Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir

Blue Mountain 2018 Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir

Anthony Gismondi - www.gismondionwine.com (September 2020)

The Reserve Cuvée is a mix of three estate vineyards with an average age of 34 years and a blend of four clones: 113, 114, 115, and 667. It is all hand-harvested, destemmed, and lightly crushed into open top tanks. The settled wine is moved into a mix of barrels from new to four year old wood for ageing. It is clearly more intense than the Estate Pinot, denser in colour, weight, aromas and flavours. Look for black cherry, black raspberry with smoky, reductive, meaty, mushroom undertones that suggest some decanting time is in order. The finish is already smooth and silky, so it should be ready to drink by 2022 at the latest. Experience tells us it ages effortlessly. Try this with a savoury stuffed turkey or a mushroom risotto if you need to open it now. 90 points.

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (August 2020)

From three of Blue Mountain's estate vineyards, and fruit 21-34 years old, this blends 4 clones (113, 114, 115, 667) in a native ferment in steel, before decanting into French barrels (new - 4th fill). Autumnal shaded, with forest berries, wild cherries, cinnamon bark seasoning the plump body. Tannins are slight but bamboo firm, guiding this to a salted stone finish. Upon decanting, this is showing glints of the gracefulness that will be omnipresent in a couple years' time. 90 points. 

Geoffrey Moss - www.gismondionwine.com (August 2020)

The Reserve Cuvée differentiates itself from its Estate younger sibling through its use of 21-34 year old vines. The fruit character is similar, both shrubby and with dark cherry fruit, but with more concentration and fruit density. The oak feels a bit less obvious as a result, with the fruit weight to carry it. There's also more of a flinty reductive character that adds to its complexity. It's a pleasure to drink now, thanks to its silky tannins, but it no doubt has a long life ahead of it. Blue Mountain is one of the Okanagan’s top pinot producers for a reason. 90 points. 

Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca  & www.winediva.ca (August 2020)

Silky, sauvage, savoury.
The Mavety family has been growing grapes high above Vaseaux Lake in the South Okanagan since 1971. Since 1991 they have been making their own wines under the Blue Mountain label. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the combination in their sparkling wine program are their specialties.
This reserve cuvee is selected blend from vines consisting of four Burgundian clones, which are 25+ years old.
Sauvage: bloody meat and fleur de sel, wild red berries and grilled red apple peel, toasted spice and forest floor aromas roll into a silky palate. Sweet red fruit latches onto the palate before evolving into darker forest berries layered with botanical, cedar and toasted spice flavours. It has a muscular but balanced elegance and very youthful character. I would put this one away for a year or more. 91 points.

David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (August 2020) 

With the 2017 vintage Blue Mountain launched a range of three single block pinots within their large estate that ranges over several terraces above Vaseaux Lake. This River Flow site is on alluvial soils closest to the lake. It is quite pale, feels light and shows classic cool climate currant/sour cherry fruit. There is also some wood smokiness, toast, evergreen and herbality on the nose. It is mid-weight (13%), tart-edged yet texturally streamlined on the mid-palate, with a slightly green cranberry/currant finish. The length is excellent. Tasted August 2020. 94 points.

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Blue Mountain 2017 Reserve Cuvée Pinot Noir

 

Michael Godel - www.winealign.com (May 2020) 

The Mavety’s pinot noir is a professional one, truly. Aromas are not just spot on and concentrated in their reserve mentality, they are poignant in their hyperbole. Deep red fruit, the inner most flesh of sanctum, of that berry in early July and the plum in late August. Crisp, fruit leathery, tension like something out of Marlborough. Frankly just really well cared for and allowed to speak its mind out of the cellar and into the bottle. Drink 2020-2023. Tasted April 2020. 92 points.

Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca  & www.winediva.ca (December, 2019)

Juicy, elegant, silky. Regularly one of British Columbia's most outstanding Pinot Noirs, Blue Mountain's 2017 Reserve is as consistently elegant as ever. It is spicy and floral with wild herbs, star anise and leather aromas that morph into a more restrained mouth. Spicy and restrained, cedar and tealeaf flavours dangle on a chic and complex palate. 92 Points.

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (October 2019)

The 2017 vintage launched Blue Mountain's new Pinot Noir program, consisting of two vineyard blends, and three single vineyard wines. It's an exciting move for the pinot specialists, one of BC's first and foremost iconic / cult family owned wineries. This Reserve Cuvée takes fruit from their three key pinot vineyards, vines averaging 33 years, and clones 113, 114, 115, and 667. The destemmed fruit was native fermented with gentle pigeage over 3 weeks, and then into 228L French barrels (new to 4th year) until it was bottled unfiltered, in March 2019. Structural and well built, with dusky black cherry, thorny wild blackberries, uncut tobacco, saddle leather, and ample toasted cloves and nutmeg. Tannins are firm and cedar-scented, a bit too strident at this stage, but will integrate better into the fruit with a year or two in the cellar. This is certainly built for the future. 90 Points.

