Updated: July 8th, 2021
1 Mill Road Pinot Noir 2019 Naramata Bench
The current release invites with cherry, leather and some earthy aromas, bright red berry notes followed by a plush but precise palate of dark cherry and strawberry. Wrapped in silky and beautifully integrated tannins with a touch of spice and a definite savoury streak through the close. Layered and complex, this wine will continue to develop and become even more nuanced over the next few years. 94 pts. $50. Available from the winery in six packs.
__________________________________________Life After Laughing Stock
I’m always intrigued by what people do after they’ve sold their winery. Chances are—once you’ve been bitten by the bug—growing grapes and making wine is a tough habit to kick. So, why fight it? Especially when you can channel the fruits of your labour back into a serious passion project.
Regular followers of hiredbelly will know I’ve been a longtime fan of Laughing Stock Vineyards. In my mind, in addition to making consistently excellent wines, owners David and Cynthia Enns came up with one of the smartest brands ever.
Since selling the winery and most of their vineyards to Arterra Wines Canada in 2017, this duo of savvy financiers turned equally savvy winery owners have further diversified their portfolio. First they partnered on a project to turn the long abandoned 27,000 sq. ft. BC Tree Fruits Packing House into the Naramata Wine Vault. It’s already blossoming into a multi-purpose space for local wineries, cideries and distilleries.
Now that the Enns’ post sale contract with Arterra has run its course they’ve returned to their first love, Pinot Noir. Not included in the sale was the abandoned pear orchard the couple purchased in 2012 and planted to Pinot Noir. “Never having had a house on it before, the address listed was ‘1 Mill Road’—and it was exactly a million dollars,” quips Cynthia. “A stretch at the time, but priceless to find ‘that place.'”
The parcel is a scenic, southwestern sloping bluff overlooking the lake. It sits on classic Naramata silty, loamy and calcareous soils. The Enns first used the fruit (Dijon clone 115) in 2015 Laughing Stock. Picked unseasonably early, on September 10th, it sports the super-ripe hallmark of that remarkable, heated vintage.
Only and all about Pinot
The 1 Mill Road project is all and only about Pinot, focusing on a single clone from a specific site. It’s very much a collaborative, hands on project. Cynthia grows the grapes and David makes the wine. A far cry from Laughing Stock, where scheduling a pick might have taken 10 days. “Here we can make the call the night before,” says David. Says Cynthia, “We want to make one wine, one site, one vintage.” 1 Mill Road’s inaugural release is set for June 1.
Our Zoom tasting last week included a look at the 2015 Laughing Stock and a sneak peek at a 2019 barrel sample. Even if you miss out on the impressive, first release 1 Mill Road 2018 Home Block you still won’t go wrong putting your name down for the (slightly more fruit driven) ’19. The Enns are donating partial proceeds from sales of the inaugural 2018 to the Food Coalition. The partnership between Vancouver restaurateurs and local farmers helps feed the city’s most vulnerable.
1 Mill Road Pinot Noir 2018 (Home Block)
A more normal picking date of October 14th. Hand-picked and hand-sorted; partially (20%) whole cluster fermented in 2200 litre Marc Grenier Burgundian French oak vats, in neutral oak puncheon and in stainless steel; aged half in new oak tanks and half in neutral barrels, unfiltered and unfined. Light crimson in the glass. Up front red berries and leathery notes preview a palate wrapped in silky tannins with vibrant flavours of strawberry and cherry; underpinned by earthy, complex savoury elements and spicier hints towards the finish. Well balanced with structured acidity, restrained oak and excellent varietal expression. In short, it’s delicious! 93 pts. $48
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