The GOODS from JoieFarm

Naramata, BC | The 2009 PTG and 2009 Reserve Chardonnay have received consistently strong reviews from the critics. We have good stock of both wines and they can easily be ordered, with no charge for shipping, by clicking on this link. Read the new reviews after the jump…

Reserve Chardonnay 2009

91-93 points – John Schreiner – John Schreiner on Wine.com – October 16, 2011
This wine presents a creamy richness to the palate, reflecting both the warm vintage and the pains taken with the grapes in the winery, beginning with pressing whole clusters and berries. The wine was fermented in French barrels and puncheons (12% new, 36% one year old, 52% neutral). A quarter of the wine was fermented with natural yeast. All the wine went through malolactic fermentation and then was aged nine months in oak. The lees were stirred regularly, promoting the rich texture on the palate. The wine begins with aromas of orange and other citrus fruit. It has layered flavours of good marmalade and ripe pears, with a delicate touch of cloves on the finish.

91+ points – Icon Scores.com – September 20, 2011
The perfect white wine to ease you into Autumn with an excellent balance of creamy, MLF notes and ripe orchard fruit. A gorgeous nose of candied pears, cold butter and river rocks is presented subtly followed by increased intensity on the dry palate with lush poached pear characters, slick minerality and some tropical fruit notes. Sits lovingly on your palate with evenly matched energetic acid and glycerol fullness. The long, long finish delights with both savoury oak and ripe pear fruit flavours and just a touch of lingering spice. Utterly charming now, but should age nicely if properly cared for. Drink 2011-2017.

91 points – Daenna Van Mulligen – Wine Diva/WineScores.ca – November 16, 2011
The grapes for this current vintage of Joiefarm’s Reserve Chardonnay come from three separate vineyards located in Okanagan Falls and on the Naramata Bench. Spiced nuts and crisp Asian pears, creamy butter and tangerine peel aromas set the stage for a luxurious palate. It’s elegant, rich and creamy in the mouth with impressive focus and balance followed by a fresh, spicy and wonderfully lengthy finish. Excellent

90 points – Beppi Crosariol – Globe & Mail – October 20, 2011
Joie sources the fruit from two locations in the Okanagan Valley, combining the crisp characters of Naramata near Penticton with the riper flavours of Okanagan Falls to the south. The result is a full-bodied, elegant white with a silky texture and tropical-fruit flavours, balanced by crisp acidity and toasty, well-integrated oak. It would complement salmon, butter-seared scallops or roast chicken.

PTG 2009

89-90 points – John Schreiner – John Schreiner on Wine.com – October 16, 2011
This is a blend of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Gamay. It is worth noting that 10% of 2010 Gamay was blended into this to brighten the fruit flavours. PTG stands for “Passetoutgrain” – the term used in Burgundy for red wines made by blending these two grapes. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged in a combination of French barrels and puncheons (13% of the oak was new). The result is what one looks for in a PTG – a cheerful, almost playful red beginning with aromas of spice, strawberries and cherries. On the palate, there are notes of cherries. My tasting companion found a hint of red liquorice which may be the same as what the winery, in its own notes, refers to tamarind.

89 points – Icon Scores.com – September 25, 2011
A blend of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Gamay sourced from multiple Naramata Bench vineyards produced with traditional Burgundian methods including regional oak barrel selection and small lot fermentation. Classic Pinot barnyard/austerity meets familiar Gamay fruity/spice – a unique wine for BC consumers who likely have rarely tasted an authentic “Passetoutgrain” from France for which this wine is in homage. The 2009 version delivers a sharper presentation on the nose and palate than in previous years (2008) resulting in a brighter, crisper and thinner wine more appropriate for food accompaniment than for solo consumption and lengthy contemplation. Drink 2011-2014.

Larry Arnold – Eat Magazine – November/December 2011
Located on the Naramata Bench, just outside of Penticton, JoieFarm gets better with every vintage. Blessed with great fruit and solid winemaking skills, JoieFarm specializes in cranking out spins on European classics. Passetoutgrain (PTG) is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir made in Burgundy. JoieFarm’s PTG is a blend of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Gamay from the Naramata Bench. It is very pale in colour but don’t let this fool you, PTG is loaded with strawberry and spice aromas. The palate has some weight and a silky texture with with ripe red berry, spice and warm earth flavours. Nicely balanced with good fruit, acidity and a blush of nicely integrated tannins. Another good wine from JoieFarm.

Neal McLennan – Western Living – October, 2011
I have a friend who will only drink pinot noir, period. Someone pours aged Bordeaux? He’ll pass. Ditto a muscular California cab. He likes what he likes. But in an effort to get him to expand his horizons I recently gave him a bottle of Joie’s 2009 PTG. The PTG stands for Passetoutgrain (duh), which is a classic, if obscure, Burgundian wine that pairs the Pinot Noir of Côte D’Or with the Gamay grape from nearby Beaujolais. It’s like a wine version of Will and Kate: the elegant but stodgy pinot (that’s Will) gets a jolt of life from the fun but common Gamay (that’s Kate). Win-Win. Joie’s version has nice strawberry notes (they’re the master of fraises) ballasted with some peppery spice and earth. And at $26, it’s a great deal.