Produced with fruit sourced from a vineyard on the Naramata Bench planted exclusively with the Burgundian, Clone 95, similar to its portfolio cousin, the Saddle Block Chardonnay. Janet Dorozynski, DipWSET/PhD - Wine AlignĨ8 points. Medium intense nose and palate of yellow apple and tropical fruit with a juicy attractive acidity and texture. It is medium-full bodied, firm and intense with excellent focus and length. The nose shows lifted, classic yellow apple/peach, toast, hazelnut and vague smokiness.
Tasted beside a companion Clone 95 from the Duncan Vineyard in Naramata, the more northerly origin of the Saddleback is immediately obvious with its firm acidity and tension. This is the first vintage of a Clone 95 chardonnay from Spearhead's home Saddleback Vineyard in southeast Kelowna. Here the oak treatment is subtle and lovingly structures the happy marriage of ripe orchard and melon fruit to the lively, tanginess of the citrus fruit. This Chardonnay, using the same Burgundian clone 95 as its portfolio cousin from the Naramata Bench, is sourced from the winery's home vineyard in East Kelowna and offers a similar flavour profile but with a more elegant and balanced result.
