John Szabo - www.winealign.com (March 2021)
Very mature, bready, cabbage and onion soup- scented, I have to say, not immediately inviting - yeast autolysis has run wild here. But the palate certainly delivers a significant, and impressive amount of flavour, intense and driving. Acids are still firm and green, and length is long. A bit aggressive in the end, even after all of these years. Tasted March 2021.
Value rating: 2/5 stars. 89 points.
Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (March 2021)
This year's RD Reserve Brut blends 65% chardonnay and 35% pinot noir, with 6.5 years on lees prior to bottling, and another year in bottle prior to release. It was disgorged in August 2019 with 4 g/L. Very complexed, with layers of shimmering stony buzz basing red apple, lemon pith, roasted nuts, on a grippy, meringue-based palate. Quite deep with the autolytics provided by the additional aging. This is drinking beautifully now, but with time still ahead. 91 points.
Anthony Gismondi - www.gismondionwine.com (October 2020)
The 2012 Reserve Brut was disgorged in August 2019 and finished in the classic brut style with a dosage of 4g/L. Post disgorgement, it spends another 12 months in bottle before its release. I love that the winery extends such love to this wine and wish other BC producers would consider similar ageing options. The blend of 65 percent chardonnay and 35 percent pinot noir, 6.5 years on its lees, seems to set this sparkler free. It’s livelier on the palate but with a wonderful reductive autolytic scent that entices. The palate is a nutty mix of red fruits and citrus with a strong lees undercurrent. Impressive and a real bargain at $50.00. It was a perfect match to lox and fresh cream cheese, but pairings with this bubble are almost endless. A Canadian treasure. 91 points.
Geoffrey Moss - www.gismondionwine.com (October 2020)
A blend of 65 percent chardonnay and 35 percent pinot noir, this spends 6.5 years on its lees like the Blanc de Blancs, and is released 12 months after being disgorged. Trying the two side-by-side makes for an interesting contrast. This is more developed and shows some of its age, but is quite complex as a result, showing a range of lemon curd, red fruits, nuts, toast, and a mealy note. Interestingly, the autolytic character is also more overt here. It's well balanced, with the ripeness of fruit to easily balance the minimal dosage (4 g/L), but doesn't have the same tension as the Blanc de Blancs. Ready to drink now and solid value at $50. 91 points.
Blue Mountain 2011 Reserve Brut
Natalie MacLean - www.nataliemaclean.com (May 2020)
A vibrant, robust BC sparkling wine with aromas of freshly baked bread, golden apple and Asian pear. This is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. It was aged on the lees for 6.5 years to enhance its creamy texture and rich taste. Pair with seafood and poultry dishes. 93 points.
David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (May 2020)
This is a 50-50 pinot noir-chardonnay blend aged for an impressive 6 1/2 years on its lees. The coloured has deepened yellow-gold. The nose is very intense with complex hazelnut, dried fruit, toast and this lovely vinosity that I get in good Champagne. It is light to medium bodied, quite dry with some nut shell pithiness and bitterness. Very bracing although a little rounder and richer on the palate than the 2011 Blanc de Blancs tasted at the same time. The length is excellent to outstanding. Great price for a wine of such depth and complexity. 93 Points.
Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca & www.winediva.ca (December 2019)
Elegant, finesse, precise. Made from equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this exceptional fizz was aged on lees for six and one-half years to enhance complexity then disgorged prior to release in August 2018. Golden fruit aromas are melded with vanilla, honey, cashews and tat wild berries. Expect focus and precision and taut acidity softened by a creamy texture. Complex with notable persistence--a classic and elegant sparkling. 93 Points.
Daenna Van Mulligen - Montecristo Magazine (November 2019)
Consisting of almost equal parts estate-grown chardonnay and pinot noir, the wine was made in a traditional method, whereby a secondary fermentation occurred in bottle—it was then aged in that bottle for more than six years.
An ambrosial wine, it delivers peach and golden apples, honey, wild red berries and candied cashew aromas, which translate to a creamy yet racy palate that is rich and equally taut. Overall, this outstanding wine is complex and lively with impressive length.
