Quails’ Gate 35th Anniversary Curated 6-Pack
Three and a half decades of Stewart family discovery, pioneering pinot noir clones in the Okanagan Valley, Q & A with Winemaker Kailee Frasch and a specially curated 35th anniversary WineAlign Exchange case
By Michael Godel
This feature was commissioned by Quails’ Gate Winery.
On the West Kelowna side of Okanagan Lake, on the Boucherie Road below the ol’ Okanagan Highway 97, you will find one of the valley’s most successful and influential family wineries. Quails’ Gate Winery’s long history and relationship with the Okanagan Valley is well documented, as are their accomplishments through 35 years of producing fine wines. Through it all, the command performance has been the family’s intensive and impassioned work with pinot noir and chardonnay. Looking ahead, the work ethic and dedication to varietal development continues, as the team sees the future in new clones and possibilities.
Looking back, we take serious note of the family’s mix of inventiveness and pioneering spirit. This serves to prove the axiom “the true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention,” because today creativity and passion are Quails’ Gate’s realities to commemorate. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the estate, an important and impressive milestone the winery has chosen to mark with the opening of the Stewart Family library, to celebrate the wines that got them there.
The Winery was founded in 1989 and, of the 160 or so acres planted, some of the most important vines grow on Mount Boucherie, a volcanic steppe above the estate. The agricultural affair goes back to 1908, when Richard Stewart Sr., a horticulturist from Ireland, settled in the area. Six decades later his son Dick began growing grapes to usher in a new agricultural era with the help of his eldest son, Benjamin and his wife, Ruth.
Three and a half decades of Stewart family discovery
Dick Stewart and his son, Ben, are Okanagan pioneers, having first planted pinot noir in 1975. They were instrumental in introducing diverse Burgundian clones to Canada. Tony was largely responsible for sustainable innovation projects, including the installation of water-management tools and drip irrigation in 95% of the vineyards, with seeded grass and cover crops between rows of vines to reduce evaporation, as well as compost and organic fertilizers to build healthy soil. Quails’ Gate Estate is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing BC, a made-in-BC program that leads the way in sustainable winegrowing practices and sets a standard for the province and the rest of the country. The Stewart family is widely acknowledged for their pioneering efforts in planting pinot noir in the Okanagan in the 1970s, followed by the introduction of Dijon clones in their vineyards from the 1990s and into the early 2000s. Who could not wonder what Rowan will discover and accomplish, to add to the family legacy?
Leading by example
There are not many producers in Canada that can lay claim to 20 years of growing and producing chenin blanc. The 2023 Clone 2020 chenin blanc is a fine wine example of a transplant from France to West Kelowna. Something to experience. After tasting the 2022 I posed this question: Why is there not more chenin blanc planted in the Okanagan Valley? This is one of the growing region’s great mysteries and the ’22 chenin from a pioneer and frontrunner reinforces the question. Remaining steadfast in their commitment is a perfect way to show how the estate leads by example, and while some have caught on, there need to be more young wineries joining in.
As for riesling made in a dry style, I had this to say about the 2020: “So well made for dry riesling out of the Okanagan, something not so easy to do and yet the balance in Quails’ Gate 2020 is spot on.” For the 2023 Clone 49 Riesling, I was tempted to invoke rieslings such as Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins or Domaine Barmès Buecher Herrenweg, because why not? Then there are the two top-shelf chardonnays, Rosemary’s Block and Stewart Family Reserve, the latter of which is urged on by the volcanic soils of Mount Boucherie. About the remarkable 2019, I noted that length is truly a six-letter word. Like bezazz, jazzbo, pazazz and pizazz. Added recently is the Dijon Clones label in chardonnay, following in the footsteps of the same concept for pinot noir. The chardonnay is an ode to Clones 96, 95, 76, and 548, intuitively made with each clone systematically hand-selected from premium blocks in Quails’ Gate’s South Kelowna vineyard. For pinot noir, Dijon Clone refers to the exclusive West Kelowna raised, three-clonal selection of 828, 777 and 115 dedicated to winery founder, Ben Stewart. As for the Stewart Family Reserve, some of the pinot noir fruit material dates to the early 1990s.
Innovation for the future
The Quails’ Gate story is one of spirit and passion for pinot noir and chardonnay. The past is important, but the team is always looking ahead, specifically now with trials and experimentation involving two newer pinot noir clones, 1184 and 1185. Originating from Saône-et-Loire of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, these clones were certified in France back in 2012. Both are of medium to high fertility and valued for low production levels, light cluster weight, small berry size and minimal susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea. Further positives are above average colour intensity and aromatic complexity. The clones are being utilized to meet specific needs of the wine industry; combining an upright canopy with beneficial growing aptitudes. They are later-maturing clones with long peduncles, therefore easier to harvest. Winemaker Kailee Frasch is excited about the prospects for the future because of the added diversity they will bring to Quails’ Gate’s pinot noir program.
Q & A with Winemaker Kailee Frasch
Q. Tell us about the Distinction Collection, how it was conceived, what it represents for Quails’ Gate and how it may evolve as an entity into the future.
