Photo: Maverick Estate Winery's tasting room
The white stucco exterior and the tin roof are especially
evocative of Cape wineries with which the winery
owners and their families are familiar. Schalk de Witt is a doctor from South Africa who has been practising in Alberta and British
Columbia for many years. Winemaker Bertus Albertyn is
a 1978 graduate of Stellenbosch
University
It proved to be a very convenient marriage (as opposed to
marriage of convenience) for Schalk. He owns two parcels of vineyard land in
the south Okanagan, one purchased in 2006 and the other, now occupied by the
winery, in 2009. Having an experienced winemaker in the family allows him to
unlock the potential of that vineyard real estate.
Bertus (left) spent four years as the winemaker at Burrowing Owl
Estate Winery before leaving in mid-2013 to focus on Maverick. Concurrent with
that career, he and Schalk converted the 2009 purchase – a former organic farm
– into a 7 ½-acre vineyard planted to Pinot Noir, Shiraz , Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Planting is scheduled for the nearby second property, 15 acres in size, in
2015.
“The vineyard is doing really well,” says Bertus, who was
able to produce 2,800 cases in the 2013 vintage with purchased fruit as well as
with grapes from Maverick’s planting.
While Bertus and Schalk converted former farm buildings in a
winemaking facility, they decided to build totally new wine shop. Visually, the
1,500-square foot building announces that Maverick is a must-visit winery.
The wine shop is perched on the west side of Highway 97,
midway between Oliver and Osoyoos. The wine shop’s expansive windows look out
on vineyards and farm.
The wine shop opened with three very interesting white
wines, with a red blend and a port-style wine scheduled for release later in
the year.
Here are notes on the wines.
Maverick Sauvignon
Blanc 2013 ($19 for 500 cases). The winemaking here involves great
attention to detail, beginning with picking the grapes by hand into 30 pound
trays; cooling them to 5-8 Celsius before pressing whole bunches; and then
leaving the juice in contact with the skins for eight hours. The free run juice
is fermented cool in stainless steel to preserve vibrant fruit flavours and
aromas. The press wine, about 25% of the volume, is fermented in used French
oak barrels and left on lees for three months before being blended with the
free run portion. And did I mention it? Bertus sometimes ferments with natural
yeast!
The style of this wine recalls good Sancerre. The wine
begins with aromas of herbs and lime, leading to flavours of lime and
grapefruit. The wine’s bright acidity gives it a tangy and refreshing finish.
91.
Maverick Pinot Gris
2013 ($19 for 270 cases). The winemaking techniques again are
detail-driven, including hand picking, whole bunch pressing and gentle
pressing. A quarter of the wine was fermented, with natural yeast, in old
French oak. When fermentation is complete, the wine is racked and blended and
then aged on the fine lees for three months to enhance its texture and eight on
the palate. There is also 10% Gewürztraminer in the blend.
The wine begins with aromas of grapefruit and pear, leading
to flavours of pear and apple. The winery describes the style as “unadorned”
with mineral notes on the finish. This is such a complex wine that I would
recommend decanting to fully liberate the fruit flavours. 90.
Maverick Origin 2013 ($16
for 170 cases). The winemaking
techniques are quite similar to those used to make the Sauvignon Blanc. This is
60% Gewürztraminer, 40% Sauvignon Blanc. A quarter of the blend was aged in
used French oak barrels to enhance the texture. This is the winery’s third
vintage of wine, which is packed with tropical fruit aromas and flavours. The
wine has a luscious honeyed texture, with citrus and melon flavours and a
crisp, spicy finish. 90.
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