Osoyoos Larose

Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux, France, and Vincor International, based in Ontario, Canada, formed a joint venture partnership in 1998 to develop vineyards and a small winery dedicated to the production of Canadian VQA* wines, that would meet if not exceed the quality standards of their Bordeaux counterparts. The wines would be made from the classic Bordeaux varietals: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. The partners believed that the unique terroir of Canada’s western wine-growing region, the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and, in particular, the southern part of the Valley, was capable of producing fruit of sufficiently high quality to achieve their goal.

The wine’s name, Osoyoos Larose, reflects the partners’ roots in France and Canada. Osoyoos refers to the location of the vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, on the mountain slopes above Lake Osoyoos. Larose is derived from one of Groupe Taillan’s most prestigious estates in Bordeaux, the Deuxième Cru, or second growth, Château Gruaud-Larose, which reflects the centuries-old winemaking traditions of the world-famous wine region.

The Vineyards and their Development

There are currently three adjacent vineyards covering 60 acres; located in the South Okanagan Valley, on the 49º latitude, just north of the United States-Canada border. The land is situated on the western bench, overlooking Lake Osoyoos, a slim lake that runs north and south on the valley floor. Plentiful sunlight, minimal rainfall, and excellent drainage, along with the proximity to the lake, which provides cooler temperatures in the evening, and the sloping character of the site, which reduces the intensity of the sunlight, promote excellent photosynthesis for the vines, enhancing the maturation of the fruit’s tannins and color.

The planting strategy involved the careful placement of the key varietals. The late-ripening cabernet sauvignon, for example, was placed closer to the lake where it benefits from more sun exposure and heat. Merlot, on the other hand, has been planted on the higher ground to take advantage of the cooler afternoon temperatures. The vineyard is a natural mix of sand, clay, rock and gravel, with more gravel and stones higher up on the slope, and more sand and clay toward the lake. Preparation of the land prior to planting was thorough. Rocks were removed from the sloping terrain, the ground was leveled to a more manageable incline and peat was added to assist the arid soil in retaining moisture.

Because of the low natural rainfall in the Osoyoos region, an advanced irrigation system was installed throughout the vineyard. Designed to prevent disease at the canopy level, the nozzles are positioned lower to the ground than is usual in the region, allowing the leaves to stay dry. Additionally, the irrigation utilizes 360-degree spray fittings, rather than drip emitters, to insure that most, if not all of the individual vines’ root system receives water.

The trellising system, consisting of a bi-lateral cordon with vertical shoot positioning, was selected to allow for superior canopy management and to promote good air movement and maximum sun exposure.

A wide variety of rootstock and clone combinations was sourced from the Mercier nursery in Bordeaux, shipped to Canada and planted by hand. The choice of rootstocks ranged from S04 – a vigorous grower, and ideal for areas where the soils are weak, 101-14 and 3309 – which produce lower yields of high-quality fruit, and can grow in poorer soil, to Riparia – a rootstock which delivers a low yield of excellent quality, but requires more fertile soil. The rootstocks were matched with different varietal clones to suit the soil requirements and to deliver fruit of differing characters to add complexity to the final blend. The clone selections were carefully considered and are of the best quality and, along with the percentage of the vineyard they comprise, are as follows:

------ Merlot , 66.50%, clones 347, 181, 182, and 184
-------Cabernet sauvignon, 23.09%, clones 191 and 169
-------Cabernet franc, 3.57%, clone 214
-------Malbec, 3.16%, clone 598
------ Petit verdot, 3.68%, clone 400

The first vineyard, planted with merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon in 1999, covers 24.09 acres. To the south, the second vineyard, which was planted with merlot, petit verdot and malbec in 2000, covers 18.88 acres. The third vineyard was planted further south in 2001 with merlot and cabernet sauvignon and covers 17.03 acres. The vines were planted more closely than usual in Canada. The ratio between the height of the trellis and the plant spacing at Osoyoos Larose is .7, whereas a ratio of .3 or .4 is common in Canadian vineyards. This significantly higher cost approach produces a lower yield per vine and superior fruit quality.

There are 1,606 vines per acre and, optimally, 16 buds per vine. The fruit is also thinned to decrease yield, to promote early ripening and more concentration in the berries.

The Osoyoos Larose vines are pruned and picked by hand. The leaves are thinned to promote aeration, which helps prevent disease and accelerates the maturation of the vine and the development of good color and tannins.

The grapes in each planting block are harvested according to the ripeness of the individual clusters, spot picked over a period of days or weeks, to take advantage of subtle changes in flavor and aroma that develop over time. Each vine may be visited up to eight times during harvest to obtain fruit clusters that are decided to be perfectly ripe.

