Reserve Pinot Gris

Blue Mountain 2017 Reserve Pinot Gris

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

In a world full of different interpretations of pinot gris, this one expresses the north side - pale, lean, solid and mineral. But is not like pinot grigio either. It has more structure. It pours very pale. The nose is reserved as well with subtle, complex pear, fine herbs and wet stone. It is medium weight, firm but not austere with excellent focus and length. Altogether understated but impressive in its way. I would age it to see if it opens up a bit more. The length is excellent. Tasted May 2020. 91 points.

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

Pristine, expressive, precise.
This vintage was fermented and aged in stainless steel, barriques and foudres for six months ans then cellared for an additional year.
Straw in colour it expresses honey and tangerines, crisp white fruits and fresh mountain stream aromas. On the palate, pear and hazelnuts are woven with citrus. It has precision, purity and freshness in spades. Easily one of my favourite versions of this variety. 92 points.

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

Whether labelled as pinot gris or pinot grigio, there’s a broad range of stylistic expressions of this grape throughout the Okanagan. What’s refreshing about Blue Mountain’s Reserve Pinot Gris is that it’s serious, but without striving to be from somewhere else. It tastes Okanagan-inspired. This falls almost right down the middle in terms of the pinot gris ripeness spectrum, balancing stone and tree fruits with delicate white flowers. And the winemaking works to accentuate the fruit, focusing on lees to add complexity and build a creamy texture alongside an oily viscosity that’s true to the variety. Other pinot gris may have more of a wow factor, but this excels with fruit purity and excellent length. 90 points.

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

This polished Reserve once again proves its place as one of the top in BC in 2017 (yes, a current release now in spring 2020). 31 year old estate vines were native fermented predominantly in stainless, with 30% in new to 4th fill barrels and foudre, the latter aged on lees. Structural without being severe, with orchard pear and green apple flooding a creamy palate, subtly seasoned with wild desert herbs. Lovely poise and presence and confidence, drinking smartly now. 91 points.

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

Time continues to slip by; the vines for this pinot gris are now 31 years old. Watch out Europe. Blue Mountain ferments using native yeast, with 70 percent fermented and aged in stainless steel, and the remaining 30 percent is fermented and aged for eight months in new to fourth fill-228L and 500L French oak barrels, plus one 2000L. The definition and subtle lines in the wine point to significant ageing, yielding creamy textures and long, understated, pear, stony mineral, and a touch of oil in the finish. Pesto pasta is a fun match, though fresh halibut and an orchard fruit salsa are a bit more serious. 91 points.

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

This estate-grown pinot gris was 30% fermented and aged in French oak barrels (8 months), but considerable oak spice and toast does rise from the glass, along with almost custardy peach, honey, lemon and herbal notes. It is actually very complex. It is medium-full bodied, quite rich and elegantly textured with some warmth with fine, embedded acidity and minerality on the finish. The length is excellent to outstanding. The oak component makes it less typical of BC pinot gris, but context aside, it is a very fine wine. Tasted May 2019. 93 Points.

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

One is rarely disappointed by the Reserve Gris from Blue Mountain, especially in a great year like 2016. It opens with its signature cool, creamy textures and understated leesy fruit. The reserve is the result of two French clones planted 30 years ago. For 2016, the amount fermented and aged in French oak for eight months is back to 30 percent, but you should expect nothing less than a delicious white wine. Look for orchard fruits mixed with floral, mineral, creamy lees and a quiet, salty, orange finish. Pesto pasta would be a fun match. 92 Points.

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Blue Mountain 2015 Reserve Pinot Gris

 

Anthony Gismondi - www.gismondionwine.com (May 2018)

There is much to like here from the cool, creamy texture to the understated fruit. This is a product of two French clones planted 29 years ago. For 2015, the amount fermented and aged in French oak for eight months jumped up to 40 percent but you do not feel it. Expect a delicious but contained blend of orchard fruits mixed with floral notes, creamy lees and a saline/orange note in the finish. Wonderfully precise and fresh but this will keep another three to five years and evolve. 91 Points.

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

From mature, estate wines this was 70% fermented in stainless steel to capture freshness, and 30% fermented and aged 8 moths in French oak to add textural richess and complexity. Pinot gris is often very ripe and soft, or light and crisp (grigio). This is right down the middle - a wine of quiet confidence and sophistication with finely woven yellow fruit, lees and vague spice. It is medium-full bodied, very poised, smooth and detailed, with excellent length. It trails some minerality on the finish. Tasted April 2018. 92 Points.