Disgorged in 2018, this 55/45 chardonnay/pinot noir blend has a highly attractive autolytic nose reflecting 6.5 years on its lees. There is better freshness than 2008 and the combination of lees and citrus notes fuel the complex, inviting opening. The Reserve Brut spends a final year in bottle before release. It is an excellent bottle of sparkling wine, entirely complete. Ready to drink now and will accompany just about any food item you can think of to serve. Watch out Champagne, we are coming for you. 91 points
Blue Mountain 2010 Reserve Brut
Bone-dry, this top-end sparkling wine from B.C.-bubbly pioneer Blue Mountain displays impressive depth and the telltale autolytic character that comes with extended time maturing on lees. Cut with razor acidity, it offers lemon curd, green apple, dough, honey and a lovely sherry-like nutty tang. It should cellar well for another five years, assuming you like your bubbles with some goût anglais. 92 Points.
Blue Mountain 2009 Reserve Brut
Elegant, finesse, precise. Made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this exceptional fizz was aged on lees for six and one-half years to enhance complexity then disgorged prior to release in August 2017. Classic styling, precise and elegant with patisserie aromas layered with golden apples, marmalade, bread dough and creamed pears. It has a creamy, developed palate; it is rich and luscious, complex and toasty with a super-fine bead and superior finesse. Top of the line for Canadian sparklers; what bubble dreams are made of. 94 Points.
This elegant wine is 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, a classic Champagne blend. The wine was aged on the lees for six and a half years, was disgorged in August 16, and aged more than a year in bottle before release. The wine, which has a fine mousse, begins with aromas of brioche and apple which are echoed in the flavours, along with a hint of strawberry. Time on the lees has given this wine an appealing rich and creamy texture. 93..
This was produced 50-50 from chardonnay and pinot noir and aged six and a half years on its lees in the bottle. It has evolved to pale lemon-gold colour with a very fine bead. The nose is generous and very complex with classic honey, almond, brioche, dried flower and fruit aromas. It is medium weight, almost perfectly balanced, creamy yet dry and pleasantly bitter. Impressive complexity and outstanding length. Fans of aged Champagne will be impressed. Tasted December 2017 93 Points
This is a lovely very classy mature bubbly with a lifted complex nose. If you love aged Champagne try this well priced bubbly. Expect aromas of baked apple with honey, almond and lemon plus some mineral tones. It is made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir and aged for more than six years on its lees in the bottle. It has evolved to pale golden colour with a very fine delicate mousse. There is a good depth of flavour and excellent length. Try with lobster or other rich seafood. Tasted December 2017. 92 Points
It is the sketch of chardonnay meeting pinot noir that once again delivers the aromatic goods in Blue Mountain's staid and true Brut. This particular R.D. was in fact recently disgorged in August of 2016 and so with a year and a quarter already behind it has already settled into its sweet leesy skin. What bitters it may have directed earlier on, from lemon and tonic are now integrated and so texture is not the only high quality facet of its current fleshy existence. This carries aromatic notes of tart peach and ripe plum, followed by developed flavours of lemon curd and cassoulet. The gastronomy means it will pair so well with dinner and dessert providing the latter is one of citrus and caramelization. Will pour beautifully for another two to three years. Drink 2017-2020. Tasted December 2017. 92 Points
Blue Mountain's reserve brut '09 R.D. (disgorged August 2016, with 6.5 years on the lees), is an rather superb blend of half chardonnay, half pinot noir, with complexity in spades. It's a shade superior than the also very good blanc de blancs '09 R.D., offering a better range of both fruity (lemon/grapefruit peel and pith) and toasty (graham cracker, honey, maple syrup) flavours. The palate is superbly composed, at once broad and mouth filling but also tightly defined and sharply delineated. It's nicely mature at this stage, and length is excellent, too. Lovely stuff, ready to enjoy. Tasted December 2017. 92 Points
The '09 RD is a 45/55 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. It’s all estate, all hand-harvested and all free run juice. The wine was disgorged August 2016, and finished brut before spending a year in bottle prior to this release. This is as complex as it gets at Blue Mountain, offering bright citrus nutty notes that persist through the finish. You could drink it now but holding it another few years won’t hurt. Impressive style. Bring this one to the table. 91 Points
To say it tastes "as good as Champagne" is to understate the matter, because there are decent Champagnes and there are really good ones. This compares favourably with many in the latter camp. The Mavety family behind Blue Mountain take their bubbles seriously. The Brut Reserve, a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, spent an impressive 6-1/2 years maturing in bottle in contact with lees, vastly longer than the norm for Champagne. Result: a richer, creamier texture and more pronounced autolytic flavours of honey, biscuit and toasted nuts. It's all lifted and held tight and bright by Blue Mountain's classic high-watt acidity. 94 Points
Blue Mountain 2007 Reserve Brut
Here is an elegant sparking wine that goes toe to toe with Champagne. It is a blend of 50% each Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was on the lees for six and a half years before being disgorged, acquiring the classic brioche aromas and flavours of Champagne. The finish is crisp.
