Audra and Jason Shull were high school sweethearts that grew-up in Osoyoos, British Columbia. They both had careers in Vancouver, BC prior to purchasing Montakarm Estate Winery on the Black Sage Bench in 2019; Montakarm was a ten acre property that had been planted to vine in the early 2000’s.
The Shulls named their winery French Door Estate Winery. The name was inspired by their travels through Provence, which reminded them of the lake, vineyards, orchards and lavender in their hometown of Osoyoos. Osoyoos was like a portal back to France for the Shulls. The winery was completely renovated with the addition of new, top of the line, winemaking equipment. The tasting room features several, beautiful French doors which lead to different aspects of the winery, including the barrel room and the patio, with its stunning views of the valley.
Audra and Jason Shull have retained Pascal Madevon as consulting winemaker. Pascal grew-up in Paris, France. He spent weekends playing in the soils of his grandfather’s vineyards in Burgundy. “It sparked [within him] a profound appetite for agriculture, and inspired [him] to move to the wine capital of the world: Bordeaux.” [www.frenchdoorwinery.com] It was in Bordeaux that Pascal was classically trained as a viticulturist and oenologist.
Wanting to learn and discover more, Pascal traversed the globe to join consultant Alain Sutre in the Okanagan for the first harvest at Osoyoos Larose in 2001. Intrigued by the diverse terroir and microclimates, Pascal permanently joined the team at Osoyoos Larose as winemaker and Vineyard Manager, staying on for ten vintages. Searching for more learning and growth, Pascal joined Culmina Family Estate Winery in 2013. He remained at Culmina for several vintages before starting his own consulting business.
As the consulting winemaker at French Door Estate Winery, Pascal strives to create low-intervention wines with grapes that are grown sustainably. The vineyard is tended by hand and low-yielding.
I recently had the opportunity to try two wines from French Door Estate Winery. Their Rosé has been one of my favorites this summer and it paired well with a delicious Niçoise salad.
2020 Rosé $30.00
The 2020 Rosé from French Door Winery is a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache. The grapes were hand-harvested and placed directly into the press as whole bunches. The pressing occurred slowly in order to obtain a hint of colour, but no tannins. The juice was settled overnight before racking into stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A long cool fermentation helped to retain delicate aromatics. The wine then underwent natural malolactic fermentation and was left unracked and unsulfured before being stabilized and bottled.
This Rosé has aromas of grapefruit pith and peach pits with hints of cranberry. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity. Despite the fruity descriptors, the palate is salty, savory and juicy, offering flavours of white peach, pepper, cranberry and pink grapefruit with a medium finish.
2018 Heritage $48.00
This Bordeaux blend combines 44% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted prior to being destemmed and placed in a tank. Whole grapes were cold soaked for ten days, with several daily pump-overs. Grapes underwent maceration for 50-65 days before being racked into oak vessels: 40% new French oak, 10% 2nd and 3rd year oak and 50% neutral oak. The wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation and was left in oak for 24 months before being racked to tank, stabilized and bottled.
After four hours in the decanter there are aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, black plum, herbaceous notes, liquorice and hints of sweet spice. This is a dry, full bodied wine with high acidity and high, grippy tannins. The palate is savory, offering notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, black plum, tobacco, dried herbs and hints of sweet spice with a medium-long finish.
References
Schreiner, J. (July 14, 2021). On the Vine: Pascal Madevon Makes Wine Magic. Retrieved from: https://vancouversun.com/homes/westcoast-homes-and-design/on-the-vine-pascal-madevon-makes-wine-magic
Schreiner, J. (June 7, 2021). French Door’s Big Reds and Juicy Whites. Retrieved from: http://johnschreiner.blogspot.com/2021/06/french-doors-big-reds-and-juicy-whites.html