new French oak 500-litre puncheons, and two one-year old French oak puncheons. A joyous 13.5 percent alcohol, it’s awash in silky, textured pinot, redolent in rich earthy dark plum flavours, bright acidity and length and a long persistent, mouth-filling finish. Early on, 2016 looked a lot like 2015 with warm dry conditions, early budburst and a warm advanced harvest, but cool and wet weather brought all that to a halt in July, extending the season back into a more normal and acceptable time frame for pinot noir maturation. A cooler harvest saw very little shrivel on the younger berries. Early September showers retreated, leaving a perfect fall finish. The harvest commenced on September 21 and ran through Oct 5. A must buy for pinot lovers.”

Tasted March 7, 2018
Tasted by Anthony Gismondi

92 Points – Micro Cuvée Chardonnay 2016

“The Meyer Micro Cuvée is from the north-facing, organically-farmed Naramata Bench Old Main Road Vineyard, planted in 1996 on silt loam over clay. You feel the site difference on the palate immediately; this is weightier, more expansive and more full-bodied on the palate. With ample popcorn and flint leading creamy citrus and hazelnuts, it’s a mouthful. Lemon curd, lemon pulp pulls this structural wine through to a snappy, salted finish. This was made like all Meyer chardonnays: stainless-started ferment, finishing in French oak where it remains on lees for 11 months. In this wine, however, half the oak is new, and it makes its mark in a sure-footed way. Powerful and very intense now (too much for solo sipping), a wine that will pleasantly mellow and reward with time in your cellar. For the moment a whole-roasted, lemon-stuffed chicken could take this on. Bravo.”

Tasted March 20, 2018
Tasted by Treve Ring & Anthony Gismondi

92 points – Old Block Pinot Noir 2016

“Early 2016 looked a lot like 2015 with warm, dry conditions, early bud burst, and a warm advanced harvest, but cool and wet weather brought all that to a halt in July extending the season back into a more normal and acceptable time frame for pinot noir maturation. The Old Block, one of the original vineyard plantings in 1994 and part of the largest block of pinot noir at McLean Creek Road, was harvested at 25 brix on Oct 9th. The clone is unknown. It has a steep southerly aspect to capture the full range of the sun and you can taste it in the density and weight of this wine. The rest of the story is Chris Carson not doing too much. The fruit is de-stemmed via gravity into small open top fermenters (15 percent goes in whole cluster). After a cold soaking there is an indigenous fermentation before it spends 11 months in (30 percent new) French oak. Only 350 cases made. Beautiful, supple, dark cherry fruit with flecks of what I like to term mineral mud. It’s a fresher version of the 2015. Again finesse, persistence and the individuality of this wine makes it a special bottle.”

Tasted March 7, 2018
Tasted by Anthony Gismondi

92 points – Reimer Pinot Noir 2016

“The harvest at Reimer, in northeast Kelowna, commenced 24.5 brix on Oct 6. This is handpicked pinot noir off a moderately steep northwesterly aspect of silt loam overlaying gravel loam. Simple winemaking entails a cold soak, indigenous fermentation and gentle hand plunging of the must. Like the Mclean Creek, it spends 11 months in French oak barrels, 27 percent new. The attack is rich and juicy with ebullient fruit spilling from the glass. A little less red and a little more black, the Reimer is hedonistic with a spicy savoury forest floor core to balance the finish. This can handle smoked fowl, or richer duck confit. Early 2016 looked a lot like 2015 with warm dry conditions, early budburst and a warm advanced harvest, but cool and wet weather brought all that to a halt in July extending the season back into a more normal and acceptable time frame for pinot noir maturation. A cooler harvest saw very little shrivel on the younger berries, and early September showers retreated, leaving a perfect fall finish.”