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Blue Mountain 2014 Reserve Pinot Gris

 

Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winediva.ca (August 2017)

Creamy, zesty, concentrated. Wild flowers, orchard fruits, pomelo citrus and guava aromas roll into secondary notes of earthy forest floor, smoke and clotted cream. Creamy yet tangy in the mouth it has assertive citrus flavours that lend it a bold zesty character. Powerful overall, with good phenolic chewiness on the finish.  30% was fermented then aged in oak barrel for 6 months.  91 Points

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

This is a firm and reserved pinot gris that has been 60% barrel fermented and aged in French oak for six months. So don't expect a big, fruit forward rendition. But it is very well balanced and refined example with a complex nose of subtle dried peach, oak spice, dried herbs, honey and a touch of vanillin. It is medium bodied, dry and almost stony on the palate, with a spicy, honeyed finish. The length is excellent. Will age nicely; best now to 2020+. Tasted June 2017

Beppi Crosariol - www.globeandmail.com (May 2017)

Medium-full bodied and fleshy. Great depth of flavour yet it retains Blue Mountain’s signature crisp and very dry style. Apples galore along with musky spice. Smartly, subtly oaked. Beats the pants off most Oregon pinot gris at this price. Available through. 92 points

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (May 2017)

Full and creamy, this reserve is two clones of 27 year old vines from Blue Mountain's Okanagan Falls estate. Thirty percent of this was fermented and aged in French oak for eight months, and that wood is evident in the cedar scented perfume, toast, and vanilla pod perfume that lingers on the finish. Orchard pear, meadow herbs, orange blossoms, pink salts all sit atop a cushy pillow of lees. This wine is quite proper, and still presents too youthful at this age - a rare thing to say about BC 2014 pinot gris. I'd like to try this vintage again in a few years time. Give it time to open up in the bottle or glass if opening now. 91points

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Blue Mountain 2013 Reserve Pinot Gris

 

Beppi Crosariol - www.globeandmail.com (June 2016)

On the heavier side of medium-bodied, Blue Mountain’s 2013 reserve pinot gris is seductively silky and fleshy, with notes of tropical fruit and pear and whispers of vanilla and musky spice. Subtly oaked, it was mainly fermented and matured in stainless-steel tanks, with the remainder – 30 per cent – fermented and aged in French oak for six months to smooth out the texture and add complexity. This white is, to my mind, a standard-bearer for Okanagan pinot gris, a fine companion to meaty fish, such as halibut, salmon or grouper. 92.

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (June 2016)

Twenty-six year old vines from Okanagan Falls go into this elegant reserve pinot gris, 70 percent of which was fermented and aged in stainless with the remainder in three-year-old French oak. Perfumed baked pear, whiffs of clove and herbal-imbued honey lead this creamy, medium bodied wine, one laced with lemon peel and cushioned with fine lees. Vanilla bean lingers on the finish. Classy, stylish and fun to pair with fresh halibut with a fruit salsa. 90.

Michael Godel - www.winealign.com (April 2016)

Tasting this Reserve Pinot Gris just a few days after the Reserve 2012 and 2008 offers some necessary perspective. Ripeness from vintage is one and the other is winemaking. Minerality reminds of 2008 and warm vintage ripeness harkens to 2012 but this 2013 is neither of those. It carries the best of the two and functions singularly on its own terms. Richness of fruit is ringed by mineral and the dry extract is at a particularly impressive level. The idea of drying out on the finish flashes by in an instant because the fruit lingers for so long. The final sensation is all mineral. Really fascinating oscillations. Drink 2016-2023. Tasted April 2016. 91.

David Lawrason - www.winealign.com (April 2016)

This is a solid, refined and long pinot gris from selected from older blocks on the estate. About 70% was tank fermented and 30% barrel fermented in French oak then aged six months. The oak is certainly non-intrusive. It is not a showy pinot gris, with reserved peach, bread and vaguely stony minerality. But it is compact, very well balanced and it runs to excellent length. I would age it another two years for more flavour intensity and richness. Tasted April 2016. 90.

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

Affluent, complex, concentrated. Even better than the 2012 vintage, this reserve tier Pinot Gris has affluent aromas of guava, Bartlett and crispy Asian pear, honey and spring blossoms. It has a tangy entry with excellent concentration, creamy weight and is equally lively and substantial. Golden fruits, citrus and honey flavours drift across the palate. 30% was fermented then aged in oak barrel for 6 months. 92.

John Szabo - www.winealign.com (April 2016)

A good rendition of BC pinot gris, quite fleshy and white fruit flavoured, with though acids are a touch shrill on the back end and texture is a touch tacky. Length and depth are good, if not extraordinary. I suspect this is in a bit of a flavour downturn, so keep in the cellar for another half year or more in the hopes of renewed aromatic intensity and greater complexity. Tasted April 2016. 88.

