Canada’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys (15) Meyer Family Vineyards
Website: https://mfvwines.com/
Jak and Janice Meyer are turning out some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Okanagan. 2006 was their first vintage, released in spring 2008. ‘The original plan was this was a hobby on the side,’ says Jak. ‘Custom crush, having a bit of fun.’ In a prior life he was a stockbroker and then he moved to mergers and acquisitions: wine was never supposed to be a serious second career.
They custom crushed 2006 and 2007, and in 2008 they started making their wines at Lake Breeze. They hired Chris Carson who’d worked in New Zealand. They bought their winery and tasting room in December 2008.
In 2008 they made 700 cases from 4 acres of vines. Jak realised selling wine is hard, as well as making it, and he knew that at this size they’d never make any money. But by this stage he’d got the bug. This was a fun business, so they decided to grow. A property (now their home farm) came up after the financial crash, with 16 acres of vineyards, and they were in business. Every couple of years they added a new building to the property and it built up.
Most fermentations are wild yeast for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 2024 because of the lack of grapes they did a Chardonnay and some rosé from Washington State in 2024. In a normal year, production is around 8000 cases.
In the vineyards they have around 15% loss from the 2024 freeze. But it would have been a lot more if there hadn’t been a shortage of vines at the nurseries. 75% of those replaced would have survived, says Jak, after seeing what he thought were dead vines bounce back, sending suckers up in July and August.
The home farm has 11 acres of Pinot Noir, 3 acres of Chardonnay and 1.5 acres of Gewurztraminer.
Meyer Chardonnay 2024 Colombia River Plateau, Washington State
Bought some Chardonnay juice from Washington. This is fresh and supple with nice pure citrus and pear fruit as well as a bit of white peach. Nicely textured and fruit driven. 89/100 ($21)
Meyer Old Main Road Chardonnay 2023 Naramata Bench
13.5% alcohol. 25% new oak, 11 months in barrel. Toast, meal and spice on the nose with some ripe peach and pear fruit. The palate is supple and bright with lovely fruit presence. Nice energy as well as some depth and a bit of stoniness. Really stylish. 93/100 ($32)
Meyer McClean Creek Road Chardonnay 2023 Okanagan Falls
13.5% alcohol. This is the home property. This is linear and focused with nice density and weight, with some pear and peach as well as hints of nut and meal. Nice balance with good acidity under the fruit. Seamless but with some density, this is very stylish. 94/100 ($32)
Meyer Micro Cuvée Chardonnay Old Main Road Vineyard 2022 Naramata Bench
13.5% alcohol. This can come from either of the two properties. It’s a barrel selection. 50% new oak, 100% malolactic. Lovely concentration and intensity. This is vivid and linear with powerful, lively citrus and white peach fruit, with a stony linearity. Juicy, bright and focused with nice acidity on the finish. This is still tight and primary. 95/100 ($61)
Meyer Pinot Noir 2023 Okanagan Valley
This comes from Naramata, Osoyoos, Kaleden (west side of the Lake, 4 acres of Pinot, they bought it recently), OK Falls. Bright, supple and enjoyable with some fine spices under the floral, sweet fruit. There’s nice concentration, a bit of meatiness, and nice fine spicy detail. Very stylish and enjoyable. 93/100 ($25)
Meyer McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 Okanagan Falls
20% new oak. This has nice density with a savoury, spicy twist to the nicely concentrated cherry and raspberry fruit, with really nice texture: it’s silky, but there’s some spicy structure, too. This has pleasure but also seriousness. 95/100 ($38)
Meyer Old Block Pinot Noir McLean Creek Vineyard 2022 Okanagan Falls
13.5% alcohol. Planted in 1994, 40% new oak. Light in colour. So elegant, fine and refined with beautiful red cherry and raspberry fruit, and a touch of cranberry. Such elegance and finesse with real purity and layers of flavour. Remarkable elegance to this wine. Thrilling, relying on elegance rather than power. Floral, ethereal. 95/100 ($48)
Meyer Micro Cuvée Pinot Noir McLean Creek Vineyard 2022 Okanagan Falls
13.5% alcohol. 91 (Pommard) and 115 clones. Relatively pale in colour. Elegant but with some structure, showing nice purity and finesse, with some spicy, white pepper detail. Nice finesse with some iodine and blood hints around the edge of the sweet red cherry and cranberry fruit. Fine and fresh on the finish. 95/100 ($61)