Tasted March 7, 2018
Tasted by Anthony Gismondi

92 Points – Tribute Series Chardonnay 2016

“Meyer Family Vineyards have become known for their single-vintage chardonnays and pinot noirs, all set within the distinct MFV style. From the Old Main Road in Naramata the 2016 Tribute Series Chardonnay label honours Canadian Donovan Tildesley, an accomplished blind Paralympic swimmer, for outstanding achievement in his field. Each year owners Jak & Janice Meyer donate $1,000 per year over 5 years toward a not-for profit foundation, endowment or scholarship as a way of encouraging or honouring the legacies of these Canadians. Expect a tight, fine, bamboo strong lemon acidity laced throughout this flinty, reductive-styled chardonnay. Concentrated, but fine, this hums with stony minerality and tight acidity that prolongs the finish. This wine is made similarly to the McLean Creek Road Vineyard Chardonnay (stainless started ferment, French oak finished and rested on the lees for 11 months), however this wine took on a bit more new oak at 22 percent. This wine has the intensity to hold more wood, swallowing rather than wallowing. Impressive drinking now at a streamlined 13 degrees alcohol, and will hold. Impressive.”

Tasted March 20, 2018
Tasted by Treve Ring & Anthony Gismondi

91 points – McLean Creek Road Chardonnay 2016

“Meyer Family Vineyards is known for its distinct single-vintage labels both chardonnay and pinot noir, all set within the MFV style. From its home Okanagan Falls, estate, McLean Creek Road Vineyard and its steep, gravel and sandy loams, this is a flinty, leesy, reductive-swinging, medium+ bodied white, threaded with lemon peel and textured with grippy pith and a mineral, broken stone palate. Few BC winemakers make chardonnay in this style; here MFV is pioneering. After a long, cool, stainless-started ferment, the must is transferred to French oak (only 18 percent new) for the remainder of ferment, followed by 11 months ageing on the lees. The wine is unfined and coarsely filtered prior to bottling, preserving the appealing authenticity of place. Drinking beautifully now, especially with salted, thyme and sage roasted chicken. Impressive.”

Tasted March 20, 2018
Tasted by Treve Ring & Anthony Gismondi

91 points – McLean Creek Road Pinot Noir 2016

“Early 2016 looked a lot like 2015 with warm, dry conditions, early bud burst, and a warm advanced harvest, but cool and wet weather brought all that to a halt in July, extending the season back into a more normal and acceptable time frame for pinot noir maturation. A cooler harvest saw very little shrivel on the younger berries. Early September showers retreated, leaving a perfect fall finish. The harvest commenced on September 21 and ran through Oct 5. They picked the pinot at 24 to 25.5 brix and it’s all off the home McLean Creek Road Vineyard in Okanagan Falls, a mix of French Dijon and Pommard clones set out in three separate, steep-sloped, organically farmed blocks facing south, west and northwest. The attack is cherry, raspberries and plums with soft, silky, melt in your mouth tannins and a twist of forest floor, all at an exciting 13.5 alcohol. Delicious drinking already and full measure for an eleven month stay in all French oak (only 25 per cent new). If you are patient you could cellar this for three to five years. Pork belly is a decadent match.”

Tasted March 7, 2018
Tasted by Anthony Gismondi

90 points – Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir 2016

“Early 2016 looked a lot like 2015 with warm dry conditions, early budburst and a warm advanced harvest, but cool and wet weather brought all that to a halt in July extending the season back into a more normal and acceptable time frame for pinot noir maturation. Harvest began September 14. The fruit is a mix of McLean Creek Road (Okanagan Falls), Reimer Vineyard (South East Kelowna) and two other East Kelowna sites. At the winery the fruit gets a cold soak in small open top fermenters before an 18-day indigenous ferment with gentle hand plunging. Post maceration, the wine ages ten months in seasoned French oak barrels. Sweet, juicy, gulpable pinot with persistent cinnamon spice and a stream of acidity that holds it all together. A delicious, no need to think about it pinot, that is ready to drink. Oregon meets California. A hefty 2,000 cases made. This is the best $26 pinot in the market.”

Tasted March 7, 2018
Tasted by Anthony Gismondi

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