Steve Thurlow - www.wingalign.com (April 2016)

This is a reserved solid pinot gris with well integrated oak and a rich creamy texture. Expect aromas of peach with brioche and tones of mineral slate and honey. It is midweight with the velvety smooth palate well balanced with a long powerfully flavoured finish. Excellent length. 89.

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Blue Mountain 2012 Reserve Pinot Gris

 

Daenna Van Mulligen - www.winescores.ca & www.winediva.ca (August 2015)

Fresh, complex, stylish. Lovely aromas of creamy golden fruits, spice, honey, a whiff of caramel and earthy/forest floor
notes at the core. The palate is rich and woven with zesty flavours of citrus, crunchy fruits and spice. Intensity is very good, it is fresh but complex and boasts a long finish. 91.

Natalie MacLean - CTV News Ottawa (August 2015)

Crisp and clean with aromas and flavours of white and green melon and lime zest on this BC white made from Pinot Gris grapes. This is the winery's reserve label. Pair with shellfish. 87.

Treve Ring - www.gismondionwine.com (July 2015) 

The Reserve tier in Blue Mountain's portfolio marks wines of serious distinction, rightfully so. Two clones of twenty-five year old vines were fermented and aged in a 60/40 blend of stainless steel and French oak, yielding complex notes of ripe pear, pastry and fine spices. The fuller body nimbly carries the spiced pear, pastry, and toasted cashew, citrus and fragrant apples across a creamy, lees-lined palate. Stony, smoky minerality, whispering clove and lingering citrus blossoms close out the lingering finish. Drinking well now (especially alongside game hen or sablefish), this will reward with two to four years in the cellar. 90.

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Blue Mountain 2011 Reserve Pinot Gris

 

Anthony Gismondi - gismondionwine.com (July 2014)

Spicy, lees, floral, honey, pear, light orange peel and apple skin aromas. Fresh, round, creamy, juicy and elegant palate with vanilla, spicy lees, green apple, pear skin, orange, almond and white pepper flavours. Good length and complexity if a bit austere on the finish. Should improve over the next 2-3 years. Solid effort here in a more complex that you can age. 89.

John Schreiner - John Schreiner on wine (April 2014)

Thirty percent of this wine was fermented and aged in French oak. That accounts for light golden hue and the subtle touch of oak supporting honeyed citrus aromas and rich flavours of orange and orange peel. There is an alluring hint of anise on the finish of this complex and satisfying wine. 91.

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

Fresh, balanced, chic. 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 to what you'd expect from Blue Mountain - notes of guava, pear compote, unctuous honey and spring flowers atop earthy forest floor tones and a hint of vanilla caramels. It is fresh and citrusy in the mouth. Expect tropical fruits layered with orchard fruits, vanilla, marzipan and hints of fine spice and citrus peel. Very good complexity, deft use of oak (30% stayed in French oak for six months) and a supple weight. 91.

John Szabo - winealign.com (April 2014)

What a wonderfully rich, succulent and balanced pinot gris here from Blue Mountain, a reliable name in the category to be sure. A half-year sojourn in oak for a third of the volume adds a distinctively layered and creamy texture, while evident concentration and a broad range of ripe orchard fruit and gentle spice puts this in the premium category. Terrific weight, length and complexity overall, for current enjoyment or short term hold. 90.

Julian Hitner - winealign.com (April 2014)

Pale lime in colour, the 2011 Reserve Pinot Gris reveals admirable notes of slightly nutted pears, lemon, and a hint of minerals. On the palate: good fruit showing, with balanced acidity, and a hint of pears, peaches, and lemon on the finish. Clean, balanced, and fresh. Now-2014+. 88.

Michael Godel - winealign.com (April 2014)

A textured, concentrated and slight reductive Pinot Gris from 25 year-old Okanagan vines. The creamy texture is encouraged by way of a sit on the lees and a near-generous amount of Malolactic fermentation. Distinctly old-school, Alsatian in style, the aromas indicate this to be adult candy and the persistent tang on the palate drives the point to distraction. With enough minerality and acidity to keep it steady, this will continue to evolve for three to five more years. A slight bitter metal edge changes its tonal finish. 89.

David Lawrason- winealign.com (April 2014)

The Blue Mountain Reserve pinot gris is 30% barrel fermented and aged in barrel for six months. This organically farmed wine certainly has the bones to carry the oak, and it's nicely firm, balanced and concentrated. Great acidity and minerality are the main theme. Fruit is very subtle - dried apple-peach perhaps, with fine lightly toasty, nutty and tobacco notes. Excellent length, dry and grippy. Should age well through the decade. 90.