A. The Distinction Collection was developed with the goal of creating a dynamic range of wines, allowing us to bottle unique small lots that can evolve with each vintage. The wines chosen for this collection each year might focus on distinctive vineyard sites, varietals, clones, blends, or winemaking techniques. This gives us the opportunity to highlight the most exciting and interesting lots that come out of each harvest.
Q. What is special about the 2022 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir? Would you compare it to any past vintages and for you, where does it stand in terms of Quails’ Gate’s set of varietal Pinot Noir?
A. The 2022 vintage was exceptional for pinot noir, with a long growing season that allowed for excellent flavor development while preserving balanced alcohol and fresh acidity. Among all the pinot noir we produce, the Stewart Family Reserve is the boldest. It has a dense core of fruit, framed by barrel spice and savory notes, with pronounced structure that makes it particularly well-suited for aging.
Q. Quails’ Gate is well-known for pioneering clones in Canada, so please talk about the selection of new-to-Canada pinot noir clones.
A. The Stewart family were certainly pioneers in planting pinot noir in the Okanagan in the 1970s, followed by the introduction of Dijon clones in our vineyards in the 1990s and early 2000s. This long history has given Quails’ Gate a deep understanding of these pinot noir clones and their potential on our site. As we continue to replant, we’re going back in with many of the same clones that have proven successful here (828, 115, 777, 667), while also experimenting with newer clones (1184, 1185) that we haven’t worked with before. We’re excited about the future potential and are eager to see the depth that this brings to our pinot program.
Q. Can you give me an overview of your impression of the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons, including the positives, greatest challenges faced and what the agricultural team did to meet those challenges?
A. The spring of 2022 was unusually cold, which delayed the start of the growing season. However, by July temperatures began to rise, and the summer was consistently hot. Despite this, by mid-August the vines were still lagging in ripeness, and we were considering whether some of our red grapes might need to be diverted into rosé or sparkling programs. Fortunately, the fall brought an extended period of warm, sunny weather well into October. This allowed for slow, steady ripening, resulting in wines with beautiful flavour development, bright acidity and balanced alcohol. Overall, 2022 turned out to be a stunning vintage, defined by elegance, balance and freshness.
The 2022-23 winter presented significant challenges for our vineyards, as extremely cold temperatures caused widespread bud damage and crop loss. In response, our vineyard team quickly adapted their pruning strategy to minimize the impact. Spring weather returned to more typical conditions, but was soon followed by an extraordinarily hot summer, with record-high growing degree days. This intense heat, combined with low yields, caused many vineyard blocks to ripen earlier than usual, leading us to begin harvest earlier than ever before. The result was a vintage defined by ripe, concentrated, and powerful wines. Despite the challenges, the 2023 wines stand out for their excellent flavor intensity and structure.
Q. Given the intense environmental challenges over the last six or seven seasons, how have you stayed, and continue to remain, positive and focused on a potentially uncertain future?
A. Ultimately, winemaking is farming, and we will always face environmental challenges. However, we remain focused on the fact that the Okanagan is capable of producing exceptional wines, and we are an industry full of dedicated and passionate individuals who are committed to finding solutions to overcome these obstacles to be able to continue doing what we love in a region that we love.
The Events
Quails’ Gate’s 35th anniversary has been celebrated with many events and family (and team) get togethers. Most of the 2024 anniversary plans centred around the vast library wine archive. Last year, the winemaking and sommelier teams tasted through the entire library of wines. Based on these assessments, a collection of library wines was built and made available for events, tastings and dinners. If you’re looking to celebrate 35 years of Quails’ Gate, here’s a taste of what’s currently available at the estate.
- 35th Anniversary Four-Course Menu: The expert and experienced culinary team prepared a four-course menu with the option to add rare library wine pairings. For a sneak peek, savour the Thiessen Farms Quail en Brioche featuring quail and foie gras sausage, caramelized pumpkin and black garlic – perfectly complemented by the 2012 Pinot Noir.
- Archive Wine Tasting: A unique tasting experience as an opportunity to explore the power of time. Quails’ Gate opened the Stewart family archive to present a selection of archive wines along with an expert sommelier to walk guests through a comparative wine-tasting experience. This tasting includes a rotating daily selection of four rare library wines.
WineAlign Specially Curated 6-Pack
The WineAlign critics recently assessed many of Quails’ Gate wines and the tasting turned out to be a highlight for 2024. There is no better way to gain a full-scale understanding of an estate’s commitment and direction then to immerse ourselves into the breadth of a portfolio. That we did — and these are our findings and recommendations, including the six wines chosen to curate a special WineAlign Exchange case available for purchase. Click on the wines to see all the reviews. The price of the case is $312.25, including shipping.
Quails’ Gate Clone 49 Riesling 2023
Quails’ Gate Clone 220 Chenin Blanc 2023
Quails’ Gate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2022
Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Quails’ Gate Dijon Clone Pinot Noir 2022
Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2022
Good to go!
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This feature was commissioned by Quails’ Gate Winery. As a regular feature, WineAlign tastes wines submitted by a single winery, agent or region. Our writers independently, as always, taste, review and rate the wines — good, bad and indifferent, and those reviews are posted on WineAlign. We then independently recommend wines to appear in the article. Wineries, wine agents, or regions pay for this service. Ads for some wines may appear at the same time, but the decision on which wines to put forward in our report, and its content, is entirely up to WineAlign.