2005 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin

JancisRobinson.com

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  8/20/2009, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

  (Osoyoos, Larose Okanagan Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text.

WineAlign

• By John Szabo, MS
  7/8/2009, (See more on WineAlign...)

  (Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin, VQA Okanagan Valley, Estate Btld. red) Login and sign up and see review text.

• By David Lawrason
  2/26/2009, (See more on WineAlign...)

  (Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin, VQA Okanagan Valley, Estate Btld. red) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  5/29/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (OSOYOOS-LAROSE Grand Vin) Osoyoos-Larose Dear Friends, After three years away, it's finally back. I gave up on the possibility of this wine ever making its way back to the US - the bureaucracy involved in its importation was so extreme, the effort became futile. Everything was just fine from 2001-2003 but a change of importer left Osoyoos-Larose without any leadership in the US and their paperwork lapsed. The word "lapse" is not what you want to hear when government controls are involved and it's taken the better part of three years to once again make this property available. To the everyday wine consumer, this undoubtedly seems strange - this is Canada after all, not Mongolia? The wild card lies in one component: alcohol. Free trade is fine unless it's alcohol (or mustard for that matter) - add alcohol to any mix and everything changes. If you walk across the border into Canada, the 2005 has been available for a year or more - try bringing it back to the US...now we have a problem. Let's rewind for a moment... Osoyoos-Larose was (and is) the dream project of the mother property (Gruaud-Larose). Their goal was to create a true Bordeaux, grown and raised in a different part of the world but cut from Bordelaise vine-stock that was (legally or illegally as the tale would tell) planted in completely virgin soil. After many years of searching, the Gruaud-Larose team settled on the Okanagan Valley of British Colombia - it had everything they wished for: wild landscape with undulating terroir, gorgeous dry climate and very long heating degree days from the northern latitude. It was also one of the most beautiful, unspoiled landscapes that exists in the world. The potential was there but could it be harnessed? They bet all their chips on the first roll of the dice, securing the very best parcel in the valley, elevated above Okanagan Lake to capture both mountain and water influence as well as the sloping influence of elevation. After securing the land, they exported one of the finest winemakers in Bordeaux to the Okanagan and all five Bordeaux varietals were eventually planted - I believe the results speak for themselves. Osoyoos-Larose is a wine that has wowed classicists the world over with its low-moderate alcohol style, layered minerality and maximum impact (in a sense, the typical personality of Osoyoos is more akin to Ducru-Beaucaillou, not Gruaud). That brings us to Garagiste and our involvement in their rise. After visiting the region multiple times and falling in love with its wild west mentality and pioneering spirit, we decided to introduce the wine to our email list 5-6 years ago. Osoyoos-Larose quickly become one of our stalwart items and it rose to quasi-cult status among NW collectors. Its rise was far-reaching for a variety of reasons but the principle kick-start was a blind tasting of the 2002 Bordeaux vintage we held at the warehouse with over 250 people in attendance (36 of the top wines were poured, including the 2002 First Growths). The Osoyoos-Larose was inserted as a blind wine - it came in 3rd. Not bad for a relatively unknown Bordeaux blend from the Okanagan Valley. Ah, but this is no ordinary wine - its root stock may be in Canadian terra firma but (as noted above) the vines themselves have origin elsewhere - in the vineyards of Gruaud-Larose to be precise. There was something about the mystery of this wine - it's old-world/new-world persona that was more than marketing fluff - it was real. Fast forward to May 2009 and the new vintage is ready to make its mark yet again. The 2005, from arguably the greatest growing season the Okanagan has yet witnessed, is about to cross the border (the vintage was similar to what occurred in Washington State in 2005, in other words - incredible). All five Bordeaux varietals are represented - the wine is forged in cool-toned, dusty terroir, minerality, acidity and very deep red fruit that coats the glass but is never out of place or out of posture - it remains medium bodied and quite St. Julien from head to toe...with an Okanagan twist of course. The 2005 is a major effort from this winery - they believe it is the finest wine yet produced at the estate (Gruaud-Larose chose to pour this wine blind at their 2005 Medoc retrospective and it was one of the favorite wines of the night - it caused quite a ruckus when the bag was revealed). In addition, the 2005 Osoyoos-Larose Grand Vin seems to have followed the path of past vintages - exuberance in youth followed by a clamping down phase after a year or two in bottle. It is currently in an angular place that requires bottle age to capture its eventual metamorphosis but patience should be rewarded. The winery recommends drinking the wine young or holding it for 6-10 years (as they would in Bordeaux) to experience its re-entry into the complex world. Now that the bureaucracy has been tamed, we are very happy to continue our history with this unique example - one of the shining stars of the Canadian wine industry. As far as I know, this is the only parcel of the Grand Vin that will be available in the US - there is still no national importation, just a limited pipeline to Seattle. As an aside, I have personally visited this winery on numerous occasions and it is one of the most impeccably run establishments in the NW. Decidedly French but open-minded, progressive and bent on natural methodology to produce its wine, this is the real thing and well worth your time and effort. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a true pioneering effort and quality that belies its moderate price (compare this to a top-tier Napa Bordeaux Blend and the price of the Osoyoos seems like a close-out). ONE SHIPMENT ONLY: 2005 Osoyoos-Larose "Le Grand Vin" (Okanagan) (this is not the Petales VQA) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Can9900