This week in Gismondi On Wine, Anthony Gismondi reviews Meyer Family Vineyards wines and we are proud to say we received fantastic reviews! Gismondi says about our Pinot Noir “expect an overt earthy nose with bits of strawberry and racy acidity and what we can now term the Meyer elegance.”

Here’s a list of the latest Gismondi reviews:

92 Points!
2011 Micro Cuvée Chardonnay
“Old Main Road Vineyard is the source of the Micro Cuvée in 2011 a wine made only in vintages deemed worthy and only from the very best barrels in this case two puncheons. A clear jump up in intensity, the style is firm with vibrant acidity and a stony, mineral lean-ess that suggests it could age handsomely for years. The palate is a mix of hazelnuts, pears and leesy notes with bits of honey, citrus rind and a hint of tropical fruit. This wine needs time and food but will repay patience and bottle ageing. You can serve it now with halibut.”

91 Points!
2011 McLean Creek Road Chardonnay
“This wine struck platinum and was the highest rank chardonnay at the 2013 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. With only 20 to 25 percent new French oak and half of that in large puncheons this difficult vintage for most danced around trouble in Ok Falls, with a perfect flowering, a fine September and a break to harvest after early October rains. More mineral and electric with bits of spice and sage there is enough creamy textures, peach and hazelnut to pull it all together in the finish. A less is more wine that will get better in bottle over the next three years.”

90 Points!
2011 McLean Creek Road Pinot Noir
“A mix of young fruit and 75 percent older pinot vines. There is 75 percent new oak (an oddity because the winery purchased new puncheons to lessen the influence of oak over time. Fresh sour cherry mineral notes and a long, lean finish. Not a great year but winemaker Chris Carson has done a fine job of selecting fruit and getting the most out of his fruit. Look for light red fruit flavours, raspberries and a dusting of compost. This wine is best with simply grilled bird dishes.”

90 Points!
2011 Reimer Vineyard Pinot Noir
“Reimer Estate Vineyard in Kelowna is owned by a BC trucking magnate and his personal vineyard is planted to 100 percent pinot noir, Pommard and Dijon clones. It’s a young site, that is cropped low and the results are impressive. The site is moderately steep, faces northwest and is silt and loam overlaying gravel and loam. One third new oak fills out the middle and there is a youthful jammy fruit supporting excellent freshness and a much spicier, earthy style pinot with both richness and complexity. Salmon anyone?”

89 Points!
2012 Okanagan Valley Chardonnay
“The Meyers OK chardonnay is a mix of the two family-owned vineyards, McLean Creek Road in OK Falls and Old Main Rd in Naramata. The wine goes through a natural, partial, malolactic fermentation in this case 25 percent and it spends four months on its fine lees. Older wood and minimum intervention winemaking yield a lively, fresh, green apple, citrus, skinny chardonnay whose strength is nuance and simplicity. Creaky enough to entice bright enough to enthrall. The style is Euro or what I’m calling the New Okanagan. Good value 555 cases produced. Perfect with most simply prepared fish dishes.”

89 Points!
2011 Winnifred Mary Stewart Tribute Series Chardonnay
“The 2011 Tribute Series is dedicated to different Canadian each year who is or has been outstanding in their field. In 2011 Winnifred Mary Stewart is the honoree but as always the wine comes off the family’s ‘Old Main Road Vineyard’ on Naramata Bench. The cool climate site is now 15 years old. It’s all free run juice and the ferment is finished off in 100 percent new French oak of which about one third is new. It then spends about 10 months sur lees without Battonage. In a challenging late year it’s turned out to be a solid wine. Light notes of orchard fruit with light minerality. The palate has texture and creaminess with citrus, peach skin and vanilla notes with a stony finish. The Tribute Series is a dedication to a Canadian for an outstanding achievement in their field. Each year, the Meyer Family will donate $5,000 toward a non-for profit foundation, endowment or scholarship as a way of encouraging or honoring the legacies of these Canadians.”

89 Points!
2011 Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir
“Older barrels are the secret to BC’s delicate pinot noir that simply can’t take a lot of new oak. In this case the fruit is a mix of Kelowna, Oliver and Okanagan Falls fruit; some owned some purchased. Expect an overt earthy nose with bits of strawberry and racy acidity and what we can now term the Meyer elegance. The palate is soft but not flabby with wild raspberry fruit, spice, worsteshire, dried-herbs and some stony minerality. Made to drink young but it will improve in bottle over the next year or two. Simple winemaking, half wild yeast, various size open top fermenters. Gentle gentle gentle. A good value wine for chicken, pork or mushroom dishes.”

Full reviews available at GismondiOnWine.com