This is a very elegant, fine 50-50 pinot noir/chardonnay brut aged 5plus years on its lees. There is a fine sense of precision, with reserved but focused aromas of dried pear, lemon curd, hazelnut and brioche. It's slim, taut and nicely balanced with lemon, nuts and minerality on the finish. This is really fine. Excellent to outstanding length. Tasted December 2016. 92.
This is classy, mature, very complex traditional method sparkling wine (50% each chardonnay and pinot noir) from Blue Mountain, five years on the lees. This hits all of the right notes, with a wide range from biscuit and brioche to apple and citrus flavours, with ginger spice and honeyed-wet hay nuances. The palate is essentially dry, very crisp, with great tension and length. Lovely wine. Tasted December 2016. 92.
They say time is everything and heals all wounds. To say that six and a half years put in by wine with sitting patience on its lees is a labour of loyalty and love would be a gross understatement. What Matt Mavety gifts this Brut Sparkling 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir is time, to fix anything that might have ever felt a pang of ail and to smooth, lift, place and flesh. All has evolved, resolved and fought the greatest of good fights. The RB 2008 sings like a bird in flight with aromatics way up there is the thin air and then back down for a crunch of rich, gingery biscuits on the palate. The citrus is ethereal, the finish healthy and long. Drink 2016-2021. Tasted December 2016. 92.
This 50/50 blend of 2008 pinot noir and chardonnay was disgorged in August 2015, after 6.5 years on the lees and an additional year in the bottle. Impressive numbers, but this exceptional wine starts in the vineyard, with Okanagan Falls estate fruit whole cluster pressed, and fermented separately in stainless before blending. Complex and concentrated with light dough, nuts and piercing lemon peel. A very complete palate will only get better with bottle development. Great verve and drive throughout to the vibrating finish. One for drinking now, or for the cellar. 91.
Blue Mountain 2007 Reserve Brut
Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca (December 2015)
Elegant, complex, silky. The 2007 is made from equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was aged on lees for seven yearsto enhance complexity then disgorged prior to release in March 2015. Blue Mountain is renowned for elegant and elaborate bubbles - this one is a stand out. The aromas here are hazelnuts, warm apple turnovers lemon and pear with a hint of summer berries. It has a solid autolytic character from its time on lees and flavours of juicy citrus, toasted nuts and creamy fruit. It has beautiful weight and focus with a tiny bead as well as a long and powerful finish lifted with mouthwatering acidity. 93.
Blue Mountain 2006 Reserve Brut
Anthony Gismondi - Gismondi on wine (January 2015)
Pale yellow colour. Medium fine bubbles with baked green apple, pear, floral, lemon, guava and light toasty aromas. Crisp, drier brut palate with good mousse creaminess but slightly austere. Lemon, pear skin, toasty, spicy, baked green apple, biscuit, rhubarb and peach pit flavours. Good delicacy in a more reserved style for food. Next step will be additional aromatics and flavour complexity with depth. A very fine sparkler.
Daenna Van Mulligen - winediva.ca & winescores.ca (December 2014)
Exceptional, complex, silky. The 2006 is made from 55% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Gris. It was aged on lees for seven years to enhance complexity then disgorged May 2014.
Recently disgorged (RD) refers to the fact that this sparkling aged on its lees to add complexity, until just months prior to release. Blue Mountain is renowned for elegant and often intricate bubbles - this one is no exception. Made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and a splash of Pinot Gris, it suggests patisserie aromas of warm buttery croissants and nutty brioche slathered in pear compote alongside golden apples, field berries, orange zest and white flowers. Expect a fine bead (bubbles) and a mosaic of fruit, exotic citrus, nuts and bread-y toasted flavours. It is silky and undeniably elegant with exceptional power balanced by mouthwatering acidity. 93.