Anthony Gismondi - www.gismondionwine.com (September 2019)

The Reserve Cuvée is a blend of three estate vineyards with an average age of 33 years. It is also a mix of clones 113, 114, 115 and 667, that in 2017 were picked between September 20-27. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed, and lightly crushed into open-top tanks. The ferment lasts 16-20 days with infrequent light pump-overs and what they term cautious pigeage at the peak of the wild yeast ferments. The settled wine goes into new to four-year-old wood. The aromas are ripe but tempered by earthy, smoky, leather notes, with a spicy Worcestershire sauce edge. Much drier than the competition, in a good way, mixing earthy red cherries with a touch of balsamic light tannins and south Okanagan savoury garrigue. An awkward teenager for now, this should age effortlessly through 2023. A perfect foil to grilled salmon with a sweet onion reduction. 90 Points.

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Blue Mountain 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (May 2019)

This is such delicious pinot - so crammed with flavour and nuance, so generous yet lively. Love the classic, ripe sour cherry/strawberry jam fruit aromas set within perfect oak spicing (16 months in older barrels), evergreen, clove and a touch of meatiness. It is medium weight, very smooth and almost creamy in texture with surprisingly fine, soft tannin and some alcohol warmth. That's the only feature that's a bit excessive. The flavour intensity is very impressive; the length is outstanding. Quite approachable now; should age well for five years. Tasted May 2019. 94 Points

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (May 2019)

This youthful wine really shines with some airtime, allowing the sweetly spiced, ripe raspberries, sapid strawberries, cherries to expand and relax in the glass. Forest berries, leather, sweet smoke, fine nutmeg and cinnamon season this lengthy, silky, confident pinot, crafted from vines 10-32 years old, and six French clones. After a native ferment, this spent time in new-to-four-year French oak until spring. Tannins are soft and fine, and the finish is soft, fine and lightly smokey. 91 Points

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Blue Mountain 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (April 2018)

Such a solid pinot year after year! This vintage was hotter in BC but there is no sense of overripeness and the alcohol is kept to 12.5%. Indeed the nose is crammed with bright cran/cherry/raspberry red fruit character, fresh sage, toasted rye bread and peppery spice. Very complex and outdoorsy aromas. It is mid-weight, firm, intense and sour-edged, again with all kinds of sage/herbal character on the palate. Very distinctive but I have had other BC pinots with this aromatic profile. Could use a year or two in bottle to relax, but there is something to be said for its vibrancy. The focus and length are excellent to outstanding, with a memory lichen covered exposed rock in mid-summer. Tasted April 2018. 92 Points.

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Blue Mountain 2014 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

Darren Oleksyn - www.calgaryherald.com (December 2017)

Situated near Vaseux Lake, the Mavety family’s Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars has been producing elegant and powerful wines from estate vineyards in Okanagan Falls for 26 years. The 2014 Reserve Pinot Noir is one of many stars in a lineup that includes knockout Chardonnays and sparkling wines. Built to last but enjoyable now, this balanced Pinot features flavours of black cherry, loamy earth, all-spice and black raspberry, with soft, round, well-integrated tannins. 

Anthony Gismondi - www.vancouversun.com (June 2017)

If you prefer your Pinot Noir on the riper side with more dark cherry fruit, the 2014 reserve is for you. The wine spills from the glass with rich, perfumed black cherry and ripe damson plum flavours. The tannins are dense and soft, adding some flesh to the mid-palate and finish. The fruit is all estate — a blend of five French clones — pressed into French oak barrels for 10 months. More Russian River (Next World) than Burgundy this year, but so delicious and drinking well right now.

David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (June 2017)

This pale ruby-shaded pinot has a splendid, very complex nose centred on cherry fruit and embellished with fine toast, evergreen forest floor, herbs, floral notes, cinnamon and vanillin. It is medium weight, quite elegant, open knit and warm. The tannins are fine; the length is excellent to outstanding. Great focus and poise. Best 2018 to 2025. It is perhaps become too common to refer to some pinots has "Burgundian" and I try not to do it often, but when I put this wine to my nose I was transported to Burgundy right away - specifically into Beaune or surrounding vineyards like Aloxe or Savigny. But is also defines BC, with that herbal/evergreen note. Tasted June 2017. 92

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Blue Mountain 2013 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

John Schreiner - www.johnschreiner.blogspot.ca (April 2017)

I cannot find this on the winery’s website; perhaps it is sold out but was poured as a treat. The wine begins with aromas of cherry and vanilla, leading to intense flavours of cherry with a touch of good French oak. The texture is evolving towards silkiness.

Treve Ring - winealign.com (July 2016)

From seven to 29-year-old vines, this is a blend of five French clones from the Mavety family's Okanagan Falls estate. A small proportion of whole cluster, and a full proportion of wild yeast was used in the ferment, before the wine was pressed into French oak barrels for ten months. Perfumed black cherry, dark raspberry and ripe damson plum are framed by firm, finely boned and fine grained tannins. Resin kissed, sweet pipe tobacco carries out the lengthy finish. Drinking well now but this will reward with time in the cellar. 90.

Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca (May 2016)

Juicy, elegant, silky. Regularly one of British Columbia's most outstanding Pinot Noirs, Blue Mountain's 2013 Reserve offering is again truly elegant. It is shines with juicy red berries, fine spice, a hint of pepper, wild sage, cedar and tealeaf. It is silky and fresh with layers of tangy fruit, spice and leather woven together with a gentle earthiness. Overall, a stylish Pinot with excellent balance and good persistence. 92.

David Lawrason - winealign.com (April 2016)

This is a very lively, savoury and almost juicy pinot noir that still needs a year of two in bottle, and should live to 2020 or beyond. It has nicely ripe red cherry/cranberry fruit with foresty herbacesousness, florals, toast and some meatiness. It's mid-weight, quite fresh and juicy, with slightly green and dusty tannin. The length is excellent, with very focused sour cherry, herbs and meatiness on the finish. Best 2017 to 2023. Tasted April 2016. 92.

John Szabo - winealign.com (April 2016)

A fine, bright and lively, fruity and herbal pinot here from Blue Mountain, notable oak influence for the time being, but more than sufficient vibrant red fruit to ensure full integration over the next 2-3 years. Acids are lively and tannins relatively supple, if slightly resinous and green, giving this distinctive new world, west coast styling overall. A pleasant and well made wine all in all. Tasted April 2016. 90.

Michael Godel - winealign.com (April 2016)

A meticulously accrued Pinot Noir from the finest estate grapes, fermented in tank and aged in a mix of first, second and third fill barrels for 10 months. The winemaking brings about three levels of complexity. The simplest of which is bright, obvious Pinot fruit. The second is aromatic intensity led by red cherry and earthy, smoky brume. The third is flavour burst and here Blue Mountain Pinot Noir speaks exactly as it always does, clean, pure and direct as it gets from the Okanagan Valley. Drink 2016-2021. Tasted April 2016. 92.

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Blue Mountain 2012 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

Stuart Tobe - www.gismondionwine.com (April 2015)

A very consistent performer with bright floral, strawberry jam, plum, leather, vanilla, coffee, tobacco and barnyard aromas flecked with a touch of game and dried herbs. The attack is dry, fresh, elegant and round with light tannins and more carrot top, strawberry jam, orange peel, tobacco, vanilla, cedar, Worcestershire sauce and savoury raspberry flavours. Finely balanced and supple, should age well for two to seven years but delicious now. The Reserve Pinot Noir(formerly Stripe Label) is normally releasedat the end of April, you can also find this wine in magnums at the winery. 91.

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Blue Mountain 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir

 

Anthony Gismondi - gismondionwine.com (July 2014)

Medium-bodied pinot with spicy, celery salt, tobacco leaf, cherry, worsteshire, smoky carrot top aromas. Dry, elegant, round, fresh palate with celery root, smoky tomato, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, rhubarb and light strawberry flavours with a hint of barnyard and tea. Youthful and still lean, even showing some oak this needs five years to pull it all together. Solid effort in a tough year. 89.

Natalie MacLean - nataliemaclean.com (June 2014)

Gorgeous cool-climate Pinot Noir! Edgy, fleshy, fun and layers of voluptuous black cherry, earth and mystery. This wine is great even two days after being opened. Superb craftsmanship. 93.

John Schreiner - John Schreiner on wine (April 2014)

This was the first vintage of the reserve Pinot Noir that was fermented entirely with wild yeast “in order to better express the terroir of our estate,” according to the winery’s notes. Medium-bodied, the wine is elegant, with aromas of spicy fruit and flavours of strawberry, raspberry and cherry. The texture is silky. 92.

Daenna Van Mulligen- winediva.ca & winescores.ca (April 2014)

Complexity, elegance, silky. Previously (and affectionately) known as the Stripe Label, Blue Mountain has changed the look on the reserve wines... no more stripe. What's inside remains true though and you'll be seduced by the raspberry and cherry, baking spices, vanilla and violets and star anise, which combined, offer a sarsaparilla aroma. The palate is silky and is an echo of the nose. Fine-boned with high-toned fruit, cocoa and sweet spices. It's fresh, youthful and well-balanced with good persistence. 92.

John Szabo - winealign.com (April 2014)

Here's a lifted, succulent, archetypical example of new world, cool climate pinot noir, complete with vibrant red berry fruit, floral tones, well measured and integrated oak spice, light but structured tannins and crunchy acids. The length and complexity are terrific overall, and I'd expect this to gain in complexity over the next 2-5 years. Very fine stuff from Blue Mountain, which is rapidly regaining it's reputation as one of BC's go-to wineries for the pinot family (and chardonnay). 92

David Lawrason - winealign.com (April 2014)

Here's a deadly serious, tense and layered pinot that possesses real aromatic authority, depth an verve. Also very evenly put together. Lifted classic cran-cherry fruit is perfectly integrated with gently smoky oak, herbs and minerality. It's firm and masculine - reminding me of Morey Saint Denis in Burgundy, with great vanillin and oak integration. Very refined; excellent to outstanding length. Best 2014 to 2020. Great below. 93.