The long-term goal is to produce between 3.3 and 3.9 tons per acre. The vineyards of Osoyoos Larose, over the three vintages, have yielded 34 tons, 65 tons and 182 tons in 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

Noted Bordelaise viticulturist, Alain Sutre, has overseen the development of the vineyard since 1999, along with the technical requirements of the Osoyoos Larose winemaking facility, which was completed in 2002. The same year , Pascal Madevon, a seasoned winemaker working for Château La Tour Blanche in St. Christoly du Médoc, was recruited to move to British Columbia and become Osoyoos Larose’s resident winemaker and vineyard manager.

Winemaking practices
and the Development of the
Osoyoos Larose winery

Osoyoos Larose wines are made in Oliver in an 11,500 square foot winemaking center specifically designed and constructed adjacent to Vincor International’s large winery. The wine is made extremely carefully, to protect the grapes and fermenting wines during vinification. The winery utilizes gravity flow, and avoids mechanical pumping where possible. The equipment in the Osoyoos Larose winery was sourced exclusively for its own wines under the direction of Groupe Taillan’s consultant, Alain Sutre. The facility employs some of the most advanced technology in the world.

When the grapes arrive at the doors of the winery, they are carefully transferred into a stemmer/crushing machine made by Vaslin, in France. The juice and must are then moved into the 10 unique cone-shaped fermentation tanks in the principal tank room, where each varietal is fermented individually, using the same yeast for the entire crop.

The fermentation tanks were custom-designed by Alain Sutre in conjunction with the French manufacturer Guérin. They are unique in that their height is the same as their diameter, which creates an optimum size for the exchange surface between the must and the cap of the grape skins, increasing the richness of the wine and enhancing tannins. The shape of the tanks is ideal for limiting temperature fluctuations in the must, and reduces problems with the yeast. Pigeage, the punching down of the cap by the winemaker in order to keep it moist and further enhance the color and tannins of the wine, is also easier because of the shorter tank height and the wider punching surface.

The fermentation tanks were shipped to the Okanagan Valley from France and then assembled in place by the French manufacturing team. Of the 10 tanks, four have a capacity of 2,300 gallons each, another four have a capacity of 3,565 gallons each, and two have a capacity of 4,650 gallons each.

During fermentation, two Italian-made Francesca pumps assist the remontage, or pumping over, by gently circulating the liquid inside the tank and promoting aeration. This happens more frequently toward the end of the fermentation process. The fermentation temperature is kept at between 82.4° and 91.4° Fahrenheit, and the process takes between 10 and 15 days. After fermentation, the free run wine from the fermentation tanks is transferred slowly into oak barrels for aging over approximately 16 months. The cap is gently pressed in a French Bucher XPF 80 pneumatic press and stored separately.

Osoyoos Larose exclusively uses French barrels made of oak from specific forests in central France. Placing emphasis on the craftsmanship of the French barrel makers, the team selected casks from well regarded coopers: Taransaud, Saury, Garnier, Sylvain and Seguin Moreau. Madevon uses a combination of new and one-year-old barrels for the maturing wine. The ratio employed for the 2001 premier Osoyoos Larose vintage was 60% new and 40% one-year-old barrels.

Racking from barrel to barrel takes place every three months via gravity flow. There is no filtration of the wine and the process of fining, or clarifying and stabilizing the wine, is very gentle, using a traditional method employing egg whites. The wine is bottled when Pascal feels that the barrel aging is complete.

While magnums and other large-format bottles of Osoyoos Larose are filled by hand, the transfer of wine into the standard 750 milliliter bottles is performed very slowly with a specialized pump. The bottled wine is sealed with natural corks of the highest quality possible before being aged further for 12 months prior to being released for sale.

Blending a Bordeaux-inspired wine from up to five different grape varieties is a complex and constantly evolving process. Like an extraordinary perfume, the wine will take some of its character from the complex array of climatic, soil and geographic influences, and from its naturally occurring sugars, yeasts, tannins and other mitigating factors related to the vinification process.

The alchemy of all these elements contributes to the wine’s color, clarity, bouquet and flavor. Guiding Pascal Madevon’s work during the fermentation and aging process is internationally renowned winemaker, Michel Rolland, also from Bordeaux. Tank and barrel samples are regularly sent to France for Michel’s opinion and advice.

The Osoyoos Larose Joint Venture Partners Groupe Taillan owns six world-renowned winemaking estates that have been defining international standards of quality for over two centuries. Located in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, three carry the outstanding Grand Cru Classé designation: Château Gruaud-Larose of St-Julien, Château Ferrière of Margaux and Château Haut Bages Libéral of Pauillac. Groupe Taillan’s three other estates, Château Chasse-Spleen of Moulis, Château La Gurgue of Margaux, and Château Citran of Avensan are all equally well regarded as exceptional Cru Bourgeois. Groupe Taillan is also the largest producer of Appellation Contrôlée wines in France, with large scale négociant operations in most of the country’s leading wine regions: Bordeaux, the Côtes du Rhône, the Loire Valley, Provence and Languedoc.