John Schreiner - John Schreiner on wine (December 2014)
Blue Mountain Reserve Brut 2006 R.D. ($40). This is 30% Pinot Noir, 70% Chardonnay. The wine spent seven years on the lees in individual bottles before being disgorged in May 2014. It is almost creamy on the palate with toasty notes on the nose. The flavours include appealing hints of strawberry and citrus. The wine, which finishes dry, is exceptional in its elegance. 95.
David Lawrason- winealign.com (October 2014)
This is a very intense, linear dry Brut with very lifted aromas of dried pear and lemon fruit, fried onion/garlic and some marzipan. Very complex. It's light bodied with slightly frothy mousse, riveting acidity and very lemony, nutty flavours on the finish. Excellent length. 91.
Michael Godel - winealign.com (October 2014)
The RD from estate fruit is Pinot Noir based, with approximately one third support from Chardonnay and a pittance of Pinot Gris. The extended lees sit is seven years and if that is not the texture kicker than nothing is. Strawberries persist throughout this very dry sparkler, from leaves on the nose to bled fruit on the palate. This carries more arid character than the Blanc de Blancs, more texture and less atomic airiness. Finishes dusty and gingered, with a hint of mineral though the subtlety is sketched. The poise here is to be commended, the grace embraced. Calming fizz for any occasion. 91.
Blue Mountain 2005 Reserve Brut
John Schreiner - John Schreiner on wine (November 2013)
This wine spent seven years on the yeast lees before being disgorged in March 2013. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Gris. The prolonged sur-lies aging promotes a fine mousse with delicate bready aromas. The winery’s own notes speak of strawberry on the nose and palate. I found the finish crisp and even austere. Yet this is a fine, complex wine that more than holds its own against Champagne. 91.
Sid Cross- Vancouver Sun (November 2013)
The wine is recently disgorged after seven years on lees. It was disgorged March 2013 with a low sugar dosage 6g/l) showing rich, complex yeasty charming strawberry red fruits from low cropped 100 per cent hand harvested estate grapes.
Anthony Gismondi - Gismondi on wine (October 2013)
Fun to see an RD coming out of Blue Mountain, in this case a 2005 that was recently disgorged (RD). The blend is 60/35/5 pinot noir/chardonnay/pinot gris. There is no reserve in this wine and according to winemaker Matt Mavety it isn't required due to the uniformity of the blend from year to year. The wine spends six years on its lees developing an aromatic red fruit nose with toasted nuts and lees and a whiff of minerality. Dry, firm complex and impressive it sells out in moments. Best get on the list.
David Lawrason- winealign.com (October 2013)
This is surely one of the best bubblies of B.C. a pinot noir, chardonnay blend with a touch of pinot gris, that was aged six years on the lees and disgorged March 2012. It's a firm, solid and complex sparkler that can stand with some Champagnes. The nose is nicely lifted with dried cherry pinot-fruit, nutty, mushroomy and baked bread scents. It's medium weight wiht great acidity, breadth and depth. A touch sour on the finish. The length is excellent to outstanding.
John Szabo - winealign.com (October 2013)
Blue Mountain's Reserve Brut RD (recently disgorged, in March 2012) is a fine wine for fans of mature, heavily toasty (autolytic), yeasty sparkling wines that have evolved past the flush of youth into a more autumnal spectrum of bruised orchard fruit, dried apples and pears and caramelized citrus. The palate is generously proportioned and creamy, richly flavoured and packed with more pear cobbler type flavours. Crisp and dry, classy and complex, with excellent length. This is surely one of BC's best, at a fair price; no wonder it sells out quickly.
Daenna Van Mulligen- Vines Magazine (August/ September 2013)
Take note of the glossy new labels on Blue Mountain's reserve sparkling wines. Pinot Noir dominates this newly released 2005 vintage with the addition of 35 percent Chardonnay and five percent Pinot Gris. Made in the traditional method, it went through a secondard fermentation in bottle and was then aged sur lie for six years. It offers toast and Bosc pear, tart red berries and bread dough with undertones of apple, nuts and honeysuckle. An impressive creamy mosse describes the palate. It is an elegantly woven wine with citrus, brioche and ginger biscuit flavours holding tight to the finish.
May 1, 2023 at 1:35 PM
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